srin
in
mad_poetics
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So uh, then I watched the Merlin finale? Um. So that happened? I don't know, I wasn't expecting much, and still got to the end going "...That's the end of series 2? That? Really?"
Er. Yeah. Well. I liked Balinor more than I expected to? The surprise!parent plot usually annoys me, and this wasn't even really a surprise since we all kind of knew it was coming, but I ended up liking him rather a lot. So of course he died. Also, hmm, I feel like this whole backstory with Balinor and Hunith puts Hunith coming to ask Uther for help back in 1x10 in a rather different light. I'm not exactly sure what that light is, I need to think on it more, but it is A Thing.
Um. I'm not sure what to make of Arthur's weird perkiness throughout the episode, but he's wonderfully noble and not really being a shithead much these days so I approve of that. He and Merlin are kind of killing me, though, because it seems like every time Arthur tries to act like a real friend to Merlin, Merlin's all wrapped up in his Big Secrets and as unresponsive as he can plausibly be and that just hurts to watch. All through series 2, it seems like the only options for them are a) Merlin's completely devoted to Arthur while Arthur's a callous jerk, or b) Arthur's kind of in big manly love with Merlin and trying to show it while Merlin's preoccupied with Magic and Secrets and just wishing Arthur would fuck off so he can do his magic thing and his angst thing in peace. I do not like either option! I hate that Arthur's reaching out and getting nothing, and I hate that Merlin's so weighted down with the secrets and lies that he can't even respond to Arthur's overtures of friendship.
I also ... look, OT4 all the way, but the show's giving me nothing there this year, and I'm admittedly Merlin/Arthur and Gwen/Morgana miles before anything else except Gwen/Merlin but it's not like they even got to talk outside of 2x07 so let's not go there so I am getting a bit annoyed with the way Gwen/Arthur is basically getting all the emotional satisfaction that I want to be seeing for Arthur with Merlin and for Gwen with Morgana. I'm glad we got an acknowledgement of Morgana's absence, but I really didn't like the actual scene, because it felt like Gwen didn't even want to talk about Morgana, just Arthur, which felt so wrong I can't even deal. Morgana's never around; Gwen doesn't get to be around unless it's about Arthur; Arthur and Merlin get pseudo-development but no pay-off, while Arthur and Gwen get pay-off without development, and all of Merlin's real emotional moments happen with Gaius, or a guest-star who's dead before the credits roll. I do not like this situation, show. I really don't.
I wish they'd given Gwen/Arthur a slower build-up and more development, because I do quite like them together in theory, and there have been a few lovely moments, but overall I'm really not a fan of the way it's played out this year. I wanted them being awkward and dorky and Merlin teasing them both and threesomes, not the Epic Love that Cannot Be plotline that's been done better in a million other stories.
And Arthur needs to find out about Merlin's magic, like, six months ago. Merlin can't carry on the way things are, and Arthur needs to actually know what's going on for once. They could be a really epic team if they could actually be a team, instead of Merlin basically baby-sitting Arthur while Arthur thinks he's the one in charge.
In other news, I'm not really sure what to make of the dragon going from cranky but generally for saving Camelot, to RAGEY KILLING MACHINE, to hey yeah ok, I'll just be off then, cheers young warlock! The dragon's usually just a mouthpiece for the plot so I haven't been that bothered about his characterisation in the past, but I think this was yet another case of the writers ignoring character continuity for the sake of the plot, which, sigh.
On the lighter side, though, I am possibly more amused than I should be by Merlin going with "Lancelot" when in need of a cover identity for Arthur. Also by Arthur calling Merlin's name in his Delirious Plot-Convenient Sleep. More than once. Furthermore, I am sort of tempted by the idea of crack fic where Arthur actually knows a hell of a lot more than he lets on, and all this Plot-Convenient unconsciousness is actually him doing it on purpose because he knows Merlin can actually fix the Plot of the Week, but not while Arthur's watching. Like, something really really cracky, with Arthur sneaking into Gaius's chambers to steal potions that will make him pass out as needed, because Merlin's a bit dim sometimes but even he would probably notice Arthur knocking himself over the head with a bit of wood. And Arthur having rambling internal monologues where he wishes Merlin would just admit to the magic already, because Arthur is getting sick of pretending to be so clueless, plus Merlin's so tightly wound all the time, it's just no fun, everything would be so much better if Merlin would go "Arthur I'm magic" and Arthur could go "Yeah ok" and then they could make out and ... Yeah.
In conclusion, I liked series 1 a lot more than series 2, but I will keep my fingers crossed that series 3 will be better, with less lying and weaksauce plots and more real relationships between the people I'm in this thing for.
Er. Yeah. Well. I liked Balinor more than I expected to? The surprise!parent plot usually annoys me, and this wasn't even really a surprise since we all kind of knew it was coming, but I ended up liking him rather a lot. So of course he died. Also, hmm, I feel like this whole backstory with Balinor and Hunith puts Hunith coming to ask Uther for help back in 1x10 in a rather different light. I'm not exactly sure what that light is, I need to think on it more, but it is A Thing.
Um. I'm not sure what to make of Arthur's weird perkiness throughout the episode, but he's wonderfully noble and not really being a shithead much these days so I approve of that. He and Merlin are kind of killing me, though, because it seems like every time Arthur tries to act like a real friend to Merlin, Merlin's all wrapped up in his Big Secrets and as unresponsive as he can plausibly be and that just hurts to watch. All through series 2, it seems like the only options for them are a) Merlin's completely devoted to Arthur while Arthur's a callous jerk, or b) Arthur's kind of in big manly love with Merlin and trying to show it while Merlin's preoccupied with Magic and Secrets and just wishing Arthur would fuck off so he can do his magic thing and his angst thing in peace. I do not like either option! I hate that Arthur's reaching out and getting nothing, and I hate that Merlin's so weighted down with the secrets and lies that he can't even respond to Arthur's overtures of friendship.
I also ... look, OT4 all the way, but the show's giving me nothing there this year, and I'm admittedly Merlin/Arthur and Gwen/Morgana miles before anything else except Gwen/Merlin but it's not like they even got to talk outside of 2x07 so let's not go there so I am getting a bit annoyed with the way Gwen/Arthur is basically getting all the emotional satisfaction that I want to be seeing for Arthur with Merlin and for Gwen with Morgana. I'm glad we got an acknowledgement of Morgana's absence, but I really didn't like the actual scene, because it felt like Gwen didn't even want to talk about Morgana, just Arthur, which felt so wrong I can't even deal. Morgana's never around; Gwen doesn't get to be around unless it's about Arthur; Arthur and Merlin get pseudo-development but no pay-off, while Arthur and Gwen get pay-off without development, and all of Merlin's real emotional moments happen with Gaius, or a guest-star who's dead before the credits roll. I do not like this situation, show. I really don't.
I wish they'd given Gwen/Arthur a slower build-up and more development, because I do quite like them together in theory, and there have been a few lovely moments, but overall I'm really not a fan of the way it's played out this year. I wanted them being awkward and dorky and Merlin teasing them both and threesomes, not the Epic Love that Cannot Be plotline that's been done better in a million other stories.
And Arthur needs to find out about Merlin's magic, like, six months ago. Merlin can't carry on the way things are, and Arthur needs to actually know what's going on for once. They could be a really epic team if they could actually be a team, instead of Merlin basically baby-sitting Arthur while Arthur thinks he's the one in charge.
In other news, I'm not really sure what to make of the dragon going from cranky but generally for saving Camelot, to RAGEY KILLING MACHINE, to hey yeah ok, I'll just be off then, cheers young warlock! The dragon's usually just a mouthpiece for the plot so I haven't been that bothered about his characterisation in the past, but I think this was yet another case of the writers ignoring character continuity for the sake of the plot, which, sigh.
On the lighter side, though, I am possibly more amused than I should be by Merlin going with "Lancelot" when in need of a cover identity for Arthur. Also by Arthur calling Merlin's name in his Delirious Plot-Convenient Sleep. More than once. Furthermore, I am sort of tempted by the idea of crack fic where Arthur actually knows a hell of a lot more than he lets on, and all this Plot-Convenient unconsciousness is actually him doing it on purpose because he knows Merlin can actually fix the Plot of the Week, but not while Arthur's watching. Like, something really really cracky, with Arthur sneaking into Gaius's chambers to steal potions that will make him pass out as needed, because Merlin's a bit dim sometimes but even he would probably notice Arthur knocking himself over the head with a bit of wood. And Arthur having rambling internal monologues where he wishes Merlin would just admit to the magic already, because Arthur is getting sick of pretending to be so clueless, plus Merlin's so tightly wound all the time, it's just no fun, everything would be so much better if Merlin would go "Arthur I'm magic" and Arthur could go "Yeah ok" and then they could make out and ... Yeah.
In conclusion, I liked series 1 a lot more than series 2, but I will keep my fingers crossed that series 3 will be better, with less lying and weaksauce plots and more real relationships between the people I'm in this thing for.