1x12: To Kill the King
So the lack of Merlin/Arthur interaction was mildly disappointing but seeing as we had the EPIC GAYNESS of last week, it was to be expected. (I do wish there were more OT4 episodes, though. 1x10 remains my unabashed favourite of the series.)
I looooved the moral greyness of this episode. The fact that the Slash Dragon's advice (heretofore the primary source of Merlin's moral compass) was obviously coloured by its own agenda and perhaps was not the best thing for Camelot at all (Gaius made a very good point about Arthur's immaturity and lack of experiance. It is clear that, when it happens, he is going to be a very good king (and a Very Good Thing haha little 1066 And All That joke there) but now is not the time). The fact that Merlin was so conflicted about what he should do - and that it took Gwen, who had the most right out of any of them to want Uther dead, to point him in the right direction. The fact that Uther, always played as a right royal bastard whose pride and paranoia put the very kingdom he is desperate to save in peril, is periodically given these flashes of humanity when we least expect it, showing that he knows his faults and limitations and understands the necessity of having someone he trusts to call him on them. And that this should be Morgana, his adoptive ward, not his son. I love it! I have a HUGE soft spot for him, tyrant or not. (And Anthony Head is a FOX, as I have said before...)
This was Morgana's episode, really (Merlin had a token presence due to him being, y'know, the titular character but in the end it was Morgana who saved the day) and Katie McGrath more than held her own. I like that she occupies the space between dark and light; she's not just Morgan le Fay, evil temptress and begetter of Arthur's doom. She is showing flashes of darkness - but they are understandable given her backstory and she is not quite ready to go there yet. Her reconciliation with Uther at the end was so nicely handled and her scenes with Gwen were very touching (and not a little sexually charged) (seriously, this show). She is also one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen - I, er, may have a little bit of a crush on her... although she does have a rather dubious taste in impractical cloathing (what were those shoes? how could she even walk in them, let alone trek through a muddy forest while wearing a stupid cloak?)
NEXT WEEK OMGGGGGGGGGGG THE FINALE!!!! DRAMATIC MUSIC! MOODY LIGHTING! IMPROBABLE CLEAVAGE! NIMUEH! ARTHUR DEAD?!?!?! ASDJDK;AKD;K;LSGK; MERLINNNNNNNNNN
I looooved the moral greyness of this episode. The fact that the Slash Dragon's advice (heretofore the primary source of Merlin's moral compass) was obviously coloured by its own agenda and perhaps was not the best thing for Camelot at all (Gaius made a very good point about Arthur's immaturity and lack of experiance. It is clear that, when it happens, he is going to be a very good king (and a Very Good Thing haha little 1066 And All That joke there) but now is not the time). The fact that Merlin was so conflicted about what he should do - and that it took Gwen, who had the most right out of any of them to want Uther dead, to point him in the right direction. The fact that Uther, always played as a right royal bastard whose pride and paranoia put the very kingdom he is desperate to save in peril, is periodically given these flashes of humanity when we least expect it, showing that he knows his faults and limitations and understands the necessity of having someone he trusts to call him on them. And that this should be Morgana, his adoptive ward, not his son. I love it! I have a HUGE soft spot for him, tyrant or not. (And Anthony Head is a FOX, as I have said before...)
This was Morgana's episode, really (Merlin had a token presence due to him being, y'know, the titular character but in the end it was Morgana who saved the day) and Katie McGrath more than held her own. I like that she occupies the space between dark and light; she's not just Morgan le Fay, evil temptress and begetter of Arthur's doom. She is showing flashes of darkness - but they are understandable given her backstory and she is not quite ready to go there yet. Her reconciliation with Uther at the end was so nicely handled and her scenes with Gwen were very touching (and not a little sexually charged) (seriously, this show). She is also one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen - I, er, may have a little bit of a crush on her... although she does have a rather dubious taste in impractical cloathing (what were those shoes? how could she even walk in them, let alone trek through a muddy forest while wearing a stupid cloak?)
NEXT WEEK OMGGGGGGGGGGG THE FINALE!!!! DRAMATIC MUSIC! MOODY LIGHTING! IMPROBABLE CLEAVAGE! NIMUEH! ARTHUR DEAD?!?!?! ASDJDK;AKD;K;LSGK; MERLINNNNNNNNNN