Four more to go...
Dec. 2nd, 2012 01:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
astri13Just a few quick bits on the latest Merlin
That wasn`t as atrocious as last week - but then, surpassing that would have been a tall order. Still, it was pretty pointless. This enchanted Gwen plotline did absolutely nothing but tread water storyline wise, do nothing with Mordred (except a bit here but it was also water-treading in essence), still had Gwen as some utterly perfect blameless Mary Sue, humiliated Arthur`s character in ways that makes even watching Saw less of torture porn AND seemed to take a rather mean-spirited glee in trying to destroy the central relationship of the show: Arthur and Merlin.
Guess it`s to desensitize viewers to the shitty ultimate ending where Arthur dies and Merlin walks away? I mean, this ain`t a spoiler but my speculation we`re all expecting that, right? Yeah, that might work with your adult viewers, you wankers, but you have a big kid audience as far as I know (and the consistent slapstick comedy and simplistic storytelling tells me you want it that way) and I guarantee they will be horrified by the ending I foresee you doing. From what I hear it`s gonna air on Christmas no less. Wow, this is just wow.
Now this episode also made something crystal clear again in starting with Arthur in the know and being a co-conspiritor with Merlin and Gaius, just like the Elyan ep last year - namely that this show could have been SOOOOOOOOO infinitely much better had a reveal taken place in say, early Season 2. I`m willing to let Season 1 stand as it is because it works pretty well without one.
If Arthur knows, there is no reason to make him look stupid and easily fooled or mean-spiritied or anything. Because the second he doesn`t know again, like the ending with Dolma, they play that crap that Merlin is simply "forgotten" and underappreciated and yada yada. Though, I will say this: the actors, especially Bradley, all played the last scene as if they knew exactly Merlin had taken up crossdressing as a cougar. The notion that Arthur, Gwen and Mordred simply walk off and forgot Merlin ike Kevin in Home Alone looked ridiculous even in the context of it being their usual slapstick/comedy bit at the end.
Imagine this show if Arthur had been in on it for years now, first helping to protect Merlin from Uther and then, after becoming King, them being together as prophecized as Warrior and Sorcerer, uniting Albion together. I could STILL have fallen in the end but that would have been so much more profound and tragic. And the journey would have been so much more entertaining.
Alas, was not to be.
So the episode as was, okay. Mordred - still nice and loyal. Check. Gwen - perfect and blameless again and apparently with either no recollection or no care what she did while puppeetered. Check. The epic love of Arthur and Gwen that few but the writers believe in. Check. Merlin being bitter. Check. Arthur being just kinda there these days. Check. Some magic shenanigans. Check.
The best bit was undoubtedly the drag act and Arthur and Mordred`s reaction shots to it.
That wasn`t as atrocious as last week - but then, surpassing that would have been a tall order. Still, it was pretty pointless. This enchanted Gwen plotline did absolutely nothing but tread water storyline wise, do nothing with Mordred (except a bit here but it was also water-treading in essence), still had Gwen as some utterly perfect blameless Mary Sue, humiliated Arthur`s character in ways that makes even watching Saw less of torture porn AND seemed to take a rather mean-spirited glee in trying to destroy the central relationship of the show: Arthur and Merlin.
Guess it`s to desensitize viewers to the shitty ultimate ending where Arthur dies and Merlin walks away? I mean, this ain`t a spoiler but my speculation we`re all expecting that, right? Yeah, that might work with your adult viewers, you wankers, but you have a big kid audience as far as I know (and the consistent slapstick comedy and simplistic storytelling tells me you want it that way) and I guarantee they will be horrified by the ending I foresee you doing. From what I hear it`s gonna air on Christmas no less. Wow, this is just wow.
Now this episode also made something crystal clear again in starting with Arthur in the know and being a co-conspiritor with Merlin and Gaius, just like the Elyan ep last year - namely that this show could have been SOOOOOOOOO infinitely much better had a reveal taken place in say, early Season 2. I`m willing to let Season 1 stand as it is because it works pretty well without one.
If Arthur knows, there is no reason to make him look stupid and easily fooled or mean-spiritied or anything. Because the second he doesn`t know again, like the ending with Dolma, they play that crap that Merlin is simply "forgotten" and underappreciated and yada yada. Though, I will say this: the actors, especially Bradley, all played the last scene as if they knew exactly Merlin had taken up crossdressing as a cougar. The notion that Arthur, Gwen and Mordred simply walk off and forgot Merlin ike Kevin in Home Alone looked ridiculous even in the context of it being their usual slapstick/comedy bit at the end.
Imagine this show if Arthur had been in on it for years now, first helping to protect Merlin from Uther and then, after becoming King, them being together as prophecized as Warrior and Sorcerer, uniting Albion together. I could STILL have fallen in the end but that would have been so much more profound and tragic. And the journey would have been so much more entertaining.
Alas, was not to be.
So the episode as was, okay. Mordred - still nice and loyal. Check. Gwen - perfect and blameless again and apparently with either no recollection or no care what she did while puppeetered. Check. The epic love of Arthur and Gwen that few but the writers believe in. Check. Merlin being bitter. Check. Arthur being just kinda there these days. Check. Some magic shenanigans. Check.
The best bit was undoubtedly the drag act and Arthur and Mordred`s reaction shots to it.
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(no subject)
Date: 2012-12-02 01:18 pm (UTC)Oh yes, it would have been! I feel quite cheated of the tragedy and drama, to be honest. I WANTED to hurt during the finale, to be reduced to tears, but at this point, I care less for Arthur and Merlin than I ever have. Thanks to the crap writing, and the way they demolished the characters and their relationship this season.
(no subject)
Date: 2012-12-02 01:56 pm (UTC)Me too. If a show never really shows any potential to be more than barely average, that`s one thing but the cheesiness and kid-friendly writing aside, this one could have worked on a whole different level as well. The set-up of Season 1 and the character dynamics showed so much promise. Some years back I read it described somewhere as "charismatic jock and sarcastic bookworm come together and change the world". Yet they threw it all away.
. I WANTED to hurt during the finale, to be reduced to tears
And it wouldn`t have even been totally without hope. The legend itself has an almost concilliatory ending. Arthur may be dead and Camelot fallen but a redeemed Morgana brings him to Avalon and there is a destiny that awaits them all still. They even introduced that into the show. But at this point it`s so pointless.
but at this point, I care less for Arthur and Merlin than I ever have. Thanks to the crap writing, and the way they demolished the characters and their relationship this season.
It started out okay enough but over the last four episodes, they have turned a sledgehammer on the relationship.
This might actually be the one and only show in the history of television where viewers would welcome a "Bobby comes out of the shower" twist a la Dallas and have a complete do-over. The cast is charming and the production crew ain`t doing a bad job either. The only thing that needed to go is the producers. They have so get some good writers and start fresh.
(no subject)
Date: 2012-12-02 02:49 pm (UTC)