He subsequently became an uneasy ally of Team Arrow, despite their constant qualms. In a gambit to erase his blood debt, Malcolm drugged Thea into killing Sara Lance/Ta-er al-Sahfer, coercing Oliver to fight ' Ra's al Ghul' in his place.

However, he managed to take in Thea after Moira's death, turning his daughter into a capable warrior. Instead, Moira revealed to the League of Assassins that Malcolm was, in fact, alive, forcing him to go on the run. Malcolm eventually revealed himself to be alive to Moira Queen upon discovering he was Thea's biological father and sought redemption with her. He eventually succeeded in the Undertaking, though only partially, but was believed to be dead when Oliver struck an arrow through his heart. When the Hood began to intervene in his plans, he donned his League uniform and became the Dark Archer, managing to defeat the Hood twice in combat. After he left the group and returned to his city, Malcolm secretly plotted ' the Undertaking', arranging for Robert Queen's death by sabotaging the Queen's Gambit when his friend tried to stop it. Fueled by the death of his wife during a mugging in the crime-infested area of ' the Glades', Malcolm traveled to Nanda Parbat and was trained by the League of Assassins, taking the name Al Sa-her (Arabic: الساحر for The Magician). He was a formerly wealthy and successful businessman, the founder and CEO of Merlyn Global Group, and a prominent figure in Starling City. Malcolm Merlyn (born Arthur King October 13, unknown year - May 17, 2017) was the widower of the late Rebecca Merlyn and the father of Saracon, Tommy Merlyn, and Thea Queen. But you'll always be my daughter.' -Malcolm Merlyn's last words to his daughter, Thea Queen In 2012, the show's producers announced that its fifth series would be its last, with a two-part finale finishing the show on 24 December 2012.John Barrowman Images ' You may not think of me as your father, Thea. It was commissioned by the BBC for a second series, and was picked up in the United States by one of the main broadcasters, NBC, though it later moved to the cable network Syfy due to low ratings.

The series premiered in 2008 to mixed reviews but decent ratings, and proved popular on the BBC's digital catch-up service, iPlayer.

The show was greenlit by the BBC in 2006, after unsuccessful attempts.

The show was influenced by the US drama series Smallville, about the early years of Superman, and was produced by independent production company Shine Limited. The show is loosely based on the Arthurian legends of the young wizard Merlin and his relationship with Arthur Pendragon but differs from traditional versions in many ways. It was broadcast on BBC One from 20 September 2008 to 24 December 2012. Merlin is a British fantasy-adventure television programme by Julian Jones, Jake Michie, Julian Murphy and Johnny Capps.

Merlin complete season 4