Merlin 3.07 The Castle of Fyrion

Oct 24, 2010 11:14

In which The Moment of Truth gets a dark counterpart.

They're your friends, they've always been loyal to you )

episode review, merlin

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wee_warrior October 24 2010, 10:17:56 UTC
We're still dlue an explanation of how Morgause and Morgana are still sisters after Uther's paternity revelation, which I think the show will eventually get around to, though not any time soon.

Have they ever said before whether she's Gorlois' daughter or the daughter of Morgana's mother? The latter would make it pretty easy for them to still be half sisters, although I'd really like to know what went on back then. Was Morgana's mother already Gorlois' wife and cheated on him with Uther? Or did Gorlois help them out of a tough spot and married his best friend's lover because he was already married to Igraine? Were Igraine and Morgana's mother related? Why, these relations are almost as complicated as they are in the legends! *g*

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selenak October 24 2010, 17:39:14 UTC
Have they ever said before whether she's Gorlois' daughter or the daughter of Morgana's mother?

Not explicitly. Gaius says, re: Morgause's bracelet that she gives Morgana, that it bears the sign of one of the noble houses, the house of Gorlois, and that only one person other than Morgana would have reason to wear it. Uther then replies "I was given to understand the child died." This doesn't specify the nature of the relation; naturally everyone thought it means Morgause was Gorlois' daughter, but "house of" means the entire family including his wife, one assumes.

And yes, for a show that tried their best to avoid the incest and bed trick elements of legend at the start they certainly ended up in as complicated relations.:)

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kernezelda October 24 2010, 12:04:51 UTC
It made me sad to see what had been shown in hints over the last couple episodes made crystal clear here, how Morgana has turned not only against Merlin (and for which she thinks she has good reason) and Uther (again, with what she thinks is good reason), but holds the same attitude as Uther: if you're not for them, you're against them. There are no shades of grey for them.

She is her father's daughter, indeed.

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selenak October 24 2010, 17:35:49 UTC
Sadly yes, she is.

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kathyh October 24 2010, 12:24:53 UTC
The show did take the trouble to let Gwen point out he wasn't around when she could have needed him (i.e. when their father died), but if he's something of a drifter, that makes sense.

Yes, I thought they did that well. I definitely felt the sibling vibe of responsible sister and unreliable brother who loved each other anyway.

Morgana's willingness to trade in Arthur and Gwen for a crown (while being unwilling to actually face the consequences of them finding out) is basically the same callous indifference Uther has always shown towards the fate of servants

She's so like him that it's painful. I shall be very interested to find out what happens when either Arthur or Gwen, or both, realise what's going on, as they surely must before too long. In the legends Morgana kept betraying Arthur and he kept forgiving her, but she was one of the women mourning his death at the end so I wonder if she will have an "OMG, what have I done" moment in the show.

We're still dlue an explanation of how Morgause and Morgana are still sistersThey must ( ... )

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selenak October 24 2010, 17:35:18 UTC
I definitely felt the sibling vibe of responsible sister and unreliable brother who loved each other anyway.

Indeed - no wonder Gwen knew just how to handle Gwaine!

In the legends Morgana kept betraying Arthur and he kept forgiving her, but she was one of the women mourning his death at the end so I wonder if she will have an "OMG, what have I done" moment in the show.

I hope so, otherwise there is little character development to be done with her now that they've taken her so quickly down the villainous route. Re: Arthur, Gwen or both finding out the truth, I think one or both will but not before the last two episodes of the season, because it's certainly an emotional climax the way Uther finding out would not be.

Yes, the same mother is the only way they could be sisters, but then we're still due an explanation why baby Morgause had to be smuggled out of Camelot before magic ever became illegal...

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kathyh October 24 2010, 21:26:58 UTC
I would have to rewatch 2.08 but are we absolutely sure she was a baby or has everyone just assumed that? Uther said "I was given to understand the child died" I think which might imply older. Possibly she was smuggled out of Camelot during the purge rather than before it, which gives a whole new spin on her attitude to Uther.

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zahrawithaz October 24 2010, 14:44:52 UTC
Can I just say how much I have missed your Merlin reviews? I am slowly working through the backlog of episodes and your write-ups, but I just couldn't resist this one (too much squeeing on the f-list ( ... )

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selenak October 24 2010, 17:29:55 UTC
I missed talking to you as well!

Re: Morgana's coldness: I remember a fanfiction where the turning point in her relationship with Arthur is that he arrests her when she's trying to help Mordred escape, that she concludes if Uther ordered her executed, Arthur would follow that command, and from this point starts to let go of her affection towards him. Which is as good an explanation as any, though based on the earlier seasons I can't see it - within the "Beginning of the End" episode itself, Morgana there is shown to be (justly) convinced she can persuade Arthur to help Mordred for her sake, and more recently, she has seen he's been concerned and looking for her for a year as Uther has done but without the awareness of a biological connection.

I think there have always been fissures in her relationship with Gwen that just needed the right events to bring them to the fore.

Yes, I think so too (and wrote the fanfiction to prove it), but remember when we were in a minority there?

it seems really odd that she cares more for the ( ... )

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zahrawithaz October 24 2010, 19:48:48 UTC
Thanks! I am slowly but surely posting episode reviews as I work through, though in some cases (I just saw the Gwaine episode) it's hard to resist the temptation to just link to your reaction and say THIS.

Yes, I think so too (and wrote the fanfiction to prove it), but remember when we were in a minority there? Yes, I remember vividly (and discovered your LJ through that fanfiction)! And I am totally not sitting here gloating about how I knew that theory long before it ever went pop and hit the charts; that would be unbecoming. I'm just trying on some of Morgana's recent facial expressions, that's all ( ... )

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