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Merlin ep 2
Oct. 14th, 2012 08:56 pmWell once again I was left flailing by the time the credits rolled. Once again that was an utterly gratuitous, shameless 45 minutes that occasionally had me asking my soup spoon 'What the hell am I watching?!'
All in all *thumbs up* Once again Merlin is off to a cracking series start, here's hoping they can keep this up for the remaining 11 or-whatever-it-is-now eps.
Firstly:
HAH!! I so called it! Let my unbearable smugness start here.
One of the things that has stuck in my mind about this series' version of Mordred is that his resentment has, until relatively recently, been aimed primarily at Merlin. The one time he properly met Arthur face-to-face was the time Arthur saved his life. Merlin, on the other hand, repeatedly tried to get Mordred caught/killed. I can understand some bitterness lingering over that.
Add onto that, that my childhood book of Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table had Mordred as a 'loyal' knight of Camelot who served for some years before finally going for the crown.
It all made me wonder if that was the way they were going to play it this series, with Mordred accepted into the knights when he returns as a young man. And this ep - hah! I get to be smug because it looks like, yes, that is the route we're taking.
So.
Why did Mordred stab Morgana in the back? Is he genuinely swayed by Arthur's good nature. Hmm. Possibly a little. Possibly he's realised that Arthur's good nature is Arthur's weakness, as the glowy creature said. I also think that's he realised Morgana is slightly unhinged and irrational, not the calmest or easiest ally to work with. Also, she made it quite clear that she wants Camelot for herself.
If he is after the crown, I don't see Mordred as the sharing type and he's clearly a smart one. It's far easier to launch a coup from the inside.
There is also now the potential interesting point that, if he remembers it, Arthur knows Mordred is from the druids. He returned him to them after all. I wonder if it's for now then a case of 'don't ask don't tell' when it comes to magic and whether or not Mordred was taught any.
Anyway, onwards.
GWEN!!
Ah Gwen. It was this close to being a brilliant plan. Still I suppose you did get a bit more info on the feeling of the people who fight the Pendragons, which might help with diplomacy in the future. But I'm not sure it really was worth the death of several more knights and of course Sipha now back in the wild and presumably far less forgiving of the Pendragons than she had been before.
Do I really need to say anything about Percy and his 'SPARTAAAAAAA' moments? Or Gawaine lounging around under a blanket. Gratuitous. Shameless. Loved it.
So. For now it's a stalemate, with both Mordred and Merlin holding the proverbial knife against the other's jugular. Let's see who snaps first.
All in all *thumbs up* Once again Merlin is off to a cracking series start, here's hoping they can keep this up for the remaining 11 or-whatever-it-is-now eps.
HAH!! I so called it! Let my unbearable smugness start here.
One of the things that has stuck in my mind about this series' version of Mordred is that his resentment has, until relatively recently, been aimed primarily at Merlin. The one time he properly met Arthur face-to-face was the time Arthur saved his life. Merlin, on the other hand, repeatedly tried to get Mordred caught/killed. I can understand some bitterness lingering over that.
Add onto that, that my childhood book of Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table had Mordred as a 'loyal' knight of Camelot who served for some years before finally going for the crown.
It all made me wonder if that was the way they were going to play it this series, with Mordred accepted into the knights when he returns as a young man. And this ep - hah! I get to be smug because it looks like, yes, that is the route we're taking.
So.
Why did Mordred stab Morgana in the back? Is he genuinely swayed by Arthur's good nature. Hmm. Possibly a little. Possibly he's realised that Arthur's good nature is Arthur's weakness, as the glowy creature said. I also think that's he realised Morgana is slightly unhinged and irrational, not the calmest or easiest ally to work with. Also, she made it quite clear that she wants Camelot for herself.
If he is after the crown, I don't see Mordred as the sharing type and he's clearly a smart one. It's far easier to launch a coup from the inside.
There is also now the potential interesting point that, if he remembers it, Arthur knows Mordred is from the druids. He returned him to them after all. I wonder if it's for now then a case of 'don't ask don't tell' when it comes to magic and whether or not Mordred was taught any.
Anyway, onwards.
GWEN!!
Ah Gwen. It was this close to being a brilliant plan. Still I suppose you did get a bit more info on the feeling of the people who fight the Pendragons, which might help with diplomacy in the future. But I'm not sure it really was worth the death of several more knights and of course Sipha now back in the wild and presumably far less forgiving of the Pendragons than she had been before.
Do I really need to say anything about Percy and his 'SPARTAAAAAAA' moments? Or Gawaine lounging around under a blanket. Gratuitous. Shameless. Loved it.
So. For now it's a stalemate, with both Mordred and Merlin holding the proverbial knife against the other's jugular. Let's see who snaps first.
