Review for Merlin 4.09
I never post reviews, but this episode rubbed me the wrong way in so many ways that I think I just need to vent.
The whole episode seems random, thrown together, and frankly pointless. I don’t see undying love between Arthur and Gwen. Merlin and Arthur still have WAY more chemistry than anyone else on this show, but I digress. The WHOLE marriage seems random to me, thrown in for plot advancement or something. Honestly, I’ve never gotten the feeling that Gwen DOESN’T just float around the castle. Where has Gwen been a good councilor? How has she proven she can be a good queen and loves her people? Outside of the very first episode of the season, we’ve gotten NOTHING. Are we supposed to assume this stuff goes on behind the scenes? I’m not convinced. I love Gwen, I really do. She’s sweet and caring and I feel like she probably COULD be a good queen. But I just don’t see how she’s proven that to either Arthur or the audience. She still seems kind of floaty to me. Also, I don’t see any chemistry between the two of them. Bradley and Angel are both good actors in their own rights, but put them in the room together and I’m snoring. Plus, we’ve seen them together only a few times, for a few kisses and a few exchanges, and I’m supposed to assume that there’s undying love there, love you can build a kingdom on? Sorry, I just don’t buy it. I agree with everyone else that there’s far more chemistry between her and Lancelot. While I’m sad to see Gwen go, I’m much happier to see their relationship put on hold than to see them get married when I don’t really believe in their relationship.
My other peeve is I really HATE what they did to Lancelot’s character in this episode. They brought back Lancelot just so they could sully his memory and further along the plot. :( Lancelot is supposed to be a great character, the noblest of knights, and they turned him into a stupid plot device. Lancelot died a hero and they brought him back and made him out to be the jerk who took Arthur’s wife. Arthur says he died nobly since he killed himself but you know Arthur and the rest will never see him the same way again and I HATE that. They brought him back and sullied his good name just so they could get Gwen kicked out of Camelot. And WHY did they want that anyway? What’s to stop them from trying to build Gwen and Arthur up a bit more so that further down the road maybe I could believe that they love each other enough to get married and rule Camelot? Why start all the drama? This whole episode seemed pointless and tacked on for effect, and I can’t even decide what that effect is!
I do think that they built up a possible parallel for a magic reveal. Arthur says he can never trust Gwen again. What will he do when he finds out about Merlin? I honestly feel like he should KNOW that Merlin is using magic to protect him. He’s still alive; if Merlin wanted him dead he could have killed him a million times by now. If anything Arthur will feel betrayed and upset that Merlin never told him. I REALLY hope that they aren’t using this to build up to a reveal. Because if Arthur finds out about Merlin and his answer is to banish him I won’t be surprised but I will be crushed. Sadly, this seems like the direction they’re going. Arthur would never have Merlin killed; he loves likes him too much, and besides Arthur just isn’t the killing kind of person; he is forgiving but not forgetting. Also, Arthur has proven time and again that he is NOT his father. They threw in that line from Gaius a few weeks ago about how people are helping him, so I just hope that that and his undying love for Merlin will be enough to sway Arthur.
The one thing I did like about this episode was the final scene between Merlin and Arthur. I liked the way they filmed it with Merlin talking to Arthur from behind, as he always has Arthur’s back. And the thrones peeking out over Merlin’s shoulder in the scene put this image in my head of Merlin and Arthur sitting in those chairs, with Merlin as Arthur’s councilor and equal. It was just a flash, but I pictured the symbolism of Merlin at Arthur’s side helping him as his friend and equal. Merlin gives him really good advice here as usual and I found myself screaming at my computer for him to just LISTEN TO MERLIN. But I also really liked that Arthur acknowledges that Merlin is BRAVE to speak out. It sounded like he APPRECIATES Merlin’s willingness to say things that he knows Arthur doesn’t want to hear. He appreciates that Merlin isn’t afraid to just tell him the truth even though he’s the king, and this is what Arthur needs in an advisor - someone who’s not afraid to tell him what really needs to be said, no matter how much it may not be his “place” to voice such dangerous opinions. Arthur’s reaction to Merlin speaking out against his uncle is different this time. He doesn’t yell at him this time for speaking ill of uncle; he lets him speak his mind and just tells him he’s brave for speaking out. He’s willing to hear Merlin out, even if he can’t take his advice because his heart is broken, and this speaks VOLUMES about the depth of Merlin and Arthur’s friendship; about how much Arthur appreciates and needs Merlin as a friend and a councilor. I just hope Arthur remembers all of this when/if a magic reveal happens. I love that the writers give us this epic relationship between Merlin and Arthur and then wonder why a huge portion of the fans ship them. Maybe because Arthur and Gwen have the chemistry of a rock while Arthur and Merlin have the chemistry of a thousand suns exploding or something equally epic.
Long story short, I write fan fiction when I like an episode, and apparently I rant for hours on a Sunday afternoon when I violently dislike an episode. Go figure.
The whole episode seems random, thrown together, and frankly pointless. I don’t see undying love between Arthur and Gwen. Merlin and Arthur still have WAY more chemistry than anyone else on this show, but I digress. The WHOLE marriage seems random to me, thrown in for plot advancement or something. Honestly, I’ve never gotten the feeling that Gwen DOESN’T just float around the castle. Where has Gwen been a good councilor? How has she proven she can be a good queen and loves her people? Outside of the very first episode of the season, we’ve gotten NOTHING. Are we supposed to assume this stuff goes on behind the scenes? I’m not convinced. I love Gwen, I really do. She’s sweet and caring and I feel like she probably COULD be a good queen. But I just don’t see how she’s proven that to either Arthur or the audience. She still seems kind of floaty to me. Also, I don’t see any chemistry between the two of them. Bradley and Angel are both good actors in their own rights, but put them in the room together and I’m snoring. Plus, we’ve seen them together only a few times, for a few kisses and a few exchanges, and I’m supposed to assume that there’s undying love there, love you can build a kingdom on? Sorry, I just don’t buy it. I agree with everyone else that there’s far more chemistry between her and Lancelot. While I’m sad to see Gwen go, I’m much happier to see their relationship put on hold than to see them get married when I don’t really believe in their relationship.
My other peeve is I really HATE what they did to Lancelot’s character in this episode. They brought back Lancelot just so they could sully his memory and further along the plot. :( Lancelot is supposed to be a great character, the noblest of knights, and they turned him into a stupid plot device. Lancelot died a hero and they brought him back and made him out to be the jerk who took Arthur’s wife. Arthur says he died nobly since he killed himself but you know Arthur and the rest will never see him the same way again and I HATE that. They brought him back and sullied his good name just so they could get Gwen kicked out of Camelot. And WHY did they want that anyway? What’s to stop them from trying to build Gwen and Arthur up a bit more so that further down the road maybe I could believe that they love each other enough to get married and rule Camelot? Why start all the drama? This whole episode seemed pointless and tacked on for effect, and I can’t even decide what that effect is!
I do think that they built up a possible parallel for a magic reveal. Arthur says he can never trust Gwen again. What will he do when he finds out about Merlin? I honestly feel like he should KNOW that Merlin is using magic to protect him. He’s still alive; if Merlin wanted him dead he could have killed him a million times by now. If anything Arthur will feel betrayed and upset that Merlin never told him. I REALLY hope that they aren’t using this to build up to a reveal. Because if Arthur finds out about Merlin and his answer is to banish him I won’t be surprised but I will be crushed. Sadly, this seems like the direction they’re going. Arthur would never have Merlin killed; he loves likes him too much, and besides Arthur just isn’t the killing kind of person; he is forgiving but not forgetting. Also, Arthur has proven time and again that he is NOT his father. They threw in that line from Gaius a few weeks ago about how people are helping him, so I just hope that that and his undying love for Merlin will be enough to sway Arthur.
The one thing I did like about this episode was the final scene between Merlin and Arthur. I liked the way they filmed it with Merlin talking to Arthur from behind, as he always has Arthur’s back. And the thrones peeking out over Merlin’s shoulder in the scene put this image in my head of Merlin and Arthur sitting in those chairs, with Merlin as Arthur’s councilor and equal. It was just a flash, but I pictured the symbolism of Merlin at Arthur’s side helping him as his friend and equal. Merlin gives him really good advice here as usual and I found myself screaming at my computer for him to just LISTEN TO MERLIN. But I also really liked that Arthur acknowledges that Merlin is BRAVE to speak out. It sounded like he APPRECIATES Merlin’s willingness to say things that he knows Arthur doesn’t want to hear. He appreciates that Merlin isn’t afraid to just tell him the truth even though he’s the king, and this is what Arthur needs in an advisor - someone who’s not afraid to tell him what really needs to be said, no matter how much it may not be his “place” to voice such dangerous opinions. Arthur’s reaction to Merlin speaking out against his uncle is different this time. He doesn’t yell at him this time for speaking ill of uncle; he lets him speak his mind and just tells him he’s brave for speaking out. He’s willing to hear Merlin out, even if he can’t take his advice because his heart is broken, and this speaks VOLUMES about the depth of Merlin and Arthur’s friendship; about how much Arthur appreciates and needs Merlin as a friend and a councilor. I just hope Arthur remembers all of this when/if a magic reveal happens. I love that the writers give us this epic relationship between Merlin and Arthur and then wonder why a huge portion of the fans ship them. Maybe because Arthur and Gwen have the chemistry of a rock while Arthur and Merlin have the chemistry of a thousand suns exploding or something equally epic.
Long story short, I write fan fiction when I like an episode, and apparently I rant for hours on a Sunday afternoon when I violently dislike an episode. Go figure.