Review: Merlin 4.1: The Darkest Hour (Part One)

The Knights of the Round Table

Merlin's third series was an incredibly mixed bag, with the series' formulaic nature often hampering the progress of both the characters and the mytharc. I had hoped at the end of the last series that the status quo would finally be shattered, and that finally this series (which has now had its fifth series comissioned) would become a lot more dynamic. Perhaps I was hoping for too much from this already tired concept, but mostly it didn't stray too far from the slightly-altered norm.
      With Uther a broken man, Arthur is in charge of the kingdom. Morgana sacrifices , at her request, her sister Morgause to summon the demon Callieach and open the veil between worlds, releasing creatures known as the Voices of the Dead, or the Dhuroka. These creatures soon attack Camelot, bringing it to its knees. Arthur decides that if another sacrifice must be made then he should be the one to give his life. Merlin goes with the Knights of the Round table and the episode ends on the cliffhanger of death.
     There were some wonderfully tense moments in The Darkest Hour, particularly during the scenes in which the Knights and Merlin visited a village completely massacred by the Dhuroka. Stylistically the episode was much darker than it had been before, mainly to encourage fear of this forthnight's villains. The Dhuroka, straight out of a Moffatian fantasy, are a clever decision when creating fear and suspense - or they would be, if we didn't know how the story of Merlin will inevitably end.

Morgana (the stunning Katie McGrath)

      Katie McGrath seems to have learnt her lesson, and so far her villainy is less Disney villain more realistic sadism. This week she was accompanies by the King's brother, Elgaban (I'll never get any of these names right) played by Nathaniel Parker. I wish this revelation of his treachery could have been kept until a later episode; I suspected it from the moment he appeared (he was colour coded black, of course) and confirming it ten minutes later just ruined any suspense that that situation could create. In a similar vein, Morgana was told to beware of someone called "Emris" - Merlin, as we know -, puzzled on his identity for a bit and then had a vision showing that it was Merlin. What a waste.
     Other characters were also badly treated. A few of the knights didn't have speaking parts, while others served only to annoy. Angel Coulby, argueably the most important female character in the story, had only a few lines soley regarding Arthur. Two knights that we don't know the names of did get some character development, but I had no idea who they were and thus couldn't really judge.
     Merlin's return wasn't as catestrophically bad as last year's, but the episode didn't really improve upon any of Series Three's problems. Notably, it neglects advancements in the plot for atmospheric aesthetic, which may be fine for the casual viewer but isn't very fulfilling for someone watching for the Arthurian legend. It was, however, a step in the right direction; characterisations are falling into place despite unfair emphasis and it looks as though we're moving towards something brilliant.

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From hereon in, Merlin will be reviewed in Doctor Who's stead on Saturdays. Next week our story concludes, and the week after that we get an early treat from Misfits writer Howard Overman.

Thanks.