In the second episode of the new MGM series The Winter King, which follows Arthur’s trips, the formerly quiet Gundleus finally shows his real bad-guy colors. As Arthur gets ready to head back to Caer Cadarn, the writers must’ve thought, “How cool can Arthur’s big trip really be?”
In this episode, everything’s at risk, and viewers gotta watch every frame. can’t wait for yet another mind-blowing and unexpected end. After Baby Mordred pops out, Merlin goes to get Arthur back from being kicked out in the last episode. As Merlin saw coming, Mordred would turn into a mean boss, and only Arthur had a shot at stopping him and getting the British Isles back together.
What Happened in The Winter King Episode 2?
King Uther’s getting worse and not expected to hang in there much longer, so episode 2 of The Winter King starts with a big deal. For this reason, Merlin had already begged Uther to forget their stubbornness and call back Arthur, the only fighter who could kick out the Saxons and make sure Dumnonia’s safe.
Uther wanted to do this with his enemies, especially the Silurians, who had often messed with his country, but Uther was totally against it, mostly ’cause of his stubbornness with his not-legit son. Morgan, the guy’s fave daughter, has also been trying to change his mind now that he’s getting worse, but the king’s not buying it.
On the other side, in Gaul, Merlin tries to get Arthur to protect his old place by going back. Even though Merlin warns Arthur that Uther’s end would give Dumnonia’s enemies a chance, Arthur’s not buying it. King Uther’s health’s gone downhill so much he’s gotta make a move.
Uther picks three court members to look after the next ruler while he’s still a baby. The first is Bishop Bedwin, the big cheese of the English Christian Church, and the second is Owain, Dumnonia’s defender. The third name surprises everyone: Uther’s trusted Gundleus of Siluria to protect Britain’s next ruler.
After Uther’s final moment, his queen, Norwenna, will marry Gundleus. Many of Gundleus’s peeps spoke against this since Gundleus’s uncle was a Dumnonia enemy. Uther, however, thinks Gundleus is the best at protecting the next ruler and gives him the job.
Gundleus takes the role ’cause he sees it as a career boost and ’cause he’s promised to quit backing his uncle. To show his new trust, Gundleus promises to lead his army against his uncle’s thief gang. King Uther takes his final moment and passes away in his palace once it’s all sorted.
His last wish was to have his body burned at Avalon to keep respecting the old gods. Even though Merlin’s not there, the burning ceremony happens at Avalon, and then the story jumps ahead three weeks. When Gundleus and his army show up at Avalon, he finally shows his real bad guy side.
Gundleus, who always wore a cross, said he was super Christian. This new faith, though, was just another trick. Gundleus gets to Avalon and starts chatting with Norwenna. He asks to meet Baby Mordred. Gundleus takes the baby and harms him, saying a baby shouldn’t be king. He says he’s already distracted his uncle’s army from Dumnonia.
Gundleus keeps his promise to quit backing his uncle, but for himself. If Gorfydd’s attacks can be stopped for now and Baby Mordred is gone, Gundleus can become the kingdom’s boss with no competition. So, he seriously harms the baby and starts a major attack on peaceful Avalon.
Since Merlin’s not back, the villagers can’t defend themselves and get wiped out. Nimue, the fresh druid, tries to protect the people but fails. Before her boyfriend, Derfel, helps her, Gundleus mistreats her. Derfel knew Gundleus had hurt his mom and left him earlier, so he’s mad.
Even when Derfel almost takes down Gundleus, Nimue steps in, feeling it’s not the time. Norwenna, Derfel, and Nimue survive and leave Avalon before Gundleus and his army’s done. To get to the main city of Caer Cadarn and tell the other lords, looking for help, they gotta take a big trip away from Avalon.
During their escape, they find out mind-blowing news: Baby Mordred’s actually hanging in there. When Norwenna got to Avalon for the burning ceremony, she found another new parent pair. This unusual child’s dad had secretly promised to protect Mordred. The real baby had been hidden, but when Gundleus asked for the baby, he got a new one.
The survivor group leaves as soon as they find an exit, sure they can still win if they keep going. Gundleus figures out the baby’s been switched and sends his army to find the few folks. During this escape, Derfel has to harm one of Gundleus’s soldiers, marking his first harmful act.
But towards the end, Gundleus and his army find the survivors and corner them. When they say no to his baby’s request, he orders his army to harm everyone hanging in there. But just then, Arthur’s back in Dumnonia, and Gundleus’s army gets attacked. Even though Arthur’s back, he’s told Merlin he doesn’t want, so the exact why no one knows. Whether Mordred can be hidden is anyone’s guess. What this prediction means, with Merlin’s clear idea of Mordred’s mean side, will be shown in the next shows.
Related: The Winter King Episode 3 Preview
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