Ep review 1.03
So, I've definitely watched this at least three times and it took me forever to remember which one this was. I feel like Arthur and Merlin's relationship isn't cemented until 1.04, but this ep has them working together to defeat the afanc and I LOVE that. They are supposed to be two sides of the same coin. I feel like they worked together a lot more in the first two seasons than they have done later where it's more Merlin protecting Arthur.
What do you like about this ep? What strikes you the wrong way (anything)?
Overall I think it's a fine ep, but not a stand out. There isn't much wrong with it, but there isn't a lot of strong stuff either.
One thing I love about this ep and so much of S1 and S2 is how funny many of the individual moments are even when there is serious scary stuff going on.
Love how the ep begins with water and hands.
I never noticed what the hands were shaping before. Here goes the egg, into the water system of Camelot. Kind of creepy when it pops up in the cistern.
First dead dude. Gaius is creeped out too.
Cute interaction with Gwen and her father. “smoked pidgeon, but more smoke than pidgeon”
Gwen flirting with Merlin, very cute.
Nice interaction with Morgana and Gwen.
“Not natural....” -- Gaius
“Who has this power?” Merlin
Another dead body. Someone in the court. Gaius is a scientist, but he thinks sorcery is the cause.
Uther is freaking out -- have to find the sorcerer because it will undermine our authority -- people will start going to sorcerers for help.
Oh god. Arthur is wearing that long leather coat. *bites knuckles*
Discussion of how magic is evil and corrupts. Merlin is confident not all magic is bad.
Arthur comes in to search Gaius’s chamber. Gaius offers his books for Arthur to read. Arthur pulls a face. I am dead. LOL.
Arthur has to search Merlin’s chamber. Merlin worried about his magic book being found. Uses magic to hide it. Good thing Arthur is oblivious.
Merlin wants to use magic and Gaius argues that it’s not the right path. Merlin wants to save lives, but doesn’t understand what the consequences might be (which we will see later when Gwen’s father dies).
Uther says: cordon off the lower town. Arthur asks about the people who live there. Uther is certain that this will protect the others.
Love it when Gaius questions Merlin’s intelligence.
“Water? You think the disease is spread through water?”
“Merlin, you’re a prodigy.” LOL LOVE IT.
Gwen’s dad is sick:( Gwen begs Gaius. Merlin sees her. Merlin wants to take matters into his own hands, as usual.
Why is Merlin sitting on his bed and not under the covers? Ooooh, he’s going to sneak out.
Love the book of magic he consults. Art department top notch.
Merlin runs, with his jacket on, in the courtyard. Be still my beating heart.
Uses magic to distract a guard. Clearly he gets better at using his wits later in the series.
Sneaking in to Gwen’s house. Puts poultice under dad’s pillow and says spell. He’s happy, thinking the only thing is that dad is cured, but he doesn’t know what’s to come.
Body count building. Ew. We see Nimueh again. Creepy.
Have discovered that the water supply is compromised.
Uther is steadfast in his conviction that the people must not all die. Must protect them at all cost.
Gwen and Merlin have a chat about her dad. She wonders how Merlin knows and I’m just distracted by the curl on Merlin’s left ear. Cute conversation about ESP. She keeps flirting with Merlin when we all know that’s pointless.
Mr Smith has just implicated Gwen as being the sorcerer. Ack!! Cute flirty Gwen. No!
Is Arthur much aware of Gwen at this point? He accuses her of enchantments. Morgana stands up for Gwen.
Arthur still wearing his amazing leather jacket. *swoon*
Gaius won’t let Merlin do anything to help Gwen.
“I’ll cure everyone!” LOL. So confident of his abilities.
Arthur doesn’t look happy that his father thinks he’s done well. Morgana still standing up for Gwen. Yay:D
Gwen doesn’t know what’s going on and Uther doesn’t believe her. He just wants an answer now.
Merlin and Arthur both feel bad, but clearly for different reasons. (Discuss!!)
Morgana appeals to king and prince.
Arthur is sticking up for Gwen now too. Arthur does not see things in black and white, the way Uther does. His appeal to Uther makes Uther stiffen his resolve.
Merlin tries to work through the consequences. He goes to visit her. She says something about it not being his fault, but it really is.
He promises he won’t let her die.
Gaius says we have to cleanse the water and Merlin bursts in the chamber and says, “Gwen is not the sorcerer, I am.”
Arthur pulls a face. “There’s no way Merlin is a sorcerer.” LOL!! “A Grave mental disease. He’s in love with Gwen.
No way.
I don’t even think of her like that (because I’m in love with you.)” LOL
Tail between his legs, Merlin leaves. (Why doesn’t he try harder?)
Wizards are hard to spot.
Maybe I should go around wearing one.
I don’t think you could find one big enough. LOL.
They find the cistern. Merlin takes a sample and we get to see his lovely hand under the water and hear the creepy creature who jumps up and Merlin says, “What the hell was that?”
Find out what it was in a book Gaius conveniently had, but then can’t find the answer. Merlin has a better idea, he visits Gwen to tell her he’s going to get her out (what was the point of that?).
Love this scene. Merlin asks about defeating an afanc. “Trust the elements that are at your command. You cannot do this alone. You are but one side of a coin. Arthur is the other.”
Now Merlin has to put the pieces together. Morgana comes with news about the execution. They need her to get Arthur to help. This is a great conversation between Morgana and Arthur. And Morgana gets to come along:) Love this fierce protective Morgana.
Afanc following them around. Creeepy!
LOVE this scene where they work together to fight the afanc. Arthur holds out the torch, Merlin says something and blows the fire forward.
Pisses Nimueh off something fierce. Sets up 1.04. Mark of Nimueh clears Gwen.
Morgana knows his secret (those freaking curls on his neck curling behind his ears......, so distracting) -- “I think Gwen’s a very lucky woman.” Merlin is clearly agitated, because she got is wrong -- (hee hee).
“One day, people won’t believe what an idiot you were.”
“Thanks.”
“Merlin, you will pay for this.” (There is the setup.)
This entry was originally posted at http://jelazakazone.dreamwidth.org/555501.html. Feel free to comment here or there.
What do you like about this ep? What strikes you the wrong way (anything)?
Overall I think it's a fine ep, but not a stand out. There isn't much wrong with it, but there isn't a lot of strong stuff either.
One thing I love about this ep and so much of S1 and S2 is how funny many of the individual moments are even when there is serious scary stuff going on.
Love how the ep begins with water and hands.
I never noticed what the hands were shaping before. Here goes the egg, into the water system of Camelot. Kind of creepy when it pops up in the cistern.
First dead dude. Gaius is creeped out too.
Cute interaction with Gwen and her father. “smoked pidgeon, but more smoke than pidgeon”
Gwen flirting with Merlin, very cute.
Nice interaction with Morgana and Gwen.
“Not natural....” -- Gaius
“Who has this power?” Merlin
Another dead body. Someone in the court. Gaius is a scientist, but he thinks sorcery is the cause.
Uther is freaking out -- have to find the sorcerer because it will undermine our authority -- people will start going to sorcerers for help.
Oh god. Arthur is wearing that long leather coat. *bites knuckles*
Discussion of how magic is evil and corrupts. Merlin is confident not all magic is bad.
Arthur comes in to search Gaius’s chamber. Gaius offers his books for Arthur to read. Arthur pulls a face. I am dead. LOL.
Arthur has to search Merlin’s chamber. Merlin worried about his magic book being found. Uses magic to hide it. Good thing Arthur is oblivious.
Merlin wants to use magic and Gaius argues that it’s not the right path. Merlin wants to save lives, but doesn’t understand what the consequences might be (which we will see later when Gwen’s father dies).
Uther says: cordon off the lower town. Arthur asks about the people who live there. Uther is certain that this will protect the others.
Love it when Gaius questions Merlin’s intelligence.
“Water? You think the disease is spread through water?”
“Merlin, you’re a prodigy.” LOL LOVE IT.
Gwen’s dad is sick:( Gwen begs Gaius. Merlin sees her. Merlin wants to take matters into his own hands, as usual.
Why is Merlin sitting on his bed and not under the covers? Ooooh, he’s going to sneak out.
Love the book of magic he consults. Art department top notch.
Merlin runs, with his jacket on, in the courtyard. Be still my beating heart.
Uses magic to distract a guard. Clearly he gets better at using his wits later in the series.
Sneaking in to Gwen’s house. Puts poultice under dad’s pillow and says spell. He’s happy, thinking the only thing is that dad is cured, but he doesn’t know what’s to come.
Body count building. Ew. We see Nimueh again. Creepy.
Have discovered that the water supply is compromised.
Uther is steadfast in his conviction that the people must not all die. Must protect them at all cost.
Gwen and Merlin have a chat about her dad. She wonders how Merlin knows and I’m just distracted by the curl on Merlin’s left ear. Cute conversation about ESP. She keeps flirting with Merlin when we all know that’s pointless.
Mr Smith has just implicated Gwen as being the sorcerer. Ack!! Cute flirty Gwen. No!
Is Arthur much aware of Gwen at this point? He accuses her of enchantments. Morgana stands up for Gwen.
Arthur still wearing his amazing leather jacket. *swoon*
Gaius won’t let Merlin do anything to help Gwen.
“I’ll cure everyone!” LOL. So confident of his abilities.
Arthur doesn’t look happy that his father thinks he’s done well. Morgana still standing up for Gwen. Yay:D
Gwen doesn’t know what’s going on and Uther doesn’t believe her. He just wants an answer now.
Merlin and Arthur both feel bad, but clearly for different reasons. (Discuss!!)
Morgana appeals to king and prince.
Arthur is sticking up for Gwen now too. Arthur does not see things in black and white, the way Uther does. His appeal to Uther makes Uther stiffen his resolve.
Merlin tries to work through the consequences. He goes to visit her. She says something about it not being his fault, but it really is.
He promises he won’t let her die.
Gaius says we have to cleanse the water and Merlin bursts in the chamber and says, “Gwen is not the sorcerer, I am.”
Arthur pulls a face. “There’s no way Merlin is a sorcerer.” LOL!! “A Grave mental disease. He’s in love with Gwen.
No way.
I don’t even think of her like that (because I’m in love with you.)” LOL
Tail between his legs, Merlin leaves. (Why doesn’t he try harder?)
Wizards are hard to spot.
Maybe I should go around wearing one.
I don’t think you could find one big enough. LOL.
They find the cistern. Merlin takes a sample and we get to see his lovely hand under the water and hear the creepy creature who jumps up and Merlin says, “What the hell was that?”
Find out what it was in a book Gaius conveniently had, but then can’t find the answer. Merlin has a better idea, he visits Gwen to tell her he’s going to get her out (what was the point of that?).
Love this scene. Merlin asks about defeating an afanc. “Trust the elements that are at your command. You cannot do this alone. You are but one side of a coin. Arthur is the other.”
Now Merlin has to put the pieces together. Morgana comes with news about the execution. They need her to get Arthur to help. This is a great conversation between Morgana and Arthur. And Morgana gets to come along:) Love this fierce protective Morgana.
Afanc following them around. Creeepy!
LOVE this scene where they work together to fight the afanc. Arthur holds out the torch, Merlin says something and blows the fire forward.
Pisses Nimueh off something fierce. Sets up 1.04. Mark of Nimueh clears Gwen.
Morgana knows his secret (those freaking curls on his neck curling behind his ears......, so distracting) -- “I think Gwen’s a very lucky woman.” Merlin is clearly agitated, because she got is wrong -- (hee hee).
“One day, people won’t believe what an idiot you were.”
“Thanks.”
“Merlin, you will pay for this.” (There is the setup.)
This entry was originally posted at http://jelazakazone.dreamwidth.org/555501.html. Feel free to comment here or there.