Cometh with me if you want to liveth.

Season two of the BBC’s hit series Merlin surprised me.  I wasn’t sure after the end of season one that the series would be able to maintain its momentum, or develop its characters deeply enough to make the show believable for any length of time.  One of the things you have to love about BBC productions however is that they’re so obviously not Hollywood, everything seems so much more real in a BBC series, and Merlin is no exception.   Perhaps it sounds strange to place a show based entirely on fantasy into the category of “more real”, but bear with me while I make my case.

This season of Merlin has more CGI, magic and monsters, but it doesn’t rely on special effects to carry the show, rather it uses those effects to enhance a solid storyline and well thought out character development.  No series starts out perfect, and the ones that survive have to make both their development and potential for future development obvious enough to the viewer that they’re willing to stick with the show through its often painful adolescence.  Anyone who’s ever gone back and re-watched the first season of their favorite show can tell you about that “Wow, was it really that awkward the first year?” feeling you get while watching it.  Merlin jumps into season two with characters already showing signs of developing into the seasoned heroes and villains we know they’re going to become, and the cast is already forming into a more cohesive unit. 

Merlin (Colin Morgan) is a young, clumsy, under appreciated servant destined to help save a king who will save a kingdom, the prince (Bradley James) who will become that king is spoiled and arrogant, Morgana (Katie McGrath) is not Arthur’s sister and Mordred is not her son, Gweneviere (Angel Coulby) is a servant and magic is outlawed.  This is not our parents Arthurian storyline kids, but let’s admit it, we wouldn’t be watching it if it was!

Season two of Merlin takes the viewer on an exciting, intriguing and sometimes funny ride.  Uther (Anthony Head) continues his Spanish Inquisitional type obsession with magic being the root of all his ills, while Arthur is learning more about himself and they type of king he wants to become.  Morgana’s powers are developing out of her control, and Gwen is already torn between the two men she’s destined to love.  Add to that a myriad of monsters, a witch finder, an assassin, a troll bride, and a powerful and duplicitous dragon, just to name a few, and you have a season not only entertaining but leaving you waiting to see what season three will bring. 

The DVD set also includes some great special features, Behind the Scenes, The Making of Merlin, and my personal favorite The Cast and Crew Introduction to Season Two, where all of the cast give their insights into the development of their characters and storylines.

Merlin The Complete Second Season

• Format:Color, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language:English
• Number of discs:5
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio:BBC
• DVD Release Date:January 18, 2011
• Run Time:571 minutes

ComicsOnline gives The Adventures of Merlin the Complete Second Season 4 out of 5 dragon scales.

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