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Merlin Club S01E03, “The Mark Of Nimueh,” or, “This is why bottled water is a good idea.”

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Merlin club is a weekly feature in which Jessica Jarman, Bronwyn Green, and myself gather at 8pm EST to watch an episode of the amazing BBC series Merlin, starring Colin Morgan and literally nobody else I care about except Colin Morgan.

Okay, I lie. A lot of other really cool people are in it, too.

Anyway, we watch the show, we tweet to the hashtag #MerlinClub, and on Fridays we share our thoughts about the episode we watched earlier in the week.

So, here’s a quick rundown of episode three: Some chick who stole the ballerina’s wig from the end of Center Stage puts a poké ball in Camelot’s water supply. The thing that hatches out of it poisons the water supply and kills people kind of the way the girl in The Ring does. It’s super effective; everyone gets sick, including Gwen’s father. Merlin, unable to watch the girl he’s crushing on hard suffer, uses magic to save him. This in turn leads to Gwen being accused of witchcraft and sentenced to burn at the stake. That last part happens pretty much because Morgana and Arthur try to intervene. Anyway, Arthur kills the pokèmon and Gaius shows the poké ball to Uther, who totally freaks out because he knows who the sorceress is and they apparently have some history. The important thing is that with Gwen cleared of wrong doing, she’s free to go without getting burnt up.

If I had written this episode, I would have changed: Nothing, really. It might have been nice to see Gwen learning of Arthur fighting the monster. I think it would have set up the realism of their love story a little bit more, for down the road. But this was overall a solid episode that really establishes the formula of the show.

The thing I loved most about this episode: We really see how kind Merlin is in this one, and we also see a kind streak in Arthur, which by episode three, we really needed. Also, Anthony Head smiles in this one. I mean, Uther is still a dick, don’t get me wrong. But the man still has a truly excellent smile.

The thing I hated most about this episode: Morgana is barely in this episode, either.

Something I never noticed before: Exactly how much the egg thing really does look like a poké ball.

Favorite Costume: Arthur wins this week, for his sassy brown trench coat:

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Here is proof of some random headcanon I created: I maintain that the twist that’s coming in season three was retcon and not planned ahead, in regards to Morgana and Uther. I’m trying to be very vague here, so as to not spoiler anything. But I’m just going to say, their argument in the throne room, though.

What object would Bronwyn steal from this episode? The goblets Merlin and Gaius drink from at the end of the episode. I couldn’t get a good shot of them, but trust me. They are spectacular, and she really would jam them into her huge purse and run away with them.

What Merthur moment did Jess have the naughtiest thoughts about? Arthur chiding Merlin for having a messy room. That could lead to some amazeballs spanking fic, why don’t you get on that pronto, Jess? WHY ARE YOU DEPRIVING US?

Check out Jessica Jarman’s take on the episode here

Check out Bronwyn Green’s take on the episode here

That’s it for this week. Join us on Monday as we watch S01E04, “The Poisoned Chalice” at 8pm EST on the hashtag #MerlinClub.

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7 Comments

  1. Awesome – I just found this on Netflix and started watching because of this. I want to read your review of the second episode and it’s not linked on the “Merlin Club” tab above, though, just the first one. I’m looking forward to next week so I can watch along!

    February 7, 2014
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  2. OMG, JESS!!!! YEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!! Write the spanking fan fic!!! You know you want to. You know *we* want you to. GET ON THIS, WOMAN!!!

    Holy shit – it *does* look like a Pokeball.

    Those goblets will fit in my purse and no one will be the wiser.

    February 7, 2014
    |Reply
  3. Bron, most things would fit in your purse with everyone none the wiser! (For the record, I approve of the large purse, I just thought it needed to be said. 😉 )

    And a spanking fic may or may not have been sitting unfinished on my hard drive for the better part of a year. O.o

    February 7, 2014
    |Reply
  4. Tayci
    Tayci

    I started watching these on Netflix and I already finished Season 1. I must say that Uther is a HUGE dick, I really want him to die or for someone to smack him. He is the worse, I’d put him up there with you know who (that fucking guy).

    February 8, 2014
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  5. Sassy
    Sassy

    I really enjoyed Merlin but didn’t have a good experience with the end of it. See, throughout the ENTIRE final episode I was convinced that it wasn’t the last episode, and that there would be 3 more seasons, 8 total. I was convinced of this because the creators had confirmed this and then (without me noticing) changed their minds about it a few months later and decided to bow out on the 5th season. The dicks.

    So yeah, imagine watching the whole final episode of Merlin, increasingly thinking ‘um, ok, how are they going to recover from THAT?’, and coming to the end, and then going online in confusion to find out that it was, in fact, the finale. It was a hurt in my fangirl heart that will never heal.

    THANKS, CREATORS -grumpy face-

    February 8, 2014
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  6. Debbie Sharp
    Debbie Sharp

    .

    February 13, 2014
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