Arthur was quiet cos of Gwen or cos he knows the place where they found the shrine. The boy appears before Elyan again and Gwaine hears him scream. He lies about him. Merlin finds Arthur asleep on his plate of food. His excuse, he was reading and fell asleep. Merlin laughs at the food stuck to his face. Merlin says he slept on the wrong side of the table and "got up on the wrong side of the table." Also mentioning Arthur got stew in his hair cos he was reading to the knights.
Elyan draws a salt circle under his bed and sees the boy (Nicholas Croucher) again. Gwaine knocks him out. It would be good if Arthur didn't know he's upset about his sister's exile. Leon (Rupert Young) thinks he doesn't want Arthur to know of his divided loyalty. Gaius finds the salt circle.
Merlin wonders if Arthur will sleep on the table again and asks if he's brooding over Gwen, as they all miss her. Arthur doesn't reply. Merlin doesn't know if Elyan disturbed anything at the shrine and Elyan believes the curse to be true. Gaius tells him Arthur should be told of what happened; that Elyan is possessed. Why go to Arthur unless he had something to do with the spirit?
The boy talks to Elyan and wants to help him. Elyan will bring him peace by killing Arthur, which he attempts. Merlin explains he's possessed by an evil spirit and wouldn't otherwise attack him. Leon asks what he would do if his sister was banished? They corner him and Percival (Tom Hopper) knocks him out. Gwaine replies, his sister's "an ugly toad" and he'd be grateful. The boy tells Elyan he failed him. Agravaine (Nathaniel Parker) claims he should be tried and punished according to the laws. That's what he always says.
Merlin doesn't see any other reason for attacking Arthur. Agravaine calls it a rouse to save Elyan. That coming from someone who runs to Morgana to use her magic. Merlin must master magic if he's to save Elyan. They must remove him from prison. Gaius says he needs to be unconscious when the spirit is expelled and so a powerful sedative is placed in his water. The guards are lured away by magic. Once in the woods, Elyan refuses to drink cos the boy tells him not to and now Merlin gets hit!
Gaius and Merlin arrive at the shrine and Merlin senses the spirits and what happened there, he hears the cries. Gaius finds the runes are in the Druid language and finds the crossbow. The spirit is from Uther's time and seeks revenge. Merlin claims he was looking for herbs in the wood and got lost, what no tavern excuse this time. Arthur tells him to "pull up a chair, tuck in." Merlin missed out on eating that chicken cos he saw a dead guard on the floor.
Elyan appears to Arthur dripping water everywhere and speaks in the boy's voice. Merlin stops Arthur from killing him cos he's not Elyan. Gaius explains the Druid's camp was attacked by Uther and a tormented soul is possessing Elyan. It needs peace. Under Druid law, "atonement of the perpetrator can bring the spirit peace." All assume it was Uther and not Arthur. Which is why he was behaving strangely. Gaius has to kill Elyan. Merlin says Arthur's not responsible for what Uther did and follows Arthur to the shrine. Arthur admits he led the raid on the camp. He was young and wanted to prove himself to his men and father. He wanted to stop the killing but couldn't. He just froze. Now he's king he promises he will do everything to stop this happening again. Treat the Druid people with respect. "I give you my word." The boy forgives Arthur and hugs him. The smoke leaves Elyan a la Supernatural style.
Arthur's reading this time. Merlin says his words were moving and he meant it. He's never seen him cry before. "...New sensitive, emotional side" was good to see." Merlin: "No chance that we could have a hug..." Oh Merlin keep your bromance to yourself. Or is it a man-mance as I like to say.
As for Arthur treating the Druids with more respect that wasn't so in 5.1 Arthur's Bane Part 1, looking forward to this episode. When Merlin encountered the seer, Arthur just called him an old man, irrespective of Merlin telling him of his vision. He was dismissive even after what he witnessed in this episode.
It is always good when the main cast get to share their woes and see where they need to atone or repent. Also a good twist in everyone assuming Uther was responsible for the massacre when infact it was Arthur wanting to prove himself. Yet he was powerless to stop it from happening.
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