Merlin 4.11 "Welcome Home, Merlin"
Right, here we go then, the penultimate episode of the season. A review filled with Brady Bunch references, (a iccle bit of) bad language and geese. Pretty much a standard reaction to an episode of Merlin...
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I agree with you completely about Gwen. She's badly written and the relationship with Arthur does nothing for Arthur or Gwen. It's boring and she's pretty boring too.
I love the show but get frustrated when I see the potential just wasted time and again. It's probably fine for family viewing. But then Doctor Who is family viewing but seems to take more chances than Merlin to actually be a drama.
It was a relief to see that Arthur and Merlin domestic scene after the crap of last week. They were back and all flirty. And it was just nice to have that. Because it was clearly flirting.
Another reason I don't want the marriage is that it feels like we won't get these scenes any more and for me they remain a highlight of this show.
Was that thing Agravaine used a bag grenade smoke bomb?
It does seem like there have been budget cuts in terms of feasting last year. Princess Em got the cut price version too.
Percival was lovely. Him and his arms that he refuses to cover...
And yes that's a good point actually about the map... why did they need it? Everyone knows about that gate. To the point where they should think of better security.
The Gwen references felt shoehorned in. Again. Sigh.
The slo mo curse was strong this week.
I loved Leon taking charge. He's the only current knight that can remember the great dragon burning of series 2.
I think Gwaine was disallowed at the feast as he would have eaten too much.
Percival was the only knight there...
It only took Agravaine to appear with armed bandits for Elyan to work out he's a bad guy!
Given the amount of amnesia Merlin is suffering (and Arthur to a degree) about last week when Merlin was all - Agravaine has stolen the plans and is going to attack with Morgana yadda yadda he must not have been there last week.
The slo mo this episode got to the point of parody.
Yay groping.
Although throughout this episode I kept having deja vu. It felt very 3x12 and 3x13 with certain plot points. Morgana on the throne, injured Arthur, Merlin groping him. Not that I am complaining about the latter but it's all rather familiar.
I think whatever happens Morgana will make herself a throne and go and sit on it in the woods. From a legal perspective though she is illegitimate. First born or not.
If there's no scene between Morgana and Arthur I will feel so cheated!
Gaius seems to be mostly trying to diagnose by eye these days.
I will say hurrah for series 3 version of Gwaine being back.
I was disappointed with the whole - take away Arthur's will advice from Gaius.
Also enchantment? Again?
The knights saying goodbye was nice.
I think Gaius will live. He's cheated death so often. And if he dies who will be there to give Merlin bad advice? And the population of Camelot might increase as the death rate falls.
Morgana was rather quick to decide it needed horses.
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I am not sure about the whole comedic Arthur and Merlin thing. But it wasn't too bad at this point. It outstayed it's welcome a little for me later on but overall I didn't think it was bad.
I am nor sure why the peasants don't just set up a collective democracy at this point.
Morgana and snakes is a running theme I could have done without I mean I am now wondering if she didn't have an affair with Lamia she seems so fond of them.
I will say this is the point where I start feeling sorry for Agravaine as he realises what he has got himself into.
Gaius's medical competence varies so much I am sure he's misdiagnosing deliberately for a laugh. Or he just gets lucky now and then.
That was a good scene between Morgana and Agravaine and again you feel sorry for Agravaine. he seems to have a few layers. I would argue he has more layers than Morgana at this point. He isn;t just a generic bad guy. Unlike Helios.
I hadn't noticed the Merlin and Agravaine parallel but you are right. I like it.
Ah Lot makes 13. I was wondering how many we were up to.
I admit I shouldn't but I find enchanted!Arthur endearing. But for me part of that is the performances of Bradley and Colin at that point.
With gold and Frankincense they just need myrrh to complete the Christmas set.
I was disappointed this was who Tristan and Isolde were - smugglers. But I guess having them actually reflect the legend in any way would bring back thoughts of Gwen/Lancelot...
I wasn't keen too keen on the fact Merlin didn't try and lift the enchantment on Arthur but perhaps he thought it was safer not to until they got to Ealdor? I don't know. It wasn't a bad scene at the fireside but then of course I realised Arthur wouldn't remember it at all. He doesn't take that big an advantage of Arthur (washing up isn't a big deal compared to what he could do) but again I feel like that whole scene was better due to the performance than the writing.
I did like Arthur's simpleton accent though. He was like a country pirate.
I am sure stupid but not that stupid is their motto.
Agravaine must have been suffering so bad with his slo mo.
It seems the sole thing people know about Arthur as king is high taxes. Not exactly great to be known for that and laughed at by the other kingdoms is it?
Merlin obviously think he and Arthur need supporting characters on the journey to Ealdor.
You know it strikes me now how immaterial to everything Gwen is when she's not even mentioned in the betrayal speech. Of course then I think it's just lazy writing so we know she's coming back and will be instantly forgiven because clearly she didn't really betray Arthur because he doesn't mention that she did.
Merlin is clearly the only one Arthur can trust because he doesn't need Arthur;s power. When he remembers he has magic. I am pretty sure that Gwen wants to be queen and that's it. I am convinced of it as much as TPTB ant me to think she deserves it for being perfect.
The fireside scene felt a bit like treading water to me. It's the same scenario we saw in 3x02 and 3x13. Arthur is having doubts, Merlin gives him a pep talk that he will be the best king what ever did king.
It just didn't bring anything new enough for me.
The fight was very good and I loved seeing how clever Gwaine was. He won with the power of taunting!
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I knew Tristan and Isolde would basically be - plot device to not so subtly say something about A/G and yeah... a shame really.
I would rather have had more Hunith and Merlin heart to hearting than the reminder than Gwen was in Ealdor. How handy and why did she wait so long to go there?
I am still wondering why she didn't hang out with John and Mary. Her being there is just a plot convenience.
And they hug because there is no backlit window for a kiss. And yeah Arthur hugged that tree with far more love.
Oooo I have just had a thought! In some legends Merlin gets trapped in/turned into a tree. Arthur was hugging a tree. This is clearly a way of saying in the future when Merlin is trapped in a tree his true love Arthur will come and hug the tree and break the spell.
I wish the Ealdorians had recalled they can kick ass when needed. They would have shown Aggie.
Merlin's magic seems limited to fire this episode.
For me this episode felt too much like a retread of last years finale. It was undoubtedly better than the recent crap we've had but I wanted more than that. I wanted it to move characters forward with development and such and I didn't think we got enough of that. Partly due t the retreading.
I didn't feel we got enough emotional mileage out of M/A. I felt the same about 4x10. I think the opportunity was there for some real nice sharing between them but in the end it came down to Merlin repeating stuff he has said before. I did appreciate the focus being a little more on them.
I do think it was the performances and the acting rather than the writing that made those scenes work for me.
I am dreading the Gwen/Morgana showdown because it should be Arthur facing Morgana dammit. Other than Dragon is back huzzah! I do hope we see Aithusa. And I am rather fond of Dragoon. I wish he wasn't used as a handy plot device so much but we shall see.
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Ha, yes, maybe that's the tree Merlin gets trapped in! Foreshadowing alert?
This episode did seem very simular to last years in parts. I'm hoping though that it's just to set everything up for next episode and the finale with be a bit more individual.
Yeah, it was good that there was loads more attention to M/A than previous episodes. There could have been a bit more, I agree. I'm just glad when they bring both their stories to the front though and weave them together.
I don't really get the Gwen/Morgana showdown. Surely it already happened before Morgana turned her into Bambi? Gwen can't go and stand up to her now after whimpering away last time. It's like thinking up a really biting insult after you've had an arguement with someone. You can't then go back just to say the insult.
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I think so. ;-)
I know what happens and... yeah I am not that optimistic about how it will appear.
I wish they actually wrote M/A consistently and move them foward together. But then I am so frustrated over the lack of a freveal.
Apparently Gwen can. Becuase she's so good and perfect. *sigh*
It should be a Morgana and Arthur showdown dammit.
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Yeah Helios character notes seem to have been "Bad Guy. Likes Chicken."
I thought Simpleton Arthur was very endearing. On paper they probably shouldn't have been than funny, but it was the performances that made it really good. I enjoyed that part.
Yeah, I figured they'd spin Tristan and Isolde a bit. But, hey, at least they were quite good characters. I enjoyed them. Who is this 'Lancelot' you speak of?
The fight scene with Gwaine was one of my favourite scenes. I though ALL the knights were really good actually and their individual skills and characteristics were really noticable.
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And has tattoos. They seem to be a vital part of his characterisation.
Yes. I agree the performances amde somehting that should have een skeevy funny nad endearing.
I am not attached to them. But then I have read the spoilers for 4x13...
Ah yes Lancelot. My mother is convinced he will be back. Bless.
Yes. It was really clever. It's a pity we've had to wait until now to really have the knights display personality.
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I actually think in terms of family viewing Merlin is a bit better. I think Dr Who is has legions of fans built up through the years and it is still enjoyable to watch. However, my nephews (who are very bright boys) really went off it last season. They found it very difficult to follow and understand. It didn't help matters that they were asking me questions and I couldn't follow or understand it either! They still watch Dr Who, but they much prefer Merlin. I guess it's because the plots aren't especially complicated, they try and put complexity in the characters instead. It's a lot easier to have a chat with kids about why a character was doing something good/bad, than it is trying to explain befuddling plot twists to kids (and my mum).
Yeah, what are they going to do with Gwen once she's married off to Arthur. She would have her own chambers I suppose (?). I'm not looking forward to the 'Three's Company' style humour if they go that route next season.
I can imagine Uther coming back to haunt the castle just as a protest against the tiny banquets.
The Slo-Mo was everywhere this episode! I wondered if maybe the episide ran short on time and they had to increase it somehow.
I wasn't that suprised that Gaius suggested to take Arthur's will away. This was the man who kept Morgana drugged up to the eyeballs for years.
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I would agree with you. My brother nad mother both really struggled with season 6 of Doctor Who desite realyl loving season 5. I think it just got too complicated and too 'Timey Wimey'. Having said that my mother has been bored by the last 5 episodes of Merlin.
I wish the Merlin PTB too a few more risks with thwir plots, or at least made them a bit more original and ctualyl had character development that lasted.
I have no idea. I am sure there will be some obstacle to A/G that isn't really one at osme point. I am not looking foward to her muscling on the M/A interactions.
Sadly he's not this year. But there's always next year. POr perhaps another random relative will appear.
I wondered too. It got beyond the point of sensible.
He is such a bad influence.
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