After 1800 years, you’d think he’d have it all figured out.
He certainly thinks he does.
MERLYN’S MISTAKE
The limited series
Episode Five
In Which Everyone Just Wants it to Stop
When Merlyn begs Nimue not to execute the intrusive soldiers out-of-hand she complies with his request, enchanting them into a nap after which they may wake but not without taking digs that hint at what’s yet to be learned about the War of the Trees. Frankie learns just how big an impression he made the one time he and Percy met before this adventure and entirely fails to gather the advice he had hoped for. Vivica begins to grasp that she is actually the one Merlyn expects to take the sword from Nimue’s hands. The Sword of Arthur. Excalibur.
FLASHBACKS in this episode bring Merlyn in the age of Arthur to Nimue’s lake long ago, begging her help. More sensual, teasing fragments of the sword ceremony but separate from those out of context flashes, him telling her what he wants her to do in pre-freudian, un-self-aware pre-Christian terms.
In a largely comedic episode, he tries to convince her not to do the whole thing and she insists that a bargain was made (this language should closely match language from episode two around the bargain that causes Sofia to do the safety lecture for Merlyn’s entertainment)
[THIS IS THE EPISODE IN WHICH THE SUBTLE ADDITIONAL REVEAL OCCURS: IT’S NOT JUST THE WEAPON-WORSHIP THAT’S THE PROBLEM. IT’S THE PHALLIC IMAGERY AND MALE-CONTROL-DOMINANCE THAT WAS FOLDED INTO THE FORGED SPELL. A NEW DIMENSION OF SHAME FOR MERLYN, EVOLVED WITH THE WORLD, SEEING HIS BEHAVIOR ANEW]
When she walks into the water to retrieve the sword, promising to be back at the right moment in terms of lunar positioning, he knows she’s going to do the whole thing he described. He doesn’t have to wait in his silent shame for long though.
The soldiers have awakened and gone about their business, namely showing up with weaponry and threatening our heroes for reasons we still do not know.
At the intersection of Roger Zelazny and Jim Butcher stands a small monument to individual agency, This magical, funny book that calls not for accountability but responsibility. As painful truths come to light, Merlyn’s conscience compels him to redress old wrongs only to realize that he has endangered all the people he loves. Still, despite machine gun fire, plane crashes and giant spiders, they will stand by him.. When he needs them, even his old Faerie ally Nimmue will be there to do her part. Still, if he can’t unravel the last riddles woven into the Arthurian Excalibur construct they may be too late to save themselves or the world.
“Brody’s writing is brilliant.”
Robin Williams
In the words of the wise, ancient magician himself, “If I see a way that I might save the world and I don’t at least try, then I’m sort of dick.”
