MERLIN 2.1 - "The Curse Of Cornelius Sigan"

[SPOILERS] A part of me can't blame the makers of Merlin for refusing to make any obvious changes going into its second series. The show became the first British TV show to get picked up for a primetime airing on US TV this summer, and it performed very well for native audiences last autumn. Why listen to the critics? Surely its success speaks for itself? Maybe there's an element of truth in that viewpoint, but it's still a shame this premiere does little to entice older audiences; many of whom can smell the possibilites inherent in this fantasy drama, which are castrated by its insistence on appealing to seven-year-olds first and foremost...

"The Curse Of Cornelius Sigan" was basic stuff that doesn't signal a clear change in attitude, direction, or tone for the series. It could very easy be slotted into last year's thirteen-episode run with minimal fuss. The story concerns the discovery beneath Camelot of a tomb belonging to infamous evil sorcerer Cornelius Sigan (whose surname means "raven", so you know he's a bad 'un.) The excavators find a heart-shaped azure jewel in the chest of Sigan's death statue, which local thief Cedric (Mackenzie Crook) hears about and plans to gain access to the tomb – a plan that basically involves endearing himself to Prince Arthur (Bradley James), discrediting Merlin (Colin Morgan) as his servant, and replacing him so he can steal Arthur's keys to Sigan's crypt...

Inevitably, the larcener's plan is a success, but Cedric gets more than he bargained for when Sigan's jeweled heart (evealed to contain the feared necromancer's immortal soul), infects Cedric and possess him. Thus, Sigan is "reborn" and unleashes a menace on Camelot in the form of animated, ferocious gargoyles, as Merlin realizes the only person who can help him defeat Sigan is the selfis Great Dragon (John Hurt) he fell out with in series 1's finale.

The first half of this premiere was rather bland entertainment, although guest-star Mackenzie Crook kept things watchable before the juicy promise of Merlin getting a Lord Voldemort-style nemesis overtook the narrative. Unfortunately, Sigan proved to be rather underwhelming as a villain, mainly because he lacked a sense of motivation and didn't really have a plan. Crook just about got away with wearing a cloak made of feathers, and it helped that the actor himself has an avian quality to his features, but it was still a disappointment once Sigan was reincarnated – not helped by the continuing annoyance that Merlin, hyped as a warlock of considerable raw talent every episode, only ever performs magic that involves clandestine telekinesis and boring, budget-saving incantations.

Elsewhere, it's still true that Merlin's cast are by far its greatest asset, with most able to spin gold from twine where the scripts are concerned. This episode even stoops so low as to paraphrase an Empire Strikes Back monologue! Morgan and James work particularly well as friends from opposites sides of the track, although it's irritating that their relationship resets itself after every adventure – purely because it would otherwise be ridiculous to believe Arthur refusing to trust his manservant when he points the finger of suspicion at Cedric. It's a real shame, because Merlin desperately needs a sense of narrative journey if we're to get invested in the story that should be leading us to the end-game of Arthur being crowned King, with Merlin as Camelot's revered wizard.

There are brief moments when wife-in-waiting Gwen (Angel Coulby) attracts the sexual attention of Arthur again, and enemy-to-be Morgana (Katie McGrath) has a recurring nightmare about ravens, so there are at least signs that the writers are slowly pushing pieces into place. I just hope the female characters are given more screentime than last year, as McGrath's character in particular is on a more interesting path than gawky goodie two-shoes Merlin, anyway.

Overall, it was difficult to get excited about "The Curse Of Cornelius Sigan", which mostly wasted the opportunity to give us a recurring villain of real merit, and told its formulaic story in an uninspired way. I'm sure it entertained and appealed more to children than anyone over-12, but that's not good enough for a series aimed at the family. On a positive note, the second half was a notable improvement with its darker tone and CGI gargoyles running amok (shame about the damp squib ending between Merlin and Sigan in the courtyard), and the postscript trailer for the rest of series 2 looks great – superficially, at least. The trouble is, while Merlin has the ingredients to cook up something rather brilliant, I constantly get the impression the chef in the kitchen lacks any Michelin stars.


19 September 2009
BBC1, 6.40pm

written by: Julian Jones directed by: David Moore starring: Colin Morgan (Merlin), Bradley James (Prince Arthur), Anthony Head (King Uther), Richard Wilson (Gaius), Angel Coulby (Gwen), John Hurt (Dragon, voice), Katie McGrath (Morgana), Simon Nehan (Tom), Luke Neal (Sir Geraint) & Mackenzie Crook (Cedric)