Starz/Channel 4, April 15 (US) June 25 (UK)
As Arthur (Jamie Campbell Bowers) moons over the now married Guinevere (Tamsin Egerton), both Merlin (Joseph Fiennes) and Morgan (Eva Green) have a little magic trouble…
Camelot picks up from last week’s disappointing instalment with Lady of the Lake. The title alone promises a return to the core mythology of Arthurian legend, but purists might be somewhat disappointed with what the series has done with the legend of Excalibur.
While Arthur takes out his frustrations over Guinevere’s rejection in the physical process of training his men, along with Gawain (Clive Standen), Merlin sets out on a quest to source the perfect weapon for his king. An encounter with sword maker Caliburn (Vincent Regan) ends tragically with the smith’s death and that of his daughter, Excalibur. Yep, you read right: Merlin creates the legend by naming the sword after the woman he effectively murdered to get it. Don’t remember reading that in T.H. White!
Morgan has her own troubles, as her use of dark magic takes its toll. Sybil (Sinead Cusack), her teacher from the nunnery, turns up just in time to see her through a near death experience that features mirror-based visitations by Lot and Uther. The mad-eyed Eva Green continues to be one of the main reasons for watching Camelot while waiting for the action to kick-off.
Verdict: Merlin’s pants are on fire, the evil, murdering liar! Entertaining, but needs to ramp things up a bit, Game of Thrones-style.
Episode 4 ‘Lady of the Lake’: 6/10
Brian J. Robb
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