merlin finale review
As much as certain parts of this episode were fantastic some just weren't. I'm going to come out and say this. I thought the writers were a little sloppy, moved EVERYTHING much too quickly and that the really really brilliant moments of emotion were moved by too quickly (COME ON WRITERS COLIN CAN ACT GIVE HIM SOMETHING).
So.
1. THEY USED A QUESTING BEAST. I said this in my rec list for books: if they used a Questing Beast I was going to be so pissed off? I don't care that they're going away from legend but only a few people are supposed to be able to kill or chase after a Questing Beast and that is usually a Pellinore. But they killed them so Merlin got the job. IT COULD HAVE BEEN SUCH A GOOD MCGUFFIN and they ruined it. WHY? Well it's supposed to be an omen of things to come and then they totally switch it because "Arthur is supposed to die" and it's here to kill it. UM no. Definitely not, totally uncool, and totally wasted. Where was the sense of foreboding? YEAH LET'S GO KILL IT. OH wait but it'll scratch/bite Arthur. Lame. So very very lame.
2. I love my Merli/Arthur banter and it just really wasn't there. There was the beginning and there was a little bit of the 'goodbye don't be a prat' part, but apart from that nothing. And even the don't be a prat part was awkward. I think it's because Merlin's lines/feelings were on the same path (progression and all) but Arthur took this massive step backward. DIDN'T YOU DRINK TO SAVE HIS LIFE?! It didn't feel right at all.
3. As much as the Gwen/Arthur is intriguing it was MUCH TOO SOON. And it feels so wrong. That doesn't have anything to do with the fact that the friendship between Merlin and Arthur is my favorite part, it just didn't feel right, and I do not want this show moving fast. I like it slow and full of progression and full of those brief little moments of something of the future or just raw emotion.
4. They killed Nimueh. SO: who's the nemesis next season? There are a few reasons why this doesn't make me happy, a lot of them have to do with original legend. IN EVERY VERSION THAT I HAVE EVER READ Nimueh is the reason for Merlin's death. He's imprisoned in an Oak tree (I actually have a book that shows where the supposed tree actually was so YEAH). And they killed her? I mean I'm pretty sure I saw her explode. Writers what is your deal? I WANTED SACRIFICE DAMMIT. Not that I wanted Gaius or Hunith to die...but seriously some depression and self sacrifice (however unwilling) would have been really good and a really interesting way to start the next season.
5. Crazy!Morgana. That one came out of nowhere. I don't even think she's sane anymore. All of the hysterics and "Arthur don't go" and the super sketchy grabbing of Merlin's arm? Yeah sort of out of place.
GOOD THINGS.
6. JOHN HURT=EVIL DRAGON. Thank you show. Thank you so much. That moment was so badass and awesome. Ahahaha BUT YOU WENT OVER IT TO FAST. God/Merlin. Seriously though I loved it, and I liked how you could see a little bit of it in To Kill the King. That was a clever one (even though we sort of saw it coming). But it was a clever one.
7. Merlin battles Nimueh. I'm not moaning about special effects. It's there voila live with it. It was so great SO GREAT. I enjoyed that so much. Sort of sad that the "You should not have hurt my friend" part wasn't about Arthur but THE WAY HE SAID IT. Ah, SHOW go into Merlin's darkness please? PLEASE? I think it could be so great. Ahaha Colin Morgan you make me so happy. You're basically the reason why I thought the finale was decent. You broke my heart again and again and I LOVED IT. Ahaha. Badass.
8. Gaius. Oh Gaius you made me cry. The letter was so heartbreaking, and the confrontation with Nimueh about abandoning the other magical peeps, yeah that was really good. The fact that he's been there before and that it was for a similar sort of person (except it was creating life altogether and not killing it). And Colin's face as he died. Ah shattered heart.
9. UTHER. End the series with an awesome Uther/ASH. Yes, very well done. You really do care about Arthur. The crying and the carrying. Ugh, that whole little montage part was absolutely heart-breaking.
Basically I could have done with some more suspense and more weight placed on certain things, and I wish that he had only gone once. As much as I loved Gaius there are a lot of ways I wished this had gone differently. I wished someone would have found out about his magic (and maybe not said anything).
So.
1. THEY USED A QUESTING BEAST. I said this in my rec list for books: if they used a Questing Beast I was going to be so pissed off? I don't care that they're going away from legend but only a few people are supposed to be able to kill or chase after a Questing Beast and that is usually a Pellinore. But they killed them so Merlin got the job. IT COULD HAVE BEEN SUCH A GOOD MCGUFFIN and they ruined it. WHY? Well it's supposed to be an omen of things to come and then they totally switch it because "Arthur is supposed to die" and it's here to kill it. UM no. Definitely not, totally uncool, and totally wasted. Where was the sense of foreboding? YEAH LET'S GO KILL IT. OH wait but it'll scratch/bite Arthur. Lame. So very very lame.
2. I love my Merli/Arthur banter and it just really wasn't there. There was the beginning and there was a little bit of the 'goodbye don't be a prat' part, but apart from that nothing. And even the don't be a prat part was awkward. I think it's because Merlin's lines/feelings were on the same path (progression and all) but Arthur took this massive step backward. DIDN'T YOU DRINK TO SAVE HIS LIFE?! It didn't feel right at all.
3. As much as the Gwen/Arthur is intriguing it was MUCH TOO SOON. And it feels so wrong. That doesn't have anything to do with the fact that the friendship between Merlin and Arthur is my favorite part, it just didn't feel right, and I do not want this show moving fast. I like it slow and full of progression and full of those brief little moments of something of the future or just raw emotion.
4. They killed Nimueh. SO: who's the nemesis next season? There are a few reasons why this doesn't make me happy, a lot of them have to do with original legend. IN EVERY VERSION THAT I HAVE EVER READ Nimueh is the reason for Merlin's death. He's imprisoned in an Oak tree (I actually have a book that shows where the supposed tree actually was so YEAH). And they killed her? I mean I'm pretty sure I saw her explode. Writers what is your deal? I WANTED SACRIFICE DAMMIT. Not that I wanted Gaius or Hunith to die...but seriously some depression and self sacrifice (however unwilling) would have been really good and a really interesting way to start the next season.
5. Crazy!Morgana. That one came out of nowhere. I don't even think she's sane anymore. All of the hysterics and "Arthur don't go" and the super sketchy grabbing of Merlin's arm? Yeah sort of out of place.
GOOD THINGS.
6. JOHN HURT=EVIL DRAGON. Thank you show. Thank you so much. That moment was so badass and awesome. Ahahaha BUT YOU WENT OVER IT TO FAST. God/Merlin. Seriously though I loved it, and I liked how you could see a little bit of it in To Kill the King. That was a clever one (even though we sort of saw it coming). But it was a clever one.
7. Merlin battles Nimueh. I'm not moaning about special effects. It's there voila live with it. It was so great SO GREAT. I enjoyed that so much. Sort of sad that the "You should not have hurt my friend" part wasn't about Arthur but THE WAY HE SAID IT. Ah, SHOW go into Merlin's darkness please? PLEASE? I think it could be so great. Ahaha Colin Morgan you make me so happy. You're basically the reason why I thought the finale was decent. You broke my heart again and again and I LOVED IT. Ahaha. Badass.
8. Gaius. Oh Gaius you made me cry. The letter was so heartbreaking, and the confrontation with Nimueh about abandoning the other magical peeps, yeah that was really good. The fact that he's been there before and that it was for a similar sort of person (except it was creating life altogether and not killing it). And Colin's face as he died. Ah shattered heart.
9. UTHER. End the series with an awesome Uther/ASH. Yes, very well done. You really do care about Arthur. The crying and the carrying. Ugh, that whole little montage part was absolutely heart-breaking.
Basically I could have done with some more suspense and more weight placed on certain things, and I wish that he had only gone once. As much as I loved Gaius there are a lot of ways I wished this had gone differently. I wished someone would have found out about his magic (and maybe not said anything).