le roi n'est pas mort; vive le roi
First off, this icon is wrong. This episode was so about the girls, having lives and opinions and making those known. Pretty early into the ep, I said to scatterheart that the boys were going to be there for scenery and little else, and what do you know, I wasn't that far off.
I didn't write a post as I was watching, which kind of sucks for me, because that's a much more natural way for me to write these. On the upside, knowing the outcome of the episode I'm not going to vent my annoyance over Morgana quite so much. Because, I'm sorry, she got on my nerves for a sad majority of the ep. I love Morgana, but this isn't the first time she's been right and at the same time expressed it in a way that has guaranteed Uther wouldn't listen to her. Poorly played, Morgana. I don't know why her lapses in judgment irk me unlike anyone else's, but maybe it's just that--that I feel she could be an amazing counterforce to Uther and she isn't, because she comes across like she's throwing a tantrum. I'll have to reflect on that more.
But eventually she was awesome, and lo, there was much rejoicing. &MORGANA;
I actually think I'll watch it again. Who's stopping me?
-- I think there should always be scenes with Merlin in bed. Arthur's bed, if possible, but his own will do well, too. His bed hair, oh dear god. ♥
-- "He'll be given fair trial. And he'll be found guilty, because that's what he is." Now, I will go pretty far to support Uther, because I see a lot of good in him. His damned inability to think with his brain where magic is concerned, Jesus, that's a different matter. And magic or no magic, that there is exactly what 'fair trial' does not mean, Uther Pendragon, I DESPAIR OF YOU.
-- Gwen's father is sweet but unfortunately wins the Gullible Fool of the Year award.
-- I believe neppu pointed this out, and good call, because I didn't notice: Merlin isn't wearing his scarf, thus allowing us to truly appreciate the lovely sight that is Colin Morgan's neck. My IM log does show I typed 'also i love his little neck' so, you see, I did pay some attention. His little neck is seriously delectable. If you'll excuse me, I need to swoon for a bit.
-- Maybe I can get this shallow note out of the way: everyone was so pretty this week. Absolutely everyone. Angst suits these kids.
-- Morgana's wrist warmers make another appearance. I'm not saying this to scream about anachronism, I just think that they're pretty and very her.
-- Morgana and Gwen are so OTP, it feels even redundant to point it out. ♥ They just, they're in the same room and it's exactly as OTPish as Merlin and Arthur, if in a whole other way because they're them.
-- Morgana visits Gwen's father in the cells and tells him, "I cannot see the future, only the present". This after she's just told Merlin there is no hope Uther will see sense. What do you want to bet it's not just that she knows Uther that well, but that she has, in fact, seen the future? I think it'd be an even stronger motivator for her to help him escape if she'd actually seen his execution happen. Of course, her involvement doesn't change the outcome.
-- Merlin questioning Uther's command to execute two men for giving Tauren the sorcerer a bed for the night, and Arthur defending his father's judgment angrily: I think that's a stellar character moment for Arthur. He hasn't exactly agreed with Uther's strictness concerning magic use in a while, we know that. I think he's very on the fence at the moment, would probably be even without these suspicions he must have about Merlin. And Arthur's simply not someone who will with a clear conscience preemptively kill a person at the slightest whiff of magic. What Arthur is, very much, is someone who will react with anger when confronted about something he can't fully support but has to--Uther's his father, his king, and Arthur owes him loyalty both as a son and as a knight. Really he's arguing with himself there. Oh, bb.
-- After Tom's escape, Uther proves himself to really be just that unreasonable: surely no innocent man would escape when they know Uther's track record for 'execute first, ask questions later'. Therefore the escape proves Tom's guilt and it's a-okay to kill him on sight. Arthur tries, but Uther won't hear it. The difference between Arthur and Morgana in these situations is that he knows getting in Uther's face will make him more pigheaded, if possible, because he'll need to prove his authority harder the more you pressure him. Plus the part where Arthur has ideas about loyalty. I don't know if Morgana doesn't get the way Uther's mind works, or if she does but still gets in his face because she can't stand by and watch injustice happen. There just has to be a way either one or both of them can influence Uther, not that I can tell what it is. But he has cracks and actual good qualities, they just need to figure out how to use those.
Way to brush off Morgana, Uther. Don't be surprised she wants to see you dead. I want to knock their heads together, I just do.
-- When Arthur came to see Gwen after her father was killed, I was screaming at him to apologize--oh god, don't fuck this up now, APOLOGIZE YOU TWAT. The capslock is verbatim. All the frustration with Uther and Morgana must've made me lose my faith in this show. It won't happen again! Because that was everything I was asking for. Everything. As scatterheart said, I could not love Arthur more if I tried, idiot that he sometimes is.
-- I said it once and I'll say it again: MORGANA ♥ GWEN. I love that they are complete people and I love how they are completely devoted to each other.
-- Merlin spends a great deal of this episode worrying or having an outright crisis, and it still seems to me like the girls get the really important stuff in it. Which could not make me happier!P.S. Merlin, you're asking one of Uther's number one enemies for tips to save him and whether you even should? I understand your options are limited, but seriously?
-- Uther and Morgana's first, fake reconciliation genuinely breaks my heart. The one when they agree to visit Gorlois's grave together. Uther may be an ass, but he isn't deceitful, and his pleasure at Morgana's suggestion is so painful to see, when she's just spilling over with fake sincerity. MORGANA. I may have hated you a little for a moment.
-- Honestly, the first time I watched, I was uncomfortable with the way Merlin seemed to push the responsibility for his decision to either help or stop Morgana on Gwen. He worried at it this way and that and asked the dragon and asked Gaius but, as it usually happens with huge decisions, it still came down to this one moment and one deciding factor. And she didn't know what he knew, how non-academically he meant the question. But that feeling vanished somewhere, now I just feel like hey, that's exactly what people do. And oh, Gwen, I am so in love with her for that answer, you guys can't even begin to know. ♥
-- I couldn't believe Uther was actually getting through to Morgana, finally, and almost too late. Their moment! ♥ Oh god, why couldn't Uther have had more of these candid moments when Arthur and Morgana were growing up? They could've both used them.
-- Merlin in super magic mode tickles my heart, but I was so scared he'd do something flashy right where Uther could see him and this episode would turn into a whole different kind of tragic.
-- Morgana got to kill the big bad. A pretty girl in a skirt got to kill the big bad. While the eponymous hero hid in the grass. Have I mentioned recently how much this show is made of win?
-- Uther and Morgana's hug: &TEAR;
-- I don't know how I'll be able to watch next week. The only possible way would be to watch it with someone, because the need for hugs will be epic all around, but where would such sleepover take place? My heart will break, and break, and break. Not-actually-dead Arthur! And Merlin will do anything, absolutely anything to undo it! Uther's face, god, I can't even look at his grief. And Morgana sends Merlin to... whatever their Avalon is, since Avalon is underwater and populated by pixies?
It's hard not to be a crying mess just from the preview.
This show, you guys. Remember when it was all humorous stocks scenes, bad CGI and Arthurian legends shoutouts? MY BABY SHOW ♥ I AM SO PROUD, IF HEARTACHEY.
I didn't write a post as I was watching, which kind of sucks for me, because that's a much more natural way for me to write these. On the upside, knowing the outcome of the episode I'm not going to vent my annoyance over Morgana quite so much. Because, I'm sorry, she got on my nerves for a sad majority of the ep. I love Morgana, but this isn't the first time she's been right and at the same time expressed it in a way that has guaranteed Uther wouldn't listen to her. Poorly played, Morgana. I don't know why her lapses in judgment irk me unlike anyone else's, but maybe it's just that--that I feel she could be an amazing counterforce to Uther and she isn't, because she comes across like she's throwing a tantrum. I'll have to reflect on that more.
But eventually she was awesome, and lo, there was much rejoicing. &MORGANA;
I actually think I'll watch it again. Who's stopping me?
-- I think there should always be scenes with Merlin in bed. Arthur's bed, if possible, but his own will do well, too. His bed hair, oh dear god. ♥
-- "He'll be given fair trial. And he'll be found guilty, because that's what he is." Now, I will go pretty far to support Uther, because I see a lot of good in him. His damned inability to think with his brain where magic is concerned, Jesus, that's a different matter. And magic or no magic, that there is exactly what 'fair trial' does not mean, Uther Pendragon, I DESPAIR OF YOU.
-- Gwen's father is sweet but unfortunately wins the Gullible Fool of the Year award.
-- I believe neppu pointed this out, and good call, because I didn't notice: Merlin isn't wearing his scarf, thus allowing us to truly appreciate the lovely sight that is Colin Morgan's neck. My IM log does show I typed 'also i love his little neck' so, you see, I did pay some attention. His little neck is seriously delectable. If you'll excuse me, I need to swoon for a bit.
-- Maybe I can get this shallow note out of the way: everyone was so pretty this week. Absolutely everyone. Angst suits these kids.
-- Morgana's wrist warmers make another appearance. I'm not saying this to scream about anachronism, I just think that they're pretty and very her.
-- Morgana and Gwen are so OTP, it feels even redundant to point it out. ♥ They just, they're in the same room and it's exactly as OTPish as Merlin and Arthur, if in a whole other way because they're them.
-- Morgana visits Gwen's father in the cells and tells him, "I cannot see the future, only the present". This after she's just told Merlin there is no hope Uther will see sense. What do you want to bet it's not just that she knows Uther that well, but that she has, in fact, seen the future? I think it'd be an even stronger motivator for her to help him escape if she'd actually seen his execution happen. Of course, her involvement doesn't change the outcome.
-- Merlin questioning Uther's command to execute two men for giving Tauren the sorcerer a bed for the night, and Arthur defending his father's judgment angrily: I think that's a stellar character moment for Arthur. He hasn't exactly agreed with Uther's strictness concerning magic use in a while, we know that. I think he's very on the fence at the moment, would probably be even without these suspicions he must have about Merlin. And Arthur's simply not someone who will with a clear conscience preemptively kill a person at the slightest whiff of magic. What Arthur is, very much, is someone who will react with anger when confronted about something he can't fully support but has to--Uther's his father, his king, and Arthur owes him loyalty both as a son and as a knight. Really he's arguing with himself there. Oh, bb.
-- After Tom's escape, Uther proves himself to really be just that unreasonable: surely no innocent man would escape when they know Uther's track record for 'execute first, ask questions later'. Therefore the escape proves Tom's guilt and it's a-okay to kill him on sight. Arthur tries, but Uther won't hear it. The difference between Arthur and Morgana in these situations is that he knows getting in Uther's face will make him more pigheaded, if possible, because he'll need to prove his authority harder the more you pressure him. Plus the part where Arthur has ideas about loyalty. I don't know if Morgana doesn't get the way Uther's mind works, or if she does but still gets in his face because she can't stand by and watch injustice happen. There just has to be a way either one or both of them can influence Uther, not that I can tell what it is. But he has cracks and actual good qualities, they just need to figure out how to use those.
Way to brush off Morgana, Uther. Don't be surprised she wants to see you dead. I want to knock their heads together, I just do.
-- When Arthur came to see Gwen after her father was killed, I was screaming at him to apologize--oh god, don't fuck this up now, APOLOGIZE YOU TWAT. The capslock is verbatim. All the frustration with Uther and Morgana must've made me lose my faith in this show. It won't happen again! Because that was everything I was asking for. Everything. As scatterheart said, I could not love Arthur more if I tried, idiot that he sometimes is.
-- I said it once and I'll say it again: MORGANA ♥ GWEN. I love that they are complete people and I love how they are completely devoted to each other.
-- Merlin spends a great deal of this episode worrying or having an outright crisis, and it still seems to me like the girls get the really important stuff in it. Which could not make me happier!P.S. Merlin, you're asking one of Uther's number one enemies for tips to save him and whether you even should? I understand your options are limited, but seriously?
-- Uther and Morgana's first, fake reconciliation genuinely breaks my heart. The one when they agree to visit Gorlois's grave together. Uther may be an ass, but he isn't deceitful, and his pleasure at Morgana's suggestion is so painful to see, when she's just spilling over with fake sincerity. MORGANA. I may have hated you a little for a moment.
-- Honestly, the first time I watched, I was uncomfortable with the way Merlin seemed to push the responsibility for his decision to either help or stop Morgana on Gwen. He worried at it this way and that and asked the dragon and asked Gaius but, as it usually happens with huge decisions, it still came down to this one moment and one deciding factor. And she didn't know what he knew, how non-academically he meant the question. But that feeling vanished somewhere, now I just feel like hey, that's exactly what people do. And oh, Gwen, I am so in love with her for that answer, you guys can't even begin to know. ♥
-- I couldn't believe Uther was actually getting through to Morgana, finally, and almost too late. Their moment! ♥ Oh god, why couldn't Uther have had more of these candid moments when Arthur and Morgana were growing up? They could've both used them.
-- Merlin in super magic mode tickles my heart, but I was so scared he'd do something flashy right where Uther could see him and this episode would turn into a whole different kind of tragic.
-- Morgana got to kill the big bad. A pretty girl in a skirt got to kill the big bad. While the eponymous hero hid in the grass. Have I mentioned recently how much this show is made of win?
-- Uther and Morgana's hug: &TEAR;
-- I don't know how I'll be able to watch next week. The only possible way would be to watch it with someone, because the need for hugs will be epic all around, but where would such sleepover take place? My heart will break, and break, and break. Not-actually-dead Arthur! And Merlin will do anything, absolutely anything to undo it! Uther's face, god, I can't even look at his grief. And Morgana sends Merlin to... whatever their Avalon is, since Avalon is underwater and populated by pixies?
It's hard not to be a crying mess just from the preview.
This show, you guys. Remember when it was all humorous stocks scenes, bad CGI and Arthurian legends shoutouts? MY BABY SHOW ♥ I AM SO PROUD, IF HEARTACHEY.