Merlin Season 5 Episode 1 A new Merlin featurette has been released in which the actors and showrunner Johnny Capps preview what we’ll see in the upcoming fifth series and present new episode clips!The fifth season of BBC One’s drama series Merlin will premiere on Saturday October 6th at 7:45pm, it has been announced.
Merlin Season 5 Episode 1 Merlin tells the story of the legendary wizard during the times of King Arthur. The drama series is produced by Shine TV and stars Colin Morgan, Bradley James, Angel Coulby, Katie McGrath, Richard Wilson, Anthony Head and John Hurt. In the show’s 13 episode fifth season, Camelot is basking in a new Golden Age. But even as she flowers, so the dark seeds of her destruction are being sown. For in the frozen wastelands of the North, men are disappearing without a trace. In search of answers, King Arthur and his Knights must undertake a dangerous mission to the unknown. As the sun sets on the icy plains, Merlin finds himself locked in a battle unlike any he has fought before; a battle with Fate itself.
Merlin Season 5 Episode 1 A new Merlin featurette has been released in which the actors and showrunner Johnny Capps preview what we’ll see in the upcoming fifth series and present new episode clips!In the video, executive producer Johnny Capps previews the fifth season, calling it a “departure†from what we’ve previously seen on the show. “What that actually means is that the show and the characters have grown up,†Bradley James (Arthur) clarifies.
Merlin Season 5 Episode 1 Angel Coulby (Gwen) talks about the ways in which Merlin has grown darker, also musing that as the actors have grown up with the show and its audience, they are “able to push the boundaries of that darkness a little bit more.â€â€œThe situations they are being put in are all ones which grown-ups are being put in,†James explains, although Coulby points out that the show hasn’t lost its trademark sense of humour.
Merlin Season 5 Episode 1 They also talk about the technical look and feel of the show, making it more of a fantasy show with more expansive landscapes and better visual effects.On the storyline, Capps previews the “interesting journeys†that the four main characters (Arthur, Merlin, Gwen and Morgana) are going on this year. For example, Guenevere is settling into her role as queen, and Arthur is feeling the pressure of running his kingdom and making difficult decisions.
Merlin Season 5 Episode 1 But although the story is very much centered around these four, Capps says that the story-telling is much more multi-stranded than previously, which indicates that the other big characters in the series (primarily Gaius and the knights) will also have their own stories.Finally, Katie McGrath (Morgana) says, “I think what’s at stake for the characters is very much life and death. What we’re having now is the ultimate battle, and that’s what everybody’s fighting for.â€
Merlin Season 5 Episode 1 Speaking to SFX Magazine, the actors tease a couple of knight-specific storylines coming up this year at the start and the end of the season, and Macken describes the group as, “a bit more heroic.â€
Merlin Season 5 Episode 1 Without Uther there, the knights will offer more support for Arthur (especially Leon), which allows them to mature. We’ll also see a shift from individual battles to an ongoing war, and as a result there’ll be a lot more tension, and a more serious tone to the series.
Merlin Season 5 Episode 1 Macken and Young also talk about the lack of love interests for the knights (although one has been rumoured for Sir Gwaine), and how the female characters that do appear on the show always turn out to be evil – although Young thought Queen Annis was “lovely.†They reflect on the knights being the “unsung heroes†of the series, considering the fact that Arthur has Merlin to save him while the knights have to save themselves.
Merlin Season 5 Episode 1 And luckily, we don’t have to wait long. Merlin finally returns for its fifth series this Saturday, airing at 7:45 p.m. on BBC One. There will be 13 episodes total, and the two-part premiere episode is entitled “Arthur’s Bane.†Check out a sneak peek, and don’t forget to listen to Hypable’s new Merlin podcast Talks of Camelot!