I kinda went overboard in my jotting of random thoughts... I just love this episode so much!
Regarding your comment on Morgana: I have a difficult time getting a handle on their relationship as well - there's a lot of sibling-rivalry style tension: Arthur is just plain rude to her on occasion, like when he comes in to the dinner table after searching for the druid boy. When she asks him to withdraw, he snorts, "you care?" - he doesn't think she cares anything for him; even though we saw in Gates of Avalon that she does care about him, he didn't see it as anything more than jealousy.
I'm willing to give her a pass on her contradictions in this episode, though. At the beginning, it was unexpected that it would be a duel to the death. To find out it's a duel to the death, it seems obvious to her that Arthur, as the best warrior, would have the best chance, not some young knight who's never been in mortal combat. So he should take over to save Owain's life. (This is assuming that, since she's a woman, no one bothered explaining the knight's rules to her.) After she sees the sword go in and have no effect on the black knight, she knows it can't be killed, and wants him to withdraw to save his own life. But she's a knight's daughter, and understands duty once he reminds her of it, and leaves it at that.
I kinda went overboard in my jotting of random thoughts... I just love this episode so much!
And it's an UTTERLY FANTASTIC review! Will comment on your page.
Someone - I'm fairly sure it was Lassisterfic - mentioned that Arthur is very slow at picking up small clues about people (genuinely) caring about him. *g* In that respect he's lucky he has Merlin, since subtlety and Merlin do not walk hand in hand!!
Someone - I'm fairly sure it was Lassisterfic - mentioned that Arthur is very slow at picking up small clues about people (genuinely) caring about him.
Yes - it's a bit of a contradiction: Arthur's shown as a bully w/ fawning sidekicks in the first episode. He tells Merlin "You can't talk to me like that [because I'm the Prince]." These things point to an arrogant/ egotistical personality. But on the other hand, he doesn't pick up on the signs of genuine caring, which I think is a reflection of his feeling that he's been a disappointment to his father: i.e., he's not worthy of being loved. It's an interesting contrast between the Prince/ Champion who has the adulation of the populace, and Arthur, who has difficulty recognizing the care/love of the people closest to him.
In that respect he's lucky he has Merlin, since subtlety and Merlin do not walk hand in hand!!
lol! No, Merlin totally trips and falls over subtle. I love how he's got this huge secret he needs to protect, but he is utterly transparent and shows everything on his face.
Regarding your comment on Morgana: I have a difficult time getting a handle on their relationship as well - there's a lot of sibling-rivalry style tension: Arthur is just plain rude to her on occasion, like when he comes in to the dinner table after searching for the druid boy. When she asks him to withdraw, he snorts, "you care?" - he doesn't think she cares anything for him; even though we saw in Gates of Avalon that she does care about him, he didn't see it as anything more than jealousy.
I'm willing to give her a pass on her contradictions in this episode, though. At the beginning, it was unexpected that it would be a duel to the death. To find out it's a duel to the death, it seems obvious to her that Arthur, as the best warrior, would have the best chance, not some young knight who's never been in mortal combat. So he should take over to save Owain's life. (This is assuming that, since she's a woman, no one bothered explaining the knight's rules to her.) After she sees the sword go in and have no effect on the black knight, she knows it can't be killed, and wants him to withdraw to save his own life. But she's a knight's daughter, and understands duty once he reminds her of it, and leaves it at that.
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And it's an UTTERLY FANTASTIC review! Will comment on your page.
Someone - I'm fairly sure it was Lassisterfic - mentioned that Arthur is very slow at picking up small clues about people (genuinely) caring about him. *g* In that respect he's lucky he has Merlin, since subtlety and Merlin do not walk hand in hand!!
Reply
Yes - it's a bit of a contradiction: Arthur's shown as a bully w/ fawning sidekicks in the first episode. He tells Merlin "You can't talk to me like that [because I'm the Prince]." These things point to an arrogant/ egotistical personality. But on the other hand, he doesn't pick up on the signs of genuine caring, which I think is a reflection of his feeling that he's been a disappointment to his father: i.e., he's not worthy of being loved. It's an interesting contrast between the Prince/ Champion who has the adulation of the populace, and Arthur, who has difficulty recognizing the care/love of the people closest to him.
In that respect he's lucky he has Merlin, since subtlety and Merlin do not walk hand in hand!!
lol! No, Merlin totally trips and falls over subtle. I love how he's got this huge secret he needs to protect, but he is utterly transparent and shows everything on his face.
Reply
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