Merlin Season 1

4 DVD

Casts : Colin Morgan, Anthony Head, Richard Wilson

Young Merlin is sent by his mother from their village to start a better life in Camelot, where he is apprenticed to Gaius, the physician to the repressive King Uther, who believes magic is evil and punishable by death. When Gaius realizes that Merlin has magical, telekinetic powers he agrees to keep the boy’s secret. Uther has just executed a sorcerer, whose mother comes to Camelot in the guise of a pretty girl who charms the court to sleep with her singing. Only Merlin sees what is happening and stays awake, saving the situation without being exposed as a warlock. As a reward he is promoted to valet to Uther’s son, Arthur.

King Uther Pendragon holds an annual tournament, where Prince Arthur Pendragon is to defend his title against other knights of the realm. Sir Valiant comes with a magic secret weapon: a shield from which the painted poisonous serpents can come to life and attack (Sir Valiant also murdered it’s creator). Nursing snake-poisoned knight Ewan, Merlin finds out that’s why the vile knight defeats adversaries as easily as Arthur (whom he informs). By the time the prince challenges Valiant, the only ‘worthy’ witness has died (by more serpentine magic), a servant’s word is worthless against a knight: Arthur is furious to be humiliated, seeming scared, and fires Merlin. After enigmatic encouragement from the Great Dragon, Merlin decides against giving up- it’s high time to resort to the magic from the book Gaius gave our hero.

The dark sorceress Nimueh casts a spell on a dragon egg she throws into the castle’s water. The next day a plague causes people to die, their skin turns white with dark blue veins. King Uther orders prince Arthur to search all Camelot for the sorcerer he believes to have caused the epidemic – only a magic trick saves Merlin from having his book found. When Gwen’s father exhibits symptoms, Merlin waves Gaius’s warning by curing him. However, when Arthur reports the recovery Uther orders her execution at the stake. Merlin tells Gwen’s caring mistress, Morgana, only Arthur can help him fight the monster (an afanc), which they search for in the dragon’s cave.