merlin 2.08 reaction.
i didn't have a reaction post for last week's episode, because the actual episode (even though the preview was great) was underwhelming. the writers once again shied away from putting THE MAIN CHARACTER in danger of being found out for sorcery, and instead had an episode focused on gaius' sacrificial lamb act. which, yes, was also dramatic, but when so much of the first season was spent with arthur and merlin proving their friendship for each other, and the preview leading everyone to believe that it was going to be merlin going up in flames, the episode seemed to have much more riding on it.
BUT. let me just say that this episode, sins of the father, delivered in a way that no season two episode has so far. ancient history coming to the surface re: arthur's mother, new revelations re: morgana's sister, merlin's hope of being able to reveal himself peeking its head up and promptly being destroyed, even though he did it... UGH.
in this episode, arthur found out that his father used magic to help his mother conceive a child: arthur. while morgause's purpose in showing arthur his mother was to destroy uther, the vision she conjured appeared to be telling the truth, as far as viewers know. but dear god, the sheer emotion in the second half of this episode. arthur's earnestness at being able to see his mother, his love for her, even though he's never known her, it was all so terribly sad. and merlin! thinking that maybe arthur is finally changing his mind toward magic. and having to throw that all away because he still loves arthur better than he loves himself. merlin isn't dutiful toward arthur anymore--he really does care for him, so much that he would essentially denounce himself and other magic users so that arthur's mind wouldn't have been broken.
i've seen some backlash where people ask whether merlin could have said something different to arthur so that arthur wouldn't have that memory of his mother taken away from him, but plot-wise, it makes sense, i feel. arthur has to go back to mistrusting magic, so that when merlin finally does reveal his magic, there can be plenty of drama-rama. i'm really hoping that happens soon, by the way. it's like there's this unreachable level that merlin and arthur have yet to attain in their friendship, not that of being equals in social standing, necessarily, but equals as friends, where merlin can be completely truthful to arthur. it's not there yet. but soon.
wow, that's a lot of babbling.
bradley james, you blew this episode out of the water, every moment was more nuanced and wonderful than i ever thought you capable of, and that's a real compliment, because i've always been constantly surprised at how you were able to handle arthur's character so well. colin morgan, your face as you realized what you would have to say to make arthur stand down, it was beautiful and perfect and TRAGIC. anthony stewart head: i have always felt that this show has never quite given you the chance to do what you did with rupert giles, as in, display that pure emotion you felt when you saw buffy die, when you saw ms calendar dead in your bed, when you had to leave buffy for her own good. but this episode, you finally were able to reach it, that magic moment when you felt for uther. ugh, I LOVE THESE ACTORS.
p.s. morgana is such a hotass, omg.
BUT. let me just say that this episode, sins of the father, delivered in a way that no season two episode has so far. ancient history coming to the surface re: arthur's mother, new revelations re: morgana's sister, merlin's hope of being able to reveal himself peeking its head up and promptly being destroyed, even though he did it... UGH.
in this episode, arthur found out that his father used magic to help his mother conceive a child: arthur. while morgause's purpose in showing arthur his mother was to destroy uther, the vision she conjured appeared to be telling the truth, as far as viewers know. but dear god, the sheer emotion in the second half of this episode. arthur's earnestness at being able to see his mother, his love for her, even though he's never known her, it was all so terribly sad. and merlin! thinking that maybe arthur is finally changing his mind toward magic. and having to throw that all away because he still loves arthur better than he loves himself. merlin isn't dutiful toward arthur anymore--he really does care for him, so much that he would essentially denounce himself and other magic users so that arthur's mind wouldn't have been broken.
i've seen some backlash where people ask whether merlin could have said something different to arthur so that arthur wouldn't have that memory of his mother taken away from him, but plot-wise, it makes sense, i feel. arthur has to go back to mistrusting magic, so that when merlin finally does reveal his magic, there can be plenty of drama-rama. i'm really hoping that happens soon, by the way. it's like there's this unreachable level that merlin and arthur have yet to attain in their friendship, not that of being equals in social standing, necessarily, but equals as friends, where merlin can be completely truthful to arthur. it's not there yet. but soon.
wow, that's a lot of babbling.
bradley james, you blew this episode out of the water, every moment was more nuanced and wonderful than i ever thought you capable of, and that's a real compliment, because i've always been constantly surprised at how you were able to handle arthur's character so well. colin morgan, your face as you realized what you would have to say to make arthur stand down, it was beautiful and perfect and TRAGIC. anthony stewart head: i have always felt that this show has never quite given you the chance to do what you did with rupert giles, as in, display that pure emotion you felt when you saw buffy die, when you saw ms calendar dead in your bed, when you had to leave buffy for her own good. but this episode, you finally were able to reach it, that magic moment when you felt for uther. ugh, I LOVE THESE ACTORS.
p.s. morgana is such a hotass, omg.