Merlin: Episode 8, The Eye Of the Phoenix

You know, Halloween’s a funny old thing, it really is.

But does have its upside: I do know I managed to dress up — not very well, I’ll admit — as a version of the Joker, at work, yesterday.

And while it wasn’t stunning, I did mange to scare three small kiddies and a dog.

Oh, and get mobbed by a bunch of school-kids who were looking around the shop, and all decided they wanted to get their photos taken with me.

Fun and tatty-hilariousness …

||»»•««||

At any rate, I do know that last night’s episode of Merlin, The Eye Of the Phoenix, was quite a good one.

The opening teaser scene sees Bradley James as Arthur, undergoing an ancient ritual: he is in overnight contemplation to decide what he should do to prove himself worthy as the rightful heir: not to King Uther, but to the people of Camelot.

And what he decides … ?

Is that he has to quest for the trident … of the Fisher King.

||»»•««||

Now, if you’ve not seen this episode, I seriously suggest you remedy that: it is, after all, available on the BBC’s iPlayer, and gets repeated, tomorrow night.

But you’ll get my humble opinion*, now, either way, for what it’s worth.

The Eye Of the Phoenix is possibly one of the better episodes, I think: and I know I’ve said that before.

It’s adding quite a bit to the development of all of the regular series characters: Guinevereº is slowly realising that Morgana is not all she seems, Katy McGrath’s take on Morgana is slowly getting less hammy, the relationship between Bradley James Arthur and Colin Morgan as Merlin is look up, and Eion Macken, as Gwaine, is shaping up nicely as Merlin’s answer to Han Solo. Or possibly Silk …

I’ve also got to mention Warwick Davies, as Grettir, the Dwarven Guardian of the bridge leading to the Realm of the Fisher King.

Many years ago I can remember Angelo Muscat — the butler in the original series of The Prisoner — lamenting the fact that there were few good roles for dwarf actors.

Warwick Davies seems to have cornered the current market: and played Grettir with both a straight face — vital in a fantasy series — and very well.

Maybe not on a par with Nabil Shaban’s version of Hamlet, but very watchable, none the less.

In conclusion?

I’m going to tell you to catch this one!

||»»•««||

* Isn’t that a ridiculous phrase … ? No, really … ? Who on Earth really has a ‘HUMBLE’ opinion? I mean, honestly!

º Angel Coulby.