Merlin Season 3

[tielan]

It's been such a long time since I've been in Merlin fandom, it's a little weird to come back in during the middle of the hiatus and start reviewing the episodes.

They're all a bit of a jumble, actually, thanks to:
a) sketchy watching while quilting,
b) watching a whole bunch all at once,
c) watching them over the last couple of months,
d) watching about five different shows and trying to keep up with any/all of them at any given time.

So this may sound like it was put together by rabid monkeys drugged out on cocaine. It wasn't, of course. But it might sound like it. You've been duly warned. Read at your own risk. (And kids, don't do drugs: become a rock star and they'll give them to you for free! ps. Bill Nighy is made of awesome.)

disclaimer: I've watched this season all the way through to 3.11 (in which Dudley Dursley suddenly loses a shitload of weight, discovers his magic, gets transported through time and ends up in Camelot trying to kill Giles Uther. CROSSOVER OF DOOM RESULTS.) but haven't watched the final two eps yet. That's for...later this week.

Season 3 is annoying me less than Season 2 did. Perhaps I've just grown Zen about the state of the Merlin, the manner in which the women are treated so far as the plot goes, the amount of eyeliner of EBIL they insist on using on Morgana, and so forth.

Or maybe I'm just drooling at the potential epicity of, yanno, Gwaine and Elyan and Arthur/Gwen and KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE LAH DE DAH DE DUM DE DAHHH.

Uther is still stupid. Morgs is still wearing the eyemakup of EBIL. And everyone is trying to skulk in too-bright cloaks in full moonlight. How is this not a problem, people?

...I'm not doing a very good job of reviewing the eps, am I?

Tears of Uther Pendragon I and II
Uther as a character annoys the heck out of me. But ASH is Lord Of The Actors, even when he's hamming it for the script. Morgana-coming-back-as-definite-evil was...well, we knew she was going to become evil (the dragon told us so!) but this seemed...abrupt. And badly handled.

The increased presence of Morgause in the script adds a certain degree of uncertainty, although her ploys are...well, let's be blunt, transparent and blatant and way too easily foiled by Merlin.

...oh who am I kidding, I'm never going to get through the season reviewing like this.

So we'll cut to the chase: my favourite episodes and scenes! (And anything else I think of along the way.)

1. The ones with Gwaine. Because, well, we gotta face it. Gwaine is awesome. Especially because he fell for Gwen. He fell for Gwen, peoples. It's like "sure, you can be a knight of the round table...but ya gotta have a connection with Gwen first!"

Bonus points:
- the fight in the tavern: Gwaine drinking from the jug, then smacking someone over the head with it.
- Gwaine trying to charm Gwen into accepting his flower. Gwen recognising him as a charmer and returning his flower. Gwaine being both disappointed and gracious at her rejection.
- Merlin and Gwaine cleaning boots. LOL.
- Courage, Heart, and Magic!

2. The ones with the Arthur/Gwen dynamic. Duh.

Bonus points:
- right, so we'll start with, um, Gwen reassuring Arthur, them sharing little moments in the corridor, EYESEX IN UTHER'S COURT *COUGHS*, Arthur talking to her when Uther's pushing for the marriage to Elena, the maturity shown by Gwen about the situation - she loves Arthur, but she's realistic. If he has to marry someone else, then she's not going to push him. Queen of Hearts is bee-you-tee-ful, peoples! Although a little overdramatic with the 'Arthur is willing to give up his position in Camelot' - although I suppose that helped along the 'he's been enchanted' fiction that Uther (and all the Arthur/Merlin shippers, no doubt) are madly buying into.

How frothy have the Arthur/Merlin slashers been, btw? The Capslock Of Slag Girl who basically abused the shit out of Gwen in her episode "reviews"? Anyone seen her lately, or dare we hope that she got run over by a bus?

3. The one with Elyan. Who, I note, turns up in the next episode (3.12) and possibly nearly runs Arthur through (it was an accident!) YAY! (Yay, Elyan turns up, not yay, he runs Arthur through.) I just wish they'd had time to explore more backstory with Gwen. BECAUSE, YES, BLACKSMITH KIDS' BACKSTORY FOR THE WIN!

4. The ones with Gwaine. Did I mention the ones with Gwaine? He's just such a charmer. The confident, careless opposite of careful, formal Lancelot. (I'm still trying to decide if Gwaine and Lancelot will adore each other on sight and become complete bro-hos, or bug the crap out of each other and end up sniping at each other all the time. Do I get to see in 3.12 and 3.13?)

Merlin himself is annoying me less this season. I don't know why (although it may be that I'm not watching the show as closely as I used to) and I can't explain it, but I no longer feel the need to kick him in the pants about his 'oh noes, I'm magic!' It's like he's reached a kind of equilibrium - it's not about the magic or hiding it, it's just about surviving and keeping Arthur alive.

The Arthur-Merlin relationship seems more solid this year; in spite of Arthur's aristocratic arrogance, there's less of a sense that Arthur's being really, truly dickish and more that he likes and appreciates Merlin as much as a man in his position, brought up in his way, and with his father's influence can.

There've been some adorable Gwen-Merlin moments, too. Just...I can't remember them specifically, but Merlin looking out for Gwen, and maybe one or two Gwen looking out for Merlin moments.

Gwen-Morgana has been given the complete kibosh, or is only there in fakely-concerned Morgana, which makes me sad. I mean, I'm not that fond of Morgana as a character, but it would have been nice to see a kind of tug-of-war between Gwen and Morgause for Morgana - one appealing to her better nature, the other appealing to her anger and frustration and ambition. Would have made for a much more layered perspective of Morgs.

And I'll say this now and I'll probably have to say it next year, too: they still need an episode that's about Gwen and has Gwen at the centre of the action and the solution.

Oh, and Gwen needs to find out about Merlin, STAT!

Comments

[rhianona]

You're better than me in watching it. I watched the first two episodes of the season, skipped through a lot of the third and fourth episodes and then just skipped to the end. Because you know, it got pretty painful for me to watch.

I do love, love, love Gwaine. I'm kind of over Arthur. I hate the caricature that Morgana has become. I wish Gwen had more awesome moments that didn't necessarily hinge on how attractive men find her. (I think you will like aspects of the last two episodes but there is also a part I think you'll dislike a lot.) I honestly watch for Merlin, but that's me.

Regarding Arthur-Merlin shippers, I think many were very annoyed with how Arthur treated Merlin this season and some have jumped ship to Merlin/Gwaine.

[tielan]

The 4th episode with Gwaine is pretty cool. But then, I like Gwaine. :)

I think many were very annoyed with how Arthur treated Merlin this season and some have jumped ship to Merlin/Gwaine.

Yes, I noticed an increase in Merlin/Gwaine stories on the newsletter.

My take on Arthur is that he's presently at war within himself. What he's learned since he started interacting with Merlin and Gwen, and what he grew up being taught by Uther are very incompatible: the idea that everyone can be noble or worthy irrespective of birth or magic, while Uther's view of nobility and worthiness are much more limited and restrictive.

Arthur knows that his father's wrong, but it's his father and he's been indoctrinated into his father's thinking all his life, so it's easier for him to maintain what he's always done before.

[rhianona]

Your take on Arthur certainly makes logical sense; otherwise, I just don't understand why Gwen would fall in love with him or why Merlin would continue to remain by his side. I mean, my frustration when it comes to Merlin begins, in part, with the premise of the show, so it's any wonder I actually watch it. It is like a train wreck, in that I can't look away. Or rather, too many people on my f-list watch it and make reference to it.

And yes, Gwaine is pretty awesome.

[tielan]

It's worth noting that Arthur no longer parrots his father's opinions. A number of times he says, quite distinctly, "That's my father's view; I think he's wrong, but he's the king and I have to abide by his rules." And, IIRC, the one time he completely rebels is where Uther says that Gwen has to leave the kingdom.

So yes, Arthur holds different ideas and he can implement them on a small, personal scale, but he's also hamstrung by Uther's kingdom/Uther's rules, the expectations upon him, and probably a certain amount of innate thoughtlessness that contributes to his behaviour towards Merlin.

[green_apple]

Nothing constructive to add, except maybe you'd like this fic? It's a really great way to have Gwaine and Lancelot interact. And be totally awesome together.

I think Gwen deserves an entire series made exclusively for her, but in the entire unlikeness of that happening, I would settle for an episode about her, as well.

I think it is fandom's general opinion that the Morgana Situation could and should have been much better handled. So much lost potential there. Oh well, at least Gwen has been consistently awesome throughout.

[tielan]

I think Gwen deserves an entire series made exclusively for her

Hell, yeah!

And, yes, Morgana's storyline has been 'eh' - it's just your basic crazy evil plotline that can't be allowed to triumph but then has to find really dreadful ways of failing.

And I shall check out that fic just as soon as I have a moment free...