"That's the darkest thing we've watched in a while," my husband said. I agreed. This episode rivaled the darker episodes of Torchwood. ( Read more... )
None of the Great Stories are family friendly, but it is important to have family-friendly versions of them around to get the children started on them. But you have to keep the themes intact, which is why Disney should not be allowed anywhere near a Great Story. BBCWales is doing a fine job. They're keeping with the Arthurian Legends for the most part, albeit they're including older non-standard versions, and slipping in some very heavy material in a way that will prepare the children for the full-blown versions.
Still, it would be nice to see an adult version that doesn't get mired down in either the politics, the incest, or daft theories about Merlin aging backwards.
Thanks to the Vol 2 DVD features, we've now had explicit confirmation that 'World War II movie' was the feeling they were going for this ep, so you called it, even if it got a bit wobbly at the beginning :)
And speaking of a potential Merlin/Morgana affair, Katie McGrath says in the commmentary they shot a version of the What if magic isn't something you choose? scene in which Morgana was much more openly flirtatious before going with the finished version, so we know it's at least on the writers' list of Possible Future Directions.
These two are doomed as lovers. They know each other's weaknesses too well already.
Indeed, although interestingly, while Morgana can manipulate Arthur when she's hiding something, both here and in Mark of Nimueh, he knows full well when she's trying to get his help - just a roll of the eyes and 'What do you want me do do?'
We can safely say by now that Merlin loves Arthur.
Yes yes yes. I say it every time - my own slash preferences aside, I adore that the main theme of this series is that Merlin
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Morgana manipulating Arthur is something I can't watch without getting flashbacks to my own teenage years when my kid sister tried those same tactics to manipulate me, up to and including the times when I told her to either cut to the chase or shut up.
I should have remembered earlier that fascist states run on having at least 1/3 of the populace turning a blind eye. It's not like they haven't mentioned the phrase often enough.
I especially liked the analogies of Camelot as a fascist estate, akin to Nazi Germany or any totalitarian form of regime, to tell the truth. For me, Uther wanting to execute the child publicly is a sign that he has, like all tyrants at some point, gone paranoid which signals he's nearing end, I believe.
And yes yes yes. Putting all my unholy slashiness aside, there is no doubt that Merlin loves Arthur. Unconditionally so. He's not only a friend but also 'his reason for being' and despite he's fervent reluctance at the beginning, he truly believes it now, when he said that letting Mordred die would be horrible, but causing Arthur's 'unthinkable', it was a proof enough for a blind person . The re-occuring motif of innocence is also very well spot on.
As usual I enjoyed your pondering immensely and I anxiously await your thoughts on episode 9.
Thank you. I should have remembered it earlier, because the link between romanticism in general and Camelot in particular and fascism was something dh noted when Umberto Eco's essay on fascism came out. In my defense, that was over 12 years ago.
I can't decide if Merlin's adoration of Arthur is more romantic or religious. It mixes both. But there is no doubt it's the "guiding light" of Merlin's life.
Ep 9's essay is titled "What Color is Your Fairy Tale?" :P
I can't decide if Merlin's adoration of Arthur is more romantic or religious. It mixes both. But there is no doubt it's the "guiding light" of Merlin's life. Neither can I and I think it is actually meant to be that way, there's this pious adoration, friendly bickering and well there's this UST hovering above like an ominous cloud ha ha. I think it's the complexity that makes me love it so much.
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Still, it would be nice to see an adult version that doesn't get mired down in either the politics, the incest, or daft theories about Merlin aging backwards.
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And speaking of a potential Merlin/Morgana affair, Katie McGrath says in the commmentary they shot a version of the What if magic isn't something you choose? scene in which Morgana was much more openly flirtatious before going with the finished version, so we know it's at least on the writers' list of Possible Future Directions.
These two are doomed as lovers. They know each other's weaknesses too well already.
Indeed, although interestingly, while Morgana can manipulate Arthur when she's hiding something, both here and in Mark of Nimueh, he knows full well when she's trying to get his help - just a roll of the eyes and 'What do you want me do do?'
We can safely say by now that Merlin loves Arthur.
Yes yes yes. I say it every time - my own slash preferences aside, I adore that the main theme of this series is that Merlin ( ... )
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This is TV. The boy could be as young as 6 or 7 if they chose.
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You have lots of questions there that will be answered in the next episodes so, I won't spoil anything to you.
Your analysis of Camelot as Nazi Germany is very spot on, in fact it's mentioned in the episode commentary.
I completely agree that turning a blind eye is the Great Game of Camelot--you should copyright that name ;)-- and that Merlin ultimately fails at it.
Also, I think you made a god job by mentioning all the buttons that get pushed in this episode and all the things that begin to end here.
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And yes yes yes. Putting all my unholy slashiness aside, there is no doubt that Merlin loves Arthur. Unconditionally so. He's not only a friend but also 'his reason for being' and despite he's fervent reluctance at the beginning, he truly believes it now, when he said that letting Mordred die would be horrible, but causing Arthur's 'unthinkable', it was a proof enough for a blind person . The re-occuring motif of innocence is also very well spot on.
As usual I enjoyed your pondering immensely and I anxiously await your thoughts on episode 9.
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I can't decide if Merlin's adoration of Arthur is more romantic or religious. It mixes both. But there is no doubt it's the "guiding light" of Merlin's life.
Ep 9's essay is titled "What Color is Your Fairy Tale?" :P
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Neither can I and I think it is actually meant to be that way, there's this pious adoration, friendly bickering and well there's this UST hovering above like an ominous cloud ha ha. I think it's the complexity that makes me love it so much.
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