Merlin 2.11 "The Witch's Quickening" + 2.12 "The Fires of Idirsholas"

[emeraldstag]

Everything about Merlin seems to be hitting a crescendo, especially with "The Fires of Idirsholas" that I was pleasantly surprised to find out that there was a thirteenth episode to season 2! For some reason I had it in my head that it was a twelve episode season, and that Season 1 was like that and now I'm looking and S1 had 13 too. lol. I don't know what I was thinking. Was Chuck S1 maybe twelve episodes? I feel confused, but excited that there is another episode to go.

• Morgana. If there was a character that's gotten the shaft this season while every other main character gets development aka the "Smallville S9 Chloe treatment" it would be Morgana. For most of the episodes she had very few scenes and lines in and in the rest she has forgotten the page she had turned with Uther and returned full force into her hatred of Uther and being seduced by the older villains who are guiding the guideless. It made me laugh when Merlin was saying Gaius felt bad too because Morgana was her friend too... Yeah, she never had a chance to be a good person when he would lie to her, mislead her instead of help her when she had her night terrors. How different would things be if Merlin and Gaius had taken Morgana under their wing and helped her instead of ignore her pain and suffering?
• Merlin. As upset I am that he did nothing to help Morgana letting the problem develop into an uncontrollable situation that forced him to poison her, or that while he knew she was up to something he continued to hide her secrets for her and protect her, Merlin is the source of comedy in the show, much needed even in tough episodes like "The Fires of Idirsholas". Enjoyed him trying to wake Gaius, or Merlin's suggestion to Arthur that they dress Uther up as a lady.
• Arthur. If there's one thing Morgana's harsh treatment of Gwen lately has pointed out is how much Arthur has changed from Season 1. In the first season, it would be him treating Merlin like that, and Morgana w/Gwen were like the best of confidants. Now those roles have reversed, and helps show Arthur's rise as a great man and future king, and Morgana's fall to the darker side of things. I think the most ironic of things is how driven Morgana is that Uther cares for no one, yet he cares for Arthur and whether she believes it or not, he cares for her as well. It's been a strange season, and outside of basically cementing the Arthur/Gwen ship with barely any foundation from S1, Arthur has grown in strides and it's been great to watch, making Season 2 much more enjoyable to watch.

The fact that I was off about "The Fires of Idirsholas" being the finale, I was surprised, because it really felt like a good place to end the season on. Merlin having to poison Morgana, and her most likely knowing about it and being "rescued" by Morgause, Merlin releasing the Great Dragon and the consequences awaiting Camelot because of it. I hope episode thirteen is worth it.