I do write these as a watch the show...
**SPOILERS BELOW**
We open on a woman coming into Camelot. She walks into, what I assume is her house (though it looks like she hasn't been there in awhile), and places a box on the table. She opens it, and says a spell. All of the sudden, an extremely creepy creature (I'm not even sure I can describe it, honestly--the face that is slightly human, the body of a cat, and the tail of a scorpion) pops out of the box and crawls on to her lap. She then soothes it by saying, "Calm yourself, my pretty, we're home now." And the freaky thing smiles! Whoa!! What the hell is this thing?? Clearly it's some magical creature...
We then learn from Uther (Anthony Head) when he's chatting with Gaius (Richard Wilson) that in the outlying towns around Camelot, there has been a physician that he thinks is practicing magic. People that should not have lived have made full recoveries. I know that Uther is against magic, and he has is crazy reasons, but wouldn't people being cured and healed be a good thing? Anyway, now there is a case of such an act in Camelot. The Inn Keeper, who was apparently critical, has returned to work, so Gaius and Merlin (Colin Morgan) go to investigate.
At the inn, both Gaius and Merlin focus for a moment on a mobile that is hanging from the ceiling as they walked in. It was crystals and feathers. When they talk to the Inn Keeper, he tells them that his wife was desperate, as he was slipping away, and she had met a healer in the lower town that gave her a medicine. Gaius looked at the potion and it was some sort of glittery powder. The Inn Keeper then asks if he's in some sort of trouble (clearly knowing that Uther will execute anyone that possesses magic), Gaius assures him that he's not (though I'm not sure that is true, Uther may not agree). As Gaius turns away to leave, he glances at the mobile again and a sweet smile crosses his face--he seems to know who is making these remedies!
What's interesting as well, is that before he met with the Inn Keeper, he was sure it was magic, when debriefing with Uther after, he tells him that it was a remedy made with a mix of herbs and nothing more. Uther questions it, as Gaius himself is the one that said that the Inn Keeper was extremely ill, and fatal. Gaius seems to backtrack, saying that a highly skilled physician could have made the potion of herbs--doesn't that make him look pretty bad?? Merlin seems to pick up on this, too. He tells Gaius that it was great that he was protecting the Inn Keeper from Uther's wrath, but Gaius plays it off to the herbs again, and tells Merlin that he must be tired, and he should get some sleep. What is Gaius hiding??
That night, Merlin is sleeping and is awaken by a loud noise coming from outside his door. He goes to investigate and sees Gaius leaving their quarters. He follows Gaius through the town to a house. Gaius knocks on the door and the woman from before answers. We then learn her name is Alice (Pauline Collins). He DOES know her, and by the look of it, well! The guards come, so Merlin is forced to leave, while Gaius and Alice step inside. As they are talking the background music turns to the same music we hear when Arthur and Gwen (Angel Coulby) are having a moment, so clearly there is a love between these two. We learn that it has been 20 years since they had seen each other. He pleads with her to leave, as Uther will find out that magic is afoot in the town of Camelot. She states, she's come back to see him again. This seems to be enough for Gaius! He embraces her and takes his leave, with her asking to see him the next day. Once Gaius leaves, that creepy creatures pops up and talks! Seriously, that is one scary thing, and it can talk, it's giving me the creepy crawlies!!! It let's us know that there is a plan and Gaius is going to be blamed for whatever it is that will be happening. Alice protests, but the creature does something to her, her eyes turn black (like the demon eyes in Supernatural) and then she agrees.
We then see Gaius opening old love letters from Alice, reminiscing about his lost love, perhaps?
The next morning, Merlin questions Gaius' whereabouts the night before, and Gaius opens up about the relationship that he once had with Alice. Alice apparently was an amazing sorceress and had mastered magic, especially the healing kind. They were once engaged to be married, but then Uther declared war on magic, and created a list with the names of all people thought to be using it, in order to execute them all. Being the King's physician, Gaius was able to see that Alice's name was on that list, and he removed it and sent her away. He stayed behind, thinking that he would never see her again. Though now that she is back, he feels that they may have a second chance. Oh, poor Gaius
After a long day of helping Arthur (Bradley James) train and practice being a knight, Merlin returns home to find Gaius and Alice. Apparently, Alice can't stay in her home (for reasons we are not told, and frankly, I find it odd, and it's never explained) and is going to be staying there with them. Merlin has to give up his room for her.
Since he is now sleeping on the floor, he's not sleeping well, that night he hears talking coming from Alice's (his) room. He goes to investigate, and sees Alice talking to the creepy creature (I can't get over how disturbingly freaky this guy is), and Alice is taking venom from the scorpion tail. How will Merlin tell Gaius that his long lost love is working with a devilish creature?
While walking in the town the next day, Merlin asks Gaius what types of magic Alice used. Gaius answered, all kinds, as back then it was a time of experimentation. Merlin tells Gaius what he saw the previous night, and says that he could feel the dark magic of the creature. When Gaius questions it, Merlin says he can prove it. They go up to Alice's (Merlin's) room, and Merlin takes Alice's box from under the bed. Gaius grabs the box and opens it, trying to prove Merlin wrong, alas, he does, because the box is empty.
Merlin then goes down to the library and finds a book...I'm guessing one that will tell him what the creature is...he finds a book and starts reading.
We then watch as Alice helps Gaius make come of his potions to help those in Camelot. He asks for an ingredient, and she asks who it's for. It is going to the King, for an old battle wound. She learns that he takes it daily, and then seems to make her stop and take notice. Hmmm....this plan of the evil little creature must be to kill Uther and blame Gaius, and Gaius has just given her the opportunity...but that is simply my thoughts at this point.
Back to Merlin, he finds a picture of the creature in the book, and asks the record keeper about it. He tells Merlin that it is a manticore, and that the first talk of once was over 1000 years ago, and the ancients were scared to death of it, yet, as far as he was concerned, it was an imaginative creature.
Back to Gaius and Alice. Alice distracts Gaius, by having him get her something, and Alice starts to pour the venom from the manticore into Uther's healing potion (remember that potion here refers to medicine). Merlin walks in at that moment, and startles Alice, who drops both viles on to the floor.
That night Merlin sneaks back down to the library, to do more research on the manticore. He finds out that the box isn't a container for the manticore, but a portal/gateway. He goes to tell Gaius, and Gaius doesn't want to hear it. He loves her, so he is blind to the fact that she has some sort of evil plan. This confrontation seems to really rattle both Gaius and Merlin. When he returns home, Alice plays it off as though Merlin is just jealous because now his attentions are on her, and offers to make Uther's potion for him, so that Gaius can rest. This can't lead to good things, as we know she's up to something.
We are then given a funny little scene between Merlin and Arthur--Merlin is again helping Arthur to train, and Arthur asks what's wrong, Merlin tells him that he and Gaius had a falling out. Arthur tries to make Merlin feel better...by punching him the arm and saying "Cheer up, will you." Showing that they are becoming friends more and more.
Alice finishes making the potion for Uther, and Gaius goes to deliver it to him. Nothing happens when Uther takes the medicine, though the background music is all suspenseful.
Cut to that night, Gaius and Alice are having dinner, and there is an empty place (Merlin's), Merlin is sitting in the courtyard looking perplexed about the situation, and then the bells start to chime--and we know that means something bad has happened in the castle.
Uther is laying on the floor and Arthur can't revive him. Gaius comes to his aid, and has Arthur seal off the King's quarters. Merlin joins Gaius to help. Uther is alive, but his pulse is weak. Then all of the sudden Uther's eyes pop open and they are black (seriously, just like the demons in Supernatural). Merlin freaks a bit. Gaius stays calm. He finds the vile that Uther's meds were in, and sniffs it--does he know that something is wrong with it? When asked by Arthur, he plays it off, and says he doesn't know what has happened. Merlin confronts Gaius about Uther being poisoned and that they both know who did it. Gaius still is in absolute denial.
In talking to Merlin, Arthur is sure that his father has been poisoned, and starts to conclude that it must be Gaius' medicine that has caused this. Merlin then says he knows who did it! Is he going to go against Gaius and turn Alice in? He knows the truth, Alice is under the control of the manticore...
Gaius goes home and confronts Alice. He clearly knows the truth, but couldn't admit that to Merlin. When she tries to tell him the truth, her eyes turn black, and she's unable to speak--maybe the manticore has some spell that binds her from talking about it? Then Arthur comes in and arrests Alice for poisoning his father. Yahoo, Merlin, for telling Arthur the truth!! Gaius gives Merlin a look of absolute disappointment. Merlin says he had no choice, it was either her or him. Clearly, in some ways, Gaius is wishing it was him that was blamed, when he tells Merlin that it wasn't his choice to make.
Arthur questions Alice, and she says that the creature made her do it (Arthur, obviously, doesn't believe her), and that she does not know how to cure the King. As Arthur is walking away, she tries to explain about the manticore, but her eyes go black once more and she is unable to speak--Merlin sees this.
He goes to talk to Gaius, who tells him that the King won't last the day. They both have a moment where there is understanding between them, that Merlin was trying to save Gaius from harm. But they also agree that Alice was not out to hurt Uther, that something has made her do it. Merlin fills Gaius in on the manticore. Apparently the only way to stop the venom from killing Uther, is to kill the manticore. Gaius goes looking for a book ( and finds it within moments--interesting that was just laying around) with information about how to kill it. They find that the manticore cannot live long in our world, that it's power comes from the spirit world, so they need to trap it in this world. They hash out a plan....
Now, I am leaving you with that...you must watch to see what happens--but I'll tell you, the manticore attacks and Gaius uses magic--but is it enough to save Uther's life? What will happen to Alice, who is in the castle dungeons? What of Gaius and Alice's love?
Man I love this show! And honestly, it was nice to have an episode without Morgana (Katie McGrath) in it. Yes, I am enjoying her story arch, trying to take over Camelot, but I feel like it's been so drawn out--and frankly, I'm tired of her evil smirks. Yes, we get it, you're evil now! Let's get on with it!
Touchline.com: Facebook Recap: Merlin 3.09 "Love in the Time of Dragons"
**Not as great as in the past...*
Here is a sneak peek at next week's episode! Oh, wow!! Looks like Morgana is back up to her evil deeds (and evil smirks), and Arthur and Gwen are found out?! And a possible look at the historical view of Merlin as a sorcerer with the long gray beard?? SO looking forward to this one!!!
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