Merlin: 5:07 A Lesson In Vengeance

[tanous]

So, another episode down and six to go till the (bitter?) end of S5 and possibly, if rumours are to be believed, the entire show. And …where are we now?

Well, actually,  we’re back in S4. Or is it S3?  Deep anyway in the Merlin producers thumb-sucking comfort zone of ‘Merlin trying singlehandedly (save Gaius - the device to enable us to know his

Comments

[tanoshi_ame]

Wow, why is there so much hate on Merlin now. Merlin should be protecting Arthur, and while he's at it, should be kind to Mordred, good friend to Gwen, returning Gwaine's affection, etc. I LOVE that Merlin in his focus on the first thing disregards the rest. People asking for all of those? It's like asking for another Sue.

In fact, their friendship was dropped ages ago, around s2 I'd say and since then most of their interactions have Arthur as a motivation.
Pretty much agree with this. There's a lot of image editing and mix-matching going on on Tumblr so it's easy to give an impression that things are more than what they actually are. This is also one of my gripes when it comes to reading fanfics because 90% of them either have Gwen as Morgana's BFF or Merlin's. Why authors even when writing a S4/5 story never move on from this I have no idea, there're other ways to not-bash Gwen or give her something to do.

[arwyn_t]

Hilarious summary of the ep here

http://dragoonthegreat.tumblr.com/post/36034665032/merlin-5x07-a-summary

"We used to talk, and eat and, uh.... breathe..." ROTFLMAO!!!

[marvelpku]

The post was fabulous, but very incisive. Like it mentioned that Leon's pep talk was delivered when Arthur is lying there and not even dead. It showed how ridiculous and handicap the writer or the producer was. I am surprised why BBC allow such incompetent script writer to write a show for Saturday. They don't even realize these kind of writing humiliate themselves, do they?

[tanous]

Brilliant! :-D

[marvelpku]

Very brilliant. Some pionts it mentioned is just so incisive. Like Leon's pep talk to Gwen. It is just character assassin writing. Arthur is right there on the bed and not even dead and Leon is already throwing sweet words to Gwen of becoming a "great" queen or whatever? OMG. WTF is this writing. It just ruin Leon. I wonder how Arthur will think of Leon and Gwen if he knows this.

[xthursdaynextx]

More and more this season it feels as if Colin is playing Merlin as motivated by a massive love for Arthur more than anything else in his lifeI think so too. It's just a shame that Arthur is continuously portrayed as utterly stupid. It's hard to believe in him as the king of legend when he does nothing for himself. He says how he's different from his father and then proves that he's just the same by continuing to sentence innocent people to death. He keeps listening to the wrong people at the wrong time and only does anything legendary when he listens to Merlin. It wouldn't surprise me if the evil Gwen arc is resolved without him ever realising she'd gone bad

[tanous]

I agree. I quite enjoyed it too on its own terms. I also agree that it was no more silly or contrived than episodes in earlier seasons Id probably have patted on the head and waved through. BUT this is meant to be playing with the big boys - a mature, dark season. And worst of all it and the arc it belongs to is eating up three whole episodes of the last season, so it seems they can have one ep of build up (5.11) and shove everything including the kitchen sink and fully fitted units into the last 2 episodes. I suspect Shine are looking for a spectacular finale though and they've sacrificed pretty much the entire season to get it and make sure everything comes to a head then at once. Which, having slogged through four and a half seasons with these characters and come to love them, just stinks for the fans. I expect the people who review the show on the Net sites without really knowing it, will be duly impressed though

[xthursdaynextx]

Im pretty sure there wont be any lasting consequences for anyoneThere never usually are. But, with this being possibly the last season, it's possible there might. Maybe

[tanous]

Well going by the alleged spoilers for the alleged end, there may indeed be lasting horrible consequences (you wait for a lasting consequence and 17 come along at once) but Im sticking with my Pollyanna Possibility which I suggested in last weeks thread - that Camlann and Avalon are seen in the Crystal Cave and postponed/averted by Merlin somehow or other (hopefully NOT including Old Merlin - simply because much as I don't respect Shine in the slightest I cant believe they'd finish Arthur after 4 years on the throne, still manifestly stupid and as you say with Albion un-united and magic users persecuted. I just cant believe they'd be that moronic.

I don't think the producers care about giving fans what they want, or even about giving the show and the characters the ending they deserve as long as they have something superficially impressive for the casual viewer. I very much agree with this - very well put - though I do think they must listen to fans of Gwen given the way they've inflated her essentially 1D character to the levels

[sforthewicked]

LOL I loved this review! Swear to God

[tanous]

I agree with all of that and - great points - the poison was in his ear, no one mentioned food, though I guess the valerian was in the wind. Dragoons robe - hah - never thought of that but yeah - the potion must change the clothes too (reaching here :P) And the knights not immediately questioning the accusation of Merlin - frankly for the knights he should have been just as unlikely a candidate as Gwen herself - but no. Nothing is thought through. It was definitely Colins episode though Angel out up a good show too. Bradley though - yeah I agree what a depressing thing for him to have to play. He was like an idiot child in that episode. They pushed the 'victim trusts his would be killer implicitly trope' to such character wrecking limits that I suspect If Gwen had suggested he cut his own throat he'd have said formlessly, "As always you're right" and gone for it. Poor Bradley.

[sforthewicked]

It's not only that! Bradley has at least one or two episodes where he spends hald his screen time unconscious every fucking season! It's depressing. Plus, it's just insulting for the actor. "Right, Braders, this ep its the usual stuff. Arthur's oblivious, he gets poisoned, he doesn't die in the end. Alright? Let's roll everyone!"

I had a thought yesterday. Remember the youtube video they made Alex do in the beginning of the series? Where he says he's not like Agravaine and dares people to prove him wrong?
I had a sudden urge to comment to that video that the only mistake the viewers made was who the next Agravain would be, not if he'd be there at all! If we had placed our money on Gwen we'd all be spot on!

[undead_begonia]

Wow. Now that really IS the plot for a really amazing science fiction story. The lovechild of Alexander the Great and Elizabeth the First. Can you just imagine it? It just makes so much sense. And you know this lovechild, if a boy, would look totally like Bradley James.... just sayin'...

Although possibly with redder hair. I so want this book/show in my hand RIGHT NOW.

For this I would abandon Merlin without a look back.

[sforthewicked]

I sencond this post.

[tanous]

But imagine if Shine made it....

[sforthewicked]

I don't second this one! Good grief woman! Watch what you're saying!
I hope for the viewers sake Shine goes bankrupt next year...