selenak

Now that's more like it. Thank you, Jake Michie, writer of this episode.

Not only was this a continuity feast in so many ways, but it managed to be an ensemble episode, actually using its characters, it brought the plot forward and there was no stupid slapstick. If I were in a mood to nitpick, I'd say Merlin and Gaius should have considered the possibility of an aging spell, plus there was no Watsonian reason why Morgana shouldn't have killed Merlin on the spot instead of just rendering him unconscious (well, okay, fine, she could have thought that if he'd died, this might have stopped Arthur from walking into the trap, but then again, in the hypothetical case of Merlin's death Arthur would still have to finish the supposed rescue mission in time). But I'm not. The episode pleased me in too many ways.

First of all, Mithian returns and continues to be a sympathetic and intelligent character. Good use is made of the fact she tried to befriend Merlin last season. While she is being blackmailed with her father's life by Morgana and Odin, she is not presented as an agenda less victim because of this; she is shown as brave and resourceful as tries to find ways to warn the Camelotians anyway, and eventually does succeed.

Secondly, we see Arthur and Gwen interact (which they hadn't this season yet other than the brief scene in 5.1 when Gwen advises him to ask Queen Annis for safe passage). Now I had a moment of frowning and thinking "you're not trying to present Gwen as JEALOUS because of Mithian, are you, show?", but no, the show didn't; instead, Gwen was rightly shown concerned re: Arthur's long term feud with Odin and the circumstandes of Uther's death. (Must admit I had nearly forgotten that what starts Uther's process of dying is one of Odin's assassin attempts to kill Arthur in The Wicked Day.) Also I loved Arthur's "have you been talking to Guinevere?" to Merlin later and at the end of the episode praising Merlin to Gwen and adding "but don't tell him or I'll never hear the end of it". OT3!

Thirdly, the long term Odin-tries-to-kill-Arthur development, which started all the way back in 2.2. when we first met Odin and has been mentioned in dialogue through all the subsequent seasons, finally gets a pay off and is tried to the equally long term but much more rarely mentioned and sometimes lost out of sight Arthur-is-supposed-to-unite-Albion plot. Even better, we get a nice compare and contrast scene to last season, the last time Arthur had a hostile king on his knees before him (Annis' husband), ignored Merlin's advice and proceeded to kill him. This time around, though given far better motivation to kill Odin, he listens. Between Annis showing up in the season opener, Mithian and her father here and now Arthur managing a truce with Odin, I have hope we actually will get to see this uniting-of-Albion-business before the show is over. Also, note the episode offered a good look at Advisor!Merlin, too. See, this is is the Arthur and Merlin interaction I want to see: yes, they still banter, but no stupid slapstick, and when Merlin is serious, Arthur responds accordingly.

Fourthly: loved the Morgana and Mithian scenes. As Morgana plots go, this scheme was like one of the Master's on Doctor Who - overcomplicated (if she really only wanted Arthur dead, she could have killed him in Camelot or en route, but no, it has to be the elaborate trap scenario in the tomb) but inventive. Not only do we see her use one of Merlin's key magic tricks, the aging spell, for her own benefit (as I said: continuity feast in so many ways), which ties to last season's pronouncement of Kilgarrah and Morgana's Emrys dreams of Merlin and Morgana as each other's nemesis and counterparts, but we also see her interact with another woman (which she hasn't done since Morgause died, unless you count the very brief scenes with Gwen last season), and as I said, Mithian aquits herself well (and is very observant, down to noticing how much the spell drains Morgana), which makes Morgana a competent villain for keeping the upper hand.

Fifthly: Gaius using healing magic on Merlin and feeling drained by it makes me happy for the simple reason that just a few days ago, I posted a story in which Gaius' magical abilities were a plot point. :)

In conclusion: loved this episode!