I'm... very relieved to read this. To be honest, I hesitate to read others' reviews this week because at a glance the general tone seems to be negative, and while I was practically shivering in fear watching the first few minutes, I ended up genuinely loving the whole episode. I initially despaired over this being written by the writer of that Lamia ep but he gave a pretty solid script this time. Done with great care, and is an emotional treat.
Watching 5.05 made me realize that several things you said before were indeed proven true in a way that feels deliberate from the writers, so I was thinking/hoping that you'd like it even if others didn't. In my ideal response I'd quote your entire wall of text and call it a day, though I imagine you wouldn't want to read it. So here's me verbally nodding a long and quoting a little less. :P
So aside from the AG's scenes which are totally negligible (thank God!) I appreciate the different dynamics each pair of characters offers. They don't feel like a waste this time. Better than 5.04 already!
“Where would any of us be Merlin, if no one had given us a chance?” Now that’s an interesting little statement. I like to think it’s referring to the road not travelled for Merlin. I also found this interesting. I think many lines in the ep are indeed very layered, and it started with this particular one. I figured it had something to do with the whole course of the series, but didn't quite think of this: I like to think it’s referring to the road not travelled for Merlin. On another note though, I could also imagine it vaguely refered to Arthur not being given a chance to gain truth and honesty from Merlin. That was too depressing a thought however, so I was quick to stop analyzing the whole thing. :/
The mission as a whole was great to watch. I was a bit disappointed at the ill uses of the Knights, but that's more this whole series' issue. Totally understand Eoin's frustration with TPTB though. Merlin looks like he’s about to throw up. Genuinely, Colin’s face is brilliant in this, where he’s just so alarmed at what just happened for multiple reasons. Yes! Colin upped his game even from the start of this episode. His shivering at watching the training had me rewatch a few times, and so did the scenes onward. I can't remember the last time someone's acting really gave me the feeling of how high-strung and under pressure their character was.
Merlin’s marking Roadie’s grave when Mordred comes along. The only way I can describe this scene is delicious. I'm thankful they wrote this scene. The tension between Merlin and Mordred an absolute delight. From Alex's acting I get an impression that Mordred chooses to reveal a different side of him when speaking to Merlin alone, sometimes it looks borderline wicked but I can't be so sure. Also, I wonder Merlin's line "One day we will live in freedom again". Did "we" include Mordred? Did Merlin really believe what he said if it did? And in light of how this ep turned out, it felt... cruel. Still, act of marking Roadie's grave alone is what I'm grateful for. Say anything about Merlin's losing sight of his destiny, do his people wrong, etc... but here in this scene, it feels like we have an acknowledgement from the writer that this is not an arbitrary character progression. Merlin himself is aware of his choices doing harming to "his people" and still he chooses and bears the guilt. Just as I agree with you that Merlin is an interesting character when he's in pure bloody mindedness, utter devotion, opposite-of-Arthur mode, so is he when he's drowning in his guilt. I've long resigned to the fact that all my favourite fictional characters inevitably share at least half these traits (from Sailor Neptune to FFVIII's Squall to Castiel), of course I'd fall in love with Merlin exactly because of said traits. Merlin is an exception in that I was drawn to his charm from the beginning - which is saying something because S1 Merlin-typed characters had never made it to my list, however, it was only when he poisoned Morgana that he really became a quality-character for me.
Mordred complements Merlin on his physician skills. Merlin tells him he’s watched Gaius…and then done the opposite. I cracked up at this. Key to becoming a skilled physician, aha. XD I'm also a bit intrigued that Mordred seemed to actively seek out/talk to Merlin in this ep. Again, these two are simply delicious. And yep, the breakfast comment. So Married. I blame it for my totally missing the symbolism of Merlin literally has Arthur’s fate in his hands. Nice point. At least I didn't miss the part where Arthur’s been checking his diary and he hasn’t noted Merlin down as smiling in the last three days. That would have been grievous. :P
I like Gaius-Arthur talk for the reasons you mentioned. You also raised good points about the dragon. His tone was the most resembling of S1/S2 after a long time. I don't blame Merlin for letting the dragon influence him still as from Merlin's point of view, the times when he disregarded those 'advice' it led to disastrous enough consequences. Both talks with Gaius and the Dragon present a curious point about the later “What happened to the young boy who came into my chambers, just a few years ago” line. To me, in some capacity Gaius and the Dragon are exactly what happened, pushing Merlin to head-off things to come, encouraging him to abandon Morgana, forbidding the magic reveal etc... Now that I think about it, everything that has happened to Merlin so far, what they all do is break him. Even if he's not consciously aware of it, it's no wonder he's desperate for the status quo with Arthur. It's the only thing he has left, shaky as it is.
I actually think Arthur’s humility shines though a little too. It’s not that he thinks he shouldn’t be judged, it’s that he thinks he should be judged fairly. Yeah I actually think Arthur vs the Babes was quite well done. I was fearing Arthur behaving like mini-Uther at first (there were some false spoilers about how he tricked the Babes into healing Mordred first and then went back against his deal and had the Knights kill them) but his argument here actually sounded as reasonable as the Babes' did not. So yeah, was agreeing with Arthur about that one.
I sometimes think that Merlin is so caught up in how he feels about Arthur, he doesn’t realise that the king is just as close to him. In fact Arthur puts more trust in Merlin than the other way round. There’s a little bit of control there from Merlin. He is the one with all the power in their relationship, Arthur just doesn’t really realise the extent of it. Arthur and Merlin ,you can actually look at in quite a dark way, the complete subjugation to one person. All I can say is that this is incredibly well put. It also makes me think about SPN for some reasons. Must be the Merlin/Castiel parallel thing.
He speaks beautifully about his senses and how he feels nature around him. He asks Arthur if he feels it to. He does not. Merlin looks disappointed. I think it reminded him of a difference between himself and Arthur, that his loyalties lie with someone who is not of his own kind. Again wholly agree. That they could score something so emotional and impactful with just this simple talk. I only hate that it makes me hopeful again. This is almost a talk about not just magic, but Merlin's magic, even if one of them doesn't fully realize it (but at last, he notices). Will there be another as strong as this?
I’ve always said before that Arthur’s best decisions happen instinctively. If he’s given too much time to think, then he questions what his heart is telling him. Merlin’s the opposite, he needs someone to run through every scenario for him. And that's one of my favourite things to hear from you. :P And I really don't have anything to contribute to The Scene. You've said it so well and till the end where it backfired spectacularly on Merlin. Beautiful, heartbreaking episodes. Like you, when presented with these moments, I'm too almost anti-reveal. And yes, this is indeed a game changer. The duck metaphor is absolutely spot on. This may be my favourite ep of this series so far. Now if I could stay positive even in face of the many Gwen-things next week. Hope it's not as removed from 5.05 as it sounds because game changer, right?
Yeah, I love the confusion and dancing around each other that Merlin and Mordred do with one another. It's not only not mentioning 'the elephant in the room', it's like not mentioning a whole zoo shoved in the cupboard under the stairs. I liked the literal image of Merlin having Arthur's fate in his hands. I guess it could be a bit overly obvious, but they didn't dwell to much on it or reference it, so it was actually quite subtle.
I would give anything for more Arthur/Gaius scenes and some discussion of the Purge. That's why this show sometimes frustrates me. Episode 4 was such a wasted opportunity, they've got a load of practically unexplored characters and stories, and last week just felt like a simplistic filler.
Yeah, the dragon was a little s1/s2, wasn't he? He seemed more goading than he has since his release, more manipulative.
Definitely Merlin/Castiel parallels! Someone should write that and compare (if they haven't already). There is such a melancholy beauty to them. They sort of define pathos is a way.
Yeah I liked Arthur with the Babes. He was a little heavy handed at the beginning of the episode, but I believe his apology was genuine. He was honest and truthful with them.
The talk about Merlin and how he was feeling nature around him was brilliant. It opened up Merlin to Arthur. He usually isn't nearly so open around Arthur, but that was something genuine, meaningful and trully from his heart. I liked how Arthur was curious about it, truthful when he said he couldn't feel it, but respectful that Merlin did. He noticed this thing in Merlin and wasn't repulsed or scared or unaccepting of it. I think when the reveal happens, it won't be the magic that Arthur is really bothered about. It'll be the lies.
I think I'm going to pour a large glass of wine during 'Gwen-things' next episode, lie back and think of England! Maybe it won't be as bad as it seems, and hopefully there will still be a few bits here and there that are enjoyable, even if the episode itself isn't great.
I think a lot of people weren't that keen on this episode, which is all groovy, I know there have been times where I've thought an episode is terrible and others have disagreed! I was a little cautious at the start and it did take me a little while to get in to it, but I really enjoyed it. It seemed to have a nice pacing to it, even with all the to-ng and fro-ing, and while it wasn't one of my favourite episodes, there were themes which I thought were conveyed excellently. For me it was a 'character' episode rather than a story or an action one.
One of the reasons I was so reluctant was because I hated the episode that this writer did last season! I think all the writers have has at least one episode that I've shaked my head at and sighed through, so I'm hoping the s4 ep was just a dodgy one off.
I'm glad you remembered some of the themes I talk about and noticed them in this episode. To be fair though, I do waffle on and on and on and on and on about the same damn things, so no wonder they stuck in your mind a little bit. Although sometimes I do critisise the writers a lot for certain things, I like to try and point out what I enjoy and the consistancy and beauty of the story/characters that work, as a counterbalance. A lot of the time I think I probably am reading too much into things and the meaning wasn't meant by the writers at all. Often though I like to give them the benefit of the doubt. Whether they meant to write it or not, it's there, and I can see it and enjoy it, and for that I'm grateful.
Yes, I thought a lot of the lines in this episode were layered. that's a good way of putting it. I really like the idea you said about that line also refering to ARthur and Merlin not giving him the chance. I didn't think of that, but that's really true.
Yeah, I'm disappointed with the underuse of the Knights. They are really great characters, with a lot of heart and fun. They help to enrich the fictional world, and are always played really well. I feel they were used a little more last season.
Yeah, 'highly strung' is an excellent way of describing Merlin. He just looks exhausted and like the weight of the world is on his shoulders. The scene where Arthur tells him he hasn't seen him smile is a brilliant view of this. He really doesn't have anything to smile about, he wasn't being melodramatic at all.
Yeah, there is almost a 'blink and you'll miss it' wicked look on Mordred's face sometimes isn't there? Then it quickly changes. He seems a bit of a chameleon and I hope we get to see more of him too. I agree that Merlin is absolutely aware of his part in the bad things that happen and he does. He does have guilt, but he doesn't really acknowledge it. He justifies his actions and tucks away his guilt into a place where it festers and eats away at him from the inside out.
I'm sure I've written something about Castiel's guilt somewhere on my LJ!
Merlin poisoning Morgana was one of my favourite moments in the show, if not the favourite. It was brilliant writing; such an extreme action, but it appeared totally in character. For me Merlin trying to murder his friend, rather than essentially reveal his secret and help her, is probably still the darkest moment on the show. I loved it, I loved that they had the character do that.
Watching 5.05 made me realize that several things you said before were indeed proven true in a way that feels deliberate from the writers, so I was thinking/hoping that you'd like it even if others didn't. In my ideal response I'd quote your entire wall of text and call it a day, though I imagine you wouldn't want to read it. So here's me verbally nodding a long and quoting a little less. :P
So aside from the AG's scenes which are totally negligible (thank God!) I appreciate the different dynamics each pair of characters offers. They don't feel like a waste this time. Better than 5.04 already!
“Where would any of us be Merlin, if no one had given us a chance?” Now that’s an interesting little statement. I like to think it’s referring to the road not travelled for Merlin.
I also found this interesting. I think many lines in the ep are indeed very layered, and it started with this particular one. I figured it had something to do with the whole course of the series, but didn't quite think of this: I like to think it’s referring to the road not travelled for Merlin. On another note though, I could also imagine it vaguely refered to Arthur not being given a chance to gain truth and honesty from Merlin. That was too depressing a thought however, so I was quick to stop analyzing the whole thing. :/
The mission as a whole was great to watch. I was a bit disappointed at the ill uses of the Knights, but that's more this whole series' issue. Totally understand Eoin's frustration with TPTB though.
Merlin looks like he’s about to throw up. Genuinely, Colin’s face is brilliant in this, where he’s just so alarmed at what just happened for multiple reasons.
Yes! Colin upped his game even from the start of this episode. His shivering at watching the training had me rewatch a few times, and so did the scenes onward. I can't remember the last time someone's acting really gave me the feeling of how high-strung and under pressure their character was.
Merlin’s marking Roadie’s grave when Mordred comes along. The only way I can describe this scene is delicious.
I'm thankful they wrote this scene. The tension between Merlin and Mordred an absolute delight. From Alex's acting I get an impression that Mordred chooses to reveal a different side of him when speaking to Merlin alone, sometimes it looks borderline wicked but I can't be so sure. Also, I wonder Merlin's line "One day we will live in freedom again". Did "we" include Mordred? Did Merlin really believe what he said if it did? And in light of how this ep turned out, it felt... cruel. Still, act of marking Roadie's grave alone is what I'm grateful for. Say anything about Merlin's losing sight of his destiny, do his people wrong, etc... but here in this scene, it feels like we have an acknowledgement from the writer that this is not an arbitrary character progression. Merlin himself is aware of his choices doing harming to "his people" and still he chooses and bears the guilt. Just as I agree with you that Merlin is an interesting character when he's in pure bloody mindedness, utter devotion, opposite-of-Arthur mode, so is he when he's drowning in his guilt. I've long resigned to the fact that all my favourite fictional characters inevitably share at least half these traits (from Sailor Neptune to FFVIII's Squall to Castiel), of course I'd fall in love with Merlin exactly because of said traits. Merlin is an exception in that I was drawn to his charm from the beginning - which is saying something because S1 Merlin-typed characters had never made it to my list, however, it was only when he poisoned Morgana that he really became a quality-character for me.
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I cracked up at this. Key to becoming a skilled physician, aha. XD I'm also a bit intrigued that Mordred seemed to actively seek out/talk to Merlin in this ep. Again, these two are simply delicious. And yep, the breakfast comment. So Married. I blame it for my totally missing the symbolism of Merlin literally has Arthur’s fate in his hands. Nice point. At least I didn't miss the part where Arthur’s been checking his diary and he hasn’t noted Merlin down as smiling in the last three days. That would have been grievous. :P
I like Gaius-Arthur talk for the reasons you mentioned. You also raised good points about the dragon. His tone was the most resembling of S1/S2 after a long time. I don't blame Merlin for letting the dragon influence him still as from Merlin's point of view, the times when he disregarded those 'advice' it led to disastrous enough consequences. Both talks with Gaius and the Dragon present a curious point about the later “What happened to the young boy who came into my chambers, just a few years ago” line. To me, in some capacity Gaius and the Dragon are exactly what happened, pushing Merlin to head-off things to come, encouraging him to abandon Morgana, forbidding the magic reveal etc... Now that I think about it, everything that has happened to Merlin so far, what they all do is break him. Even if he's not consciously aware of it, it's no wonder he's desperate for the status quo with Arthur. It's the only thing he has left, shaky as it is.
I actually think Arthur’s humility shines though a little too. It’s not that he thinks he shouldn’t be judged, it’s that he thinks he should be judged fairly.
Yeah I actually think Arthur vs the Babes was quite well done. I was fearing Arthur behaving like mini-Uther at first (there were some false spoilers about how he tricked the Babes into healing Mordred first and then went back against his deal and had the Knights kill them) but his argument here actually sounded as reasonable as the Babes' did not. So yeah, was agreeing with Arthur about that one.
I sometimes think that Merlin is so caught up in how he feels about Arthur, he doesn’t realise that the king is just as close to him. In fact Arthur puts more trust in Merlin than the other way round.
There’s a little bit of control there from Merlin. He is the one with all the power in their relationship, Arthur just doesn’t really realise the extent of it. Arthur and Merlin ,you can actually look at in quite a dark way, the complete subjugation to one person.
All I can say is that this is incredibly well put. It also makes me think about SPN for some reasons. Must be the Merlin/Castiel parallel thing.
He speaks beautifully about his senses and how he feels nature around him. He asks Arthur if he feels it to. He does not. Merlin looks disappointed. I think it reminded him of a difference between himself and Arthur, that his loyalties lie with someone who is not of his own kind.
Again wholly agree. That they could score something so emotional and impactful with just this simple talk. I only hate that it makes me hopeful again. This is almost a talk about not just magic, but Merlin's magic, even if one of them doesn't fully realize it (but at last, he notices). Will there be another as strong as this?
I’ve always said before that Arthur’s best decisions happen instinctively. If he’s given too much time to think, then he questions what his heart is telling him. Merlin’s the opposite, he needs someone to run through every scenario for him.
And that's one of my favourite things to hear from you. :P And I really don't have anything to contribute to The Scene. You've said it so well and till the end where it backfired spectacularly on Merlin. Beautiful, heartbreaking episodes. Like you, when presented with these moments, I'm too almost anti-reveal. And yes, this is indeed a game changer. The duck metaphor is absolutely spot on. This may be my favourite ep of this series so far. Now if I could stay positive even in face of the many Gwen-things next week. Hope it's not as removed from 5.05 as it sounds because game changer, right?
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I would give anything for more Arthur/Gaius scenes and some discussion of the Purge. That's why this show sometimes frustrates me. Episode 4 was such a wasted opportunity, they've got a load of practically unexplored characters and stories, and last week just felt like a simplistic filler.
Yeah, the dragon was a little s1/s2, wasn't he? He seemed more goading than he has since his release, more manipulative.
Definitely Merlin/Castiel parallels! Someone should write that and compare (if they haven't already). There is such a melancholy beauty to them. They sort of define pathos is a way.
Yeah I liked Arthur with the Babes. He was a little heavy handed at the beginning of the episode, but I believe his apology was genuine. He was honest and truthful with them.
The talk about Merlin and how he was feeling nature around him was brilliant. It opened up Merlin to Arthur. He usually isn't nearly so open around Arthur, but that was something genuine, meaningful and trully from his heart. I liked how Arthur was curious about it, truthful when he said he couldn't feel it, but respectful that Merlin did. He noticed this thing in Merlin and wasn't repulsed or scared or unaccepting of it. I think when the reveal happens, it won't be the magic that Arthur is really bothered about. It'll be the lies.
I think I'm going to pour a large glass of wine during 'Gwen-things' next episode, lie back and think of England! Maybe it won't be as bad as it seems, and hopefully there will still be a few bits here and there that are enjoyable, even if the episode itself isn't great.
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One of the reasons I was so reluctant was because I hated the episode that this writer did last season! I think all the writers have has at least one episode that I've shaked my head at and sighed through, so I'm hoping the s4 ep was just a dodgy one off.
I'm glad you remembered some of the themes I talk about and noticed them in this episode. To be fair though, I do waffle on and on and on and on and on about the same damn things, so no wonder they stuck in your mind a little bit. Although sometimes I do critisise the writers a lot for certain things, I like to try and point out what I enjoy and the consistancy and beauty of the story/characters that work, as a counterbalance. A lot of the time I think I probably am reading too much into things and the meaning wasn't meant by the writers at all. Often though I like to give them the benefit of the doubt. Whether they meant to write it or not, it's there, and I can see it and enjoy it, and for that I'm grateful.
Yes, I thought a lot of the lines in this episode were layered. that's a good way of putting it. I really like the idea you said about that line also refering to ARthur and Merlin not giving him the chance. I didn't think of that, but that's really true.
Yeah, I'm disappointed with the underuse of the Knights. They are really great characters, with a lot of heart and fun. They help to enrich the fictional world, and are always played really well. I feel they were used a little more last season.
Yeah, 'highly strung' is an excellent way of describing Merlin. He just looks exhausted and like the weight of the world is on his shoulders. The scene where Arthur tells him he hasn't seen him smile is a brilliant view of this. He really doesn't have anything to smile about, he wasn't being melodramatic at all.
Yeah, there is almost a 'blink and you'll miss it' wicked look on Mordred's face sometimes isn't there? Then it quickly changes. He seems a bit of a chameleon and I hope we get to see more of him too. I agree that Merlin is absolutely aware of his part in the bad things that happen and he does. He does have guilt, but he doesn't really acknowledge it. He justifies his actions and tucks away his guilt into a place where it festers and eats away at him from the inside out.
I'm sure I've written something about Castiel's guilt somewhere on my LJ!
Merlin poisoning Morgana was one of my favourite moments in the show, if not the favourite. It was brilliant writing; such an extreme action, but it appeared totally in character. For me Merlin trying to murder his friend, rather than essentially reveal his secret and help her, is probably still the darkest moment on the show. I loved it, I loved that they had the character do that.
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