Merlin Club S04E08: “Lamia” or “Paint drying”

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 eight: Merlin is sent to a remote village to help cure a mysterious disease that’s affecting the men there. Gwen and several of the knights who have names and therefore aren’t just there to die go with him. During their journey, they meet a Magical Girl ™ and she has scary woman powers that beguile all the men (except for Merlin). While Merlin and Gwen try to steer everybody back to Camelot, the knights want to escort the Magical Girl home, which is clearly a trap. Magical Girl is a monster, Gwen kills it, and everybody goes back to Camelot happy.

If I had written this episode, I would have changed: There are very few times when someone will say, “Let’s watch Merlin!” and I’m going to be like, “No, ew, no way.” But one of those times? Is if they say, “Let’s watch that episode of Merlin where nothing happens, and a girl is a monster,” Then I’m like, “Oh, you mean ‘Lamia’? I’m out.” This episode does nothing but slow the season down.

The thing I loved most about this episode: When Arthur gets hot over Gwen killing a monster.

The thing I hated most about this episode: Guys, it is SOOOO boring. If this episode had occurred in the first season, it would have been fine. It would have been part of establishing the format of the show. But here it’s like, “Oh, yup, that’s the girl who’s going to be responsible for the spell. Uh huh, she’s evil. And now they’re going to start fighting, and it’s going to drive a wedge, yup.” And it’s yet another Magical Girl episode. There has to be something more exciting they can do in a show about wizards and dragons and knights and shit. Why is it always a Magical Girl?

Something I never noticed before: How really quickly the guys get aggressive over the lamia. For some reason, when I went to watch this one again, I had this idea that it took them a while to all start getting catty with each other, but it happens really super quick. Which just adds to my disappointment with this episode overall.

Favorite Costume: Nothing. Everyone is so dirty and ragged looking that Gwen even comments on it in her last scene.

Here is proof of some random headcanon I created: Nothing for this episode.

What object would Bronwyn steal from this episode? I actually couldn’t find anything this episode. It’s just a bunch of hovel-ly bullshit. It’s not even interesting looking.

What Merthur moment did Jess have the naughtiest thoughts about? When Gwen questions why Merlin isn’t susceptible to the Lamia’s evil. I bet she was all, “Yeah, we know why. We know exactly why.”

Check out Jessica Jarman’s take on the episode here

Check out Bronwyn Green’s take on the episode here