1.02 – Valiant – Merlin Review

Posted by Samuel Walters

“Valiant” is a more tightly focused narrative than its predecessor. It’s also not quite as good. Merlin, now Arthur’s manservant, is charged with helping his master succeed in a tournament designed to celebrate twenty years of peace in Camelot. Along the way, he must confront the nefarious magic of a tournament challenger, as well as the prejudices of the Royal Court. It’s not a bad story, or episode, but it’s hardly a classic, thanks to some obvious plot contrivances.

As the episode begins, we learn that a knight, named Valiant, has received a magical shield to help him succeed in King Uther Pendragon’s tournament. The shield is adorned with snakes which, at Valiant’s command, come alive and strike his opponent. So it is inevitable that, at some point, Valiant will duel with Arthur and Merlin will, somehow, have to save the day. The predictable plot is a detriment because it has to rely on preserving the inevitable for as long as possible – no matter how silly the events might be.

The episode starts out strongly enough, however, with Arthur teaching Merlin how to fight with sword and shield. It’s a humorous scene which is important. And it underscores the growing connection between the two characters. It’s a relationship that will be tested by the tournament – and by the social order which disregards the ideas of servants out of hand.

The tournament scenes themselves are fun – think Karate Kid, but with swords and shields. But all told, they take up too much time in the episode and, ultimately, are a bit repetitive (how many times do we need to see a shield marker being tossed onto a pile?). True, this criticism isn’t critical to the overall episode, but it’s enough to keep the story from really gaining momentum.

Ultimately, Merlin will save the day – utilizing both bravery and ingenuity – but not until after both he and Arthur are humiliated by a painfully obvious plot-contrivance (the one person capable to presenting evidence against Valiant is killed off by the snakes). It’s a poor way to prolong the episode’s central conflict and, ultimately, is the weakest element to the episode.

Overall Grade: C

All told, there’s enough to “Valiant” to provide enjoyment and entertainment. And for the beginning of a new series, the episode manages to convey a number of important character and story elements. But the writing isn’t especially strong just yet – enjoyable humor, notwithstanding.

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Topics: Fantasy, TV Reviews
Filed under: Merlin