Merlin: Another's Sorrow Review

By Tom Buxton / October 29, 2012

rating: 2

As any of you who have been following my reviews of Merlin's fifth season so far will know, I've had my fair share of problems with the 2012 run of BBC One's fantasy drama. Sadly, the fourth episode- Another's Sorrow- did nothing to alleviate my fears of a fledging programme whose writers are running out of ideas, quite the contrary. With yet another obvious plot hatched by Morgana in an attempt to overthrow Camelot, and ever more pathetic dismissals of Merlin's wise guidance from the majority of the cast, the show's writers simply showed this week how far this programme still has to go to impress us anymore. The premise of Morgana's adopting a disguise to coerce the elusive Princess Mithian into betraying her former ally Arthur was unoriginal at best, especially as the evil witch's sister Morgause essentially tried much the same kind of plot at various points in her lifetime. Perhaps you really can't teach an old dog new tricks? In stark contrast to Skyfall's bombastic answer to the contrary this weekend, that certainly seems to be the implication in terms of Merlin's ongoing predictable narrative. It wasn't just the set-up of the latest instalment that felt overtly familiar, though. From the gaping segments of suspicion among the main cast that were ridden with plot holes (why after Arthur's proving to Uther last week that he respects his Queen and servant's views, for instance, does he decide to ignore both of their words of advice?) to yet another Game Of Thrones-bating slow motion sword fight which unashamedly mirrored those in the Arthur's Bane two-parter, there was very little that felt fresh on the story or directorial front here despite both being helmed by new hands this time around. Once again, we were 'treated' to completely disengaging performances from the main cast, who seemed just as restricted by the more-of-the-same ish script as ever. Colin Morgan appeared rightfully just as bored with Merlin as his character was at being ignored by just about every main protagonist he came into contact with, despite the obvious destiny of true wisdom the show is so intent on hammering in as being on its way in weeks to come. Bradley James fared no better, depicting a dumb and innocent Arthur who can't see a trap from a mile away, while Richard Wilson got an extended role as Gaius that essentially amounted to little more than hints at a magical return. If that character arc develops into something greater towards the finale, then perhaps we might have a few more intriguing elements to watch, but in the case of Merlin it's pretty darn difficult to imagine that that will be the case. Janet Mongtomery was likeable enough in her return as Mithian, yet robbed of the significance of her former role as a romantic ploy for our favourite monarch in the course of the Gwen-Lancelot-Arthur triangle arc, she has little more to do here than look worried and for no apparent reason frequently stumble into harm's way. Ultimately, the lack of importance blatantly present within the penning of Another's Sorrow is plain to see, as this standalone instalment appears to have virtually no bearing on what's to come for the show in the next nine weeks. That Alexander Vhalos' Mordred (who is supposedly meant to be one of the Knights of the Round Table) made no appearance whatsoever here this time around yet featured prominently in the Next Time trailer just goes to show the huge in-consequence of this adventure in terms of his arc that's likely to help wrap up the show's loose ends. We don't necessarily need an arc-heavy episode every week, quite the contrary, but heck, I'd take the sorely repetitive Agravaine arc of yesteryear over the dull tedium of episodes such as this and last week's. Last year I would have confessed myself an utter and proud Merlin devotee no matter what the jibes that might come with such a title, but now further and further it's becoming embarrassing to even be associated as a follower of the programme, let alone a 'fan' of it. Where next for Merlin, then? Quite frankly, were it not for my own investment with the characters and events over the course of the past four seasons, I feel as if I would have dropped my following of the show altogether, which really isn't a strong sign. Quality-wise, things feel as if they've been hitting a steady decline ever since the merely above-average series opener, and if that decline doesn't reach a halt soon, it's likely the viewing ratings will follow suit fairly swiftly. As ever, I'll keep you posted with my thoughts on a weekly basis in these reviews- here's hoping that things can't get any worse than Another's Sorrow from here on out...