Merlin 5.06

[corilannam]

I honestly just don't have a lot of mental energy left right now between all the actual writing I've been doing, so this week I'm just going to liveblog my thoughts about the ep as I watch.

Comments

[rotrude]

The invisible knight is still knocking at that window :P
I dunno I thought maybe brainwishing Gwen was the plan all along and that was why Arthur & co found their way out of the tower easily enough?

Love all magical creatures addressing Merlin as Emrys and particularly loved the actress delivery of her lines. She's very good at being some kind of sprite.

[corilannam]

She was very good! I love it when the magical creatures really feel inhuman, and she sounded very otherworldly.

[riventhorn]

I love Merlin being physician-y, too. I think I need to feature that heavily in future fic. I also liked seeing Arthur and Gwen cuddling together in bed--yay, this is not a 1950s sitcom! ;)

Assassin!Merlin--LOL--I need to rewatch that one now. Besides Merlin being endearingly incompetent, I also love how Arthur just kind of accepts Gaius and Gwen barging into his chambers all the time and being sort of apologetic and befuddled. "I know, I know...I'm late" and later edging back behind his screen in the wonderful bath scene, adorably embarrassed. Plus Leon and the crossbow jokes!

[corilannam]

The cuddling was very sweet. I'm sure Arthur couldn't let go of her once he got her back.

Sometimes it's really frustrating when Arthur is completely oblivious to everything that's really going on, but in that episode it was so adorable and hilarious. And it's funny how Arthur is just so used to everyone (especially Merlin) doing very weird things around him that he doesn't even question it anymore. Leon and the crossbow jokes are still one of my favorite scenes of the whole series.

And now we've just spent twice as long discussing 4.06 as 5.06, which I suppose really says it all about this ep. *g*

[fleete]

Yeah, Angel was great. Her acting alone is what made those scenes scary for me, because I was so sure something actually scary would eventually happening, based on her acting. It didn't, but still.

The whole Gwen/Arthur in bed thing made me want to write fic where G/A have sex and talk about Merlin during it. Someday, after all the fic exchanges are over. :D

I get both very excited and very, very worried whenever Gwen gets a significant plotline, because I'm so sure the writers are going to hurt me with it. My show passed the Bechdel Test this week. I'll just think about that and ignore all of the rest of it.

[corilannam]

Yeah, Angel's acting was what really sold the torture scenes. I really believed she was terrified. I particularly loved the moment when the apparition of Arthur comes to her, and she keeps telling herself that he's not real, but then her resistance slowly crumbles because she needs him to be there so badly.

I get both very excited and very, very worried whenever Gwen gets a significant plotline, because I'm so sure the writers are going to hurt me with it.

Oh, truer words never spoken. I mean, I'm already pretty dubious about this one, because it's yet another storyline where Gwen is bewitched in some fashion and not responsible for her own actions. I want to go back to the beginning of the season when she was making decisions and being powerful. But keeping my fingers crossed!

[corilannam]

Snarling Merlin as an omen of danger makes sense. (AS ADORABLE AS THAT WAS.)

He was pretty adorable, wasn't he? Hee! I think in the end, the mandrake magic was picking out the three people she trusted most in the world and convincing her she couldn't trust them, thus setting her up for Morgana to sweep in and brainwash her.

Ahahaha, I tensed up, but then I was like, oh good, she left right away. (SHALLOW ELLA IS SHALLOW)

I'm glad it's not just me! I mean, I do love Gwen and her sweet domestic partnership with Arthur, but the slasher in me will always be happy to seize on any rationalization to think they don't spend every night together!

I totally believe Gwen is under a spell.

I guess with the mandrake, it's hard to distinguish. I can't believe that Gwen's mind is truly broken - there has to be a way to bring her back from it at the end. Uther recovered once the mandrake was removed, though Gwen's experience was about a gazillion times more intense. Can't wait to see where they go with it!