Merlin’s second episode takes us to Camelot, where King Uther is hosting a tournament and knights from all over the realm come to compete in this prestigious annual event. A knight named Valiant, who is armed with a magical shield, will stop at nothing to win the competition’s prize. 
Merlin, now Arthur’s manservant, discovers Valiant’s magical treachery and seeks to expose him, but the young warlock soon discovers that a servant’s word does not carry much weight. Merlin must once again use his magic in secret to save Arthur even when the young prince has turned his back on him. Merlin succeeds and learns that his actions will sometimes go unrewarded.
This episode of Merlin, seemed a bit slow and didn’t have quite the impact as the first episode. I did like the use of spells by Merlin and the growing relationship with Arthur. It was also nice to see a bit more of Lady Morgana, and how she fits into the story. Overall the villain was just not all that interesting, and he did not make me dislike him other than the fact that he was a “cheater”. There could have been a bit more flesh on his character bones, and I think the writer missed their mark on that one.
I hope the writers can get back on point and give us some villains to remember. A reoccurring villan other than King Uther, would be great as I see Uther’s brooding becoming tiresome if it he is the only antagonist. I still like this show, and its charm is winning me over more and more. The cast overall is great and the character Gaius, Merlin’s wise mentor has all the charm of Obi-wan and Gandalf, of Star Wars and Lord of the Rings fame.
For fantasy lovers of all ages Merlin is the show to watch, let us hope its magic never fades. Also I should mention it has been picked up for a second season on the BBC where it originally aired in 2008.
