By Will Barber – Taylor

Having been captured by a group of bounty hunters including Mordred, Arthur and Merlin are taken to the centre of Morgana’s lair. They soon discover that all is not as it seems. Meanwhile, Gwen has an important decision to make.

In Arthur’s Bane Part Two the drama has been escalated. With Arthur and Merlin closer to their dangerous quarry, things are not going in the right direction for them. Even Merlin’s attempts at comedy seem to fall on deaf ears. Unlike the previous episode, this episode highlights that the show if becoming much darker; not just in tone but also in the landscape of the episodes. From the artic like wastes surrounding the castle to the dark caverns beneath Morgana’s castle, the whole scenery mirrors the tone of the writing and the acting. Indeed, the only time we see sunlight is at the end, however this quickly disappears as Mordred menacingly smiles to the camera.

Katie McGrath is excellent as the scheming Morgana. She particularly excels during the scenes with Mordred. This makes it even more shocking when Mordred stabs Morgana, the look of shock and disappointment is brilliantly played by McGrath. Hopefully, we will see more of her in the up and coming series.

All in all, Arthur’s Bane Part Two was an excellent conclusion to this two part story. I look forward to future episodes of Merlin to see whether the show continues to produce excellent writing and acting.

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