Review: Season 3, So Far
I've been meaning to write more reviews of the episodes than I've been getting to, and so I figured I'd review season 3, so far. I've liked it, though through the first five episodes of the season, I liked season 2 much better (though it helps that two of my favorite episodes of the series fall into those first five).
I like to call this the season of Harry Potter. First, there's Merlin flying on the dragon in 3x02 like Harry Potter flies on Buckbeak (though I also see Bastian riding on Falkor from the Neverending Story). Next, we have Mark Williams (Arthur Weasley) voicing the goblin in 3x03, and Merlin catching the mini-flying-goblin like Harry catches the snitch in the first movie - in his mouth. In 3x04, we have the Hog's Head Tavern where Merlin and Arthur stop at the beginning of the episode, and the music gracing that part of the scene sounds EEEEERRRILY similar to Harry Potter movie music. In 3x06, we have Miriam Margoyles (Prof. Sprout) appearing as a guest star, and later on this season we have Warwick Davis (Prof. Flitwick) appearing as a guest star. I wonder what other HP-references we might get before the season is out.
Okay, on to the episodes.
3x01 and 3x02 - The Tears of Uther Pendragon 2/5 and 3/5 stars.
Not enough GWEN. That said, she wouldn't really have fit into that storyline very well, but she COULD have been shown reuniting with Morgana after so long. We got Arthur and Merlin reuniting with her, and as I love the Gwen/Morgana friendship (which is one of the few times I really like Morgana), I was very disappointed by the lack of time that was focused on the pair.
I was also disappointed by the lack of A/G. Part two had a little bit more, but I liked the exchange of looks in the hallway scene more than I liked the scene in Arthur's room. Still, I liked having scenes much better than having no scenes.
I felt rotten for Uther (and I don't really like him that much). I like him most when he's with Morgana, and for him to be all genuinely happy that she's alive and well, and for her to be faking everything, made me sad.
I did like the Merlin/Morgana scenes. While I normally do, these had such an added tension to them, and the swordfight scene was amazing. :D
Arthur and Merlin seemed kind of forced. I didn't enjoy their interactions in this pair of episodes nearly as much as I normally do. Dollophead? Not nearly as awesome as clotpole.
3x03 - Goblin's Gold 3.5/5 stars.
GWEN! She got some screentime! :D And she looked beautiful, as always. <3 We got a little bit by way of A/G, and we got Gwen/Merlin BFF scenes! <3
I enjoy the cracky episodes for the most part, and I liked this one more than the first two episodes of the season, just because it was more Gwen-centric and much less dark and depressing. It was fun, though I enjoyed it less than 2x06 (which I consider crack-gold).
3x04 - Gwaine 4.5/5 stars.
My FAVORITE episode of season 3, so far. <3 GWAINE. <333333333333333
Yes, people have been comparing this episode to 1x05 (Lancelot). And I don't mind that, because that is one of my favorite episodes as well.
Eoin Macken as Gwaine REALLY made this episode. He was charming, stubborn, brave, and irrepressible. A total swashbuckler. <3 And gorgeous. Gwaine being shirtless completely made me not notice that this was the first episode all season that Arthur hadn't been shirtless. :lol: And that gravelly voice? *sigh*
Gwen & Gwaine. <33333 I absolutely LOVED their scenes. As soon as I saw the first promo picture of Gwaine offering the little flower to Gwen and the two of them laughing, I knew I was going to love the episode, and I couldn't stop STARING at the picture. And their scenes were amazing. I love how Gwen just laughed at him when he tried picking her up, and that he just as good-naturedly took the rejection. <3 And then he so quickly picks up on Gwen's fairly transparent feelings for Arthur. <3 And their last scene is cute, even though we don't get to hear what is being said between them.
Arthur & Gwen. We don't get to see them together onscreen, but Gwen's scenes with Gwaine were mostly Arthur-centric. The first time she shuts him down because she is in love with Arthur, the second time they meet, Gwaine realizes her feelings for Arthur, and the third time, Arthur is jealous (and just as transparent as Gwen, lol) of how "friendly" Gwen and Gwaine are. <3
Arthur & Merlin. Their interactions in this episode were SO much more natural than they were in that first pair of episodes, much less forced. I loved the first insult Merlin made to Arthur about being "simple" and then covering it up with "the sun is bright." lol. And then Merlin telling Dagr (the tavern thug) that he'd like to "see [him] try" to pay Arthur back and Dagr whistles in this entire crew of thugs. lmao. Later, Arthur drama-queens the whole bar-tab scene with Merlin. lol. There are some nice scenes between Arthur and Merlin throughout, but the last scene, where Arthur gets jealous of Gwen/Gwaine, I love how Merlin teases him about it; that may be one of my favorite Arthur/Merlin scenes ever. <3
Arthur & Gwaine. We didn't get much alone time with the two of them, but I loved that Arthur stood up for Gwaine to his father (Uther annoyed me SO MUCH when he was screaming at Gwaine).
Merlin & Gwaine. Were cute. I loved Gwaine telling Merlin that he was the best friend he'd ever had. <3 And then joking about getting more beer for his money in Mercia. lol.
Uther. DUDE. Stop banishing all the hot guys from Camelot! lol.
I do have a few minor quibbles with the episode, though. Not enough to keep me from liking it a lot, but I have them. First, Merlin is worried about using his power in public, in front of the King and the people of Camelot? Really? It didn't stop him in 1x02 or in 2x02, so why are they worried NOW? Second, when Merlin saves Arthur's life, Uther "rewards" him by making him Arthur's servant. When Lancelot and Gwaine save Arthur's life, he banishes them from the kingdom? That makes no sense. And lastly, the First Code of Camelot. Arthur uses that as his reason why Gwaine can't be a knight when he and Merlin are talking at the end of the episode, but in 1x05, he was more than willing to break it for Lancelot, but now he can't even consider it for Gwaine?
3x05 - The Crystal Cave 3/5 stars.
I liked the beginning scene with Arthur and Merlin, and Arthur saying "trust me" every five seconds, only to be proven wrong. And I felt bad for Merlin, when he couldn't fix Arthur's injury. YAY, Clotpole! lol. I also liked when Arthur and Merlin were walking home and Arthur was talking at Merlin, and Merlin didn't want to talk. That scene was very reminiscent of 2x13, when Merlin didn't want to talk to Arthur then, either.
The A/G hug was nice, but I was disappointed that it was Merlin who saw it, because I was hoping it would be someone who didn't know (like Morgana, though she was kind of indisposed at the time).
The Uther/Morgana father/daughter reveal was NOT a surprise. I've seen speculation on that since the BFI screenings of the first two episodes of the season and all the anvils in the episodes. Even as an A/G (and very anti-Ar/Mor) fan, I didn't want this. I would MUCH rather have seen Morgause be Arthur's sister than Morgana, because first off, I think Morgause looks much more like Arthur than Morgana does, and secondly, it makes the season one flirty scenes between Arthur and Morgana creep me out even more than they did before the reveal. Also, Uther and Morgana have so much chemistry, it saddens me to lose the prospect of that ship. :(
3x06 - The Changeling.
I can only go from the preview for this one right now, but I've been waiting all season for this episode, as it deals with Arthur being forced into marriage with someone he doesn't love, and I am waiting for (and very much WANT!) A/G angst! There's been a HUGE lack of A/G interactions in the first five episodes of the season; the most they've actually interacted was in 3x03, and while their scenes together were cute, they didn't really advance their relationship any at all, for positive or negative (though at this point, there's not anywhere negative to go as they aren't even really getting any scenes). I really hope we get some good stuff in 3x06.
I like to call this the season of Harry Potter. First, there's Merlin flying on the dragon in 3x02 like Harry Potter flies on Buckbeak (though I also see Bastian riding on Falkor from the Neverending Story). Next, we have Mark Williams (Arthur Weasley) voicing the goblin in 3x03, and Merlin catching the mini-flying-goblin like Harry catches the snitch in the first movie - in his mouth. In 3x04, we have the Hog's Head Tavern where Merlin and Arthur stop at the beginning of the episode, and the music gracing that part of the scene sounds EEEEERRRILY similar to Harry Potter movie music. In 3x06, we have Miriam Margoyles (Prof. Sprout) appearing as a guest star, and later on this season we have Warwick Davis (Prof. Flitwick) appearing as a guest star. I wonder what other HP-references we might get before the season is out.
Okay, on to the episodes.
3x01 and 3x02 - The Tears of Uther Pendragon 2/5 and 3/5 stars.
Not enough GWEN. That said, she wouldn't really have fit into that storyline very well, but she COULD have been shown reuniting with Morgana after so long. We got Arthur and Merlin reuniting with her, and as I love the Gwen/Morgana friendship (which is one of the few times I really like Morgana), I was very disappointed by the lack of time that was focused on the pair.
I was also disappointed by the lack of A/G. Part two had a little bit more, but I liked the exchange of looks in the hallway scene more than I liked the scene in Arthur's room. Still, I liked having scenes much better than having no scenes.
I felt rotten for Uther (and I don't really like him that much). I like him most when he's with Morgana, and for him to be all genuinely happy that she's alive and well, and for her to be faking everything, made me sad.
I did like the Merlin/Morgana scenes. While I normally do, these had such an added tension to them, and the swordfight scene was amazing. :D
Arthur and Merlin seemed kind of forced. I didn't enjoy their interactions in this pair of episodes nearly as much as I normally do. Dollophead? Not nearly as awesome as clotpole.
3x03 - Goblin's Gold 3.5/5 stars.
GWEN! She got some screentime! :D And she looked beautiful, as always. <3 We got a little bit by way of A/G, and we got Gwen/Merlin BFF scenes! <3
I enjoy the cracky episodes for the most part, and I liked this one more than the first two episodes of the season, just because it was more Gwen-centric and much less dark and depressing. It was fun, though I enjoyed it less than 2x06 (which I consider crack-gold).
3x04 - Gwaine 4.5/5 stars.
My FAVORITE episode of season 3, so far. <3 GWAINE. <333333333333333
Yes, people have been comparing this episode to 1x05 (Lancelot). And I don't mind that, because that is one of my favorite episodes as well.
Eoin Macken as Gwaine REALLY made this episode. He was charming, stubborn, brave, and irrepressible. A total swashbuckler. <3 And gorgeous. Gwaine being shirtless completely made me not notice that this was the first episode all season that Arthur hadn't been shirtless. :lol: And that gravelly voice? *sigh*
Gwen & Gwaine. <33333 I absolutely LOVED their scenes. As soon as I saw the first promo picture of Gwaine offering the little flower to Gwen and the two of them laughing, I knew I was going to love the episode, and I couldn't stop STARING at the picture. And their scenes were amazing. I love how Gwen just laughed at him when he tried picking her up, and that he just as good-naturedly took the rejection. <3 And then he so quickly picks up on Gwen's fairly transparent feelings for Arthur. <3 And their last scene is cute, even though we don't get to hear what is being said between them.
Arthur & Gwen. We don't get to see them together onscreen, but Gwen's scenes with Gwaine were mostly Arthur-centric. The first time she shuts him down because she is in love with Arthur, the second time they meet, Gwaine realizes her feelings for Arthur, and the third time, Arthur is jealous (and just as transparent as Gwen, lol) of how "friendly" Gwen and Gwaine are. <3
Arthur & Merlin. Their interactions in this episode were SO much more natural than they were in that first pair of episodes, much less forced. I loved the first insult Merlin made to Arthur about being "simple" and then covering it up with "the sun is bright." lol. And then Merlin telling Dagr (the tavern thug) that he'd like to "see [him] try" to pay Arthur back and Dagr whistles in this entire crew of thugs. lmao. Later, Arthur drama-queens the whole bar-tab scene with Merlin. lol. There are some nice scenes between Arthur and Merlin throughout, but the last scene, where Arthur gets jealous of Gwen/Gwaine, I love how Merlin teases him about it; that may be one of my favorite Arthur/Merlin scenes ever. <3
Arthur & Gwaine. We didn't get much alone time with the two of them, but I loved that Arthur stood up for Gwaine to his father (Uther annoyed me SO MUCH when he was screaming at Gwaine).
Merlin & Gwaine. Were cute. I loved Gwaine telling Merlin that he was the best friend he'd ever had. <3 And then joking about getting more beer for his money in Mercia. lol.
Uther. DUDE. Stop banishing all the hot guys from Camelot! lol.
I do have a few minor quibbles with the episode, though. Not enough to keep me from liking it a lot, but I have them. First, Merlin is worried about using his power in public, in front of the King and the people of Camelot? Really? It didn't stop him in 1x02 or in 2x02, so why are they worried NOW? Second, when Merlin saves Arthur's life, Uther "rewards" him by making him Arthur's servant. When Lancelot and Gwaine save Arthur's life, he banishes them from the kingdom? That makes no sense. And lastly, the First Code of Camelot. Arthur uses that as his reason why Gwaine can't be a knight when he and Merlin are talking at the end of the episode, but in 1x05, he was more than willing to break it for Lancelot, but now he can't even consider it for Gwaine?
3x05 - The Crystal Cave 3/5 stars.
I liked the beginning scene with Arthur and Merlin, and Arthur saying "trust me" every five seconds, only to be proven wrong. And I felt bad for Merlin, when he couldn't fix Arthur's injury. YAY, Clotpole! lol. I also liked when Arthur and Merlin were walking home and Arthur was talking at Merlin, and Merlin didn't want to talk. That scene was very reminiscent of 2x13, when Merlin didn't want to talk to Arthur then, either.
The A/G hug was nice, but I was disappointed that it was Merlin who saw it, because I was hoping it would be someone who didn't know (like Morgana, though she was kind of indisposed at the time).
The Uther/Morgana father/daughter reveal was NOT a surprise. I've seen speculation on that since the BFI screenings of the first two episodes of the season and all the anvils in the episodes. Even as an A/G (and very anti-Ar/Mor) fan, I didn't want this. I would MUCH rather have seen Morgause be Arthur's sister than Morgana, because first off, I think Morgause looks much more like Arthur than Morgana does, and secondly, it makes the season one flirty scenes between Arthur and Morgana creep me out even more than they did before the reveal. Also, Uther and Morgana have so much chemistry, it saddens me to lose the prospect of that ship. :(
3x06 - The Changeling.
I can only go from the preview for this one right now, but I've been waiting all season for this episode, as it deals with Arthur being forced into marriage with someone he doesn't love, and I am waiting for (and very much WANT!) A/G angst! There's been a HUGE lack of A/G interactions in the first five episodes of the season; the most they've actually interacted was in 3x03, and while their scenes together were cute, they didn't really advance their relationship any at all, for positive or negative (though at this point, there's not anywhere negative to go as they aren't even really getting any scenes). I really hope we get some good stuff in 3x06.