a Camelot post (spoilers for the first ep)
You GUYS. As much as I really want to love a show with Eva Green playing Morgan Le Fay (VERILY, MY HEART), and Tamsin Egerton as Guinevere (verily, MY GAY SELF), Starz kinda left me... wanting. Which is fine, it's a pilot, and I suspect if I'd ever started a show with its pilot, I would not love as many things as I do.
There were totally positives!
+ You know who as everyone's favourite legendary witch. Seriously, some women were born to play her, and from the anger to the rationale to the sexy to the manipulation and ruthless political ambition, this is absolutely the Morgan you can recognise. So far, so good, which is a relief. She has always been my legendary heroine, after all.
+ SIR KAY HI HI. As one of my pet faves who I've always been crushed has never been in the BBC show (though Merlin kinda fills the role), Starz casting a terribly pretty fellow who's loyal to Arthur, kinda amusing, and fancies Morgan something crazy is definitely a good move. Well played there Starz.
+ James Purefoy. He's James Purefoy.
+ ...And his relationship with Morgan is fun! Kinda equal, kinda rough on the edges, and what's starting out as politically advantageous I suspect will wind up with his having her back, which will be nice. I sometimes worry not enough people love Morgan for just being herself.
There were also many loltastic negatives.
+ HAVE SOME PACING, DO.
+ ....because it's not so good if it's only interesting in the last five minutes.
+ I wasn't supposed to like Arthur, right? I mean, not even in a silly lovable scamp way, right? Cus he was just... bland.
+ Kinda snap for Merlin, whose shady characteristics are less intriguing and more exasperating.
+ Also lol at his shit magic. HIS POLYJUICE ON UTHER FAILED AT A KINDA CRUCIAL MOMENT.
+ btw, I WOULD RATHER BE INTRODUCED TO GUINEVERE'S NAME/VOICE THAN HER BODY, THANK YOU. SPEAKING AS SOMEONE WHO'S VERY INTERESTED IN HER BODY.
+ Bit of banter in this script? Bit of fun? ...Nyet? I suppose this is a bit too grown up for that. Oh well, have some more wiggling ladies and sex.
I suppose so far, my main issue is that it was very... predictable. Paint by numbers for the story and casting choices/character directions. I just kinda feel if you're gonna do Arthurian legend, you've got to bring something different to the plate/shake things up, and I'm not anticipating anything too radical from this production so far. So while I'm sure it'll be less morally ridiculous, and no one will even pretend Morgan is an evil character, I don't think it'll be perfection, and I'm certain there are aspects from other, possibly-similar shows I'll always enjoy more*. ;)
*On that note, I should clarify. NOT INTERESTED IN MERLIN/CAMELOT COMPARISONS, NOT REALLY. Definitely not the negative ones. 50p BUDGET, FIRST TIME ACTORS, AND CRACK DESIGNED FOR KIDDIES DO NOT COMPARE. Might as well compare, idk. Horrible Histories and The Tudors. You may get more satisfaction from one or the other, depending on your specific desires. But one of them will definitely value characterisation more, I promise. Let's not even.
Also, I trust my flist too much to do this to me, but if you start talking about how Angel was never really your Guinevere and Tamsin just looks/feels right and seems more a traditional Guinevere which is all you ask for really and now you really like this one... I will actually post gifs and/or essays in your face. Might as well get that out of the way.
There were totally positives!
+ You know who as everyone's favourite legendary witch. Seriously, some women were born to play her, and from the anger to the rationale to the sexy to the manipulation and ruthless political ambition, this is absolutely the Morgan you can recognise. So far, so good, which is a relief. She has always been my legendary heroine, after all.
+ SIR KAY HI HI. As one of my pet faves who I've always been crushed has never been in the BBC show (though Merlin kinda fills the role), Starz casting a terribly pretty fellow who's loyal to Arthur, kinda amusing, and fancies Morgan something crazy is definitely a good move. Well played there Starz.
+ James Purefoy. He's James Purefoy.
+ ...And his relationship with Morgan is fun! Kinda equal, kinda rough on the edges, and what's starting out as politically advantageous I suspect will wind up with his having her back, which will be nice. I sometimes worry not enough people love Morgan for just being herself.
There were also many loltastic negatives.
+ HAVE SOME PACING, DO.
+ ....because it's not so good if it's only interesting in the last five minutes.
+ I wasn't supposed to like Arthur, right? I mean, not even in a silly lovable scamp way, right? Cus he was just... bland.
+ Kinda snap for Merlin, whose shady characteristics are less intriguing and more exasperating.
+ Also lol at his shit magic. HIS POLYJUICE ON UTHER FAILED AT A KINDA CRUCIAL MOMENT.
+ btw, I WOULD RATHER BE INTRODUCED TO GUINEVERE'S NAME/VOICE THAN HER BODY, THANK YOU. SPEAKING AS SOMEONE WHO'S VERY INTERESTED IN HER BODY.
+ Bit of banter in this script? Bit of fun? ...Nyet? I suppose this is a bit too grown up for that. Oh well, have some more wiggling ladies and sex.
I suppose so far, my main issue is that it was very... predictable. Paint by numbers for the story and casting choices/character directions. I just kinda feel if you're gonna do Arthurian legend, you've got to bring something different to the plate/shake things up, and I'm not anticipating anything too radical from this production so far. So while I'm sure it'll be less morally ridiculous, and no one will even pretend Morgan is an evil character, I don't think it'll be perfection, and I'm certain there are aspects from other, possibly-similar shows I'll always enjoy more*. ;)
*On that note, I should clarify. NOT INTERESTED IN MERLIN/CAMELOT COMPARISONS, NOT REALLY. Definitely not the negative ones. 50p BUDGET, FIRST TIME ACTORS, AND CRACK DESIGNED FOR KIDDIES DO NOT COMPARE. Might as well compare, idk. Horrible Histories and The Tudors. You may get more satisfaction from one or the other, depending on your specific desires. But one of them will definitely value characterisation more, I promise. Let's not even.
Also, I trust my flist too much to do this to me, but if you start talking about how Angel was never really your Guinevere and Tamsin just looks/feels right and seems more a traditional Guinevere which is all you ask for really and now you really like this one... I will actually post gifs and/or essays in your face. Might as well get that out of the way.