Fans of ‘Merlin’ won’t have to wait much longer for season 4 on U.S. television. Premiering Friday, January 6 at 10 pm Eastern on Syfy, the show tells the story of how Merlin and King Arthur came to be … well … Merlin and King Arthur. Except Merlin is a shenanigans-prone teenager who has to struggle to keep his magical gifts secret, while also instructing Prince Arthur in how to be less of a prideful dingleberry. Entertainment Weekly published an exclusive clip of the upcoming season yesterday, which includes the evil Morgana going all Dark Lord of the Sith on a few knights while Arthur works on making an important speech. The clip is introduced by Colin Morgan (Merlin) and Bradley James (Arthur).
Morgan chatted with MovieWeb.com about the upcoming season, including confrontations with Morgana and Merlin’s continuing quest to be able to use magic openly in Camelot. The interview ranged far and wide beyond those topics, with Morgan talking about the difficulties in having the seasons air first in Britain and then move to the U.S. for a second airing after it’s all over and done. The eight-month shooting schedule sounds grueling, especially considering the transatlantic airings of the show.
There are a lot of fascinating things to look forward to in season 4, according to Morgan, especially considering the season tagline is “The Darkest Hour is Just Before the Dawn.” These include the Merlin/Arthur relationship evolving and coming closer to the mainstream classical legends of the pair, Arthur becoming King and the trials thereof, and Merlin realizing that sometimes magic can’t always solve problems. There’s also a rather massive betrayal by someone Arthur trusts. Exciting, eh?
The season looks to be a lot darker as well, especially considering that the opening two-parter has Merlin, Arthur, and the rest of Camelot battling demons from hell released by Morgana. I know I’m certainly excited to see how this season plays out, and the major sacrifice that Merlin’s going to be required to make by the end of the season. If you’re interested, you can take a look at a trailer for the first episode of season 4 below.
To see an exclusive season 4 clip, visit Entertainment Weekly.
To read the full interview about the upcoming season, visit MovieWeb.com.
