The reason for that intrigue is simple: villains are always more fun, particularly ones that are sympathetic but we know are destined to become the hero's arch enemy. We've had hints that Morgana is "special" like Merlin (Colin Morgan), particularly blessed with an ability to discern the future through dreams, but "The Nightmare Begins" leaves no doubt. Morgana's once again having bad dreams, only now she's snapping awake and accidentally setting fire to curtains and exploding vases...After a candle sets Morgana's bedroom ablaze, King Uther (Anthony Head) believes someone's trying to have her killed. Gaius (Richard Wilson) knows the accident was a symptom of Morgana's growing powers, but continues to placate her when she comes to see him. This confuses Merlin, as he's found a far more reassuring and sympathetic figure in Gaius over his own magical abilities, but Morgana is contrarily being kept at arm's length in many ways. The Dragon (John Hurt) clearly believes "the witch" Morgana shouldn't be helped, but Merlin resolves to sneak her out of Camelot and deliver her to local Druids, who may be able to give her some answers.
Thus, Morgana is smuggled away into the forest, where she encounters giant scorpion-like beasties, before Druid leader Aglain (Colin Salmon) comes to her rescue and takes her back to their camp. There, she's reunited with Mordred (Asa Butterfield), the bewitched boy she helped last series, whose own supernatural abilities appear to have advanced considerably since then. Back at the castle, Uther believes the missing Morgana has been kidnapped by Druids, so sends Arthur and a contingent of troops to recapture her, while Merlin races to reach her first and prevent a fight.
"The Nightmare Begins" had a welcome emphasis on Morgana, even if we ultimately learned little we didn't know before. It was a little strange that Merlin went to all this trouble to confirm Morgana has mystical abilities, when that fact was hardly in question! Gaius knows she's special, Merlin senses it, and I'm not sure what other explanation Morgana thought was possible. And then, when Morgana does reach the Druid camp, Aglain offers nothing but a platitude that dogmatic people like her guardian Uther will one day come to accept magic as a force for good, not evil. Truthfully, the whole story didn't really make much sense in hindsight, but it was nevertheless a very entertaining journey.It was mostly just great fun to speculate about the future from this point on. Arthurian legend paints Morgana as a despicable villainess, but I'm not sure how the Morgana in this adaptation is going to assume that role. I was expecting the Druids to have a more controversial view of magic's practicalities, but they seemed quite genuine and pacifist. Or was that just an act to get Morgana onside? The only real malevolence exuded from Mordred; not from anything he said or did, but just from how he's filmed as a tiny Antichrist. But again, it's hard to imagine a child managing to manipulate Morgana into becoming his surrogate mother and corrupting her, so I'm still waiting to see how Morgana's story will play out exactly.
And that's the great thing about Merlin's characters and its premise; you find yourself papering over its cracks with your own views, and enjoying the performances. McGrath's a buxom vision of benevolent beauty, yet tinged with a sense of burgeoning evil behind her heavy brow, aided subliminally by the fact she often wears demonic red when distressed, then changes to earthy green when relaxed.
This episode also setup the likelihood that Merlin and Morgana may fall in love. Arthur has already mistaken Merlin's interest in Morgana as something more than friendly concern, and while Merlin denies any romantic interest (he has a different ulterior motive for visiting her), the scenes between himself and Morgana did crackle with a mild sexual chemistry. It would certainly be very, very interesting if Merlin and Morgana become lovers (with Mordred as their adopted son?), perhaps around the same time Arthur is sneaking off to be with Gwen. I'm already envisioning Merlin getting his heart broken when Morgana chooses "the dark side" and dumps him.
Of course, it's a concern that a lot of what I enjoy about Merlin exists in my imagination, but I'm pleased that recent episodes are inspiring such thoughts. "The Nightmare Begins" was a very well-constructed episode, too; quite cinematic at times with its use of slow-motion during the attack on the Druid's base (loved Mordred's scream flattening those guards), some superb uses of music (the show's score often goes unmentioned, but it's a grand and involving sound when used correctly), and I always feel myself enjoying Merlin more when it's filming on location. Whenever I see characters standing in the foreground of a picturesque vista or running through thick woods, Merlin suddenly comes alive as a real, beautiful universe... whereas the castle and its interiors all feel a bit staid and pantomime.Overall, the plot for "The Nightmare Begins" didn't hang together as well as it should have, and it ultimately didn't advance the mytharc as strongly as I'd hoped, but it was a real pleasure to watch for many reasons. Again, next week's preview left me quite excited because it heralds the return of Lancelot to seduce Gwen, and I'm surprised but delighted that Merlin's quickly becoming "must-see TV" for me.
Is everyone else finding themselves strangely enchanted?
3 October 2009
BBC1, 6.40pm
written by: Ben Vanstone directed by: Jeremy Webb starring: Colin Morgan (Merlin), Anthony Head (Uther Pendragon), Richard Wilson (Gaius), John Hurt (Dragon, voice), Katie McGrath (Morgana), Colin Salmon (Aglain), Bradley James (Arthur), Angel Coulby (Gwen), Asa Butterfield (Mordred), Beth Cordingly (Forridel) & Rupert Young (Sir Leon)
