The Mark of Nimueh

RECAP AND THOUGHTS

THE MARK OF NIMUEH

Season 1 Episode 3

Hello Merlin peeps,

So the Mark of Nimueh is fairly significant for this first season. It is the first episode that features Merlin's first real enemy, Nimueh.

You see her first in the episode casting some spell on clay that somehow becomes alive and then breaks out of the egg. I don't know. It's hard to describe.

Michelle Ryan plays Nimueh. She has extradonarily blue eyes, which are awesome. In a commentary they do say that they enhance them, but still very cool.

We turn to see Merlin and Gaius dealing with a dead person. Gross. And when they flip him over, it's even more disgusting. He obviously did not die of any natural cause. Hmmmm I think a trouble's a brewing. (lol...)

In this episode we also get to meet Gwen's dad, Tom. He's a simple blacksmith, who obviously loves his daughter very much. They seem to have a very nice relationship.

So back to Merlin. When he and Gaius are carrying the dead body away, Gwen stops them and offers Merlin a flower from the bouquet she picked Morgana. Merlin puts it under his collar, and they awkwardly flirt again. It's adorable. 

As Gaius is examining the body, which he concludes probably did die from some nasty magic, Arthur comes to the door to summon Gaius. There's been another dead body found! Oh no! PS...Arthur notices the flower under Merlin's collar. It's amusing to me. 

Gaius does admit that he believes the cause is sorcery to Uther...probably not a good thing to do with such a tyrant on magic. He fears that people will turn to magic as a cure, if they cannot find one first. Arthur is charged by his father to find the sorcerer. 

Merlin starts getting upset, because Gaius insists that magic cannot help. Merlin wants to cure people with his powers, but Gaius won't let him. 

Arthur in his quest to find the sorcerer does a search in everyone's dwellings, including Merlin's. Definitely not a good thing...as Merlin, of course, left his magic book out in the middle of the floor. Always a good thing to do, when magic is banned. When Arthur enters the room, he calls Merlin in to him. Scary. But good ole Arthur just wants to pick on Merlin. 

As he looks at his dirty room:

Arthur: Merlin, come here....., look what I've found. I've found a place where you can put things, its called a cupboard.

Merlin is then able to...well use magic, to cover up his book with a blanket, which Arthur for some reason...never picks up. but, if he did it would ruin the story. ;)

Merlin gets upset again when he suggests using magic to cure people and Gaius shoots him down. He doesn't understand how he can become a great warlock, if he's not allowed to use any magic. Good point Merlin...but maybe just this one time you shouldn't...no really...you probably shouldn't.

Well he does. 

The little thing in the egg has apparently turned into a huge monster...and a lot more people have now died. They figure out that it is probably the water that has been affected, but a bit too late. Gwen finds her father in bed and he is very ill. He has come down with the disease killing off everyone. She turns to Gaius for help, but there is still no cure. Merlin can't stand to see his friend grieve. In the middle of the night Merlin sneaks out and cures Gwen's father using magic. UhOh. 

Merlin asks Gwen how her father is, and she realizes it's weird that Merlin knows that he's doing better. When she questions him, he admits it. He admits he's a psychic...It turns into another cute scene....although maybe she should have suspected him after what happens next...

When Arthur finds Tom well, he's shocked. He doesn't know what to make of it. When he asks who was with him, he admits it was just Gwen. They search their house and find a magic poultice under the pillow. Gwen is arrested, and sentenced to be burned. 

Morgana is pissed, and Arthur is not in love with her...yet...He does not seem overly concerned at first, but then he does end up fighting for her cause. He admits that she most likely didn't do it, and even if she had...she was just trying to save her father's life. However Uther is a horrid man, and won't listen. Merlin is of course upset, and Gaius is PISSED, because he knows Merlin used magic. Merlin admits it. He's upset because now he realizes that although he saved one life, he endangered another. He's upset. He meets up with poor Gwen in the dungeon. She asks Merlin one favor, "Remember me." Awww. It breaks my heart.

Merlin rushes into one of their council meetings and admits that he's a sorcerer in front of the entire court! It is Arthur who saves his butt from being burned as well:

Arthur: There's no way Merlin is a sourceror!
Uther: Why should he fabricate such a story?
Arthur: Like Gaius said, he suffers a grave mental disease
Uther: Really?
Arthur: He's in love
Merlin: WHAT?
Arthur: With Gwen
Merlin: I am not!
Arthur: Yes you are
Merlin: No way
Arthur: I saw you yesterday with that flower she'd given you
Merlin: I'm not in love with her!
Arthur: It's alright. (dragged out) You can admit it
Merlin: I don't even think of her that way!

Arthur: Merlin is a wonder, but the wonder is that he's such an idiot. There's no way he's a sorcerer.
Aww!

Uther buys it.

Merlin is still pissed. He's mad that Arthur still couldn't see him as being magic, even when he admitted it. He's mad that he couldn't save Gwen. Gaius explained though that it wouldn't have saved Gwen anyway. They both would have been burned. He insists they have to find a cause of the disease instead.

They go to the water...well? I don't know. A place where there's a lot of water. They get a sample, and see the monster...which apparently is an Afanc. A creature made by clay and conjured up by a powerful sorcerer. 

Merlin sees them building the pire of wood to burn Gwen. He realizes he doesn't have a lot of time, so he goes to his old friend, the Great Dragon!

Great Dragon: The great warlock returns, as I knew he would.
Merlin: I need to know how to defeat an Afanc.
Great Dragon: Yes, I suppose you do.
Merlin: Will you help me?
Great Dragon: Trust the elements that are at your command.
Merlin: Elements? What is it I have to do?
Great Dragon: You cannot do this alone. You are but one side of a coin. Arthur is the other.
Merlin: I don't understand, just tell me what it is that I have to do.
(the dragon takes off).

So Merlin decides to focus his research on the elements.

Gaius: Merlin what are you doing?
Merlin: Looking for a book.
Gauis: Care to tell me which one?
Merlin: A book on elements.
Gaius: Elements?
Merlin: Yes. Which one would I find them in?
Gaius: Most of them. The study of the base elements is at the very heart of the scientific process.
Merlin: How would that help me kill the Afanc?
Gaius: Well the Afanc is a creature made from earth and water, that's two of the four base elements.
Merlin: What about the other two?
Gaius: Well, perhaps they will destroy it! You want fire, wind and fire........How did you find this out?
Merlin: I just knew, you know part of my powers.
Gaius: What else do your powers tell you?
Merlin: That.......I am only one side of a coin. The brighter side obviously!
Gaius: And who's the other side?
Merlin: I think that might be Arthur.

He gets Morgana to convince Arthur to help Merlin. They both go down to the water...place. They go search around and find the Afanc. Between Arthur's skill, and Merlin's magic they are able to defeat the Afanc.

Nimueh sees this through her seeing...water. And she gets PISSED at Merlin. Hmm doesn't bold well for Merlin.

Gaius finds the eggshell, and it bares the mark of Nimueh. With this, Gwen is pardoned. Uther, is upset by the mark. He apparently knows of Nimueh. Hmmm. What don't we know yet?

Morgana says she knows Merlin's secret in the end. Merlin is scared at first, but then relieved someone knows. Until he finds out that the "secret" she is referring to is his 'feelings' for Gwen. Merlin is shocked, but sighs. He wishes he could share his secret with someone :(

Another funny quote I didn't get a chance to put in. When Arthur is looking for Gaius, Merlin opens the door, and says:

Merlin: I'm on my way. Sorry I'm late!
Arthur: Don't worry I'm getting used to it! (sarcastically).

Cute :)

Next episode is one of my favs in Season 1 :) Can't wait.

-Lily J.

References: 

My quotes were directly taken from here:

http://www.merlintvshow.com/page/EP03+The+Mark+of+Nimueh

Any picture edits from the originals I did, but the original pictures from from here:

http://www.fanpop.com/spots/merlin-on-bbc/picks/results/296859/funniest-moment-series-one

And:

http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/angel-coulby?before=1316991854

Thanks!