The Last Defender of Camelot (The Twilight Zone)

"The Last Defender of Camelot (The Twilight Zone)"

"The Last Defender of Camelot" is the second segment of the twenty-fourth episode of the first season (1985–86) of the American television series The Twilight Zone. It was based on the short story of the same name by Roger Zelazny, and was pitched to the network and written by a friend of Zelazny's, future New York Times bestselling author George R. R. Martin.

Plot

In downtown London, 1986, an elderly gentleman packs his car to go on a trip but is stopped by three young thugs. He turns the tables on them and gets the last one to admit someone paid them to do it and take him to her. They enter what appears to be a fortune teller shop and the gentleman sees the woman sitting there in the dark and demands to know why. The woman reveals herself to be Morgan Le Fey, and him to be Lancelot, both of them extremely long-lived. She also reveals, through her crystal ball, where Merlin is and that she knows Lancelot is on his way to find him in a cave in Cornwall. She is cautious because she believes Merlin is dangerous. Lancelot wants to take the boy, Tom, with him. She casts a spell that sends them there and Lancelot enters on his own.

In the cave, Lancelot finds Merlin delirious and administers an elixir. Merlin questions Lancelot about the state of the world and decides they must do work to make Merlin ruler of the kingdom. Lancelot explains how kings are mere figureheads now and the people elect their own leaders. He also tries to explain about the nuclear powers of 1986 and how precarious the brink of war can be. Merlin is still insistent that the future of humanity be as he determines. After Merlin displays a show of power and empowers a hollow suit of armor, Tom enters the cave and they all walk outside. Lancelot goes back into the cave to retrieve his scarf and notices the bottle of elixir. He returns and finds they are at the true Stonehenge and Merlin is determined to sacrifice Tom in order to completely restore his power, but Lancelot defends him. Just then, Morgan Le Fey appears.

After Merlin allows Lancelot's armor to appear, Tom helps him put it on. Lancelot admits that he drank the rest of Merlin's elixir and starts to fight the hollow knight. When Lancelot begins to defeat the hollow knight, Merlin tries a trick, but Le Fey attempts to stop him and she is hurt. Lancelot defeats the knight and it disappears. Merlin tries sending his magic at Lancelot, but his shield protects him and he destroys Merlin's staff. Merlin, in defeat, requests Lancelot kill him, but Lancelot refuses. Merlin then turns incredibly old and disappears.

Lancelot finds Tom comforting a fatally injured Le Fey. She tells Lancelot how to get back to London and then dies in Lancelot's arms. As they go toward the portal, Lancelot notices a beautiful castle with lights sitting in the distance. Lancelot follows the road toward it instead, with Tom following...

Closing narration

Once upon a time, there was a realm of myth and magic—a high, bright dream that shimmered briefly and then was gone, leaving only memories and one ageless, weary, slightly tarnished hero who proved at last that wisdom and valor go hand in hand, on Earth, in Camelot, and...in the Twilight Zone.

External links

• TV.com - The Twilight Zone (1986) episode: The Last Defender of Camelot
• Postcards from the Zone episode The Last Defender of Camelot