Lancelot deciding to run off, with Merlin’s blessing so that Arthur can have Gwen? Really, boys, let her make her own decisions
This was so grrr inducing. The women are finally allowed to be strong and effective and then, once again, shoved to one side as other people decide what's best for them.I find it hard to beleive that Morgana would not have insisted on accompanying M & A on the rescue. It would be interesting what an episode of the show would be like it were actually written by a woman.
I love my Merlin boys but really, at the moment, Gwen can do so much better...
I know, very grrr and it's such a shame because in a lot ways I think this was the best episode this series.
And I agree completely that Morgana would have insisted on going with them. I hope there was some sort of scheduling thing that meant Katie McGrath was needed elsewhere because there was no reason within the story for her not to go with them. Note to writers: despite what you may have read in Cosmo, female friendship does not disappear the moment men arrive on the scene.
Even if there was a good reason, though, they could have put two lines where Morgana tells Arthur she's coming with him and he reminds her that it seems like everyone wants to kidnap her recently and Uther will go mad and start executing people.
they could have put two lines where Morgana tells Arthur she's coming with him and he reminds her that it seems like everyone wants to kidnap her recently and Uther will go mad and start executing people.
This would have been my preferred option - although she must have been pretty shaken up by the whole kidnap thing. After all, her uncontrolled magic seemed to have gone totally awol this week. But I did enjoy the Merlin/Arthur interaction and that's been pretty rare this season and the dynamic would have been very different with Morgana along for the ride.
P'raps Morgana could have snuck out with Sir Leon and mounted her own rescue mission. Then there would have been three potential love interests meeting in the cage...
Ahhhh!! This is why the episode feels somewhat familiar! Because it does remind me of last seasons episode. It's weird, all of the episodes this series seem to have some sort of correlation to the last seasons, and it's kind of annoying. They don't need to recycle the plots from season to season quite so obviously damnit!
And sadly it seems as though Merlin will never have one episode making any references to any other in this series, except in terms of Romantic Interest. >_>
I did like the episode though - even with the silly boys deciding for Gwen, because that's how things happened back in those days and also, noble guys like Lancelot are stupid like that. And we all know that this is why things go sour! :D
I agree that some of the audience can see that this is where everything starts to go wrong, I'm just not sure that the show sees it as being a result of Gwen being denied choices rather than their Epic, Tragic Destiny ;-)
And yes, in some versions of the legend, after the fall of Camelot Guinevere spends the rest of her life in a nunnery, repenting of her sins.
I dunno, a lot of women would probably be on the 'LET GWEN CHOSE DAMMIT' camp. I know I am! (Especially since if they had just let her friggin well chose, then the tragedy of King Arthur would not have happened, I reckon. At least in this tale).
Oh, really? Hmm, that's interesting. I really should go and read cliff notes of some of the other legends, so I can actually understand half the references. XD
I completely agree with you that a lot of viewers (female, and I hope male) get that the whole disaster could be averted if they just let Gwen make a decision. I wasn't very clear but it was really just a whinge about the writers :-)
Le Mort d'Arthur is quite good as a cliff notes read because the the chapter headings give a one sentence summary of the chapter so even if you don't read it all you can still get the general gist of the story!
Just wanted to say that I really liked your write-up here, and I really wish the writers had used your idea of the fake kidnapping inspiring the real one! It could even lead up to the next kidnapping plot, in which some nefarious baddie-of-the-week actually succeeds in kidnapping Morgana (and hopefully she incinerates him with her newfound powers).
Also wanted to say that I appreciated your contributions to the conversation on my recent Morgana post. Do you mind if I friend you?
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Lancelot deciding to run off, with Merlin’s blessing so that Arthur can have Gwen? Really, boys, let her make her own decisions
This was so grrr inducing. The women are finally allowed to be strong and effective and then, once again, shoved to one side as other people decide what's best for them.I find it hard to beleive that Morgana would not have insisted on accompanying M & A on the rescue. It would be interesting what an episode of the show would be like it were actually written by a woman.
I love my Merlin boys but really, at the moment, Gwen can do so much better...
Reply
And I agree completely that Morgana would have insisted on going with them. I hope there was some sort of scheduling thing that meant Katie McGrath was needed elsewhere because there was no reason within the story for her not to go with them. Note to writers: despite what you may have read in Cosmo, female friendship does not disappear the moment men arrive on the scene.
Even if there was a good reason, though, they could have put two lines where Morgana tells Arthur she's coming with him and he reminds her that it seems like everyone wants to kidnap her recently and Uther will go mad and start executing people.
Reply
This would have been my preferred option - although she must have been pretty shaken up by the whole kidnap thing. After all, her uncontrolled magic seemed to have gone totally awol this week. But I did enjoy the Merlin/Arthur interaction and that's been pretty rare this season and the dynamic would have been very different with Morgana along for the ride.
P'raps Morgana could have snuck out with Sir Leon and mounted her own rescue mission. Then there would have been three potential love interests meeting in the cage...
Reply
And you're right, I would have missed the Merlin/Arthur interaction so maybe there was a good reason for her not to go along.
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And sadly it seems as though Merlin will never have one episode making any references to any other in this series, except in terms of Romantic Interest. >_>
I did like the episode though - even with the silly boys deciding for Gwen, because that's how things happened back in those days and also, noble guys like Lancelot are stupid like that. And we all know that this is why things go sour! :D
And Gwen's in a nunnery in the legend? Say what?
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And yes, in some versions of the legend, after the fall of Camelot Guinevere spends the rest of her life in a nunnery, repenting of her sins.
Reply
Oh, really? Hmm, that's interesting. I really should go and read cliff notes of some of the other legends, so I can actually understand half the references. XD
Reply
Le Mort d'Arthur is quite good as a cliff notes read because the the chapter headings give a one sentence summary of the chapter so even if you don't read it all you can still get the general gist of the story!
Reply
Also wanted to say that I appreciated your contributions to the conversation on my recent Morgana post. Do you mind if I friend you?
Reply
Friend away, I was going to ask you the same.
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