Summary
The Winter King continues to take big narrative swings, satisfying audiences who finally have a show that might reliably surprise them.
You can say this for The Winter King – it isn’t afraid to be bold with its storytelling choices. This is a show about King Arthur that had Arthur himself disappear after episode 1. There was a straight-up baby-killing massacre in episode 2. In episode 3, the hero released the villain from captivity. In episode 4, the wise and powerful wizard Merlin tries to kidnap an infant with the not-so-subtle intention of murdering him.
These are big swings. You can quibble with the execution of minor details if you must, but it seems clear at this point that the reason The Winter King seems to be resonating with audiences is that it keeps taking them.
Episode 5 has a couple more.
Who does Arthur catch in the woods?
With all the turmoil within and around Dumnonia, it’s easy to forget that the real threat lurking on the margins is the Saxons, and this episode offers a reminder in the form of a spy Arthur catches lurking in the woods, watching him and Gorfydd fish.
The spy, sent by the Saxon King Aelle, is in possession of a map detailing arable land to further the Saxons’ goal of ravaging the region’s crops. If an army can’t eat, it can’t fight, after all.
This plan will be unlikely to go off without a hitch now that Arthur’s aware of it, but the spy’s suicide-by-spear shows a level of devotion that’ll be difficult to contend with. Arthur must unify the kingdoms posthaste, as unity is the only means of diverting the Saxons.
Owain is challenged to a dual
Of course, unity is a difficult thing to achieve. As you’ll no doubt recall, last week Owain, ostensibly Arthur’s best friend and most trusted advisor, massacred a bunch of miners for basically no reason at all. Those chickens come home to roost this week when Prince Tristan of Kernow turns up at court with a young witness who has no trouble identifying Owain as the perpetrator.
Tristan wants to duel Owain over the matter, so Arthur is stuck. On the one hand, and as mentioned, Owain is his closest friend and confidant. On the other, he believes the girl. So, when he softly interrogates Derfel, who has been wracked with guilt over the incident ever since, despite Owain’s attempts to bribe him on the way back, Arthur’s suspicions are only confirmed.
The Winter King Season 1 (Credit – MGM)
What does Morgan see during the sacrifice?
Let us not forget about the other lingering issue, which is Mordred, who everyone is going to great lengths to protect, growing up into a mask-wearing murderous tyrant.
Merlin already had a vision suggesting this, of course, so when Morgan travels to Avalon to request his help in performing a human sacrifice to satisfy the Old Gods as part of Mordred’s naming ceremony, he refuses.
Instead, Morgan is forced to carry out the ritual herself, which is a rather grim affair, and gives Morgan the same vision of Mordred’s bloody potential future. However, she keeps this quiet from Arthur, instead insisting that he will live a long and triumphant life.
Does Nimue lose her baby?
Nimue continues to have a terrible time in this show.
Having been forcibly impregnated by Gungleus, she fled Dumnonia and subsequently Avalon in order to find a botanical cure for her “ailment”, despite Merlin’s cruel insistence that she carries the baby to term to satisfy the Gods.
This week, Merlin discovers she has been successful, finding her in the woods, her legs covered in blood. This, he also considers as divine intervention, with the Gods having apparently guided him to her. Really, there is nothing this man can’t mold his beliefs to accommodate.
The Winter King Season 1 (Credit – MGM)
The Winter King Season 1 Episode 5 Ending Explained
The fifth episode of The Winter King closes out with another somewhat unexpected death.
After having his suspicions confirmed by Derfel, and with Prince Tristan still absolutely adamant about dueling Owain, Arthur steps in to be Owain’s champion and fight his best friend to the death. He must be held accountable for his actions for the good of the kingdom, and Arthur himself must be seen to be a leader, especially after some of his more controversial recent decisions.
So, Arthur and Owain fight in the rain. After a tightly contested battle, Arthur fatally wounds Owain and cradles him in his arms as the episode ends, now the king of Dumnonia until Mordred comes of age.
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