Camelot (2011) - Episode 1.6

"Three Journeys"

If you're still watching Camelot by now you're either a enthusiastic fan, have accepted the show for what it is (or isn't), or in my case stuck around because of the appeal of a certain actor or actress.  As an overall series Camelot has failed to really impress me but it's not a horrible show by any means, obviously my expectations of what the series was going to be like were a little misinterpreted.  I understand not every show is going to have a stellar start, even Seinfeld (the greatest sitcom ever) was pretty bland the first season. Camelot continues to show promise but whether or not it can live up to that promise is still the million dollar question.

As Arthur's reign begins to settle in, it's time to begin transforming Camelot into a suitable and habitable castle, removing the plant growth that has lined the inside walls, rebuilding the rooms and marking King's ruling boundaries throughout the land with large banners emblazoned with the emblem of the King.  Merlin assembles Arthur's most trusted men in a mission to travel back to Arthur's home and bring back his father's collection of books to start building Camelot's library (not sure why he needed to take Camelot's three best warriors to do it), for Merlin knows the power of knowledge and what castle would be complete without a library?  Along the way the other men question Merlin's hesitance to use his magic which leads him to once again test whether or not he can control his powers without them controlling him.

Meanwhile Arthur accompanies Guinevere after she receives news of her father being close to death, with the countryside having turned into a playground for raiders and thieves Arthur puts his past with Guinevere behind him to insure her safety.  Speaking of safety Arthur is still unaware of his half sister's uprising against him, Morgan (Eva Green) is slowing building a strong following with those who feel they're being neglected by the King.  Everything seems to be going well for Morgan as she skillfully and fairly begins hearing and settling personal disputes among the commoners, but she's thrown a curve-ball when a woman shows up with a charge of murder against her adviser (the nun) Sybil.  With the woman demanding Sybil be put to death, Morgan must arrive at a decision that will be seen as fair among people without putting her closest confidant to death.

After one of the series best episodes last week Camelot takes a bit of a step back in Three Journeys, it's clear the writers are trying to build some much needed character development with Merlin's continual struggle in accepting his abilities and the requited love between Arthur and Guinevere but the only true success continues to be the series most elusive character, Morgan.  With this role Eva Green has proven she can make something out of a lot of nothing.  The character of Morgan is easily the most dynamic and charismatic in the series but the writers have essentially left her locked up in her castle for the past four episodes, even with no interaction between the other main characters, a still rather elusive storyline which hasn't progressed much, Morgan excels in becoming the series most entertaining character.

While the other characters are growing on me I'm still confused by the rather erratic Merlin, and still trying to accept Bower as a legitimate Arthur.  Their character development is definitely improving, and while the Merlin and Arthur stories this episode were overly simplistic and ultimately uneventful in the grand scheme of the series they were executed well enough that I at least didn't find myself bored.  Though I'd like to see some more central based story-lines instead of weekly separate stories centering around the three main characters, it would help the episode flow more smoothly without the constant jumping back and forth.  Overall, Camelot remains consistent in it's own way, good or bad, for the sake of the series I hope they keep Morgan around if this turns into multiple seasons, at this point she's still the only thing keeping me interested.

7.5/10