Comments | tanous: Merlin: 5:03 The Death Song of Uther Pendragon

tanous

Merlin: 5:03 The Death Song of Uther Pendragon

Oct 24, 2012 04:09

I don’t know. I should probably admit that I was expecting/hoping for a different episode than the one we got, so I’m actually reviewing the wrong thing. I know too that I’m stlll wearing my Traumatised By S4 Pt 2 goggles. But I can still see that there was alot to appreciate. We were given the, now rare, treat of an episode centred almost ( Read more... )

Leave a comment

Back to all threads

Unpopular opinion... sforthewicked October 24 2012, 10:25:05 UTC

I really don't want to say/try to find bad things about this episode ( ... )

Re: Unpopular opinion... tanoshi_ame October 24 2012, 13:53:37 UTC

Ha! Hate from Arwen fans? Was it about the lack of Arwen scenes or did people actually get angry for that 'don't tell Gwen' line?

Actually, as for Uther I'm only miffed about how it looked like he was ready to kill Arthur which hugely disrespects his sacrifice last season. I agree with you about the talk between Merlin/Uther by the way. As it was, Merlin already had to raise his voice over Uther's to get 2 sentences in. I doubt Uther would have paused to listen more than that. Also, even Gaius had never been able persuade Uther when it came to magic, for Merlin to be able do so would seem a bit inexplicably influential. Uther was already a lost cause 4 seasons ago anyway, death should not change that.

Re: Unpopular opinion... sforthewicked October 24 2012, 14:00:14 UTC

Actually, apart from the lack of Arwen, it was mostly about having the QUEEN of Camelot recovering on servant Merlin's bed (omfg!) if you believe it!
I was like 'six episodes ago she was an exiled servant than mucked pigs' shit in a village and now she's too good to sleep on Merlin's bed? Is Arthur's royal seed turning people into bluebloods ffs?'...

Re: Unpopular opinion... marvelpku October 24 2012, 14:12:41 UTC

I think most of the Arwen fans are shallow (from what I have seen). BTW, they are a very small fanbase. Majority of the audiences are families gathering together on Saturday night without too much work to do and don't go pub as well. They watch the show but they are no fans.
If it ironic that I think Arwen fans should get furious on how they dress Gwen. It is not a decent queen of Camelot style, it is Las Vegas prostitute style. No wonder, Uther didn't approve Gwen. No sane people can approve with that kind of dress.

Re: Unpopular opinion... sforthewicked October 24 2012, 14:21:04 UTC

Well, I don't know about small but they are vocal! And I think that normal people, the families watching the show just for the fun of it and because they've got nothing better to do, enjoy the Merlin Arthur relationship a lot more than they do the Arthur Gwen one. Plus, I think even people who have seen like one episode of the show, would want to see a magic reveal, if nothing else. It's the main thing of the show, no matter how much tptb pretend to ignore or undermine.

Re: Unpopular opinion... tanoshi_ame October 24 2012, 14:21:10 UTC

Oh my. Didn't expect that one. That was practically the least of what went wrong with Arwen this ep. Not that I don't feel gleeful about it. Though, aside from the Elyan/Gwen and Morgana/Gwen eps you mentioned, I'm more apprehensive about 5.05 for now. Does the synopsis sound like a lot of Gwen to you?

Re: Unpopular opinion... sforthewicked October 24 2012, 14:25:08 UTC

YES! This is exactly my problem. I fear that from now on the episodes where we see Merlin and Arthur's friendship at the center will be scarce. Now it's going to be all about "the most Important Person in the Planet, or Possibly Ever" aka "Our Queen" the "lovely Guinevere".
We will be begging for episodes like 5x03.
I hope I'll be proven wrong, but the synopsis of ep 5 does sound a lot like Gwen... It's starting.

Re: Unpopular opinion... tanous October 25 2012, 06:28:10 UTC

I thought the synopsis was about Arthur making yet another huge mistake and having to be rescued by the smart people?

Re: Unpopular opinion... tanous October 25 2012, 06:25:25 UTC

Thats why they're miffed? The rest passed them by? *Gapes in wonderment*

Actually, probably just as well though. :-p

Re: Unpopular opinion... sforthewicked October 25 2012, 07:36:22 UTC

No, the rest was also mentioned, but that was written with capital letters, because, you know, it was OFFENSIVE for THE QUEEN.
Unbelievable...
On the plus side, they counted the Merlin-carries-Gwen scene as a positive thing. 'Cause buff!Colin.

Re: Unpopular opinion... tanous October 25 2012, 07:01:30 UTC

I actually dont think I agree with that last bit. I think the Uther who died was a different man from the one we saw in S1-3 (though even then, he adored his son). I'd have thought the afterlife would be the time for some perspective to be gained, regrets for mistakes etc rather than distilling you down to your most negative traits of old? I agree as I said to sftw that there was no point saying anything to Halloween Monster! Uther but as I said, I was kind of reviewing the ep I wish we'd had rather than the one we got. :-p

Re: Unpopular opinion... tanoshi_ame October 25 2012, 08:04:44 UTC

Ah not quite what I meant about lost cause though. I do believe we had a progression for his character from S1 to S4. Sadly, as of his departure last season, for all the moments that made us look back and reconsider how we were supposed to view his character, there was none I could remember that gave a bit of hope that Uther could see magic differently. That he died without a chance to be saved from that prejudice painted him as a lost cause to me, even if only in regard to magic ( ... )

Re: Unpopular opinion... tanous October 25 2012, 09:21:12 UTC

Well kind of hard to discuss what would happen in the afterlife but...:-p In the end it was up to the producers and writers to decide what they wanted it to be like. Uther came from behind the Veil though - he wasn't a spirit caught at the scene of some event in this life or whatever - this was the whole Uther supposedly, cming back after death. When they hauled Ygraine out from behind the Veil she was totally cognisant of her own death and what had happened but she wasn't resentful of dying for Arthur - she wasn't trapped in one aspect of her character as far as we could see. I cant remember if she was aware of current goings on in Camelot though? Uther was a different man to the one who died - who was gentler and kinder in his lucid periods than S1-3 Uther (though even tyrant Uther showed softness now and again). If the writers had chosen they could have shown him as having gained perspective in death with Ygraine maybe, watching the mess he left behind - and realise he had alot of atoning to do. They seemed to show death as ( ... )

Re: Unpopular opinion... tanous October 25 2012, 06:17:14 UTC

Well I can certainly see where you're coming from, as I think I expressed in the review and in the replies above. I CAN see that this was a very lovely gift from TPTB of a Merlin/Arthur centred episode, and yes I also know that we will probably, at some point, be smothered by bluebirds and sunbeams as Terry and June are forced centre stage to play out the requisite chemistry free scenes of Disney Twu Lurve. We'll have much, much more of Morgana and Mordred and Mary Sue ( ... )

Re: Unpopular opinion... tanous October 25 2012, 06:18:00 UTC

(Cont ( ... )

Re: Unpopular opinion... tanoshi_ame October 25 2012, 06:46:03 UTC

About the reveal, now I'm getting more optimistic that it would happen. Was listening to that radio interview Colin did with 'the small child of the show' the other day, he sounded affirmative that 'the reveal happening in an intriguing way', so I'm at least going to believe in the 'reveal happening' half. :P

Back to all threads