- “Traitors! You throw us all in chains, fearing what you cannot control, but we of magic are not less of creatures... we are MORE!”
- ―Morgana, turning against King Arthur and Merlin
Witch Hunt is the third episode of Wizards.
Official Synopsis[]
With the future at stake, Douxie and Claire cling to the hope that Arthur and Morgana can reconcile. Meanwhile, humans are hunting trolls in the woods.
Plot[]
As Camelot goes on high alert, Merlin is upset with Douxie for traveling through time. Douxie defends that he and his friends handled themselves just fine all things considered before revealing that traveling through time was Merlin's idea. His master suggests that his apprentice was the one who botched it all up, as he considers his own planning to be flawless. Past Douxie points that technically he's not to blame for the actions of his future self only to get confused by the paradox. Merlin opens up the Time Map and sees that the timelines are in complete disarray. Douxie says he can fix it, but Merlin says he’s wreaked enough havoc. Archie says they can use the Time Map to change things back to its proper course. Merlin says it doesn’t work like that, as the Time Map only offers glimpses of possible future, not provide detailed instructions. His eyes soon grow wide with horror as the Time Map shows them a dead Arthur. Merlin suggests that their little dungeon break has altered the course of destiny and unless he takes action, the king will die.
Arthur has summoned Morgana and says the beasts who escaped were aided by shadow magic. She says she was in her quarters all night. He says they were seen fleeing into the Wild Wood and she will help take them down, as a loyalty test. She must bring their heads or hers will be next.
Lancelot leads the knights into battle. Claire knows they’re hunting Jim and he’ll be killed if they catch him. Douxie tells her about how their actions have fated Arthur to die as well; Steve twice fails to understand his use of death metaphors. If he dies, they lose the Battle of Killahead Bridge, which will probably screw up time so much that they can’t go back home. They see an image of Toby vanishing in the Time Map, meaning their future is already being erased. Douxie also sees a new timeline, one where Arthur and Jim both live and Morgana is the hero. If they can get Arthur and Morgana to reconcile, they might be able to make it so nobody dies. Douxie prepares to make that happen, but Merlin stops him. He tries to defend himself, but Merlin doesn’t believe he’s capable. Instead, Merlin is taking past Douxie. Arthur joins the knights riding into battle.
As Steve rides a cow into the battle, Douxie puts past Douxie to sleep again and takes his place; Archie points out that repeat sleep spells can cause permanent memory loss.
The magical creatures formerly imprisoned in Camelot continue to flee to safe haven from the knights. Jim gets burned by sunlight just as Callista announces they’ve made it to the border. Jim recognizes a bridge as Killahead Bridge. Jim tells the others they should go on ahead to safety, but Callista refuses to leave him behind. She doesn’t understand why he trusts humans anyway. Jim says they’re not all bad. They hear the knights approaching and Jim tells everyone to hide. Jim creates a distraction, with him and Callista leading the knights away from the other Trolls.
Douxie tells Merlin to look at the Time Map, but Merlin is angry at him for defying his command. Douxie tries to tell him how they can save everyone, but Merlin refuses to listen.
As they enter the Wild Wood, Arthur and the knights abandon their horses and enter on foot. Merlin goes to keep Arthur safe from harm. Douxie tells Claire to stick to the plan anyway. He’ll get Arthur while she covers Morgana. Their focus is to get the siblings to make up and not die. Douxie tries to talk to Arthur and convince him that family is most important and he should forgive Morgana, but Arthur refuses to hear it.
Claire talks to Morgana about talking to her brother. Morgana refuses, saying she can’t trust anyone but Claire.
Douxie asks Arthur about his history going into the woods. He’s cast a spell on a carving in the tree that says, "Arthur + Gwen." When Arthur touches the tree, Arthur sees memories of himself, Gwen, and Morgana as children. Morgana remembers them going to the woods as well, saying the woods showed them kindness. She and Gwen were never scared, but Arthur was, which he attributes to knowing what danger lurked there. As he got older and his duties kept him inside, Morgana kept taking Gwen out to the woods when she was safer in Camelot. Morgana says Arthur always blamed her, but it was Gwen pulling her out to the woods that night. They stumbled into a stalkling nest and the stalkling killed Gwen. Arthur never forgave Morgana and he came to see her as another abomination for her magic, but Gwen loved magic as she did. Arthur knows that’s true. They both miss Gwen terribly. Douxie sees that them talking is helping the timeline, but then Lancelot announces that they’ve found a troll. Arthur orders them to arms, which turns the timeline wrong again.
The knights fire on a troll and then chain him. Steve is asked to do the honors, but he hesitates and Arthur kicks the troll into the sunlight himself, killing the troll and turning him to stone. Bular appears behind them and fights the knights. Bular gets Arthur pinned against a tree, but before he can kill Arthur, he is put in a trap. Arthur orders him dragged back to Camelot, saying he has plans. The rest of them continue to search for trolls while Morgana questions who the monster is.
Lancelot finds fresh tracks, meaning they’re close. Arthur warns Morgana not to go home with a clean sword.
Jim accidentally sets off a booby trap set by a troll to protect their home. They go through a dangerous area, which Callista says the humans would have to be stupid to follow them through.
They reach the dangerous area and Steve offers to scout on ahead. Steve sets off a series of booby traps and gets hit by several darts. They drag him back to safety.
Callista tells Jim she knows about the traps because she used to live there. It’s Tombro, her home, or what’s left of it. It was a nice place until King Arthur started expanding his borders. Callista was young when they captured her and gave her Callista, a human name. She never knew her real Troll name. Jim tells her that humans and trolls get along where he’s from. She asks where that is and he shows her pictures of humans and trolls on his phone, living peacefully.
Lancelot has spotted Callista and Jim and aims for them. Steve pretends there’s a mosquito and hits Lancelot, but that sends an arrow flying toward Callista, who is injured by it. Callista tells Jim to run and takes off herself. Jim trips and falls, but Callista doesn’t notice and keeps running. By the time she realizes, she can’t see Jim and he can’t see her.
Lancelot is angry at Steve for suggesting they let this Troll go. Arthur tells them whoever gets that Troll will be rewarded. Douxie and Merlin try to stop them.
Morgana tells Claire to follow her. Morgana says she’ll do what she has to if they catch the troll. Claire follows, worried about JIm.
Jim trips and falls. Morgana finds him. At first, Jim is afraid that she would kill him like before... but she tells him that she won’t hurt him. He and Claire are happily reunited. Morgana tells him to go, that she’ll draw away the others. Jim kisses Claire and tells her he’ll find her. Jim runs right into Arthur. Arthur realizes Morgana isn’t loyal to him. He raises his sword to kill Jim, but Morgana stops him with her Shadow Staff. While the two of them fight, Claire helps Jim run. Lancelot fires at Jim, but Claire stops the arrow with magic. Steve takes the opportunity to knock Lancelot out with a rock.
Morgana and Arthur are fighting and Merlin realizes she’s the one to take Arthur’s life. Douxie tries to stop Merlin, but Merlin throws him back and attacks Morgana himself, saying he does what he must to protect the greater good. Morgana conjured magic. Claire tries to tell her they found a way to do this peacefully, but Morgana says the time for peace has past. Claire tells her Arthur is not the enemy. Morgana says they’re all against her, but she’s more powerful than they know. She casts a spell that brings up ghost versions of herself.
Callista struggles to walk, but is grateful Jim got away. A knight finds her, but Jim stops him from killing her. Callista asks him why he’s not running. Jim says no one gets left behind.
The Morganas fight everyone. Arthur is knocked to the edge of a cliff by the one he’s facing, but climbs back up. Arthur then uses Excalibur to draw magic from above and then stabs it into the ground, destroying the shadow Morganas. Morgana calls him out for outlawing magic while using it himself. Morgana and Arthur start dueling again. They each see the worst in each other. Douxie picks up the Time Map and sees Morgana dead this time. Morgana starts to cast a spell, but Douxie rushes to stop her. He doesn’t get there in time as Arthur cuts off Morgana's left hand, then she falls backward off the cliff onto the beach below, where she’s pulled out by the water. Dreading for what he's done to his only family, Arthur breaks Excalibur in fury and then yells into the heavens.
As they return to Camelot, everyone mourns Morgana's death as Arthur says magic has truly taken everything from him. Claire says they’ve failed because Morgana is gone. Douxie says he’s the one who failed and apologizes to Merlin. Merlin says that’s why you don’t meddle with time. He couldn’t have fixed it because every change has consequences. They’re now in uncharted territory.
Back in the woods, Jim and Callista lean on each other. They’re nearly to their destination. Jim is confused when he sees Blinky through blurred vision. Blinky says it’s Blinkous Galadrigal to him before Jim passes out in exhaustion.
Cast[]
- Colin O'Donoghue as Douxie Casperan
- David Bradley as Merlin
- James Faulker as King Arthur
- Kelsey Grammer as Blinky
- Lena Headey as Morgana
- Emile Hirsch as Jim Lake Jr.
- Lexi Medrano as Claire Nuñez
- Alfred Molina as Archie
- Steven Yeun as Steve Palchuk
- Stephanie Beatriz as Callista
- Darin DePaul as Bular
- Rupert Penry-Jones as Lancelot
- John Rhys-Davies as Galahad
Trivia[]
- The famed stock sound effect The Wilhelm Scream can be heard once when Jim kicks away a knight about to kill Callista.
- Following the battle, Morgana loses her left hand and is (seemingly) killed by King Arthur, while in frustration for losing his half-sister, Arthur ends up breaking Excalibur.
- According to Aaron Waltke on Twitter, from Arthur and Morgana's dreamlike memories that depict their childhood in the woods, Nari was offering Morgana and Gwen enchanting berries to encourage Morgana's magical gifts to manifest in the beginning.
- This was also a tribute to Miyazaki.
- Roughly 5 minutes into the episode, when Jim and Callista cross the Killahead Bridge, a hooded figure walks past them among the other trolls, but is not seen again afterwards.
- It was later confirmed by Aaron Waltke on Twitter that this mysterious figure was indeed Zoe during the age of Camelot.
- Continuity:
- Claire admits that she lost her brother, Enrique, during "Adventures in Trollsitting".
- While fighting King Arthur, Bular says "I'll drink your blood out of a goblet made of your skull!" These are the exact words he said to Jim during their first fight in "Becoming: Part 2".
