When I first started watching The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin, I was mainly curious because I’ve always enjoyed series about Arthurian legends.
As I dove into Stephen R. Lawhead’s novels and the series, I grew to love this different adaptation and the characters even more.
I loved that it focused more on Merlin’s ancestry and backstory, as well as Arthur’s lineage.
Merlin’s relationship with the Pendragon brothers has evolved since the beginning of The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin.
I appreciated that, over time, both Merlin and Uther set aside their differences to save Britain and protect Aurelius.
The spirit of brotherhood and love of Britain has always been at the core of the series, but the devil kept trying to break down walls.
Did evil succeed or did faith prevail?
Where Did Merlin Go After Ganieda Died?
We guessed Merlin went to hell since he seemed uncomfortable when King Avallach implied Merlin spent intimate alone time with God instead.
It seemed like he wanted to suffer after Ganieda died, and he killed all those soldiers, since that wasn’t his destiny.
Tom Sharp excelled in these emotional scenes as he insisted he should stay in hell, but the wanderer countered that he had a better purpose.
It was a strong move to bring Taliesin back for these scenes, since he’s never interacted with his son before, and he was probably the only one who understood how his son felt.
It’s a heavy burden to be a prophet and not have the power to save your loved ones when you try.
Would Faith Save Britain, or Did They Need Merlin?
Saving Britain seemed nearly impossible since they only had 2,500 men, while the Saxons had over 15,000 men in their army.
When everyone began arguing among themselves, it only revealed the cracks, and they would never win if they kept squabbling.
It seemed like their only hope was Merlin, who brought more help from the North, but Uther worried it might not be enough.
Uther often appeared like a jerk, but he continuously worried about his brother’s safety, so it took a lot for him to admit they needed Merlin’s help, even if it meant Merlin would be king instead.
Uther knew if Merlin led them into battle, both Britain and his brother would be safe, and that mattered most of all.
It was too much pressure for Merlin because he remembered his capabilities when he last wielded that sword, and Merlin truly struggled with it.
All the throwbacks to The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin Series Premiere, as Merlin honored his father, the first bard, by playing the harp, were my favorite parts.
That song was gorgeous and fit the theme as he preached about the Kingdom of Summer, where men protect one another, and there is peace and harmony.
It likely sounded naive to many of them, but I remember Taliesin dreamed of it, too. Dreams of a peaceful place have run in his ancestry.
I love that Merlin acknowledged that he was “The Last True Bard,” and planned to honor Aurelius in the old ways, but Uther handed him a sword just in case.
Merlin tried to honor his destiny and Britain, but Aunt Morgian came out to play.
The Pendragon brothers highlighted why they worked so well together. Aurelius excelled at giving uplifting speeches, while Uther knew how to rally the troops.
Uther Led a Brutal Battle While Morgian Attempted to Lead Merlin Astray
Their army couldn’t even hold formation at first, but Uther’s beautiful singing voice calmed their men.
Uther reminded me of Robin Hood with the way he could shoot those arrows. As in all the previous battles, things became ugly quickly, and soon arrows and swords flew through the air.
I also appreciated how far Uther and Peleas’s rivalry has come, and Uther actually seemed appreciative of Peleas’s assistance on the battlefield.
It was heartbreaking to watch the bloody river and all the fallen men, wondering if someone we’d grown attached to, like Peleas or Uther, died.
That’s what Morgian was counting on when she arranged for Aurelius to meet the Saxons alone.
I knew Morgian disguised herself as Ganieda as soon as she asked if the Great Light would save him if he didn’t save himself.
His wife never talked like that and always supported Merlin in his beliefs.
I liked their confrontation at first, since Morgian always felt discarded and that everyone preferred Charis.
Did she really think Merlin would pick her over his own mother? It got almost creepy as Morgian tried to caress Merlin, thinking she’d finally get her chance to be queen.
She assumed if she resembled his wife, it would work, but another person had an even stronger hold over Merlin – his father.
I love that Taliesin cleansed Merlin to symbolize a new beginning. Talisin was the only person who could persuade Merlin to fulfill his destiny and not listen to his aunt.
He’d almost been enchanted by her, too, and knew the dangers of being torn by the darkness.
While I wish we’d seen more of this father-and-son duo, I loved these emotional scenes.
Aurelius Became Victorius Thanks to an Unexpected Ally and Faith
I almost thought Morgian had won and that Aurielius had perished, and that Merlin would become dark again to avenge his friend’s death.
That was such an epic scene parallel, showing Merlin proclaiming his faith, and Aurelius riding up with Hengist’s dead head.
It was the icing on the cake that Lot switched sides when he learned that Morgian provided the intel to kill Aurelius.
He seemed like he merely followed the rules, but he knew Aurelius was an honorable man, so it warmed my heart that he assisted in saving his life and chose the proper side.
It’s difficult to select who fought the hardest to make Aurelius king – Merlin, Uther, or Aurelius himself, but Aurelius finally earned the respect of Britain.
While that was great, seeing Uther hand him the sword and Merlin hail him the king was even better. Their brotherhood is the heart of the series, and I love how close the three of them have grown.
With That Cliffhanger, Should The Pendragon Cycle Be Renewed?
We should have known they’d never end The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin on a happy note with Aurelius being made High King.
Cliffhangers help networks to renew series, and the series has shown Merlin’s vision of the various lords arguing around the table several times.
What destroyed their unity? Was it merely the divide between the brothers as they fought over the same woman?
The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin has done a fantastic job of incorporating love triangles between siblings and how they have elicited a domino effect of darkness.
It all began with Charis and Morgian fighting over Taliesin, so it’s ironic that it ended with Aurelius and Uther battling for Ygerna’s heart.
I also loved that while everyone was so busy arguing, Merlin grabbed the sword, and it called to him to place it in the stone.
I’m eager to learn the symbolism behind that and, hopefully, see Arthur in future seasons.
So, TV Fanatics, did you enjoy The Pendragon Cycle? Were you surprised by the ending? Do you want more seasons?
Let us know in the comments.
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