Merlin - Complete series

Even ten years later, Merlin remains an amusing fantasy series that is easy to watch. Although sometimes you shouldn't think too deeply about it. As a teenager I was hooked on the Merlin series. The story of the legend of King Arthur (Bradley James, Damien) and Merlin the Wizard (Colin Morgan, Humans) in their early years intrigued me. The magic made a permanent impression on me and I even went to the castle in France where the series was filmed. When I didn't know what to watch next a few months ago, I decided to start all over again with Merlin. It has now been almost ten years since the final. But will the series actually hold up a bit in 2022? Or is my love for Merlin actually based entirely on nostalgia?

For those who don't know Merlin yet, this series ran on the BBC between 2008 and 2012. Five seasons of thirteen episodes each were made. The series begins when the young wizard Merlin is sent to Camelot to learn about magic. However, King Uther (Anthony Head, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) has strictly forbidden the use of magic. During his stay in Camelot, Merlin learns that it is his destiny to protect the young Prince Arthur who will perform great deeds in the future. However, Camelot turns out to be a dangerous place. Monsters, evil wizards, and hostile kings all try to take down the crown prince. And it can be very difficult for Merlin to hide his talents from even his best friends.

In some ways, the series is a bit outdated.

To return to the question in the introduction: it's a bit of both. Certain things about the series are clearly quite outdated and I viewed it with nostalgic glasses. For example, the series is still a bit syrupy, especially in the first season. It is still searching for a real identity and tone. There is hardly a continuous storyline, the dialogues are wooden and some episodes are not very memorable. The special effects also look very bad, especially in the beginning. Yet it is amusing due to the endearing acting performances of the young protagonists and the wonderful adventures.

Later on in the series, it all becomes more coherent. There will be a major red thread in the story that propels the whole thing forward. At the end of the second season, Arthur's half-sister Morgana (Katie McGrath, Supergirl), also a sorceress, turns against Camelot and the fight against her becomes a main storyline until the end of the series. Because the cards are reshuffled every season, the series is not too repetitive. From the fourth season, the series also becomes a lot more serious and darker in tone, and that natural growth suits the series well.

The series is wonderfully amusing if you don't want to think too much

Merlin is a very watchable series if you don't want to think too much. But when you go a little deeper into the series, you notice that certain things don't quite make sense. Why is Merlin so eager to protect King Uther when all prophecies say Uther will have to die? Because of destiny? Obviously not. The character Morgana is also a lot simpler in the later seasons. In the first two seasons, she is incredibly nuanced in her views on magic and how Uther views it. But from the moment she definitively switches to the dark side, she becomes one-dimensional and her motives and views are flattened. These are things that I didn't notice ten years ago, but now definitely do.

Even ten years later, Merlin is an uncomplicated, but incredibly fun series full of exciting adventures. It needs to pick up steam a bit at first, but once it's going, you can enjoy it to the fullest. It can look a bit dusty and dated at times, but the fun the creators are having is clearly visible on the screen.