Merlin: Murder, Sidhe Wrote

We begin this week with a question . . . from me:  Is anyone else still watching this show?  If so, why?  I have to under the terms of my indentured servitude to Poptimal.com, but what’s your excuse?

Anyway, on this week’s snooze-fest, we open with Morgana’s dream about Arthur suspended in water like peaches in Jell-o.  Only it is not a dream but a vision.  It seems that Miss Morgana has had many of these visions and Gaius suspects she also has the magical gift like Merlin.

But before he comes to that realization, Arthur and Merlin save an old man (Aulfric) and his daughter (Sophia) from a team of bandits.  As usual, Merlin uses his illegal magic and no one is the wiser.  Arthur escorts the pair to Camelot, where they take up residence and Arthur insists on Sophia sleeping in the room next to him.  This just plays into Sophia’s plan to seduce Arthur.

Why, you ask?  Well, Aulfric and Sophia are banished Sidhe (pronounced “shee”) of Avalon, and the only way they can return is if they give the Sidhe the soul of a prince, specifically Arthur because he’s a dreamy prince or something.  Anyway, only Sophia can return because Aulfric killed another Sidhe and that’s how they roll.

So while Sophia enchants Arthur in the woods, Merlin has to cover for Arthur’s absence at court.  He’s rather unsuccessful about it and winds up in the stocks, where people throw fruit at him.  But fear not, Merlin likes balls flying at his face.

In the end, Merlin uses Sophia’s staff to blow up Aulfric and Sophia as they’re damning Arthur to the depths of Avalon.  It’s a pretty good effect and a bit like the exploding head bomb in Total Recall.  So Arthur is saved, thanks to Merlin’s magic.

Boy, you’d think magic could be used for good purposes what with all of the good deeds Merlin’s been up to so far.  Maybe Uther’s ban on magic is unreasonable.  And maybe I’m being facetious.

For another take on this episode, check out Pretty on the Outside, Evil on the Inside by Stephanie Jaar.

Season 1, Episode 7: The Gates of Avalon (aired July 19, 2009)

For more on Merlin, click here.

Sundays at 8/7c on NBC

Photographs courtesy of NBC, The BBC, and Nick Briggs