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The first three episodes of Camelot were so lackluster that if I hadn't made a commitment to recap the show here at GeekMom, I might have given up.
But it seems that the show might have finally turned the corner.
If the rest of the episodes are of the quality of this fourth episode, then I'm going to really enjoy the rest of the series.
"Lady of the Lake" is broken down into three plots centering on the three main characters: Merlin, Morgan and Arthur. As has happened in the past, Arthur's plot is the least interesting of the three but it's still far better than anything we've seen previously. Their stories this episode are tied together by he theme of power: how to use it, the cost of having it, and how it can corrupt and destroy even without intending.
Merlin travels to the wilderness to obtain a new sword for Arthur, since the Roman sword pulled out of the stone has proven too brittle. He finds the smith making a sword that would be perfect for the new king, something that Merlin obviously believes is fate. The smith also has a daughter named Excaliber and the very name was likely a clue to the audience that this would not end well. And, indeed, it doesn't. Merlin is tempted for the first time in a long time to make use of his magical skills, especially when the smith will not give the new king the sword unless he can personally present the weapon to him.
Merlin refuses, saying the smith still has too much violence in him and would be a bad influence on the king. They fight, Merlin uses his magic and accidentally kills the smith by burning him to death in fire. Her father's death horrifies Excaliber and she flees across the lake in a boat with the sword.
Merlin, frantic, freezes the water and screams for Excaliber to stay in the boat. But she's still terrified, rightfully so, and falls into the lake with the sword. Merlin retrieves the sword but when he tries to rescue Excaliber from drowning, he cannot. His power has frozen the lake surface solid and he can't undo what he's done. Excaliber dies, as did her father.
When Merlin returns to Camelot, he names the sword "Excaliber" and tells a false story of how it was given to him, the familiar story of legend. (And, I have to admit, during this scene, I was tempted to say "Strange women lying about in ponds is not a basis for a responsible system of government." Monty Python and the Holy Grail has corrupted me.)
Morgan is also paying the price for using her darker powers although, unlike in Merlin's tale, it appears the only one in danger is herself. It's unclear exactly what is killing Morgan but it seems to be some sort of fever brought on by possession. The only one who can help her is an abbess from the convent where Morgan grew up. The Abbess is the interesting one in this tale, as she talks about the proper use of power and how not to fall victim to the wrong sort. But she also seems to be completely sympathetic to Morgan's desire to have the throne of England. What powers the Abbess possess is unclear but she was Morgan's teacher and it looks like she will be around for a while. At least, I hope so.
Arthur is at Camelot, training for battle with his knights. They're being taught the best way to stay alive in a fight by Gawain which includes sneak attacks, shields with razor sharp edges and, basically, playing dirty even if you're facing the king. It's not until Arthur shows Gawain that he can take the initiative and play dirty as well that Gawain finally backs down and says Arthur is a king that he can follow.
I'm not certain of Arthur's stated credo for his reign. It seems to be "because the peace they seek is so needed by everyone, the means to that peace might, at times, be less than clean." Arthur, it appears, is also not above using power wrongly to get what he wants.
There's also a little bit between Arthur and Guinivere that's not very interesting. Guinivere claims she doesn't love him and is happy in her marriage. Arthur doesn't believe her but agrees to leave her alone. It's likely that this will not last.
Overall, this episode was a huge improvement over the previous ones. It provided a wonderful showcase for Joseph Fiennes as Merlin, gave us a sample of what everyone in this world will do to hold power, and introduced the Abbess, who is an unpredictable wild card in the story.
