Excalibur (Merlin episode)
"Excalibur" is the 9th episode in the BBC fantasy drama, Merlin. In this episode, the sorceress Nimueh resurrects the Black Knight, Uther's brother in law and many of the reasons why Uther is so distrustful of magic are revealed. We also discover the secrets of Arthur's birth and the fact that witchcraft played a part in his being born.
Episode Guide
Nimueh resurrects the body of a knight from a tomb.
Arthur is crowned Prince Of Camelot by Uther. The stone knight crashes through the window of the Great Hall, interrupting the ceremony. He throws down a gauntlet, but before Arthur can pick it up, another Knight of Camelot - Owain - picks it up and accepts the challenge.
Merlin quizzes Gaius about the knight, and whether he recognises the crest. Gauis seems evasive and is reluctant to answer.
Later, Gaius confirms that the Black Knight is Tristan de Bios, a knight whom Uther killed 20 years previously. Gaius confirms this to Uther, but Uther simply refutes this, saying “Dead men don’t return.”
The fight takes place the next day, with Arthur advising the knight beforehand that one well-aimed blow. The fight takes place, and it’s clear that the Black Knight is a formidable opponent. However, Owain manages to pierce the knight with his sword, but is startled when this does not slow him down. The Black Knight, using this advantage, lands a flurry of blows on Owain and kills him.
He then issues another challenge to the knights of Camelot. Arthur leaps up to accept, but is held back by Uther. Sir Pillinore accepts the challenge instead. Arthur later argues with Uther that he has sent Pillinore to a certain death.
In the meantime, Merlin and Gaius suspect that the Black Knight may already be dead. Gaius explains to Merlin that Tristan de Bois was Uther’s brother in law, and that de Bois blamed Uther for Arthur’s mother Igrayne dying during childbirth and issued a challenge to fight. Uther ultimately won, but de Bois is said to have sworn with his dying breath to return and get his vengeance.
The next day, Pellinore fights the Black Knight and again lands a potentially fatal blow on his opponent, but again the knight is unharmed. He swiftly kills Pellinore, but Arthur immediately casts his glove down and challenges the Black Knight to a duel at noon the next day. Uther is furious with Arthur for this and insists that he withdraw his challenge, but Arthur tells him that there cannot be one rule for the knights and another for him.
Merlin goes off in search of a sword which will be capable of killing the knight while Gaius informs Uther that the knight is a wraith. Gaius advises him to either tell Arthur the secrets surrounding his birth, but he refuses and warns Gaius not to break the oath of secrecy that he swore.
Merlin uses magic to set fire to the black knight, but discovers that the fire has no effect on him. He runs to Arthur and warns him of the danger of fighting the knight. However, Arthur becomes angry with Merlin and asserts that he will continue to fight.
Nimueh visits Uther in the Great Hall and it is revealed that Uther’s wife was unable to have children, and that Uther had Nimueh use magic to make her fertile so that she could have a child - Arthur. We discover that Uther and Nimueh were once friends, and he blamed Nimueh for the death of his wife. He carelessly wishes that she had never used her magic for him, and she retorts that he wishes he never had a son.
Merlin discovers that a sword blessed by a dragon’s breath will defeat anything, living or dead. He goes to Gwen to find the strongest sword her father ever made, which he takes to the dragon. The dragon tells Merlin that a wraith should be allowed to exact its vengeance on Uther, but Merlin argues that it is Arthur who will fight the knight. The dragon agrees to breathe on the sword on the condition that Merlin promises the sword will only be handled by Arthur, warning that it could be dangerous in the wrong hands.
Morgana pleads with Arthur to withdraw, but he refuses yet again. Elsewhere, Uther visits Gaius and tells him that he intends to fight in Arthur’s place. He apologises for his earlier outburst to Gaius and thanks him for his friendship, then asks him to drug Arthur so that he will be asleep when Uther meets the Black Knight in battle.
Uther meets Merlin in the armoury and tells him that he will fight the knight. However, he spots the sword that the dragon blessed and chooses to use it, despite Merlin's attempts to dissuade him. Uther walks out to face the knight while Arthur sleeps. After a fierce battle with the wraith, Arthur emerges victorious.
Arthur goes to the Great Hall to confront the king, and admits that he thought he was a disappointment to Uther. Uther refutes this and tells him that he is more precious than the kingdom, and that he would have died to protect his son.
At night, the dragon calls Merlin down to his lair. When he discovers that Uther wielded the blade, the dragon is furious. He tells Merlin that he cannot be trusted, and Merlin offers to cast the sword away. The dragon tells him to put it where no mortal man can find it, so Merlin casts it deep into the lake, where it sinks to the bottom.
