Merlin: Early signs of status quo disease?

(written after the third, most recent season)

Merlin has begun showing signs of status quo disease.  In case you are not familiar with that particular TV malady, it is the delusion that all elements of a TV show must return to the status quo by the end of the episode, and that the writers are justified in going to increasingly ridiculous lengths to secure such an ending.  Victims of the full-blown syndrome are unable to experience any true character growth, form any new relationships, or make any progress towards long-term goals. 

At first glance, Merlin seems to be escaping this fate, because the character Morgana has changed, finally picking a side in Uther's ongoing battle against magic users and leaving Camelot with Morgause.  The fact that Morgana picked the "other" side, the side of the morally ambiguous freedom fighters / terrorists bodes well for future conflict.

No, the signs of stagnation lie elsewhere, in Merlin's struggle to keep his magic a secret.  Keeping a secret, and keeping it and keeping it, for three seasons running, is not a trope that lends itself to interesting character interaction, since by definition the characters are not talking about it.  And the horrors of repetitiveness that must be perpetrated to keep the secret safe!  At the end of every episode, Arthur must be knocked unconscious so that Merlin can perform magic and save the day.  It's a wonder Arthur can see straight, he has taken so many blows to the head.  The predictability of this bit is such that a viewer ends up thinking that Arthur has been felled not by a dragon or stone monster or wizard, but by a plot device.  And no, varying the plot by making him pass out from illness does not alleviate this problem.

Think instead how interesting it would be if someone discovered Merlin's secret.  My vote goes to Arthur: he would be deliciously torn between his father and Merlin, ridden with feelings of guilt and disloyalty, and forced to reevaluate his attitude towards Merlin.  We call those kinds of conflicts *drama*.