New fandom?
I've always been a sort of amateur enthusiast for Arthuriana (albeit not as well-read as I should be), so I suppose it was only a matter of time, especially after all I've been hearing about it on my f-list, before I checked out BBC's Merlin.
Long story short: after a fairly bumpy start, I think I've been sucked in. By and large, it seems to be a well-intentioned, fun, charming series. Camelot High, only without the actual high school. ;)
The variation on the legend hasn't bothered me overmuch, because people have been telling and re-telling the Arthur legend for centuries. And, as crabby_lioness's excellent episode reviews detail, many of the variations in this particular retelling already have some precedent.
The CGI effects (while not fabulous) are passable enough to not be too distracting, the costumes/sets are pretty and sumptuous, the swordplay is fun, the acting generally solid, and most of the characters likable. Given that, I can overlook certain sillinesses/annoyances, like all the heavy-handed yet nebulously worded 'destiny' talk and the Lancelot episode.
Since it's a family-friendly show, many of the "squickier" elements of some Arthurian retellings have been omitted or at least altered: Uther stealing/raping Igraine to conceive Arthur, Arthur/Morgana being blood relations and conceiving Mordred - though they are foster siblings here, and there is an obvious mutual attraction. It also appears, much to my relief, that the ever-overbearing Arthur/Guinevere/Lancelot triangle will not play nearly the role it has before here. It does seem Lancelot will show up occasionally, but not enough to be a long-term factor, and Guinevere's starting out as a servant in this telling rules out the "arranged marriage" scenario for her and Arthur coming together - the show seems to be setting up a slowly-developing Cinderella romance between them, plus it's difficult to see this highly loyal and moral Gwen carrying on a long-term affair. Lancelot was never a favorite of mine in any telling of the legend (plus in this incarnation Arthur >>> Lancelot anyway), so it doesn't break my heart. I'm perfectly happy with the developing bond between our existing OT4, and at this point Lance would just feel like an interloper.
Most of the main characters are likable in their own right, and the limited number of main characters is the only thing that keeps Merlin from rivalling HP in its fertility for multi-shipping, though obviously the biggest fandom pairing is Arthur/Merlin. How can it not be, with two bickering cute boys and the Slash Dragon constantly telling us "one side of the coin cannot exist without the other" or some such. But the slash preponderance disappoints me in a way: I find their bromance entertaining/touching enough on its own without a sexual/romantic undercurrent, and I wish there were more A/M fic out there that weren't outright slash.
Arthur is a prat, and genuinely enjoys ordering Merlin around, but the acting/chemistry between BJ and CM more than adequately conveys a mutual affection beneath the bickering/teasing, which Arthur seems to do to everyone he likes anyway (Merlin, Morgana, Gwen). Merlin's clearly the younger brother in Arthur's eyes: needles him, bosses him around, occasionally throws him under the bus to Dad, but ultimately loves him and will stick himself out for him. Early on you see how protective they become of one another, and many episodes' plot are contingent on their working together - often with Merlin's part being done in secret, thanks to Uther's deadly paranoia for anything remotely magical. (By season's end, I would argue Merlin's continued reluctance to confide his secret to Arthur may be just as much to protect Arthur as himself.) Arthur may be a badass warrior who thinks he needs to protect Merlin, but it's been all but hammered, even without the Dragon's monologues, that each of them needs the other to survive. Take for instance the fourth episode, where Arthur is the only one with the prowess to find the ingredient to cure Merlin's poisoning, yet Arthur is unable to escape Nimue's attack without Merlin's guidance. Their bond really does symbolize what is necessary for the future of Camelot: one can not survive by the sword or magic alone, but a uniting of the two. Though current social situations keep Merlin and Arthur from being equals publicly, they are equals, even if Arthur himself has yet to realize it: both clever, gifted, burdened, well-meaning young men who have yet to obtain the necessary wisdom to properly choose their battles.
Of the main characters the titular Merlin is probably one of the ones I'm least interested in so far, but he's hardly unlikable (CM is just adorable even with that haircut), and my opinion is improving on a second viewing. Morgana is probably my second favorite after Arthur: she's strong-willed, passionate, but in a difficult position, struggling with her burgeoning magical gifts in a time where such gifts mean death. Unfortunately, unlike Merlin, she has no one to guide her through them. (And we all know from Anakin/Vader how nasty a recipe it is for a young, inexperienced person to experience powerful visions without anyone to guide them.) Her secret talent puts her increasingly at odds - if secretly - with Uther and Arthur, so it's not hard to see what will lead to her likely eventual falling-out with Camelot. We've already seen her once seriously consider murdering Uther to bring about the regime change she believes necessary. And given the tension/attraction with Arthur which has yet to serve any other purpose storywise, it's a possibility that attraction contributes to the souring of her sisterly bond with Gwen, who we all know eventually marries Arthur.
Gwen herself - ironically, perhaps, given her character's portrayal/role in other tellings - is the moral compass of the main four characters, but is acted/written sufficiently that she does not come across as cloying or saccharine, though hopefully she'll get more to do in series 2. Even after Uther orders her father's death, she tells Merlin she does not wish death on the king, for that would make her no better than Uther. She's not particularly afraid of standing up for herself but often stumbles, speaking candidly then tripping over herself to clarify her intent. Making her a commoner is an interesting story change - while one constant in Arthurian legend is that Guinevere becomes Queen, she is typically noble-born. Perhaps this change is in part to set up the Cinderella tale between her and Arthur, and/or to have her, as Arthur's Queen, bring the "commoner" sensibility to his reign that this version's Arthur lacks on his own, having been raised from birth as a royal.
One slight problem I've had with some other versions of Arthurian legend is that while we're told how great a king Arthur was/will be, we don't always see much of why, and/or he seems to be a doof with a heart of gold who it's hard to imagine having the balls/influence to bring so many warring factions together. The Arthur in this story, so far, I have little trouble envisioning growing up into the just, noble king who unites Britain/Albion. Yes, he's an ass, if a charming one. He's also a brilliant warrior, an outwardly confident leader, with - perhaps from growing up with a front-row seat to Uther's brutality - a strongly defined sense of right/wrong, which is often at odds with Uther's harsh mandates and his own desire to be seen as a worthy successor in the eyes of his father as well as the people of Camelot. Unlike his father, he's not afraid to take the counsel of "lessers" like Merlin and Gwen, or risk himself for them - by episode 11, he readily sacrifices himself for Merlin as well as his people. Early on he openly stands up to Uther in the defense of Merlin and Gwen, which earns him, as well as M/G, brutal punishment - so in subsequent episodes, when he defies his father, he does so in secret. Not so much for his sake, but theirs; as Uther's only heir, Arthur doesn't face the same threat of death that a servant or even Morgana would for such rebellion.
It's extremely difficult to see Anthony Stewart Head playing such a hard, brutal character after the open and compassionate Giles, but it's not for lack of acting ability, which certainly is not the case. Uther himself, especially after the backstory we get in episodes like "Excalibur," reminds me in some ways of how Vader might have been had he taken over the Empire in RotS, and had to raise Luke and/or Leia after Padme's death. In the past he made a bargain with sorcerers to have a son/heir, but did not foresee that it would cost him his wife's life. He cannot bear that price, and to cope with his own guilt he sets out to extinguish all sorcery from his kingdom, just as Vader exterminates the Jedi, who in his own twisted way he blames for his losses and the fate of the galaxy. He does care for his children, but seldom feels able to express it, feeling he has no choice but to use an iron fist in everything he does. He does not hesitate to teach them brutal lessons through the threatened death of their servants or throwing them in the dungeon for a week - and if he were to learn of Morgana's abilities, he wouldn't hesitate long at all to condemn her to the same fate other sorcerers have met under him. Uther, unlike the main four characters, I certainly wouldn't call likable, and perhaps not even sympathetic - but he's certainly understandable.
As yet, Gaius is the main character I've formed the least opinion on: while it's clear he cares for Merlin, I'm scratching my head like crazy in wondering why he's so willing to protect Merlin while turning such a blind eye to the suffering Morgana is undergoing as a result of her own growing abilities, a situation which he is obviously aware of.
(Now, on the subject of ships, for the record: ships are hardly the focus of this telling, at least at this early date, but if I had to choose? I go about 50/50 between Arthur/Gwen and Arthur/Morgana. The way Arthur says 'Guinevere' is totally swoon-worthy, and their scenes in the finale were just lovely - her heartfeltly telling the seemingly unconscious Arthur about the hope she has in him, then the way he teases her about it when he wakes. And there's something simmering yet slightly-deliciously-darkly-wrong with Arthur/Morgana, whose dynamic has compelled me in other tellings, particularly Mists of Avalon, which is the only place I've ever shipped incest! Arthur/Gwen is sweet and flirty and courtly, whereas Arthur/Morgana you can picture one of them just slamming the other against a wall in some dark alcove and having lots of hot!wrong!sex.)
To sum up: I'm sufficiently entertained for the moment, and am looking forward to series 2, and have already been madly devouring fic and icons.