The Crystal Cave.....AMEZZING!!
Oct. 10th, 2010 12:47 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gateslacker First, I gotta just say it again (and again, and again, and again) Colin Morgan is simply AMAZING. It cannot be said, enough, really.
You manage to make my heart break for Merlin EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.
Anyway, this episode is made of so much WIN. I ranks right up there with The Last Dragonlord in my book.
There was so much to love; the intensity of the opening scenes; Merlin’s despair as he tries and fails to heal Arthur. The FREAKIN’ Crystal Cave!!! I’ve been waiting to see the cave since the series began and now I really want to see it again. There’s so much in this episode that I don’t even know where to begin. I think I’m just gonna have to do a character rundown starting with
Taliesin: Okay, so who was this guy really? I swear, when he made the comment to Merlin about how many hours it would be before Arthur woke up, “if he remembered correctly” my first though was, OMG! Is Taliesin Merlin? (at which point I started examining eyes, ears, andcheekbones facial structure for any similarity and there were a few I thought..LOL). Then, after Merlin talks with Gaius, I wondered if he meant remembering the details about the spell, etc. Anyway, he is still somewhat of a mystery. He knew exactly what to say to entice Merlin to look into the crystals because Merlin, for all of his screw-ups, does have the best intentions. But why? What was the purpose of this adventure? Was it to teach Merlin a lesson about causality? How even the best intentions can cause everything to go to shite pretty quickly? That you can’t really subvert Destiny? (Even though he actually did, at least for the moment) If so, it certainly seemed a painful lesson for everyone involved and even resulted in the death of some poor red cloak.
Gaius and The Dragon. (How is it spelled. Kilgarrah? Kilgarra?): I have grouped these two together because they are the only two who know about Merlin and his increasingly difficult, painful, angst ridden, tear-inducing magical destiny. I am also grouping them together because they are emotionally unhelpful. By golly, Merlin needs someone else to confide in. Soon! I usually love the relationship between Merlin and Gaius but I feel that, although he is always there for Merlin, he really doesn’t know how to help him. I know he wanted to ease Merlin’s fears but he sort of came across as dismissive; as though Merlin was merely overreacting to the images he saw. It seems a year has dimmed the reality of the last time Merlin happened upon a magic crystal. The Dragon at the beginning of the season seemed somewhat empathetic but here we have a return to the dragon who never, ever sees anything from Merlin’s point of view and just wants Merlin to ruthlessly kill his enemies and be done with it. I didn’t like that Merlin made the Dragon give him the spell he needed to save Morgana but what could he do, really. So, yeah, emotionally Merlin doesn’t need a boss or a father figure. What he really needs is a friend to confide in. I think that was pretty evident last week when he talks about his father with Gwaine, a person he hit if off with, yes, but who he had really only just met.
Which leads us to Arthur: Arthur could actually be this friend if it weren’t for all the secrets and whatnot. All the banter about trust has a ring of serious truth to it, doesn’t it? Of course, poor clueless Arthur does not even realize it. I love how he tolerated and even complimented surly, moody Merlin and sang Merlin’s praises to his father. He is demonstrating his trust in Merlin more and more which makes me a bit melancholic and apprehensive at the thought of it all going so horribly wrong once he finally learns that everyone is lying to him and that Merlin did not trust him. By golly, if he and Gwen aren’t the only two people in Camelot who are on the up and up and not keeping dangerous secrets! They seem like such innocents in comparison with everyone else.
Uther and Morgana: So, Morgana is the daughter of Uther and Vivian and isn’t Gorlois daughter at all. It seems they are going to completely depart from the usual connection Gorlois had to Igraine. Okay, since Morgause was obviously just as surprised as Morgana, does that mean that these two really aren’t sisters? (since Morgause said they were half sisters connected via Gorlois). It is all so terribly confusing as these legends and their permutations have always been. I did like this revelation and who else, besides me, thought that Morgana would have embraced Uther with open arms had he simply acknowledged her publicly? Ah, Uther, you seem to really love your children but you are a totally crap father! And, though I understand your actions, you have made yourself into a total hypocrite. If you burn anymore innocent magic users at the stake or lob their heads off, I don’t think I will ever be able to sympathize with you ever again!
Now Morgana is truly a wild card…even Morgause seemed apprehensive. Did she even consider that this news makes Arthur her brother in reality? I realize that her relationship with Merlin may be forever lost (But, oh how I love the confrontations between the two of them!) but you’d think that she would have some feeling for Arthur. I am going to be so disappointed if she doesn’t. But, again, I prefer the conflicted baddie. BTW, how convenient is it that Morgana was able to hear and comprehend all of the sordid details regarding her parentage despite having an open head injury yet, still, did not hear Merlin practically yelling the spell to heal her.
Ah, Merlin. Thanks to Colin Morgan’s mad, mad acting skilz, Merlin’s stress and tension were palpable. So much so, my stomach was tied up in knots on his behalf all the way through! My heart ached for him when he is sobbing by the brook and when he tells Gaius that he couldn’t handle everyone’s grief. I feared for him when he confronts Morgana. Argh! There’s a whole heck of a lot of angst and hurt going on with NO real comfort. I felt so bad for him when he witnesses Arthur comforting Gwen, (and really each other) not because of any slash tendencies (even if I will read this slash pairing in fanfic...there, I've said it) but, rather, because there is no one to do the same for Merlin. He seems so completely alone. (And now that I mention that, it is the same feeling I had for Mary Stewart’s Merlin) It just makes me sympathize with the character more. It makes me love the character more.
But, where’s the magic? They keep telling us, through Gaius and through the Emrys references, that Merlin is powerful. I want to see it, at least now and again. I realize that in order to keep it secret, Merlin cannot always open up a can of magical whup ass on Morgana, Morgause, or on the one-off evil magical creatures/sorcerers bent on Camelot’s death and destruction. Mostly, all the magical folk seem to be able to do what he can do and more. Even Morgana practically flung him through the wall, all wordless and golden eyed, too. Plus, he gets the super duper spells from the Dragon. I really, really want to see Merlin do something extraordinary in his own right every once in awhile.
You manage to make my heart break for Merlin EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.
Anyway, this episode is made of so much WIN. I ranks right up there with The Last Dragonlord in my book.
There was so much to love; the intensity of the opening scenes; Merlin’s despair as he tries and fails to heal Arthur. The FREAKIN’ Crystal Cave!!! I’ve been waiting to see the cave since the series began and now I really want to see it again. There’s so much in this episode that I don’t even know where to begin. I think I’m just gonna have to do a character rundown starting with
Taliesin: Okay, so who was this guy really? I swear, when he made the comment to Merlin about how many hours it would be before Arthur woke up, “if he remembered correctly” my first though was, OMG! Is Taliesin Merlin? (at which point I started examining eyes, ears, and
Gaius and The Dragon. (How is it spelled. Kilgarrah? Kilgarra?): I have grouped these two together because they are the only two who know about Merlin and his increasingly difficult, painful, angst ridden, tear-inducing magical destiny. I am also grouping them together because they are emotionally unhelpful. By golly, Merlin needs someone else to confide in. Soon! I usually love the relationship between Merlin and Gaius but I feel that, although he is always there for Merlin, he really doesn’t know how to help him. I know he wanted to ease Merlin’s fears but he sort of came across as dismissive; as though Merlin was merely overreacting to the images he saw. It seems a year has dimmed the reality of the last time Merlin happened upon a magic crystal. The Dragon at the beginning of the season seemed somewhat empathetic but here we have a return to the dragon who never, ever sees anything from Merlin’s point of view and just wants Merlin to ruthlessly kill his enemies and be done with it. I didn’t like that Merlin made the Dragon give him the spell he needed to save Morgana but what could he do, really. So, yeah, emotionally Merlin doesn’t need a boss or a father figure. What he really needs is a friend to confide in. I think that was pretty evident last week when he talks about his father with Gwaine, a person he hit if off with, yes, but who he had really only just met.
Which leads us to Arthur: Arthur could actually be this friend if it weren’t for all the secrets and whatnot. All the banter about trust has a ring of serious truth to it, doesn’t it? Of course, poor clueless Arthur does not even realize it. I love how he tolerated and even complimented surly, moody Merlin and sang Merlin’s praises to his father. He is demonstrating his trust in Merlin more and more which makes me a bit melancholic and apprehensive at the thought of it all going so horribly wrong once he finally learns that everyone is lying to him and that Merlin did not trust him. By golly, if he and Gwen aren’t the only two people in Camelot who are on the up and up and not keeping dangerous secrets! They seem like such innocents in comparison with everyone else.
Uther and Morgana: So, Morgana is the daughter of Uther and Vivian and isn’t Gorlois daughter at all. It seems they are going to completely depart from the usual connection Gorlois had to Igraine. Okay, since Morgause was obviously just as surprised as Morgana, does that mean that these two really aren’t sisters? (since Morgause said they were half sisters connected via Gorlois). It is all so terribly confusing as these legends and their permutations have always been. I did like this revelation and who else, besides me, thought that Morgana would have embraced Uther with open arms had he simply acknowledged her publicly? Ah, Uther, you seem to really love your children but you are a totally crap father! And, though I understand your actions, you have made yourself into a total hypocrite. If you burn anymore innocent magic users at the stake or lob their heads off, I don’t think I will ever be able to sympathize with you ever again!
Now Morgana is truly a wild card…even Morgause seemed apprehensive. Did she even consider that this news makes Arthur her brother in reality? I realize that her relationship with Merlin may be forever lost (But, oh how I love the confrontations between the two of them!) but you’d think that she would have some feeling for Arthur. I am going to be so disappointed if she doesn’t. But, again, I prefer the conflicted baddie. BTW, how convenient is it that Morgana was able to hear and comprehend all of the sordid details regarding her parentage despite having an open head injury yet, still, did not hear Merlin practically yelling the spell to heal her.
Ah, Merlin. Thanks to Colin Morgan’s mad, mad acting skilz, Merlin’s stress and tension were palpable. So much so, my stomach was tied up in knots on his behalf all the way through! My heart ached for him when he is sobbing by the brook and when he tells Gaius that he couldn’t handle everyone’s grief. I feared for him when he confronts Morgana. Argh! There’s a whole heck of a lot of angst and hurt going on with NO real comfort. I felt so bad for him when he witnesses Arthur comforting Gwen, (and really each other) not because of any slash tendencies (even if I will read this slash pairing in fanfic...there, I've said it) but, rather, because there is no one to do the same for Merlin. He seems so completely alone. (And now that I mention that, it is the same feeling I had for Mary Stewart’s Merlin) It just makes me sympathize with the character more. It makes me love the character more.
But, where’s the magic? They keep telling us, through Gaius and through the Emrys references, that Merlin is powerful. I want to see it, at least now and again. I realize that in order to keep it secret, Merlin cannot always open up a can of magical whup ass on Morgana, Morgause, or on the one-off evil magical creatures/sorcerers bent on Camelot’s death and destruction. Mostly, all the magical folk seem to be able to do what he can do and more. Even Morgana practically flung him through the wall, all wordless and golden eyed, too. Plus, he gets the super duper spells from the Dragon. I really, really want to see Merlin do something extraordinary in his own right every once in awhile.
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no subject
Date: 2010-10-10 06:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-10 11:03 pm (UTC)I know!!! I had to watch again today and was slain all over again.
I have remained spoiler free but this episode makes me want to seek out spoilers for the rest of the series. There have to be repercussions from this!
*chants* I must be strong and remain unspoiled.
Needless to say, my super power is really ramped up today. I have done nothing that I should have. NOTHING!
no subject
Date: 2010-10-10 07:22 pm (UTC)He's fantastically gorgeous and such an emotive boy in this.
But I do agree... I want Colin badass because he is and they rarely show him doing things that seemed ever so simple for him at the very beginning. Uhm... first episode he froze time. Uh-huh... so why all the struggle for it to come naturally now?
no subject
Date: 2010-10-10 11:11 pm (UTC)I'm not sure I've seen any actor emote as well as he does. He is always believable. It never seems under or overacted and his reactions/expressions look different every single time. For example, he has been distraught several times over the past three series and, yet, he seems to take a different approach every single time making each scene unique.
I'm ready for some badass Merlin and I love that freezing time thing! There has been some obvious growth and maturity in Merlin that is evident this series. It is time to take the magic to another level as well.
no subject
Date: 2010-10-14 11:44 am (UTC)I do wish he'd learn some magic that would be useful, though - like how to fix puncture wounds and bleeding. He lost Will and his dad because of it and now he almost lost Arthur. He needs med info - stat!
no subject
Date: 2010-10-14 10:32 pm (UTC)YES!!! It cannot be said enough.
I do wish he'd learn some magic that would be useful, though - like how to fix puncture wounds and bleeding. He lost Will and his dad because of it and now he almost lost Arthur. He needs med info - stat!
Absolutely! It seems that he was more powerful in series one than he is now. And, with what he has experienced, you'd think he would be learning some healing magic. (A way to bring Taliesin into the episode aside). I think it is time to take it to the next level.