Some secrets are better left buried and unknown — lest they empower those never meant to wield it
As more of the classic Arthurian legend came together, we saw the rise of the witch Morgana (Katie McGrath), who will one day rise up against Merlin (Colin Morgan) and Arthur (Bradley James). Merlin’s misguided attempts to show her that she was not alone in the world unleashed a foe that was better left cringing in the darkness. Believing that she was plagued by terrifying nightmares was much better than educating Morgana that she can wield power that mere ordinary men cannot. Having cowered under Uther’s (Anthony Head) authority for so long, Morgana is chaffing under the weight of having to hide her true nature – and she must be itching to discover how powerful she truly is.
The world will bow before beauty, but power commands that they kneel. Morgana with the aid of Mordred (Asa Butterfield) will become one of the most powerful sorceresses in Camelot. It is a shame that Merlin only sought to reassure her that it was okay to possess magical abilities. But, in Merlin’s case, he has a wise counselor guiding him. Morgana has none. Merlin gets a daily supply of all that is good. Morgana is starved for true affection and a role model to look up too. In the absence of anything better, Morgana will make her own path and, coming out of fear and darkness, she cannot help but be a creature of her upbringing and influences. She is love-starved and fearful and she will resent not being encouraged to be who she truly is. She will demand the respect that her position and power commands – and yet it will still leave her unfulfilled. She should have turned to Merlin as her one confidante, but by pushing him away, she only surrounds herself with more loneliness. Love begets love. Fear begets fear. And Morgana’s fear will take her down a dark path that will only bring more fear to everyone around her.
What Worked
It was nice to see Gaius (Richard Wlson) and the Dragon (John Hurt) in agreement for a change. For, despite the warnings of both Gaius and the Dragon, Merlin could only see the good in Morgana. He identified so closely with the confusion and loneliness that she was going through. He tried to explain to Gaius by saying, “She isn’t sure what’s happening to her and it’s tearing her apart” and plead with Gaius, “Tell her that her powers are not something to be afraid of.” But Gaius was wary and asked, “What makes you so certain you know better than me?” To which Merlin replied, “Because I went through the same thing.” Gaius then tried to gently warn Merlin, “You cannot get involved in this. No good can come of it.” Gaius was not just fearful of Merlin’s magical abilities being revealed, but seemed to know that Morgana’s magic was something darker.
When Merlin then tried to solicit help from the Dragon, he was met again with resistance. The Dragon wanted to know why Merlin was seeking the Druids, and Merlin simply said, “I need their help. Someone I care about needs their help.” The Dragon then guessed who Merlin meant and said, “You speak of the witch, Lady Morgana.” To which Merlin defensively replied, “She’s not a witch! She’s my friend.” However, the Dragon also foresaw something Merlin did not and said, “She cannot be trusted. . . It would be better if the witch never knew the true extent of her powers.” Merlin then protested, “You’re wrong. I know her. She has a good heart.” But the Dragon tried again to warn Merlin, “You failed to heed my advice in the past and it brought grave consequences.” Merlin was firm and said, “I will not abandon her.” Merlin’s willingness to only see the good in others will be his undoing if he is not careful. When both Gaius and the Dragon are warning him about a course of action, he should be listening. Yet his brave and caring soul ached for Morgana’s plight and he vowed to do something for her on his own.
But later, despite all that Merlin had done for her, once Morgana received confirmation that she had magical powers, she was loathe to return to Camelot — even if it meant the deaths of hundreds of people. She calmly informed Merlin, “I’m never going back. These are my people. They are like me. I don’t feel so alone here. Do you understand?” To which Merlin softly said, “Better than anyone.” It was only after Morgana lost both Algain (Colin Salmon) and Mordred that she unwillingly returned under Uther’s watchful, yet unsuspecting, care. Merlin tried to reassure Morgana again that she could trust him, but she was could only think of her newfound abilities. She no longer needed Merlin, so she dismissively said, “Thank you, Merlin. I know now who I really am. And it isn’t something to be scared of. Maybe one day people will come to see magic as a force for good.” Despite her good intentions, her transformation has already begun. She is distancing herself from the one person who will understand and who may care for her. This is further evident by the fact that Morgana shattered the vase containing Merlin’s flowers when she was frightened by the storm. Her unconscious mind sought out the one fragile token of friendship and love, and destroyed it. No, Morgana will not embrace love and friendship, she rejects it. She only seeks to isolate herself further and finding out she does have magic gives her more reason to willingly distance everyone.
In the end, a wiser Merlin told Gaius it has been easier for him because he has had guidance and tutelage from Gaius, and without Gaius’ support, he would never have become the young man that he is. Merlin told him, “Everything that’s good and right about magic, I’ve learned from you. I’d be lost without you, Gaius. Like she is now.” Gaius understood, but feared the consequences — for Morgana has not been under Gaius’ loving guidance; she was under the Druids’ influence, albeit for a short period of time. If she will not be guided by him, then she cannot be the same as Merlin. Her experiences will shape her differently. So the evolution of Morgana has begun. It is a vital part of Athurian lore and it was fascinating watching it unfold.
Also quite fun was Arthur thinking that Merlin’s attentions to Morgana were of a romantic nature — which Merlin was forced to endure so that Arthur would not suspect the true reason he was assisting Morgana. It was absolutely delightful watching Arthur and Merlin dance around each other as Merlin tried to hide the flowers he had picked for Morgana as an excuse to visit her. So later when Arthur teased Merlin about the flowers, it was even more hysterical. Arthur innocently asked, “Where’s my flowers?” Merlin then distractedly said, “Your flowers?” Arthur then teasingly replied, “I heard Morgana got some. I assumed you’d be putting them in all the rooms – or is she the only one to receive a token of your affections?” Despite Merlin’s protestations that the flowers were merely to cheer Morgana up, Arthur clearly believed they were meant for another reason. Then later after Morgana has returned to Camelot, Arthur caught Merlin sneaking out of her chambers and stopped him to warn him, “This has to stop. The King would have your head if he found out. There’s no point denying it.” To which Merlin cautiously asked, “Denying what?” Arthur then smiled and said, “Your affections for the Lady Morgana.” Merlin, clearly relieved that Arthur did not suspect the true reason for his visit, just laughed and said, “right.” Arthur then warned him to stick to girls on his own level. “She can’t be your friend, let alone anything else.” Merlin happy that Arthur did not know what he was talking about, just replied, “Yeah, I know.” With a condescending pat on the shoulder, Arthur reminded him, “You can’t hide anything from me, Merlin.” Merlin merely smiled and said, “Wouldn’t dream of it.” As always, the scenes with Merlin and Arthur and their good-natured ribbing warms the heart. Their friendship remains the strength and appeal of this delightful show.
What Didn’t Work
What kind of woman on the run wears a red cloak in the forest?! While it provided some absolutely exquisite cinematography, it seemed so foolhardy for there was no way Morgana would escape notice in that vivid color.
Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due
‘The Nightmare Begins’ was written by Brian Vanstone and directed by Jeremy Webb. “Merlin” stars Colin Morgan, Bradley James, Katie McGrath, Angel Coulby, Richard Wilson and Anthony Head. “Merlin” airs Fridays at 10 pm on Syfy.
