A new king, a new era and a new dragon

In honor of Arthur’s reign as the new king of Camelot, a new era has begun and, due to Merlin’s persistence in saving the last dragon egg, a new dragon is born as well.  Aithusa is a white dragon, which the Great Dragon Kilgharrah proclaims is a symbol of how blessed Albion will be under Arthur’s reign.  That Merlin was able to give such a gift to the Great Dragon, it speaks of a time that perhaps dragons and men shall be able to live in peace — fsor Merlin not only freed Kilgharrah, he found a way to ensure that the Great Dragon was not the last of his kind.

This episode was a grand adventure for Merlin as he found a way to honor his dragon friend and save one of the last dragons.  But it also served to remind Merlin that the motives of man are rarely as good intentioned as he would like to believe.  Merlin is still very young at heart and needs to start seeing that others are not as altruistic as he is.

It was also a reminder that while Merlin is a dragonlord and a sorcerer, he is still only a servant in the eyes of Arthur and the knights.  Merlin was still the one who had to feed the horses, fetch the firewood, and cook the food — eating last and only if they saved him some food.  Merlin chafes under the position that his birth placed him, especially when he knows that his destiny is to be so much greater, and that he is already saving Camelot, Arthur and everyone else time and time again.  It is hard to be the hero and yet no one knows.  Merlin may be allowed to risk his life for everyone else, but it goes largely unnoticed and unrewarded.  It is expected that as a servant that, of course, he would happily do so.

So it is interesting that much of this episode was about Merlin venturing off on his own to complete his quest to find and save the last dragon egg.  The knights did not come to his rescue, in fact, they were only in Merlin’s way.  It was only because Julius Borden (James Callis) spiked the food and caused Arthur and the knights to sleep that Merlin was able to complete his quest unencumbered.  They only arrived at the end to bear witness to the destruction of the tomb.

Merlin’s journey, like Arthur’s, is taking a new path.  Each must find a way to achieve their respective destinies, even if it means they do so separately.  Arthur cannot help Merlin become the world’s greatest sorcerer, only Merlin will discover that as he is tested time and time again; and Arthur must discover his inner strength and wisdom to rule on his own.  Merlin is not yet trusted to be his advisor, only his unknowing bodyguard.  These are the uncertain times when each must pursue their destinies and become the great men that the prophecies have foretold.

Merlin’s instincts to preserve the last dragon egg and set it free was noble.  Very few men would have granted the dragon its freedom, and as a result, Merlin perhaps gained an ally for life.  It also won the respect and gratitude of the Great Dragon, who only remembered the misery he suffered under Uther’s brutal regime.  Merlin’s rise to power has begun — all through the simply love of wanting such a creature to live free.

What Worked

It is always a delight to see James Callis on screen.  He equally embodies the duality necessary to disarm even someone was wary as Colin Morgan’s Merlin.  As Julius Borden, Callis was charming and engaging, but  with a cunning heart just hidden from view.  It made it easier to believe that Merlin would want to believe that Borden only wanted to rescue the dragon egg.  It was also cool that Borden did not truly suspect that Merlin was anything more than he appeared.   Even at the very end, as Merlin declared himself to be the last dragonlord, we sensed that Borden had not suspected a thing.  He seemed genuinely surprised and worried at that moment.  Borden had tried to tempt Merlin with more riches than he could imagine, so that he could finally escape his miserable life, but Merlin only looked back at Borden with sadness and said he did not think his life was miserable. When that did not work, Borden then tried to threaten him, Merlin calmly said, “I am the last Dragonlord and I am warning you, leave this egg alone.”  That was a magnificent moment!

Another fun aspect of this episode was Gaius knowing full well that Merlin could not resist the temptation to save the last dragon egg and forgiving him for it.  Gaius could have been more harsh with Merlin, but he knows that Merlin’s giving heart is one of the things that makes Merlin, Merlin.  Without his trusting and generous heart, Merlin would be a different person entirely, so Gaius allows him to be exactly as he is.  Gaius and Merlin’s strong bond of friendship remains another delight of the series, especially after Lancelot’s death, and Merlin is now more alone than ever.

The moments of levity as the knight pulled jokes on Merlin were also a bright spot as it is always great to see more of Elyan, Percival, Gwaine and Sir Leon.  So many times, it seems that they only notice Merlin when they need him, so it is good to see that Merlin is allowed to be “one of the boys” even when their are not amidst a great battle.  Plus, it serves to remind Arthur that it is okay to be friends with Merlin now that he is king.  One of the better lines of the episode was when Merlin told Arthur, “Ever heard of the word ‘sorry’?” and Arthur good-humoredly retorted, “No, is that another word you made up?”  Arthur may feel that now he is king, he must distance himself from a friendship with Merlin, his servant.  But this exchange was reminiscent of the good ole days. We can only hope that Arthur does not forget his friendship with Merlin in the shadow of his kingship.

What Didn’t Work

It was not clear if the gas that Borden released in the tomb was supped to be lethal or not, but it seemed out of place that he was able to shake it off so easily after being immersed in it after opening the tomb door.  Surely Borden would have been knocked out a lot longer.

Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due

‘Aithusa’ was written by Julian Jones and directed by Alex Pillai.  “Merlin” stars Colin Morgan, Bradley James, Katie McGrath, Angel Coulby, Richard Wilson and John Hurt. “Merlin” airs Fridays at 10 pm on Syfy.

Just like in the children’s tale of the “little engine that could,” CHUCK was a television show that kept on chugging away against all odds and carved out a place in television history by running five seasons on the sheer will-power of its fans.  Millions of Subway sandwiches later, the fans are still passionately devoted to their show.  Having coined the phrases: Nerd Herd, Buy More and Captain Awesome, as well as creating a whole new dialect comprised of “the Intersect”, “flashes” and “Jeffster” and redefining what it means when a TV show is “on the bubble,” CHUCK is now legendary.  It not only created a universally-accepted and widely used lexicon, CHUCK also introduced characters which fans fell in love with from around the globe.  As the cast will soon discover, fans are not quick to forget their beloved characters and the names: Chuck, Sarah, Casey, Morgan, Ellie, Awesome, Big Mike, Jeff, Lester, and General Beckman are sure to follow the actors throughout the rest of their careers.  It is thus with fondness, warm hearts and more memories than we can count, that CHUCK celebrates its 2-hour series finale.  Perhaps one day, fans across the world will ask each other, “Where were you when CHUCK ended?”  Perhaps this ending is not as momentous as other world events, but for fans who have faithfully followed the series for the past 5 years, the end will be both heartbreaking and cheer-worthy — and, as any fan knows, the end is just the beginning.  CHUCK’s fans share a passion and a collective love of life that cannot be suppressed.  With the availability of DVD’s, fan sites and all the friendship that have blossomed from a common interest in the show, CHUCK is about to be immortalized — as it should be!

For a show that started off about a young computer technician who had the misfortune of receiving an email from an old college friend that visually embedded a complex CIA database into his brain, CHUCK became something much, much more.  It was not just about Chuck Bartowski and his desire to get rid of the Intersect.  It became about the lives that became so tightly intertwined that each character felt like a very special member of Chuck’s immediate family, which in a way, they were.  CHUCK also became our family.  It introduced our hapless hero who was just waiting for life to knock him upside the head and show him what an extraordinary life was within his grasp.  It also introduced two super-heroic government agents, who not only had his back when things got insanely dangerous (which it did frequently), but who also mentored him and came to care for him as if he were one of their own.  And along the way Sarah fell in love with Chuck.  We all knew from that first episode when it ended with Sarah and Chuck sitting on the beach that fate had brought them together for a reason.  Watching them fall in love was just the icing on the cake. Sarah and Chuck’s love story captured our heart and we fell blissfully in love with them.

We also fell in love with Col. John Casey, who’s rough-and-tough attitude concealed a warm and shiny heart of gold.  We were amused and worried that Morgan would one day figure out that his best friend was a secret spy, only to wonder why he wasn’t brought in on the secret sooner once he did find out.  The hilarious shenanigans of the Buy More crew also had us in stitches week-after-week, as Big Mike, Lester and Jeff came up with more and more outrageous ways to boggle-the-mind with their boundless energy and creativity in making the mundane work environment so entertaining.  Then there were the charming and oh-so-beautiful golden couple of Ellie and Awesome.  They always seemed too good to be true, but they were the bright star that kept Chuck grounded in the real world.  Life is not all about tracking villains, cheating death and disrupting massive conspiracies — life is about the small moments that tie our lives together and make us grateful to be a part of each others’ lives.  Chuck may have had dreams of one day having amazing adventures and being the most sought-after man on the planet, but once that dream came true, he began to see the importance of appreciating what you have and holding onto it with both hands.  What Ellie and Awesome had was their love for each other, their love for their families and their desire to give something back.  Chuck learned a lot from all of these incredible people in his life.  He learned to love, to appreciate and to give back.

That is not to say that the moment he could be free of the Intersect that Chuck gave up his life of high-octane adventure; instead he had learned that even without the Intersect he could still do a whole lot of good in the world.  He could be a superhero all on his own.  A little ingenuity, training, bravery and an unflinching willingness to step-up and just-do-it, is all that it takes.  Chuck had been both blessed and cursed by the Intersect, but the one thing it did do for him, that he will always be grateful for, was nudging him onto his destined path.  The Buy More was not the dead-end job he feared he would be stuck in for the rest of his life, it was the launching point for the rest of his life.  It is a lesson we could learn from — and one which we appreciated as well.  It is said that the “meek shall inherit the Earth,” and we saw that the “geeks shall inherit the Earth.”  You can’t keep a good geek down!

CHUCK’s 5th and finale season is about to come to a close, but before it does, a few more surprises are to be revealed and one more big-bad villain to be vanquished.  Last week’s episode showed Sarah Walker having her memories ripped away to such a degree that she no longer even recognized Chuck.  The diabolical Quinn had use the Intersect to strip Sarah’s memories, leaving her a shell of her former self.  Unable to remember the past 5 years, Sarah is now on a mission to kill Chuck.  Surely, the show will not end on such a bitter-sweet note and there will be a miracle that restores Sarah’s memories.  But even if it doesn’t, we know in our hearts that given the chance, Chuck will find a way to make her fall in love with him all over again; and if that were to come to pass, we could only wish we could be there for every delicious moment of that new romance.

But like all wonderful journeys, this one must end too.  CHUCK introduced us to a world that delighted and entertained us for 5 years.  We remain deliriously happy to have had those years.  We fought for them, stood by the show faithfully, and ate many, many, many Subway sandwiches.  It is now time to say goodbye.  Goodbye from all of us who laughed and cried, who roared and cheered, and those of us who will miss you more than we can say.  Goodbyes are hard enough, but we will remember to celebrate all the magnificent memories.  Long live CHUCK in our hearts — you made our dreams come true!

Let’s raise a glass and celebrate the tremendous achievement of Josh Schwartz, Chris Fedak, Zach Levi, Yvonne Strahovski, Adam Baldwin, Josh Gomez, Ryan McPartlin, Sarah Lancaster, Mark Christopher Lawrence, Vic Sahay, Scott Krinsky, and everyone else who brought this extraordinary series to life, by toasting them during CHUCK’s fifth and final season 2-hour finale as it airs Friday, January 27th at 8 p.m. on NBC.  It’s time to toast in history!

Related:

“Comic-Con 2011: Fun candids and video interviews from the press room with the cast of CHUCK”

Where to find this article:

http://www.thetvaddict.com/2012/01/27/a-farewell-to-chuck-the-little-spy-series-that-could/

First of all, what would you say you most enjoy most about your role?

TOM: I guess we do quite a lot of physical stuff, which is a lot of fun.  We do a lot of fighting and look cool with a sword, which is always a lot of fun.

ADETOMIWA: I absolutely concur.  I’m right behind Tom when he says it’s a lot of fun kind of getting stuck in with the action because we’ve got a couple of good ones in mix in this season.

EOIN: I concur.

RUPERT: What does “concur” mean? [Laughter]

Is there anything in the upcoming episodes that the fans should be looking for that you would like them to see?

EOIN: I think if fans can start the episode where Tom wears anything on his arms, that would be epic.

Interviewer:  Besides young children.

EOIN: [Laughter] You said that, not me!

Did any of you actually watch MERLIN before you got cast in MERLIN?

EOIN: Yes. I did because MERLIN is a wonderful show and I heard about it so often.

ADETOMIWA:  I also did watch MERLIN before.  Sorry.  I’ve got Eoin Macken here making some extraordinary faces and it’s quite distracting!  [More laughter]

EOIN: I just want to know what episodes you watched before you were cast.

ADETOMIWA: I watched the whole first three seasons.

RUPERT: When you audition for the show, I had a couple of days so I tried to watch as many as I could.  So I also watched — and since being in it — I’ve watched it even more.  My mom makes me.

TOM: We all now watch the show because we’re all narcissistic. [Laughter]

Arthur with the Knights of Round Table

Could perhaps tell us a little about your initial audition for MERLIN and getting started in your respective roles?

TOM: Basically, when I heard I was going for Percival — I just did a lot of research and then in character — which actually came to not a lot of avail to what they actually decided to do with the character in the show.  It was slightly different from what they took on it.  But, yes, basically the audition consists of — and this is the same for the other boys as well — is that you get your script through and you read it through with the director and if you’re right for the part, then they’ll give you the offer.

RUPERT: When I first auditioned, I was up for two parts.  One was the Sir Leon, which I now play and the other was another part who actually died another night.  Luckily, they cast me as Sir Leon.  Otherwise, I wouldn’t be employed anymore.

Unidentified Participant: Would he be dead?

RUPERT: And I was only meant to be in a couple of episodes and then they kept bringing me back.  So I’ve kind of developed the character with the writers so it’s been quite exciting.

EOIN: I just sent a video being topless in a bed, and that was my audition, no lie.  It’s true!  [Laughter]

ADETOMIWA: I went in, I met with them — the director of the block that was I was set cast in, and it seemed to have the desired effect.

EOIN: I did consider before MERLIN I was going to write them letters just asking to be in the show, but I thought better of it.

Can you tell us a little bit about some of the acting challenges you found working on the show, and how have you seen your characters sort of grow and develop as you’ve been playing them out this season?

RUPERT: I think what’s been quite lovely, or nice is the group of us working together is the right mix — the kind of relationship we had off-screen and into their characters.  So it was quite nice to get that group dynamic which the writers found and also we found off-screen.  So that was really fun.

EOIN: I think the characters have progressed since we began and are written very well — and then we came in and ruined it.  So they might have to save it for a really solid ending. [Laughter]

ADETOMIWA: Speaking for Tom and myself, I think we just agree that we beg to differ. Personally, one of the challenges I found is shooting in Wales, although I love it. . . All the stuff out in the forest — is that it can be quite cold. I’m definitely solar-powered.

In filming of the season 4 opener, what did you enjoyed most about shooting that two-parter?

RUPERT:  First of all, it was a new.  We were shooting on 35-mm and everything was bigger and better and so when we were filming, it was us coming back together after being away from each other for a few months and it was the first time the unit of knights were really huge.  So it just felt much more exciting and there was an air of excitement even from day one.

EOIN: I think what was fascinating about the opener was the fact that because it was a much darker tone than the previous series and because we had this great big quest feel.  And it was all of us together, as Rupert said, going on an adventure, and with the Derocha — which had a lot of special effects.  We didn’t really know what was going on, which kind of lends to what was happening with the characters.  Because you can’t see the Derocha and we didn’t know what was happening, so our confusion was real and that was really great.

ADETOMIWA:  The scale of the first two episodes was massive and we shot in some fantastic locations that were really evocative and added to the experience of shooting it, which was a lot of fun.

Knights of Round Table with Merlin

Was it tough with the special effects?  I know there was a lot, especially with the Derocha.  Was it tough filming with those special effects?

RUPERT: I think what’s quite interesting is when you’re filming them, you don’t actually know what you’re trying to attack.  So if somebody tells you attack from all sides while looking in this general direction and hold a flame, and so you do it to nothing.  And so it’s not until you actually watch the episode — you go, “Oh wow, that is actually quite scary.”

EOIN: Working with the Derocha — when you’re acting — acting is about reacting.  You need to react off someone doing something to you.  The Derocha don’t really give you anything back, so it was hard to act against them.

RUPERT: It’s like working with Eoin. [Laughter]

Being the feisty bad boy, Sir Gwaine seems to have friendships both with Arthur and Merlin and they’re kind of different.  So how would Gwaine describe his friendships with each of them?

EOIN: I think that the initial friendship with Arthur was actually more of a competitive relationship that became a friendship through respect because initially, Gwaine as a character didn’t have any time for Arthur because he was royalty, and Merlin was more respectful towards him and they became friends much quicker.  But I think as it developed this year, I think that Arthur and Gwaine became much stronger friends, as Arthur did with all the knights, and to virtue of they’re fighting battles together so you’re fighting side by side.  So Merlin and Gwaine haven’t been as strong friend-wise because Gwaine doesn’t know what actually Merlin does in terms of his magic, so Arthur and Gwaine would fight alongside each other, as alongside Percival and Elyan.  And so because of that we have a stronger bond that way, I think.

Sir Leon’s been around with Arthur for a long time and, for the most part, he would have seen Merlin as Arthur’s servant.  And now that things have kind of changed, has his picture of Merlin has changed?  Have they become sort of friends?

RUPERT: I think that with the relationship with Merlin is that because he’s been around and he’s always at Arthur’s side — as has Leon, in many ways – and they have grown to like each other.  However, there’s always that status.  So I’m always going to be a slightly higher status than Merlin.  So we all — I think my character and all the knights — we have a joke with him, we have a laugh with Merlin, but there’s always a line, in the same way to a point, but not as much as Arthur and MERLIN.  There’s that respect there, but Merlin always knows his place and we’ve always got to remember that he’ll be our friend, but when he needs to be, he is still a servant.

Can we expect to see more about the knights’ backgrounds or personal lives, and if not, what can we expect to see more of in the fourth season?

TOM: I think as the series goes on, there are big things that happening in the story, so I don’t think you really get to see that much about our backgrounds because this series very much focuses on the development of Arthur becoming who he’s going to be.  And I think it’s more about the knights being there for him on that journey.  So potentially next series there may be more of that.  But I think this series is more about us being on the side of Arthur and being there for him in his formulate years.

ADETOMIWA:  Adding to what Tom was saying, I think this season is quite epic and it focuses on the overarching theme.  So like I think you can expect through the evolution of a slightly different Camelot, there are issues raised by Arthur’s relationship with Guinevere and things like that are sort of foreground.  And I think you do.  You get glimpses of the knights, but you see them primarily as agitators in the formation of this new sort of Camelot.

EOIN: I agree with everything Adetomiwa said, in general.

Knights with Arthur

Do you have favorite scene that you did from the 4^th season?

EOIN: My favorite scene personally was myself and Rupert have a really great scene coming up in I think episode 8 where we’re just really interesting.  There’s an episode that basically mainly focuses on the knights, so I’m sure the fans will look after that because we’re pretty brilliant in it.  And the scene — it was quite interesting because a lot more conflict between the knights in terms of creating a different dynamic to our relationship.  So I enjoyed a scene with Rupert which we had in the forest which got quite heated and it was fun.

ADETOMIWA: Tom and I did a little bit at the opening of the series which was quite fun, rescuing the children from the Derocha.  That was good.  And then following on again from what Eoin said, I think that sort of — if I may call it the knights’ episode — has some really nice stuff — interplay between us all — all four of us, which was a lot of fun to do.

TOM: Certainly my favorite had to be saving the kids with Adetomiwa in episode 1.  That was a lot of fun.  And saying again really, I think the knights’ episode — which is, I believe, episode 8 of this series — so I think for all four of us it was a lot of fun to do that though because we all got to get a peek or hint of something that was really on the story line of the episode.  So that was a lot of fun.

RUPERT: Yes. Same.  As I have said, it’s the first time we all go out often, and it was just nice to see the characters developed a little bit in those, as Eoin said, with conflicts and that was the most fun to shoot.  The rest were not quite as fun.

What kind of feedback do you get from fans about your characters?

TOM: I think it’s varied really.  Three of us are on Twitter and you get kind of mixed feedback, which is some girls and guys that, I guess, have an attraction towards them and then I guess there are some that just want to know every single fact about the show.  And I think they know more about the show than we do.  But generally, the feedback is good.  It seems like we have some very nice, loyal fans.  It’s nice.

ADETOMIWA: Yes, it’s really nice.  It seems that this show has a really supportive family, which is awesome.  I think a lot of girls are very jealous of Eoin Macken’s hair.  I get a lot of questions about what products he uses.

ADETOMIWA: And I get asked a lot as well how I feel standing next to Tom’s arms, and I always — as I always tell people, if they’d let me get my arms out . . .

EOIN: Myself, Rupert and Tom are all on Twitter so we really get interaction with the fans.  Adetomiwa doesn’t know how to use Twitter.  He’s not very tech-savvy, but we’re trying to teach him.  And I think the fans have actually been great. . . being on Twitter and so forth allows you to engage with someone, and they’ve all said some — I’ve actually learned an awful lot more about MERLIN and the show from them because, as Tom said, they do know everything about it — and when we don’t pay attention to what’s going on, they remind us.

RUPERT: I think that’s the amazing thing about the fans of the show is it’s all age groups.  You do see — there are a lot of children — that the age goes up to 80.  It’s a family show and there are a lot of different people.  And so what’s interesting is just seeing that dynamic and seeing people around the world who love the show and know the show.  It’s fun to be a part of.

EOIN: It’s been genuinely fascinating because MERLIN does have such a wide-reaching fan base.  It does hit all demographics and you do get people all over the world, which is great because you get to see how everyone’s got a different subjective take on it from all the different parts of the world and because we all seem to be connecting with it.  It’s great.

Merlin and Arthur

Can you talk about working with Bradley James and Colin Morgan?

TOM: They’re great.  Obviously, as you can tell, there’s a lot of banter between the boys here and it’s all a lot of fun.  So having us all together, working with those two — they gratefully what we have joined and it’s been great working with those guys on their journey of making the show and they’re good people — very good actors.

EOIN: Colin and Bradley — what’s actually genuinely great with working on MERLIN is the actors on MERLIN are all of a really high caliber.  They’re bringing some great guest stars and so forth like Nathaniel Parker and different people.  But the actors on the show are the main — which is Colin and Bradley and Katie — they often support the actors.  And Colin and Bradley, in particular, are both brilliant and it is always great working with them.  And as people, Colin’s Irish and Irish people are generally great, and Bradley’s British and that’s cool, too.  So it’s great working with them.

RUPERT: I think when you first set up on the show, you can see — Colin Morgan and Bradley James — they’re the hardest-working people I’ve met.  I know it sounds like we’re sucking up to them, but they generally are brilliant.  The show wouldn’t be the same without them.  They work that hard and they’re working flat-out for 8 months, and so they make us all raise our game.  So they’re two great people to work with.

ADETOMIWA: I guess our interaction with them is — as a group — it’s slightly different, like Bradley is very much sort of just one of the lads and we have a lot of good times with him, and Colin is just like one of the warmest, nicest sort of most generous people you’ll ever meet.

Since you guys are such a diverse group, if you had to assign superlatives to each other, what would they be?

EOIN: I would call Adetomiwa “enigmatic” and “superlative.”

TOM: I would call Rupert — I would call “Baby.”

ADETOMIWA:  Tom “Big Guns” Hopper — I think — a good man to have in your corner.

RUPERT:  I’d call Eoin “confusing.” [Laughter]

Do you guys think you’ll ever get a love interest or do you think that Arthur will continue to have a monopoly on the only girl in Camelot?

TOM: I was going to say that because I wondered where all the women were.  I think Gwen just kind of just got rid of them personally.

ADETOMIWA: Look, I’m sure you know the show is influenced by fan feedback, so if the fans want love interests  . . .

EOIN: There should definitely be more sex scenes! [Laughter]

While MERLIN is unlikely to stray too far from its family television roots, it clearly is ramping up the action and stories with the wonderfully game Knights of the Round Table.  To see what adventures and challenges lie ahead, be sure to tune in for an all new episode of MERLIN on Friday, January 27^th at 10:00 p.m. on Syfy.

Here There Be Dragons as MERLIN Races to Find the Last Dragon Egg

  James Callis Guest Stars in ‘Aithusa,’
(Airing Friday at 10 p.m. ET/PT Only on Syfy)

For six seasons, he played the traitorous Gaius Baltar on Battlestar Galactica.  This Friday, James Callis brings his acting talents to the international hit series MERLIN, playing the equally unscrupulous Julius Borden.

James Callis as Borden

And in his first scene in this Friday’s episode, titled “Aithusa,” Callis comes face to face with the man who was once his mentor – fittingly, court physician Gaius.

Once the pupil of MERLIN’s Gaius, Borden left Camelot during the Great Purge, but in the darkness returns to Camelot looking for the third part of the Triskelion – an ancient object that promises to reveal the location of the last dragon egg.

Despite a stern warning from Gaius, Merlin offers to help Borden if it means he can fulfill his obligation as the Last Dragonlord to ensure the survival of the species.  But the task turns deadly when Merlin realizes exactly why Borden wants the egg.

Although the Great Dragon, Kilgharrah (voiced by John Hurt), figured prominently in the first season of MERLIN, in the last two seasons his primary function has been to give advice to Merlin and help him in times of greatest threat.  It was Kilgharrah, for instance, who cautioned Merlin that “your determination to see goodness in people will be your undoing.”

Merlin and Arthur

In “Aithusa,” however, the Great Dragon assumes a much more prominent role in the story.  In the last two seasons, MERLIN “has shown his separation, his independence from the Dragon,” says actor Colin Morgan, who plays Merlin. “At the beginning of Season One, the Dragon was a confidante, someone Merlin needed help from.  Slowly and slowly, they grew apart, and the Dragon’s motives became slightly unclear, so there has been a question of trust between them.”

And yet, Kilgharrah and Merlin are inextricably linked, Morgan says. “As Dragonlord, Merlin can always command the Dragon, which is a great quality.  What’s going to be interesting to see is if Arthur ever meets the Dragon – what his reaction would be.”

While the Dragon doesn’t meet Arthur in “Aithusa,” he does meet a new character … though just who (or what) that is remains to be seen.  Viewers will discover the identity – and his or her role in Camelot – in “Aithusa,” the next episode of MERLIN, which airs Friday at 10 p.m. ET/PT (9 p.m. Central), only on Syfy.

All three seasons of MERLIN are now available on DVD and on iTunes.  Be sure to follow the latest news on MERLIN at the Official Merlin page on Facebook.

The Starz series SPARTACUS: VENGEANCE is best known for its super hot actors who portray some of the most driven, tenacious and survival-oriented men on television – gladiators fighting for their lives.  In a recent press conference call, stars Manu Bennett (who portrays Crixus), Nick Tarabay (who portrays Ashur), Craig Parker (who portrays Glaber) and Dan Feuerriegel (who portrays Agron) on SPARTACUS: VENGEANCE candidly shared what drives these searing characters and what is upcoming for each of them this next season.

With Liam McIntyre coming into the role of Spartacus, how has that changed the chemistry on set, if at all?

DAN:  Of course it’s going to change chemistry because he’s a completely different person. But as actors you just adapt to Liam’s personality, and therefore that makes you change certain things here and there. That’s just what we do. Liam did amazing in the first two episodes and he just keeps getting better and better. I think he did an absolutely fantastic job. And so of course it was different. But I felt as though no better/no worse. He was just Liam. He was just doing what he does and we all did what we did. And as seen in the first two episodes, this is how it was turning out. So I guess if you enjoy it, a lot of other people will enjoy it, and I’m certainly sure that everybody enjoyed working with him. I mean I can’t speak for everyone else, but I’m sure they’ll say the same thing.

NICK: No, no, no, I didn’t like working with Liam, not one bit! [Laughter]

DAN:  Well that’s okay, no one liked working with you at all, Nick. I mean come on, now that we’re going to be honest here and start throwing stones. [Laughter]

MANU: Liam came on to our set with a very open heart. He’s never stopped discussing with all of us, his journey. And I think there’s something very SPARTACUS about that. There’s a very truthful pure quality to the man himself and that’s what they needed to find. Andy [Whitfield] gave such an extraordinarily honest performance, and people were just so moved by that that it was almost an impossibility to find somebody to replace Andy. What they’ve found in Liam is somebody with an absolute truth. It’s a different truth, but it’s still the truth, as a person. And it’s wonderful to work with him because every day he brings an ‘open book’ that we all get to participate with. There were other people that came and read, and the acting world’s an egotistical world and we could have gotten somebody who just got into the chariot and rode it as some kind of the next big thing. But Liam is a very humble person and has gifted us all with his openness — and that reads itself into the role.

CRAIG: I think very first episode, which is a strange new episode — there’s a new Spartacus; there’s a new world that we’re in. It’s an odd episode, but by the end of it you fully embrace Liam as a different, but the new Spartacus and you’re ready to go on the journey with him, which is quite wonderful. And, as Manu says, he doesn’t in any way try to be Andy or to replicate that performance. He takes it as a whole new sort of slate and paints a very different Spartacus but a equally interesting and sort of diverse, and does a wonderful, wonderful job.

NICK: I have to actually agree with all three of the guys. And one thing I’ve actually really liked about Liam was his heart. I mean he has such a good heart, and like Manu said, “He’s very humble.” And like when you talk to him outside of acting, when we just sit down and talk between scenes or at lunchtime or whatever, he’s such a good person, and very dedicated to the work, that you see Spartacus in him, which made it very easy for all of us to see him as the new Spartacus. Liam is surrounded by really, really good actors and really, really good people that I think it made it easier for him too to get more into the character. So he’s doing a great job.

DAN:  Yes, and he also respected where it all came from, and where he came from as well. He knew what he was up against with continually and just, as Manu said, “Modest and humble,” in regards to what Andy did in the first season. And that’s another magnificent part of Liam’s personality, which shines through as well.

Crixus

Can you tease whether Ashur and Crixus paths are crossing this next season and how entrenched will Ashur become in Crixus’ world?

NICK: I think it won’t be a story if Ashur and Crixus somehow don’t get together that way, especially having Crixus my ultimate enemy on the show. So you do see a little bit of that and it’s going to be very, very intense actually, the way you see it. I mean everything I think in VENGEANCE this season is going to be pretty intense and very heightened. So any time characters interact with one another, it’s going to be pretty big. And add to it the history that I have with Crixus, I think is going to make it even more interesting. And as far as Lucy [Lawless], yes, there’s a lot of story, a lot of scenes, a lot of work with me and Lucy, that I was very, very happy to have because I didn’t get a chance really to work with her in Season 1 and the prequel. But, in this season, we have a lot of work — maybe a little too much — just kidding! And Ashur this season is unlike every other season. He’s his own man in a way and he’s under really severe circumstances that he’s going all out. I mean, seriously, he has no boundaries. He fights really for what he thinks is right, and his goals get bigger and bigger. And the twists and the turns that he comes up with is something that surprised me as the actor every episode. I give a lot of credit for the writers. And, obviously, I give a lot of credit to the actors; made it a lot easier for me to to work harder and make it better. So, yes, you’re going to see a lot of Crixus, Lucy, and more Ashur hopefully.

For Craig, I’m really curious to know how your character stays married to Ilithyia and how that goes. How does the marriage go in this particular season?

CRAIG: I think when we first meet them, they’ve been through some heavy guidance counseling and marriage counseling. With her that it’s not going to be an easy marriage. And the fun thing this year is when we first meet them it’s quite a different circumstance than when we left them so. I don’t think that gives anything away, where Ilithyia has been told to behave and be a good wife. And you know Ilithyia; it’s not going to last. So there’s some fantastic relationship stuff there. And to work with someone like Viva is so much fun because she’s created this absolute monster of a character. It is always a joy to see how Ilithyia responds to the situation.

Do you think that Glaber’s true enemy is Ilithyia more so than Spartacus?

CRAIG: Absolutely. I think she is the one that destroys him the most — that hurts him the most. And this series, I think you’ll see him start to stand up for himself, become a bit of the man that he wants to be. And part of that is freeing himself from her control. It’s quite good; truly she’s not going to have an easy ride, I promise you.

Manu, this season there’s a really interesting dynamic being built up between Crixus and Spartacus, building on the previous season. With Crixus telling Spartacus that, “Since he’s now a leader he has to be smarter,” and with Spartacus having to tell Crixus to, “Keep his Gauls in line and not just tear off after Naevia,” how does this play out over the course of the season?

MANU: There’s no real answer to that. There’s just a tug-of-war really. It’s a difference of objectives. Spartacus, I believe in this season, has maybe more transitional — has more of a transitional story than even Crixus. I mean, it’s like you enter the season with Crixus with a very definite goal, and that is to find Naevia. And Spartacus with an evolution, he’s said he wants to do something and all of a sudden everybody’s looking at him going like, “Okay, you’ve made this big speech, you’ve forced us all to become fugitives, and now what’s the plan?” As I think as far as Crixus is concerned, he just goes through all the necessary actions of finding supplies and food and whatnot, but Spartacus has this leadership role that he’s taken on. And of course Crixus is going to be the first one to call him on that and question him on that and remind him of the agreement that he made with everybody as we left the Ludus. . . . I think the two of them are very honest men, speaking from the heart and they just basically have a bit of a tug-of-war constantly because the two of them are both leaders and they don’t necessarily sit comfortably in being the follower or the person who has to follow the other’s objective. But, as in Season 1, I think that’s what creates a lovely sort of brotherhood story — the push and pull of a kind of a deep respect that’s never sort of allowed to show itself on the surface.

Can you talk about filming the fight sequences and how much training goes into them physically and mentally?

CRAIG: That’s you boys, isn’t it?

NICK: I was going to say maybe I should answer this since I’m not in it. [Laughter]

MANU: Al Poppleton was nominated for an Emmy. He’s our stunt coordinator, so we’ve got the best in the business. These guys are meticulous in making us train for what we need to build ourselves up for. We do a gladiator boot camp at the beginning of each year, which is really a very rigorous four-week process, which not only teaches us all of the weaponry and sort of beats from one-to-six or whatever we learn things in numbers so that when we go into the season we basically speak in terms of a system that we learned at the beginning. So it’s a language; it’s just like learning dance. It’s like learning anything where there’s choreography involved. And Al Poppleton does a very, very good job at it. And we have just a wonderful stunt team that we work very closely with. And I think over the three seasons that we’ve shot so far, we just keep on getting actually more experienced and more experienced. So I think the fans this season are going to get like another level again of the quality of the fights because we’re actually keep on improving because of our training.

CRAIG: I think, as the training improves and everyone gets better and better in seeking new and more interesting ways to do a fight.  Also the technology is increasing. So the way we shoot things, the way we know how to work with CGI or layering shot. So even in the very first episode, that opening sequence with the horses and Spartacus, it’s incredible.  It’s ballet, it’s full theater and opera. So you end up with these amazing, beautiful, bloody, horrible, terrible moments, but they’re wonderful to watch.

NICK: Also if I may add, even though I wasn’t in the first episode, but I can speak for the rest of the season, what I also like about some of the fights for this season, what I like about it which is a new kind of fight because we’re out of the Ludus so it’s not all organized and it’s not all like a Doctore would teach everybody to do it like very honorably. You’ll see a lot of street fights and you’ll see a lot of like kind of dirty fights.

DAN:  The weapons have changed.

NICK: Yes, the weapons have changed. Even some of the stuff, like it’s really cutty and it’s scary and bloody. And in a new way, I mean it’s really going to be really interesting to see that which gives more of the story of what the new world is now. So that I think the fans are really going to like a different kind of fighting as well. So I’m looking forward to see it.

DAN:  They also try and get really specific with each character to have a particular fighting style so we’re all different. Like for example, Gannicus and Spartacus are very beautiful with how they fight. And Agron is a bit more aggressive, and Crixus is very intense

CRAIG: Glaber, Dan? How’s Glaber? How does Glaber fight?

DAN:  No, Glaber just gets everybody else to do it. But with the training as well, four hours a day every day for four weeks, it not only builds up your body – they train specifically. So when you do fight sequences, which you can be filming for an entire day, by the end of the day you’re exhausted but you still have the ability to carry on because you’ve trained that way. By the end of the boot-camp you’ve learned to deal with pain and exhaustion mentally. And because some of those fight sequences, when you shoot it for a couple of days in a row, there’s aches, there’s pains, there’s injuries. I know I got myself injured a couple of times.

MANU: And we shoot in New Zealand, which is different than shooting in America.

DAN:  Yes, it’s cold.

MANU: We probably wouldn’t be allowed to do what we do in America because of the safety regulations and what not. We actually push the envelope over there, and people probably don’t get that. Well, they do get it, because they love our show and they love the fight sequences.

DAN:  And you also have to take into account that it is a TV show still and it is shot quite quickly. So there are times where there has just been no time to learn a complex fight scene. And so that’s when the phenomenal talents of the stunt guys come in too. I do know that there’s been a couple of days where I haven’t had anything and we’ve got a huge fight sequence. And they quickly go through something before you start filming and you just do it. So I’m sure we’ve all experienced that at one time or another on the set, that you can’t always have the long periods of rehearsal time, and you’ve just got to do it.  So kudos to them as well.

Glaber

SPARTACUS is a very intense show to be on. What can you tell us about what you guys do to lighten up the set a bit, like who’s the biggest prankster?

MANU: Nick, without a doubt.

NICK: I would say Craig.

DAN:  Craig? Yes, Craig’s pretty funny and annoying. [Laughter]

CRAIG: It’s funny because we’re very much in two different worlds.  There is this series, wherein the previous series it’s been in the Ludus where they all live together. But this world is very much the Roman world and the Gladiator world, and it’s quite strange. We sort of very rarely intersect, we do further down the series we do. And so it was like two different camps and you would find in Spartacus’ world there’s Dan who is incredibly naughty.  And you think, “This is their little world and their little school politics.” But in Roman world I think the blacker the stuff you’re dealing with, the harder emotionally, the more brutal and awful stuff you’re doing each day on set, the funnier the off-set becomes. Because it’s a great sort of release to remind yourself constantly that while these characters are doing terrible things to each other, as actors we are playing with each other, we’re having the great joy and pleasure of working on great scripts with great actors. So the humor does become very black and very twisted, but it definitely has to be there I think throughout just to survive the season.

NICK: I think honestly — I know SPARTACUS is very intense but some of the behind the scene captures what happens with the actors. I mean, I think if they really have a camera on us behind the scene it would be a comedy show going on because we’re always cracking jokes, we’re always laughing. I mean, I worked a lot with Craig and Lucy in the season and there were times that we couldn’t help ourselves; we had to actually control our laughter to get into the scene. But what it did was just create that safe and trusting environment that we know each other really well and everybody is very dedicated to the work. So we just had fun with it. And everybody, no matter how tense it is, even Manu he comes in as he’s Crixus and everybody’s like all, “Fuck the Gauls,” he cracks jokes too. I mean he’s laughing, he’s doing this to his own self too.  So behind the scenes it’s completely different people than when you see onscreen. So that was pretty fun for us all.

MANU: Yes, I think the thing is that we all enjoy the show. I mean we actually have a wonderful production team and everybody enjoys their process. And I think when you’re on a show –I mean, we’ve had very much of a roller coaster ride because of all the things that could have potentially stopped our show from running. But because everyone felt like we’re working on a great project that there’s never been a day that I haven’t gone to work actually looking forward to it. I look forward to going to work. I’ve never gone to work once feeling like, “I don’t’ want to go to work today.” And I feel that everybody that I work with has that sort of absolute positivity about the show. So the mood on set is constantly driven by positivity.  There’s very rarely the sort of the gripes that you get on a lot of sets. I mean, we have our few moments, but everyone very quickly pulls everybody else into line because we actually work as a team, it’s great.

Nick, we going to get to see Ashur get some payback on Spartacus this year as well?

NICK: Well, I think Ashur has a bone to pick with a lot of people. But, yes, he does have something to pick with Spartacus, because he was elevated. He became Batiatus’ right-hand man and became part of the villa, that world, and that fulfilled that hole that he had, because he ultimately wanted to be a gladiator so much. And when that wasn’t fulfilled, he found joy and he found peace in that power of becoming Batiatus’ right-hand man, and eventually excelling. So when Spartacus did this, obviously that ruined his plans. But I think Ashur, and the way I approach the character, ultimately my all-time nemesis is Crixus in a way because in Ashur’s mind in the “Gods of the Arena,” the prequel, he helped Crixus in the beginning and he was kind of by his side. And then Crixus turned sides and then crippled him in the end. So he took away what he really wanted so bad, which is to be accepted and to be part of the brotherhood. And then on top of that in Season 1, he kept on pushing him down; suppressing him and really pushing him down throughout, which that added more to that fire that made Ashur the person that we got to know now. I mean, obviously there’s other elements as well because it started with Crixus and then it ended up with everybody else around him.  We also believe Ashur didn’t start out that way, he didn’t start out to be the person that everybody kind of calls the villain or the bad guy, whatever you want to call it. He actually came to the Ludus wanting to be part of something big, and he wanted to be part of the brotherhood. But he kept on being pushed down, pushed down, pushed down, and not accepted, for reasons not his fault. So he, Ashur, the one that we know now, became that way from the Ludus, supposedly a place of honor and brotherhood. So he actually has vengeance against them all now. He sees them, and they all contribute to his fall. So he is going to definitely go after Crixus as you saw in Season 1, he does in a way through Naevia, and that actually, that continues obviously. Especially Spartacus too, because he’s leading those people into this rebellion, took away all what he was going to be. And then you’ll see him actually plotting a lot of stuff. I think Ashur’s going to cause a lot of problem this season, even more problems than I thought he would actually end up doing — physically and mentally. And he really stares the part this season. It’s a different level of interaction; whether it’s with Crixus, whether it’s with Spartacus, even his relationship with Glaber and his relationship with Lucretia — all of these relationships, it’s in a different level this season. you keep hearing over and over, “Vengeance is bigger,” and it really is, it’s pretty grand. So everything is heightened. It’s really tough times, especially for Ashur.

Manu, how have you found working with Cynthia Addai-Robinson? And how is that relationship going to evolve, because obviously Naevia’s going to be a different person, having been sent away when she was with you.

MANU: Put it this way, I go searching for the new Naevia. I mean, obviously, there’s a new actress there, but I just don’t want to give that away in this particular instance. But in looking for a new Naevia, because of what’s happened to her, finding Cynthia in the role it added a freshness, it added something new. Lesley-Ann and I setup a wonderful relationship story in Season 1, as did Andy Whitfield. Working with him was just so true to every moment it was phenomenal. Going into this new season with exactly the two people closest to Crixus Spartacus and Naevia, they were both new actors. So it was something that in my mind if I wanted to play on the idea that it would be bizarre and difficult or whatever you can entertain that idea sure, if you want, but otherwise you’ve just got to open yourself up and be willing for the change. Luckily, in both instances of two very competent actors in the roles, and I don’t have to worry about the relationship because the relationship’s actually written in the storyline as an actor I just have to perform wonderful scenes that Steven DeKnight and the team are writing. And the actors, I’ve loved working with Cynthia. Cynthia’s been a totally new experience and as has Liam, and in both instances I’ve gone to the end of the season and just gone, “Wow, that was just another fantastic season.” And everybody’s saying, “It’s the best season yet,” and that’s very difficult to make as a statement in regard to the acting. I think people are talking about the production quality, but the acting has stayed at the same level — it’s stayed very competent. So I think basically we’re just in even better creative hands because our creative team just keeps on improving and our scripts, and the sort of symphony of SPARTACUS continues with even more intensity, because we’re just getting better at what we do.

Will we see Crixus continue his push to be a leader or will concede to be more of a follower this season?

MANU: I think with some characters they say, “what kind of cat never changes its spots?” I think every character on our show is pretty much carved out of granite.  There’s change in the way they’ll feel with their hearts, but really its’ a very iconic series.  We’ve got very mainstay characters that continue to sort of like revel in their individual characters.  If you took away Crixus’ desire to be a leader I don’t know what you’d be left with. I think he’s trying to find example and to live his life in a way where he thinks he’s doing the best thing to move forward. and if somebody else’s idealism is going to come in to question his direction, then he’s either going to battle with it or adopt it, that perspective which is the situation with Spartacus. The leadership thing is what I think drives our great drama that’s between Spartacus and Crixus on many things. But between anybody in the show . . . it’s sort of the bottom line of SPARTACUS, is the voice of the individual, and it’s just wonderful that the world’s really such a screwed up place and we have to keep on making a drama of it….our individuality and that people are wrong and right. I mean, are people wrong and right? Its just perception, isn’t it?

CRAIG: There is a wonderful thing through with all the characters leading or driving or things.  But everyone is trying to do the right thing whether they’re the goodies or the baddies. Everyone has a clear idea of what is the right course, the way the world should be. And I think with every single character in this world, they’re all in the pursuit of happiness and they just end up doing terrible things on the way.

Will we get to learn more of Agron’s backstory this season?

DAN:  A little bit here and there, not too much about backstory. But you’ll definitely get a lot more of his desires and his personality. And also just like what the guys were talking about is just his desire to be heard, not so much lead. But he definitely has a lot of opinions and he kind of develops into Spartie’s right hand man and he’s definitely got Spartie’s ear. But just whether or not he gets heard or not is the big thing. But you definitely do learn a lot more about Agron in this upcoming season.

Craig and Nick, your characters never think they’re the villains.  How do you play that and what is that dynamic like as an actor?

CRAIG: I don’t think they believe they’re being villains. In their world Spartacus, Crixus, those guys are the ones doing the terrible things; they’re killing good Romans. And the wonderful thing for me this series is working so closely with Nick, where their goals are entwined. And I think Ashur is such a fantastic kind of cockroach of a survivor that he will fit in with whatever the main chance is. And they do end up working very closely together because their goals align, that they want to get rid of Spartacus, they want to achieve closure with this whole process. So throughout it, I don’t know for Nick, but I never felt that Glaber was the villain, he was just trying to do the right thing in the right way. But these are two characters who — as we go through the series —  suddenly realize they don’t have to behave as correctly as they have been. They don’t have to follow the rules so much, they can start breaking them. So while they believe they’re trying to do the right thing, they no longer feel they have to do it in exactly the right way. It makes it wonderful and interesting.

NICK: Very true, what Craig’s saying, absolutely. I never approached Ashur as a villain at all. And I think that’s a doom for every actor anyway to judge his character. But on top of that, the way I just saw the script and my homework was never, never, never, never as a bad guy, he just was misunderstood. He’s trying to excel and he’s trying to be a part of something and he just was not accepted, as I said before, “For reasons not of his own.” And the good thing about the show, and which I give a lot of credit for obviously the writers, but also a lot of it to the actors because what’s fun about the show, even if you see Spartacus, for example, if you consider Spartacus, Crixus, Gannicus, Doctore, whatever, if you consider Agron, if you consider those people are the good guys, you’ll see through and through that they do a lot of bad things too, in a way. So nobody’s flawless here. I mean, there are mistakes everywhere. So it’s again the way I saw it is all perception, “What is it that you think is right?” I think ultimately the goal for everybody is survival and surviving. And maybe the Romans are a little bit different because there’s that sense of entitlement. But what’s fun about this season is they are, under certain circumstances that makes them act certain way. Like Craig just said, “Between Ashur and Glaber, they find a different ground that they can play with.” And it’s a new ground by the way for SPARTACUS here, you’ve never seen this before, where they can do — they have the freedom to do whatever it is that they want. And it was a lot of joy, even working with Craig seeing how he was in Season 1 for example, and seeing him in this season how he starts out, and then what he becomes. And my hat’s off to Craig obviously in this because he always brings something very, very exciting to the role that you can’t help but feed from and try to top it. It was great joy because me and Craig will always work together, but we’ll always talk about our scenes and how we can take this somewhere else. And this is every actor’s, in a way, dream is to work with people that looking at the bigger picture and looking to serve the story, which you – I’m sure you will see in this season, the great transition from the first episode till the last episode so.

CRAIG: Shucks. There is a wonderful thing particularly with Ashur and Glaber that these are kids who have been bullied. They are like the Romans bully Glaber, all the posh Romans, and you know everyone bullies Ashur. And let it be a warning to all those bullies out there because sometimes the bully kid turns and we really are, we’re these screwed up little kids who, both of us trying to in a way just settle for a nice quiet life where we’re respected and people are nice to us. But we’re just so screwed up that we do terrible things.

Spartacus

Ashur has kind of a big journey this season and you get to sort of scheme with Lucretia and with Glaber and you have some intense scenes with Oenomaus. Can you could talk a little bit about his journey? Is he’s always plotting or is he always reacting to things in order to survive?

NICK: Well, I think Ashur, which I really love about this character; he’s very, very smart and he’s always thinking ten steps ahead. And maybe in the beginning, again in the prequel or a little bit in Season 1, he was a bit reacting, which in my mind he was more assessing. Especially in Season 1, after he found out that he couldn’t fight any more and he was a cripple, he was just watching everybody and kind of analyzing each character and then founding out his ultimate weapon, which is his brain and his wits and his talent for survival. In this season, he is definitely plotting. He is really investing in certain people.  . .  I’m using the word investing, especially with certain character, because he feels that it might payoff somehow or it might be his backup plan, which end up being the case in a lot of ways. He has a really, really big journey. And Episode 4, I mean it gets even bigger and bigger towards the end, and his dreams and what he wants achieved is beyond what he though is possible. And that all comes true in a way with him aligning with Glaber and the Romans – the bigger boys, especially with Oenomaus.  Again what I said before “Ashur’s got a bone to pick with a lot of people.” And we all saw what happened in the end of Season 1. So definitely he has something to pick with Oenomaus, Crixus and Spartacus . . . He’s definitely planning. His plan keeps getting bigger and bigger. And what’s great is because he’s a bit closer to the Romans, but not necessarily on their good side yet, the possibilities as I said, “Are limitless,” or maybe way bigger than he was next to Batiatus. He’s playing with a way bigger boy; he’s playing with Glaber now, a big Roman.  But that also comes with dues as well he has to in a way prove himself, which is a different ballgame with the Romans.. It doesn’t come easy and Glaber doesn’t make it easier for him, and Lucretia doesn’t make it easier. But in general, it’s hard all the way around. It’s really tough circumstances. But you’ll see Ashur planning stuff like that.  You won’t know what he was planning up until episode 10, which is the last episode and you’re like, “Oh, this is where he was going for,” which is a big surprise going to be for the audience because it was a big surprise for me. So I’m sure they’re going to be shocked, yes.

When you guys are doing these scenes and there’s all this crazy sex and violence and all this other stuff going around in the background, when you either are filming or when you actually see it after it’s shot, are you ever shocked by what you see? Or do you just come to just go, Eh, another day at Spartacus?”

Nick:   Another day.

Dan:    Another day.

MANU: Aw man, it’s not pornography dude. It’s great scripts.  It’s great moments . I get asked this question sometimes, I’m never bothered by what we do, it’s wonderful. We’re all adults.  It’s kind of bizarre how people talk about nudity and sex scenes as the taboo. I mean god, how did we all get here?

CRAIG: It’s just so. I think everyone’s been working together so long that — and we’ve got so used to the world that it’s totally safe, you never feel vulnerable or odd. And people are incredibly respectful. When there are scenes — and it’s not necessarily just being nude — but there’s often quite confronting scenes where characters are doing things that are on the edge of heavily emotional difficult scenes for the actors. But there is such a level of respect from the crew that those scenes are always made — you’re made to feel incredibly safe, and so within that safety you can explore the scary and the frightening but in a really safe way. So we all just get used to it really.

About the dynamics of the group, how does the evolution of the group change over the course of the season?

DAN:  As you saw in the first couple of episodes, and from the first season as well, the Germans and the Gauls do not like each other for some reason. So, of course, that’s the initial kind of conflict, especially between myself and Crixus. And of course everybody has their own desires, everybody has their own agenda, but it seems like Spartacus is there to kind of keep everyone together, whereas and like of course Crixus, his sole purpose is to get back to his love. Agron, he’s still hurting form the loss of his brother and he’s just kind of going on a blitzkrieg, and just wants to kill Romans pretty much. He doesn’t really have one source of who he wants to avenge. And even in the first episode his one chance of actually taking one back gets taken away from him because Crixus had to get some information. So that also just adds to the conflict, adds to the conflict. But that’s why Spartacus eventually, I guess, ends up as the leader so to speak, because he is open to everyone and will take a back seat when is required, and will lead when is required, and keeps everyone together. So that’s kind of my take on the whole I guess, agenda.

MANU: It’s really just about leadership. It’s just about this group of slaves. I mean, basically we walk out of a door into total enemy territory. And most of us have only ever known to work as slaves or work in a mine, or to fight as gladiators. It’s a classic example of, “Out of the frying pan into the fire.” How do people behave in that situation? I mean, we weren’t the best of friends in the Ludus. Do you think this scenario’s going to ease up our tensions? It just gets worse and relationships get absolutely pushed to the edge. So it’s just another conundrum of personalities just trying to survive, trying to put one foot in front of the other.

DAN:  But in a deeper level it’s kind of about equality.  That’s what Spartacus is trying to do.  That’s what he says the whole way through, “Everybody is equal.” Everybody is equal regardless of what you do, where you’ve come from, everybody is equal. And so that’s why I feel as though Spartacus eventually becomes the leader because that’s his view, that’s his vision.

MANU: Yes, well said.

To see how Crixus, Ashur, Glaber and Agron truly fare in the gripping, and harrowing season ahead on SPARTACUS: VENGEANCE, be sure to tune in for the premiere on Friday, January 27^th at 10:00 p.m. on STARZ.

Related:

“Lovely candid photos of the SPARTACUS: VENGEANCE cast at San Diego Comic-Con 2011″

“Executive producer Steven DeKnight Teases What’s Next in SPARTACUS: VENGEANCE”

Where to find this article:

http://www.thetvaddict.com/2012/01/27/stars-manu-bennett-nick-tarabay-craig-parker-and-dan-feuerriegel-dish-on-spartacus-vengeance/

Manu Bennett, Dustin Clare & Liam McIntyre (photo credit: Jennifer Schadel)

Manu Bennett (photo credit: Jennifer Schadel)

Dustin Clare (photo credit: Jennifer Schadel)

Liam McIntyre (photo credit: Jennifer Schadel)

Lucy Lawless (photo credit: Jennifer Schadel)

Manu Bennett & Liam McIntyre (photo credit: Jennifer Schadel)

Manu Bennett (photo credit: Jennifer Schadel)

Liam McIntyre (photo credit: Jennifer Schadel)

Lucy Lawless (photo credit: Jennifer Schadel)

Liam McIntyre (photo credit: Jennifer Schadel)

Lucy Lawless (photo credit: Jennifer Schadel)

Liam McIntyre (photo credit: Jennifer Schadel)

Lucy Lawless (photo credit: Jennifer Schadel)

It is good to be king, and it is even better to be a writer/executive producer of a hit television series.  For Steven DeKnight, life does not get any better than being “king” of Starz’s drama series SPARTACUS: VENGEANCE.   Taking time to chat with press in a recent conference call, Steven talked about what this next season holds in store and which characters may or may not make it through the season.

I want to congratulate you for hiring Liam on as Spartacus because I feel like he captures the essence of what Andy started but makes it his own.

STEVEN: Thank you, yes. That’s really what drew us to Liam is that we didn’t want to try to duplicate Andy. I mean, that will never happen. He was such a singular, amazing talent. But we wanted to find somebody that had the same base qualities of compassion. And I told all the actors when they auditioned that even though Spartacus may fly into a rage now and then, he never comes from a place of anger, it’s always from a place of a wounded heart — and we really felt like Liam captured that essence.

One of the things about your show is that no character is safe at any time.  How do you go about deciding which of the characters should go and when — and is there any character that you wish you still had for this upcoming season?

STEVEN:  There’s always a question of — well, on this show characters literally get the ax. I think really ultimately, for me, it comes from the story — how is the story best served by a character death. I don’t ever want somebody to just die. It needs to have ramifications either emotionally or towards the plot. So that’s always the number one driving force on who do I kill. And do I miss people? I don’t regret killing anyone, but of course John Hannah, number one. His presence was just so fantastic on the show and he was such a joy to work with and write for. He’s definitely had to go, but that was a painful one.

In the second episode of the season there is an Oenomaus origin story. Can we expect that to be a similar format for some of the other characters later in the season?

STEVEN: No. Oenomaus was kind of a special case because this is something that we hinted at in Season 1 and we hint at even more strongly in “Gods of the Arena” with his relationship with Titus Batiatus. So we always wanted to explore that in a one episode quasi-flashback kind of way. Something like that might happen in future seasons, but that’s the only time it happens.

I’m really curious to find out how Gannicus ends up coming back into the picture this season.

STEVEN: Why that would be giving away too much. I can tell you that he comes back in a very unexpected way. It’s not what you would think. And one of the things I love about the show and one of the things I wanted to do from the start is that our band of heroes are seldom — they’re not Robin Hood and the merry men. They have a lot of problems internally. It’s very historical since they kept breaking apart and different groups would split away from Spartacus. So I can say when Gannicus comes back it’s not a happy reunion. There’s definitely a lot of problems that come with him.

Beyond the vengeance, which of course is the primary thing, what kind of a journey is Spartacus and the other characters on this season?

STEVEN: Well with Spartacus this was always planned to be the season where he goes from a man really searching for his personal redemption in the death of his wife and his feelings of responsibility for that.  That’s why he wants to exact the vengeance, and transitioning him into a true leader. And it’s a very, very bumpy ride for him to go from someone that we see in Season 1, who he’s a good man.  But he is much more concerned about himself and his wife. Everybody else is secondary. And this is where he starts to move into caring more about the group and putting their needs above his own eventually. And everybody else, of course, I love to take to people on journeys. Crixus definitely goes on a journey.  Even characters like Agron, which was one of the two brothers in Season 1 that we didn’t get to know that well, has a major story.  Everybody grows up this season.

Have you had any criticisms of the show and have or would you adjust anything based on negative feedback?

STEVEN: Yes, of course. I mean, I think the show just welcomes criticism. Especially when we first started out, if everybody remembers back that far — this show was universally hated. We got off to a rocky start. Rob Tapert, my incredible producing partner, and I always say that that first episode was by far our weakest one where we were trying to figure out the show and it took a while to get going. So we took a lot of criticism for too much sex, too much violence.  Everybody hated the language, not the cursing but the actual language of the show. It just took a while for everybody to warm up to it. So early on, I got a lot of criticism about how people speak, which I steadfastly refused to change. One of the other things that I’m still to this day getting comments about is, and I put this in air quotes, ‘all the gay shit in my show.’ And people asking me to tone it down, which I always say, ‘no.’ I mean, as far as I’m concerned it’s barely in there to start with. And it was part and parcel of this world, and it’s part and parcel of our world now. So I ignore that. If people want to stop watching the show because two guys kiss, well, I shrug my shoulders. That that will always be in there. And every now and then somebody will say something about, ‘oh it’s too violent, oh there’s too much sex,’ but that’s the show it is. So basically I guess my answer is sure we get criticism, but thankfully STARZ is very supportive and we get to tell the story we want to tell.

Prior to coming back for another season, professional athletes have to attend training camp to get in shape. Is there something similar that the actors must go through to appear on SPARTACUS?

STEVEN:  Yes. We have a boot camp every year that it’s for new people coming in and our returning cast to bone-up on their fighting skills and to help them get back into tip-top shape. I think we’re one of the few shows that the men have it rougher than the women because the men are often practically naked all the time with just a little bit of strategic covering. So they have to watch what they eat and train like crazy for the entire shoot of the show, which is incredibly difficult. But I think the evidence is up on the screen that they literally work their asses off.

Which character on the show do you most relate to?

STEVEN:  Well, I’ve always said that for me, my inner voice is Batiatus — strangely his ranting profanity-filled monologues I have all the time. But now that he’s gone, I guess I don’t really have an inner monologue on the show. But, Batiatus was definitely the Steve.

Is there a character that you wish you could squeeze in more, but you just haven’t been able to yet?

STEVEN:  Always.  We have so much story we try to put into each episode that some characters we don’t get to pay enough to. We felt that way Season 1 with Oenomaus. We felt like there was so much going on with Spartacus and his journey and Batiatus that he got a little bit of short shrift. So we wanted to do more with him in “Gods of the Arena” and we wanted to do more with him in this season, which is really nice to do. We have so many characters, it’s a bit of a juggling act because we don’t want to short change anyone. But I’d say Oenomaus was the one that we felt was underutilized at first and we tried to bring him more to the forefront.

How far in advance do you actually know where you’re going with the story?

STEVEN: We’re actually writing the next season as I speak. . .  Luckily I’ve got history as a guidepost, so it’s just basically each season being, ‘okay, well, how far along do we want to be in history?’  So we know the basic tent poles of where we’re going. And the way it works for us is that at the beginning of each season I get together with the writers and we spend two weeks basically laying out the gist of each episode — the big idea and where we’re going with the characters. And then we spend the next 6-7 months writing the episodes.

Writers always say that as they develop a series they pick up things from the actors and incorporate them into the way they kind of deal with the characters.  Were there any changes or different approaches now that you’ve switched from Andy to Liam?

STEVEN:  You know, that’s a good question. Actually, no. We had a discussion before we started writing this season of should we tailor the show for Liam. And my feeling and Rob and STARZ, we all agreed, was that no, what we should do is write Spartacus as Spartacus and Liam will bring what he brings to it and it will be a different take.  But what Spartacus says and what he does will still be consistent with the Spartacus that we know.

How much do you write into the script, such as the action and the sex scenes, and how much do you leave it to the director and the stunt coordinators?

STEVEN:  You know, Al Poppleton is just phenomenal. The thing that he does for us, it would not be SPARTACUS without him. On the page, it depends on what we’re describing. Generally, if it’s a big battle, we’ll give the high points and let them work it out. If it’s a more intimate one-on-one battle, we’ll be more detailed because we’ll want the specific moment. And I always try to build a fight with specific emotional moments in it. And then Al and his team will fill in the detail, expand on it, they’ll suggest things. So it’s kind of 50/50. With the sex scenes, if there’s a specific emotion we’re looking for, we’ll get into a little more detail. Otherwise, we tend to just describe what kind of lovemaking is going on. The words that keep popping up are: tender, gentle, vigorous. Vigorous pops up quite a bit as you can imagine. So that’s usually a little less detailed. And again, we’re more concerned on the writing side with conveying the emotional beats of what’s going on in that situation and we leave the actual technical what’s touching what, who’s kissing where to the director and the actors.

How does working on SPARTACUS: VENGEANCE compare to some of the earlier work that you’ve done on, ANGEL, DOLLHOUSE, and SMALLVILLE? Is it easier or is it more difficult?

STEVEN:  I just got to say, first and foremost, I always credit Joss Whedon for really starting my career. I was working on UNDRESSED when he hired me on to BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER and then I went to ANGEL where he gave me a chance to direct and then I linked up with him again on DOLLHOUSE.  Words can’t describe how much I’ve learned from the man. The biggest difference with this show for me is that all my other work was on broadcast network and this is premium cable. So Al Gough, my old boss from SMALLVILLE who watches this show, I bumped into him and he chuckled and he said when he watched SPARTACUS, he calls it “DeKnight Unleashed.” And that’s exactly how I felt when I got this opportunity — that I didn’t have to deal with Standards and Practices anymore. I didn’t have to water things down. I could go to places, not just sexually, not just with the violence, but good characters could do bad things, which is often very difficult to get the network to sign off on. And bad characters could do good things. So I got to work in a very gray world, which I think is where the most interesting drama is — and it’s also been the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Because I had the bright idea of kind of creating a very different kind of language and the way people speak, which is not natural and it doesn’t come naturally to write it. So it takes a lot longer to write and it’s a bit more of a pain in the ass, but the result I think was very successful in conveying the sense of a different time in history.

Do you consult with historians to help keep the show authentic?

STEVEN:  Yes. I have two fantastic historical consultants, Aaron Irvin and Jeffrey Stevens. We brought them on from the start, and they’re absolutely instrumental. I bring them into the room every now and then.  They get all the outlines, all the scripts. They give us copious notes. And we always say on SPARTACUS that we want to be respectful to history, but our first goal is to be entertaining to the audience. So sometimes we do have to bend historical facts and shift things around. But we always try to be very respectful and they are just two fantastic guys that have really contributed a lot to the show.

If these gladiators are such macho men, why do they shave their bodies?

STEVEN:  Here’s the thing: in ancient Rome, the Romans considered hair to be barbaric. Now they probably would have let the gladiator be barbaric because that was part of the appeal, but for our show there’s also an aesthetic value that we need. We need them to look good. We’ll pick Manu Bennett for example, who plays Crixus. He is just a chiseled man, a very muscular, and if we would have had him very muscular, but furry like a bear, you wouldn’t be able to see that he was very muscular. So it just wouldn’t have the aesthetic value. And in a very interesting side note, actually the Romans themselves because they considered hair to be barbaric, that’s why roman men do not have beards and they actually invented, or I don’t know if they invented it but they certainly used it, waxing. They were completely hairless. They had waxers and pluckers because they considered hair to be such a barbarian trait.

One of the things I really like about the show is, as masculine as it is, the female characters also sort of get equal time to tell their stories.  So I was wondering if you could tell us what Ilithyia, Lucretia, Mira, what their stories will bring in this upcoming season.

STEVEN:  Without giving anything away, Ilithyia and Lucretia, which is two of my favorite characters to write, especially when they’re with each other, they continue their frenemy-dance in a very convoluted, unexpected way. What happens between those two is not what you would think is actually going to happen, especially based on where we left them at the end of Season 1. They are in fine form totally. They really continue that storyline in an amazing kind of way. With Mira, Mira is as we left her in Season 1, she really responded to Spartacus and was falling in love with Spartacus and Spartacus had compassion towards her, but I wouldn’t call it love. Where we move with them, they have moved into a quasi-relationship, but it’s a relationship that’s very bumpy and rocky and may or may not work out in the end.

The action is so great, but have you ever devised a kill or a stunt scene that maybe somebody thought maybe that’s a little bit too much and said, ‘we can’t do it’?

STEVEN:  Actually the end of “Gods of the Arena” we had many, many discussions about that final kill when Gannicus kills Caberus in the arena where he rips his jaw off. And there was a lot of talk of whether or not — not that was it too much — but would it look right, could we do it, was there a more interesting way to do it? And I felt like it was something I hadn’t seen before and our makeup department just did a phenomenal job with that. We screened that in the CAA Theater for a couple of hundred people and when that happened everybody just leapt out of their seats because it was so gruesome and unexpected. But that’s the one for me that really stood out as the one I remember that we had a lot of conversations about.

It seems like Ashur is kind of setting up his next few moves. Could talk a little bit about his motivations as far as vengeance is concerned – will he be more concerned about  getting payback against certain people ahead of pushing himself further up the ranks?

STEVEN:  What I love about Ashur and the way Nick Tarabay really brings him to life is that Ashur is a guy who ultimately doesn’t really think he’s the bad guy.  He’s just a guy trying to navigate the choppy waters of life. And he comes from a place —  and we explored this in Season 1 and in “Gods of the Arena” — of deep insecurity where he feels like he is disrespected and not treated as well as he should be. And those deep seated feelings on insecurity is what really drives him to get to the top. In this season he’s out for vengeance against the rebels because he was being promoted to being in the Ludus with Batiatus, being Batiatus’ right-hand man, he had finally been elevated, and then Spartacus literally topples him off his perch and ruins everything for him. So he’s got an ax to grind there. And he also tries to ingratiate himself back in with the Romans.

You also sort of set it up in “Gods of the Arena” that Ashur would have a bone to pick literally with Crixus. Is that something that we can expect to be addressed?

STEVEN:  Oh yes, he hates Crixus. Absolutely hates Crixus. That’s something we played and set up in Season 1 and referenced.  One of the things that I love about long form television is that we reference that Crixus crippled Ashur in a fight and then we saw that at the end of “Gods of the Arena.” So he has always had it out for Crixus to get his revenge.

One of the things I really like about the show is the way they construct their sentences and the way they talk to each other and I was just wondering where did you decided how they speak? Is it based on any kind of Latin or did you just kind of come up with the way that they talk to each other?

STEVEN:  It’s actually not based on Latin. In fact, in Latin they do use articles. I tend to drop out  “ands” and “thes” in the way they speak. And again, it’s just to give a flavor of antiquity to the language. For me, I studied as a playwright so I was deeply steeped in Shakespeare, which is really my main influence in the dialogue. Not to say that it’s Shakespearean. I call this “Shakespeare extra, extra light.” And I always say the language is a cross between Shakespeare and Robert E. Howard who wrote all the Conan stories. So it’s kind of a mash up between those two. It is absolutely not historically accurate. When people bring that up to me about, ‘well, they didn’t speak this way in Latin,’ I always point out, ‘well, in Shakespearean times they didn’t speak in iambic pentameter.’

But that’s an affectation to give it a style, which is exactly what we wanted to do on this show. About five scripts in after we had done this I realized, ‘holy shit, I’ve got to keep writing this way for the rest of the series,’ which is extremely challenging.

Can you talk about the production treatments and visual effects that go into each episode because it’s such a beautifully filmed and unique series?

STEVEN:  Yes, it’s a massive amount of work. This show — because of the time period we’re using — every single thing on the show we have to make. Everything down to the chairs, the furniture, the jewelry — everything is handmade. So it’s an extremely time consuming process. And even though we shoot everything on green screen, a lot of people have asked me, ‘well, how much of it is green screen?’  Our green screen is basically the background, the backdrops. All of the sets you see, they’re real. We actually we built the Ludus, we built the training square.  The only use of CGI is in the backgrounds with the sky and the landscape beyond our sets. So it takes an amazing amount of work and our team in New Zealand just does an incredible, incredible job. And we shoot everything digitally and then we run it through a post process to get the colors right and to give it that really rich, rich look.

Where is Lucretia’s story leading her now that she doesn’t have a husband anymore and now that she doesn’t have the Ludus or any kind of work to support herself?

STEVEN:  She’s in a bad state. As seen in the trailer, she’s not doing too well when we first find her. Which is not surprising. I mean, she’s very lucky to be alive. And a lot of people have asked, ‘when last we saw her, she got stabbed in the stomach and sure she was twitching at the very end of Season 1, but how is it possible she survived?’ And we do explain how she survived. It’s a few episodes in and then we tell you what happened. For her, she is a shattered woman. And this season is about her putting the pieces of her life back together and trying to move forward. Along with moving forward, much like everyone else this season, she does have some scores to settle. But, for her, she’s going to have to be incredibly crafty and smart about her maneuvering because now she has absolutely no position whatsoever. She’s basically living off the kindness of strangers at this point.

What you have in store for maybe the character of Glaber who is played by Craig Parker?

STEVEN: Glaber, who we only saw in two episodes back in Season 1, he is a major player this season. He’s the big bad of our season. Historically, he’s the next guy that was sent after Spartacus and, we follow that history here, so that he’s going to be Spartacus’ arch nemesis nipping at his heels for the entire season.

The second season had already been written when you decided to make “Gods of Arena.” So did you have to rewrite the second season because of the prequel? And if so, how far did it interfere in this new season?

STEVEN:  We actually were already working on Season 2. We had written the first couple of episodes and we had a layout for the entire season when, unfortunately, we found out that Andy was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.  So we stopped working on that and hatched the plan to do “Gods of the Arena” to give him a chance to recover. We were finishing up “Gods of the Arena” when, unfortunately, we found out that his cancer had returned and he had to permanently step down from the role.  So at that point, after having done “Gods of the Arena,” we went back and we retooled the first several episodes and made adjustments. Also because we had had time off from the season, when we came back we saw some things we wanted to change story-wise. For example, Episode 2 used to be Episode 3. There was a different Episode 2 that once we looked at it, we decided, ‘yes, it’s not really moving the story along’ and we had an entire script for it.  So we threw that script out, took some of the elements, married it with Episode 3 and then moved on from there. But that was really the biggest change that that Episode 2 was a completely different story.

Why SPARTACUS? What made you go into this kind of series?

STEVEN:  Oh, I’ll tell you. The concept was sold to STARZ before I had heard about it. Rob Tapert, Josh Donen, and Sam Raimi sold the idea to STARZ of doing SPARTACUS in a “300” style. Because we are all big fans of Zack Snyder’s work on “300” and how he technically pushed the art of filmmaking and they really wanted to see if they could do that on a television show. So the concept was sold to STARZ and then STARZ was looking for a writer to come in and spearhead the project. I was working on DOLLHOUSE at the time when I got the call from my agent that Sam Raimi and STARZ wanted to do a gladiator series and that’s all I knew. I didn’t know it was SPARTACUS when I went in. I’m a big fan of period piece movies, especially the sword and sandals epics, but I’m the first to admit, history was not my strongpoint and the only thing I knew about Roman history was Stanley Kubrick’s SPARTACUS. So I had a lot of reading and catching up to do when I signed on. But the idea for SPARTACUS was presold before I came on.

Are you already 100% certain that you’ll follow the historical facts or is any chance of changing things and not following the historical facts?

STEVEN:  I will follow the historical facts. Again, entertainment is our Job One on SPARTACUS, so we will have to take characters, take two or three characters, form them into one character, shuffle some events around to make the story work, not only for production reasons, but just for clarity. But we will basically follow historical facts. In reference to how SPARTACUS dies, most people think he was nailed to the cross like we see in Stanley Kubrick’s movie. That’s not actually what happened. And one of the great things about the story of SPARTACUS is that there’s only fragments left in history that gives bits and pieces. And most of those talk about who won this battle, who won that battle, so there’s no emotional detail in it. So we are going to basically follow history, but the audience will still be, I think, surprised by how we wrap up the story. And whenever anybody says to me, ‘well, everybody knows how the story ends, why should they watch?’ I always reply, ‘everybody knew that the Titanic sunk and yet the movie made a billion dollars.’ So people obviously want to be along for the ride, even if they know the eventual outcome. The trick is to keep it exciting all the way up to the end and then make that ending powerful and emotional and I think people will show up.

You’ve mentioned Robert E. Howard as an influence and inspiration for kind of the (pulp gen) of the show. What do you like about writing genre fiction and do you feel some people take the show less seriously because it’s genre?

STEVEN:   Oh, absolutely people take it less seriously. There have been some great, great genre shows on the air that got no love from the Academy:  BATTLESTAR GALACTICA comes to mind, BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER comes to mind. . .   we’re kind of the redheaded stepchild. I think one of the most amazing accomplishments of J.J. Abrams and Damon Lindelof and LOST was winning that Emmy for a genre show. I mean, it’s an incredible accomplishment. What I love about it is that it really opens up the possibilities of what you can do. It’s a little more restrictive on SPARTACUS since despite all of its trappings, it’s not a fantasy show. We can’t bring in magic, there are no monsters everything has to have a real world logic to it. A bigger pulpy logic, but definitely a real world logic to it. It was much easier on BUFFY when we needed to solve a problem and somebody had a mystical doodad that could help us out. That’s always a lot easier. But what I also love about genre is just the way you can really heighten emotions and use the situations as metaphors and just make it as powerful and emotional as possible.

We’ve seen some diverse romantic pairings in seasons past, like Barca and his love and Batiatus, Lucretia, and Gaia. Can you tease us anything we could expect in this season?

STEVEN:  Oh, absolutely. For me, approaching the show and I think the causal viewer and the causal reviewer early on dismissed it as nothing but blood and sex and violence, where for me this has always been a romance. I love a good romance. And all the relationships on the show I want this kind of sweeping “Last of the Mohicans” style romance in it. So this season is no different. There are many romantic plots being played out and subplots. And I think ultimately that’s the heart of the series. Without that it would just be blood and sex and violence.

What do you feel like the evolution of the series has been up to this point? You talked a bit about kind of the rocky start at the beginning of the series and kind of finding a vision for it. What do you feel like that is now?

STEVEN:  Yes, when we first started off this was Rob Tapert and Josh Donen and Sam Raimi and I, this was our first foray into premium cable and suddenly the shackles were off.  I can’t speak for my partners, but I think I stripped down naked and ran a little crazy through the streets in the first couple of episodes before I found the right tone. And if you look at that first episode there were moments that you see the glimmer of what the show will become, but we were trying to really find ourselves in the story, the language, the visual, the directing, the acting, everything was trying to find an equilibrium, which took us a few episodes to get to. Once we found that, we started to really find the right element of the show that each episode needed and we knew we needed a certain amount of action. We knew that emotions really needed to drive the story. It had to be emotionally based, no matter what was going on, no matter what — whether it’s an orgy that’s happening, if there’s an orgy going on, it can’t be about the orgy. It’s got to be about who wants what from who and what’s the maneuvering and what’s the emotional stake. And the same thing with a fight. There’s a when Crixus and Spartacus fight Theokoles in the arena in the middle of Season 2, it couldn’t just be about a fight. What it was really about were these two men trying to find a common ground and come together. So that’s really how it developed is just episode now concentrating on what are the emotional stakes. It’s very easy in a show like this to get lost in all the shiny objects that are around you all the time. And I do consider the sex and the violence are the shiny objects. And just finding a balance between that kind of pulpy entertainment and some true human emotion.

When the season began, we see that Crixus is on the search of Naevia. Is this something that’s going to take place throughout the whole series or will it be resolved early on?

STEVEN:    There will be a resolution. Not exactly early on, but it will resolve itself. I mean, that’s all I can say.

Are there any new characters this season that we’re going to love so that you can kill off like Joss Whedon does?

STEVEN:   There will be some new characters… you know, Joss and I cut from the same cloth. We will kill beloved characters if emotionally it feels right. There will be new characters introduced this season, and true to fashion in SPARTACUS, some will live and some will die horribly.

Your world is beautifully realized both as sets both digital and physical, the costumes, everything works great together. After two seasons does the research and actualization of the world become easier or is challenging your designers an active concern as you develop scripts and locations for the show? And along with that, which of those visual accomplishments are you most proud of?

STEVEN:   Well, it never becomes easy. Much like the writing once we locked down how to do it, it doesn’t become as frustratingly impossible. It’s still difficult, but at least we have a handle on it. And it’s the same thing for the physical aspects of our show. We have just such great people. Iain Aitken and Barbara Darragh, who does our costuming, which is just gorgeous, they put so much effort into it. And when you’re on the set for SPARTACUS, there’s a green screen background and you’re not outside, but when you’re on a set, I’m thinking particularly about Batiatus’ Ludus, you just can’t imagine the detail that is actually into this set. It’s like stepping back in time. It looks so real when you’re actually on it. And it’s the same thing with the costuming. The costuming is just absolutely gorgeous and not 100% is historically accurate. We made that decision early on is that we needed the costuming to have an elegance and a beauty to it, a bit of an enhancement of a more simple Roman style and the visual effects too. From the first episode in Season 1 to the last episode in Season 1, you can really see how we started off we wanted to be very much a graphic novel and we all felt we went a little bit too far in that first episode, it was a little too over the top, so we started to dial-back and refine the visual effects. It’s hard to say what I’m most proud of in these areas. Every time I watch an episode, I just marvel at the sets and the costumes and the lighting, the cinematography, the visual effects. It’s amazing that so many different disciplines have come together to make this such a visually stunning show.

To see the adrenaline-charged premiere of SPARTACUS: VENGEANCE, be sure to tune in on Friday, January 27^th at 10:00 p.m. on Starz.
Related:

“Lovely candid photos of the SPARTACUS: VENGEANCE cast at San Diego Comic-Con 2011″

“Stars Manu Bennett, Nick Tarabay, Craig Parker, and Dan Feuerriegel Dish on SPARTACUS: VENGEANCE”

Where to find this article:

http://www.thetvaddict.com/2012/01/26/friday-bloody-friday-we-preview-spartacus-vengeance-with-executive-producer-steven-deknight/

After hearing a multitude of wonderful things about Tim Kring’s new drama series TOUCH, about a boy who finds patterns that link people scattered across the globe, I was immediately excited to see the pilot episode.  Upon viewing, I was even more excited about the series.   TOUCH is a remarkable and heart-warming story of a boy who does not speak (misdiagnosed as being autistic), who sees the most extraordinary patterns in random events and numbers.

"Touch"

Starring Kiefer Sutherland as Martin Bohm, and David Mazouz as his mute son Jake Bomb, the series is also a story of a father looking for a way to understand his gifted son.  It is only once Martin starts seeing the pattern in the random numbers that his son is obsessed with that he discovers that Jake is struggling to communicate to prevent a series of seemingly disconnected catastrophes.

The first episode introduces a wide range of characters, whose lives and fates do not seem connected.  But the farther along that Martin follows the bread-crumbs that Jake has left for him, the more he realizes that somehow his son has found a human-thread connecting them all.

With the aid of Professor Arthur DeWitt (Danny Glover) and a social worker, Clea Hopkins (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), Martin opens his mind to the possibilities that there is an entire world that Jake sees – it is a world of incredible beauty and human interconnectedness.  For Jake can foresee the “butterfly effects” of the world around him.

Taking a few minutes to talk about their respective roles on TOUCH are David Mazouz and Gugu Mbatha-Raw, who share their joy in portraying such amazing characters on this extraordinary show:

GUGU MBATHA-RAW:

DAVID MAZOUZ:

As seen through the eyes of Jake, who narrates the series, and Martin, whose dawning realization of the amazing ability his son has, TOUCH will make you gasp with delight and leave fingerprints of joy in your heart.  As aptly titled, the series will not only show how all our lives touch one another, the show will touch you too.  It’s simply extraordinary.

To see the sneak preview of the pilot episode of TOUCH, be sure to tune in on Wednesday, January 25^th at 9 p.m. on Fox.  (The series will return on March 19^th in its regular timeslot, Monday nights at 9 p.m.).

Where to find this article:

http://www.thetvaddict.com/2012/01/25/get-in-touch-with-stars-gugu-mbatha-raw-and-david-mazouz-video/#more-30673

http://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/Culture-Cafe/2012/0125/Touch-stars-talk-about-their-new-show-video

In the young adult series THE LYING GAME, Allie Gonino plays Laurel Mercer, the younger sister of Sutton Mercer – the girl who sets ‘The Lying Game’ in motion when she swaps places with her twin Emma, so that she can investigate their birth mother and the events that led to their adoption 16 years before.  As Laurel, Allie not only gets to stretch her acting wings, but she also is able to express her passion for music.  While Laurel is known for playing the violin, she was recently given the chance to shine in the spotlight in the ‘Pleased To Meet Me’ episode when asked to sing on stage at a benefit party.  In a recent press call, Allie shared what she enjoys about playing Laurel and what’s next on the horizon of THE LYING GAME.

What do you continue to enjoy the most about playing the character of Laurel?

ALLIE: I think the thing I enjoy the most about playing Laurel is that with every episode, as her storyline develops, she’s learning new things about life [and] I’m learning new things about life with her and new things about myself too.  I feel like I have a chance to grow myself by playing Laurel.

What do you feel it is about a show like THE LYING GAME that resonates well with viewers?

ALLIE:  I think there are so many elements.  I think the romantic love triangle between Sutton and Ethan, you know, is probably stirring up some excitement.  And obviously, the fact that like we have no idea whether Alec is a creep or if he’s a good guy.  And we have really cute clothes which I’m going to say is probably a big reason why young girls watch it or even, you know, women.   There’s so many elements, though, and just like the mystery aspect.  I think there’s so much going on in every episode and I think that’s what keeps the viewers coming back for more.

Now that Sutton is back in town how will that sort of change things in the Mercer house?

ALLIE:  Well, I know in the next episode they’re still wanting to keep the twins anonymity.  Like, they don’t want anyone to know that the twins are twins and out and about because there’s a killer on the loose and they don’t know if that’s provoking the killer to go out and find them.  So the next episode is basically just both of them taking turns playing Sutton.

What has been the most challenging episode that you had to do so far?

ALLIE: That’s a good question.  I guess probably the episode that was just aired.  That’s the first time that I’ve ever had to really break down in a scene and cry.  So, I’d have to say that one.  It was just a very emotional episode for Laurel.  She never really shows that side of herself.  She’s usually very strong and happy and zealous.  So I’d have to say that one.  I just plugged in my iPod and put on a sad song and thought about something really awful and then the tears came.

Is there going to be a repair in the relationship between Laurel and Justin?

ALLIE: Yes.  There’s definitely some trust issues that will be coming up in the next couple of episodes you’ll be able to see.

What makes your character so appealing to the fans?  And how do you identify with your character; similarities and differences?

ALLIE: I think what’s most appealing about Laurel is that she is such a real character.  I think young girls can identify a lot with her.  She’s just a regular girl trying to get through life and still remain true to herself, while also trying to be a good sister to a nightmare of a sister.  I think there’s a vulnerability to Laurel that I felt when I was 16. So I think she’s just really relatable.  I guess our sense of humor is sort of similar.  So I would say it’s a similarity.  But the difference between us is, I guess, probably just our lifestyle.  Laurel goes to high school and I’ve been doing music and acting for my whole life.  That’s probably the biggest difference.

Do you think maybe in the future Laurel will affect Sutton as realizing she’s kind of snotty?  Or do you think that maybe with all the stuff going on with Justin, Laurel might do some of ‘The Lying Games’ herself?

ALLIE: I know that the real Sutton and Laurel have a conversation.  And Laurel says something to the effect of like, you’ve been different lately.  And I think Sutton is taken aback by it because she’s just now figuring out what a cool person Emma is and, of course, that only like sparks more jealousy.   I’m not really sure if Laurel is going to be in on ‘The Lying Game.’  I’m sure she probably will at some point.  Everyone on the show is playing ‘The Lying Game.’ [laughs] So I don’t know about that one though.

Do they spend a lot of time with you guys in the fitting rooms with your wardrobe?

ALLIE: Yes.  We do have a great stylist, Mimi Kaupe.  She, basically, just pulls in a big rack of really cute things.  We get to try them on, play dress up for like an hour and say what we like best.  And then, it just all kind of comes together.  We don’t have like a huge budget for our clothes.  So I think it’s really, really amazing that we’ve been able to stylize the show so well.

In which direction would you like to see your character go in?  What would you like to see your character do more of?

ALLIE: Well, I think she’s been very enthralled with the boyfriend sort of situation lately.  And in the next episode you’ll see she gets to perform on stage for the first time.  And so, I’m really glad that she’s kind of getting back into being Laurel, you know, not Laurel plus boyfriends.  And she’s getting a little bit of her sass back and getting to express herself through music.  So, I’m hoping in the future that they’ll show that it’s possible to balance both having a boyfriend and pursuing your own thing.  I think that would be really cool for the viewers.

Is there anything else you can tell us about future episodes?  Any tidbits you can spill about?

ALLIE: Yes, without giving too much away.  Laurel finds out what the big secret between Justin and Ted is.  So it has to do with the bracelet and it’s going to rock her world.  So definitely look out for that.  It’s a pretty jarring episode.

So, Laurel is going to find out what Justin’s hiding.  Can you tell us a little bit more about that?  Does that mean they’re going to repair their relationship after she knows the truth?

ALLIE: I can’t exactly say.  I have to be very careful.  But it’s definitely going to put a huge a dent in the relationship.  You know, they just broke up.  So now the truth is coming out and Laurel is going to have to decide whether to trust him again and try to repair the relationship or dump him.

Are there any plans in the work to come back and perform again with your band?

ALLIE: Yes.  We are performing in episode, I think, it’s 116.  So, like three episodes after this Monday we’ll be performing again.

Are you ever surprised when you get your next script, who else is holding a secret and who else is involved in this whole game?

ALLIE: Definitely.  I’m just as surprised as the viewers are with each new episode.  We don’t really ever know what’s going to happen until we get the script.  We’ll hear like rumors about what’s going to happen and then they’ll change their minds and write something totally different.  So yes, it is the mystery sort of surprise element to the show is what makes it so successful.

Do you think that these characters are a pretty accurate depiction of 15, 16, 17 year olds today?

ALLIE: I hope not!  You know, television we exaggerate everything.  But that’s why we do it is to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life.  And entertainment is there for us to just let go and forget about everything else and get involved in lots of drama without actually doing it in real life, you know.  I think that’s the good thing about it.

I have one more question in regards to the wardrobe.  You guys wear some pretty high heels.  Is that tough on you guys on your long shoot days?

ALLIE: Well, I’ve been wearing high heels for awhile.  I’m a dancer.  So it’s not too bad unless the shoes themselves are really uncomfortable and then it’s a pain.  But, you know, I like wearing heels.  They make me feel sexy.

When you first heard about the role of Laurel, what was it that made you want to play her?

ALLIE: I think it was just that I saw so much of myself in her.  And I probably just felt some deep desire to live that stage in my life again and probably relearn some lessons that I didn’t necessarily remember.  And learn new things about myself.  And I just love her wit.   She’s so funny and energetic.  That’s just like the type of character I want to play.  And it is my first, like, big role.  So I wanted to pick something that would really allow me to learn acting and being in front of the camera and all that kind of stuff.

Do you have a behind the scene moment or memory or something that you could share with fans that they wouldn’t know about from filming or just some little tidbit?

ALLIE: Well, I guess, we rarely get to do scenes where it’s all of the cast in one scene.  But the scene where we had the dinner party when the parents went out of town.  We were joking and it’s just a fun set.  Like, we really do get along and all the actors are really intelligent people and want to do good work and are here to tell a story.  I think the fans would like to know that all these characters that they’re seeing are not as evil as they appear to be on television.  They’re really–they’re really good people.

What exactly would you like see happen with Laurel’s character in relationship to Justin?

ALLIE: They don’t even know where they’re going with that storyline.  But I think if she does decide to stay with Justin it needs to be like full-fledged trust.  Relationships are difficult.  If you are going to choose to spend at your youth with someone, like, that’s such a big decision to spend your high school years with someone.   So, I think I just want her to remain true to who she is and true to her passions.  And I want her to be ambitious and go off and do her own Laurel thing.  And be able to have a boyfriend.  But I don’t want it to be all about him.

You recently sang one of the Dixie Chick’s songs on the show.  What can you share about that?

ALLIE: I played “Top of the World” which was written by Patty Griffin, but sung by the Dixie Chicks.  They’re the reason I got into music in the very first place when I was like four years old.  So to be able to play one of their songs on a TV show is, like, really weird but really awesome.  And I feel really honored to be able to do that.  It’s like, it’s my own little homage to them.  So I was excited.

What was your first love; acting or performing as a musician?

ALLIE: I would say music.  I think it has always been something that I’ve just been in love with.  I think it’s universal for everyone.  You know, it’s been around since forever.  But I was, like, probably three years old when I watched The Wizard of Oz for the first time and that really, I think, inspired me to be an actress.  And I would come home from day care every single day and dress up like Dorothy, watch the movie and act it out.  So I was, like, definitely an actress from a very young age.  But I don’t think I knew it until I actually started booking.  But I would have to say music is where my heart will always be.

Besides the violin what other instruments do you play?

ALLIE: I play a little bit of Mandolin.  And I can play a little piano but not very well.  Just a little by ear.

Have the fans recognized you more since THE LYING GAME and is there any fan experience that stands out in your mind?

ALLIE: I definitely have been recognized a bit more since the show came on.  The one I was most surprised to find out about that she even watches the show.  My band and I when we were in L.A. we play music for this private children’s hospital,   and I walked in to this one girl, Angela, who we actually wrote a song about.   So we walked into her room and she was just chilling and watching ABC Family and our guide was like, “Angela, this is Allie.”  And she was like, “Were you on THE LYING GAME?” I was like, “Yes, you watch that show?” She was like, “Yes.”  And she was like really star struck but not like freaking out.  But just like happy that we were there to play music for her.  So that was like a really special moment for me that people I wouldn’t have even imagine who’d get to watch the show gets to watch it.  So that made me really happy.

Could you tell us if you had a favorite episode from either what we’ve seen or the shows that you’ve shot that we haven’t seen yet?  If there’s one episode that stands out to you?

ALLIE: Honestly, the episode you’re going to see this week is my favorite because I get to play the Dixie Chicks song and I get to perform with my real life band.  It’s like a dream come true and I’m excited for myself.  But I’m also excited for the fans to see it because I think the music element is interesting and I don’t think any other show is really doing it.  So to have all this drama with like a backdrop of music is fun.  I’m excited for this one.

Being on THE LYING GAME and having your band, you’re very busy, very full of life, how do you balance it all?

ALLIE: I don’t know.  I really just try to take it as it comes and not try to stress out too much which is, honestly, the hardest thing in the world to do is not let it overwhelm me.  But we’ve been in the studio and in film.  So you just got to take it as it comes and then treat yourself every once in awhile with, a dessert or a drink or something which I don’t suggest to people under the age of 21.

So we know now that in THE LYING GAME signature was the white and black bow surprise and we’ve already seen one.  Will there be anymore of those coming up?

ALLIE: We haven’t seen anymore as of yet.  But we’re about to do a table read of the next episode so maybe on that one.  But that’s all we’ve seen of the black and white bow.

In terms of the mystery of the  lying game, is there a  person  you think you could expand to also target? Like Ethan or will they exclusively stick to just going after Emma?

ALLIE: I know Ethan gets in trouble for something but it doesn’t really have to do with the twins.  The episode we just shot is going to, like, shock people.  But that’s all I can say right now.

To see what other mysteries unravel and how Laurel fits into THE LYING GAME, be sure to tune in on Monday nights at 9:00 p.m. on ABC Family Channel.

Where to find this article:

http://www.thetvaddict.com/2012/01/23/we-preview-laurels-big-moment-with-the-lying-game-star-allie-gonino/

It was with heavy hearts that we lost another beloved character.  As if the death of Lancelot were not enough to weigh heavy on our hearts, this week’s episode brought another painful death.  While it was also destined that Uther Pendragon would die and that his son Prince Arthur would rise to ascend the throne, watching it come to pass was not a moment of victory, but one overshadowed by grief.  Even Morgana looked more stricken at the loss, than overcome by joy at her success in finally killing Uther.  But, by far, it was the dual grief of Arthur and Merlin that pierced our hearts.  Arthur, for the loss of his father and for his seemingly foolish belief that perhaps magic could save him; and Merlin for his naive belief that magic would guarantee Uther life beyond his predestined timespan.  Time and time again, we have seen that Destiny is a force not to be reckoned with.  The foolish assassination attempt on Arthur during his birthday celebration may have been foiled by Uther who defend his son to the death, but it was simply Uther’s time.  He died protecting his son, a noble and grand death.  The mortal blow may have been aided by Morgana’s shenanigans with the charm, but all that did was prevent Merlin’s magic from saving Uther.  Destiny could not be evaded or circumvented.  It was time for Uther Pendragon’s reign to end, and it was time for the rise of King Arthur to begin.

Morgana also got her revenge on the father that forsake her, and Merlin learned another painful lesson in the limitations of magic and how it can be used both for good and for evil.  Merlin always so steadfastly sees on the good in magic.  He need to learn yet again, that there is another side to it when wielded in less honorable hands.  He also had to be reminded that magic is not always the answer to every problem.  It is only a tool.  And painfully, Merlin had to learn that while Arthur’s destiny had come to fruition, that Merlin’s destiny was still a long journey ahead.  It would have been too easy to finally be free of the prejudices so ingrained in a kingdom taught to fear magic by the simple ascension of a new king.  Acceptance has to be earned, not granted within a single moment.  The time for magic is not yet at hand.  Merlin must still teach Arthur to respect it and appreciate magic for the good it can do.  Simply saving Uther would not have gained that respect.

So this episode brought only more grief.  Arthur’s grief for the loss of his father; Morgana’s grief in gaining what she thought she wanted, but still never achieving the love and acceptance she craved from Uther; and Merlin’s grief that he must remain hidden in the shadows for awhile longer.  There was to be not assuaging their grief for things that they could not have.  It is only a time for grieving and hope that in time, it lessens and life moves on.

Just as we mourned Lancelot and the life that he will never have, we mourn Uther and the life he could have had but for his single-minded hatred of magic.  Imagine all the lives that could have been saved and souls set free if Uther’s hatred and fear of magic had not alienated him from nearly everyone that loved him.

What Worked

While Arthur may despise the old wizard whose magic did not save his father, Arthur’s appreciation for Merlin’s steadfast loyalty continues to grow.  When Arthur asked Merlin, “If you were me, and it was your father, would you use magic to save his life?”  Not even hesitating, Merlin firmly replied, “Yes, I would.  I would do whatever it took.”  The fact that Arthur sought Merlin’s opinion on an issue so sensitive and trusted Merlin’s recommendation, is proof again of Arthur’s growing reliance on Merlin’s counsel and friendship.  It was also briefly felt at when they arrived at the wizard’s hut and Arthur assumed Merlin would want to go inside with him and then was peeved when Merlin insisted on waiting outside.  Their conversation sounded in jest, but it masked a deeper undercurrent.   So when Arthur asked Merlin if he was joining him, and Merlin evasively replied, “We don’t want to overwhelm him. He probably doesn’t get many visitors.  I’ll stay out here and watch the horses,” Arthur was dubious and hurt.  It was unlike his trusted friend to abandon him when he needed him the most.  So it was a hint of pain that Arthur angrily retorted, “I’ve never met anyone who is so scared, so often.”  It was a cruel remark.  But Merlin knew he could not accompany Arthur to meet the wizard, if the charade was to succeed.

Despite their being piqued by that moment of friction between them, in the end, after Uther had died, it was Merlin who was waiting diligently outside the memorial hall that Arthur first saw the next morning.  Arthur seemed surprised and yet touched by his friend’s unfailing devotion to wait and make sure he knew he was not alone in his time of grief.  While Arthur may not be willing to recognize the good that magic can do, he is still showing signs of eliminating class barriers — for the girl he fell in love with and his best friend are both castle servants.  Arthur did not turn to his trusted Knights or his uncle when considering using magic, he asked his closest friend.  In this pivotal point in Arthur’s life, the people he chooses to be a part of his life are critical, and who he listens to and seeks counsel from are even more so.

Then, for all his faults, Uther had one redeeming virtue:  he loved his son Arthur more than life itself.  It was great to see some of the old Uther rise to protect Arthur from the assassin as he roared,  “It will take more than a coward like you to kill my son!”  That was Uther’s final act, to die defending Arthur.  It was also nice to see that he made sure to tell Arthur how much he loved him before he died, “It’s my time. .  . I know you will make me proud as you always have.  You will be a great king. . . Know this, I’ve always loved you.”  Watching Arthur weep over Uther and cradle him in his arms was a beautiful reminder that in the end, Uther and Arthur were family — father and son.  It was a powerful bond — and a formulative relationship.  Uther was a flawed man, but he taught Arthur to be fearless, fearsome and fearful in measured doses — for a king is measured by his actions and Arthur will measure up well because he took the best from what his father had to teach him.

Similarly, Merlin is learning from Gaius, who is his father in this journey.  Merlin has conquered the fearless and fearsome phases, but he still has yet to fully appreciate to be fearful.  It is great to be brave and stalwart, but Merlin still has to learn that magic is not something that can be welcomed with open arms.  Merlin is good and the magic he uses is good as a result.  But so many others who wield magic do not have such pure hearts or intentions.  There is still good reason for the people of Camelot to fear magic that is used for evil; and Merlin needs to be more careful in how he uses it and who finds out that he has it.  So when Gauis warned Merlin, “You can’t risk exposing yourself like this.  It’s too dangerous,” it was with overconfidence that Merlin replied,  “He didn’t recognize me last time when I was 80 years old.  There’s no reason he should this time.”  Then as Gaius said, “Need I remind you the last time you used an aging spell you were nearly burned at the stake,” Merlin stubbornly insisted, “It’s worth the risk.”  With a sigh Gaius replied, “You think Uther is going to thank you for healing him with magic?  He’s more likely to have you hanged,” and Merlin admitted, “Uther will never change his attitude towards magic.  I know that. But if Arthur allows it to be used to heal his father, his attitude will be changed forever.  He’ll see that magic can be a force for good.” Still dubious, Gaius told him, “You of all people should know that the use of powerful magic is frought with danger.” To which Merlin confidently replied,  “If it works, I won’t have to hide anymore.” Uncertain, but knowing he could not persuade Merlin otherwise, Gauis then simply said, “You’re playing a dangerous game, Merlin.”  Merlin, with hope in his heart, then reassured Gauis, “I’ve been playing a dangerous game since the first time I set foot in Camelot. Maybe this is my chance to change that.”  It is Merlin’s hopeful heart that overshadows his common sense at times.  He does not fear magic and does not understand why others would.  Yet, he needs to understand other people’s fears before he can overcome them.

It was with great hope that Merlin only requested, “I only ask that people like me can live in peace.  That those who practice magic are accepted, rather than hunted. That is all I ask.  That is the price of your father’s life.” With a hopeful heart, Arthur quickly acquiesced and gave his assurance, “I give you my solemn word.  When I am king, things will be different.  You won’t have to live in fear.”  Fear is the root of so much of life. No one wants to live a life ruled by fear, and every day they struggle with conquering their fears.  But fear is still the most powerful motivator and the most diabolical of weapons — and once magic failed to save Uther, Arthur was quick to lash out and told Merlin, “All I know for sure is I’ve lost both my parents to magic.  It is pure evil.  I will never lose sight of that again.”  How quickly Arthur forgot that his father would have died anyway.  He just assumed that magic was powerful enough to save his father.  He never once considered that magic cannot supersede destiny.  Magic has limitations and can be nullified by other magic.  To pronounced that all magic is bad because his father died is shortsighted and foolish.  But Arthur, as fearless and fearsome as he is, can only now see how to be fearful.  He has chosen a life of fear, and more the pity for it.

It was a powerful and sad episode.  We mourn for the loss of Uther, but we shall mourn more for the loss of Arthur’s hope.  We must trust that Merlin has not lost all hope as well.  A world without hope is hopeless and will only be terrorized by fear.  It is not a world anyone of us would wish to live in.

What Didn’t Work

It is terrifying how easily an armed assailant can get access to the king’s bedchamber.  After so many attempts on Uther’s life, why would there ever be only two guards outside his door?  Camelot has grown too complacent after so many direct threats against the throne.

Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due

‘The Wicked Day’ was written Howard Overman and directed by Alice Troughton.  “Merlin” stars Colin Morgan, Bradley James, Katie McGrath, Angel Coulby, Richard Wilson and Anthony Head. “Merlin” airs Fridays at 10 pm on Syfy