The pilot introduces a cast that would remain largely consistent for five seasons:
Voiced by John Hurt, the Great Dragon is the show’s Greek chorus. In this first episode, he delivers the thesis statement: "You cannot magic away the truth of what you are. The moment you embrace it, your destiny will begin." It’s a spine-tingling moment that promises epic stakes amidst the castle corridors. Merlin - Season 1- Episode 1
. By opening with a public execution of a sorcerer, the show sets a grim tone: Camelot is a land where magic is a capital offense The pilot introduces a cast that would remain
Young Merlin arrives in the glittering, paranoid kingdom of Camelot. Magic is outlawed under pain of death by its king, Uther Pendragon. Within hours, Merlin is nearly executed, saves the life of the arrogant prince Arthur, and gets hired as his manservant. Oh, and a buried dragon under the castle tells him they are destined to be partners. Within hours, Merlin is nearly executed, saves the
In the pantheon of BBC fantasy, few pilots have swung for the fences quite like "The Dragon's Call." Released in 2008, the episode had a deceptively simple mandate: take the most famous wizard in literature and turn him into a clumsy, terrified teenager. The result was a gambit that could have failed spectacularly. Instead, it launched a five-season phenomenon.