Merlin: Review: Series 2 Ep 6: Beauty and The Beast Part 2

How can Merlin and Gaius reveal the truth about Carina to an enchanted Uther?

An enjoyable conclusion to Merlin’s version of the wedding that should never have been sees a much stronger role for Arthur, as Queen Carina tries her hardest to turn Uther against his son and heir. Much to Gwen’s pleasure, Arthur refuses to follow unjust orders, defying his father both in the hunt for an unjustly accused Merlin and over unfair taxes.

Tony Head finally gets a bedroom scene, but unsurprisingly, there’s a twist, and for once a fart joke is actually funny. Sarah Parish clearly continues to have fun, both as the EastEnders-esque Queen Carina and in the troll outfit, and even the Dragon is amused by events.

The development of the characters continues with a noticeable shift in the dynamic between Merlin and Gaius. A welcome note of equality is starting to appear, with Gaius taking Merlin far more seriously than before. Unfortunately the concentration on the guest stars means that there’s only minor roles for Gwen and Morgana – the producers seem to have made a conscious decision not to try to have the whole ensemble in each episode, but hopefully this will be rectified before the end of the season.  8/10

Paul Simpson

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