Loyalty or Love? Mordred’s Decision Will Shape

the Destiny of Camelot on This Friday’s MERLIN

With three episodes left, the fate of the kingdom rests
on the Druid Knight’s decision;
MERLIN airs May 17 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Syfy

A troubled Mordred must choose between love and loyalty – and ultimately decide the fate of a kingdom – in “The Drawing of the Dark,” an all-new episode of MERLIN premiering Friday, May 17, at 10 p.m. ET/PT, on Syfy.

“The Drawing of the Dark” is the last standalone episode of MERLIN before the epic two-part series finale, which airs May 24 and May 31.

A Saxon attack on a Camelot supply convoy leads to Mordred to reunite with the love of his youth, a Druid girl named Kara. He helps her escape, but when she is caught and sentenced to death, Mordred is torn between his two worlds. Little does he realize that the path he chooses will shape Camelot's destiny.

As the drums of war beat ever louder, a desperate Merlin feels trapped by the cruel circle of fate: Is he powerless to stop his dreams for Albion from crumbling to dust?

After appearing in a few early seasons of MERLIN as a young boy bound to Morgana and her dark magic, Mordred returned to the story in Season Five with both a new, loyal-to-Arthur resolve and a new actor playing the role: Alexander Vlahos.

“Mordred is a difficult problem for Merlin, because no matter how hard Mordred works to prove his loyalty to the king, Merlin knows what the future holds and the role Mordred is destined play,” says Colin Morgan, who plays Merlin.

“Mordred has become one of Arthur’s most trusted, able Knights, and a man of magic like Merlin,” Morgan explains. “So it’s difficult for Merlin to make decisions and act in the present on things that won’t happen until the future.”

The core MERLIN cast welcomed newcomer Vlahos to the team quickly, and appreciated his dedication to preserving the groundwork of the first four seasons – and the foundation Asa Butterfield (Hugo) set down as the original actor portraying Mordred – while crafting a new story of his own.

“Alex is very clever,” says Katie McGrath, who plays Morgana. “He really did look at everything Asa had done and used that as a starting point to play Mordred. He was very conscious that Mordred is a very popular character, and he wanted to do him justice. But he has really taken that and made the character his own.”

MERLIN fans will see which way Mordred turns when “The Drawing of the Dark” debuts Friday, May 17, at 10 p.m. ET/PT, only on Syfy.

All four previous seasons of MERLIN are now available on DVD, on iTunes and on Netflix. Be sure to follow the latest news on MERLIN at the Official Merlin page on Facebook.