merlin's back.
Sep. 19th, 2010 09:57 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kaydeefalls
So apparently Merlin is back. And shit got REAL, oh man. It is no great secret that I like Merlin best when it's at its darkest, so I approve heartily of 3x01 and 3x02. Also, the Merlin/Morgana relationship continues to be BY FAR the most interesting thing going on this show. Gah. Those two, they are going to break my fucking heart. AWESOMELY.
While I really enjoyed these episodes, the show continues to be very problematic in some areas. Like the fact that NO ONE FUCKING KNOWS THAT MERLIN IS MAGIC YET. This has gotten frustrating to the point that it actively makes me angry now, which is weird for me, because I tend to focus on the positive and handwave the negative in my fandoms. And it's not like this is something one would legitimately get angry about, like race!fail. No, this is just narrative!fail, which is pissing me off kind of a lot. Um. But mostly I was very into these episodes! Part of why I'm so annoyed is because I WAS so into them, except for this one glaring thing that kept dragging me back out of it.
Also, you're telling me that a year has past and there has been zero development/growth of any kind in the Arthur/Gwen relationship? Seriously? Speaking of which, what the hell has Gwen even been doing this year? And please tell me she's figuring out that Morgana is evil, clearly they are no longer friends anymore :( :( :( but Gwen is still very smart and perceptive when it comes to Morgana.
Basically, while I adore all the characters and relationships and actors and so on, I really detest the status quo of this show, and want them to just fucking break it and grow up into their story already.
End rant.
On the plus side, Merlin fangirling Arthur was kind of freaking adorable. As was the LOOK in Arthur's EYES during that little wisdom exchange, I squeaked kind of loudly. THEY ARE SO CUTE. Sometimes.
Things I would like to see on Merlin this series that I probably won't:
1. Gwen needs an actual plotline. Preferably that does not revolve around her being Arthur's comfort. Hi, writers, here is Gwen, she is awesome. WHY DO YOU NOT USE HER. Kthxbai.
2. SOMEONE FINDS OUT ABOUT MERLIN'S MAGIC FOR FUCK'S SAKE. Like Morgana! That conversation badly needs to happen. And I'm basically assuming that Arthur has figured it out and is actively pretending to ignore it now, because that's pretty much the only thing that even makes sense anymore.
3. Uther dies. No, seriously. It's time and past. This show needs to stop pussyfooting around Arthur's destiny and force him to live up to it, and for that to happen, Uther needs to be taken out of play. And I can think of like twelve different narratively engaging ways for it to happen off the top of my head, surely the writers could figure something out.
4. ...but first Arthur needs to officially find out about Merlin's magic, for fuck's sake.
At least I'm back to being engaged in this fandom, which is yay! I've even put some work into the Merlin-centric vid I started and abandoned about four months ago. Which is fun. Though this was also my last day off for the next...five weeks? Six? Not sure. But yeah. So probably I won't actually finish anything anytime soon. (Oh god, I go into tech next weekend. Kill me now.)
It's kind of sad how realizing that I'm not going to have another day off for over a month doesn't even faze me anymore. The three and a half months without a day off earlier this year, that was rough. Six weeks? Psh.
While I really enjoyed these episodes, the show continues to be very problematic in some areas. Like the fact that NO ONE FUCKING KNOWS THAT MERLIN IS MAGIC YET. This has gotten frustrating to the point that it actively makes me angry now, which is weird for me, because I tend to focus on the positive and handwave the negative in my fandoms. And it's not like this is something one would legitimately get angry about, like race!fail. No, this is just narrative!fail, which is pissing me off kind of a lot. Um. But mostly I was very into these episodes! Part of why I'm so annoyed is because I WAS so into them, except for this one glaring thing that kept dragging me back out of it.
Also, you're telling me that a year has past and there has been zero development/growth of any kind in the Arthur/Gwen relationship? Seriously? Speaking of which, what the hell has Gwen even been doing this year? And please tell me she's figuring out that Morgana is evil, clearly they are no longer friends anymore :( :( :( but Gwen is still very smart and perceptive when it comes to Morgana.
Basically, while I adore all the characters and relationships and actors and so on, I really detest the status quo of this show, and want them to just fucking break it and grow up into their story already.
End rant.
On the plus side, Merlin fangirling Arthur was kind of freaking adorable. As was the LOOK in Arthur's EYES during that little wisdom exchange, I squeaked kind of loudly. THEY ARE SO CUTE. Sometimes.
Things I would like to see on Merlin this series that I probably won't:
1. Gwen needs an actual plotline. Preferably that does not revolve around her being Arthur's comfort. Hi, writers, here is Gwen, she is awesome. WHY DO YOU NOT USE HER. Kthxbai.
2. SOMEONE FINDS OUT ABOUT MERLIN'S MAGIC FOR FUCK'S SAKE. Like Morgana! That conversation badly needs to happen. And I'm basically assuming that Arthur has figured it out and is actively pretending to ignore it now, because that's pretty much the only thing that even makes sense anymore.
3. Uther dies. No, seriously. It's time and past. This show needs to stop pussyfooting around Arthur's destiny and force him to live up to it, and for that to happen, Uther needs to be taken out of play. And I can think of like twelve different narratively engaging ways for it to happen off the top of my head, surely the writers could figure something out.
4. ...but first Arthur needs to officially find out about Merlin's magic, for fuck's sake.
At least I'm back to being engaged in this fandom, which is yay! I've even put some work into the Merlin-centric vid I started and abandoned about four months ago. Which is fun. Though this was also my last day off for the next...five weeks? Six? Not sure. But yeah. So probably I won't actually finish anything anytime soon. (Oh god, I go into tech next weekend. Kill me now.)
It's kind of sad how realizing that I'm not going to have another day off for over a month doesn't even faze me anymore. The three and a half months without a day off earlier this year, that was rough. Six weeks? Psh.
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no subject
Date: 2010-09-20 02:39 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-20 02:11 pm (UTC)THIS. Exactly this. What's the point of getting investing in character arcs when they just get reset?
Gaius should have died at the end of series 1. No offense to Gaius.
no subject
Date: 2010-09-20 03:07 am (UTC)Much as I would like to watch this forever and ever, I think what< Merlin needs is a defined end date, say at the end of S4. I think that would give the writers the ability to plan out well-defined arcs and the courage to make these big changes to the status quo without worrying about carrying on indefinitely with the show's defining characteristics changed.
Meanwhile, Merlin checking out Arthur during Arthur's sword practice was the cutest thing! I sniggered outrageously when Arthur threatened to eat Merlin for breakfast. ;)
Also, much as it breaks my heart to see her setting herself against the others in Camelot, I think being on
Team EvilTeam Magic Hair suits Morgana. She's my favorite, and it's good to see her get to do something other than watch tourneys and look distraught.no subject
Date: 2010-09-20 02:15 pm (UTC)SERIOUSLY. What the hell, Morgana, you are smarter than this. And while I like seeing her all gleeful and evil, the fact that she's reverted from one-note terrified to one-note smirk-y kind of saddens me. Depth and range, Morgana! The writers planted all these seeds for complexity and moral ambiguity for her character, and now suddenly they've just flattened her back out into EVOL. Argh.
Arthur and Merlin's antics are adorable. And, yes, that line made me snigger a lot as well.
no subject
Date: 2010-09-20 07:42 am (UTC)THIS. And all your other points, too.
GRRR.
no subject
Date: 2010-09-20 02:16 pm (UTC)