Merlin - The Darkest Hour, Part One - An Episode Review

The BBC's fantasy series Merlin is back on our screens for the foreseeable future, starting with an incredible two-part episode, 'The Darkest Hour'.

In my opinion, this is possibly one of the best Merlin episodes yet. It is surprisingly dark, considering what it started out as - a light, cheery, let's-have-a-go-at-the-goblins sort of fantasy show - and has a brilliant new threat involved, the Duroch (is that how you spell it? Comments please). Unable to be killed because they're already dead, only deterred by flames, as cold as death itself, as formless as the shadows that cross your bedroom at night. They are literally chilling - watch the thing and you'll see why.

For me, it's been interesting to watch Merlin develop over the last three series from something actually not very good with absolutely terrible CGI at points and some even worse storylines at times into a fully-blown, front-page-of-the-weekend-TV-guide, event-of-the-week show that's chock-ful of magic, mystics, kings and creatures. It's become a hit with my household, now being that show that must be seen, on pain of death. Which is rather appropriate, considering the storyline of this first two-parter. Which brings me onto the next section of my review: the bit where I give you all a little taste of the plot.

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The start of the fourth series of Merlin, we return to Camelot to see the newly-turned-evil Morgana tearing the veil between the physical world and the Other World in two. Through the rift come the Duroch, the vengeful spirits of the dead. Now Merlin, Arthur and the new knights of Camelot must travel to the Isle of the Blessed in an attempt to close the rift.

Of course, as always, obstacles stand in there path, blah blah blah. They must overcome, blah blah blah. Will they succeed, blah blah blah. Not in this episode! Because it's a two parter. Which annoys me, and most likely anyone else watches programs like this.

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For certain this is a brilliant episode. I hope that the BBC can deliver on it's ending, and of course, make the rest of the series live up to the formidable start that it's made.

Next week, I'll post a review of the next part, but until now, I leave you with a humble link for company.

Watch Merlin: Episode One: The Darkest Hour at this address: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p00kf3w5/Merlin_Series_4_The_Darkest_Hour_Part_1/