Another's Sorrow
Ok. I did like this episode, but there were major issues that one cannot get passed, especially considering this is already episode four of what may be the last season/series.
This episode was a complete rehash of s3, ep7 "The Castle of Fyrien", down to the magic used. Also a bit of s4, ep5 "His Father's Son". Why Oh Why do TPTB do this to us? To the show? To the characters? To the actors? Even my eleven year old nephew has already cottoned on to the formulaic, overused storylines (and they started watching from s1 in December). Although the story/writing, etc. was exactly the same, there were things that seemed different to me. It may be my imagination or wishful thinking, but this ep did seem more mature in tone. It seemed more serious. I can't decide if it's the music used, the lighting, the overall 'more mature' ideal they're going for. Maybe it's the way Bradley and Colin are playing their parts. IDK. Even with all the bullshite they continually throw at us, I enjoyed it. I thought Merlin doing the spell and the slam to the ground was effective, even though the end result was the same as before (Shocking!!). I don't know why it struck me so, but it seemed more powerful. I felt like we saw a glimpse of the badass he's supposed to be. Again, maybe it's because I want it sooooo bad that I'm grasping at straws.
Morgana, Morgana, Morgana. I know I'm gonna get flack for this, but Colin and Bradley's characters are written just as badly as Katie's. The problem is Katie is not a skilled actress. She can't bring the depth necessary to pull Morgana the character out of the one dimensional being that's been created. I saw a glimmer of layers to Morgana in s4 in a few eps, but that has passed. It was lovely, too. Uther was also badly written. Anthony Head is phenomenal in bringing Uther such immense personality and strength.
I am very tired of Arthur continually sacrificing his life for stupid shite. Really? He is the KING. He cannot leave Camelot without a King. How is that wise? I am repeatedly baffled by so much in this show. The main characters have been reduced to shades of what they're supposed to be in order to continue the ridiculous storylines. I know I'm a broken record and am spewing the same feelings as others have, but I have to get it out! My sister wants to see the good in it all. I want that, too. How can I when it could be so good. SOOO GOOD. It's a true shame TPTB are running what could be a brilliant series into the ground by their inability/fear/lack of insight and/or imagination to move the plot and characters forward. Can't they see what this is ultimately doing to the show? Do they care? Are they so focused on possible movie deals that they've actually given up on the series? Do they even fight for the show? It seems not. I get the impression Bradley is so done with "Merlin". I could be very wrong, but the way he says things makes me sometimes wonder. Who could blame him if he was?
Back to this episode. Sorry for the rant (there will probably be more)...oops. I thought it was amusing when Arthur asked Merlin if he was giving him an order and Merlin didn't babble and make a joke, but looked Arthur in the eye and said "Yes, Sire" with an attitude of "Just do what I say, dude". Again, I think it comes down to how Colin is playing Merlin this season/series. He's got a real attitude and frustration about him. Some folks don't like it. I definitely do. It makes me hope against hope Merlin the character will finally break and all of his magic will flow out of him with such force everyone and everything he wants to be will be blown into oblivion. Arthur will be left standing there, freaking the frickin-frack out. I read a possible spoiler for this upcoming ep that, if true, may drive some fans over the precipice into insanity. It might even make some stop watching. IDK. I just see the frustration I feel EVERYWHERE. And yet, here we are, watching the exact same thing, over and over.
WTF was Merlin thinking when he let Morgana practically choke him to death? He had NO WAY of knowing if she would actually kill him. Again, I know it's so Morgana won't know of his magic, but that was so far beyond logic I have no words. The following scene, however, was very well played by Bradley. Again, very impressed with his ability to convey such conflicted emotions with just a look.
I was pleased to see the original actor playing Odin again. His accent sounded different, though. Although I understand we are to take this as Arthur listening to Merlin, I really didn't like Arthur having to be guided into not killing Odin. It was just wrong. Just like s4, ep5, "His Father's Son". Agravaine nudging Arthur to kill Caerleon. Arthur is supposed to be innately good and just. At this point, it makes me angry he cannot come to decisions alone, using his own judgment. One thing about Uther was his ability to be decisive. He may have been terribly flawed, but when he made a decision, he stuck to it. Bradley, however, played the scene quite well. His contained rage was very impressive. The dialog wasn't great (as usual), but he brought out the absolute best with his tone and expressions.
I may be the only person on the planet that thinks this, but I am so done with the 'fireside chats'. Please do something different! Oh, wait. What am I saying? Who am I talking about? Haven't we had one in every ep this season/series? Just like the reveal baiting. Also very done with that. It's either really cruel or brilliant of TPTB. Probably both. We keep watching, don't we. Even with all the major frustrations/disappointments, etc., here we still are. Although, I can say the reason I keep watching is Bradley and Colin. They are dynamic together. Utter brilliance.
Oh, I have to mention. Nobody else has said anything about this (that I read). When Gwen is hurt badly, she's taken to Gaius' chambers and put in Merlin's bed. When Mithian is hurt, she's put in a lovely chamber with a soft, cushy bed. WHAT THE HELL???!!! Are TPTB deliberately minimizing Gwen? I can't imagine they do this intentionally as she's the 'best thing ever', but wow. Just wow.
Gwen wandering the corridors in her nightie. Again, WHAT THE HELL???!!! It was odd enough in the last ep that she was doing that fully clothed. But half dressed? What are we supposed to think of this? I don't even know. The nightie was pretty, though. And she's been relegated to the "You have a good heart, Arthur" crap again. Frankly, I could care less about Gwen. If she wasn't Gwen of legend, her character would have been written out during season/series two or even between season/series one and two. She's that unimportant. And why? Because she's written so badly. Angel does the very best with what she's given, and that ain't much.
For me, after the complete disaster that was s5, ep2, I gave up expecting anything out of this show. I was so disheartened by what happened then. Merlin's impotence, Arthur's idiocy, Gwen's ability to be more savvy than Uther and Arthur. In my review of that ep, I said I was not giving TPTB any slack because they explictly said the show was more mature. That tells me I have the right to expect more. HA! What nonsense.
There were elements of this ep I liked, but none of them are important. None of them change anything of consequence. I realized awhile ago TPTB put more stock in how the show looks than how it's written. If an eleven year old can spot the redundant stories, what about the target audience? Is the show written at the level of an eleven year old? It seems so.
This episode was a complete rehash of s3, ep7 "The Castle of Fyrien", down to the magic used. Also a bit of s4, ep5 "His Father's Son". Why Oh Why do TPTB do this to us? To the show? To the characters? To the actors? Even my eleven year old nephew has already cottoned on to the formulaic, overused storylines (and they started watching from s1 in December). Although the story/writing, etc. was exactly the same, there were things that seemed different to me. It may be my imagination or wishful thinking, but this ep did seem more mature in tone. It seemed more serious. I can't decide if it's the music used, the lighting, the overall 'more mature' ideal they're going for. Maybe it's the way Bradley and Colin are playing their parts. IDK. Even with all the bullshite they continually throw at us, I enjoyed it. I thought Merlin doing the spell and the slam to the ground was effective, even though the end result was the same as before (Shocking!!). I don't know why it struck me so, but it seemed more powerful. I felt like we saw a glimpse of the badass he's supposed to be. Again, maybe it's because I want it sooooo bad that I'm grasping at straws.
Morgana, Morgana, Morgana. I know I'm gonna get flack for this, but Colin and Bradley's characters are written just as badly as Katie's. The problem is Katie is not a skilled actress. She can't bring the depth necessary to pull Morgana the character out of the one dimensional being that's been created. I saw a glimmer of layers to Morgana in s4 in a few eps, but that has passed. It was lovely, too. Uther was also badly written. Anthony Head is phenomenal in bringing Uther such immense personality and strength.
I am very tired of Arthur continually sacrificing his life for stupid shite. Really? He is the KING. He cannot leave Camelot without a King. How is that wise? I am repeatedly baffled by so much in this show. The main characters have been reduced to shades of what they're supposed to be in order to continue the ridiculous storylines. I know I'm a broken record and am spewing the same feelings as others have, but I have to get it out! My sister wants to see the good in it all. I want that, too. How can I when it could be so good. SOOO GOOD. It's a true shame TPTB are running what could be a brilliant series into the ground by their inability/fear/lack of insight and/or imagination to move the plot and characters forward. Can't they see what this is ultimately doing to the show? Do they care? Are they so focused on possible movie deals that they've actually given up on the series? Do they even fight for the show? It seems not. I get the impression Bradley is so done with "Merlin". I could be very wrong, but the way he says things makes me sometimes wonder. Who could blame him if he was?
Back to this episode. Sorry for the rant (there will probably be more)...oops. I thought it was amusing when Arthur asked Merlin if he was giving him an order and Merlin didn't babble and make a joke, but looked Arthur in the eye and said "Yes, Sire" with an attitude of "Just do what I say, dude". Again, I think it comes down to how Colin is playing Merlin this season/series. He's got a real attitude and frustration about him. Some folks don't like it. I definitely do. It makes me hope against hope Merlin the character will finally break and all of his magic will flow out of him with such force everyone and everything he wants to be will be blown into oblivion. Arthur will be left standing there, freaking the frickin-frack out. I read a possible spoiler for this upcoming ep that, if true, may drive some fans over the precipice into insanity. It might even make some stop watching. IDK. I just see the frustration I feel EVERYWHERE. And yet, here we are, watching the exact same thing, over and over.
WTF was Merlin thinking when he let Morgana practically choke him to death? He had NO WAY of knowing if she would actually kill him. Again, I know it's so Morgana won't know of his magic, but that was so far beyond logic I have no words. The following scene, however, was very well played by Bradley. Again, very impressed with his ability to convey such conflicted emotions with just a look.
I was pleased to see the original actor playing Odin again. His accent sounded different, though. Although I understand we are to take this as Arthur listening to Merlin, I really didn't like Arthur having to be guided into not killing Odin. It was just wrong. Just like s4, ep5, "His Father's Son". Agravaine nudging Arthur to kill Caerleon. Arthur is supposed to be innately good and just. At this point, it makes me angry he cannot come to decisions alone, using his own judgment. One thing about Uther was his ability to be decisive. He may have been terribly flawed, but when he made a decision, he stuck to it. Bradley, however, played the scene quite well. His contained rage was very impressive. The dialog wasn't great (as usual), but he brought out the absolute best with his tone and expressions.
I may be the only person on the planet that thinks this, but I am so done with the 'fireside chats'. Please do something different! Oh, wait. What am I saying? Who am I talking about? Haven't we had one in every ep this season/series? Just like the reveal baiting. Also very done with that. It's either really cruel or brilliant of TPTB. Probably both. We keep watching, don't we. Even with all the major frustrations/disappointments, etc., here we still are. Although, I can say the reason I keep watching is Bradley and Colin. They are dynamic together. Utter brilliance.
Oh, I have to mention. Nobody else has said anything about this (that I read). When Gwen is hurt badly, she's taken to Gaius' chambers and put in Merlin's bed. When Mithian is hurt, she's put in a lovely chamber with a soft, cushy bed. WHAT THE HELL???!!! Are TPTB deliberately minimizing Gwen? I can't imagine they do this intentionally as she's the 'best thing ever', but wow. Just wow.
Gwen wandering the corridors in her nightie. Again, WHAT THE HELL???!!! It was odd enough in the last ep that she was doing that fully clothed. But half dressed? What are we supposed to think of this? I don't even know. The nightie was pretty, though. And she's been relegated to the "You have a good heart, Arthur" crap again. Frankly, I could care less about Gwen. If she wasn't Gwen of legend, her character would have been written out during season/series two or even between season/series one and two. She's that unimportant. And why? Because she's written so badly. Angel does the very best with what she's given, and that ain't much.
For me, after the complete disaster that was s5, ep2, I gave up expecting anything out of this show. I was so disheartened by what happened then. Merlin's impotence, Arthur's idiocy, Gwen's ability to be more savvy than Uther and Arthur. In my review of that ep, I said I was not giving TPTB any slack because they explictly said the show was more mature. That tells me I have the right to expect more. HA! What nonsense.
There were elements of this ep I liked, but none of them are important. None of them change anything of consequence. I realized awhile ago TPTB put more stock in how the show looks than how it's written. If an eleven year old can spot the redundant stories, what about the target audience? Is the show written at the level of an eleven year old? It seems so.