MERLIN alters the future and pays the consequences
in an all-new episode “The Crystal Cave”
premiering Friday, February 11 at 10:00 pm on Syfy

Merlin gets a peek into Camelot’s troubled future and tries to change
it – with decidedly dramatic results – in an all-new episode of the
hit series MERLIN entitled “The Crystal Cave” premiering Friday,
February 11 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on Syfy.

Written by series co-creator Julian Jones, “The Crystal Cave” finds
Merlin stumbling into an unexpected meeting with the mysterious
Taliesin, played by Karl Johnson (Hot Fuzz, Rome, Lark Rise to
Candleford). The wizened old sorcerer takes the young warlock to the
crystal cave and shows him a glimpse of the future. But this gift
turns out to be more of a curse when, to his horror, Merlin sees
Morgana set to kill Uther.

Merlin knows he must do all that he can to stop the future from
playing out. But changing the pages of destiny is a dangerous game and
his actions have fatal consequences. With the whole of Camelot in a
state of grief, can the young warlock undo the damage he has caused,
or is it too late?

Both Colin Morgan (Merlin) and Katie McGrath (Morgana) particularly
enjoy the quandaries set forth in the puzzle of visions within The
Crystal Cave.

“Merlin sees snapshots of visions – you can’t quite understand them
without context – some things are worse, some are not quite what you
think,” McGrath says. “It’s a very visual story as it’s all based on
these fleeting images. I loved the story when I read the script, and
when I saw the finished episode it surpassed everything I’d imagined.”

“I really like ‘The Crystal Cave’ because it is a true psychological
episode – one of the more ‘out there’ ones we’ve done – and it really
exposes a lot of drama,” Morgan says. “It’s always fascinating to have
a head mess for the characters and the audience, and I like the ideas
of fate and wondering what would have happened if you’d chose a
different path. Everyone has thousands of choices to make, but
sometimes even when these characters choose to go down a different
alley, some things are just inevitable.”

Morgan can relate to second-guessing how fate intercedes. The young
actor very nearly went another direction before making that first step
toward his current career on stage and screen.

“I was planning to travel abroad instead of attending drama school –
I’d saved a lot of money to go traveling, and I just applied to drama
school for experience,” he recalls. “Before I made my final travel
plans, I auditioned for a drama school just so I could see what it was
like – but I ended up earning a place in the school I auditioned for.
I can’t help but wonder what would’ve happened if I had gone traveling
instead. Would I have had the same career opportunities? Would I be
doing this show? It’s all about timing, and maybe it is about fate and
destiny. I don’t know. But I think it’s fascinating to consider.”