Merlin: 5:09 With All My Heart

[tanous]

Merlin... the show that teaches its fans what Stockholm Syndrome is all about. This week my expectations were so low that I expected literally nothing, other than more slaps in the face to the fans who give a shit about Arthur and/or Merlin. I expected another ordeal of grandiose tries at fairytale moments, flowery gestures and gruesomely soppy

Comments

[darlulu]

That whole 'kids growing up with the show' slant tptb have harped on about over the years always reminds me of the Harry Potter generation. The HP books/movies got progressively 'darker' as the fictional kids grew up alongside their target readership. But as I said recently on my lj, JK Rowling didn't have Harry sacrifice everything and stay dead, allowing Voldemort to triumph in the end. She didn't close on the survivors at Hogwarts bowing to their new Dark Lord. Which is as near an equivalent I can imagine to Arthur dying, Albion never having been united, magic never having been accepted in Camelot, there being no Golden Age whatsoever, and Merlin's destiny having been shattered by his own inaction. (And if JK Rowling was writing Merlin, no way would there be a chance in hell that the plot point the entire shebang hinges on would go unaddressed in the end. There'd be a fucking magic reveal, no question.)

Sure, children's stories often feature self-sacrifice and Hard Lessons to be Learned, but it's usually a peripheral character who ultimately dies, inspiring the heroes to rally in response so that that loss has meaning. Whereas the worst case scenario I detailed above for 513 wouldn't be inspirational, it'd be disheartening because it'd amount to meaningless tragedy. There'd be no lesson to take away from the show other than that evil fates hold true no matter what you do (Mordred killing Arthur) whereas good fates (A and M uniting Albion and freeing magic) are weaker and more likely to crumble to dust. I guess that actually fits with the overall message of the show though since evil has long been presented to be stronger and more resilient than good. Merlin's magic forever pales in comparison to Morgana's and the non-magical faction for Good (Arthur/Gwen/knights) are easily fooled, bigoted, and resistant to change.

If the finale really does end up being as bleak as we all fear, I think it'll have been the stupidest decision ever for BBC to air it on Christmas Eve. Casual viewers (including families) will never in a million years be prepared for the devastation, considering the show has always marketed itself as a silly, feel-good program. It was the kind that was supposed to make you feel safe to watch with your kiddies, not the kind that makes your kiddies cry as they watch hope die.

[mingaumatador]

ohhh if Jo was in charge of this show I think things would go so very different, first and foremost Gwen and Morgana would be fully constructed characters to inspire girls to stand up for themselves, and Merlin and Arthur would have solid reasons for their actions and a fully realized/well constructed relationship. But I do think Uther and Gaius would've been sent away sooner, so that the boys would learn to stand up for themselves and build Albion on their own merits. Maybe Hunnith would have a more prominent role.

BUT I DIGRESS.

I honestly don't understand this route they seem to have taken at all, as I've said here before, if you have a kids show, that's fine, but then own it and take it to its full potential. Don't try to stay on this limbo where you want to be dark but can't go ahead with it, so all you have are shoddily written plots meant to please god knows who that ultimately achieve nothing. Make your hero triumph, give the kid that sacrificed all his life for this one objective recognition, make all the actions have a pay off. Sure it's not realistic, or 'grown up' material. But isn't that your target audience? We'd understand and it would all feel earned, even if did end on a darker note after all.

As you said Harry Potter did got darker, all the characters, essentially kids, went through things nobody should have to go through, and the end was dark because yes, people died, it was a war. But the sacrifices weren't meaningless, they fought for hope for brighter days and they got it. Merlin could easily have it too.

Yes Arthur could die, but Albion could have been built as well, and then in the end they did bring a better tomorrow for magic users, and he'll come back when they need him again, and then they could throw in a reincarnation epilogue thing. THERE. EVERYTHING YOU NEED.

Why do I even bother with this show.