Merlin – “The Last Dragonlord” Season Finale
The season finale opens with a bang as Camelot is on fire and Arthur is commanding his knights to hold strong. “I know you’re tired but we must make every shot count.”
They steele themselves against the castle walls with flaming arrows loaded in their crossbows. The dragon descends upon them and their arrows do no damage.
Camelot is in dire straits.
The hospital is overflowing with the wounded and they’ve run out of fresh water. But Guinevere goes out to get some despite the dangers and Arthur is forced to save her but he gets slashed by the dragons claws in the process. The feelings between these two are coming back to the surface even though she is just a servant and King Uther would never allow them to be together.
Finally, Gaius suggests to King Uther that there is one Dragon Lord left and he is the only hope to stop this dragon.
His name is Balinor.
Arthur and Merlin are dispatched to find him but before they go Gaius reveals a secret. That’s the cool thing about season finales is that cool information is revealed and secrets are brought to light.
The way in which Gaius looks at Merlin gives you the feeling that Balinor is Merlin’s father. This is the link which allows Merlin to be so magical because his mother is so normal but his father had magic in his blood.
Their journey does not produce the information they seek. At least not right off the bat.
They do get valuable Intel that Balinor lives in a cave. He will not welcome them because he’s been so persecuted he now hates everyone. Merlin is apprehensive and yet slightly giddy with anticipation about meeting his father.
They have some enemies on their tail as they are on their way to the cave. The wound is devastating Arthur’s energy and he is greatly fatigued passing out.
Their peril only increases.
Merlin puts Arthur’s unconscious body on the horse and rides toward the cave. He arrives face-to-face with his father and hesitates. Balinor demands that he goes to bring his friend who is ill in to see him.
As you might suspect the initial request to Balinor goes poorly. He is angry at Uther for hunting him down and banishing him from Camelot. He is even further infuriated that Uther continued to hunt him despite him being outside of Uther’s kingdom and far outside the realm of Camelot.
He’s been hunted like a dog and obviously has no desire to help the one who hounded him seemingly to the ends of the earth.
Merlin and Arthur are dejectedly headed home. This is when Merlin plays the Gaius card.
Balinor recognizes the name of Gaius and decides to help them. This is when Merlin reveals to Balinor when they are alone in the woods that he is Merlin’s father.
The secrets are going deeper because Arthur was moving around in the woods so we don’t know for certain whether he heard or not.
I believe Arthur did hear in this information but will keep it a secret.
Then we get the story of how “being a Dragon Lord is a genetic thing handed down from father to son for thousands of years.”
And the old “you never know if you have the power in you until you’re faced with your first dragon” thing.
So we are led to believe that Merlin will come face-to-face with the dragon who helped him for so long but who has now become his antagonist. It seems like it will come down to a death match between Merlin and the Dragon.
At least that’s what the foreshadowing is wanting us to believe.
Will there be a surprise?
So far it’s been disappointing in terms of surprises. They are attacked by soldiers of this realm because this realm is enemy of Camelot. Predictably Merlin is in great peril and his father Balinor jumps in front to save him. Of course he takes the sword in the stomach and dies.
Before taking his last breath he imparts valuable knowledge about the dragon’s heart being on the right side of its chest and how the Dragon Lords powers are passed down from father to son.
Arthur believes Camelot is doomed so they ride back dejected. He convinces his father that they should have one last great stand. Instead of cowering behind Camelot’s walls waiting for doom. He says they should ride out on horseback on open ground to meet the Dragon. This way they will be much more maneuverable.
King Uther says it is pointless then Arthur asks “should we just stay here and cower to our deaths?”
So he gets King Uther’s blessing. Gaius now knows that Merlin is the Dragon Lord who can save them. Does he have what it takes inside him?
I don’t know whether they will leave this off as a cliffhanger or resolve it with Merlin defeating the dragon.
Merlin comes face-to-face with the dragon in a death blow stare down. I won’t give away the ending so definitely watch this episode.
The episode goes off the air saying “Merlin will return soon.” Guess there will be a season 3.