Merlin x 10- the moment of truth

[marguerite_krux]

Merlin just got more awesome! It took me a while, but I finally placed the actress who plays Nimueh- it’s none other than the Bionic Woman!




Can’t believe how different she looks, just with the eyes and hair. She's a pretty great actress, because Nimueh is NOTHING like her character in BW. I know she got a bad rap for the BW remake, which I loved, incidentally, and it was such a bitter shame that it got cancelled, but at least she’s got a recurring role here. And in her own accent too!

Just a question- because it’s a British show, does that mean there aren’t any more eps for the first season? It irritates me how they shorten their seasons, not happy. *pouts* Oh, for the 20-odd ep seasons of CM or House, etc. etc.

It only took one episode for Merlin to replace LOTS in my affections. I think the problem with the latter is that it’s almost claustrophobic with only three regular characters, two of whom are angsting over their inability to have a relationship.

Merlin, in contrast, has four young leads in addition to a bunch of other people. And those four are friends, with hints of something more. What I love love LOVE about this show is that there is UST for everyone, which should hopefully mean that they don’t decide to throw two characters together for fear of inspiring massive fandom hate, so we’ll be able to live peacefully with our chosen ships and no one taking supremacy over the others. It is so cool. I don’t do slash, but I can see where the Arthur/Merlin or Morgana/Gwen shippers find the shippiness; yet in those same scenes, I can see it as growing friendship and affection. It can be whatever we do want it to be. Or not. *glees* How utterly blissful.

Of course, now that I’m happy, they’ll probably screw it up somehow, especially since I've heard that they're splitting up the fourtet for the second season *wails* but at least I have this optimism to sustain me for now. :D Which is stupid because I know vague facts about the legends and none of them end well, so my ship is doomed, my favorite character is doomed, but...shh, optimism happening here, 'k?

I was looking through the comms and became severely disheartened at how people who are fans of the show seem to...loathe it passionately. I'm all for being objective and giving criticism where it's due, but there is some major backlash happening. Yikes.
 

Opening scene:

Irrelevant village of the damned.

Idyllic village life, filled with hardworking peasants and energetic youngsters.

Then the peace is shattered by thugs.



People scatter, dropping everything in an effort to waste their morning’s toils- no wonder these villagers get a reputation for being lazy slackers- and run around like headless chooks.

 

One idiotic woman picks up her child and runs directly into the path of the pounding horses, ridden by men she knows have absolutely no regard for their live. *headdesks* She won’t be winning Mother of the Year at this rate, what with her reckless disregard for her child’s life.

A bunch of villagers get beaten and bashed and killed. To add insult to injury, they’re given a week to gather and surrender their food supplies, leading them to ponder futures that include famine and heartbreak and death.

 

The camera keeps panning back to this one woman, with good reason, as she becomes hysterical and runs forward to give orders to the head honcho. Something about not letting the armed men who outmuscle her ten times over to make off with their food. *rolls eyes* As expected, she gets a fist in the face and eats dirt.

In an unexpected show of courtesy and kind-heartedness, however, head honcho stands by his one-week deadline. Isn’t that sweet? Any other heartless jerk would’ve made an example of her by shortening it to five days or something.




I guess he figured killing a guy was punishment enough.

 

Ms Formerly Insanely Hysterical straightens, looking grim and determined as she gazes off into the distance at this fair city with imposing towers and turrets and dreamy lighting.



Amazing how there’s no visible pollution. I guess they’re doing their best to reduce their carbon footprint. We should all be so environmentally aware. I’d spend more time thinking about my green obligations to mother nature, except I’m distracted by the music cues. They sound rather like the Sarah Connor drums of impending Terminator doom, or the BSG drums of impending Cylon doom. The two are interchangeable, you see. Machines that come to destroy all of humanity, they tend to favor the same ominous drumming to heighten the audience’s tension and alertness.

Sadly, no killer robots on the loose today. Instead, we get a touching mother/son reunion. Ah well.

 

Credits.

I have to say, I’m disappointed we don’t see Morganna’s lovely face in the opening credits. Just Merlins’s, then some anonymous faceless people.



I’d whine about how unfair it is but I guess it is his show, after all, he should get to preen a little without competition. *pouts*

 

Court of callousness.

Merlin’s mother- do we know her name? Hunith, from the end credits?- is granted an audience with the king, in which he raises her hopes only to dash them, even after reducing her to falling on her knees, begging for his help.

 

This is the delightful thing about Merlin, nobody’s wholly good or evil. Their motivations make sense and are even sympathetic in a certain light. I’d be on Uther’s side in this matter- one village, sad to say, is expendable. Why embroil Camelot in a war when it isn’t necessary, when there is nothing to be gained? Why risk all their lives on this little village out of the way, of no consequence or value? These are the issues you must deal with as king.

What I like is that the show can deal with these issues without being as bleak and hopeless and dreary and miserable as BSG. Mary McDonnell is the only thing keeping me watching that show, otherwise I’d ditch it in a heartbeat. Here, we get some social commentary, some moral dilemmas and a whole lot of camaraderie and good humor. PLUS MAGIC, YAYZ. 

 

Merlin’s mother contemplates her loss of dignity.




Fortunately, Morganna, in a surge of tinkles and jangles, clad as she is in a few meters of jewelry, marches forward defiantly to help the woman to her feet and lead her off comfortingly.




How nice is she? More to the point, how does she keep her train in line? I’d trip over it and tangle it in things all day long if I had her wardrobe. How talented this young woman is.

 

Balcony of brooding.

Arthur broods before picturesque scenery- is there any other kind?- and Merlin joins him to bid his farewells. Is it weird that this scene reminds me rather of Jane Eyre, that scene where she’s saying goodbye when she leaves to see her aunt? Arthur asking, seemingly for reassurance, that Merlin come back is similar to Rochester badgering Jane about her return. Both the masters jokingly reproach and insult their humble servants.

Dear god, I’m not going to slash these two. No way. I’m just pointing out parallels is all.

‘You’ve been terrible. Really, I mean it, the worst servant I’ve ever had.’

‘Thank you, sire.’

Aww!

I really enjoy scenes with these two guys. I mean, it’s so unusual for me to value any scene without my strong female character, but these guys…I mean, there’s Arthur apologizing to Merlin for not being able to do enough. Who’d’ve thought the pompous arrogant ass of the pilot would ever unbend that much? There’s Merlin, thanking him for doing his best and trying to make him feel better.



The only time Arthur really reacts in this scene is when Merlin tells him, ‘It’s been an honor serving you, sire,’ when he looks puzzled at the thought that he would leave him for good. Funny how neither of them wanted to be saddled with the other, and now it’s like Arthur depends on his presence so much that the idea of not having him around is disconcerting. And Merlin, leaving to take care of his mother, is genuinely concerned with making sure that Arthur understands his reasons for leaving, like he wants Arthur to know he’s not just ditching him for no good reason.

 

Merlin’s quarters. 

Merlin ineptly handles his sword. ‘That feels really good. Very, um, swordy.’ [Omg, why does every line from his mouth sound slashy?]

Anyway, it's one of those jokes that could be so lame, but for his delivery. I was anticipating it, waiting for it then chimed in with him. LMAO. It’s fun when you can do that. :D

 

In an attempt to break the news gently, Gwen packs way more than Merlin could possibly manage on his trip home, eliciting his confusion just as Morgana makes her conveniently timed entrance declaring that they, the ladies, are going with him. And she is looking ridiculously hot as usual.



I know she has a natural beauty that transcends clothing, but I don’t understand how she makes these simple clothes look so good. It’s terribly unfair that those who are pretty enough can lend greater credibility to their attire. If I wore that, it’d look awful but on her, it’s the height of fashion. And it’s just a wrinkly grey cloth with torn low neckline. Morgana’s secret totally lies in accessorizing. I mean, the necklace, the wide belt and silver arm bands make this outfit so much more stylish.

Can I just say, I LOVE the interconnecting friendships between this foursome? They all have relationships with each other, and a genuine deep affection for each other and it’s so heartwarming to watch. They’re determined to help Merlin because he’s done the same for them in the past and they won’t let him get away without accepting their assistance. They’re so good at tag-teaming him. :P

This scene reminds me of Stargate, actually, when the team was sharing blame for what happened in…Thor’s Hammer? Daniel’s all, ‘I fired the staff weapon’, Jack’s like, ‘I ordered him to,’ and when they all look at Carter, who was essentially blameless, she goes, ‘Uh…I was there.’ That made mother laugh. And she rarely laughs at anything, she’s the internalizing sort. *rolls eyes*

One thing, though. Morgana's grateful to Merlin for helping her smuggle out the druid boy. I finally saw this ep yesterday, and I don't get it, because HE brought the boy to her. So, he owes her. But for some reason, she got really attached to the kid, like, what's that all about? It pisses me off that of course it would be MORDRED, future enemy of Arthur, who saved his miserable frakking life. Ugh. I love this show except when it starts incorporating actual legend into the storylines because then I am awash with fear and dread. >:[

Who’s getting Narnia flashbacks here? Unfortunately, a stupid leaf prevented me from capping Arthur, so we are currently lacking High King Peter, the Magnificent.

I have to ask, though, when did Arthur get roped into this rescue mission? We saw the ladies insist on tagging along, but the last we saw of him, he was bidding Merlin good luck. So…? Did Morganna go and guilt him into coming with them? It wouldn’t be the first time she’s urged him to do the right thing.

 

Immediately after his mother warns him to be careful about using magic, and that no one can find out, Merlin pulls this little stunt.



Rather than looking angry at his defiance, his mother looks on fondly and sadly. I suppose it’s good to see her son exercising his gift and taking such pleasure in it, but at the same time, she knows the risks and consequences and that knowledge rests uneasily with her.

This magic thing bemuses me a little. With Merlin, it’s instinctive, he never studied it, so what, does he think of something he wants to do and his brain automatically locates the magic word to make it happen? Awfully convenient. Especially that just ONE WORD can be used specifically to turn cinders into the shape of a dragon. Because that isn't random at all.

Midnight rendezvous, ur doin it wrong.

Merlin wanders off into the forest on his own, chasing a creepy sensation and formless monsters with just his sword for safety. Ugh. If this show wasn’t named for him, I’d expect him to be fodder for the birds in a moment.

Rule 1 of Surviving Horror Movies: never wander off into the dark on your own. Duh.

Merlin being spectacularly inept, Arthur easily gets the drop on him.

‘I’d ask you for money, but I know you don’t have any.’ HEE.

 

Merlin, in the mood to commit treason, decides to take a swing at Arthur. *headdesk*



Totally unconcerned with the possibility that he could’ve taken off the prince’s head, Merlin just stands and giggles as Arthur struggles to calm himself down. PROTECT AND DEFEND, Merlin, did you forget that part of your creed? Ensuring the survival of the man who is to be the future awesomest king in history? It's only your ONE TRUE DESTINY, nothing too important. *rolls eyes* True love? I think not.




Arthur growls, making Merlin looked like a kicked puppy for a second when he realizes his little joke wasn’t well-received, then races after his master. Good doggie.

 

So, he sleep in chain mail? That can’t be comfy. Or did he get dressed up to look all impressive for Merlin? How feminine of him. :P

Wait, wait, wait. So Canim, whatever his name is, has only forty men? Pfft. All this time, I thought he was a big fish but he’s only teensy one. How has he held villages in thrall all this time with that small a force?

And omg, I just looked at the credits to work out his name- Kanen is played by ALEXANDER SIDDIG. As in, Bashir of Deep Space 9! How times have changed him! Totally didn’t recognize him at all.

 

Now that he’s a villain and all, he has given in to the eye-rolling stupidity of drawing out moments much much longer than they need to, for maximum effect that will be wasted when the heroes emerge onto the scene and thwart him.

 

Like so.

 

My favorite part of this battle scene, possibly the entire episode, possibly the entire series so far- Morganna saving Arthur’s ass.

Super cool, y/y? :D The grace of a ballerina, the deadliness of...the female of the species. :P

Okay, I’ll admit that Kahlen’s sword-fighting in LOTS is more impressive, since she wields two swords at a time and wears this flowing gauzy dresses in the heat of battle. But Morganna’s decent competition.

 

‘Bring back memories of when I used to beat you?’

 

‘That never happened.’

*squees* So adorable!

 

So maybe some people found this predictable, but I was suckered.

 

‘You still up to the same old magic tricks again? Look, I thought I told you we didn’t want your kind around here.’

 

‘Miss you too, Will.’

 

Merlin starts off looking moody, but then the sun bursts out from behind the clouds and the birds start chirping sweetly and there are rainbows and happy babbling brooks as, aww, friends reunite.




Jealous at this scene of joyful reunion, objecting either to his BFF abdicating for a common villager or because the romantic bliss is making him nauseous, Arthur interrupts with orders for Merlin to round up the villagers. Sending Merlin skivvying [?] for him, in direct contradiction to his claim to Will that he is no such thing. Heh. This ep wins 10/10 for comedic timing.

To his credit, Merlin doesn’t refuse out of pride or resentment, but rushes off to do his master’s bidding. This is why I love him so much more than Richard. I can’t stand that Richard is the hero of LOTS when he’s an immature self-centered jerk who doesn’t listen to those wiser and better than him and always runs off getting into trouble and putting Kahlan through a great deal of hassle rescuing him from himself. Plus he takes himself way too seriously. Ugh.

 

Merlin is way more mature and open-minded. He’s willing to follow instructions when they make sense and doesn’t have to micromanage things, he trusts other people to do what they’re good at, without leaping into situations he doesn’t understand and making it all the worse. He’s in a subservient position, yes, but he can handle responsibility and power when needed, or step back and allow others to do what they must if that’s what will best resolve the situation. Merlin doesn’t have to be the big frakking hero all the time. And I like that he’s in control of his craft, he’s competent with his gift, whereas Richard blunders around blind and in the dark all the time.

 

‘If I’m going to die, then I want to go out fighting.’

Merlin’s mom is hardcore. Look at her rally the villagers around their cause. This little bruised and battered woman inspires them to find their courage and flock to Arthur in preparation for battle.

What I don’t understand is why Merlin does such a half-assed job of defending Arthur to Will. The guy keeps going on about how Merlin is just a servant to Arthur, who doesn’t give a damn about him, yada yada yada. Why didn’t Merlin go, ‘Well, I was dying and when the only known cure was in the middle of a dark cursed forest filled with vengeful witches and man-eating spiders, Arthur didn’t hesitate to put his life on the line for mine.’ That’s ALL he had to say. But no. *facepalm*

I don’t understand why Will acts like Merlin and Arthur’s relationship means nothing if Arthur doesn’t know about his magic. They’ve risked their lives for one another, I think that’s a pretty strong indication of friendship. Arthur defied his father to come here and save Merlin’s village, risking war. That’s friendship, isn’t it? Telling Arthur about his magic might make it easier for Merlin to live with himself, but it would only place Arthur in the untenable position of possessing this damning knowledge and having to decide whether to do right by his friend or his father. Yes, part of not telling him is out of self-preservation, but part of it is also because he doesn’t want to put Arthur through that.

I wonder what he would do if he knew. Would he tell Uther and have Merlin executed? I really don’t know. I have no idea how fanatic Arthur is, because while I think he wants to uphold the letter of the law, but not its spirit, I’m still new to these characters. His devotion to his father and king might matter more than protecting one servant. *shrugs*

 

Bedroom of same-sex couples.

Arthur’s being so understanding this episode. What did I miss in the intervening five episodes? He wasn’t Mr Sensitive in ep 4. *ponders* Here’s a rich royal brat sympathizing with a poor village urchin. Dude.

Arthur: Why’d you leave?

Merlin: Things just changed.

Arthur: How?

Merlin remains silent…then Arthur’s foot descends out of nowhere and whacks his face. ROTFLMAO

 

You know, it’s interesting that Arthur always makes noises about getting sleep when the conversation’s getting personal. Earlier, when Merlin thanked him for coming when he didn’t have to, and now when they were talking about Merlin finding a place where he fit in. It’s like two sides of himself, the royal pain and the decent compassionate sides are in conflict. He wants to learn more about Arthur but then his background and breeding tell him it’s inappropriate and unseemly to care about someone of his class and he switches off all of a sudden.

Morning after.

Merlin’s helping Arthur with his clothes, and Morganna snarks, ‘Still haven’t learnt how to dress yourself?’ Katie’s accent is inconsistent. Sometimes she lapses into hard American vowels, other times she has this soft Irish or Scottish burr happening. Of course, I don't know where she's from, she's the King's Ward, so maybe she's from far far away and isn't supposed to have the same accent anyway. You can tell I don't do my research, lol. :P

 

Arthur awesomes this line, ‘You don’t have a dog and fetch the stick yourself. No offense, Merlin.’ Mwahaha. I ask again, true love? Methinks not.

 

The great outdoors.

Will is really pissing me off. Merlin just said, ‘I don’t expect you to understand’, and he goes, ‘Try me,’ so you think he’d make some effort to actually try and, you know, understand but instead he takes the opportunity to guilt-trip Merlin and make him feel even worse about the whole thing.

I’m a big picture gal. Sure, I’d be pissed if someone didn’t feel my life was worth saving but I’d understand- even if I didn’t like it- that sometimes, a few lives need to be sacrificed for the greater good. I wouldn’t take it out on the person who’s being forced to choose the lesser of two evils, they have enough guilt and pressure and turmoil as it is.

 

Morgna, still looking effortlessly chic and unflustered despite toiling over the manufacture of weapons for their little insurrection.

 

‘Men aren’t the only ones who can fight.’

 

The ladies attempt to double team Arthur, but he’s less easily swayed or intimidated than Merlin and outright refuses to let women join the battle. Little shortsighted of him, considering that Morgana saved his life and all.

 

I’m interested in the fact that Gwen is the bad cop in this routine, boldly asserting, ‘We think the women should be allowed to fight’.

 

While Morgana takes the good cop role, gently persuading, ‘You haven’t enough men, if they were trained soldiers, maybe you’d stand a chance, but they’re not.’

 

Heh. Totally not plotting revenge, not at all...

Maybe they thought it’d have more impact if the meek, quiet Gwen took the assertive role, while fierce Morganna tried tact and patience, but whatever the motive, it fails. ‘Too dangerous,’ rules Arthur, as if the lives of everyone in the village won’t be forfeit should they fail. I never understood excluding women from battle when their future’s at stake, too.

I am so excited at the female friendship in this show. I watched Xena for that, til their relationship became too canon for me to ignore. It helped that the show also became crap, so I wasn’t missing much anyway.

 

Barn of harsh untruths.

 Will’s a frakwit. Merlin’s choosing not to use his power for legitimate reasons, so how is that an excuse for WILL to leave his people instead of staying and fighting?



Even if he was right in accusing Merlin of abandoning them, though he’s COMPLETELY WRONG, one man’s cowardice is not a legitimate reason for another man to do the same.

 

‘The women have as much right to fight for their lives as the men do.’

Oh, Gwen. You’re not half as pretty as Morganna- at least, not in the eyes of this beholder- but damn, you are nearly as awesome on occasion.

‘This is your village. If you want to fight to defend it, that’s your choice. I’d be honored to stand alongside you.’

Go, Arthur. This is why I love him so much. He could’ve given in grudgingly, given them permission in an ‘it’s your funeral’ manner. Instead, he honors them for their courage. You wouldn’t expect a man in these times to respect women who want to leave the kitchens and do men’s work in defending their home, and that makes his attitude all the more impressive. Maybe Morgana beating him when they were kids instilled a healthy respect for female capabilities? :P

 

I like his speech. That theme of how Kanen couldn’t defeat them because they’re fighting for something greater, for their freedom and their loved ones and their futures…damn, that made me want to cheer, although I think it’s cheesy.

 

The forest.

Arthur broods by a tree, since there are no balconies nearby. It must be harder for him, because looking down from high towers makes feeling superior so much easier but now he must make do with two feet on the ground like mere mortals.

Gwen brings him some food, and sasses him a little. Of course, she immediately regrets it, apologizes and rushes off. It’s funny how Arthur was all, ‘Gwen…Guinevere’, invoking her full name to stop her dead in her tracks. Hee.

I wonder how he’s so familiar with her. She’s Morganna’s servant, and Morganna only newly arrived in the first ep, didn’t she? So did Gwen come with her, or was she already at the castle? I’m pretty sure she was with Morganna because those two were very familiar with each other already, so…hmm. I wonder if it’s Merlin that brought these two together. There was that scene when Arthur was in lockup and Gwen brought him food, in order to procure the magic flower to cure Merlin. That could be a bonding experience for people.

 

Gwen: You’ll be fine.

Arthur: How can you be so sure?

Gwen: Because I have faith in you.

 

For the millionth time in this ep, AWW. She flutters about in confusion a moment later, but she’s already made it clear that she personally believes in him.


Arthur looks like he’s going to cry. I wish it had been Morganna cheering him up here, but I can’t begrudge them this scene. The interconnectedness between the awesome foursome is superb.

 

And yet another aww-inducing scene. What, are the writers trying to kill me with squee? It doesn’t matter that there aren’t that many shippy moments, I adore all the exchanges between these four. How unusual, for one who usually only invests herself in a show for the ship!

Still, how can one not be moved by Arthur giving Merlin his armour? I like to think of them as brothers, and him being the protective older brother looking out for the younger. Shaking hands, a sign that he thinks of them as equals. You don’t extend that courtesy to a mere servant.

 

Arthur: You ready?

Merlin: Throat’s dry.

Arthur: It’s been an honor.

 

I don’t believe Merlin was going to tell him. He wanted to, but I don’t believe he’d’ve wanted to jeopardize things at that point by revealing his secret.

 

Saved by Morganna! Excellent timing as always. And doesn’t she look smashing in soldier chic? The woman can’t put a foot wrong.

 

Battle.

 

Merlin’s mother, bless her, with a broom. *facepalm* I thought Morganna was worried about having more weapons than people? So why is one of the more important villagers, the mother of one of the four main conspirators, going into battle armed with a frakking broom? Not even a rake, which might scratch out their eyes and leave bleeding gashes?





'...a mighty princess, forged in the heat of battle...'

Morganna, being hardcore. God, I love this woman. And that little spinning move she makes, like a dancer, pirouetting under their guard and slashing at their stomach, gutting them in one smooth continuous movement. Okay, if we saw entrails and gushing blood, I’d be squicked out, but it’s all artsy and sanitized, so I’m good. :D

 

Gwen and her rake. She’s got the right idea, although she’s using it as a staff weapon. Not the cool Stargate kind, either. Just the regular Gabrielle-type staff. Heyyy, I see what they’re doing here. Morganna=Xena, Gwen=Gabrielle. Huh.

 

Arthur, Arthur. Tsk, tsk, that chainmail adds ten pounds. And you know, don’t get so caught up in the pose that you forget your face, as Next Top Model has taught us. There’s no point if everything neck-down looks good but your face is all contorted.

 

Morganna, otoh, looks uber cute with her fierce battle poses. See the scrunched up nose? *squishes*

 

Merlin and his blood lust. Of all the unexpected people to like the bloodshed.

 

Despite all these able-bodied willing noble people fighting for what's right and just in the world, the battle’s going against them. Who here thought life was fair? So Merlin calls up a teeny windstorm, that flings his people around as well as the bad, but it gets rid of most of Kanen’s men and those that remain are easy pickings for the broom-and-rake armed villagers.

 

The dude being dragged by his horse…*g* That’s pretty funny. :P

 

There is emotional music swelling as Kanen looks around to find his forces decimated, either fleeing or being bashed.



'NEVER UNDERSTIMATE A WOMAN AGAIN.' *STOMP STOMP STOMP*



Gwen with a sword at last!




I hate that it reaches its crescendo when the blonde chick executes a pretty obvious stunt punch. Ugh. That was when the full force of the music kicked in and she ruined it for me. Ugh again.

 

But it ain’t over yet, folks. Kanen returns for some more humiliation, this time in a one-on-one with Arthur.

 

Alexander Siddig wins for the most overacting of the ep. Since he’s a veteran of a seven year show, you’d think he’d have that under control, but no.

 

And I call foul on the sword slash. It’s at an odd angle, like they purposefully had it slide between Siddig’s arm and side because they couldn’t afford super cool special effects, and as a result, it doesn’t look like a fatal strike. Arthur should’ve, gee, I don’t know, stabbed him again, maybe hacked off his head to make sure he was really dead?

 

But I guess he was too preoccupied with hating on the magic user that won them their battle. Ungrateful brat. This is the face of injured pride, no doubt.

 

Jesus Christ, he had all the time in the world to shove Arthur out of the way and duck himself. What’s with people that play hero and then stand stricken like a deer in the headlights, waiting to be killed? *thumps head repeatedly*

 

At least it gave Merlin a scapegoat. Although you’d think Arthur would be a bit more appreciative of magic users when they save his hide. He claps Will on the shoulder, and is rather kind to him, but I think that was only because the man was dying. If he’d saved his life and survived, I wonder what Arthur would have done, thinking he was the one that used magic?

I still hate Will from earlier in the ep, but I have to admit softening toward him for saving Arthur’s life, and for being able to banter while on the brink of death.

Arthur: You saved my life.

Will: Yeah, don’t know what I was thinking.

:D

No one even tries to yank the arrow out. Couldn’t they have done something? Couldn’t Merlin have used magic to heal him?

 

At the funeral for his childhood friend, all his mother can say is, ‘You’d better be going’? Talk about ungrateful! I know they must’ve had other conversations somewhere, but this is the first post-battle interaction we’ve seen, and I'm expecting wrods of sympathy but it’s kinda like, ‘Well, son, you’ve served your purpose here, be off with you’. O.o

 

‘I’ve seen how much he needs you. How much you need him. You’re like two sides of the same coin.’

 

It’s so nice to see a character without mommy issues, you know? This is sweet.

 

AHHH, NARNIA. Come on, it’s so obvious, don’t you think? Two sons of Adam, two daughters of Eve? One dark, one fair in both male and female pairs? As I’ve said, Arthur is Peter, the High King; Merlin is Edmund, Morganna is Susan and Gwen is sweet little Lucy.

 

I'm probably going to hate this show before long, and regard it with bitter disappointment and cynicism, but for now, life is sweet. :D

ETA: I hate myself for that typo. It's going to haunt me for the rest of my life. And I can't fix it. *angsts*

Comments

[frostheavens.livejournal.com]

As far as I remember, Bionic Woman only went on for 8 episodes? I was so bummed because I really enjoyed it! But yeah, a very bad reception to it.

[borg-princess.livejournal.com]

Bionic Woman only went on for 8 episodes?

Ugh, I hate imdb.com. I just checked to confirm how many eps there were and my heart leapt when I saw it listed 14- but when I clicked on the link, it turned out they were just speculated episodes that were never actually filmed. Double ugh. I got my hopes up and then they were dashed. Talk about hopelash. >:[

But dude, BW was made of awesome. And I was just getting hooked on BSG at the time, so the fact that Katee Sackhoff- aka Starbuck- was teh Big Evil of this show? Was super cool.

My favorite ep was when they were babysitting this spoilt rich teen, and Sarah was so wacko crazy and like, 'Let the adults talk now OR I'LL BASH YOUR HEAD IN' and the girl's like, EEP. *shuts up* :D

[frostheavens.livejournal.com]

I know, sorry babe :(

: D I know! Love the feisty women. HELLO MORGANA

[borg-princess.livejournal.com]

Ha, may I just say I adore your icon? Speak of feisty, independent strong-willed women! *huggles*

Morgana is my reason for watching Merlin. Even though I'm the romantic idealist sort, and I'm in pain because I KNOW this story ain't gonna end well unless the writers stray way way away from the legends, she lured me in with her awesome and I can't escape!

[frostheavens.livejournal.com]

:D When I found that icon, I was all !_! They made a show from about my life? With Tori Spelling as lead no less ¬_¬

She lures me in with her amazing cleavage. And yeah, other important profound stuff *coughs*

[borg-princess.livejournal.com]

I want an icon of my life! Oh, wait, it's probably this one. :D

She lures me in with her amazing cleavage. And yeah, other important profound stuff *coughs*

Ahaha! You sound like me, I'm all, 'Morgana is so pretty, with great hair and an awesome wardrobe and she's so beautiful and yeah, did I mention she was pretty?' I sound sooo shallow. *headdesk* It's not like I don't love her for more than just her appearance but dude- you can't ignore the beauty, am I right? I think it's doing her a disservice if you ignore her appearance and focus solely on her brain and her personality and stuff. Because I'm sure it takes a lot of work to look like that. Or I like to think so, because it pains me otherwise. I need to maintain the illusion that people suffer and sweat to look that amazing. :P

[frostheavens.livejournal.com]

LOL IT'S A CLASSIC

Definitely, you can't ignore the fact that she's drop-dead gorgeous. I also have to tell myself she kills herself to look the way she does :'(

[llivla.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, a stupid leaf prevented me from capping Arthur, so we are currently lacking High King Peter, the Magnificent.

Arthur didn't leave with them, though. ;) He arrived later that night, probably had to sneak out or have Uther thrown him in the dungeons to keep him from helping Merlin; in Uther's (logical) mind, if Arthur was recognized and reported it wouldn't have looked good. Contrasted to Morgana, who left in daylight. I realllllly wanted to have an extra scene at the end of the ep getting back to Camelot and explaining to Uther where they'd been.

And I'm pretty sure Gwen and her father were already living in Camelot long before Morgana arrived: her father has a pretty big reputation for his craft in Camelot.

[borg-princess.livejournal.com]

Arthur didn't leave with them, though. ;)

Aha! I assumed he had because he was there at the camp for his bonding session with Merlin...OMG, THANK YOU, I GET IT NOW. Merlin heard Arthur arriving, that's why he went out alone in the dark to investigate [in X-files, this is where the Monster of the Week would've mauled or eaten him, lol].

And that's why Arthur was dressed in chainmail at that hour of the night. *lightbulb flashes* It all makes sense. I'd feel lame for not realizing sooner but...well, there were a bunch of people on horses and there were different camera angles on them, so I didn't realize he wasn't there. It's not my fault...

I realllllly wanted to have an extra scene at the end of the ep getting back to Camelot and explaining to Uther where they'd been.

IKR?! You know, I always wondered why this ep didn't have greater repercussions. I mean, they went into this other dude's territory, and bashed up or killed a lot of people in his jurisdiction, so aren't there grounds for war, as Uther feared? Wouldn't this sort of news spread, about villagers withstanding attack from armed mercenary types, and then Uther would figure out that his people were involved? Why mention all the obstacles to them offering aid, then disregard any consequences at the end? Of course, I like happily ever afters even while I criticize them mercilessly, but come on, nothing happens. Really?

And I'm pretty sure Gwen and her father were already living in Camelot long before Morgana arrived: her father has a pretty big reputation for his craft in Camelot.


Ahh, good points. I'm so new to the fandom, I don't even know some of the characters' last names. Ignorantia legis neminem excusat , lol, but I'm terrible with keeping canon straight in fandoms I've belonged to for years, so... *headdesk* Thanks for pointing out my errors and clearing up some confusion! *huggles*

I have to say, given Gwen's lack of history with Morgana, I'm surprised that they're such good friends. Most ladies of her class wouldn't regard servants like that, would they? It'd be all disdain and haughtiness, I'd imagine. Not that I know anything about Morgana's childhood, maybe she grew up in a liberal household. *shrugs*

[doylefan22.livejournal.com]

To answer one of your questions, Morgana arrived in Camelot when she was ten. Her father died and she became Uther's ward.

You find out more about this in episode 12 which imo is the best of the series.

[borg-princess.livejournal.com]

Ah, I've heard a lot about episode 12- and the title's pretty provocative, so I'm looking forward to seeing it. *bounces*

Thanks for filling in the gaps of my Morgana knowledge. I've been in the fandom for a week, literally, so I'm rather clueless atm. *facepalm*

I'm a little surprised at learning she was there since the age of 10- I guess I totally misread Arthur's reaction to her in the first ep. He's all like, 'god have mercy' and my impression was that he hadn't seen her in a few years and just realized she was all grown up. I mean, Morgana dresses up all the time, so I'd think it was odd he'd have that strong a reaction to her... *shrugs* He's a guy, though. Maybe it took a bit more skin than usual to make him realize she's utterly stunning. :D

[katakokk.livejournal.com]

...Wait, they plan to seperate the fourtet? WHAT NOW?

Hahahah, I love your Narnia parallels. And I agree. Merlin = Edmund ♥

[borg-princess.livejournal.com]

Hee, thanks, I'm glad someone agrees with me re: Narnia! It'd be so epic if someone ficced a crossover between those fandoms, lol. Just when the Pevensie kids thought they were done with fairytale kingdoms, they land in the middle of another. :P

Oh, and re: the fourtet separation- it was just speculation based on how people thought the angst of the legend would be incorporated into the show. Personally, I'm all for the AU where they all love each other and are good friends forever instead of death and evil and betrayal. *clings to fantasy*

[katakokk.livejournal.com]

People don't agree with the Narnia parallels? Shame on them. They're so blatant (especially the riding through the forest caps...very end of LWW movie)....and wonderful ♥

Well, yeah, I'm kinda hoping they don't, but at the same time I really want it. It would be ridiculously sad, and either amazing or fail (depending on the way it's pulled off and the acting, but it's more likely to be amazing). But, if it were to be happy ending of glee, then I would have stuff to work with for my fanfiction (which is primarily angst).

[gillianinoz.livejournal.com]

It took me w hile to recognise Nimue, but not from Bionic Woman, which I've never seen. I had actually seen her in 100's of East Ender eps, but she was a teenager then, thinner and more leggy. She's a beauty though, with stunning eyes.

I'm sensing you like Morgana, yes? ;-)

BTW, you mention you think she arrived in the first ep, she's actually been Uther's ward since she was 10 or 12 (can't recall which). I think she and Arthur pretty much grew up together, which is probably when she beat him at sword fighting.

I thought I was ready for Arthur to learn Merlin's secret in this ep, but upon reflection I agree with you. Arthur's not ready, it would just put him in a bad position with his Dad. I think Arthur needs to learn the secret of his conception, and of course the fact that his father was quite happy to use magic for his own selfish purposes, and the last 20 years of setting fire to sorcerers is just a really long dummy-spit because his deal went sour.

I really like the show, flaws and all. In truth I've never seen a truly perfect show, and a few minor flaws don't bug me that much. I agree about BSG too - I only made it through the first season - it was so depressing!

Nice recap!

[borg-princess.livejournal.com]

You know, I've heard of East Enders but have no idea what it's about. I tend to watch shows either for actors or the strong independent female types that I can worship and vicariously live through, and Michelle Ryan might be reason enough to give the show a try.

Ohh, what gave away my love for Morgana? :P

Yah, I've been corrected on my history- I feel so ashamed. Still, I've been obsessed with the show for a WEEK, and it's all I can do to keep characters and their relationships straight, you know? I'll get the hang of it soon enough, hopefully.

I wonder if Morgana and Gwen grew up together and that's why they're such good friends? It wouldn't make sense otherwise, because I don't see a lady of her stature deigning to mix with the lower class in a lot of cases.

There's a secret about Arthur's conception?! I'm watching eps out of chronological order, based on their availability [sadly, a lot of d/l links are dead since the show's been on for a while]. I think in the legends, his mother was raped to conceive him- though I don't think the show would be eager to incorporate that in, lol. I'm just glad they removed the sibling/incest angle between Arthur and Morgana. *sighs with relief*

Uther is such an egomaniac. I agree and even sympathize on some decisions, but dude. Seriously. There are good people and bad people in the world- having magic doesn't necessarily alter their fundamental character. Look at poor Merlin, running himself ragged, getting put in the stocks over and over [just watched ep 7!] for Athur's sake, risking every to save his life. Damn Uther and his wilful blindness.

If I have to choose, I'd rather a happy, light-hearted show with characters that are friends and can depend on each other, rather than bleak angst of betrayal and deceit. While BSG might be lauded for 'gritty reality' and 'social relevance', I'd go for Merlin every time. The world's dreary enough- I want a bit of cheer and happiness. :D

Nice recap!

*huggles* Thank you! ♥

[lilithilien.livejournal.com]

Interesting recap. I'm a slasher so I've got a very different perspective on the show, but it was kind of interesting to read how someone who's not interprets things (like what's going on with Will, which I see as pure jealousy and dealing with an ex).

But anyway, I just wanted to clarify a couple of things. Someone's already mentioned that Arthur didn't originally leave with them but came later, which is quite a significant plot point.

Another is that Morgana's been in Camelot since she was ten, when her father died and Uther took her in as his ward. It's hinted at throughout the series (including her mention here of beating Arthur when they were kids) but it's made explicit in #11.

As for Merlin's magic and spells, the sense I got from that was that he has been learning spells since getting to Camelot. When he first arrived he didn't use them, he simply 'thought' and things happened (the bed catching Gaius, the mace catching on the hooks, etc.). He's been studying since then and learning to control it - the dragon he made (a Pendragon, notably) is something I thought he'd picked up since getting to Camelot. (Hence Hunith's smile to see that yes, her boy is learning.)

Katie’s accent is inconsistent. Sometimes she lapses into hard American vowels, other times she has this soft Irish or Scottish burr happening.

Actually, no, Katie's accent is a very consistent Dublin accent (where she's from). She doesn't put on anything different here (not like Colin, who occasionally, when he gets worked up, let his Northern Irish vowels escape). The Dublin accent--I should say the south Dublin accent that she has--is very soft and less noticeable to American ears.

Anyway, interesting recap, thanks for posting!

[lilithilien.livejournal.com]

Oh, totally forgot to mention, you win big points for pointing out the parallel of Arthur/Merlin to Rochester/Jane. Well done!

[borg-princess.livejournal.com]

Hee, thanks! Yah, I'm not a slasher and I'm not likely to cross over, but this show makes Arthur/Merlin so damn near canon that I couldn't help myself. I may not ship them, but when the show is so obvious about it, I need to point out the shippiness and romantic parallels as an impartial bystander, despite being a supporter of another ship, who is also noticing this subtext.

The funny thing is, if there was ever a ship that was likely to convert me to slash, Arthur/Merlin would be it. They're just so adorable together. I prefer them as friends, but I can see the possibility of something more, because TPTB are not even trying to be covert with it, hee.

I just don't understand people who bash other ships and act like they don't exist. I love my Arthur/Morgana but I can acknowledge that TPTB are clearly in love with Arthur/Merlin and spend more time devoted to them- although also keeping their options open by floating all ships simultaneously, lol.

[lilithilien.livejournal.com]

Well, my version of Camelot is very polyamourous. I'd be thrilled to see a big pile of Merlin and Gwen and Arthur and Morgana and Lancelot, with Nimueh watching through her scrying bowl. I'll be sad when they inevitably pair them all off, I think the show will lose a lot of its appeal for me when that happens.

[borg-princess.livejournal.com]

ITA. I'm in love with the 'fourtet'- btw, who decided to name them thusly? Quartet didn't work well enough?!- and when they pair off, it's going to affect that team dynamic I enjoy seeing. If they can hold off for another season on canon ships, I'll be happy. *hopes*

[borg-princess.livejournal.com]

I've headdesked over my mistakes to the point I've destroyed that hypothetical desk, lol. I'm in love with this show, but my attention to detail? It is lacking. :[ So thanks for correcting my mistakes and helping piece the puzzle together. :D

I'm terrible with accents, as you can tell. I can identify 'standard American', Indian, Asian [yes, I lump it all under one category, I'm terrible] and then I throw a pin at the world map and guess at the rest. What accent is the cast supposed to be using? I thought, you know, it's Camelot, so like, a British kind of accent...? There are a few places where she does sound markedly different than usual, like, she stresses a syllable differently or something, and that's when I notice and wonder, 'hmm, what is she SUPPOSED to sound like?' But most of the time, I don't really notice a difference between her and the other cast members. *shameface*

Arthur's reaction to Morgana surprises when I hear that she's been living there since age 10. You think he'd be used to how gorgeous she is already, right? She dresses up all the time, I mean, come on, he's not blind. But, I don't know, maybe he needed her to expose more skin or something before it hit him how attractive she is?

Merlin's abilities...puzzled me at first. I thought if he can do things instinctively, why did he need a book? But I think he only really knows practical applications of his magic, like moving furniture or breaking branches and calling up wind, but more 'magical' things like summoning a representation of a dragon from fire or making artificial things into living creatures would be outside of his knowledge because they aren't things he'd ordinarily do, and that's where studying comes in. The more unusual elements aren't as instinctive or come naturally to him, if that makes sense.

interesting recap, thanks for posting!

Thank you for the conversation! *huggles* I'm glad I worked up the nerve to post this! I was afraid I'd look like an idiot, and well, I kind of did, but it was fun chatting with people. :D

[lilithilien.livejournal.com]

I had a typo earlier - I said it was in 11 where you find out about Morgana's background, but I meant to say 12. That's the ep that's all about Morgana and you learn about her father and how she came to be in Camelot (which is so far from the legends that it breaks my brain, but whatever).

As for their accents, I really hate to say it's a "British" accent because there are so many of those, and they're not going for Received Pronunciation (i.e., Queen's English) either. Basically, they just seem to be using a bit more enunciated versions of their natural accents (save Colin, of course, who's putting on an English accent, but I could not tell you what region -- my ear's attuned to Irish accents, not British ones). But Katie has the same accent that I used to when I lived in Dublin.

I think Arthur's confusion over Morgana is that he's been living with this girl who he's thought of as his sister for years, and now that they're growing up, all of a sudden he sees her as a sexual creature. That doesn't seem that extraordinary to me. It seems they've both grown up dismissing/teasing each other. Now they're starting to do that in the sexual arena (Morgana more actively, it seems, with her revealing dresses and all, which makes sense since girls mature earlier).

I think you're right about the practical applications of magic. I also think that now that the enemies he's facing are magical, he needs to study to understand/defeat them. His magic is different, as Gaius points out, but elemental magic might be too unfocused to enchant a sword to slay an griffon or to transform a stone dog.

[borg-princess.livejournal.com]

Okay, your interpretation of Arthur's reaction to Morgana makes sense to me, it seems quite obvious now. See, I didn't feel like her dress made that much difference because I always thought she was lovely, but to a guy, having grown up with her, I suppose that with her wearing such a revealing outfit probably hit him all of a sudden that this isn't his pseudo-baby sister anymore.

Everyone keeps saying how awesome ep 12 is! I'm studying for exams this week, and it's tearing me apart that I don't have time to d/l it! *angsts* And lol, I'm okay with the show ignoring the legends, it increases the likelihood of me continuing to love the show. The legends are heartbreaking.

Hmm, I need to go look for more Merlin icons. They're underrepresented in my userpics. *frowns*

[stardreemer.livejournal.com]

Nice review!

I found you on one of the Merlin groups and I see you are a fan of The Lost World as well. Mind if I friend you?

Also, all the Merlin episodes are up on Youtube. I can give you the link if you want.

[borg-princess.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I never expected people to be this interested in this recap, lol, but it's hard to turn off my brain when it's constantly making snarky comments or questioning the plot or issuing fangirlish orders like 'CAP THE PRETTIES', hee.

Dear god, another TLW fan?! My heart might burst for joy. :D I constantly berate myself for being born so late, after all the shows I love are finished and I lose the chance to bask in fandom glee. It's kinda sad, like, all these years after the show ended, but I'm making fanvids and trying to write a fic. *headdesk* I'm too addicted to help myself, though.

Btw, thanks, but I'm all right d/l the eps. I go to the public library and use their computers, lol. *iz evil*

Oh, and friending back! *squishes* :D

[stardreemer.livejournal.com]

I actually watched TLW when it aired (I must be old....) but I really had no idea what fandom was at the time so I kind of missed the boat as well. Bud I do love the show! I own all three seasons on DVD and I still watch it all the time.

[borg-princess.livejournal.com]

*squishes* I kept missing the boat on pretty much all my fandoms. X-files, Stargate, Star Trek... Criminal Minds is like, the only one I've been able to join without finding it's over or canceled, lol. *knocks on wood* Oh, and Merlin, of course. It is coming back, right? *angsts* Otherwise I'm gonna think I'm the fandom killer, and that'd just crush me completely. >_<

I love that TLW is a show you can watch over and over, pick an ep at random and sit back and enjoy. *sighs with pleasure*

[sunkrux.livejournal.com]

I loved Michelle Ryan as BW. She's also really good in the BBC Mini-series, Jekyll. :D There's a rumor that she'll be in one of the Dr. Who specials with David Tennant. *squee*