Merlin 4.02
Oct. 8th, 2011 06:50 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
corilannamAside from a few moments of dissatisfaction, I absolutely fucking loved this episode. That's two in a row! What's up with that, show?
Once again, the cinematography was incredible. They've obviously committed some money and effort to finally making the show look and feel truly epic, and I think it's paying off. It doesn't look like a kiddie show anymore, which helps me take the story more seriously. I wonder if the STARZ Camelot lit a fire under the BBC's ass last season?
In any case, loved the sweeping shots, the knights thundering past, the gorgeous contrast of cloaks and fire against the blue-grey gloom. I want a million screenshots.
I'll take the main threads one at a time:
Arthur and the Knights -- I just adore the brotherhood of the knights. I love their relationships with each other, the teasing, the battlefield humor, the loyalty to each other and their leader. You can really see how much they love Arthur and how they're bound by their loyalty to him. But they also talk frankly to him and do their best to take care of him. I love that Leon's whole job is pretty much Arthur Nanny now. Their conversations were wonderful, though I loved Arthur's moments with Elyan even more. They apparently haven't forgotten that these two are going to be brothers-in-law someday soon, even if Elyan isn't allowed to talk to his actual sister anymore. The whole sequence in the wildren tunnels was just fantastic. Arthur is a magnificent leader.
My dissatisfaction: Gwaine. I loved him as comic relief, but I would also like to see him have at least a few serious lines/moments, too. I don't even care with whom he does it. But the Gwaine/Percival moment was total fanservice, and I approve. But I want to start seeing Gwaine getting to be heroic and someone else fucking up, too.
Merlin and Lancelot -- Man, I just love everything about these two together. They have always understood each other in a way that no one else really does. Merlin's line "See, I'm not entirely useless" just about broke me. It still hurts him that Arthur can't know everything Merlin's done, and Lancelot is the only person he can show that to.
Their conversation about Arthur and Gwen was heartbreaking. "Arthur loves her, and she's happy." So sad, especially because there is absolutely nothing about Gwen that's happy right now. My head canon for a couple of seasons now has been that Lancelot loves Gwen and Merlin loves Arthur and they both just have to watch and step back and try to let them be happy no matter how much it hurts, and that conversation played into that like crazy. *sob* The bit about how there has to be something you care about more than anything -- for Lancelot, that's obviously Gwen, and for Merlin, without question it's Arthur. Their love rhombus makes my head and heart ache.
Though if his sacred mission was to carry out Gwen's command and make sure Arthur returns, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense that he volunteered to take Merlin back to Camelot so Arthur could carry on the quest, does it? That takes him away from Arthur's side, and it was a missed opportunity to just send Arthur back with Merlin and carry on with the quest himself. I like to imagine that a tiny part of him was happy to be relieved of his obligation to Gwen by what he saw as a greater obligation to Merlin (and Arthur).
Lancelot is really stepping into his legend, isn't he? I loved that the water spirits (veela?) knew him, and I adored the acknowledgment from the dragon (although I think the dragon could not have been more obviously trying to manipulate the outcome of this episode -- "GEE, MERLIN, IT WOULD BE SO SAD IF YOU SACRIFICED YOURSELF WHEN YOU HAVE SUCH A GREAT DESTINY STILL AHEAD OF YOU. THE WORLD WOULD BE SO EMPTY WITHOUT YOU. SUCH A SHAME THERE'S NO ONE ELSE WITHIN EARSHOT WHO MAYBE FEELS LIKE THEY HAVE NOTHING LEFT TO LIVE FOR RIGHT NOW. BUMMER, RIGHT?")
But I love that Merlin and Kilgarrah are buddies now, with a lot of mutual respect and even some affection.
Meanwhile, back at the castle -- The Camelot plot line was such a mixture of "awesome!" and "ugh!" for me. I completely loved Gwen standing up to Agravaine and the entire council and forcing them to back down with her bad-ass logic skills. YEAH GIRL. I especially loved that she looked completely terrified, but she did it anyway, because unlike Morgana, she does actually care about the people.
I also loved her little scene with Uther, before Agravaine came in. I'm not even sure I can articulate why it was so powerful, but wow, I loved it.
My dissatisfaction: Agravaine. I dunno, you guys, I am just not feeling Agravaine. Every time I look at him, I feel like a middle-aged fanboy cosplaying Snape has sneaked onto the set and photobombed (videobombed?) the episode. He's creepy, but not in a good way. If he invited me to his private chambers, I would make every effort to be elsewhere. I do not get why he is with Morgana, other than their mutual hatred of Uther. But Agravaine doesn't need Morgana. He just has to get rid of Uther and Arthur (not really that hard, if evil would just put some fucking effort into their schemes) and he can be king in his own right. Arthur practically shoved the crown onto his head before he left. If he's Ygraine's brother, why the hell is he so cozy with the bastard daughter of the woman Uther was cheating on Ygraine with? I DO NOT GET IT.
Also, Morgana's hatred for Gwen based on that one vision is so irrational. KILLING GWEN IS NOT GOING TO MAKE YOU QUEEN. GWEN IS ONLY GOING TO BE QUEEN IF SHE MARRIES ARTHUR. You want to keep Gwen off the throne? KILL ARTHUR.
Sorry for shouting, but geez, that drives me nuts. I guess it's somewhat realistic, though -- it seems like women often develop irrational resentment toward other women, when it's not actually the woman who's the problem.
I do appreciate that they at least tried to give an explanation for why they just knocked Gwen out and left her there instead of, you know, actually killing her. Evil is still pretty ineffectual, but better a dumb explanation than the usual no explanation, I guess. They just can't seem to write Morgana in a way that works for me, though, which makes me really sad. I'm just so tired of her just sitting around and waiting for someone else to either tell her what to do or do it for her.
The beginning and the ending, aka IT'S MERLIN/ARTHUR TIME NOW -- Oh, my heart. My heart. Merlin's desperation to stay with Arthur even though he can barely lift his head. Arthur's actual indecision about whether he can carry on with the quest, to the point where he has to be talked into it by the knights because all he wants is to grab Merlin and race back to Camelot with him so that Gaius can fix him, dammit.
And then Arthur's quiet anguish over Merlin never ends. I just. I mean. *flail* It's just killing him not to be the one to go with Merlin, not to be able to save him, to know that he'll probably never see Merlin again and will never know if Merlin made it or not. OMG. I am actually tearing up just typing this. He's got it all bottled up because he has to be able to do his duty, but it's leaking out all over the place, to the point where Leon has to have a Special Talk with him about it.
And when Lancelot comes back, and is all like, "bad news, bro," I swear Arthur looks like he's about to pass out. Then even more so when Merlin appears, all healthy and looking awesome. He wanted to hug Merlin SO BADLY it almost hurt to watch -- and then the hair touching! And the arm around his shoulders! Oh man, that one moment was better than all of last series combined.
Their fireside chat was a thing of deliberately obtuse beauty. I think neither of them minds dying as long as they can be together until the end.
The Rift is apparently just moonlighting on various Cardiff-based shows now -- For once, the process of rendering everyone who can't know about Merlin's magic either absent or unconscious actually made sense. Though I have to admit, when Gwaine came along with Arthur, Merlin, and Lancelot, I had a totally wild (and obviously fruitless) hope that he was going to find out about Merlin's magic and could take Lancelot's place as Merlin's knightly confidante.
"Do you give yourself to the spirits to save your prince?" Yeah, even the mystical crone who obviously doesn't get out much knows the score on that one.
As a sidenote: I am still loving how the supernatural world is acknowledging Merlin as Emrys. I adored the water spirits telling Lancelot that Merlin had great power, and a future that has been written since the dawn of time. Oooh, shivers. And now the Cailleach -- "Your time among men is not yet over, even if you want it to be." So what is Emrys? I'm not sure I want the show to really try to answer that in any further detail or not.
Though -- did Colin have a cold while filming, or is this just his new "Emrys voice"? I'm not complaining, but it's kind of weird to hear him so gravely.
Now, Lancelot's sacrifice was pretty obvious last week, and I can't imagine anyone (except Merlin) was actually surprised by the time it happened. But when he walked into the rift, I was still pounding my fists on the couch and yelling "Damn! Oh God! LANCELOOOOOOOOOT!"
I loved that his sacrifice was so quiet and noble, just like him. No grandstanding, no great declarations, just a simple look of affection and resignation, and then he does what he has to do. Oh man, now I'm crying again. Even though I'm pretty sure he'll be back.
I liked the end, but it was a shame that it was so rushed. I wanted a bit more mourning for poor Lancelot. I wanted to see Arthur find out, I wanted to see Gwen find out. Even a slo-mo montage of that would have been fine.
But I did love Gwen's confession to Arthur at the end (although Angel's crying face is... kind of unfortunate). It confirms she knew damn well what she was doing when she lay that mission on Lancelot. She was the one who determined the sacrifice -- Lancelot's life for Arthur's, and despite her grief and guilt, she would make that choice again and again. Camelot needs Arthur more than Gwen needs Lancelot. I liked that Arthur didn't try to comfort her with more than a touch. He understands better than anyone what it's like to ask someone to die for you and to have to live with that afterward.
Next week looks promising.
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Date: 2011-10-08 11:01 pm (UTC)Thank you. You've made me feel better and accept that scene a bit more now. Because I hadn't seen it that way, but you're right. It was befitting for him.
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Date: 2011-10-09 12:12 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-10-08 11:18 pm (UTC)Oh man, that one moment was better than all of last series combined.
I totally agree. I was just saying how there have been more good A/M moments this season than in season 3 already. (Also, the way Arthur kind of cupped Merlin's head might have made me go adskjsf on a completely different level, haha.)
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Date: 2011-10-09 12:24 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-10-08 11:46 pm (UTC)Their love rhombus makes my head and heart ache.
GOD. Merlin's shifty look at the end of that scene. It was like they were making it canon.
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Date: 2011-10-09 12:31 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-10-09 12:33 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-10-09 12:08 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-10-09 12:35 am (UTC)They were on the road together for at least a couple days before joining up with the knights. Comfort sex along the way seems like a logical, nearly inevitable conclusion!
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Date: 2011-10-09 12:17 am (UTC)The only way I can deal with Morgana at all is by clinging to my head-canon that the real Morgana never came back after the end of series 2, and the one we've been seeing since then is a doppelganger conjured up by Morgause with Morgana's memories but none of her personality. The real Morgana is off hanging out with the druids or something, yep.
Oh man, that one moment was better than all of last series combined.
YES. YES IT WAS. Everything about Arthur & Merlin in this one was wonderful, Arthur's devastation at having to send Merlin away and how he was so quiet and subdued while Merlin was gone, and basically every single thing about his face during the reunion bits. I also really love that "a good servant is hard to find" bit - that that, rather than something about responsibility or duty or whatever, was his explanation for why he had to sacrifice himself instead of letting Merlin do it.
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Date: 2011-10-09 12:34 am (UTC)This is the most delightful picture I've had in my head in ages, thank you.
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Date: 2011-10-09 02:59 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-10-09 12:39 am (UTC)Oh. My. God. I am completely besotted with this image.
And then he has to present his report to Uther, who then shoves him into a wildren den and tells him not to come out until they're all dead.
I like your Morgana head canon! I could totally go with that. The only other alternative is magical brainwashing.
I think those lines about "good servants" and "we could've been friends" have become their private code for "I love you so much."
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Date: 2011-10-09 03:02 am (UTC)Yes, absolutely. I reckon that shoulder pat is also Arthur's code for "I want to hug you and squish you and never let you go, but the
kidsknights are watching, so uh."no subject
Date: 2011-10-09 12:30 am (UTC)I don't think the Gwaine we love is gone. I think, out of all the knights, he is the most amusing and comical. Even fanfic plays on that quite a bit. I really think that it was just too much of a good thing and while some moments worked, others did not. Previously, we have only really seen Gwaine truly interacting with Arthur and/or Merlin. I think they need to work out the kinks of his dynamic with the rest of the Knights included in the mix.
Now, Lancelot's sacrifice was pretty obvious last week, and I can't imagine anyone (except Merlin) was actually surprised by the time it happened. But when he walked into the rift, I was still pounding my fists on the couch and yelling "Damn! Oh God! LANCELOOOOOOOOOT!"
I loved that his sacrifice was so quiet and noble, just like him. No grandstanding, no great declarations, just a simple look of affection and resignation, and then he does what he has to do.
YES! So much YES! I am the same. I knew it was coming and, yet, it was still a punch in the gut and he broke my heart anyway.
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Date: 2011-10-09 12:46 am (UTC)My hope is that they were just giving the other knights like Percival and Elyan and Leon some extra screen time to establish their personalities on the assumption that Gwaine already got quite a lot of development last series, so we already know him. So we'll see how it goes in the next few episodes. Hopefully they'll work out that knightly dynamic so that everyone is fleshed out and awesome.
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Date: 2011-10-09 12:43 am (UTC)I love that Leon's whole job is pretty much Arthur Nanny now.
This, so much. As much as I was like damn son, that's cold. It's the kind of balance Arthur needs. Especially since he's in love and acting like a fool in love sometimes.
I loved the moment with Elyan so much. It really spoke to how casual they are together. Kind of physical and honest and great. And I loved seeing Elyan just flat out be like okay Arthur, you need to break this down for me. It endeared him to me even more.
Everything about Kilgharrah's scene made me so fucking happy I couldn't even deal. Merlin's little bow! Kilgharrah being SUCH AN ASSHOLE as usual and emotionally manipulating everyone ever. Lancelot's FACE. He was like oh FUCK. Later on when they were riding away I pictured their poor horses being like jfc did you see that dragon? FML. But really, I love Kilgharrah. I love how morally dubious he is and how he's really a FRIEND to Merlin now and how screwed up that is. Also he got prettier. Nice facelift, slashdragon.
I loved the cool things Gwen did. I did not love the clunky subterfuge and weird attempted murder and Morgana skulking around bizarrely. Though I did love how she was like bitch I don't even need to turn around to murder you. (To that redshirt.)
The Merlin/Arthur moments were OUTSTANDING. I could not BELIEVE how obviously wrecked they played Arthur as after Merlin was gone. He was droning through everything. Eh, gaia berries (THAT REMIND ME OF MY PROBABLY DEAD BOYFRIEND, FML) eh, Gwaine's feet are on fire, eh, we might die, sigh, sigh sigh sighsighghghhghhhhh. HOLY SHIT. So awesome. Then his FACE. GOD. AND THE TOUCHING. HE TOUCHED HIS NECK AKSDAKLJDHALKSDJA AND PUT HIS ARM AROUND HIM. God I really loved that. My little shippy heart exploded.
Cailliajkhxx ships it.
I'm really loving all the magic loving on Merlin too. The boy needs some love.
ALSO, Colin was outstanding and so pretty in this episode. I mean, this is always my view but I thought he looked extra pretty. And the scene wtih Merlin all sassy-like telling Lancelot no, he doesn't ever listen to people. LOVED the brief confidence. He's carrying so much pain and loneliness and I LOVE seeing him be sure of himself, even if it's silly.
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Date: 2011-10-09 01:00 am (UTC)It was pretty cool when Morgana offed that redshirt (er, red tabard?) without even looking. Though unfortunately, it also served to emphasize how ridiculous it was that she couldn't manage to kill Gwen.
I could not BELIEVE how obviously wrecked they played Arthur as after Merlin was gone.
I KNOW!!!! And then even better, Leon totally called him on it, because it was so obvious to everyone why Arthur was so distressed and depressed (sighhhhhhhhhhhhhhh). I seriously can deal with anything else if we can just have the M/A relationship be like this. Please?
Colin gets prettier and prettier every scene he's in. Even frozen. He just can't help it. Merlin has a lot of confidence so far this season, and I'm loving it. He still has the pain and loneliness, but he's so sure of his purpose and his power now. It's fantastic, and I'm really going to miss Lancelot if only because he was the only person Merlin can really show that to openly. Well, and to Gaius, but that's not quite the same.
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Date: 2011-10-09 12:50 am (UTC)...
You did not just stick that thought into my head. I will never be able to get it out. EVER. :/
I loved that his sacrifice was so quiet and noble, just like him.
oh, lovely way to put it.
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Date: 2011-10-09 01:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-10-09 02:50 am (UTC)welllll this show also had the fairies try to kill Arthur, and then two seasons down the line, reveal that they wanted to keep him alive so they could make him marry one of their own kind .-. sighhhh, oh this show.
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Date: 2011-10-10 04:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-10-09 02:59 am (UTC)That seriously made me lol. Nice.
Really like what you said about Lancelot and his sacrifice. And, yeah, moments of dissatisfaction but as a whole did like that ep. And it is looking beautiful this year too!
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Date: 2011-10-10 04:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-10-09 06:11 am (UTC)2) Still can't get a solid read on Agravaine, other than he wants to avenge his sister and bump uglies with Morgana.
3) I don't need to say it about Merlin and Arthur, right? I mean, Poor Arthur. He has no idea how to express how lost he is without Merlin. It gives me cavities.
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Date: 2011-10-10 04:38 pm (UTC)I know, Arthur is so lost without Merlin. He's just got to button himself up nice and tight to get through it, but obviously everyone can tell!
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Date: 2011-10-09 04:06 pm (UTC)Yes, to that, and that, and the other thing.
Agravaine... potentially great evil guy, except for how they forgot the charisma. How thrilling would Arthur giving him the keys have been, if he'd had some charisma?
I *really* like how they brought back the wildren, and this time around Arthur's all casual and 'whatever, we'll cover ourselves in stinky berries, get over it.' It was a really nice measure of how he's grown as a character, and how much he's preoccupied with his lost boyfriend and his own impending death.
8^-
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Date: 2011-10-10 04:42 pm (UTC)The wildren are so old hat to Arthur now. He definitely does not have any time for extraneous panic over something so mundane as wildren. I loved seeing his leadership in that whole sequence.
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Date: 2011-10-09 04:24 pm (UTC)Merlin and the Dragon are so sweet, but I would like to see more of the conversations they must have had to get to the friendship moments (maybe Merlin is having secret flying trips?)
I am really not fond of Morgana's hatred for Gwen. I can get almost everything else - Uther is obvious, Gaius drugged her for years (she must have twigged this), Arthur hasn't showed much love for magic - has attacked druids etc, she may think him like his father, and Merlin did poison her (I would hold a grudge too). But not Gwen. Where is my happy femslash couple?? :(
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Date: 2011-10-10 04:49 pm (UTC)I really want to know what happened between Merlin and Kilgarrah! There must have been quite a few conversations/adventures to bring them to this new stage of respect and friendship as equals. But I'm glad to see it regardless.
There were so, so many interesting places they could have gone with Morgana and Gwen. I'm so disappointed that they went straight for a simplistic and nonsensical enmity. I would have much rather seen something like Morgana trying to use Gwen as a catspaw by persuading her it's best for the kingdom and Gwen being torn by her long loyalty and love for Morgana versus her relationship with Arthur.
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Date: 2011-10-10 05:36 pm (UTC)There really must have been. Maybe we'll have flashbacks? Or probably not, this is Merlin after all. Continuity is hard to come by.
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Date: 2011-10-09 05:23 pm (UTC)But omg, Snape!Agravain! My friend said the exact same thing - holy crap.
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Date: 2011-10-10 04:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-10-10 04:57 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-10-10 04:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-10-10 08:12 pm (UTC)Ah ha ha, thank you for this. I have been trying to put my finger on why Agravaine just doesn't work and this articulates it perfectly. He really can't hold a candle to Rickman or ASH in the dubcon hotness department.
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Date: 2011-10-11 02:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-10-12 06:46 pm (UTC)This made me LOL so hard: GEE, MERLIN, IT WOULD BE SO SAD IF YOU SACRIFICED YOURSELF WHEN YOU HAVE SUCH A GREAT DESTINY STILL AHEAD OF YOU. THE WORLD WOULD BE SO EMPTY WITHOUT YOU. SUCH A SHAME THERE'S NO ONE ELSE WITHIN EARSHOT WHO MAYBE FEELS LIKE THEY HAVE NOTHING LEFT TO LIVE FOR RIGHT NOW. BUMMER, RIGHT?"
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Date: 2011-10-13 10:38 am (UTC)Also hi, found you though your fics but reading this makes me think you're extra awesome and I'm friending you if that's okay? :)