#2.13 "The Last Dragonlord" (Season Finale)

[Amar J]

May as well make a countdown/live thread as it is the last episode of the season....

The last episode was perhaps the best episode in the series, the way it ended with the dragon and how amazing it looked. Can't wait for this one, PLEASE I HOPE ARTHUR FINDS OUT ABOUT MERLINS MAGIC

[KryptonSite]

Here's the official summary:

The Great Dragon is finally free. Full of rage, he attacks Camelot with pitiless intensity. The castle is crumbling and Arthur's men cannot hold out much longer but only a Dragonlord can kill a dragon and Uther wiped them all out years ago. Or did he? Gaius admits one such man could still be alive and in hiding.

The last Dragonlord is the key to Merlin's own past as well as the future of Camelot, but will Arthur and Merlin find Balinor in time to save the kingdom?

Images: http://www.merlinsite.com/gallery/th...s.php?album=25

[obsessedwithsv]

Eeeee, I'm so excited for this episode! I too would like to see Arthur find out about Merlin's abilities or at least arouse suspicion. 48 minutes and counting!

[svfan50]

I am also sper excited....but after this episode....the next one with be next year...

I'm gonna miss Merlin, Arthur, Gwen, Morgana and Magic!!!!

[Lexgirl33]

I can't believe this is the last episode! It seems like it just started

[SVFancross]

I LOVED LOVED LOVED this episode.

- Arthur was soooooo heroic
- Merlin was soooo brave & tore up
- Gaius was wise (with Gwen at least)
- Gwen was so brave
- UTHER IS A PIECE OF CRAP

I loved the buddy scenes. Man this is like the best bromance ever. My only regret is that they keep insisting "Arthur must be dumb".

Supercilious. Hah!

I KNOW it's the "keep the magic secret" tagline but yeesh, it's getting too far. And they they TEASE US with the I saw you with the Dragonlord bit. Grrrrrr.. Enough already. Let Arthur know - he's earned it.

Actually, I was thinking about that a bit some more. Exactly what does Arthur REALLY have to do to earn Merlin's trust:

1) Remove the pretend "your my servant so we aren't actually friends, but let's pretend we are (because we really are)" bit? In other words, have Arthur call Merlin his friend, in public?
2) Arthur protect someone with magical abilities in front of Uther?
3) Arthur stop the purges?

I really want Arthur to know and yet I'm trying to think what more does he have to do to prove himself to Merlin.

[wendelboe]

I would have to say that the dragon attacking Camelot doesn't really make sence, the dragon who have always told about the importance of Camelot and the important connection between Arthur and Merlin and we have never seen him lie or have ulterior motive until now. Suddenly he atttack Camelot for what reason ? - Vengeance ?
Other then that it's a nice episode

[Lexgirl33]

Ugh yeah I was wondering that myself but I guess once he was free he didn't care.

[Becc]

ws Morgana in the episode?

[svfan50]

@Becc - Morgana is partying probably with Morgause... LOL

I liked the episode...Gwen and Arthur hugged it out in the end.....hmmmm..maybe thats the next season's arc.

[Becc]

Originally Posted by svfan50

@Becc - Morgana is partying probably with Morgause... LOL

I liked the episode...Gwen and Arthur hugged it out in the end.....hmmmm..maybe thats the next season's arc.

thanks I can't get invested in the Gwen/Arthur arc as I know she'll love Lancelot more, at least wih Morgana there's a chance she won't turn evil- all the earlier stories and legends had her character good until the later traditions confused and combined her character with that of Morgause.

[darkphoenix21]

His father dies only hours after Merlin revealed himself, that was a bit predictable. I was almost waiting for it to happen...but, I thought he'd die battling the dragon and Merlin would have to do the dirty work. The moments between them were sweet. And even sweeter is the moment between Merlin and Arthur in the forest and at the castle.

I couldn't understand myself why the dragon, after all this time talking about his and Arthurs destiny and Camelot the dragon terrorizes. If it was revenge against Uther, why not go after the source...kill him off already. I'm just counting the days until the episode.

Overall I thought it was a decent episode. It kind of ran like any other episode. For me personally I wish they had left with a cliffhanger. Something to look forward to for the next season. The episode just ended with no real mystery....no "Oh!!!....What's going to happen next?" anticipation feeling for me.

[plat3]

Originally Posted by wendelboe

I would have to say that the dragon attacking Camelot doesn't really make sence, the dragon who have always told about the importance of Camelot and the important connection between Arthur and Merlin and we have never seen him lie or have ulterior motive until now. Suddenly he atttack Camelot for what reason ? - Vengeance ?
Other then that it's a nice episode

if i recall correctly the greate dragon said "when arthur becomes the king of camelot magic will return to camelot only then i can be free again" and he told merlin to let uther die more then one time.
imo only thing tgd cared about was him self from the very begining. i can c why he would want vangeance

[Amar J]

decent episode, bit disappointed artur didnt find out about merlins abilities if i am honest

[SVFancross]

I think Balinor was the "voice" of the Kilgara (spelling unknown ... but the Great Dragon's real name) so that we could understand the thinking of the dragon. As Balinor said, he doesn't just kill to kill, he had a reason. I am fairly certain Balinor would not have killed the dragon but would have let him go as well after telling him he had to stop. I got the impression that the dragon had a lot of pent-up rage and when released he sort of just let it all go. His rather humble speech after he knew Merlin could control him felt genuine to me, not manipulative. I think 20 years of imprisonment makes even a wise dragon a little whack.

thanks I can't get invested in the Gwen/Arthur arc as I know she'll love Lancelot more

I really don't think they are going to go that route at all based on the show premise and set-up thus far. It's a tea-time show that will ultimately give a happy ending in it's 5 year run and I don't think we'll see even a suggestion of a future unhappiness for the Arthur/Gwen relationship. I think Lancelot is a pre-marriage barrier for them to overcome (nice guy, completley available from a social point of view, someone Gwen genuinely has feelings for, etc...). But, I know others are firmly convinced Lancelot will "get the girl's heart" - I'm just not one of them. I would also note that even in the recent movie King Arthur, Lancelot never even got a kiss - just angst. I don't think this Gwen is a cheater - once she commits to Arthur she won't pine for Lancelot IMO.

bit disappointed artur didnt find out about merlins abilities if i am honest

Me too, but I've been thinking about the "what does Arthur have to do" list and have the following sequence for Series 3 to suggest (after a Series 2 recap):

Series 2) As of the end of Series 2, Merlin and Arthur have shown a willingness to die for each other. Arthur has admitted he think he and Merlin would "get on" if Arthur wasn't a prince. That is about as close to a declaration of friendship as Arthur has ever gotten to. He treats Merlin like a little brother/young knight because he can sort of relate to him like that. Merlin has seen Arthur defy his father but usually for "the people of Camelot" or his own honor/sense of duty. The biggest barrier IMO still is the notion that Arthur would chose Uther over Merlin - witness the "save the king!" game played in EP 12. Arthur's sense of duty is to the king, even if it's evident to Arthur now (at the end of Series 2) that the king makes alot of mistakes.

So:

1) Arthur has to actually acknowledge Merlin is his friend. In public and private. None of this "If I weren't a prince..." pretense. I actually think he'd probably say he's more like a brother than anyone else he's ever known. I think if Arthur admits that out-loud to Merlin, that would be significant.
2) Arthur has to choose a person over Uther because it's the right thing. Not just the generalized "people of Camelot" but a single individual, and in the open. Morgana is a missed opportunity - if Arthur had chosen to protect Morgana but knew she was magical, that would have been sufficient. The "in the open" bit is because Arthur has saved someone from Uther's axe before but quickly got them out of town.
3) Arthur needs to take the position that all magic is not evil and Uther needs to know that is Arthur's position. Uther needs to back off of the genocide and Arthur needs to tell him that Uther is bringing down the kingdom with his policies.
4) Merlin has to take advice from Arthur - for real.
5) Merlin has to trust Arthur's heart and believe in him more than he does. He knows that Arthur wouldn't kill him I believe, but he he wants more: he wants to stay at Arthur's side. Merlin has to believe Arthur will not banish him. Conversely, Merlin could also decide that he doesn't know what Arthur is going to do but he's decided he has to trust Arthur to make the right decision. Merlin has to HUMBLE himself in that regard. See, as much as Merlin gets the horse stall duty, he always considers himself superior to Arthur. Merlin has to decide that perhaps Arthur is someone he should listen to -- that he, Merlin, may not be superior to Arthur after all.


After ALL of these things have occurred, then I'd like Arthur to see Merlin do magic and not tell Merlin (per Bradley James' wish list). At some point I'd like Arthur to call Merlin out for not trusting him as well. Eventually I want Merlin to tell Arthur and Arthur to reveal he already knows.

Sorry for the diatribe. Just had to get that off my chest.

[genvillewars92]

GAH EPIC FINALE so much better than what I expected! Colin Morgan you deserve an award for your amazing acting this series *claps* also when Merlin cries I cry *he does that to me* Oh Balinor was amazing! I cried like a baby when he died just after he found out he had a son and all...I got tingles at the Round Table forshadowment. lol at Uther being all emo at the window when Arthur and Merlin returned from banishing Kilgara, He knows his son will be a FAR greater King than he can ever be...I was expecting Morgana to walts in at some point

In regards to Arthur/Gwen...I swooned at Arthur placing Gwen's hand and his over his heart, and Gauis tottaly ships them Seeing as they hugged in the courtyard at the end and showed *affection* i'm assuming that next series they'll start a proper relationship either in secret or in public, but what about Uther?

[the highlander]

Merlin is super bright....

What good is your power if you have no "one" to use it on? If he killed the Dragon, his power was pretty much useless in the end... His exact gift is wasted. No other way. Now, the Dragon is free and can be controlled... So that means that Merlin could use the Dragon to DEFEND Camelot when it is needed.

I liked the idea that they were Kinsmen. He should also protect his own. He did the right thing no matter which way you look at it by not killing Kilgara.

Now............

Why did Merlin wait till all the knights were killed and Arthur was about to be destroyed instead of doing it and SHOWING freaking Arthur that Magic Can be for good..... So Kilgara was not destroyed, for his own "sake"? I mean... The death of his fellow knights and possibly Arthur was more important than his "freedom"? To some it might be that way, but for a noble person like Merlin it shouldn't be.

Still I wanted Arthur to find out about Merlin and this was a good moment, before the fire in front of Kilgara....

I did notice however that it was like Kilgara didn't want to actually Kill Arthur.

Nice Epi. Sad I have to wait till next year.

[Vindellavon]

Brilliant episode, great way to end the second series. I almost did a double take when the Dragonlord "my father's father..." line made its appearance. Wonderful foreshadowing for our future Master of Magic/Dragons/etc. Can't wait till next year!

[wendelboe]

Was it possible that the dragon tested Merlin all along ? -
The dragon himself said in a earlier episode that they were a kin (hint about being a dragonlord), maybe the dragon would want to see what kind of man Merlin is...
But now the question is, which wise guy should Merlin now go to when he's clueless about something ?

[Amar J]

man i am still annoyed nobody got close to finding out about merlins magic

i think it would have been perfect for arthur to secretly find out about merlins magic abilities

a new character will be brought into season 3 for sure to replace the wise dragon who will help merlin