For me this is one of my all time favorites even though it is a bit heavy handed in parts.. So I was delighted it came to me in the rotation. I think this episode has a decent script, some character complexity, and solid acting. Most of us have often said we like the fact that it focuses on the four younger cast regulars. And , of course, we get that well-remembered first ever Arwen scene. It is here we have their first one on one conversation of any duration. It is also here we see the little light flicker in the brainwaves on the part of each of them. Bradley and Angel played it perfectly, and it’s a scene long to be remembered in the heart of every Arwenite. Also for me, this episode contains my favorite Arthur sword fight of the entire five years. Well done, Bradley James and Alexander Siddig. I thought the fighting was intense, gruesome, and as real as this show can do without showing blood and guts. So he didn’t die right out. That’s beside the point. Arthur defeated him soundly without the aid of Merlin.

So following Millie’s format, here goes. Use the following two headings when you comment:

What I liked about this episode:


What I didn’t like about this episode:

Feel free to discuss anything you want under each heading. You can talk about any plot holes or things that could have been added to improve the episode.

Some questions to ask yourself to help you answer the headings...

+What was the main “dilemma” or plot in this story? The attacks on the village or something else?

+Do you have a favorite moment that brought you into the story in a particular way? A moment that grabbed you somehow and made you identify with the happenings of the story and/or warmed your heart to the character(s)? I did.

+There was a lot about relationships and feelings between characters in this one. Did any of the relationship interactions of particular “pairings” affect this episode for you on the plus or negative side? Suggestions would be Arthur/Merlin; Merlin/William; Hunith/Merlin; Arthur/Gwen; Merlin/Morgana.

+How you saw the villain. Did you think his character too evil or did he really add depth to the episode?

+How do you feel William added or subtracted from the overall story.

+Some may want to talk about Hunith’s struggle as a mom.

+What do you think about the sudden addition of feminist rhetoric? I think it came out of nowhere and wasn’t realistic. What do you think?

As always, talk about anything else your little heart desires. There seems to have been mixed reviews about this episode, so probably there are mixed feelings here.

This is my favorite episode; I have to catch up so, I can answer. I have seen this one so many times I could mostly answer without watching, but where is the fun in that.

oh dear .. each night i promise myself to wach and answer the question and everytime i fall asleep on my table. LOL!! Have to do it tomorrow .. promise!

Greetings everyone. I finally watched it and giving myself a big pat on my back because i managed to do it in the midst of my heavy schedule.

So the answers ...

Why i liked the episode?

1. The plot.
- IMO, this episode has so much importance to the core of the series than the entire season five combined. Serious. Here we deal with various issues. There's greed from the villain, the selfishness of Uther, kindness of Arthur, Morgana and Gwen, the motherly love of Hunith, the friendship test of Merlin and William, wisdom in truth reveal, honesty, loyalthy and finally bravery. So much was discussed that if we blink we might miss them. I really didnt pay that much attention to this episode the first time but after rewatching, i find it impressively stacked with values. And i liked all that was discussed.

2. The Values.
- Like above, the values discussed were one of the reasons why i am hooked onto this episode. This is just an introductory season yet so much was discussed. First we are taught about Greed. And we see from the villain's point of view. And there's the selfishness of a king to refuse helping a woman in distress. Uther's reason can be justified yet he is a king and a just king will not use reasons to avoid helping those in need of help. And Arthur does just the opposite. He does the unexpected by aiding Merlin and Hunith even if he is just a prince. He knows the severity of the circumstances should there be a sovereignity issue yet he did what his heart tells him. And that's why he is Arthur, the great wise king of Camelot. And then there's loyalty played out well between Merlin and Arthur, Merlin and Hunith, Merlin and his village. Honesty and wisdom comes in the form of truth reveal where Merlin decides to be honest and under certain circumstances, Hunith decides against it as it isnt wise to do so. A great struggle yet the decision made was wise. Friendship was seen in the main cast as well as in William. And love is portrayed from all around; from gaius to william. Every one does a remarkable job in getting the points across.

3. Arwen.
- I was waiting for this scene, period. And despite it being a short scene between them, I LOVED IT.
And the way Arthur calls "GUINEVERE", damn ... it makes it all the worth to wait until episode 10.
Both looked uneasy as it was their first flirt and we all know where it leads to, dont we. But i sincerely loved Gwen's boldness in this episode. She wasnt intimidated by Arthur's presence and wasnt scared to make her statement stand. She was the voice of wisdom in this episode, bringing in the women into the fight as well as the men. And Arthur listens .. that's what makes their scene all the more sweet and important.

4. William
-I like Wlliam. I am not angry he wasnt in league with the group in the beginning as he had his reasons. And we feel for him because he suffered his lost. And i like the progress they made with his character. He wasnt in everyone's good book, the we learn his reason and finally we see the honest and brave side of him. His sacrifice in the end was vital as it must have taught Arthur a thing or two about magic; we might not see it but from Arthur face and his reaction in the end we know it played a part in the later seasons. And his death in the end, was sad to watch.

5. Hunith
- We all never heard or read about Merlin's childhood before let alone about his mother. So this was a refreshing welcome and Hunith warms our heart the moment she comes on screen. She portrays her motherly role well and it isnt just for Merlin for she played her character for Arthur, Morgana and Gwen. Her wisdom and wise words in the end about Merlin's destiny and the importance of the reveal sets the tone into later parts of the series. She justifies her reason through William's death and as a mother we share her grief. But her brave words encourages Merlin and I was genuinely relieved that she survived this scare in the episode.

6. Merlin
- Now no episode is complete without my baby, Merlin. LOL!! I find him wiser in this episode because he comes to accept his responsibility as Arthur's guradian. He values his actions and gone were the hasty, clumsy actions which used to get others into trouble. Though his decision to use magic in the end to help his villagers are understood as he knows they are out numbered and was willing to pay for his acions before his friend interfered. Anyone in his shoes would have done the same. So i find it wise. And watching him wield the sword was CUTE!! Oh god, i replayed the scene where he kills his first victim and seems proud many times because he looked soooo cute in it. But what really caught me about him in this episode was his struggle between two friends; Arthur and William. William is his best friend, a childhood friend and the way he struggled to lie to Arthur about William was painful. And on the other hand there is Arthur whom William despised. Making William see Arthur for whom the prince is was a definate struggle and Colin brings such depth to the character that we share his pain and root for him. And then there is that mother and son relationship which he portrayed wonderfully. It was both warm and lovely to watch.

7. The surrounding
- A fresh location was like a new dress to wear after we spent 9 episodes dwelling in Camelot and in the castle. It was really a welcome to move away from the castle and Ealdor despite being a village, is a beautiful place to be.

8. Arthur
- He showed why he is the once and futures in this episode, again. He willingness to help Merlin despite his father's reluctance showed the value of his friendship with Merlin, his constant question with his father about the aid to Ealdor proves he doesnt believe in sitting down and let issues like sovereign affect his decisions and his trust in the people of Ealdor shows why he is the greatest king ever lived. Arthur simply surpasses his father in this epsiode.

9. The 4 cast together.
- It was in this season and this episode we get to see all four cast together, helping each other out in the name of friendship. There is one more in season 3 but Morgana is evil then. SO count that out. Here in this episode, the cause was genuine and nice to see just the main four without any other's interference. And to see all four engage in a war, was awesome.

10. Memorable moments
a. The night scene where Arthur asks why Merlin left the village. Merlin explains his hard life and is honest. But he doesnt complain. Whereas Arthur feels for the hardship Merlin and his village people go through everyday. And when Merlin explains why he left, we can see Arthur's sympathy though he seals it well in him.

b. The second night scene where Merlin eavesdrops Morgana explaining to Gwen why Arthur came with them. He finds out and understands Arthur cares for him like he does for Arthur.

c. When Arthur calls Guinevere! The most memorable one for me in this season. The way he sounds, his voice ... Joppa must have fainted! LOL!!

d. William's death. Painful to watch. The struggle in Merlin to hide the truth and agree with the lie, to let his friend go and the pain in wactching him die ...

11. The best line in the episode
MERLIN
One day Arthur will be a great king, but he needs my help. And if anyone ever found out about my powers, I'd have to leave Camelot for good.

WILLIAM
Are you telling me you'd rather keep your magic a secret for Arthur's sake than use it to protect your friends and family?

- this had me thinking a lot.


Well, that's it for now ... will continue tomorrow.

+I loved the episode cause it had so much in it. The attacks on the village which brought so many questions. Like who is ready to step over a line to help a friend, if you can call it stepping over a line. Magic issue, when to use. Uncertainty in yourself, which was obvious in several characters. My point, it was a complex episode and that made it a great one! There isn't one plot and one dilemma, there are many. And they all have their five minutes.

+A favorite moment. That is easy: It's the moment where Arthur and Guinevere finally fully interact. Where you can clearly see the beginning of something great, something epic. When he has the least self confidence, she is there to give him strenght, to restore the faith in himself, the hope that everything will be alright. She is his rock. That has been obvious ever since this scene. And it also showed that Guinevere has her strenght beacuse of her faith in him. They are like ying and yang. So I like to say that this episode is where Arwen began. ( And yes Shu, I still squee every time)
I also loved the moment when Arthur joined the group. It showed where his heart truly lies and that he has making of the once and future king, again!

+Arthur and Merlin's relationship was really good portrayed in this episode. I am a huge fan of their bromance and what they have here was finally something more that a banter. They both realised some bigger aspects and acted more mature. They were slowly becoming what they were destined to become.
+Merlin and William: It was nice to see another friend of Merlin. He was a great chracter. He tried to do what he thought was the best for the village. Some might say he was a coward, but I don't see it that way. He was very realistic, and he did what most people would have done. And in the end, he did the right thing. Not only he gave his life for Arthur but also he helped Merlin. Even though now I am not sure it was helping. I wish Arthur knew from the start about his magic!
+Hunith and Merlin: Merlin always seemed like a mama's boy. Not in a spolied way. They have a genuine relationship. And Hunith is such a lovable person! She had great advices and she saw his and Arthur's relationship as it truly was. I sympathize with her a lot. It is not easy to send your only son to an unknown world and wonder every day how is he doing. We all know she'd want nothing more than to be with him. And yet she isn't selfish and she does what is the best for him. And that is admirable even though it is the right thing to do.

+I didn't like the villian, but i guess that was his purpose. I don't think he added the depth to the episode, though his threat did. He was ruthless and evil. And yet he wasn't a real villian, at least not to me. He was missing something, but I am not quite sure what.

+I agree with the feminist rhetoric . They came to help them and they need all the help they could have. It was an unnecessary add to the plot. I understood that Arthur was concerned but they were already in the middle of everything. However, I liked Gwen's little speech that night so I forgive them for this!

+Favorite quotes
Huinth: You have to go, Merlin. You belong at Arthur's side. I've seen how much he needs you, how much you need him. You're like two sides of the same coin.

Arthur: Guinevere! Thank you. You're right. And you were right to speak up. I should've listened to you and Morgana. We're going to need all the help we can get.
Gwen: We'll be fine.
Arthur: How can you be so sure?
Gwen: Because I have faith in you. (off Arthur's look) I mean... we all do.

Arthur: Look around. In this circle, we're all equals. You're not fighting because someone's ordering you to. You're fighting for so much more than that. You fight for your homes. You fight for your family. You fight for your friends. You fight for the right to grow crops in peace. And if you fall, you fall fighting for the noblest of causes- fighting for your very right to survive. And when you're old and grey, you'll look back on this day and you'll know you earned the right to live every day in between. So you fight. For your family. For your friends.
---> This is the first time Arthur gathers people in the circle and makes everyone matter equally!!! This is also an epic scene and such a huge moment for the show. He was only a young prince, still immature and not ready, but he had that spark in him. He knew right from wrong. And he knew what man he wants to become. Thankfully he had Merlin and Gwen to guide him there.

You sweet girls. Your answers are so GOOD. You understand this episode through and through. Isn't it great?

Now don't ask me why, but my favorite moment is when they are on their way to Ealdor, Merlin and the three women, and he hears the noise which frightens him and he goes to check. And here's this sword put in his back and Arthur says" I'd ask you for money but I know you don't have any." The excitement and shock of seeing Arthur there and how Merlin jumps and almost slashes Arthur and how happy he is to see him, the whole thing. I always just loved that moment. And yes, here we see the true character of Arthur that he came along to be with his servant/friend. He always took regard of the one in need.