Another BBC show that's let down by its own ambition, Merlin has so much going for it in theory: a grand, timeless story of myth, magic and legend, a format in which to explore many of the themes presented in Arthurian stories that couldn't have been in the many feature films made about King Arthur, and Giles from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. So promising, yet so ultimately disappointing. Like the BBC's most recent Robin Hood, the period production values just don't stand up to scrutiny and everything looks cheap, the sets feeling flimsy and many of the actors seeming like they're in a secondary school production of a second-rate melodrama. Exploration of themes of destiny, power, magic and corruption are sidelined for soapy, kid-oriented relationship dramas that aren't nearly as interesting as the tawdry affairs that comprise many of the original stories. I'm not saying Merlin should have been Game of Thrones, but a little sex never made anything less interesting, right? If produced as a comic, Merlin would have better been able to explore the lead character's education in his abilities and what that meant for his life as pretty much the only wizard in town and the soon-to-be-king's confidant. We could have seen more of the world and gone on more adventures with the cast, since that's what the Arthurian legends were all about, and not being under the yoke of the 'must please everyone' BBC constraints would have allowed us to see some braver, more interesting storytelling.
