My Thoughts on Merlin and Series 4
So I mentioned a while back that I was going to post something about the new episodes of Merlin, and after catching up through to Episode 6, I have even more to say.
Since I haven't been posting much, it's probably time for some back story. I'd like to mention that I came to this fandom late. Series 2 had already aired here in America and Series 3 had aired in the UK but not over here yet? Maybe it had here, I'm not sure because I stopped watching Syfy (and dude that is still the worst brand name change, Quickster be damned) after SGA was canceled. I bought the DVDs for Series 1 & 2 because I really wanted something fannish to read/do again. Mostly I got pulled in because of the lovely lamardeuse's posts about the show. And watching Series 1 was totally worth it. I had 100% buy-in mostly because Bradley and Colin are adorable, and Anthony Stewart Head is a BAMF. Series 2 a little less so, and here we find the trouble with Merlin as a whole. My show can be kind of bipolar. And I certainly don't say this to make light of anyone who has to struggle with the disorder. It's just given the show's two sides which differ drastically and yet seemingly switch back and forth, sometimes on a dime, the analogy is apt.
A lot of people on my flist have mentioned how Series 1 was better than Series 2 especially if you're a Merlin/Arthur shipper, which I'd say the majority of people that contribute to the fandom are. I really think the producers made Series 1 not realizing the level of hoyay that they had introduced. Or more to the point the level of hoyay that people would read into the show. It's something that even the media in the UK picked up on, apparently.
So Series 2 has a lot of backpedaling. I don't think the Arthur/Gwen relationship is pushed down our throats especially, more than they really jumped on that part of the legend early. The show was always going to have to deal with their relationship, and I think they eased them into it nicely given the context. Merlin changing Arthur's opinion about the level of interaction he could have with servants certainly warmed the plate for Gwen to step up. Unfortunately, in doing so it really squashed the Gwen/Lancelot potential which is unfortunate. I would have liked to have seen more of that, because right now if Lance comes back, I really don't see why Gwen would ditch Arthur for him. There wasn't enough there--Santiago's mooning cow eyes (which he is excellent at) not withstanding--for me to buy their "love".
So if Series 1 was HOYAY! And Series 2 was HONO! Series 3 was, let's keep these guys apart as much as possible because even the little screen time we've given them last season has spawned thousands of fanfics! The show started expanding the cast of characters, and foreshadowing the future. Old!Merlin! Knights of the Round Table! And it gave us...Gawain.... oh Gawain and your shiny hair of justice..... In keeping Arthur in Merlin apart by providing someone else for Merlin to have adventures with, they didn't really stop the Hoyay. Because Gawain would obviously nail anything that moves. And Elyan is lovely. And look, Lance and his mooning cow eyes are back! AND HOLY SHIT THAT PERCIVAL HAS SOME GUNS.... So yeah, Knights fic... need more of that.
That brings us to the current Series and back to my analogy. The show has always tried to mesh comedy into the drama that is Arthurian Legend. Typically they have episodes that are written to be comedy episodes, but they usually have a humorous scene in every ep between OnAMission!Merlin and Clueless!Arthur. The show is family fare so it's not surprising. This season though the drama has been really cranked up a notch, and the wacky comedy is being used more as a mood lightener. Which I understand what they're trying to do, but dang some times I get whiplash! As much as I loved Old!Merlin making Arthur give him a piggy back ride in Episode 3, it really undercut the emotion of the main plot. Would the episode have been too dark without the pee jokes and Old!Merlin funny? Maybe, but give your audience some credit in being able to handle it and save the slapstick for an episode that has the tone for it. This also goes toward Gwaine's characterization. They made him the good hearted bad boy in Series 3, and now he's the butt of every joke? He's almost like a totally different character. I know he had a sense of humor last series, but I never took him for a bumbling idiot.
Also after two seasons of "Gay? What gay?" things have suddenly tipped overboard in the other direction. It's like they finally realized where their bread and butter audience is and were like "We need some ratings! GAY IT UP!" Unfortunately, it's coming off so forced that it's almost cringe worthy sometimes. I mean in Episode 4 Merlin literally yanked Arthur's pants off and rolled around on the floor with him! Yes it's funny, and I laughed, but it still smacks of trying too hard, as opposed to the more natural relationship development of Series 1. This is especially true considering the leaked preview scene for the next episode, which I won't describe so as not to spoil. (If you're curious, lamardeuse has a link here.) Someone on my Twitter feed was right when they said "they're just filming fanfic now". Redic.
So, short story long, I still love the show. I love the characters. I love the actors. I'm still in. But some consistency would be nice. Hoyay/Noyay. Srs!Drama/Slapstick!Comedy. Pick something and stick with it guys, honestly.
And don't get me started on the women's issues in this show. Girls are either virgins or witches, and producers making comments about how girls should just be pretty and don't need to wield swords.... *sigh*
xposted to Dreamwidth
Since I haven't been posting much, it's probably time for some back story. I'd like to mention that I came to this fandom late. Series 2 had already aired here in America and Series 3 had aired in the UK but not over here yet? Maybe it had here, I'm not sure because I stopped watching Syfy (and dude that is still the worst brand name change, Quickster be damned) after SGA was canceled. I bought the DVDs for Series 1 & 2 because I really wanted something fannish to read/do again. Mostly I got pulled in because of the lovely lamardeuse's posts about the show. And watching Series 1 was totally worth it. I had 100% buy-in mostly because Bradley and Colin are adorable, and Anthony Stewart Head is a BAMF. Series 2 a little less so, and here we find the trouble with Merlin as a whole. My show can be kind of bipolar. And I certainly don't say this to make light of anyone who has to struggle with the disorder. It's just given the show's two sides which differ drastically and yet seemingly switch back and forth, sometimes on a dime, the analogy is apt.
A lot of people on my flist have mentioned how Series 1 was better than Series 2 especially if you're a Merlin/Arthur shipper, which I'd say the majority of people that contribute to the fandom are. I really think the producers made Series 1 not realizing the level of hoyay that they had introduced. Or more to the point the level of hoyay that people would read into the show. It's something that even the media in the UK picked up on, apparently.
So Series 2 has a lot of backpedaling. I don't think the Arthur/Gwen relationship is pushed down our throats especially, more than they really jumped on that part of the legend early. The show was always going to have to deal with their relationship, and I think they eased them into it nicely given the context. Merlin changing Arthur's opinion about the level of interaction he could have with servants certainly warmed the plate for Gwen to step up. Unfortunately, in doing so it really squashed the Gwen/Lancelot potential which is unfortunate. I would have liked to have seen more of that, because right now if Lance comes back, I really don't see why Gwen would ditch Arthur for him. There wasn't enough there--Santiago's mooning cow eyes (which he is excellent at) not withstanding--for me to buy their "love".
So if Series 1 was HOYAY! And Series 2 was HONO! Series 3 was, let's keep these guys apart as much as possible because even the little screen time we've given them last season has spawned thousands of fanfics! The show started expanding the cast of characters, and foreshadowing the future. Old!Merlin! Knights of the Round Table! And it gave us...Gawain.... oh Gawain and your shiny hair of justice..... In keeping Arthur in Merlin apart by providing someone else for Merlin to have adventures with, they didn't really stop the Hoyay. Because Gawain would obviously nail anything that moves. And Elyan is lovely. And look, Lance and his mooning cow eyes are back! AND HOLY SHIT THAT PERCIVAL HAS SOME GUNS.... So yeah, Knights fic... need more of that.
That brings us to the current Series and back to my analogy. The show has always tried to mesh comedy into the drama that is Arthurian Legend. Typically they have episodes that are written to be comedy episodes, but they usually have a humorous scene in every ep between OnAMission!Merlin and Clueless!Arthur. The show is family fare so it's not surprising. This season though the drama has been really cranked up a notch, and the wacky comedy is being used more as a mood lightener. Which I understand what they're trying to do, but dang some times I get whiplash! As much as I loved Old!Merlin making Arthur give him a piggy back ride in Episode 3, it really undercut the emotion of the main plot. Would the episode have been too dark without the pee jokes and Old!Merlin funny? Maybe, but give your audience some credit in being able to handle it and save the slapstick for an episode that has the tone for it. This also goes toward Gwaine's characterization. They made him the good hearted bad boy in Series 3, and now he's the butt of every joke? He's almost like a totally different character. I know he had a sense of humor last series, but I never took him for a bumbling idiot.
Also after two seasons of "Gay? What gay?" things have suddenly tipped overboard in the other direction. It's like they finally realized where their bread and butter audience is and were like "We need some ratings! GAY IT UP!" Unfortunately, it's coming off so forced that it's almost cringe worthy sometimes. I mean in Episode 4 Merlin literally yanked Arthur's pants off and rolled around on the floor with him! Yes it's funny, and I laughed, but it still smacks of trying too hard, as opposed to the more natural relationship development of Series 1. This is especially true considering the leaked preview scene for the next episode, which I won't describe so as not to spoil. (If you're curious, lamardeuse has a link here.) Someone on my Twitter feed was right when they said "they're just filming fanfic now". Redic.
So, short story long, I still love the show. I love the characters. I love the actors. I'm still in. But some consistency would be nice. Hoyay/Noyay. Srs!Drama/Slapstick!Comedy. Pick something and stick with it guys, honestly.
And don't get me started on the women's issues in this show. Girls are either virgins or witches, and producers making comments about how girls should just be pretty and don't need to wield swords.... *sigh*
xposted to Dreamwidth