Merlin 5x03 Reaction

[kathkin]

 I am using my Morgana icon because she was not in this episode. Logic!

To sum up: I'm honestly not sure how I feel about this one.

Comments

[universaldogma]

The borderline psychical abuse always rubs me the wrong way, too. Especially in S3. D: It's just. No.

Mithiannn~ ♥ I think the writers have forgotten about everything pre-S4 or something. Elena coming back too would be nice...

[kathkin]

I'm so glad it's not just me - it's been a while since I've seen anyone else comment on it and this episode made me especially uncomfortable. :(

Re S4 and the writers: I noticed that too! What happened to Mercia? What happened to all the kingdoms we saw in the episode with Vivian? (I cannae be bothered remembering titles.) We seem to be down to one other monarch now that Cenred is dead. What.

Personally I want to see Vivian back so she can have the love spell broken but I'd settle for Elena.

[universaldogma]

D'awww, Adric~ ♥

I've lived with physically abusive people in the past, and seeing that a part of me remembers those times... it's very uncomfortable.

I don't know what happened to the writers before S4 started, but I'd like to have the pre-S3 stuff back at least. *sighs*

You know what I'd like? Continuity. That'd be nice. :D

[kathkin]

(Well you had an Adric icon and I wanted to match.)

I was feeling kind of down today anyway and the similarities between Arthur and Merlin and me and my ex-friend struck me as I was typing up this post so now I am even more down. :( *hugs* 'Uncomfortable' is the right word I think.

Part of it's just down to sloppy writing (the way their relationship goes up and down all the time, for instance) but then you get episodes like this one which imply that it's okay to hit someone if they're annoying or frustrating you and that's just not okay.

The continuity in this show has always been terrible. I'm starting to wonder if the writers have just forgotten how they started out. (Seriously, what the fuck happened to Mercia?)

[myrimidryad]

The early hitting was funny - like you said, the comic timing is great - but the last scene in particular was very disturbing, with Arthur flexing his gloved fist. I really, really wanted a magic reveal. I know it's like praying for snow in August by this point, but hope is blind. *sigh* If only Arthur had waited for Uther to finish his sentence.

Gwen's treatment pissed me the fuck off. That could have been easily fixed with one scene of her waking up with Arthur by her bed, and him explaining the situation to her and telling her he was going to fix it. I mean, he kept telling Uther he loved her and stuff, but when she was almost burned alive, he just left her in Gaius' chambers (surely a queen should be treated in her own chambers?) and buggered off with Merlin. Dumb.

I only complain about this show because I love it so much!

[kathkin]

I can't decide whether or not I am bothered by people reading that scene as sexual or not. On the one hand, awesome porn and I am always up for people re-reading shit like that. On the other hand they're sexualising what I can't help but see as an act of abuse. :S

I'm hoping they are building up to a magical reveal. Maybe this episode was a hint for that. Idk I'm holding out for one in the last episode.

I was confused as to why she was left in Gaius's chambers too! I can understand Merlin bringing her straight there, but surely they'd take her back to her own chambers after? Where there'd be, like, guards and shit? I got the impression Uther wasn't attacking people who weren't alone so she'd probably be safe if she was under guard.

But yeah. I don't think this episode is the worst they've done to her character and for once I can actually see the logic behind it. I totally see why people are pissed off, though. D(I love Merlin like a wayward child. It started out silly and campy and its antics were funny but now it is older and

[joteismiles]

While the scene as a whole had its issues, I loved the tiny moment during the Merlin-Uther confrontation scene when Merlin is almost choked up as he says "I was born with it!" Very defiant. And it made me want to mother him.

My biggest peevish takeaway was how casually Arthur used magic, multiple times. There was no existential angst about going against one of his deepest-held beliefs, and even Merlin never brought it up except to say that it was dark and dangerous magic.

[kathkin]

The magic thing didn't even occur to me. Yeah, that was silly too. :/