Merlin: 5:07 A Lesson In Vengeance

[tanous]

So, another episode down and six to go till the (bitter?) end of S5 and possibly, if rumours are to be believed, the entire show. And …where are we now?

Well, actually,  we’re back in S4. Or is it S3?  Deep anyway in the Merlin producers thumb-sucking comfort zone of ‘Merlin trying singlehandedly (save Gaius - the device to enable us to know his

Comments

[xthursdaynextx]

Im pretty sure there wont be any lasting consequences for anyone

There never usually are. But, with this being possibly the last season, it's possible there might. Maybe.

It does seem that the episodes that annoy fans the most are the ones which get all the rave reviews (4.09, 5.05 for example). I don't think the producers care about giving fans what they want, or even about giving the show and the characters the ending they deserve as long as they have something superficially impressive for the casual viewer.

The characterisation of the knights bothers me a bit. They expect us to care about Elyan's death one week, and not to care about them arresting Merlin the next. It's inconsistent.

The alleged spoilers for the alleged end do bother me. But I was thinking more of the way four years have passed off screen, Arthur still hasn't taken any steps toward making Camelot fairer for magic users, that we're never going to get to the supposed golden age of Camelot and that all Merlin's years of hiding and protecting Arthur will turn out to be for absolutely nothing.

[tanous]

Well going by the alleged spoilers for the alleged end, there may indeed be lasting horrible consequences (you wait for a lasting consequence and 17 come along at once) but Im sticking with my Pollyanna Possibility which I suggested in last weeks thread - that Camlann and Avalon are seen in the Crystal Cave and postponed/averted by Merlin somehow or other (hopefully NOT including Old Merlin - simply because much as I don't respect Shine in the slightest I cant believe they'd finish Arthur after 4 years on the throne, still manifestly stupid and as you say with Albion un-united and magic users persecuted. I just cant believe they'd be that moronic.

I don't think the producers care about giving fans what they want, or even about giving the show and the characters the ending they deserve as long as they have something superficially impressive for the casual viewer.

I very much agree with this - very well put - though I do think they must listen to fans of Gwen given the way they've inflated her essentially 1D character to the levels they have, even if they had to cheat to give her that much screen time - and they do throw in some obviously slashy moments that they seem to imagine make up for the failure to allow the A/M relationship to progress beyond the dynamics its had for 5 seasons. On the whole though, yeah they're aiming the show at the casual viewer and the casual reviewer.

I think even they though might feel a bit shortchanged in Arthur dies before he does anything at all, with Merlin having wasted as you say 10 pointless years. Unless they're claiming Arthur has done enough to merit the title Once and Future King? Which is just funny. Not to mention it'll be Christmas and do they want to upset the kiddies that much given there are DVDs to be sold? So, probably stupidly- Im holding on to some hope somehow. I never learn.