The young warlock Merlin arrives in the kingdom of Camelot, whose king has outlawed the practice of magic upon punishment of death. He seeks out the court physician, Gaius, to whom he inadvertently reveals his gift, has a run-in with the king's headstrong son, Prince Arthur, and meets an enchanting young maid named Gwen. (TV Guide)

Arthur participates in Camelot's annual sword tournament, which also attracts the knight Valiant, who employs a magical shield to vanquish opponents. Merlin, meanwhile, adjusts to being Arthur's manservant. (TV Guide)

When a strange plague strikes the people of Camelot, Gaius suspects the source is sorcery, leading Uther to instruct Arthur to search for the person behind it. The disease strikes close to home for Gwen, causing suspicion to fall on an innocent and Merlin to learn the responsibilities that come with being a warlock. (TV Guide)

After the evil Nimueh tricks Merlin into drinking from a poisoned chalice, Arthur embarks on a dangerous quest to retrieve the only known antidote, a rare flower. Gaius and Gwen, meanwhile, care for Merlin. who is near death, but still comes to the aid of Arthur. (TV Guide)

Merlin is saved from a magical winged creature by a young man named Lancelot. When he learns that Lancelot dreams of becoming a knight and protecting Camelot, Merlin sets out to convince Arthur of the would-be knight's worthiness. In other events, Uther and Arthur visit a village that the winged creature has attacked; and Arthur prepares his men to battle the beast. (TV Guide)

When Gaius cannot cure Morgana of a serious, mysterious sickness, a new court physician named Edwin arrives in Camelot, proclaiming that he has a remedy for all ills. Uther is soon besotted by Edwin and his abilities, but Gaius and Merlin both have doubts. (TV Guide)

Arthur saves elderly Aulfric and his daughter Sophia from bandits, and then falls heads over heels for the young lady. In other events, Morgana, has dream in which she sees Sophia drowning Arthur; Gaius and Merlin become suspicious of the outsiders; and Gaius recognizes a magical potential in Morgana. (TV Guide)

Merlin finds an unexpected ally in Morgana when he attempts to shield a magical druid boy from Uther's wrath and smuggle him back to his people. (TV Guide)

An invincible Black Knight slaughters several challengers at Arthur's coming-of-age ceremony, while further revelations suggest a connection between the Black Knight and Uther. (TV Guide)

Merlin heads to his home village to help protect it from a fearsome warlord, and is surprised when Arthur, Morgana and Gwen decide to go with him. While Arthur attempts to turn the townsfolk into a fighting force, an old friend of Merlin's encourages him to use magic to save the village. (TV Guide)

Arthur slays a unicorn, causing a curse to befall Camelot that destroys the grain crops and dries up its water reserves. In order to reverse the curse, the young prince must prove his worth in a series of tests. (TV Guide)

Uther has Gwen's father imprisoned for treason and sorcery, which leads Morgana to seek revenge against the sovereign by joining a plot to kill him. Merlin, meanwhile, must choose whether to stop the assassination attempt or allow it to proceed. (TV Guide)

Arthur is seriously injured by a mystical monster known as a Questing Beast. Merlin travels to the Isle of the Blessed to retrieve a cure, but the potion comes with a price: in order for Arthur to live, another must die. (TV Guide)