(no subject)

[srin]

Short version: Arthur, it is so lovely to have you back after your little trip to doppelgangland during series 3, please never leave again. Everyone else, uh, whatever.

In slightly more detail:
-Arthur taught Gwen that every person in Camelot is valuable? Really? I don't often literally shout at the telly, but man, I'm glad my flatmate wasn't around for that. Who is this lady and what has she done with my Gwen? I liked the idea of that scene, hooray Gwen standing up for the common people, but the execution just did not work. I'm starting to think I may have to put Gwen in the same category as Morgana, namely, 'Not even going to talk about this because you're not the character TPTB are pretending you are.'
-In related news, dear makeup department, can we please tone down the fake eyelashes/extreme mascara? Please? You're making Morgana's Eyeliner Of Evil look downright subtle by comparison.
-While I am pleased that Merlin isn't the butt of every joke any more, I uh, I liked Gwaine a lot more when he served a purpose other than filling that role. The hug when Merlin rejoined the group was nice, at least, but I miss the more complicated and interesting guy we had before.
-Nice that Elyan got to do something.
-So... the dorocha got into the cabin because the fires went out. Merlin re-lit the fire, as you do, so ... he and Lancelot could run away from the fire, out into the dark woods. Okaaaay. (This was another literally shouting at the telly moment. WHY ARE YOU RUNNING AWAY FROM THE FIRE??) But wait, Merlin called the dragon, the dragon can burn things and/or give them a lift to someplace with more fires, okay! ...The dragon gave a speech and then just fucked off, leaving them once again alone in the dark woods. Okaaaay. That's pretty weaksauce even for Merlin writing, and given the usual standards of writing on this show... If they were that keen on having the dragon meet Lancelot, surely they could have contrived some reason that would actually make a modicum of sense. Like, say, him taking Merlin and Lancelot back to the others.
-Arthur! Arthur. ♥ His face when he sent Merlin off, and then again when Merlin came back. I can't even get too fussed by the lack of hug because of his face. And that arm around the shoulders at the end of that scene was practically a hug anyway. And then later he basically said Merlin was a good servant, which coming from Arthur...
-Since when are there wyverns on the Isle of the Blessed? Did the CGI people just get bored and decide to put in all the old monsters for the hell of it?
-Merlin seemed really, I don't know, off in this episode. I don't know if it was the direction or Colin having some bad days or what, but a lot of his reactions rang really false to me, especially the big no when Lancelot jumped into the breach. (Which, really dude, how did you not see that coming?) Lancelot seemed sort of wonky too, especially in that scene with the floating head. (Which, man, I hope they come back at some point as something more than a blatant deus ex machina.)
-I realize this is also an issue with the sorcerer burnings they've attempted before, but who the hell has a pyre in the middle of the castle courtyard? Fire really isn't good for the masonry, dudes.

Unsurprisingly, this failed to live up to the tentative expectations I developed after the first part, though most of the fail wasn't quite the sort of fail I was expecting. I'm a bit disappointed, but I can't get too upset so long as Arthur remains so thoroughly lovely.