Epic Love
WOW. That was incredible. A few points of argh and idiocy in the usual Merlin vein, but mostly I found it grand and hugely entertaining.
I am really happy that Elyan lived, and became a knight as well! I hope he'll get more screen time. Because he's awesome.
On that note, I'm not quite sure what Percival was actually doing there. From a legend standpoint re: the Grail, obviously, I get it, but from a show standpoint, there was nothing in the episode that Percival did that Lancelot or Elyan couldn't have done just as well. Am I wrong? Did I miss something significant? Why bother with another random white dude?
Arthur in the beginning is beautiful in his angst, and Uther is incredible as he completely loses it. Loved the confrontation with Morgana in the cell, despite the continued Smirk of Evil™. The bit about how he should know what she felt, alone and frightened and hating herself - that was really great. Too bad most of her character moments don't show such depth.
BAMF Merlin wields Excalibur! He is the best! And his moment with Freya was so lovely. I do rather wish they'd showed the moment when she surrenders it to his hand - it would have been so lovely to show them touching, living world to spirit world.
Very happy to see Gwen taking an active role in her fate, at least at the beginning, and showing some excellent blacksmithing initiative. You go girl, with your home forge. I wish you'd been allowed to do more.
Leon is a miracle-healed, fiercely loyal, cross-dressing HERO. So much love. I wish we'd gotten more of his scenes in the rest of the season.
Gwaine continues to be excellent, loyal and strong and irreverent and yet somehow reliable in all. Again he bolsters the table, STRENGTH once more. I know that in this version of the legend he and Arthur aren't related, but it would be so cool if they were somehow cousins or something (through Ygraine's family, perhaps? AU fic!). That trio - Merlin, Gwaine, and Arthur - remains awesome, as shown in ep 12.
ROUND TABLE. Amazing Arthur scene of awesome, welcome back Noble and True King. We missed you in the Druid's Cave, dude. Of course, the whole idea of a king who holds with equality is complete bull, as Merlin points out at the end of the episode. But it's a grand entrance for that classic Arthurian delusion, and a beautiful scene with Arthur showing the vast difference between him and his father.
Best end-of-season moment. Loved the knights returning with Gwen, and the open relationship Arthur is willing to have with her now, and his shoulder-bumping moment with Merlin, and I actually liked the moment with Gaius as well, especially since his "Well done," is deserved this time. But seriously, that shot of Merlin plunging the sword into the stone is incredibly awesome. I am very happy that they chose to end on that image. Merlin is back to center stage, too.
I think perhaps my readings about the culture and history of the Arthurian legends has made me slightly less cranky about the gender problems in the show, esp. regarding That Interview, not that it in any way excuses them from a show produced in 2010. They choose to follow "creative" impulses that reduce, ridicule, or mutate so much of the legendary material, but are unwilling to push the boundaries of their female characters in the same way, self-limited by some strange idea of "fantasy realism". Actual historical reality has more intrigue and gender daring than their "fantasy realism". It's a shame, but I look to fandom to ease the sting, and will continue to read other alternative tellings of the legend that play in a more daring way with gender and class (and magic).
This entry was originally posted at http://zephre.dreamwidth.org/466813.html.
comments posted to original post.
I am really happy that Elyan lived, and became a knight as well! I hope he'll get more screen time. Because he's awesome.
On that note, I'm not quite sure what Percival was actually doing there. From a legend standpoint re: the Grail, obviously, I get it, but from a show standpoint, there was nothing in the episode that Percival did that Lancelot or Elyan couldn't have done just as well. Am I wrong? Did I miss something significant? Why bother with another random white dude?
Arthur in the beginning is beautiful in his angst, and Uther is incredible as he completely loses it. Loved the confrontation with Morgana in the cell, despite the continued Smirk of Evil™. The bit about how he should know what she felt, alone and frightened and hating herself - that was really great. Too bad most of her character moments don't show such depth.
BAMF Merlin wields Excalibur! He is the best! And his moment with Freya was so lovely. I do rather wish they'd showed the moment when she surrenders it to his hand - it would have been so lovely to show them touching, living world to spirit world.
Very happy to see Gwen taking an active role in her fate, at least at the beginning, and showing some excellent blacksmithing initiative. You go girl, with your home forge. I wish you'd been allowed to do more.
Leon is a miracle-healed, fiercely loyal, cross-dressing HERO. So much love. I wish we'd gotten more of his scenes in the rest of the season.
Gwaine continues to be excellent, loyal and strong and irreverent and yet somehow reliable in all. Again he bolsters the table, STRENGTH once more. I know that in this version of the legend he and Arthur aren't related, but it would be so cool if they were somehow cousins or something (through Ygraine's family, perhaps? AU fic!). That trio - Merlin, Gwaine, and Arthur - remains awesome, as shown in ep 12.
ROUND TABLE. Amazing Arthur scene of awesome, welcome back Noble and True King. We missed you in the Druid's Cave, dude. Of course, the whole idea of a king who holds with equality is complete bull, as Merlin points out at the end of the episode. But it's a grand entrance for that classic Arthurian delusion, and a beautiful scene with Arthur showing the vast difference between him and his father.
Best end-of-season moment. Loved the knights returning with Gwen, and the open relationship Arthur is willing to have with her now, and his shoulder-bumping moment with Merlin, and I actually liked the moment with Gaius as well, especially since his "Well done," is deserved this time. But seriously, that shot of Merlin plunging the sword into the stone is incredibly awesome. I am very happy that they chose to end on that image. Merlin is back to center stage, too.
I think perhaps my readings about the culture and history of the Arthurian legends has made me slightly less cranky about the gender problems in the show, esp. regarding That Interview, not that it in any way excuses them from a show produced in 2010. They choose to follow "creative" impulses that reduce, ridicule, or mutate so much of the legendary material, but are unwilling to push the boundaries of their female characters in the same way, self-limited by some strange idea of "fantasy realism". Actual historical reality has more intrigue and gender daring than their "fantasy realism". It's a shame, but I look to fandom to ease the sting, and will continue to read other alternative tellings of the legend that play in a more daring way with gender and class (and magic).
This entry was originally posted at http://zephre.dreamwidth.org/466813.html.
comments posted to original post.