History Series / Merlin1998

%% * DeceasedParentsAreTheBest

%%* MasterOfIllusion

%% * MurderTheHypotenuse

%% * NiceJobBreakingItHero:

%%* OurDragonsAreDifferent

%% * PreAssKickingOneLiner

%% * PropheciesAreAlwaysRight

%% * TalkToTheFist

%% * TheTimeOfMyths

* JerkassHasAPoint: None of Modred's accusations of Arthur's hypocrisy are ''wrong'', but are definitely made just to stir up unrest instead of making any kind of moral point.

* OnlyTheWorthyMayPass: The Rock of Ages will only let a truly good man draw Excalibur.

-->'''Vortigern:''' You're too slow, like my enemies. They think before they act. I act before I think! That is my advantage!

-->'''The Rock of Ages:''' I '''cannot''' die. I am the Rock of Ages. I will live forever...on the edge of dreams...

-->'''Mordred''': I'm sorry, Father, but I'm going to destroy you. And this time, your pet wizard won't save you.

-->'''Merlin''': I'll kill you any way I can Vortigern...but I ''will'' kill you.

%% * EarnYourHappyEnding

* WilliamTelling: The first we see of Mordred is him practicing archery with a group of servants standing with apples on their heads. "If you gentleman don't stop trembling, I might miss and kill you all!"

* YouKilledMyFather: Thanks to her ruthless policies, Mab manages to give Merlin ''three'' separate excuses to go against her, all relating to her harming the people he loves. Uther wish to kill Vortigern who killed his father and Morgan hates Uther because he Killed her Father

* MakeMeWannaShout: Mab does this when Ambrosia refuses to send Melin back to her. Ambrosia was already sick and dying and this is enough to finish her off. The novelizations aptly mentioned that Mab was the inspiration for the banshee.

* CoolSword: Excalibur, naturally. Absurdly sharp and blessed the the Lady of the Lake.

* NiceJobBreakingItHero

* RescueRomance: Merlin and Nimue.

* TalkToTheFist

* TheTimeOfMyths

* AnyoneCanDie

* BittersweetEnding
* BlackMagic

* BodyToJewel: Mab's crystal tear.

* BroughtDownToNormal: [[spoiler:Frik]]

* CoolHorse: Sir Rupert, voiced by [[ShakespeareanActors Sir John Gielgud.]]

* CoolSword: Glamdring! No, wait, wrong work of fantasy...hold on, I know I've heard of this one...

* DarkActionGirl: Mab

* DeceasedParentsAreTheBest

* DemotedToExtra: Galahad, Gawain.

* EarnYourHappyEnding

* EvilMatriarch: Mab.
* EvilSoundsRaspy: Mab, again.

* ExcessiveEvilEyeshadow: Mab

* MagicalGesture: Used by intermediate wizards, called hand wizards.

* MakeMeWannaShout: Mab. The novelizations aptly mentioned that she was the inspiration for the banshee.

* MamaBear: Ambrosia

* MasterOfIllusion

* MurderTheHypotenuse

* OurDragonsAreDifferent

* PreAssKickingOneLiner

* PropheciesAreAlwaysRight

* SapientSteed: Sir Rubert.
* SealedGoodInACan: [[spoiler:Nimue.]]

-->'''Merlin:''' [[http://images.wikia.com/uncyclopedia/images/1/13/Thats_the_joke.jpg It's traditional to open it first]].

* AllMythsAreTrue
* AllThereInTheManual: The novelizations.
** One big one that isn't explained on-screen is that the version of the story Merlin tells doesn't have Mab in it (which is what Frik is commenting on at the end).

''Merlin'' is a television miniseries released in 1998 that retells the legend of Myth/KingArthur from [[PerspectiveFlip the perspective of the wizard]] Myth/{{Merlin}}, starring Creator/SamNeill in the title role, Creator/MirandaRichardson as the antagonist Queen Mab, Creator/MartinShort as her henchman Frik and Creator/HelenaBonhamCarter as Morgan le Fay.

* EvilMatriarch: Mab

* PluckyGirl: Nimue. Getting Merlin out of Vortigern's dungeon is probably [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome the best example]].

* StupidEvil: King Vortigern, who is puritanical, distrusting, and uncompromising, often to his own detriment; both Mab and Merlin call him stupid to his face. However, to his credit, Vortigern is not ''entirely'' unwilling to take advice that goes against his beliefs, and allows the imprisoned Merlin free reign of his encampment when it is pointed out to him that the wizard needs fresh air and sunlight to use his powers.

* AdaptationalVillainy: The few references to Queen Mab in English literature make her out as a benevolent fairy queen. Here, she's a dark pagan goddess (the counterpart of the good pagan goddess the Lady of the Lake).

** It's a bit hard not to feel for [[spoiler:Queen Mab as she fades from existence along with the last of the world's magic and the Old Ways, crying out for Merlin and Frik to look at her, rasping that she loves Merlin as a son while her voice grows increasingly thin and hoarse]].

''Merlin'' is a television miniseries released in 1998 that retells the legend of Myth/KingArthur from [[PerspectiveFlip the perspective of the wizard]] Myth/{{Merlin}}, starring Creator/SamNeill in the title role, Creator/MirandaRichardson as the antagonist Queen Mab, Martin Short as her henchman Frik and Creator/HelenaBonhamCarter as Morgan le Fay.

''Merlin'' is a television miniseries released in 1998 that retells the legend of Myth/KingArthur from [[PerspectiveFlip the perspective of the wizard]] Myth/{{Merlin}}, starring Creator/SamNeill in the title role, Miranda Richardson as the antagonist Queen Mab, Martin Short as her henchman Frik and Creator/HelenaBonhamCarter as Morgan le Fay.

* AntagonisticOffspring: Mordred to Arthur.

** While not a ManipulativeBastard, Merlin is manipulative. He [[GuileHero shapes the politics of Britain, putting Uther and Arthur on the throne, and plotting to ensure the latter's birth.]] Sir Rupert calls him out on it.

* VillainousValour: Vortigern very nearly wins the war through the sheer audacity of his winter attack and is always shown leading from the very front. He also refuses Mab's mystical protection, although Merlin dismisses that as stubborn pride.