Comments | tanous: Merlin: Episode 4.12 The Sword in the Stone Part 1

tanous

Merlin: Episode 4.12 The Sword in the Stone Part 1

Dec 18, 2011 12:57

Oh dear. I wish I could get the get the producers of this show - the Twu Lurve Obsessives I mean, not the other ones who know what they're doing - in a small room with a large bucket of haddock with which I could beat them repeatedly around the head. (Thats actually not as kinky as it sounds.) Eventually perhaps, they'd explain WTF they're thinking ( Read more... )

Comments 22

arwyn_t December 18 2011, 14:57:18 UTC

-whimpering with agreement-

We got to remember this: 4x12/13 were shot after 4x09. Neither the actors or the director knew what would be in between, 10/11, so that explains the missing plot points. And, of course, none of the writers/producers/TPTB thought they should give some instructions, so as to keep a nice viewing continuity.

As I said in my review in my LJ, this simpleton manservant to an ignorant misinformed king has gone on way too long by now. The head writers are going in circles and insulting the show and us. I am deeply disappointed. If no reveal will happen in the finale, I will not be looking forward to series 5 at all. :(

gatepromise December 19 2011, 00:57:24 UTC

Actually, they filmed the eps way out of order--Colin remarked at the San Diego con that they had done 12 and 13 BEFORE they did 9, 10 and 11 to give them more time for editing and CGI, and then went back and shot pick-ups and extra scenes again for 12 & 13. They really have no excuse at all.

tanous December 19 2011, 08:26:10 UTC

Hi Arwyn :) Ah I didnt know that they shot 4.10/11 after the finale...but as you say thats no excuse for forgetting what was in them. I agree with all you say and yeah - if theres no reveal... well I suspect we're supposed to be looking at the shiny things. The A/G Disneyfest. Excalibur. Lots of swordfights. Im sure most of the audience wont care next to that sadly ( ... )

fee_folay December 18 2011, 16:02:40 UTC

Hmmmm. Stumbled across this and decided to leave a quick note. I am not actually watching Season 4 yet, as I am still making my way through Season 3. At the beginning of Season 4, I was so excited, because reading reviews let me know that no matter how bad it got in Season 3, there were better days ahead ( ... )

tanous December 19 2011, 09:26:21 UTC

Hey Fee - Im so glad you stopped by.:) I hope I haven't spoiled S4 for you! The first 7 eps really will make you cheer I think so you have that to look forward to! Your analysis of what happens with the whole 'het' thing is fascinating too. I wonder if thats what'll happen now they've got A and G together - not that there was the tiniest scintilla of doubt that thats what was coming all along. The only possible complication was Lancelot and they even disposed conclusively of that. I wonder if the producers may have been aware of the 'bored now' thing too - maybe thats why they forced us to go through the pitifully contrived ' parting' before the inevitable reunion - to try to put some life into it before the happy ever after ( ... )

Reply Part 1 a8c_sock December 18 2011, 21:13:41 UTC

There was a lot of deja vu for me this episode. There was nothing new ( ... )

Reply Part 2 a8c_sock December 18 2011, 21:14:09 UTC

I was so hopeful at the beginning of the season. There was a real sense of change and perhaps development. But aside from Arthur now being called King there isn't any. And again Merlin remains at the bottom of the heap even though he's done more than Gwen or the knights ( ... )

Re: Reply Part 2 tanous December 19 2011, 08:46:46 UTC

'The M/A relationship needs the magic reveal like air at this point.'
That sums up exactly how I feel! I agree with all you say- and yeah the scene when A and M "talk' hinting yet again at lies and betrayal. Which worked when Agravaine said to to Arthur in front of Merlin and the time after that and the time after that - but how long can they go on using that same idea. Ive forgotten why Merlin isnt telling arthur TBH. With Uther around it made perfect sense but once they removed him - the whole edifice on which they base the show - that Merlin has to hide his powers to survive - began to totter. And 4.03 was never going to be enough to hold it up.

Its reached the point where Im starting to lose all sympathy for Merlin in not telling Arthur. For hiding his abilities and letting things happen to other people rather than coming clean. Which is not good. But trying to keep the show in stasis forever, was not going to work was it?

Re: Reply Part 2 a8c_sock December 19 2011, 23:40:01 UTC

Yes. They are using the flimiest of reasons to avoid the reveal at this point. I mean life threatening situations aren't enough apparently...

The producers seem to think that the show is doing fine. And sadly the ratings for 4x12 are likely to be the highest Merlin has ever had for any Merlin episode ever. So there's no incentive for them to change.

Thread 5

gatepromise December 19 2011, 00:54:34 UTC

You know what I liked the most about this 4 x 12 episode? At least the first ten minutes or so, anyway: Merlin. For awhile there, it really seemed to focus on Merlin. He was taking care of Arthur, and Arthur was listening to him (no enchantment needed), even if he did throw in the occasionally expected "Not hiding in the broom closet today, are you" insults. (Watch Merlin when he first appears while Arthur is fighting the insurgents, in slo-mo. He appears like a super-hero, right at the time that Arthur is injured, and he does a little "jump-as if -from-the-ceiling kind of move that made me laugh.) Merlin was even giving orders to the knights ("Barricade the door!") and they listened and obeyed...of their own free will, because Merlin seemed to really know what the heck he was talking about, and also because it seemed that everyone knows that Merlin's all about Arthur ( ... )

gatepromise December 19 2011, 00:55:04 UTC

Here's some other unimportant but rather amusing stuff about Arthur's simpleton suit: First off, I don't think our guy Arthur was wearing underwear. If he was, he had a roll of quarters tucked into those dumb hobbit-half-pants of his...the tenting in the front was almost obscene. (Not that I'm complaining. Mr. James seems to be very nicely endowed. Not the first time we've seen that bulge in his kit--there's some pretty famous pics of him at a football match this summer, where he's wearing a royal blue shirt and shorts...and whoa, down boy.) Then, remember the scene where Arthur is himself again, and he and Merlin are walking towards Isolde and Tristan (hello, random, why are these characters even there?). Arthur irritably snatches his sword from Merlin, and in that moment, you can see that Bradley is actually wearing Wellington boots, not sandals! Poor baby must have been cold, half-dressed in the rainy woods ( ... )

tanous December 19 2011, 09:28:46 UTC

Hi GP :) As ever I agree! :p Without my grumpy critics hat on I admit I laughed at quite a lot of Simple Arthur scenes - Arthur confiding "Im very annoying" was a particular highlight and again B and C knocked it out of the park. And yeah the first scenes were nice too even if it does set my teeth on edge how obviously they try to throw a tiny sop to A/M bromance or slash fans with self conscious scenes like that before ignoring the A/M joint destiny idea completely in their obsession with what matters to them. A/G. I hate feeling manipulated when its that ovbvious. :p ( ... )