Only Those With Magic Can Hear It, As You'll Remember From Professor Sprout.

[rionaleonhart]

So Merlin is back on our screens! Here are my primary thoughts on 'The Tears of Uther Pendragon, Part One'.


- I realised moments before the episode ended that it was probably going to be a cliffhanger. SO ANNOYED. You can't have a massive cliffhanger in the first episode of the series, Merlin; that's just unsporting.

- I want more emotional conflict when people are doing horrible things to people they once loved! We had it in 'To Kill the King', back in the first series, but now Morgana is entirely without remorse and it troubles me. There was a scene in which she looked conflicted, but as soon as Uther was out of the room she was back to EVIL SMIRKING, JUST SO WE'RE CLEAR, WOULDN'T WANT YOU TO THINK ANYTHING INTERESTING WAS GOING ON EMOTIONALLY. This was something that also bothered me when Merlin was trying to poison Morgana; he didn't want to do it, obviously, but ultimately the failed attempts to poison her were treated as mere practical obstacles, rather than every failure reinforcing Merlin's feeling that he shouldn't be doing this. Guys, how am I supposed to send you to Silent Hill if you don't show remorse?

- Uther's love for Morgana is breaking my heart, incidentally. I can never cope with relationships in which one person genuinely loves the other and the other loathes them. (See also: Harry and John Watson in Sherlock.)

- I did very much like Morgana's 'because he's already here'. Merlin has always been terrible at stealth, and finally somebody notices!

- The feel of Merlin has changed quite a bit from when it began, which makes sense, I suppose; given all that's happened, of course it's going to be darker. I have to respect the writers for bringing it so far; I expected an purely episodic, 'now back to the status quo' format, but they made actual changes. They killed Nimueh; they freed the dragon; they brought in Arthur/Gwen; they turned Morgana. The changes are in part made to bring it more into line with the myths, of course, but I'm still impressed by how dynamic the world of Merlin is, although of course the basic 'nobody can know of Merlin's magic!' concept remains unchanged.

- Morgana's turning, incidentally, distresses me enormously. I knew it would have to happen, but - but - my OT4! No more episodes in which Merlin and Arthur and Morgana and Gwen all go on adorable adventures together! It didn't happen nearly enough even when they were all on not-betraying-each-other terms!

- What hasn't changed is the bucketloads of homoerotic subtext (although it looks as if we may now be deprived of the wonderful love-that-was between Morgana and Gwen, sob), in this episode involving a literal bucket. Arthur, shirtless for absolutely no reason, braced a hand on Merlin's face and scrubbed him with a wet cloth. The scene was probably titled 'OBLIGATORY HOMOEROTICA' in the shooting script, and I am absolutely not complaining.


I suppose my thoughts essentially boil down to 'I'm very happy to see Merlin back, but nooooooooo so many character dynamics I loved have been lost.' I need to purchase the second series and relive happier times in Camelot, I think.

Comments

[emmarrrrr.livejournal.com]

Morgana's evil faces were unintentionally hilarious. Oh, BBC, I'm sure you used to be capable of subtlety.

Worried!Uther did funny things to my insides, ngl, I wanted to give him a big squishy hug.

[rionaleonhart]

Given Doctor Who, Torchwood and Merlin, I'm not sure the BBC will ever be an institution praised for its subtlety (although Life on Mars managed it).

Uther was so adorable in this episode! Which doesn't quite seem right, because Uther is usually, y'know, a terrible person. But his love for Morgana (and Arthur, although obviously there wasn't such focus on that in this episode) does redeem him somewhat in my eyes.

[emmarrrrr.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure I'm not supposed to feel sympathy for Uther, but all I wanted to do was hug him and tell him everything was okay. I blame this on Anthony Stewart Head being able to cry so freaking convincingly.

[thesh-t.livejournal.com]

If one were to play a drinking game to the most recent episode of Merlin based soley around Morgana pulling evil faces, Merlin looking teary eyed and Arthur and Merling being unintentionally (yeah, right;) gay for each other.

..well there would've been a risk of liver damage that's all I'm saying ;p

[rionaleonhart]

Oh, dear, a Merlin drinking game would be incredibly unwise. In the first two series you'd have to drink whenever the dragon said or did something unhelpful. Nobody would come out of a scene involving the dragon sober.

[cobecat.livejournal.com]

Guys, how am I supposed to send you to Silent Hill if you don't show remorse?
Oh riona. <3

Also, I wrote Mentalist fic. How should I give it to you/where should I put it?

[rionaleonhart]

Oh! Oh, how exciting! How would you usually post your fanfiction? If you'd like to send it to me before you post it publicly, my e-mail address is under 'Basic Info' on my profile; if you'd rather post it to a community straight away (perhaps mentalistfic?), you can just let me know when you've done it.

[halotolerant.livejournal.com]

I honestly think the BBC script editing/commissioning office has a big motivational poster up with the line 'NEEDS MOAR GAY'

Clever them *g*

[loz]

I know, right? They must do.

[rionaleonhart]

They really must. The trio in Top Gear, Sam/Gene in Life on Mars (and the GENE ♥ SAM reference in Ashes to Ashes), Arthur/Merlin in Merlin, Mitchell/George in Being Human, Sherlock/John in Sherlock, the Doctor invading everyone's personal space in Doctor Who, Torchwood in its entirety; if there isn't homoerotic subtext, it's not a contemporary BBC programme. They so know we're here.

[bubbles-san.livejournal.com]

Also several episodes of Coupling in which Patrick/Jeff and Susan/Sally/Jane were blatantly shipped, and going back a bit (a lot) farther, Mr. Humphries of Are You Being Served?. (He's the poster-boy for homoerotic subtext. And text. And supertext.)

[loz]

I have to admit, I'm pleased Morgana's finally picked a side, but I am still "Oh, Morgana and Gwen :( :( :("

[rionaleonhart]

It's so tragic! They loved each other so much! How can that just be gone?

[dafna]

now Morgana is entirely without remorse and it troubles me.

I could buy the many Morgana faces of evil (tho I kept thinking of that Mitchell & Webb sketch: "did her tits just get bigger?") maybe, possibly, but the lack of any remorse in her relationship with Gwen? No way.

So, I'm forced to conclude that Morgause mindwiped her or something, and she has almost no emotional memory of the last 10 years of her life.

[rionaleonhart]

Exactly! Her treatment of Gwen really does make it seem that it's not Morgana we're looking at here. Morgana! You love Gwen! Gwen was the reason you fought against Uther in the past! How can you have forgotten?

[twitchbell.livejournal.com]

I was shocked, I tell you, shocked by Morgana. Why, such was the subtlety of all her scenes that I didn't think she could be really, totally OMG evil! I think the BBC should've made it a bit more obvious.

Seriously, where was Gwen?? And you're right - why didn't Morgana care about Gwen any more? Sniff. I, too, miss the Happy Foursome, though I suppose it was always Fated to come to this.

Tells self Uther is not supposed to be lovable. Self is bloody awkward and refuses to listen.

And yay for Homoerotic Subtext That's Hardly Bothering To Be Sub Anymore!

[rionaleonhart]

I know! BBC, there is such a thing as being a bit too clever.

And, yes, there was a general lack of Gwen. What was her reaction to having Morgana finally return? We need to know these things! They spent all this time building up a touching relationship between them and then completely forgot about it.

(And hello! It's nice to see you.)