(no subject)
Huh. I was expecting to hate this episode and roll my eyes at the way Mordred turned, but I ended up kind of liking it? It was more subtle than I had expected, and I'm glad that, just this once, the writers let the characters explore all possible options before doing what they ended up doing. This is true for Mordred, who tried so hard to just save Cara's life while still caring about Arthur (and I loved that scene where Mordred goes to apologise to and thank Arthur for everything he's done, because you know he's apologising not for what he did, but for what he's about to do), and it's true for Arthur, who ended up giving Cara all the chances he could.
I'll be honest and say that I really, really didn't expect him to, if only because that's how the writers on Merlin seem to usually operate around this kind of plot, so I was pretty annoyed at Arthur's repeated "the law is clear" (he is the law, for God's sake) - more because he didn't seem terribly affected at first, which I would expect him to be when one of his knights is so undone, than because it would have been a bad decision. And also because I couldn't help thinking, throughout it, will the law also be clear when it comes to Merlin? (As a sidenote, I'm still wondering if Arthur is executing people for magic or not, and this episode and Cara's comments didn't really make me less confused.) So I was relieved to see the scene where he gave her a last chance, even though it was obvious she would refuse. After that, the way it unrolled did seem like an inevitability, one for which no one can really be blamed.
I didn't really like the first half of the episode - partly because I suspected what was coming and didn't expect it to be very believable (I was wrong), but also partly because I had expected to like Cara, and I mostly... didn't? I also didn't feel she and Mordred had much chemistry, which was a bit of a shame given how important this is supposed to be - although I did feel it all improved in the second half of the episode. I really liked Mordred's characterisation in the ep, and thought Alex carried it off brilliantly.
I was also slightly thrown by just how angry and bitter Merlin is at the beginning of the episode. I sort of get it - he's going crazy thinking Mordred is going to kill Arthur - but at the same time I feel like they're switching around Merlin's moods a bit too fast for how much they tend to avoid lingering on the angstier parts. And I was really wondering why Merlin didn't just let Mordred and Cara go (the whole "as long as he's within these walls there is hope" thing - yeah, having Arthur kill Cara is sure to put Mordred in a better mood. I mean, what?), but I guess he could have been afraid that in going to Morgana, Mordred would reveal Merlin's identity - which is exactly what happened.
This basically means that not only can Merlin perhaps not stop the vision he's had - it seems like things are unrolling as they are because Merlin knew of the prophecy and thus didn't trust Mordred. Otherwise, Mordred and Cara might have run off to never return.
[About the finale trailer (spoilers, ovsiously).]About the finale trailer: I have about 90% given up hope of any magic reveal, but I still went :( at Merlin's "I've lost my magic", because if he's lost it, he obviously can't reveal it (heh). Also, wow, Merlin's face - this is going to hurt.
Also also, mini-rant about the possible ending: if this is going to end with Arthur's death (which I've mostly resigned myself to, except for that little spark of hope that just won't die), I'm going to be seriously pissed off. I know the Arthurian legends end tragically and all, but there is absolutely no reason they couldn't have had a magic reveal and had Arthur accept magic and unite Albion before having it all fall apart - to at least resolve some part of the storyline positively, especially one that is so important to the main characters. It feels like they've spent four series going "there will be better times! Wait for it! There will be!" and then one series foreshadowing "oh no it looks like those better times aren't going to come along after all! It was all for nothing, sorry!" and ending that in actual failure seems like the worst kind of storytelling ever, which on the one hand makes me want to believe it won't happen, but I honestly don't trust the writers not to do exactly that. Also, I'm really not sure what Arthur and Merlin would be remembered for at this point. According to the writers, this is supposed to be the golden age, but we've hardly noticed any of it, have we? And why anyone would so much as remember Merlin's name at this point is beyond me. DON'T DO THIS TO US, WRITERS. PLEASE. /rant
I'll be honest and say that I really, really didn't expect him to, if only because that's how the writers on Merlin seem to usually operate around this kind of plot, so I was pretty annoyed at Arthur's repeated "the law is clear" (he is the law, for God's sake) - more because he didn't seem terribly affected at first, which I would expect him to be when one of his knights is so undone, than because it would have been a bad decision. And also because I couldn't help thinking, throughout it, will the law also be clear when it comes to Merlin? (As a sidenote, I'm still wondering if Arthur is executing people for magic or not, and this episode and Cara's comments didn't really make me less confused.) So I was relieved to see the scene where he gave her a last chance, even though it was obvious she would refuse. After that, the way it unrolled did seem like an inevitability, one for which no one can really be blamed.
I didn't really like the first half of the episode - partly because I suspected what was coming and didn't expect it to be very believable (I was wrong), but also partly because I had expected to like Cara, and I mostly... didn't? I also didn't feel she and Mordred had much chemistry, which was a bit of a shame given how important this is supposed to be - although I did feel it all improved in the second half of the episode. I really liked Mordred's characterisation in the ep, and thought Alex carried it off brilliantly.
I was also slightly thrown by just how angry and bitter Merlin is at the beginning of the episode. I sort of get it - he's going crazy thinking Mordred is going to kill Arthur - but at the same time I feel like they're switching around Merlin's moods a bit too fast for how much they tend to avoid lingering on the angstier parts. And I was really wondering why Merlin didn't just let Mordred and Cara go (the whole "as long as he's within these walls there is hope" thing - yeah, having Arthur kill Cara is sure to put Mordred in a better mood. I mean, what?), but I guess he could have been afraid that in going to Morgana, Mordred would reveal Merlin's identity - which is exactly what happened.
This basically means that not only can Merlin perhaps not stop the vision he's had - it seems like things are unrolling as they are because Merlin knew of the prophecy and thus didn't trust Mordred. Otherwise, Mordred and Cara might have run off to never return.
[About the finale trailer (spoilers, ovsiously).]About the finale trailer: I have about 90% given up hope of any magic reveal, but I still went :( at Merlin's "I've lost my magic", because if he's lost it, he obviously can't reveal it (heh). Also, wow, Merlin's face - this is going to hurt.
Also also, mini-rant about the possible ending: if this is going to end with Arthur's death (which I've mostly resigned myself to, except for that little spark of hope that just won't die), I'm going to be seriously pissed off. I know the Arthurian legends end tragically and all, but there is absolutely no reason they couldn't have had a magic reveal and had Arthur accept magic and unite Albion before having it all fall apart - to at least resolve some part of the storyline positively, especially one that is so important to the main characters. It feels like they've spent four series going "there will be better times! Wait for it! There will be!" and then one series foreshadowing "oh no it looks like those better times aren't going to come along after all! It was all for nothing, sorry!" and ending that in actual failure seems like the worst kind of storytelling ever, which on the one hand makes me want to believe it won't happen, but I honestly don't trust the writers not to do exactly that. Also, I'm really not sure what Arthur and Merlin would be remembered for at this point. According to the writers, this is supposed to be the golden age, but we've hardly noticed any of it, have we? And why anyone would so much as remember Merlin's name at this point is beyond me. DON'T DO THIS TO US, WRITERS. PLEASE. /rant