Merlin (TV series)/Recap/S01/E01 The Dragon's Call: Difference between revisions

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A sunny day. A grassy hill. A big castle on the horizon. A young man strolls toward the city, and judging by the wide eyes and the awestruck smile, he is a [[Country Mouse|country-bumpkin]]. He wanders through the streets and stops to join a crowd outside the castle.

Before them, a man is forcibly marched up onto a scaffold, and the King raises his arms to address the crowd.

 

 

The man is beheaded and the crowd recoils. But King Uther seems cheerful enough, reminding them all that it has been twenty years since the Great Dragon has been captured and inviting them all to enjoy the celebrations. However, at that moment a cry goes up in the crowd.

Merlin is looking for a man named Gaius, but his quiet entrance into the man’s chambers startles the elderly court physician. And unfortunately, he’s balancing halfway up a bookcase. Fortunately, Merlin has the ability to telekinetically slide a bed across the floor and break the man’s fall. Flustered, Gaius gets to his feet and demands to know who he is and where he studied magic. Merlin denies all knowledge of anything that’s just occurred, but the truth is obvious. Once Gaius has ascertained that this is his sister Hunith’s son, he directs Merlin to put his bag in his room, warns him to keep his magic a secret, and thanks him for saving his life. Merlin gives him a letter from his mother.

 

 

Gaius stares into the distance thoughtfully as Merlin opens his bedroom window and looks out with excitement over Camelot.

He warns the young knight against such behaviour, though he only gets laughed at for his trouble. After a round of insults is exchanged, the knight challenges Merlin to take a swing at him. When Merlin fails miserably and finds himself with his hands pinned behind his back, he realizes he’s made a big mistake:

 

'''Arthur''': No. I'm his son, Arthur. }}

 

Merlin is heading back to Gaius when he passes Arthur in the street, who goads him into another confrontation.

 

'''Arthur''': Are you sure? }}

 

Arthur throws Merlin a mace and then advances with his own. Merlin clumsily tries to handle the weapon, but as the fight escalates and the crowd gathers, he falls back on a few discreet magic tricks to trip, distract, or otherwise hinder the prince. Arthur finally catches his foot in a bucket and goes toppling backward, at which point Merlin gets distracted by a disapproving Gaius watching him. Arthur takes the opportunity to knock Merlin to the ground with a broom, but then commands the guards to release him.

 

 

Back in Gaius’s quarters, Merlin is berated for his behaviour and we get our very first shirtless scene (the beginning of a proud tradition on this show) when Gaius tends to the scrapes on Merlin’s back. Sadly, Merlin wonders why he even has powers, and Gaius tells him that perhaps someone else has the answer he seeks.

That night, the voice once more awakens Merlin. He follows it back to the dungeons and distracts a pair of guards by telekinetically rolling their dice across the floor and out of reach. He sneaks past with a lit torch and heads down a dark stairwell. At the end of the tunnel Merlin enters a huge subterranean cave. With a clap of wings and a rush of wind, a massive dragon hurtles down from the darkness and lands on a stone outcropping before Merlin. A chain is secured around his foot, but he looks at the gobsmacked Merlin keenly.

 

'''Dragon''': Perhaps it's your destiny to change that. }}

 

Merlin finds Morgana’s room and – as is his way – wanders in. This time he’s hit the jackpot, as Morgana is disrobing behind a screen as she complains about Arthur. Thinking that Gwen has entered, Morgana asks Merlin to pass her a dress, and once he’s shaken himself out of his stupor he throws it over the screen. Morgana’s questions to “Gwen” become more specific and Merlin is about to bolt for it when the real Gwen enters the room and hurriedly covers for her new friend. Now considerably more eager to attend the feast, Morgana choses her most anachronistic dress in order to:

 

 

That night, after the false Lady Helen has dispatched of a young servant girl who was unlucky enough to spot her real reflection in the mirror, the court gathers in the banquet hall. Both Arthur and Merlin are struck dumb by Morgana’s grand entrance, and fail to notice Guinevere as she sidles in alongside her. However, in the most glorious example of [[Dramatic Irony]] that this series has to offer, Merlin and Gwen have the following conversation:

 

'''Gwen''': I hope so. One day. Not that I'd want to be her. Who'd want to marry Arthur? }}

 

Uther and Arthur stare at Merlin in shock.

 

'''Uther''': You shall be rewarded a position in the royal household. You shall be Prince Arthur's manservant! }}

 

Back in Merlin’s chamber, Gaius suggests that saving people may well be the proper use for Merlin’s magic, though Merlin is less keen about the idea of saving Arthur on a regular basis. Just before Merlin answers Prince Arthur’s summons, Gaius gives him a book of magic and extracts a promise from him that he’ll keep it secret and study it carefully.

 

 

== Tropes ==

* [[Mythology Gag]]: Both Merlin and Guinevere's utter distain for Arthur. If they only knew...

* [[Non-Action Guy]]: Merlin, as seen when he goes up against Arthur.

* [[Opening Narration]]: By John Hurt as the Dragon. After this episode, we get a much briefer introduction before each episode.

* [[Ship Tease]]: Between all four main characters. It's that kind of show.

* [[Weapon Twirling]]: A proud show tradition that is naturally first demonstrated by Arthur with a mace.

* [[Welcome Episode]]: Apart from Arthur/Guinevere (which is not introduced properly until season two), all the relationships between the core cast are firmly established when Merlin enters Camelot.

* [[Well-Intentioned Extremist]]: Uther. On the one hand, beheading Thomas Collins was not only excessive, but had dire consequences. On the other hand, Thomas's mother's actions only serve to prove his point that magic is evil, and Gaius tells Merlin that before Uther became king there was chaos in the land due to the misuse of magic.

* [[You Can't Fight Fate]]: Or so the Dragon tells us.

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Recap]]