heather11483 (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
heathershaped) wrote2010-10-09 03:30 pm
heathershaped) wrote2010-10-09 03:30 pm
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Merls 3x05 thoughts
I have a fic to finish so I don't have time to make a bunch of gifs this week - anyway, the only relevant one was already made last week, amirite.
It's just as well, as this episode was not a cracky one.
SHIT JUST GOT REAL
...real predictable. But also, very well-done and intense. I enjoyed it.
POINTS WOT STUCK OUT:
+ Good to see Morgana plying Gwen with gifts to get rid of her instead of snapping at her. Still sad, but whatevs.
+ They're really carrying on the tradition of Merlin creating all the things he's trying to prevent. Also, it always makes me happy when he chafes at Gaius and the Dragon's advice - well, chafing in the Dragon's case, but resistant in Gaius' case too. I do love Merlin because knowing what to do must be so difficult, but I'm by turns frustrated with him, not because he keeps screwing up but because every episode only convinces him more that his destiny is to act behind the scenes and lie to everyone for their own good. A lot of that with Arthur this week. What's he going to do when Gaius dies and there's no one to talk to?
Not to mention the inexplicable loyalty to Uther.
+ I still loved the montage of everyone's grief and how it weighs on Merlin.
+ UTHER YOU... YOU... YOU HYPOCRITE. Practically begging Gaius to find a magic cure, and so convinced (and happy) when he believes Gaius managed it. He's learnt absolutely nothing from the past which means he's a hair's breadth from repeating it, and he's still just as damaged as ever. On the one hand, it's his love that twists him and that's as fascinating as ever, but on the other, WHO FUCKING CARES, HE KILLED BABIES. Yet he's still perfectly willing to turn to magic for his own sake.
+ Uther as Morgana's father was predictable, but still very tense the way it was handled. As was the twist of Morgana overhearing him. I'm intrigued that the show went there with the secret affair, rather than to say it was before Gorlois was married to Vivian or some such. (speaking of Vivian, are we just low on names for the ladies, or what?)
SO WAIT, does this mean Morgana and Morgause are not actually related? For some reason, 2x08 led me to believe Gorlois was Morgause's father. She has the jewelry with the House of Gorlois crest, and whatnot. I can't remember if we know for sure which parent she and Morgana share. If it was Gorlois, let's just say they're no longer an incest pairing.
And if not, there's now a new incest pairing to replace it, so. *g* Honestly, I'm not surprised, they've REALLY been playing up the "like a sister/like a daughter" angle, and the show is liberal with its anvils. What's interesting is how it'll play out from here.
+ I loved that scene with Morgana and Uther, and then the one with Morgana and Morgause. So illuminating, and so revealing/consistent about the characters. Originally, I thought that when Morgana was talking to Uther in her bedroom, she was calculating and making a play for the throne already - wanting the people to know that she was his in preparation for that? But then when she talks to Morgause later (gayest scene ever) it's clear that Morgause is the one calculating the politics, which hadn't even occured to Morgana. Morgana was angry and hurt (justifiably) that Uther never publicly acknowledged her, consumed with revenge, but wasn't thinking about her own claim to the throne. Morgause is the one who's all "slow your roll babe, we can use this". She's found another way to taking over. It was just very consistent with both characters, good writing there.
I also like that it's causing tension between M and M, because Morgana is still hyper-focused on her own hurt while Morgause is trying to get her to slow down and think about the big picture.
QUESTION THOUGH, since Morgana's illegitimate, would she realistically have a claim to the throne, just because she's Uther's and was born first? I like this angle, don't get me wrong, but I think it's hand-wavy.
+ MORGANA DID MAGIC. Sort of, with heightened emotions, and not quite under her control, but still. Progress?
+ Nice to see a benevolent magician in Taliesin. Can our next benevolent magician be a lady for once, pretty please?
+ Tiny moments of Merlin/Gwen! Twice!
+ Arthur/Gwen clinginess and Arthur giving her some h/c was really nice, I wish it'd been longer.
+ Speaking of Arthur, first he's knocked out so the plot can begin, then he's charged with introducing this week's plot device in the form of the daggers. Typical. Bradley played that really adorably, though.
+ I appreciated that we saw Gwen quite a bit throughout the episode in spots, but no, actually that's not good enough, I wish she'd got at least one substantial scene. Guess I forgot that she can't have substantial scenes in Magic Episodes. whatever, whatever.
That aside, all in all this wasn't bad. Though I still prefer episodes where I'm not forced to swallow massive amounts of moral WTFery, this at least had decent writing, fantastic directing, and I loved the tone and maturity of it. One more point for this season.
It's just as well, as this episode was not a cracky one.
SHIT JUST GOT REAL
...real predictable. But also, very well-done and intense. I enjoyed it.
POINTS WOT STUCK OUT:
+ Good to see Morgana plying Gwen with gifts to get rid of her instead of snapping at her. Still sad, but whatevs.
+ They're really carrying on the tradition of Merlin creating all the things he's trying to prevent. Also, it always makes me happy when he chafes at Gaius and the Dragon's advice - well, chafing in the Dragon's case, but resistant in Gaius' case too. I do love Merlin because knowing what to do must be so difficult, but I'm by turns frustrated with him, not because he keeps screwing up but because every episode only convinces him more that his destiny is to act behind the scenes and lie to everyone for their own good. A lot of that with Arthur this week. What's he going to do when Gaius dies and there's no one to talk to?
Not to mention the inexplicable loyalty to Uther.
+ I still loved the montage of everyone's grief and how it weighs on Merlin.
+ UTHER YOU... YOU... YOU HYPOCRITE. Practically begging Gaius to find a magic cure, and so convinced (and happy) when he believes Gaius managed it. He's learnt absolutely nothing from the past which means he's a hair's breadth from repeating it, and he's still just as damaged as ever. On the one hand, it's his love that twists him and that's as fascinating as ever, but on the other, WHO FUCKING CARES, HE KILLED BABIES. Yet he's still perfectly willing to turn to magic for his own sake.
+ Uther as Morgana's father was predictable, but still very tense the way it was handled. As was the twist of Morgana overhearing him. I'm intrigued that the show went there with the secret affair, rather than to say it was before Gorlois was married to Vivian or some such. (speaking of Vivian, are we just low on names for the ladies, or what?)
SO WAIT, does this mean Morgana and Morgause are not actually related? For some reason, 2x08 led me to believe Gorlois was Morgause's father. She has the jewelry with the House of Gorlois crest, and whatnot. I can't remember if we know for sure which parent she and Morgana share. If it was Gorlois, let's just say they're no longer an incest pairing.
And if not, there's now a new incest pairing to replace it, so. *g* Honestly, I'm not surprised, they've REALLY been playing up the "like a sister/like a daughter" angle, and the show is liberal with its anvils. What's interesting is how it'll play out from here.
+ I loved that scene with Morgana and Uther, and then the one with Morgana and Morgause. So illuminating, and so revealing/consistent about the characters. Originally, I thought that when Morgana was talking to Uther in her bedroom, she was calculating and making a play for the throne already - wanting the people to know that she was his in preparation for that? But then when she talks to Morgause later (gayest scene ever) it's clear that Morgause is the one calculating the politics, which hadn't even occured to Morgana. Morgana was angry and hurt (justifiably) that Uther never publicly acknowledged her, consumed with revenge, but wasn't thinking about her own claim to the throne. Morgause is the one who's all "slow your roll babe, we can use this". She's found another way to taking over. It was just very consistent with both characters, good writing there.
I also like that it's causing tension between M and M, because Morgana is still hyper-focused on her own hurt while Morgause is trying to get her to slow down and think about the big picture.
QUESTION THOUGH, since Morgana's illegitimate, would she realistically have a claim to the throne, just because she's Uther's and was born first? I like this angle, don't get me wrong, but I think it's hand-wavy.
+ MORGANA DID MAGIC. Sort of, with heightened emotions, and not quite under her control, but still. Progress?
+ Nice to see a benevolent magician in Taliesin. Can our next benevolent magician be a lady for once, pretty please?
+ Tiny moments of Merlin/Gwen! Twice!
+ Arthur/Gwen clinginess and Arthur giving her some h/c was really nice, I wish it'd been longer.
+ Speaking of Arthur, first he's knocked out so the plot can begin, then he's charged with introducing this week's plot device in the form of the daggers. Typical. Bradley played that really adorably, though.
+ I appreciated that we saw Gwen quite a bit throughout the episode in spots, but no, actually that's not good enough, I wish she'd got at least one substantial scene. Guess I forgot that she can't have substantial scenes in Magic Episodes. whatever, whatever.
That aside, all in all this wasn't bad. Though I still prefer episodes where I'm not forced to swallow massive amounts of moral WTFery, this at least had decent writing, fantastic directing, and I loved the tone and maturity of it. One more point for this season.
no subject
First, I must LOL for a while at our twin opening lines! Perfect gif is perfect, by the way. I may just go watch Will Smith be hot now.
As was the twist of Morgana overhearing him.
BTW, does this mean she overheard Merlin's chanting or will they brush it away by claiming she was too far gone.
Guess I forgot that she can't have substantial scenes in Magic Episodes. whatever, whatever.
I need Gwen to find out about Merlin's magic if only because she'll get more scenes as the only sensible adviser to Merlin's meddling. I'd love to have an episode about how she deals with her ever-changing world, but I may be hoping too much.
no subject
I don't know what the deal there is supposed to be, but in the scene where Morgana told Morgause and Morgause was all smiling and saying, "But this is GLORIOUS!" I couldn't stop thinking because this means they're not really sisters and therefore they can be together for real.
And then she kissed her!
(Good luck with your fic!)
no subject
I also thought Morgause was rubbing off on her and she was already making calculations and manipulating her way into the throne, but then you pointed this out and it hadn't occurred to me to think that she was just looking for love. As she does. Poor bb, I kinda want to hug her. And Morgause was all sisterly too which makes me like her even moar! That and the immediate leap into Morgana's claiming rights, she keeps her head in the game at all times. WHICH MAKES HER A WORTHY ENEMY
even if HER enemies are really far from worthy of her most of the timethis at least had decent writing, fantastic directing, and I loved the tone and maturity of it
This season the show really is outdoing itself, isn't it? I was actually very pleasantly surprised at how mature and morally heavy it all was. WTFery as per course, naturally. Heavy-handed like whoa (I'd give up my right to the throne for her to see one more sunrise? Really, Arthur? But then, he apparently doesn't believe in superstitions), but overall, well managed. Particularly liked how it was MERLIN the one who brought all this shitstorm onto himself, and this is why it's dangerous to know the future, not to mention the fact that if it is the future, and you saw it and know it, how can you be so sure that your future-informed actions weren't what brought it on in the first place? Why didn't this occur to him? Or to Gaius who was so bent on talking Merlin off the precipice's edge?
Anyway, there were cuddles galore and Gwen got more screen time than I was expecting. So I'm cool.