The Tears of Uther Pendragon

My Merlin review, as promised. So I finally found a free moment to watch the first episode of season 3 of British show Merlin. We get it here in the states but not until 2011 and, frankly, I didn't want to wait that long. So I went looking online until I found it in good quality. It was no easy feat, trust me. So. The third series picks up a year later from S2 and Morgana's been missing... until 5 minutes into the show. That annoyed me. Morgana has never been my favorite character (Arthur, then Gwen, then Merlin... I think she even comes after Uther) only because in the Arthurian legend I've never liked her. My interest was always cemented by the Arthur/Guinevere/Lancelot story with a casual bearded Merlin thrown in for good measure. If you know the show you'll know its nothing like that original. So Morgana is found just before the opening credits (which have failed to be updated - yet again) looking all haggard and disorientated. Meh. She keeps up the whole act for the first ten minutes: the "changed" Morgana who is deeply sorry for everything that shes done. Of course this is just a rouse in order to capture Uther's tears (hence the name of the episode) to mix some spell together with her half sister Morgause in a black cauldron filled with something that looks suspiciously alike a chocolate brownie mix. Basically Morgana is fooling everyone in Camelot to succeed in plotting against Uther by making him see all sorts of bizarre things: a soaking wet boy (who was actually kinda cute) and his dead wife Igraine in a well - that did freak me out a little. She succeeds that is until Merlin discovers what shes up to and sets out after her to discover Morgana and Morguase have been working with Cenred (this King who looks kinda like Aragon from LOTR only not as cute) to attack Camelot. I'm not kidding one of the shots of his army on the march was like a replica to LOTR Two Towers with Sarumans army of Orcs. The epsidode ends with Merlin tied up (courtesy of Morgause) before he summons the Great Dragon who takes him off to safety? Well at least I think so - the episode ended then so we dont know, but I can pretty guess. It showed us what was to expected next week and all I could do was laugh at a very hilarious scene with Merlin riding on the back of dragon with his hands stretched out in glee - very Harry Potter/Buckbeak. So, all in all, the episode was good. It had the usual Arthur/Merlin banter as well as very nice shirtless Arthur scene. The only things that bothered me were one: almost no Gwen! She has, 5 lines, tops. The girl hardly got anything!! I get that this is all Morgana central but seriously, I hate that Gwen is pushed to the back of the episode picking flowers! Bad writing, very bad writing. Second: Morgana's evil smirk. Ugh. I actually lost count how many times she did it (8? 9?) it was the same expression over and over again and surely wouldnt someone notice her change in expression everytime she did it? She was sitting in a full banquet hall at one point! And third: It didnt feel like a full episode, which I guess is understandable considering its a two parter but still, they could have at least shown them back to back instead of leaving us on an empty note. That being said I thought it was good, and am excited as ever for the rest of the season to be aired, now if only I lived in England...