Summary
Episode 2 provides more context and it shows rather quickly how much darker the story is going to become.
This recap of Netflix series Cursed season 1, episode 2, “Cursed” contain significant spoilers.
How does Cursed season 1, episode 2, “Cursed” open?
Episode 2 opens up with a flashback. A young Nimue wakes up in the middle of the night and looks for Pym. In the present day, Nimue is looking for Squirrel. A Red Paladin sees Nimue and chases after her. Back to the flashback and young Nimue walks towards Pym’s voice but it was a large evil bear imitating Pym. The bear attacks Nimue and her mother tells young Nimue to call to The Hidden. In the present day, Nimue is getting strangled by the Red Paladin. Back to the flashback and young Nimue uses her powers and the bear is killed by a rock that lands on it. In the present day, Nimue survived the attack by the Red Paladin but as she wakes and looks up, she throws up because of what she sees.
Episode 2 is served to give context to Nimue’s upbringing — to understand why she is deemed cursed.
Why is there red blood all over my castle!
King Uther is angry still and asks Merlin to get out of bed. The king asks why there is blood all over the castle — Merlin states he needs more time and locks the door to his quarters.
This is no ordinary sword
Carden tells The Grey Monk that some Fey Folk eluded their attack. The monk sees wolves nearby slaughtered and claims that this is “no ordinary sword”. One of The Red Paladins is getting slowly strangled by a tree. They want to find Nimue with the sword and call her a “Wolf-Blood Witch”.
A mother that refuses to give up
As Nimue cleans the sword in the river, feeling shocked by recent events and stranded, a flashback shows Nimue’s mother showing the lit-up scars on Nimue’s back caused by the wolf. The Fey Folk believe that if Nimue lives they are all in danger from the same evil creatures. Her father Jonas cowardly refuses to help. Her mother refuses to give up. Episode 2 suggests a strong motherly love in the face of adversity.
Pulling out a tooth to get in
Squirrel is found by The Grey Monk and he asks how many Fey escaped. Nimue continues to look for Squirrel. As she reaches another village she fears she will be found so steals a cloak to help her move through the crowds. Nimue wants to enter the village and asks a man bringing in supplies to help her get inside by passing the guards. The guards ask Nimue to remove her hood and she uses a false story. Nimue pretends her tooth is hurting so the guard asks the man who is helping her inside to pull it out for relief. The man uses a tool to pull out one of Nimue’s teeth. This feels like desperate measures to just get inside a village.
The bounty
In the village, there is a bounty to capture the “Fey Murderess”. Flashbacks show how her father found young Nimue near the wolf dens and accuses the mother of spoiling her. Nimue believes she is not welcome amongst the Fey people.
Tell your brethren what happened here
Josse finds Squirrel and helps him. The Grey Monk fights Josse and the group and kills them all. The monk let’s Squirrel free and asks that he tells his Fey brethren what he saw here. The monk is clearly not messing around here.
Arthur’s help
At the midway point of Cursed season 1, episode 2, Nimue finds Arthur and asks for his help. Bors wants to sell Nimue to The Red Paladins and asks to see the sword. Nimue uses the sword to chop off one Bors’ hands before riding off with Arthur. Nimue apologizes to Arthur for what happened and expresses how they killed her mother and it’s her fault. Arthur tends to Nimue’s wounds. He asks about Nimue’s marks on her back but she gets defensive.
Flashbacks show a younger Nimue out in the woods with a boy and it seems they are romantic but then he calls her a witch and she is ambushed by other teenagers. Nimue uses her powers to trap one of the girls and they beg her to let go. Nimue’s mother reminisces how she survived and tells Nimue that she’s a warrior. It’s clear why she is defensive — she has suffered from discrimination all her life for something that is not her fault.
You can’t change her fate
Arthur asks Nimue about the sword and asks if he can hold it. He admires the sword and its uniqueness. Nimue asks for it back. Arthur wants to pay for it but Nimue states her mother told her to give it to a man “named Merlin” as her dying wish. Arthur reminds Nimue that her mother is gone and she can’t change her fate. He then takes Nimue to a safe place where it will be difficult for her to be found.
How does Cursed season 1, episode 2, “Cursed” end?
Merlin enters the temple and sees Nimue’s mother is dead and closes her eyes. He lays her down respectfully and gives her a brief ceremony. Merlin is confronted by Widow and accuses him of lying about the destruction of the sword and the Shadow Lords will see it as a betrayal. Merlin says the sword is cursed but Widow states the world needs Merlin, not the pitiful version. Widow tells Merlin that she senses fear around the sword but also great power — “The sword is making its way to you, Merlin”.
Merlin vows to melt the sword back to its origin in Fey Fires. Merlin asks Widow for help. Meanwhile, Arthur takes the sword while Nimue is asleep and tells his friend he is off to fulfill a dying wish. Episode 2 provides more context and it shows rather quickly how much darker the story is going to become.
