Let us be clear this is by no means the worst episode of Merlin ever. Apart from a few passing references to Arthur’s new monarchic status, this episode could realistically have been placed anywhere within the last two years of the Merlin canon without any major continuity problems.Īithusa’s complete ignorance of the ongoing plot would have been less difficult to swallow if the episode had been a strong standalone entry – you didn’t hear many Doctor Who fans complaining that The Doctor’s Wife, The Girl Who Waited or The God Complex hardly dealt with the show’s ongoing arc – but Aithusa is simply a by-the-numbers, formulaic romp which, whilst entertaining enough in parts, ultimately feels like what it is: filler. The first episode of this brand new era of Merlin could have explored any of the aforementioned quandaries and been a hugely engaging piece of drama, but instead Aithusa focuses on a wholly uninvolving plot regarding a dragon egg and a rather bland character we’ve never met before called Julius Borden. Would Arthur and Guinevere finally get married? Would magic still be a crime punishable by death? If not, would Morgana still want to destroy Camelot? It threw up so many exciting implications for the series going forward that we simply couldn’t wait for the show’s next instalment. Arthur finally claiming his seat on the throne of Camelot in last week’s exceptional episode, The Wicked Day, was undoubtedly the most iconic and pivotal scene from the Arthurian legend so far realised in Merlin.

Merlin season 4 episode 4 full episode