Ep 5. Beauty and the Beast - Part 1

Merlin season 2 episode 5, "Beauty and the Beast - Part 1", opens with the arrival of Princess Elena and her entourage in Camelot. She is set to marry Prince Arthur in an arranged marriage, but things take a turn when she is kidnapped by a beast on her way to the castle.

Merlin and Arthur set out to rescue her, but they soon discover that the beast is not what it seems. It turns out to be a young man named Vincent, who was cursed by a sorceress to take on the form of a monster. Vincent explains that the sorceress, Lady Catrina, is using him to terrorize the kingdom and gain power.

Merlin and Arthur vow to help Vincent break the curse and save Princess Elena. They bring him back to Camelot and begin working on a plan to lift the curse. However, things become complicated when Lady Catrina arrives in Camelot and sets her sights on Arthur.

Lady Catrina quickly gains favor with the King and convinces him to banish Vincent from Camelot. Merlin and Arthur are left with no choice but to continue their efforts to save Vincent and break the curse on their own.

As they work to find a solution, Merlin begins to suspect that Lady Catrina may not be who she seems. He uses his magic to uncover her true identity and discovers that she is actually a troll who has been using a glamour spell to disguise herself as a human.

The episode ends with Merlin and Arthur discovering the source of the curse on Vincent and realizing that they have a long road ahead of them if they want to break it and rescue Princess Elena.