Merlin: 5:05 The Disir.
Oh boy.
All I can see around in reaction to this episode is shell-shock. And I concur. I'm shellshocked too. I dont know that anyone expected it to be quite that bad. And by that I mean badly written and plotted and thought out - if anyone in production even bothered to think any of it through beyond the next line. Last month, I said to a friend that I was pretty sure I was going to be viewing S5 through my fingers, because to me, it felt like bracing myself to watch monkeys playing with Dresden china. The monkeys may get away with chucking it around for a while, but in the end, because they have no concept at all of what's precious, they're going to break it bit by bit. I'd say the monkeys just dropped the entire dinner service.
Actually I saw one of the rare reviews that actually seemed to hold back on the mindless, uninformed adoration of the Net cult critic - Cultbox I think -commenting that it felt already as if the end was nigh - as if they'd just decided to skip the golden age and go straight for the decline and fall. And that is how it felt to me. There was no sense at all that anyone was really worth saving in this episode. I ended up thinking - well Arthur kind of deserves the judgement because he's a blind, arrogant arse, the knights are murderous bigots and Merlin is enslaved by his feelings for someone who doesn't deserve them. Bring on Camlann. Is that what I was meant to be feeling, Shine? Really? That Camelot's golden age is brutal and remorseless and cruel so lets wipe it out and move on? What the hell happened to The Once And Future King anyway? Osgar called him that, and he was supposedly prophesied to be the king who'd create a golden age and bring back magic with Merlin (remember the optimism of S1 & 2? Le sigh) - but now, how can he be, when the Old Religion is ready to give up on him for failing to be what he should have been. i.e. just? It seems too that their ancient prophecies are clearly crap, so the triple goddess is pulling the plug early?. Or am I missing something vital here?
So - actually having seen the rage vented at Merlin around the Net, Ive got to say its not him I disliked by the end of the episode though his stupidity was epic indeed. It was Arthur. Arrogant, blinkered, self regarding Arthur who cant see beyond the end of his nose. Oh and most of all and without doubt, TPTB. For them, no expression of disdain is too extreme.
So - certain things were established in this episode, just to make it worse. Arthur isn't turning a blind eye to sorcerers - he's killing them where he can and is outraged that they should defend themselves - Sir Ranulph dies trying to take this sorceror to his death but the sorceror has no right to want not to die apparently. Arthur watches one die at his feet with no compassion at all (reset on 4.03 but who cares right?). The fact he won't even allow sorcerors the simple human dignity of marked graves, made my stomach turn. And yet - Brain of Camelot cant work out why the Old Religion is pissed off with him. 'Im a just king' he says-'Im brilliant. Im not my father' And no one - no one - least of all Merlin, points out that he's anything but just and fair to people of magic. So apparently- his fathers work mustn't be undone - could his father have been wrong? Unthinkable! And .. I assume we've all completely forgotten 5.03 then because Arthur has. The writing was SO terrible - so full of holes in logic and twisted characterisations and stupidities it beggared belief. The Disir TELL Arthur why he's in trouble with the gods, and he still cant work out its because he's killing their people. But he refuses to stop even though hes being told its going to be his downfall - all that enters his tiny mind is that Mordred might die, when hes riding back to Camelot - not that his own downfall and that of Camelot has been predicted. He's being written as an imbecile, who never listens to advice unless its bad, who has no insight at all. He can see the Disir have power; he knows sorcery exists and yet he dismisses all they say as 'superstition'? Did he think they were having a laugh? The writing of Arthur was so mind bogglingly atrocious I wanted to weep. Ive rarely seen him written so badly and thats saying something. What have they done to him?
Merlin - God where to begin? Now he's conclusively written as so focussed on Arthur that nothing else matters - not what Arthur does, or who he is - just keeping him alive. Why? Love is the only possible thing that makes sense - he loves him more than anything else including magic or justice for magic users (that sad little scene as he furtively marks Osgars grave - the infuriating, sad passivity of him :-() or his own identity. I think we're supposed to have forgotten that his own and Arthur's destiny was meant to be bringing magic back- because they've certainly made Merlin forget it. How stupid is he meant to be? How cowardly? Whats the point of Arthur being king if 'theres no place for magic in Camelot'- how have we seen he's that much of an improvement on Uther?. Whats the point of Merlin being Emrys, the greatest sorceror ever and saviour of magic, when his own kind seem to mean nothing to him, compared with Uther's son - the man who persecutes them? Why bother giving the character supposed superpowers when he's too terrified to move on his life from making beds and breakfasts and being 'a lackey' and looked down on as less than a man by Arthur for it? We can only assume that all that matters to Merlin, is that Arthur is there, dismissing him and demeaning him and leaning on him in equal measure - because he loves him that much, that slavishly? And... he listens to Kilgarrah, just when he shouldn't of course. How often are they going to use that trope? Every single episode??? Bad advice is always taken; good advice is always ignored. Its relentless - kiddies TV at its purest. And Kilgarrah who supposedly could forsee everything and was Merlins go-to place for advice on what was going on, is now about as much use in the advice stakes as as chocolate poker.
Richard McBrian (not poor, innocent Jake Michie - thanks Thien :P) wrote this episode as he also wrote the Hunters Heart which was one of he worst episodes Ive ever seen in this show (though 4:08 and 4:09 can certainly give it a beezer of a fight for the crown). Then too he had no clue how to write Merlin and Arthur - together or as individuals- and so it was this week. Arthur talked to Merlin one minute as if he could see nothing but a servant to be teased and diminished - an arrogant, dismissive arse, totally unable to see serious things are afoot - the next he puts the fate of the entire kingdom in Merlin's hands (' What would you do?' AGAIN?) and does just about all Merlin says, the way he doesn't do what Gwen says. And the one time he doesn't, he tells him as if he has no memory of anything beyond his breakfast that morning, that his advice is crap before - yes doing he wrong thing. That one wasn't signposted to the viewers in huge red letters or anything was it? I suspect dear old Richard thought he was writing the bromance - but he so, so obviously doesn't get it.
We should also remember Richard's last try at writing Merlin was when he abused his magic to get back at Arthur for daring to consider getting with Mithian, remember? Merlin became as fanatical as the most terrifying Arwen fangirl on too much sugar. And now whats Richard made of him exactly? An idiot who cant see beyond his very pretty nose? And Arthur, on Richard's last watch, gave away a chunk of Camelot (with his people living on it and everything) so HE could be happy. Goodbye Arthur the stoic who puts his people first. Now Richard's made him a smug, bigotted, blind, arrogant imbecile. Im beginning to realise we should have hugged Julian Jones ' ankles. He is by far the best they've got. Somehow TPTB have managed to gather a writing team that has no clue about the show or its characters. How the hell does that work?
No one was in character, except perhaps Gwen and Gaius who was shoved back into his tired old 'dont do it Merlin' straightjacket with his 'You did what you thought was best' chaser at the end. I'd always thought Gwaine - the character we met - would be accepting of sorcery if Merlin ever came out to him. But nnnope, thats not Gwaine. Not according to Richard. Gwaine the iconoclast is now a bigotted arse who treats sorcerors as if they're not human, runs them through for not allowing them to shove a sword in their faces and interrupts the Disir because they're not talking to Arthur (who HE called the Princess and treated with affectionate disrespect in the good old days) with enough awe. I mean WHAT???? Gwaine? No wonder Eoin is so contemptuous of TPTB on this show. The monkeys certainly did permanently for his character this week.
Gwen - what was she there for apart from getting the essential Gwen minutes onscreen to satisfy her adoring fans? She said nothing that wasn't a platitude, though I suppose, clutching at straws, we should be grateful that she gave bad advice since that could be viewed as a flaw - if you close both eyes and squint a bit? No? Oh all right then. Sorcerors are fanatics apparently - not the people who hang them and leave them in unmarked graves - they're very reasonable and just. The chemistry was as usual affectionate and polite, 'That was very kind of you' and Gwen is back to the old 'follow your heart. You're a great king' stuff she's done for 3 seasons. No insight at all, and Arthur seemed barely interested and certainly not willing to listen which was a huge contrast to his reactions to Merlin. Ironically, though Richard undoubtedly didn't mean it, the exchange between Merlin and Arthur about Merlin not smiling was far more like a real life couple than the strange stately set pieces they give Terry and June. The Platonic Pair were the least of it though. :(
Mordred - at least he showed some complexity which is thanks to the actor rather than the writing. Because when you start to think about it- it really all does fall apart. I liked his chat with Merlin but - seriously - why would he - a magic user help Arthur persecute them? Are we supposed to just pretend its not an issue? Merlin has his own, now twisted and distorted, reasons ( or maybe he's just in love) but Mordred? The exchange over the grave could be seen as an indication he's well aware of the injustices and I assume what TPTB want is that we should feel Mordred is the one sympathetic character left. Which is a bit of a joke. I imagine that comes down to vanity. They decided they were going to introduce some moral ambiguity.. a complex villain... and in typical style didnt have the imagination to go about it in any way other than dynamiting the main characters.
And then there was The Twist. I can just imagine the pats on the back Richard got for that one from his fellow monkeys. And we had Merlin taking the blame at the window with Gaius doing his usual thing - just to let us know that - yes it's all Merlin's fault again. Not Arthurs because he's too stupid to make rational decisions. Merlin, the puppet-master pulled the wrong strings.
So, Mordred was going to die only if Arthur restored magic - that was what would save the king. Except - the deal Arthur would have made would have been Mordred's life for restoring magic; and to restore magic he would have to be desperate to save the life of a man who saved him twice. So if then Mordred died - what do we think Mr Sensitivity To Other Beliefs would have done? Why was Merlin shown the vision by the old Druid in 5.01 if the Old Religion wanted him in any way to make the right choice at that point? For that matter aren't the Disir meant to be the ultimate soothsayers? They knew Mordred would choose to jump in front of Arthur (to be used in their plan) but they didn't know what Arthur would decide? Eh? And why use him as some weird test to pull Arthur and Merlin into the wrong judgement? They couldn't just make it clear what they were up to, if they wanted Merlin to make the right choice and get magic restored and their own people saved? Arthur and Merlin had to pick the right door to get the gift? It was all BOLLOCKS! :P Oh and the will he/wont he they've destroyed so much to achieve is out the window now too apparently since we've been told effectively Mordred will kill him and its all Merlins fault. Because there is never too much guilt we can pile onto Merlin is there? Arthur 'Im so stupid Im my own Bane' and Merlin 'if theres any bad advice going I'll take it' between them are to blame.
We've watched 4 seasons of Arthur and Merlin as the good guys and multiple 2-D crazed sorcerers as the bad - but now it definitely feels as if we're being directed to do a u-turn. Shine are I suspect very jealous of Game of Thrones, so suddenly there is no good and bad. But - just to keep us right - that only applies in certain episodes. Next week for example we're back to Cruella de WilECoyote being nasty to the Moral Compass and so suddenly we're back to very simple Good! and Evil!. It seems in fact as if they're running two shows side by side. The fillers like 4.03, 4.04 and the next three in which the old goodies are goodies and the baddies are baddies and we sort of know the show, and then then the 'wannabe GoT arc' in which the goodies are complete arses. And thats not confusing or anything - is it?
Trying to talk myself down off the roof, Im attempting to tell myself that the TPB have stuck two fingers up at us in such an blatant, provocative way only because they intend to make it right at the end. Perhaps they're taking the trope of 'darkness before the dawn' - to new levels... wind us up and make us scream before making it all right again? Sane producers with a fragment of humility would give a shit what the fans wanted. But Shine...? I really cant predict what they'll do, because 4 out of every 5 decisions and choices they make is staggeringly stupid. Of course on the show (actually making a mockery of their pretensions to grown up subtlety) everything they do is clumsily exaggerated. Arthur cant just like Mordred and see him as promising - he has to adore him in an totally un-Arthur like way - look on him as his little brother who he hugs extravagantly as he has never been allowed to hug Merlin just to make Merlin (and us) more upset and excluded and disrespected, and to pantomime that Arthur is walking with open arms to his own fate. Will they now show Arthur as more and more intolerant to magic thus making Merlin finally crack and realise theres no point unless he converts Arthur to change his ways? If not whats left for Merlin beyond drudgery and denying his magic till Arthur is killed as predicted? Rationally, after all he's done for him, there should be no reason he shouldn't tell Arthur about his magic- except Arthur is written as a man with barely a functioning brain, driven by prejudice and totally reliant on other people's bad advice. I just cant tell where it can go from here with the slightest credibility if they intend to leave the reveal till the very end. Can they finish off Arthur after just 3 years and have him die, still a moronic arse? Or will they postpone Camlann and have Mordred out there circling? The Disir said that was his only chance - does that imply that even if he brings back magic, he's still condemned himself through a test he obviously wasn't equipped to meet (given that the only person who could have guided him was pushed to the wrong choice by - yes - other people and creatures of magic?) Or is that too complicated - was it meant to imply that the reason he'll die is because he didn't meet his potential and Camlann is imminent. Its certainly a new take on legend all right. The Once And Future King They Had To Send Back To The Factory Early. So why are they wasting 3 whole episodes on Morgana's imbecilic plots and Enchanted Gwen with a story arc as fucked up as this one on the back burner? Because they are Shine and if theres a shit decision to take they will take it. :(
Next week - Gwen is kidnapped. Why should we care? What tension! We know she'll be rescued. She'll be enchanted. The Greatest Love Story Ever Told Not Shown will be shoved pointlessly in our faces yet again (because TPTB have managed to hold themselves back from pimping Terry and June for 5 whole episodes and they'll be worried we've forgotten) as Little Arthur goes off to rescue his mum, I mean wife. Angel will have some fun. And 3 episodes will disappear down the toilet. Will Merlin even remember what he did this week or will it all be unimportant again? Will Arthur give a second thought to the judgement of the Gods or just keep on persecuting magic people because he worships Uther's judgement - just in this of course?
I'm actually for the first time ever, unsure if I can make myself watch next week or skip a few. I really thought I could stick it till the end, but the feeling of this episode was so off - so depressing and nihilistic and brutish that Im close to genuinely not caring what happens to characters I love. I never thought I'd see the day when I actually didn't like Arthur. When I was ready to give up on Merlin. I can see why the actors are keen to get out - how dispiriting must it have been to play these scenes? Colin said this was the season and the Merlin he's been waiting for? Really Colin? Company man or not, thats really pushing it. :(
If this is the last series are Shine deliberately blowing it up as they leave? Or are they smugly looking at the fragments on the floor without having a clue what they've done? Maybe the monkeys have some glue hidden away. Maybe not.
All I can see around in reaction to this episode is shell-shock. And I concur. I'm shellshocked too. I dont know that anyone expected it to be quite that bad. And by that I mean badly written and plotted and thought out - if anyone in production even bothered to think any of it through beyond the next line. Last month, I said to a friend that I was pretty sure I was going to be viewing S5 through my fingers, because to me, it felt like bracing myself to watch monkeys playing with Dresden china. The monkeys may get away with chucking it around for a while, but in the end, because they have no concept at all of what's precious, they're going to break it bit by bit. I'd say the monkeys just dropped the entire dinner service.
Actually I saw one of the rare reviews that actually seemed to hold back on the mindless, uninformed adoration of the Net cult critic - Cultbox I think -commenting that it felt already as if the end was nigh - as if they'd just decided to skip the golden age and go straight for the decline and fall. And that is how it felt to me. There was no sense at all that anyone was really worth saving in this episode. I ended up thinking - well Arthur kind of deserves the judgement because he's a blind, arrogant arse, the knights are murderous bigots and Merlin is enslaved by his feelings for someone who doesn't deserve them. Bring on Camlann. Is that what I was meant to be feeling, Shine? Really? That Camelot's golden age is brutal and remorseless and cruel so lets wipe it out and move on? What the hell happened to The Once And Future King anyway? Osgar called him that, and he was supposedly prophesied to be the king who'd create a golden age and bring back magic with Merlin (remember the optimism of S1 & 2? Le sigh) - but now, how can he be, when the Old Religion is ready to give up on him for failing to be what he should have been. i.e. just? It seems too that their ancient prophecies are clearly crap, so the triple goddess is pulling the plug early?. Or am I missing something vital here?
So - actually having seen the rage vented at Merlin around the Net, Ive got to say its not him I disliked by the end of the episode though his stupidity was epic indeed. It was Arthur. Arrogant, blinkered, self regarding Arthur who cant see beyond the end of his nose. Oh and most of all and without doubt, TPTB. For them, no expression of disdain is too extreme.
So - certain things were established in this episode, just to make it worse. Arthur isn't turning a blind eye to sorcerers - he's killing them where he can and is outraged that they should defend themselves - Sir Ranulph dies trying to take this sorceror to his death but the sorceror has no right to want not to die apparently. Arthur watches one die at his feet with no compassion at all (reset on 4.03 but who cares right?). The fact he won't even allow sorcerors the simple human dignity of marked graves, made my stomach turn. And yet - Brain of Camelot cant work out why the Old Religion is pissed off with him. 'Im a just king' he says-'Im brilliant. Im not my father' And no one - no one - least of all Merlin, points out that he's anything but just and fair to people of magic. So apparently- his fathers work mustn't be undone - could his father have been wrong? Unthinkable! And .. I assume we've all completely forgotten 5.03 then because Arthur has. The writing was SO terrible - so full of holes in logic and twisted characterisations and stupidities it beggared belief. The Disir TELL Arthur why he's in trouble with the gods, and he still cant work out its because he's killing their people. But he refuses to stop even though hes being told its going to be his downfall - all that enters his tiny mind is that Mordred might die, when hes riding back to Camelot - not that his own downfall and that of Camelot has been predicted. He's being written as an imbecile, who never listens to advice unless its bad, who has no insight at all. He can see the Disir have power; he knows sorcery exists and yet he dismisses all they say as 'superstition'? Did he think they were having a laugh? The writing of Arthur was so mind bogglingly atrocious I wanted to weep. Ive rarely seen him written so badly and thats saying something. What have they done to him?
Merlin - God where to begin? Now he's conclusively written as so focussed on Arthur that nothing else matters - not what Arthur does, or who he is - just keeping him alive. Why? Love is the only possible thing that makes sense - he loves him more than anything else including magic or justice for magic users (that sad little scene as he furtively marks Osgars grave - the infuriating, sad passivity of him :-() or his own identity. I think we're supposed to have forgotten that his own and Arthur's destiny was meant to be bringing magic back- because they've certainly made Merlin forget it. How stupid is he meant to be? How cowardly? Whats the point of Arthur being king if 'theres no place for magic in Camelot'- how have we seen he's that much of an improvement on Uther?. Whats the point of Merlin being Emrys, the greatest sorceror ever and saviour of magic, when his own kind seem to mean nothing to him, compared with Uther's son - the man who persecutes them? Why bother giving the character supposed superpowers when he's too terrified to move on his life from making beds and breakfasts and being 'a lackey' and looked down on as less than a man by Arthur for it? We can only assume that all that matters to Merlin, is that Arthur is there, dismissing him and demeaning him and leaning on him in equal measure - because he loves him that much, that slavishly? And... he listens to Kilgarrah, just when he shouldn't of course. How often are they going to use that trope? Every single episode??? Bad advice is always taken; good advice is always ignored. Its relentless - kiddies TV at its purest. And Kilgarrah who supposedly could forsee everything and was Merlins go-to place for advice on what was going on, is now about as much use in the advice stakes as as chocolate poker.
Richard McBrian (not poor, innocent Jake Michie - thanks Thien :P) wrote this episode as he also wrote the Hunters Heart which was one of he worst episodes Ive ever seen in this show (though 4:08 and 4:09 can certainly give it a beezer of a fight for the crown). Then too he had no clue how to write Merlin and Arthur - together or as individuals- and so it was this week. Arthur talked to Merlin one minute as if he could see nothing but a servant to be teased and diminished - an arrogant, dismissive arse, totally unable to see serious things are afoot - the next he puts the fate of the entire kingdom in Merlin's hands (' What would you do?' AGAIN?) and does just about all Merlin says, the way he doesn't do what Gwen says. And the one time he doesn't, he tells him as if he has no memory of anything beyond his breakfast that morning, that his advice is crap before - yes doing he wrong thing. That one wasn't signposted to the viewers in huge red letters or anything was it? I suspect dear old Richard thought he was writing the bromance - but he so, so obviously doesn't get it.
We should also remember Richard's last try at writing Merlin was when he abused his magic to get back at Arthur for daring to consider getting with Mithian, remember? Merlin became as fanatical as the most terrifying Arwen fangirl on too much sugar. And now whats Richard made of him exactly? An idiot who cant see beyond his very pretty nose? And Arthur, on Richard's last watch, gave away a chunk of Camelot (with his people living on it and everything) so HE could be happy. Goodbye Arthur the stoic who puts his people first. Now Richard's made him a smug, bigotted, blind, arrogant imbecile. Im beginning to realise we should have hugged Julian Jones ' ankles. He is by far the best they've got. Somehow TPTB have managed to gather a writing team that has no clue about the show or its characters. How the hell does that work?
No one was in character, except perhaps Gwen and Gaius who was shoved back into his tired old 'dont do it Merlin' straightjacket with his 'You did what you thought was best' chaser at the end. I'd always thought Gwaine - the character we met - would be accepting of sorcery if Merlin ever came out to him. But nnnope, thats not Gwaine. Not according to Richard. Gwaine the iconoclast is now a bigotted arse who treats sorcerors as if they're not human, runs them through for not allowing them to shove a sword in their faces and interrupts the Disir because they're not talking to Arthur (who HE called the Princess and treated with affectionate disrespect in the good old days) with enough awe. I mean WHAT???? Gwaine? No wonder Eoin is so contemptuous of TPTB on this show. The monkeys certainly did permanently for his character this week.
Gwen - what was she there for apart from getting the essential Gwen minutes onscreen to satisfy her adoring fans? She said nothing that wasn't a platitude, though I suppose, clutching at straws, we should be grateful that she gave bad advice since that could be viewed as a flaw - if you close both eyes and squint a bit? No? Oh all right then. Sorcerors are fanatics apparently - not the people who hang them and leave them in unmarked graves - they're very reasonable and just. The chemistry was as usual affectionate and polite, 'That was very kind of you' and Gwen is back to the old 'follow your heart. You're a great king' stuff she's done for 3 seasons. No insight at all, and Arthur seemed barely interested and certainly not willing to listen which was a huge contrast to his reactions to Merlin. Ironically, though Richard undoubtedly didn't mean it, the exchange between Merlin and Arthur about Merlin not smiling was far more like a real life couple than the strange stately set pieces they give Terry and June. The Platonic Pair were the least of it though. :(
Mordred - at least he showed some complexity which is thanks to the actor rather than the writing. Because when you start to think about it- it really all does fall apart. I liked his chat with Merlin but - seriously - why would he - a magic user help Arthur persecute them? Are we supposed to just pretend its not an issue? Merlin has his own, now twisted and distorted, reasons ( or maybe he's just in love) but Mordred? The exchange over the grave could be seen as an indication he's well aware of the injustices and I assume what TPTB want is that we should feel Mordred is the one sympathetic character left. Which is a bit of a joke. I imagine that comes down to vanity. They decided they were going to introduce some moral ambiguity.. a complex villain... and in typical style didnt have the imagination to go about it in any way other than dynamiting the main characters.
And then there was The Twist. I can just imagine the pats on the back Richard got for that one from his fellow monkeys. And we had Merlin taking the blame at the window with Gaius doing his usual thing - just to let us know that - yes it's all Merlin's fault again. Not Arthurs because he's too stupid to make rational decisions. Merlin, the puppet-master pulled the wrong strings.
So, Mordred was going to die only if Arthur restored magic - that was what would save the king. Except - the deal Arthur would have made would have been Mordred's life for restoring magic; and to restore magic he would have to be desperate to save the life of a man who saved him twice. So if then Mordred died - what do we think Mr Sensitivity To Other Beliefs would have done? Why was Merlin shown the vision by the old Druid in 5.01 if the Old Religion wanted him in any way to make the right choice at that point? For that matter aren't the Disir meant to be the ultimate soothsayers? They knew Mordred would choose to jump in front of Arthur (to be used in their plan) but they didn't know what Arthur would decide? Eh? And why use him as some weird test to pull Arthur and Merlin into the wrong judgement? They couldn't just make it clear what they were up to, if they wanted Merlin to make the right choice and get magic restored and their own people saved? Arthur and Merlin had to pick the right door to get the gift? It was all BOLLOCKS! :P Oh and the will he/wont he they've destroyed so much to achieve is out the window now too apparently since we've been told effectively Mordred will kill him and its all Merlins fault. Because there is never too much guilt we can pile onto Merlin is there? Arthur 'Im so stupid Im my own Bane' and Merlin 'if theres any bad advice going I'll take it' between them are to blame.
We've watched 4 seasons of Arthur and Merlin as the good guys and multiple 2-D crazed sorcerers as the bad - but now it definitely feels as if we're being directed to do a u-turn. Shine are I suspect very jealous of Game of Thrones, so suddenly there is no good and bad. But - just to keep us right - that only applies in certain episodes. Next week for example we're back to Cruella de WilECoyote being nasty to the Moral Compass and so suddenly we're back to very simple Good! and Evil!. It seems in fact as if they're running two shows side by side. The fillers like 4.03, 4.04 and the next three in which the old goodies are goodies and the baddies are baddies and we sort of know the show, and then then the 'wannabe GoT arc' in which the goodies are complete arses. And thats not confusing or anything - is it?
Trying to talk myself down off the roof, Im attempting to tell myself that the TPB have stuck two fingers up at us in such an blatant, provocative way only because they intend to make it right at the end. Perhaps they're taking the trope of 'darkness before the dawn' - to new levels... wind us up and make us scream before making it all right again? Sane producers with a fragment of humility would give a shit what the fans wanted. But Shine...? I really cant predict what they'll do, because 4 out of every 5 decisions and choices they make is staggeringly stupid. Of course on the show (actually making a mockery of their pretensions to grown up subtlety) everything they do is clumsily exaggerated. Arthur cant just like Mordred and see him as promising - he has to adore him in an totally un-Arthur like way - look on him as his little brother who he hugs extravagantly as he has never been allowed to hug Merlin just to make Merlin (and us) more upset and excluded and disrespected, and to pantomime that Arthur is walking with open arms to his own fate. Will they now show Arthur as more and more intolerant to magic thus making Merlin finally crack and realise theres no point unless he converts Arthur to change his ways? If not whats left for Merlin beyond drudgery and denying his magic till Arthur is killed as predicted? Rationally, after all he's done for him, there should be no reason he shouldn't tell Arthur about his magic- except Arthur is written as a man with barely a functioning brain, driven by prejudice and totally reliant on other people's bad advice. I just cant tell where it can go from here with the slightest credibility if they intend to leave the reveal till the very end. Can they finish off Arthur after just 3 years and have him die, still a moronic arse? Or will they postpone Camlann and have Mordred out there circling? The Disir said that was his only chance - does that imply that even if he brings back magic, he's still condemned himself through a test he obviously wasn't equipped to meet (given that the only person who could have guided him was pushed to the wrong choice by - yes - other people and creatures of magic?) Or is that too complicated - was it meant to imply that the reason he'll die is because he didn't meet his potential and Camlann is imminent. Its certainly a new take on legend all right. The Once And Future King They Had To Send Back To The Factory Early. So why are they wasting 3 whole episodes on Morgana's imbecilic plots and Enchanted Gwen with a story arc as fucked up as this one on the back burner? Because they are Shine and if theres a shit decision to take they will take it. :(
Next week - Gwen is kidnapped. Why should we care? What tension! We know she'll be rescued. She'll be enchanted. The Greatest Love Story Ever Told Not Shown will be shoved pointlessly in our faces yet again (because TPTB have managed to hold themselves back from pimping Terry and June for 5 whole episodes and they'll be worried we've forgotten) as Little Arthur goes off to rescue his mum, I mean wife. Angel will have some fun. And 3 episodes will disappear down the toilet. Will Merlin even remember what he did this week or will it all be unimportant again? Will Arthur give a second thought to the judgement of the Gods or just keep on persecuting magic people because he worships Uther's judgement - just in this of course?
I'm actually for the first time ever, unsure if I can make myself watch next week or skip a few. I really thought I could stick it till the end, but the feeling of this episode was so off - so depressing and nihilistic and brutish that Im close to genuinely not caring what happens to characters I love. I never thought I'd see the day when I actually didn't like Arthur. When I was ready to give up on Merlin. I can see why the actors are keen to get out - how dispiriting must it have been to play these scenes? Colin said this was the season and the Merlin he's been waiting for? Really Colin? Company man or not, thats really pushing it. :(
If this is the last series are Shine deliberately blowing it up as they leave? Or are they smugly looking at the fragments on the floor without having a clue what they've done? Maybe the monkeys have some glue hidden away. Maybe not.