Merlin co-creator Jake Michie recently discussed the series finale and admitted that it failed to “meet the expectations” of some of its audience and expressed his concerns about any potential reboots.
The two-part finale, “The Diamond of the Day,” was written by Michie and Merlin’s other creator, Julian Jones. Rather than giving fans and the show’s characters a happy ending, King Arthur (Bradley James) ultimately dies from wounds sustained in his battle with Mordred (Alexander Vlahos). The BBC’s hit fantasy series’ final scene showed Merlin (Colin Morgan) living in the modern day, patiently waiting for Arthur’s return. This shocked many viewers, with many not appreciating such a dark conclusion.
So a certain kind of ending would have been Arthur doesn’t die… the proscription of magic has ended, Merlin’s secret is out in the open and that’s all fine and Merlin and Arthur carry on bickering away in a sort of glowing Camelot where all the foes have been vanquished and all the goals have been achieved and destinies have been negotiated and outsmarted.
During a recent interview on a Merlin fan podcast, Ladies of the Lake, Michie acknowledged that a more optimistic conclusion likely would’ve pleased more of the franchise’s fans, and was something that he thought about. However, he stood by their decision to avoid a definitive, triumphant finale. He explained that the creative process was complicated by the need to balance his version of the story with the very old and well-established myths about Merlin.
[It’s} quite fraught when you write something that’s simultaneously a fiction that [also] has to honour certain kinds of expectations to do with the myth and legend. How far can you stray from those moments, and in a sense, how do you want to leave it?
When asked whether Merlin could have continued beyond its fifth season, Michie replied that any extension would have to be a complete reimagining of the show. He explained that the final episode’s glimpse of Merlin in the present day opened the door to the concept of the wizard as an immortal figure, forever waiting for Arthur’s return and destined to guide him again in a different era. While the creative team discussed the possibility of revisiting Merlin in a new time and setting, they decided not to move forward with any more adaptations.
Michie said that both the creators and the audience had grown very attached to the original cast and their portrayals, particularly Morgan and James. He added that the series’ success was largely due to the stars’ performances and the world he and Jones created. So, although a continuation of Merlin’s story is very much possible, it might not necessarily be worth it and could potentially take away the magic of the original.
The trouble with that is we and the audience have become pretty wedded to Colin and Bradley, If Colin popped up as Merlin in another timeline surrounded by new characters, you could do it but I think the success of the show was those characters and those actors in the time and place that they were in.
Release Date
2008 – 2012
Network
BBC One
Directors
Jeremy Webb, Alice Troughton, David Moore, Justin Molotnikov, Ashley Way, Alex Pillai, James Hawes, Metin Hüseyin, Ed Fraiman, Stuart Orme
