The Adventures of Merlin: Season 3

12 years ago, I wrote the season 2 review for Merlin, thinking that the season 3 review would be following shortly afterwards...

So now here we are...

Anyways, my husband (who knows nothing about Arthurian legends), and I are going through the series, and it has been the best rewatch experience for me! I had totally forgotten what a comfort watch this show is and what sold the show was the very believable bromance between Arthur and Merlin, which gets better and better with every season.

Merlin with The Fisher King in "The Eye of the Phoenix"

• Season 3 definitely had its strengths and weaknesses, but it was a solid season

• Unfortunately, 'the freak of the week' trend continued with episodes such as "Goblin's Gold," "The Changeling," and "Love in a Time of Dragons". These seemed to be written so as not to lose the junior audience that the show had originally been intended for.

• However, the episodes of "Gwaine, "The Eye of the Phoenix," and "The Coming of Arthur: Pts. One and Two", are considered some of the best episodes in the whole series.

• I always remembered this season as the season that Gwaine showed up. Because you know reasons...

 

• It's a shame that a character as legendary as Morgana Le Fe got the worst material.  It seems like the producers only wanted to focus on Morgana's beauty and nothing else. Morgana's whole secret undercover, working for the enemy trope was too drawn out.

• Thankfully, writing for Gwen got better. Watching Gwen and Arthur's forbidden love story and their external and internal struggles humanized them both.

• Three Harry Potter actors were in this season! Miriam Margoyles (Professor Sprout) was in "The Changeling," Warwick Davis (Professor Flitwick) was in "The Eye of the Phoenix" and Harry Melling (Dudley Dursley) was in "The Sorcerer's Shadow."

• I missed seeing Kilgarrah (the Great Dragon), but I guess it was signifying Merlin's maturity as a sorcerer and having to answer his own questions.

• Just when you think that Arthur has matured somewhat, he's back to bullying Merlin.

• Merlin is definitely more comfortable with using his magic in public for non-emergency situations. (Ex. putting Arthur in his place after he bullies him)

• I loved the finale episode of seeing the 4 elements of Arthurian legends coming together. Merlin, Arthur, the knights and the round table