Merlin: Secrets and Magic

Coming up on Merlin Myths and Magic,

we go down to the woods to meet the Druid chief.

The name's Salmon, Colin Salmon. How do you do?

On a break from Bond, he's set up camp in Camelot and loving it.

It's an honour to do some Merlin.

Magic isn't a dark art that must be shrouded in secrecy.

He's made friends with Morgana, but what will that mean for the future?

He's the ticking time bomb of the show.

SHE SCREAMS

Merlin's decision not to tell Morgana about his powers is huge.

She can walk the walk and talk the talk,

and after tonight, all eyes are on the magical Morgana.

On the location of BBC drama series Merlin, there's a storm brewing,

but it's not the weather that's concerning Camelot. New checks, please.

For the filming of this latest mythical adventure,

the rain may have cleared, but there's still magic in the air.

Action!

Here we are in Puzzlewood filming Druid scenes for act three.

Running around somewhat just back and forth with a lot of dogs.

Uh, where are the dogs?

I don't know where the dogs have gone. Anyway there's the camp.

We're just setting up a shot. There's Dale...setting up well.

I don't know if we're causing a bit of a distraction, actually.

I was trying to do it, sort of, subtly.

We're about ready, Bradley, when you've finished.

Uh, oh, OK. I'll probably see you in a bit.

The search is on and, for Morgana,

that means a long-awaited magical mystery tour.

These forests are dangerous. What brings you so far from Camelot?

I was searching for answers.

When you first meet Morgana in series one, she is...

she's a spoiled princess.

She knows she's the femme fatale.

She knows she's the first lady of Camelot.

She's quite manipulative of men. She knows what she needs to do

in order to get what it is that she wants.

God have mercy!

And she has no shame in doing that.

The Morgana of our first series was a fiery,

rebellious, but ultimately very good person.

What have these people done to you? Why are you so full of hate?

It's like that classic father, who just doesn't get it.

The child is rebelling against the father,

but the father wants to...

protect, and he gets it wrong on every level.

Let this serve as a lesson to all -

this man is judged guilty of conspiring to use enchantments

and magic.

I, Uther Pendragon, have decreed that such practices are banned

on penalty of death.

And, of course, she is a sorceress,

which would be a bit of a problem when he finds out.

As the season goes on, you start to see her magical powers coming out,

and with that, comes the fear of them,

because A, she can't control them,

B, she doesn't know what they are and C, magic in Camelot means death.

And she suspects she's magical.

You can't tell Uther about your dream. If Uther thinks you've got the seer's power, he'll charge you

with witchcraft. I don't have a choice.

She was troubled particularly by the sort of dreams and nightmares that she kept having

which are an indication of her magical power.

Arthur.

If you've any lingering questions about Morgana in series one,

they're answered in series two.

Let him go.

All the seeds that were sown in the first season,

suddenly grow into major storylines and character points in season two.

And in the new series,

coming to terms with her powers promises to be a real nightmare.

Episode three is the first time you really see Morgana

having an active power.

Before, her powers have been confined to seeing the future in dreams,

and now it's moved from inside her head to outside and she starts...

still not being able to control them,

so it's quite a violent manifestation of her powers

as opposed to Merlin's which are very calm and controllable.

He knows Morgana has magic.

He knows that she doesn't know about him

and Merlin desperately, desperately would love to confide in her.

You can trust me, Morgana.

You know you can.

Merlin feels that she needs guidance. She needs a hand.

Merlin very much views Morgana as being a friend and being close.

He wants to look after her

and he wants to make sure she's gonna be OK.

You think it was magic!

I'm not saying that. But it could be, couldn't it?

I really wouldn't know, but there are people who do. Who?

What about the Druids?

They help people like you.

Merlin slyly tells her the way to go is to seek out the Druids.

They help people who are magical so she does.

But, as they say, if you go down to the woods today,

you're sure of a big surprise.

I got to do my first CGI, actually.

I get attacked by giant scorpions and baby scorpions.

Anybody's who's afraid of bugs

shouldn't probably watch that episode.

It's not as exciting as it looks when you're actually doing it.

When you see the finished project, you think, "That looks amazing,"

but it's just you out in the forest with a green cut-out scorpion tail,

which then they take away and you just have to imagine it.

But there was nothing imaginary about being rescued

by MI5 Chief of Staff...