Merlin may have spent much of The Librarians: The Next Chapter Season 2 chasing power, but the finale forced him to confront just how far he had fallen.

Played by Dominic Monaghan, the legendary magician appeared to get everything he had ever wanted. In a nightmare-like vision, Merlin returned to Camelot, claimed Excalibur and took the throne for himself. As his obsession with magic and control intensified, he turned against the Librarians and systematically eliminated the people standing in his way.

But his victory came at a devastating cost.

By the time Merlin reached Vikram, played by Callum McGowan, he realized he had destroyed everything around him — including the kingdom he had fought to control. That was when the truth was revealed: Merlin had never actually left the Library’s annex.

The Librarians had trapped him in nightmare magic, forcing him to reach his lowest point before giving him a chance at redemption.

Merlin Finally Confronts His Own Humanity

For Monaghan, the most important part of the finale was not simply that Merlin had been defeated. It was the fact that the Librarians chose to save him.

“They easily could have” locked him away or destroyed him, the actor acknowledged. Instead, their decision to help became a deeply humbling experience for a character who had spent much of the season pursuing power and leadership.

Monaghan noted that Merlin had shown very little humanity throughout his journey. He was determined to become the person in control, the one making every decision. But discovering that the Librarians had tricked him while also saving him forced Merlin to recognize something he had largely ignored: there were still people willing to do good.

It also made him confront the fact that he could have chosen a different path.

Before reaching that realization, however, Merlin was simply too consumed by his obsession to stop himself. As Camelot appeared within his reach, he imagined a world where he had the castle, the knights and even King Arthur serving him rather than the other way around.

“He just gets drunk with power,” Monaghan explained.

By that point, there was no easy way back. Only the Librarians’ carefully planned deception gave Merlin the opportunity to finally see the consequences of his choices.

A New Job and a Carefully Disguised Prison

Merlin’s punishment, however, came with an unexpected opportunity.

Rather than being destroyed, he was offered a new role cataloguing and preserving the Library’s magical artifacts. On the surface, it represented a fresh start and a possible path toward redemption.

Monaghan admitted, though, that Merlin would have to “eat a little bit of humble pie.”

The actor joked that the Librarians had essentially found a polite way to keep their former enemy under constant supervision. Merlin might be told that he was helping the team, but everyone understood the reality: he would be watched closely, with Excalibur nearby to make sure he did not return to his old ways.

“It’s a compromise by everyone,” Monaghan said.

Still, beneath the humiliation of his new position may be something Merlin has wanted all along — a place where he belongs.

Monaghan suggested that, if Merlin could get out of his own way, his true dream might be to become part of the Librarians’ team. As someone who has spent much of his life alone, Merlin may ultimately want acceptance more than absolute power.

His biggest obstacle, however, remains his belief that “there can only be one king.”

Could Merlin Return for Season 3?

The finale also leaves the door open for Merlin’s future.

When Merlin tells the Librarians that they know where to find him if they ever need his help, Monaghan believes the line was deliberately designed to keep the character’s story alive.

According to the actor, the ending was adjusted as the season progressed because creator Dean Devlin and the creative team wanted to leave room for Merlin to return.

Monaghan welcomed the idea immediately.

“There’s more adventures to be had,” he said, adding that he would be thrilled to come back for a third season.

If Merlin does return, Monaghan would particularly like to explore more of the Arthurian world. He pointed to the possibility of revisiting Arthur, Lancelot and Guinevere, while also allowing Merlin to use his past mistakes to help the Librarians when magic once again spirals out of control.

His ideal storyline would bring the team back into Arthurian legend, with the Librarians joining Merlin as he attempts to solve mysteries connected to his own past.

For Monaghan, that would offer the character a chance to become something very different from the man audiences met at the beginning of Season 2 — not a king demanding control, but someone who has finally learned how to work alongside others.

The Librarians: The Next Chapter may have ended Season 2 with Merlin at his lowest point, but his new role suggests that his story is far from over.

Source: https://www.tvinsider.