In last week’s episode of Merlin, Merlin (Colin Morgan) set the Great Dragon (voiced by John Hurt) loose from his chains, and in Friday’s season finale on Syfy, the wizard and his pal Arthur (Bradley James) have to keep the large reptile from cooking all of Camelot. Not to mention the aftermath of Merlin poisoning Morgana (Katie McGrath) just to up the drama a smidge. While this week’s episode brings the second season to a close, the Merlin cast and crew are already halfway through filming the third season of the show in Europe. Read below for Morgan and James’ early thoughts on what’s in store for their characters (minor spoilers ahead!), and check out a clip from this Friday’s episode of Merlin. (Also, click here for an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at last week’s hour.)

Photos courtesy of Fremantle Media

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When the third season opens, where do we find Merlin and Arthur? What can fans look forward to?
Morgan: I don’t think anyone living in that kind of world or putting up with the things Merlin has been put up against could not do a huge amount of growing up. We don’t know a lot about Merlin’s past, and as we discover toward the end of the second series, neither does he. But something in particular happens where he meets a very important figure from his past in the final episode. It opens up his mind and his eyes to things and opportunities that maybe he wouldn’t have taken before. He’s now a man of the world – not just of his world. When he enters into the third series, which is set a year in the future from the second series, a huge amount’s happened and you actually find Merlin at a point where you’re seeing hints of that Merlin of old and that Merlin of legend. Not just the power of his magic, but the power of his words, taking on more of that wise advisor role to Arthur that we know of in the traditional legends. He acquires also a gift at the end of the second series, and that’s something that plays a huge part as well going into the third series. Merlin is becoming a man, and going into the third series, it’s more mature but still keeps that charm and that magic that the show does so well.
James: Arthur goes through the mill a bit through the course of series 2. He develops a hell of a lot, and by the end of the second series having learned a lot, he’s in a relatively stable position, still with much to learn. It leads on to the third series, where we start to see hints of the king that he will become. Just hints – he’s still a prat, he’s still an idiot, but there are little flickers and signs so people can say, “Oh, hang on a minute. That reminds me of King Arthur.” That’s what he’s gonna be. I think people will be able to believe he can make certain decisions come the third series when responsibility is put on his shoulders.

Bradley, do you look forward to conquering America someday?
James: With regards to America, films are obviously something a lot of actors aspire to. For me, variety is the spice of life. I’d like at some stage in my career to have a form of variety where I could find myself being able to do a film and then maybe do some theater and just play around with different roles. But that’s all looking far too much into the future for me to be able to predict what’s going to happen. I can have those dreams for now, and just continue to work hard on the show and hope that things go well.

You’re still young, Colin, but how much have you grown as an actor and a person of the world over the course of now three seasons of Merlin?
Morgan: Hugely. As an actor, you can’t ask for better experience than being in front of the camera every day for eight months per series. Technically, you just become more adept at it. It’s been an unbelievable experience when you look back at where you started and where you are now. You go, “Oh my God, this is my everyday routine and I still can’t believe it.” I’m still just as nervous and just as excited, long may that continue.