Merlin, Season One

"In a land of myth and a time of magic, the destiny of a great kingdom rests on the shoulders of a young boy. His name: Merlin."

Thank you, British Broadcasting Corporation. Thank you for bringing the world such a glorious show. Right off the bat, I will put it this way: for a long time, I have not watched television. The only purpose my TV served was for movie nights with my parents and friends, and the (very) occasional videogame. In Summer 2009 Merlin Season One aired in the United States, and thanks to Tivo I was able to catch the first episode. Because of it, I learned a schedule for a show. I hadn't done that since I was at least nine or ten. My appreciation for it has only grown now that I own a shiny set of DVDs, for which I am wildly grateful. But before I bombard you with that, a little background.

Merlin first aired in Summer 2008 on BBC while most of us were running about the woods making up our own stories (or at least that's how it goes where I come from). It was only released to wider audiences a year later. Somewhere in the interim it gained the alternate title 'The Adventures of Merlin' in Australia and Hong Kong (IMDb tells me so). So as we speak, or respectively write and read, season two - which aired to the Brits as I was initially spazzing out over season one at home, yet to graduate from high school - is airing here in the US, just waiting to be snapped up!

Can't wait for shiny DVD set #2. My credit card tingles with anticipation. Cue the obligatory college moths reminding me that my wallet actually doesn't exist. Credit card: exit, stage left.

All shenanigans aside, this show is lovable for a lot of reasons. There are also reasons that people don't love it, and I'd like to address some of them here.
The main complaint I've heard is, as one acquaintance of mine so deftly put it, that the show "totally fucked over the story." I will agree that the BBC retelling of Merlin is far from what one might call "conventional Arthurian legend," however, such a stance completely depreciates the welcome use of revitalization. No, Merlin and Arthur are not the same age in the original tales, nor did Merlin serve as Arthur's servant. Morgana was certainly not Uther Pendragon's ward (to my knowledge) and Guinevere was even more certainly not Morgana's maidservant. However, the old stories, while perhaps not universally known, are just that: old. Don't get me wrong - I have a habit of seeking out the "original" side of things and tracing stories and pop phenomenon alike back to their respective sources - but an overhaul, when it's done well, does not have to be a negative thing. And I haven't even touched on the right to creative license, especially where legend is concerned. All in all, purists: whatever floats your boat. Honestly. Just don't get your underpinnings in a twist when I can love the original legends and the show at the same time.

I think much of my love for the show is based in the quality of the acting. Some of the effects leave something to be desired and there are moments that are outright groan-worthy, but the screen presence of the actors more than makes up for these things. To begin, Anthony Head is Uther (Arthur's father and the current King of Camelot). I could sing Anthony Head's praises all day. I've loved him ever since he was Giles on Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I loved him as Nathan in Repo! The Genetic Opera. I love him as Uther, especially because he is anything but a flat villain. Like all of the other main characters, we are allowed to see multiple facets of individuals, something that I think is quite often lost in entertainment today. Uther, though he often takes the role of antagonist in the formula of the show, also has his moments. It makes it worthwhile that he is a character that one can both love and despise, occasionally at the same time.

And of course there are the wonderous Colin Morgan as Merlin and Bradley James as Arthur. What a dynamic duo. They've almost been elevated to the point of bromance and I have to approve. Both are very talented, not to mention attractive (which always helps), and I can't wait to adventure with them into season two.

So I don't ignore the ladies, though Angel Coulby makes a great Gwen, Katie McGrath as Morgana takes the cake. In watching it with my friends, we have dubbed her "Morgana the Bangable" because oh gracious, is she gorgeous. Not to mention her clothes are amazing. I believe we decided that if you took Keira Knightly, taught her to act (both in general AND ESPECIALLY without her chin), made her more than skin and bones and then combined her with non-Twilight Kristen Stewart, you'd get Katie McGrath. Her presence on the screen is amazing, and I love the light attitude she brings to a character who has such potential for dark motivations.

Apparently Merlin was heavily inspired off of Smallville, believe me or no. It makes sense structurally: the writers have a formula (which I will not disclose for purposes of being spoiler-free) and oh, how they stick to it. But somehow, it works. Though I've never seen Smallville, one of my abovementioned friends is quite familiar with it and both sees and approves of the connection.

All in all, now that this has gone on for far too long, it's fabulous. For a good healthy romp in a time fargone from now with magical shenanigans up to your eyeballs, pay Camelot a visit. Just take care you don't wake the Dragon.

Preview!