'Merlin' S01E12: 'To Kill The King'

Life or death? The power to choose these dominates Merlin this week, as the young wizard's dilemma provides a dramatic feast for the viewers.

Initially, the premise of the episode seems rather misguided. Why are we supposed to care much about the wellbeing of Guinevere's father, a figure who has barely featured in the series? Fortunately he's swiftly and unexpectedly killed off by Uther, which allows the real crux of the plot to shine through.

Merlin's soul-searching about saving Uther, despite the King's tyrannical ways, is fascinating to watch unfold and also features the most effective use of the Dragon in the series so far. In many ways, the audience's feelings towards the monarch fluctuates in unison with the sorcerer. Ultimately, the desire to save him owes much to Anthony Head's convincing performance, as the remorse Uther shows towards the end is convincing and demonstrates the pressures of single-handedly ruling the nation.

The plot is well structured and builds towards an action-packed yet tender climax by the grave of Morgana's father. Perhaps more thought could have been spared towards the murdered Tauren though, as his intentions were similar to Morgana's until her sudden backtracking.

Still, it just goes to show how fine the line is between life and death, hero and villain. Finally, has anyone else noticed how good the stories are whenever Katie McGrath is given a decent slice of the action as Morgana?

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