My Favorite Episodes: #5 - Recap and Review
And...........#5 on my list of favorite episodes is.......
Review: Episode 2x06 - Beauty and the Beast, Part 2
Episode written by: Ben Vanstone
RECAP
Previously on: Catrina's a troll, and she's after Uther's wealth and power. Merlin is unable to prevent Uther from marrying Catrina.
Now: Catrina blames Merlin for stealing her Family Seal, so Uther sets the guard after him. Arthur sends him away with a warning to get out of Camelot. Merlin and Gaius scheme a way to reveal Catrina's troll-form, and Uther and Catrina impose a new tax, which Arthur fights against on behalf of the people of Camelot. Merlin gets Catrina to turn into a troll, which makes everyone in the kingdom aware of her true form except Uther, who is still under her enchantment. Merlin, Gaius, and Arthur team up with a plan to break the enchantment, then Arthur manages to rid Camelot of the troll.
REVIEW
I find this episode full of crack and gold. It's #5 of my top 5 Merlin episodes, and it's my favorite of all of Merlin's very cracky episodes, for a number of reasons.
* It makes 2x05 (Troll Pt 1) tolerable.
The first time I watched Beauty and the Beast, Part I, I was bored to pieces. There wasn't enough Arthur, there wasn't enough Gwen, and the entire storyline seemed kind of pointless. There were only a couple of parts I enjoyed in the episode. The best was Arthur catching Merlin spying on Catrina.
Part 2 makes part 1 make more sense, and it makes the episode better by association. As a stand-alone, part 1 just did not work for me. As the opener for 2x06, part 1 is easier to stand, and to deal with the strong lack of my favorite characters and interactions in the first half.
* Sarah Parrish
She was absolute genius as Catrina/Troll, especially in part 2, where she spends at least as much time in costume as the troll as she does as the Lady Catrina.
* Arthur is at his future-king best.
Two of my favorite Arthur-as-future-king scenes in the entire series happen in this episode. I like when Arthur stops the soldiers from hurting the villager who can't pay the tax, and tells the soldiers to return all the taxes they collected, while he stalks off to go discuss the issue with his father.
And my all-time favorite Arthur-as-future-king is the scene with Arthur discussing said issue with his father and Queen Catrina. I love that he stands up for the people and defends them, actually tells his father that he is wrong, and the best line to ever escape his mouth is, "we're as much their servants as they are ours." <3 Then he refuses to back down and collect the taxes Uther demands.
Two amazing Arthur scenes in one episode? WIN. I want to see more of the future king in him.
* Beautiful Arthur/Gwen scene.
It's their first conversation since the events of 2x04, and it's a lovely scene. Gwen comes in and finds Arthur brooding over his dismissal by his father after their difference of opinion on the new tax, and she encourages him to listen to what he feels is right and not what someone else tells him is right. (All the while, Arthur looks like the only thing he's thinking about is kissing Gwen. lol. And I want to see more of this. LOTS and LOTS more. lol.)
* The humor is actually funny, there's a LOT of it, and nothing feels forced.
I'll start with my third point first. As good as the first two episodes of season three are, I did not like most of the Arthur/Merlin interactions, because the humor felt forced, like the scenes were only written/inserted into the story for the point of getting humor into the story and having funny Arthur/Merlin scenes. The humor didn't feel organic to the story or the characters, and I can't say that I really like those scenes as much as I wanted to.
The humor in Troll Pt 2 feels completely natural for the characters and the storyline.
Some of my favorite humor scenes?
Merlin and Gaius making the troll/human potion for Catrina. Gaius waits until AFTER he tells Merlin all the disgusting things that are in the potion (rat gut, toad paste, horse dung, crushed sheep's eyeball, pond scum, three wolf spiders, and a dash of sheep's brain) before telling Merlin he had to taste it. lmao. Then, Merlin's hesitancy and reactions to tasting the potions are priceless.
Catrina's coronation as Heir to the Throne. Poor Geoffrey of Monmouth, Catrina interrupts him every few seconds, trying to get him to hurry up, because the potion Merlin and Gaius switched on her is finally causing her to return to her natural troll-self, and she's in such a hurry to escape the public event, she snatches the crown and takes off running, with the love-enchanted Uther hot on her tail, and Arthur and Morgana following behind them.
The best expression ever? Uther staring in complete enchantment while Catrina turns back into a troll in front of his eyes. lmao. And Arthur and Morgana are horrified by the changes and are trying desperately to convince him that she's a troll, while he's defending his wife. lmao.
The council. Gaius and Sir Leon taking the lead in trying to delicately point out to Uther, in case he hasn't "noticed" that his wife is a troll. lmao.
Merlin scaring the crap out of Arthur by hiding under his bed, and then NOT rubbing it in by pointing out that he told Arthur that Catrina was a troll.
The Arthur / Merlin / Gaius scene discussing that Arthur has to die to get Uther freed from Catrina's enchantment is one of my favorite scenes ever. Especially the Arthur/Merlin interaction over the antidote, and then Gaius's accidental use of the word "poison" and then correcting himself to say potion. lmao.
Arthur laughing at Uther during the meal. Arthur doesn't get enough opportunities to tease Uther, and this time, he really has the upper hand.
The last Arthur/Merlin scene, with the NO HUG. lol. And Arthur's whole, never-doubted-you-shifty-hiding-something speech is hilarious. I love these two together when the humor feels natural, like it did in this episode.
BEST LINES
There are a LOT of them in this episode.
Merlin: What's in it?
Gaius: Nothing too potent. Rat's guts.
Merlin: Nice.
Gaius: Toad paste. (at Merlin's confused look) You take two toads, grind them up...
Merlin: I get the picture.
Gaius: Horse dung, crushed sheep's eyeball.
Merlin: Oh, lovely.
Gaius: Pond scum, three wolf spiders, and what potion isn't complete without a dash of sheep's brain?
Merlin: Sounds... delicious.
Gaius: Good. Because you're going to taste it.
Uther: I gave you a direct order.
Arthur: The people cannot afford to pay the tax.
Queen Catrina: Don't tell me you're naive enough to take them at their word?
Arthur: We have their loyalty, their goodwill. Do not forsake that by making unreasonable demands.
Queen Catrina: Is it so unreasonable for a king to expect his subjects to obey him?
Arthur: They'll starve.
Uther: Nonsense. You've grown too soft. Remember, these are your subjects, not your friends.
Arthur: Why can't they be both?
Uther: Because we rule the people, not the other way round.
Arthur: I think you're wrong.
Uther: I beg your pardon?
Arthur: I said you're wrong. Without the people, there is no Camelot. We're as much their servant as they are ours.
Queen Catrina: You allow him to address you in this manner?
Uther: No, I do not. It will not be tolerated. You will take your men down into the town, and go to every house collecting the payments I demand!
Arthur: I will not.
Arthur: Maybe he's right. One day I will be the King of Camelot. I cannot be a friend to the people as well as their ruler.
Gwen: That's not true and you'll prove it when you become King. You've a kind heart, Arthur. Don't ever change. Not for anyone.
Arthur: You're a troll!
Uther: How dare you speak about her like that?
Arthur: What is wrong with you? Look at the state of her!
Morgana: I don't believe it.
Arthur: She just ripped a door off its hinges, doesn't that tell you something?
Uther: Enough!
Arthur: She's a troll! A giant, grey...
Morgana: Stinking!
Arthur: ...stinking troll!
Uther: Stop it! Haven't you hurt her feelings enough? Insult my wife again, it'll be the last thing you ever do.
Gaius: I don't suppose it's escaped your notice, Sire, but we just... just wanted to make absolutely certain. You do realize your wife is a troll, Sire?
Uther: I beg your pardon?
Gaius: At least that's the way she looks to us, what with the... warts, and the... nose...
Sir Leon: And the smell.
Gaius: …the smell.
Uther: What...?
Gaius: She also has what appears to be... a set of fangs.
Uther: What?!
Sir Leon: I wouldn't really say they were fangs… more like tusks.
Gaius: Yes, they are more like tusks. Not that we're saying that that's necessarily a bad thing. I just thought I ought to point it out to you, in case it had passed you by.
Merlin: So, your... your stepmother is a troll, then.
Arthur: If you say, 'I told you so'...
Merlin: I wasn't going to. I wouldn't. But it's true that if you had listened to me earlier, then... (off Arthur's glare) Sorry.
Merlin: Gaius and I believe your father's been enchanted. Now we've found a way to break the spell, but... we need your help.
Arthur: So your great plan is to kill me?
Merlin: No. Well, yes... not exactly. It's... Gaius has made a potion that gives the appearance of death without the actual dying bit. It's fine. There's nothing to worry about. It'll only bring you to the brink of death.
Arthur: Oh, only to the brink!
Gaius: It's perfectly safe, a single drop of the antidote will reverse the effects immediately.
Arthur: Antidote. What antidote? (to Merlin) You didn't say anything about an antidote.
Merlin: Er, I... I didn't think it was important.
Gaius: The potion will lower your heart rate and breathing. To all intents and purposes, you will be dead.
Arthur: And the antidote reverses the effects?
Gaius: Yes. If it's administered in time.
Arthur: If it isn't?
Gaius: You will be dead.
Arthur: (to Merlin) You just said it wasn't important!
Merlin: Um, yeah. I suppose it is a bit important.
Gaius: Merlin will have the antidote. Once I've administered the poison, erm... the potion, he'll have half an hour to get it to you.
Arthur: Don't be late.
Merlin: Am I ever?
Arthur: Merlin! I want you to know that I never doubted you. All right, maybe I did, but it's your own fault. You've got a suspicious look about you. Shifty. Like you've got something to hide.
Merlin: I'm an open book.
Arthur: I don't believe that for a second. However, I do know that without your help, I'd still have a troll for a stepmother.
(They nod, Merlin grins.)
Arthur: Well, thanks. (Arthur goes to pat Merlin on the back, and Merlin reaches around to hug him) Whoa! What're you doing?
Merlin: I thought you were going for a hug.
Arthur: Nooooooo.
Merlin: No.