I think the bitterness I had over last week really soured this episode for me. It didn't make me feel as much as I wanted it to. I wanted to love it but I just couldn't. Maybe because I felt so much rage last week I couldn't feel enough with this one? I don't know. I was disappointed by it
( ... )
Thank you. This explained a lot of things perfectly. I really loved the episode, for the mood, for the way I assumed it was Uther who had done the deed and it ended up being Arthur (and Bradley carried that guilt so beautifully). I didn't know until Arthur said that he'd done it; I'd assumed that he knew about it from his father and was feeling guilty about it by association.
Loved that everyone assumed both Elyan and Arthur were acting that way because of Gwen's banishment.
Oh, there are 2 doors to Arthur's chambers. We see Merlin escaping out of the second one in season 3 Beauty and The Beast part 2.
Yes, I'm also not looking forward to Gwen returning. Sigh.
As usual (it would seem) I agree completely with your review!
The more I think about it, the more I simply ADORE this episode (though that's maybe not the best word to use, given the grim subject it touches upon...) Well, at any rate I like everything about it!
Initially I thought Merlin was a bit too shrill and insistent, the banter between him and Arthur a bit off and sort of trying too hard, the various characters' treatment of each other a tiny tad bit too callous and uncaring - in short, everything was a tiny bit jarring... BUT that fit perfectly with Arthur's mood here, with the underlying unnerving story of buried cruelty and mass-murder coming home to roost. There was a point to the subtly strange unease and tension that permeated many scenes. It was as if we were experiencing Arthur's troubled mind and guilt-ridden conscience most of the time, without even knowing it - even when he wasn't in the scene. So impressive
( ... )
He *needed* Merlin with him, couldn't go that last tough leg alone. That he let Merlin stand there and listen to his own distress, guilt, pleading - I know he had other things on his mind there than Merlin, but still that was Arthur showing Merlin an immense and instinctive trust, I felt. Trusting that whatever happened, whether he himself lived or died, Merlin would still care for and remember all the different aspects to him, the good and the bad, and not just see the child druid killer. YES. Though the child druid killer thing is important too: I think he needed Merlin to be a witness to his own darkness. A secret apology to the person wronged, with no one else ever knowing what Arthur did or holding him accountable - that would be getting away with it and living a lie, too, and I don't think the druid kid would have accepted that kind of apology as good enough. Arthur needed somebody living and caring to know, too.
I want to just say, loved you review and agree completey. and I loved the episode. And I agree that after 4.07 this was the next good episode after the duds that were episodes 8 and 9.
I think this episode actually moved the story forward in changing Arthur's views on magic unlike 8 and 9 which did nothing (Now that Gwen comes back next episode and that story is tied up neatly) So 8 and 9 were more filler eps, compared to this one.
I just want to see Merlin being a bit more involved in Arthur's changing views on magic. After his one failed attempt in 4.03 he has not done anything about that.
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Loved that everyone assumed both Elyan and Arthur were acting that way because of Gwen's banishment.
Oh, there are 2 doors to Arthur's chambers. We see Merlin escaping out of the second one in season 3 Beauty and The Beast part 2.
Yes, I'm also not looking forward to Gwen returning. Sigh.
Reply
The more I think about it, the more I simply ADORE this episode (though that's maybe not the best word to use, given the grim subject it touches upon...) Well, at any rate I like everything about it!
Initially I thought Merlin was a bit too shrill and insistent, the banter between him and Arthur a bit off and sort of trying too hard, the various characters' treatment of each other a tiny tad bit too callous and uncaring - in short, everything was a tiny bit jarring... BUT that fit perfectly with Arthur's mood here, with the underlying unnerving story of buried cruelty and mass-murder coming home to roost. There was a point to the subtly strange unease and tension that permeated many scenes. It was as if we were experiencing Arthur's troubled mind and guilt-ridden conscience most of the time, without even knowing it - even when he wasn't in the scene. So impressive ( ... )
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YES. Though the child druid killer thing is important too: I think he needed Merlin to be a witness to his own darkness. A secret apology to the person wronged, with no one else ever knowing what Arthur did or holding him accountable - that would be getting away with it and living a lie, too, and I don't think the druid kid would have accepted that kind of apology as good enough. Arthur needed somebody living and caring to know, too.
Reply
I think this episode actually moved the story forward in changing Arthur's views on magic unlike 8 and 9 which did nothing (Now that Gwen comes back next episode and that story is tied up neatly) So 8 and 9 were more filler eps, compared to this one.
I just want to see Merlin being a bit more involved in Arthur's changing views on magic. After his one failed attempt in 4.03 he has not done anything about that.
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