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Looking back, I think this was a really strong series. Truthfully, the only episode I probably won't ever watch again is Lamia which is pretty dang good out of thirteen episodes. I think the series got off to an explosive start. I mean, the first six episodes, for me, knocked it out of the park and it is really hard for a show to keep up that momentum for an entire season/series. That being said, I still think the series managed the character moments quite well in the second half, even if the stories didn't always excite me the way those first six episodes did.

Overall, I think this series was about setting up Arthur's kingship and cementing his important relationships between Merlin, Gwen, and The Knights. It was about him settling in as king, making mistakes, and his overall growth toward the king of legend. As for the finale, on a surface glance, it seemed a retread of 312/313. However, although the story is very similar, what was going on with Arthur and Merlin was not. This time, Arthur hadn't merely been shocked to the point of inertia by betrayal and lies, he had truly lost faith in himself. Who can blame him? He really isn't far from the mark when he discusses his lack of discernment with Merlin. For all of his prattishness, he is really very noble and expects everyone else to be similarly honorable. He has loved all of those who betray him. It's what makes him a great King. It's also his downfall. Enter Merlin, who, oh my gosh, totally floored me with his finesse at lying and manipulation...who made me gasp at the precision and the certainty with which he dispatched Agravaine. Who is, somehow, running this whole thing!!!!! It makes that two sides of the same coin thing painfully apt because it signifies Merlin's lost innocence. He will be the one who changes the most, and loses himself, for this destiny to unfold. But, you have to have both sides to make it all happen.

This is also a thing of legend which I KNOW. I have been completely blindsided by it, nonetheless. Because, let's face it. When you go all the way back to series one and you meet lovable, gawky Merlin with the big ears, who is bumbling and who saves Arthur over and over and who tries to save unicorns and cursed druid girls,you don't think to ever see the Master Manipulator Merlin of legend? Well, it's a retelling, right? You watch this world unfold through Merlin's eyes and you root for him and Arthur, together, and you watch Arthur move toward the Once and Future King and you are so focused on Arthur's becoming that you don't even notice Merlin's own.

Oh my gosh! Whether this is an intentional thing of insidious subtlety or just happenstance (because, really, this is the way it always, always goes), I am reeling somewhat from this whole observation.

Aside from my little epiphany, here, I really loved the scenes where Merlin takes on Agravaine in the cave. I felt that Old Merlin was used appropriately and not too much (and I get a real kick out of watching Old Merlin perform magic because he really does it in this manic, gleeful way that always makes me laugh and is so different to Merlin's performance of magic. Kudos to Colin Morgan for the way he creates this difference! I can't say enough how fantastic he is as an actor).

I loved the iconic scene with the Sword in the Stone. It was cinematically very beautiful. Even though I felt a slight pang of disappointment that Arthur did not pull it out without Merlin's help, again, it IS consistent with the legend. I loved the little charged confrontation between Arthur and Morgana and loved how they both compared the other to Uther. Morgana is truly more like Uther than she realizes.

I never got over the feeling that Tristan and Isolde were just tacked on as a means to drive the plot (Arthur's crisis of confidence, the resolution of the Arthur/Gwen angst). I would say that I didn't have enough time to care for their characters but, in all honesty, I have been drawn to newly introduced characters before. Princess Mithian and most definitely Queen Annis come to mind. So, yeah, I don't know about that.

I am somewhat disappointed that we will never know Agravaine's motives for what he did or at least a final scene with Arthur.

The ending. I have to admit that I was sort of expecting an OMG!!! sort of cliffhangery ending. It was more of a head scratching WTH ending..LOL. Well, at least that helps with the 9 month wait. I am merely curious instead of wanting to know what happens right the heck now. Still, I can't imagine Aithusa being an evil! dragon after what Kilgarrah said at his hatching but who knows.

So where do we go from here? I feel like the stage is set. Arthur got his groove back and Gwen is on the throne. Excalibur has been drawn from the stone. If this series has been all about Arthur coming into his own, the next will have to deal with Merlin doing the same and the repercussions of this. (And that cannot happen without a reveal, people!) It stands to reason that next series should involve the three M's. Merlin, Magic, and Morgana.