Merlin: 5:02 Arthur's Bane - Part 2

[tanous]

So... that’s the opener done and dusted then, of what might be the last season. Aaannnd how did we all feel about it?  Me… I felt …it wasn’t at all bad as an episode of a BBC family swords and dragons show at teatime (and no later).  If you knew next to nothing about the past seasons, or the characters.

If you did know of course, if you are, in fact

Comments

[saphree]

I'm not sure when the reveal should have happened... but it's virtually too late now to be meaningful anyway? Merlin's magic needs to grow and shine and help form Camelot, I wonder when the writers forgot that.

I think another fake reveal moment is in place from next week's trailer.

It will be interesting to see what happens with Sefa's character. Also, Morgana and Aithusa - how does she know his name? How did he get like that? The next dragon meeting should be good.

[tanous]

Hi there. Well if this is the last season, I know what you mean about too late to be meaningful. It'd be too late to get the incredible scenes we could have had if any of the producers had a story-telling spine (as opposed to a terror of changing a money-making franchise in any important way). There probably wil be another fake reveal as you say. I get the feeling Uther will be required to first of all give Arthur a hard time for marrying Gwen then realise there is no better queen int he known universe and thus give closure to the Uther hated it thing - there can be no shadow of disapproval left over the Disney Couple. They even bring people back from the dead to endorse them. :-p Would they do that? Make the Uther episode about Gwen? Im scaring myself now

[tanous]

Thanks :) Wouldn't you have loved to see that scene. "My Lady, we have discovered the secret of Arthurs Bane. We forced it from Alicia Keys! (see Bluebeeangels post below)" "At last! His downfall is certain! The throne will be mine!!! I can do that thing with the spike and the crows and his eyes!!! All this time living in a phallic symbol with no visible source of heating, while male models laboured beneath me!! (Ed: What?) Tell me! I must know Arthurs Bane???" "Well.. its that he's stupid."

[gatepromise]

Gosh, that all almost rhymes. It could be the climax of a musical...

[tanous]

Thats what I want too! I totally agree with all you've said and yeah Arthur should know since Mordred is a druid, magic isnt exactly new to him. But its a Best Not Ask

[gatepromise]

Yes!!!! This! YesYesYes! *falls down at your feet weeping in gratitude* I've been lurking around, reading various reactions to the ep and this, about how cute and cuddly Mordred is and how sweet and how he seems so very nice, (and he's being shipped/paired with everyone already), is being touted like mustard at a wiener roast, while Merlin--who is THE FUCKING HERO OF THIS SHOW, OKAY (have you got that? The HERO????)is being blamed for the persecution of magic users and all that comes of it, because he hasn't revealed his magic and could have saved them all

[merlenhiver]

Ugh. I didn't know about this kind of reaction to Mordred and by extension, Merlin. One thing I couldn't live with is if after all Merlin's been put through by the writers, after all the crap we've been served and the WAITING we've done for a magic reveal, if it actually all blows up in Merlin's face and makes him out to be the villain. I could have lived with a few episodes of hurt!Arthur and blaming Merlin for the betrayal of his trust, would have cherished it actually, but Merlin as the bad guy in all this? :O

But then again, how can people not feel this way with the reveal as overdue as it is and Merlin's reasoning for hiding is magic getting more implausible by the second? Argh, this is a nightmare! I wonder how they are going to turn this ship around ... I just hope they will!
Can we switch the clocks back to Season 4 please and do the first seven episodes over again, then have a PROPER ending to the season? I'd even be okay with ending the show at this point if it means they won't abuse my favourite character anymore ...

[arwyn_t]

After being away for more than a week (but managing to take glimpses of the world of Merlin), here I am, back! :P And, as always, dear Tanous manages to express what I have in my mind with excellent accuracy, hey, even better

[tanous]

Hi Arwyn:) Nice to see you again! I agree with all you say - and actually there were shameless LOTR rip-offs too. The intro, the mines, even the title (Isildur's Bane). But hey, whats the point of originality if most people dont notice the 'referencing' :-p

I laughed at he Guardian description too - the head of a cashew nut was spot on. he also noticed the Merthur 'I hate you, I hate you, no I love you etc etc' - amazing hoe many professional reviewers (by which i mean mainstream press not the Net sites) pick up on that.

But yeah - its all a bit of a dogs breakfast isnt it? Thats what happens when producers care only about plot and not at all about characters.

[merlenhiver]

Ugh, I'm forced to agree with you on almost everything you said. This is why I try not to think anymore when it comes to Merlin - it just makes me frustrated and angry at all the wasted potential of the show. Because it's premise is actually brilliant, and with Colin and Bradley they have two actors at their disposal who could pull off the complexities that would really satisfy the viewers. Well, at least this viewer.

SIGH. The rot at the centre of the show remains and is quickly eating out the heart of it- the absolute refusal to progress where it matters.

Amen to that. TPTB's cowardice to let their main characters evolve is my main issue with this show.

And now I'm going to shove all these unhappy thoughts away again and enjoy the fun time with the boys. You really learn to compartmentalize with this show. :D

[tanous]

I need to learn how to do that. Can you give lessons? :-p I just get so frustrated at the lost potential - if there was nothing there to play with than I'd think, 'who cares if it makes sense?' it passes 45 minutes and everyones pretty. But to see that they created this fab concept and cast these perfect actors and then - then they proceed to stubbornly smother their own invention while proclaiming their own brilliance at every opportunity...its hard not to get annoyed. :-(

Yeah - it is cowardice but Ive never heard anyone call them on it sadly. I'd have given serious spending money to hear just one interview where they were confronted with what they're doing to the show, rather than just gushed all over.

[undead_begonia]

I've tried so hard to do that, and I can't. Having gone through the first couple of seasons where I did get emotionally invested in the characters, I can't decide to watch on a different level. It's already too late. Other shows which have been a bit of fluff on saturday to me, I have no problem watching on that level - I got curiously attracted to watching the dire Robin Hood a year or two back but I didn't give a crap about any of the characters so I just laughed and kept on eating the fish n chips when various major characters were dispatched. And I didn't notice any perceived 'character assassinations' because I didn't care enough. I suppose the majority of the 5 million plus viewers are in the same situation with Merlin. And I suppose that's why the producers don't give a crap about our opinions. They must be laughing at us and thinking how pathetic we are to be taking it so seriously. When they SHOULD be taking it as a compliment that they initially managed to produce something that spoke so deeply to so many

[tanous]

I agree. With Every. Single. Word. Of this. :-(