Merlin 5.06 and 5.07
First, 5.06. Like most people, I'm sure, it pisses me off that they killed off their only black knight, but on the other hand Adetomiwa Edun is obviously a much finer actor than his role on 'Merlin' lets him regularly demonstrate. Hopefully this has given him a bit of exposure which will help future roles.
It was fairly obvious Elyan was a goner from the moment he started tearing across that floor, and he should have known if he'd listened to Gwen that something was up. Even her first words, "Morgana has enchanted it to protect me," give a clue that she's enchanted. To "protect" her, not "guard" her.
One of the most interesting elements of this episode was the moment where Morgana tells Gwen about her own captivity - held in darkness and shackled to the wall - and when Gwen looks at her uncomprehendingly, Morgana says in surprise, "You did not know," as if she had expected Gwen to know at least the basic facts of it. Does this mean Morgana believes Camelot had something to do with her captivity? Which would mean she actually doesn't know *who* held her captive. We still don't know who that was, or why, or how she escaped.
Poor Gwen, left in a room full of mandrakes when just one was enough to send Uther round the twist. No wonder she cracked. I was interested in the people who ended up being her tormentors, and the difference in the interaction; the three men closest to her, I suppose. Elyan laughed at her, Arthur comforted her and then laughed at her, Merlin offered escape and then growled/shouted at her. And then Morgana reaching out as comfort and kindness; so, so wrong and cruel.
While watching this I almost wondered if Morgause did something similar to Morgana, to twist her mind so utterly. I know I am in a minority here but I think Morgause was very far from being supportive or kind or loving to Morgana, even though that is the face she showed her. There were so many instances where she was blind to Morgana's distress, and then there's 'The Fires of Idirsholas' where Morgause cruelly left an unknowing and terrified Morgana alone in the middle of a cursed castle, watching those around her fall asleep and not knowing she was the inadvertent cause of it. A year in Morgause's power turned Morgana from someone who still loved her companions, who would not kill Uther even when left alone with him and a sword, to someone who carelessly killed innocents in her fight for the throne. Something more than just sisterly kindness happened in that year, I'm sure.
Anyway. I liked Merlin's groovy new power, and the way Queen Mab was neither for nor against them - and the way she called Merlin "little one" when he's a hundred times her size! I was a bit puzzled by Percival's giant blister. It seemed as if it was going to lead to something and then it didn't. One almost wonders if it was a real blister and they decided to work it into the story because it added verisimilitude.
So, 5.07!
I enjoyed this very much, from the very beginning where the easy cameraderie between Arthur, Gwen and Merlin showed how nice a place Camelot can be when it's not under attack. I did wonder how the friendship would play out when Gwen became Queen and was elevated from Merlin's equal to very much his superior in status, and also how Gwen's presence in Arthur's chambers might affect his relationship with Merlin, but this was a beautiful little snippet that showed how easy it's actually become between the three of them; Arthur's "Merlin doesn't count" clearly means "Merlin sees me naked and dresses me and feeds me and puts up with me throwing things at him, and he's pretty much one of the family, so we can be ourselves with him".
Poor Tyr Seward. Beautifully done character, and showed that even the lowly commoners can be noble and self-sacrificing. I loved Merlin reassuring him in the cells, patting him and coaxing him to tell what he knew.
I do like it when Alice Troughton directs; I think she brings out the best in Colin, although I could be biased since I've seen and heard them interact so much and they're pretty much a mutual admiration society. Colin was especially wonderful in this episode. I loved Merlin crying so much over thinking he couldn't save/hadn't saved Arthur. Merlin tears up a fair bit, but we haven't seen that face-crumpling hands-to-his-face crying since Balinor died, and that emphasised how important this was. And I loved that it looked as if the magic actually *hurt* or at least gave Merlin a shock. Something so deep and difficult should not be taken lightly.
Possessed Gwen is terrifying, because she's so matter-of-fact, and she's so clever. She does a much better job of acting concerned and innocent than Morgana did, I think. I do find it a little OOC that the knights just accepted her accusation of Merlin and chucked him in the cells (although I don't think we saw any of the Hero Knights doing the actual chucking, did we?)
I loved, loved, loved that Arthur has such utter trust in Merlin that he must have ordered Merlin released pretty much as his first action after recovering, and that he made sure to tell Merlin seriously and calmly that he would never have believed Merlin attacked him. Only, Arthur, do listen to Merlin, sweetheart. You should know by now.
Finally, I'm sure they mucked up the continuity with the vials of poison. I'm sure it was the white that's the (soporific) valerian and the yellow that's the (deadly) henbane when the herbalist gave them to Morgana, but it's the yellow one Gwen poured into Arthur's goblet to put him to sleep, and the yellow one the herbalist identified as valerian when questioned.