The beginning of the end - Merlin 4x12
It’s not the best episode in S4, but it’s a very nice setup for the final episode. I wasn’t bored one single minute and I loved that not just the leads but also most of the regular characters got a moment of their own, and something very specific to them. (GWAINE! Welcome back! You were missed!)
The Merlin/Arthur:
The first scene of domestic bliss was just lovely and immediately catapulted my mind into a very, very dirty place. Arthur pantless again was a given, but the way Merlin was checking him out as he approached and the way Arthur was checking him out in return as he manhandled him to turn around and bend over show him what he was hiding behind his back - fanfic fodder deluxe. Tumblr must be going crazy by now. I did find it a bit jarring that after the dissonance between them throughout the past few eps we’re back to the Merthur Fun Fair again, but I’m not complaining - I needed a fresh scene like that before the end. Small mercies and all that. I’m getting quite good at ignoring the bad stuff and just rewatching single scenes out of context again and again - after a while, you forget that the bad stuff ever happened. My headcanon is a wondrous place. ;)
THEN, the last conversation by the fire. I know it’s a rehash. I know we’ve been there before and have heard most of it before. But how could I NOT love it?? “It keeps happening to me. I cared about these people. I can’t understand”. OH ARTHUR! And Merlin’s look! MY POOR BABIES! ALL THOSE FEELINGS! Let me hug you. No, better, hug each other and make it all better.
Again, I can’t help hoping for a reveal in the next/final episode. This conversation was the perfect setup. This created the connection from the beginning of the season to the end in regards to a reveal. It must happen, the only thing I’m no longer sure about is how Arthur will react. I’m still expecting the big blow-up, but on the other hand, there were moments where Arthur seemed to… sense something, so I’m having this crazy flashes of Merlin sitting him down late one evening and showing him that flame in the hand thingy and Arthur just staring at it and instead of freaking out just asking “Doesn’t that… hurt?” and Merlin realizing he’s suspected for a while. I don’t know, as long as they give us something after all that teasing, I’ll be ok.
The only thing I didn’t care about was Merlin enchanting Arthur and so shamelessly taking advantage of the situation. Actually, I have a massive problem with him magically ensnaring Arthur to make him an obedient little puppy. Funny as it was at times (and kudos again to both boys - the interactions were perfect), it just didn’t seem to fit the situation and would have worked much better in another setting. I’m soooooo sick of idiot!Arthur, and they literally took it to a new level. I would have almost preferred if they had decided to knock-out Arthur instead of magically addling with his brain. And Merlin didn’t seem to have the slightest idea what his spell would do or when it would wear off or if it would wear off at all. He seemed somewhat surprised by Arthur’s “obedience” (and is it just me or did the spell make it worse with time? Arthur was inconspicuous in the beginning, but really deteriorated the more time passed) - not good. Not happy with it at all.
I also HATE the fact that Merlin and Gaius once again didn’t give Arthur the choice and didn’t have enough trust in Arthur to let him make the right decision. Not. Cool. Enough decisions have been made for him already. Give the man some credit, will you? This is SO going to backfire later on, as if there weren’t enough issues to deal with already once Merlin’s secret was out. :(
You know what I would have liked to see? If they were so hellbent on using mind-controlled Arthur, why not use it for something more serious instead of making a fool of Arthur and draw uncomfortable parallels with how disabled people used to be treated back in the day? (didn’t sit well with me, either - they had the cliché down pat even in regards to the clothing) How about Merlin realizing the full effects of the spell (Arthur being mind-wiped) by accidentally doing magic in front of Arthur and Arthur not reacting? He then continues to openly use it, since Arthur won’t remember anyway, and we get a nice moment of Alternate!Arthur voicing that he found the tricks cool/impressive, maybe asking him to show him some more and Merlin’s little face scrunching up with wistfulness at how it could be. That alone could fill a whole episode, so of course it wouldn’t have fit here either. But it still would have been better than Arthur hugging a tree. *grumbles*
Though I did like their first fireside chat - but what does it matter if Arthur’s not himself anyway? If I was in Merlin’s place, I would have felt… cheated?
Morgana taking over Camelot:
Another thing I’m less than happy about and where a lot of blame can be put on Merlin and Gaius. As my former manager used to say “we need to work on our communication”. Everything could have been avoided had certain people communicated with each other. Sure, Arthur refused to listen to Merlin after last week, but come on, if it’s proof you need to strengthen your arguments, you make sure you *get* some proof. Set spies on uncle Aggy. Talk to the stable boys. Talk to Gaius about that fake letter from Odin. Merlin even knew where Morgana was hiding, for God’s sake. It couldn’t have been so hard to plant some fake evidence that would have led Arthur’s men to her hovel?
Arthur discovering Aggravaine’s betrayal:
I would like to write an ode to Bradley’s acting and his face in that scene. It would include things like “eyes as deep and unfathomable as ponds of mystery” and “betrayed rage erupting like a volcano” etc. . Yeah, you get why I don’t write fanfiction OR poetry. It would be like exposing a human to the literary outpourings of a Vorlon - hazardous to the human brain. But my God, THE BOY CAN ACT! I really, really hope they continue to give him some of the good stuff to do in S5 - I’ve developed quite a fondness for my weekly Bradley-fix - it equals my fondess for my weekly Colin-fix :)
Morgana and her boys:
Well, for all the complaining Katie’s done about Morgana never getting any men, she certainly has them fighting for her and over her now. She’s living la vida loca right now and enjoying it. Atta, girl! ;) Though I have to say I felt soooo sorry for Aggravaine. He’s been working his little butt off for her (you can virtually see him wagging his tail when she tells him “well done”) and she still threatens him with immeasurable pain. Too bad him and Merlin are on opposite sides, they could have long, nice talks about being underappreciated.
The A/G reunion:
I have to say this was the first scene between them (next to the banishment scene) that I could totally buy - it was so real. No platitudes, no heaving bosoms and breathy voices, no befuddling/repetitive/misogynic dialogue. Just two people who care very deeply for each other admitting that they missed each other and sharing some comfort. It’s as easy as that - it should be as easy as that. Something’s been damaged and you can still sense it between them, but there’s also history that you can’t just push aside. It’s a good start to begin something more real and honest. Arthur will have to make changes in both of the big relationships in his life (M/A and A/G) to make them more equal and eventually more gratifying.
Also, this may sound mean, but… Arthur did say that without Gwen, his kingdom meant nothing. Well, he lost his kingdom and got Gwen back - he got his wish. I hope this helps him set his priorities straight again.
Tristan and Isolde:
Isolde to me is like a blank page - full of potential, but nothing has been put there yet. She’s beautiful, and we’re supposed to believe she’s badass because she can wield a sword, but in reality, she’s another female character on the show that only gets credibility due to her being someone’s love interest. I will say, though, that I’m at least getting the vibes between her and Tristan, though he seems to be a walking cliché himself. At least the actor put enough passion into it to make it somewhat believable. I liked his little disputes with Arthur - it’s interesting to see the ramifications of some of fair and just Camelot’s domestic policies. Even with Arthur as king, not everything seems to be roses.
Edited to add:
HUNITH! We got to see Hunith again! We got to see Hunith and Merlin reunite! I can't find words enough to express how much I missed the two of them together - it's always such a pleasure to see them interact and to see Merlin be all "aww, shucks, Mum, stop worrying about me, I'm an adult now!" but still *loving* her mothering him. I hope this wasn't the last we saw of her - I need to know she's ok!
Now, the trailer for next week…
Again, I’ll say this was a pretty good set up for the final ep, compared to what we had in season 3. So much to look forward to!
- Showdown #1 - Merlin and Aggravaine: yes! At least someone figures it out! I can’t wait for their confrontation. I guess Merlin is doing some magical aid in secrecy again and Aggy interrupts him?
- Showdown #2 - Gwen and Morgana: I don’t know who I want to lay into Morgana first, but Gwen is a good start. I do hope she claws her eyes out after the personal vendetta she had to endure, and I do hope they’ll have WORDS with each other. I want a real catfight! It’s long overdue.
- ARTHUR! EXCALIBUR! We knew it was coming, but still - I want to know how it happens! How does he even know about it? Is there already a legend being told about it? I almost wish he tried to pull it out and it wouldn’t give until he was really ready to become king of Albion, but we can’t have that, I’m afraid.
- Dragoon: I’ll say it outright - I’m not a fan. He has good moments, and there are interesting developments, but in the end, it still ends up being a cop-out. And I’m also not always happy with Colin’s acting choices as Dragoon, so no, not a fan. I only hope they’ll have him there on purpose because Merlin knows Morgana still fears Emrys and it’s a ruse to draw attention from Arthur trying to get Camelot back.
God, I can’t believe I won’t be able to watch the FINAL EPISODE until halfway into January. :(
The Merlin/Arthur:
The first scene of domestic bliss was just lovely and immediately catapulted my mind into a very, very dirty place. Arthur pantless again was a given, but the way Merlin was checking him out as he approached and the way Arthur was checking him out in return as he manhandled him to turn around and bend over show him what he was hiding behind his back - fanfic fodder deluxe. Tumblr must be going crazy by now. I did find it a bit jarring that after the dissonance between them throughout the past few eps we’re back to the Merthur Fun Fair again, but I’m not complaining - I needed a fresh scene like that before the end. Small mercies and all that. I’m getting quite good at ignoring the bad stuff and just rewatching single scenes out of context again and again - after a while, you forget that the bad stuff ever happened. My headcanon is a wondrous place. ;)
THEN, the last conversation by the fire. I know it’s a rehash. I know we’ve been there before and have heard most of it before. But how could I NOT love it?? “It keeps happening to me. I cared about these people. I can’t understand”. OH ARTHUR! And Merlin’s look! MY POOR BABIES! ALL THOSE FEELINGS! Let me hug you. No, better, hug each other and make it all better.
Again, I can’t help hoping for a reveal in the next/final episode. This conversation was the perfect setup. This created the connection from the beginning of the season to the end in regards to a reveal. It must happen, the only thing I’m no longer sure about is how Arthur will react. I’m still expecting the big blow-up, but on the other hand, there were moments where Arthur seemed to… sense something, so I’m having this crazy flashes of Merlin sitting him down late one evening and showing him that flame in the hand thingy and Arthur just staring at it and instead of freaking out just asking “Doesn’t that… hurt?” and Merlin realizing he’s suspected for a while. I don’t know, as long as they give us something after all that teasing, I’ll be ok.
The only thing I didn’t care about was Merlin enchanting Arthur and so shamelessly taking advantage of the situation. Actually, I have a massive problem with him magically ensnaring Arthur to make him an obedient little puppy. Funny as it was at times (and kudos again to both boys - the interactions were perfect), it just didn’t seem to fit the situation and would have worked much better in another setting. I’m soooooo sick of idiot!Arthur, and they literally took it to a new level. I would have almost preferred if they had decided to knock-out Arthur instead of magically addling with his brain. And Merlin didn’t seem to have the slightest idea what his spell would do or when it would wear off or if it would wear off at all. He seemed somewhat surprised by Arthur’s “obedience” (and is it just me or did the spell make it worse with time? Arthur was inconspicuous in the beginning, but really deteriorated the more time passed) - not good. Not happy with it at all.
I also HATE the fact that Merlin and Gaius once again didn’t give Arthur the choice and didn’t have enough trust in Arthur to let him make the right decision. Not. Cool. Enough decisions have been made for him already. Give the man some credit, will you? This is SO going to backfire later on, as if there weren’t enough issues to deal with already once Merlin’s secret was out. :(
You know what I would have liked to see? If they were so hellbent on using mind-controlled Arthur, why not use it for something more serious instead of making a fool of Arthur and draw uncomfortable parallels with how disabled people used to be treated back in the day? (didn’t sit well with me, either - they had the cliché down pat even in regards to the clothing) How about Merlin realizing the full effects of the spell (Arthur being mind-wiped) by accidentally doing magic in front of Arthur and Arthur not reacting? He then continues to openly use it, since Arthur won’t remember anyway, and we get a nice moment of Alternate!Arthur voicing that he found the tricks cool/impressive, maybe asking him to show him some more and Merlin’s little face scrunching up with wistfulness at how it could be. That alone could fill a whole episode, so of course it wouldn’t have fit here either. But it still would have been better than Arthur hugging a tree. *grumbles*
Though I did like their first fireside chat - but what does it matter if Arthur’s not himself anyway? If I was in Merlin’s place, I would have felt… cheated?
Morgana taking over Camelot:
Another thing I’m less than happy about and where a lot of blame can be put on Merlin and Gaius. As my former manager used to say “we need to work on our communication”. Everything could have been avoided had certain people communicated with each other. Sure, Arthur refused to listen to Merlin after last week, but come on, if it’s proof you need to strengthen your arguments, you make sure you *get* some proof. Set spies on uncle Aggy. Talk to the stable boys. Talk to Gaius about that fake letter from Odin. Merlin even knew where Morgana was hiding, for God’s sake. It couldn’t have been so hard to plant some fake evidence that would have led Arthur’s men to her hovel?
Arthur discovering Aggravaine’s betrayal:
I would like to write an ode to Bradley’s acting and his face in that scene. It would include things like “eyes as deep and unfathomable as ponds of mystery” and “betrayed rage erupting like a volcano” etc. . Yeah, you get why I don’t write fanfiction OR poetry. It would be like exposing a human to the literary outpourings of a Vorlon - hazardous to the human brain. But my God, THE BOY CAN ACT! I really, really hope they continue to give him some of the good stuff to do in S5 - I’ve developed quite a fondness for my weekly Bradley-fix - it equals my fondess for my weekly Colin-fix :)
Morgana and her boys:
Well, for all the complaining Katie’s done about Morgana never getting any men, she certainly has them fighting for her and over her now. She’s living la vida loca right now and enjoying it. Atta, girl! ;) Though I have to say I felt soooo sorry for Aggravaine. He’s been working his little butt off for her (you can virtually see him wagging his tail when she tells him “well done”) and she still threatens him with immeasurable pain. Too bad him and Merlin are on opposite sides, they could have long, nice talks about being underappreciated.
The A/G reunion:
I have to say this was the first scene between them (next to the banishment scene) that I could totally buy - it was so real. No platitudes, no heaving bosoms and breathy voices, no befuddling/repetitive/misogynic dialogue. Just two people who care very deeply for each other admitting that they missed each other and sharing some comfort. It’s as easy as that - it should be as easy as that. Something’s been damaged and you can still sense it between them, but there’s also history that you can’t just push aside. It’s a good start to begin something more real and honest. Arthur will have to make changes in both of the big relationships in his life (M/A and A/G) to make them more equal and eventually more gratifying.
Also, this may sound mean, but… Arthur did say that without Gwen, his kingdom meant nothing. Well, he lost his kingdom and got Gwen back - he got his wish. I hope this helps him set his priorities straight again.
Tristan and Isolde:
Isolde to me is like a blank page - full of potential, but nothing has been put there yet. She’s beautiful, and we’re supposed to believe she’s badass because she can wield a sword, but in reality, she’s another female character on the show that only gets credibility due to her being someone’s love interest. I will say, though, that I’m at least getting the vibes between her and Tristan, though he seems to be a walking cliché himself. At least the actor put enough passion into it to make it somewhat believable. I liked his little disputes with Arthur - it’s interesting to see the ramifications of some of fair and just Camelot’s domestic policies. Even with Arthur as king, not everything seems to be roses.
Edited to add:
HUNITH! We got to see Hunith again! We got to see Hunith and Merlin reunite! I can't find words enough to express how much I missed the two of them together - it's always such a pleasure to see them interact and to see Merlin be all "aww, shucks, Mum, stop worrying about me, I'm an adult now!" but still *loving* her mothering him. I hope this wasn't the last we saw of her - I need to know she's ok!
Now, the trailer for next week…
Again, I’ll say this was a pretty good set up for the final ep, compared to what we had in season 3. So much to look forward to!
- Showdown #1 - Merlin and Aggravaine: yes! At least someone figures it out! I can’t wait for their confrontation. I guess Merlin is doing some magical aid in secrecy again and Aggy interrupts him?
- Showdown #2 - Gwen and Morgana: I don’t know who I want to lay into Morgana first, but Gwen is a good start. I do hope she claws her eyes out after the personal vendetta she had to endure, and I do hope they’ll have WORDS with each other. I want a real catfight! It’s long overdue.
- ARTHUR! EXCALIBUR! We knew it was coming, but still - I want to know how it happens! How does he even know about it? Is there already a legend being told about it? I almost wish he tried to pull it out and it wouldn’t give until he was really ready to become king of Albion, but we can’t have that, I’m afraid.
- Dragoon: I’ll say it outright - I’m not a fan. He has good moments, and there are interesting developments, but in the end, it still ends up being a cop-out. And I’m also not always happy with Colin’s acting choices as Dragoon, so no, not a fan. I only hope they’ll have him there on purpose because Merlin knows Morgana still fears Emrys and it’s a ruse to draw attention from Arthur trying to get Camelot back.
God, I can’t believe I won’t be able to watch the FINAL EPISODE until halfway into January. :(