Merlin: Season 5
  • Network: BBC-1 , Syfy
  • Series Premiere Date: Sep 20, 2008
  • Season #: 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5
User Score
7.6 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 10 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 10
  3. Negative: 1 out of 10

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  1. JaneCheeney
    Mar 20, 2013
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I'm an avid Merlin fan and as you may or may not know, the writers decided to wrap up the entire series in two episodes at the end of Series 5. I, for one, feel that we have been shortchanged as from the beginning the theme has been 'when Arthur becomes King, Magic will be allowed in Camelot' and this theme continued for much of Season 5 as they were planning for a Season 6 etc. but for an unknown reason they announced on Nov 29, 2012 that Season 5 would be the last.

    The 'ending' was 10 minutes of 'magic reveal' and that was that. Arthur died. After following this amazing triple threshold show for five years, holding viewing figures of 7m each week in the UK alone, to have this 'ending' was just a stunning shock to the system. Not the only fan who feels like this, I joined a global campaign to resurrect the show and have different writers re-write the ending and bring our beloved series back. Our glorious leader has contacted top TV producers, TV executives and the BBC and all have said that a campaign like this will work. www.facebook.com/merlin2return    … Expand
  2. Draithis
    May 2, 2013
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. As a fan of the series, I will say that Merlin's final season begins on a high-note. The opening two-part episode is thoroughly enjoyable, with the re-introduction of an older Mordred as well as other interesting and well-done characters.
    Throughout the season, a certain momentum is being created, a building tension, and a serious threatening undertone. The usual cheesiness is there, but this season does a great job of making you guess. The CGI and special effects in particular were a cut above.
    Alexander Vlahos does a particularly brilliant Mordred, who kept me guessing at his true intentions as much as Merlin, but also seemed to be quite loyal to Arthur and Camelot.
    Sadly, in the end it was disappointing. Mordred's betrayal seemed too quick and uninspired, Morgana wasn't very active in the final battle, but the stunningly stupid omission was the LACK OF A DUEL TO THE DEATH BETWEEN MORDRED AND ARTHUR. All they did was meet in battle and stab each other....once! For the final battle, this is not acceptable. The audience is led to believe that Mordred and Arthur are equally skilled warriors (i.e. 'Arthur's Bane'), but the only time they actually fight in battle and its over before you can blink in outrage, at the supposed climax. This stumbling into a half-baked recast of typical, tragic Arthurian legend seems a larger tragedy in itself for a show that was destined to re-imagine and re-invent the classic tale of the once-and-future-king!
    Overall, it is of my opinion that this season had greater potential than was realized, and was cut short before its time. I enjoyed nearly every episode of Merlin, and will miss it.    … Expand
  3. Necromus
    Dec 30, 2012
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This season is both the worst and the best season of Merlin. The first 8 episodes are kind of weak and repetitive -- How many times do we need to see Morgana show up all bad-ass and threatening just to get her plans foiled by Merlin and then wander through a field with broken spirits with her pet dragon only to return to do the exact thing next episode? It's kind of like an Inspector Gadget versus Doctor Claw thing that might work well in a children's cartoon but grows tiresome at a show aimed at an adult audience. There is a multi-episode story arc in the season where the Queen is under magic control and trying to kill Arthur every chance she gets, Merlin is well aware of this, yet in a middle episode of that story arc he just leaves Arthur, the King he is sworn to protect with his life, to be alone with her for a day without even taking any precautions (like asking a knight watch over him, etc.) -- Why the heck would a wise soul like Merlin he do that?

    Colin Morgan's acting, while great in earlier seasons, has improved much in this season. We get a sense of a much more deep and mature Merlin now. The episode where we see him disguised as an old lady and talking like a drag queen really displays his acting talent, I would have never guessed he could pull that off, but he did and he did an excellent job at it.

    Again, as with earlier seasons, what was kind of weak in this season was the story-writing. Merlin's dislike/distrust of Mordred seemed forced and irrational. It was out of character for Merlin to distrust someone without a good reason. It was also out-of-character for Merlin to betray him and snitch on him in a later episode for no good reason. They should have provided some kind of event that gives Merlin a good cause to distrust him to make it more believable. Alexander Vlahos does do a good acting job of portraying Mordrid. But once again bad story-writing kind of makes his character appear cliche and silly at times. Alexander Vlahos portrays Mordrid as a wise-respectable person. However, when a druid girl who has no redeeming qualities is threatened by Arthur he acts completely irrationally and out-of-character. I get that Mordrid is in love with her, but being such a wise soul I find it hard to believe that even he would not see that she has no redeeming qualities and really makes it impossible for Arthur to show her mercy because of her cold-blooded behaviour. I was also kind of disappointed that we really don't see Mordrid use his full magical power even later in the season when he is in battle and has no reason to hide his magic from Arthur anymore. However, the last four episodes of this season are probably the best episodes of the series. Finally, we get to see an epic batter between Morgana and her allies versus King Arthur and the Knights of the Round table. Finally, we get to see Merlin realize and unleash his full power. I won't say more to prevent any further spoilers but the end of this season is a must watch if you are a fan of the show.

    My rating:

    Episodes 1-8: 6-7/10
    Episodes 9 & 10: 8-9/10
    Episodes 11 & 12: 10/10

    Average: 7/10    … Expand
  4. yathisismyname
    Apr 6, 2013
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This series was amazing in all points. Every single second of the whole entire show was intriguing, except the final 5 minutes or so, Arthur dies. I got into the show a little late after the last episode aired, and i heard the finale was suppose to be epic and shocking, it was definitely shocking because the whole entire series built up to a peaceful land, Albion, a happy place where everyone is equal and in union, but the writers decided to kill Arthur off, before there was any change in the world. This finale seams to want to have a comic ending, where it ends with the characters moving from entrapment to freedom, Merlin gaining stronger powers, Arthur learning his secret, Albion; all of this seems to happen or will probably happen, but the show tries to keep that comic ending and creates a world awaiting for Arthur's return, knowing that Arthur will always be ready to save the world, leaving the world free. In my opinion, if they wanted a comic ending they should have just let Arthur go back to Camelot and create Albion on his own, create a world where everyone is equal and happy, fulfill the destiny that the show has built for him in each episode; instead he dies, his destiny is incomplete, and the show ends, unfulfilled. I enjoy that the writers created a show's finale, I admire that, shows should end, not by being cancelled, but by the writers choice, but the writers ended the show badly, breaking the promise that they made through each episode in each season. the finale's beginning is good, a major battle, merlin fully realized as a warlock etc., but the finale's finale is the part where this show is completely ruined.… Expand
  5. WhiteTalpa
    Mar 5, 2013
    3
    Merlin is a really entertaining show, However, i would suggest that you don'y buy this on DVD as getting into the story is a waste of time, the ending is so bad you will just be really annoyed.

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