Mystic Guildmistress
11 years ago
Mystic Guildmistress
Mage
Sea5 Ep2: Arthurs Bane Part 2
I don't think we're meant to trust Mordred to be honest. There's probably going to be some back storyline where Merlin keeps thinking Mordred is up to something and it turns out Mordred has nothing to do with it. But if Mordred isn't Arthur's bane (it's Arthur himself apparently), why did Merlin have that vision? Did that old Druid guy just have the wrong information, or did the alien character lie because knowledge is neutral? That's bugging me now...
And that dragon looked really ill. Hasn't Morganna been feeding it? I'm surprised it trusts her. Maybe dragons need to reach a certain age before they can speak (though this is going off Tamora Pierce's dragons, which can't speak when they're babies)?
I wonder what's going to happen to Sefa now? She will obviously hate the Queen now. Maybe we'll find her later on down the track in leage with Morganna.
And considering some of the Merlin stories had Mordred as the child of Morganna and Arthur, another wise decision of the creators. That would be slightly awkward...
I don't think we're safe with Mordred just yet. Something interesting concerning him is bound to pop up...
And seriously Merlin, use your magic! He could have at least whispered under his breath when they were being dragged to Morganna's lair. And he can move things without needing spells. Arthur needs to find out already.
11 years ago
Tue Oct 16 2012, 09:37pm
Merlin 5x02
I honestly think Mordred is entirely trustworthy |:| , yet I think that the vision that was shown to Merlin of the Druid may not have been the entire picture - Mordred may have been there to try and get Arthur out of one of his messes?
Merlin 5x02
Mostly I am just bothered by the fact that Arthur isn't aware of the fact that Mordred has magic. I mean c'mon Arthur, I know you get knocked unconscious nearly every episode and you probably have some permanent brain damage by this stage but the earlier episodes that contain Mordred, you were perfectly aware that he was a Druid amd thus had magic. I hope this somehow gets sorted or explained because otherwise . . . Arthur you are really really dumb. (Though considering the fact that he still hasn't noticed Merlin's magic, I guess this is actually perfetly logical)
Mystic Guildmistress
11 years ago
Mystic Guildmistress
Mage
Merlin 5x03
Seriously... Just let Uther finish his sentence! It would have made everything so much simpler. But no, the creators just have to drag it out a bit more.
Uther reminded me of the ghost of the little boy that drowned (no idea which season it was though). And to be honest, the first time we saw Uther's ghost popping up, it scared the begeebes out of me :P
I love all the witty banter between Arthur and Merlin :) "Poetry? You couldn't choose anything that didn't make me sound like a lovestruck girl?" :D
Merlin 5x03
Yes, I liked the witty banter as well, also Arthur's off camera hitting of Merlin, on several occasions
Sea5 Ep3: The Death Song of Uther Pendragon
A good 'ghost story' episode this week! Entertaining, with none of the usual story arcs or guest characters.
It’s wonderful to see Anthony Head again. He lets rip here, playing Uther as the bad guy we always suspected at heart: cruel, manipulative, dangerous . Arthur attempting to see his father in the afterlife just one more time could have been pure cheese, but Head portrays Uther as a total b*stard. When Arthur and Uther finally confront each other in the great hall it brings to mind their previous clashes and it’s good to see Arthur accepting the kind of king he’s going to be. When Arthur falls, the fight becomes Merlin’s and his battle with Uther’s ghost is like Skywalker vs Vader with furniture thrown around by the Force. Merlin’s defiance is what marks this meeting: he’s prepared to gleefully tell Uther the truth: “Even while you were alive there was magic at the heart of Camelot!†Merlin hasn’t been using his magic much this series, but he rolls it out at the end of this episode to great effect. And Uther almost gives Merlin away! I almost wish he had, because it seems crazy that the only person who doesn’t know about Merlin’s magic is his best mate Arthur.
But there’s a lot in this episode which suggests Arthur’s opinion on magic is evolving anyway – he won’t let the witch be burned unfairly; he uses the druidic horn to speak with the spirits; he accepts Gaius’s potion to enable him to see Uther’s ghost; he specifically rejected his father’s dogmatism and preached justice and fairness for all. This was the perfect time for Merlin to explain his powers to Arthur, the new king was at his most receptive.
There are mix of different legends referred to in this episode: The Horn of Cathbad is apparently named after the chief druid from Irish mythology; Cathbad appears in the Ulster Cycle where hero Cuchulain (Cú Chulainn) can also be found. Gaius explains that the magic horn was used at druid ceremonies taking place at Beltane. Beltane – a genuine fertility celebration held at the end of April or in May to mark the coming of summer – seems an unlikely festival for journeying to the afterlife (you’d assume that would happen at the more Halloween-like Samhain or something). The henge-like stone circle visited by Arthur and Merlin is apparently called The Stones Of Nemeton. A nemeton is a sacred pagan grove, usually a clearing amid trees rather than a structure, ultimately derived from the European Celtic goddess Nemetona. The word survives in some place names, like Nantwich in Cheshire.
Sea5 Ep4: Another's Sorrow
Not a great episode this week, at least at the start. It was kind of obvious that Morgana was the old woman, and the the whole first few acts felt like they had been done many times before (Arthur riding out into a trap against good advice).
However the episode did pick up towards the end.
Magic has been underused so far in 2012, but here we see Gaius resort to using sorcery to save Merlin, doing the whole “glowing eyes†trick that we don’t usually see beyond Merlin and Morgana. “She didn’t count on a sorcerer of your power, did she?†chuckles Merlin, reminding us that old Gaius is quite the wizard himself. Morgana’s Vader-like Force choke is a handy spell – though why she doesn’t she actually just kill him when she has the opportunity? – but it’s nothing to the earthquake Merlin conjures up! And Merlin proves to be a warrior as well as a warlock, mixing magic and swordplay in a way that almost reminds me of Ruadan’s ninja skills from the start of the series.
What’s telling at the end of this episode is that Arthur reveals to Gwen how much he values Merlin’s advice. Sure, it’s done as a joke: “It turns out he’s not entirely stupid!†But the sense that Merlin has the capacity to advise his king is made very clear, and Merlin himself must be aware of his growing influence. He’s very bold when he blocks Arthur on his way to Mithian – did you notice that he questioned the king by just saying “Arthur?†This is a dialogue between friends, not a servant and his master.
The title “On Another’s Sorrow†is a poem by idiosyncratic 18th century writer William Blake, exploring empathy and compassion, something relevant to the end of this tale and Arthur’s realisation that both he and Odin have a reason to understand each other’s pain.
“Can a father see his child
Weep, nor be with sorrow filled?â€
(A dual meaning with the title might also give us a clue to Morgana’s spiteful mind state – the experience of “joy for another’s sorrow†is a sin defined by medieval writer Gower in the Confessio Amantis as a sub-set of envy.)
Mystic Guildmistress
11 years ago
Mystic Guildmistress
Mage
Sea5 Ep5: The Disir
Merlin was way too depressed this whole episode. Methinks the whole Mordred vision thing is getting to him. Even one of Arthur's classic lines didn't make him smile. <3 Arthur: "More and more I'm finding that your face resembles the back end of a cat".
And the Disir just looked like a bunch of old women. If they were really that powerful, they should have blown Arthur and the knights up for being disrespectful :P
Mordred saves Arthur... again. Must be why Merlin is all conflicted. Arthur is way too trusting though, does he not remember who Mordred's family were in the first season? Once a druid, always a druid.
I also realise I didn't post about last weeks episode, but I loved Merlin's earthquake trick, it's about time Merlin shows his true sorcerer skills!
Sea5 Ep5: The Disir
ElspethInnle: I agree. The whole Mordred saga is really getting to Merlin. That scene where Arthur is asking Merlin’s advice is powerful. Merlin has a moment where he could reveal everything, could advise Arthur to embrace magic, could bring to reality all his dreams for freedom and acceptance and come clean to his friend… and doesn’t, in order to protect him.
In all, this is an important episode, one driven by character and emotion; it leaves Merlin’s powers still a secret, but it puts us in a place where Merlin is responsible for Arthur’s rejection of magic, a frustrating but exhilarating twist at a time when Arthur and Merlin are both evolving. And Mordred’s influence is increasing… There’s an irony that if Mordred does turn out to face Arthur in battle, it will have been the king himself who trained him to be so good with a sword.
The Disir are Valkyrie-like goddesses from Norse mythology. It literally means “ladies†but they were considered spirits or deities who influenced the fates of humans. There is still an annual February fair in Sweden called the Disting which started out in medieval times as a heathen feast day celebration in their honour. They were one influence behind Shakespeare’s Weird Sisters and you get a definite sense of those three witches in this episode of Merlin – when they’re talking among themselves and then to Osgar at the beginning, it’s like the first act of Macbeth.
Once and Future King: Osgar calls Arthur Pendragon “the once and future kingâ€. This is a famous epithet for King Arthur which traces its way back to Malory, where at the end of his epic work we learn the king’s tomb has written on it: “Hic iacet Arthurus, rex quondam, rexque futurus.†(“Here lies Arthur, the once and future king.â€) In this way it shadows his death – and possible resurrection in times to come. TH White’s famous 1958 novel about Camelot was called The Once And Future King based on this.
One Nitpick! - Where is the round table? All the Knights are now sitting round the rectangular dining table in the main hall.
11 years ago
Tue Nov 13 2012, 01:26am
Sea5 Ep6: The Dark Tower
A good dark episode this week, with none of the usual trappings of a Morgana plot (the baby dragon, druids, Mordred, etc), but it seems better for that, and we get to find out a bit more of what happened to Morgana over the intervening years between seasons - “at least you’re not shackled, there’s daylight, you can move†she says of Gwen’s condition, claiming that she spent two years chained to a wall.
The prison that Gwen was kept in was suitably distrubing - Gwen’s ghostly visions of her absent friends; the sudden, piercing screams in the tower room; the dripping black roots
The relationship between Merlin and Arthur has now grown even stronger and we see it getting more and more equal all the time, with Merlin growing into the role of friend and advisor. They grip arms, shaking hands like warriors, as Merlin promises, “We’re not going to lose her, we’ll bring her home I swear.†The knights realise how much Arthur relies on Merlin’s help; there’s no argument when Merlin tells them “I’ll talk to him!†when the king needs persuading to take a break. And it’s Merlin who, on a couple of occasions, decides that the pursuit has to stop for the night. Since when did servants get to order knights to make camp? Merlin is clearly no longer just the boy who fetches their dinner.
Queen Mab is first mentioned in Shakespeare’s Romeo And Juliet (Mercutio talks about her in Act I, Scene IV):
“O, then, I see Queen Mab hath been with you.
She is the fairies’ midwife, and she comes
In shape no bigger than an agate-stone…â€
11 years ago
Tue Nov 13 2012, 01:31am
Sea5 Ep6 - continued
[spoiler]
Ok, for some reason it wouldn't let me add this last paragraph above (kept getting 404 errors) so i'll add it here instead:
The Dark Tower looked a lot like the Tower of Orthanc at Isengard from LOTR
The Dark Tower in legend: People today tend to know the title "The Dark Tower" from Stephen King's fanatsy series, but he was inspired by a poem by Robert Browning which in turn was inspired by a line from the end of Shakespeare's King Lear, "Child Rowland to the dark tower came." And Shakespeare was inspired by a traditional fairy-tale which comes, ultimately, from an Arthurian romance, so it’s a nice big loop back to Merlin. In the original fairy-tale, Princess Burd Ellen is playing ball near a church when she finds herself transported to the Dark Tower ruled by the king of Elfland.
Sea5 Ep7: A Lesson In Vengeance
Not the best episode of the series. The various plot points of Morgana hanging around outside the castle, whilst someone inside tries to kill the king feels like an episode from last season. In addition, most of the seasons plot arcs seem to have been ignored; Morgana's search for "Arthur's Bane"; Where is Aithusa, her dragon?; what happened to her in the pit?
Also noticable is that the extent of Morgana’s influence ebbs and flows at the whim of the plot. Last week Morgana could command the entire Dark Tower, with its nightmare room festooned with rare mandrake roots and an enchanted sword to defend it… this week she has to pay cash in a chemist’s shop.
Evil Gwen seems to be underused so far. Lets hope that the writers giver her a grittier storyline in episodes to come!
The one highlight of the episode was 'old Merlin', especially when he was arguing with the cook.
Killing a king by pouring poison in his ear comes from Shakespeare’s Hamlet – it’s how Hamlet’s father was murdered. Shakespeare referred to the toxin as “hebenon†which might even be henbane (although hemlock and yew are also possible interpretations).
All said, a mediocre episode, but still fun to watch.
Sea5 Ep8: The Hollow Queen
An episode without much of the over arching story this week, though we did finally get to find out who imprisoned Morgana in the pit, and why her dragon is so unhealthy.
Also it now appears as if Gwen realises how important Merlin is, enough that she needs to get him away from Camelot before plotting against Arthur. It's also possible that she knows his secret now.
The only other highlight of the episode was to witness Merlin away on a solo mission and out in the wild and what we see this week is a return to the badass who killed Agravaine last year. By the end of this episode he has a purpose and a mission again, and we’re in no doubt that he will be ruthless in its execution. We’re treated to an awesome moment when Merlin lets loose his sorcery on the bandits. (“You don’t even have a sword.†– “I don’t need one.â€) and once back in Camelot he actually strikes the would-be assassin down dead. Colin Morgan’s final look, that scene at the end in the royal couple’s chamber, says he means business; surely a confrontation with Gwen is coming.
We're not far from the end of the season now, so lets hope things get a bit grittier towards the end
So this season has also recently been confirmed as being its last. If I don't get a magic reveal there are gonna be some heads rolling.
Mystic Guildmistress
11 years ago
Mystic Guildmistress
Mage
It's last?! :O Seriously?! But they have so much more they can do with it. If they wait till the season finale for the magic reveal, I'm going to be very cranky :/
Mystic Guildmistress
11 years ago
Mystic Guildmistress
Mage
Merlin S5 Ep8
Now you've done it Gwen, Merlin is cranky, and cranky Merlin should be really entertaining :)
Though one thing I don't understand is how the Queen repeatedly leaves the castle unescorted without anyone noticing.
And surely Arthur can dress himself... But the Gwen's nightgown bit was funny.
I don't know if the Tavern joke really worked in this episode - after all it's been several years (in Camelot time) since the last season, so it just seems a bit out of place in this episode.
Seriously Merlin - a young boy you've never met starts acting suspiciously and you still follow him into dangerous territory. Clearly has a death wish.
I'm also annoyed that this season will be the last. I thought they'd at least get a season 6!
Sea5 Ep9: With All My Heart
This was a better episode than last weeks, with some darker moments and lots of humour - Merlin as the old woman!
There is no big reveal on the curing of Gwen, and this seems to help the story along, while we sit back and enjoy it.
In the past we’ve been frustrated that Arthur and Gaius don’t listen to Merlin despite our hero uncovering a million plots in Camelot – this time, though, there’s no messing about; everybody believes Merlin right from the start. And when Merlin is concerned that somebody is watching them and Arthur says “One of your funny feelings again?†that’s clearly enough for him this time. A small but significant sign of Merlin’s continuing growth in Arthur’s esteem?
As we've seen in the past, Merlin as a Dragon Lord has more control over Morgana's dragon than she does. I wonder if this will play a significant role in the final episodes?
As most of you now know, the series now officially finishes at the end of this season. That means there are just four further episodes left for them to wrap up the entire story. We’re promised “a spectacular finale†and we can assume it involves the fight between Mordred and Arthur prophesied in “Arthur’s Bane (Part 1)“. This week’s conclusion of the Traitor Gwen arc points us back on track but there still seems like a lot of character development required before we reach a satisfying conclusion.
This episodes quest takes them to the Cauldron of Arianrhod. Arianrhod is a Celtic figure from Welsh mythology, featuring in the Mabinogion. Some sources cast her as part of the Triple Goddess (in Merlin, that’s the druidic deity served by the Disir and Morgana).
A very good episode overall, which should hopefully set the tone for final episodes to come
Sea5 Ep10: The Kindness of Strangers
A good episode this week, with enough to suggest that Merlin is building up to one hell of an ending!
The relationships and loyalties seem more sophisticated than usual. It’s interesting to see Gaius feeling guilty about revealing to Alator that Merlin is Emrys (series four) and thus betraying Finna to Arthur. Much of this episode is about the relationship between Gaius and Merlin – there are touching reminders about how Gaius is Merlin’s father-figure, instructor and confidant, as he shares words of comfort and even a hug. Merlin quite readily forgives Gaius for giving up Finna to the king because he knows it was done with the best of intentions. But it means that Merlin is forced to fight against Camelot’s knights in the forest. Later on, when he sneaks away from them in the forest, Mordred offers to lie for him. The mutual distrust between them is fascinating and we have to ask, is Mordred genuinely trying to help? Finna confirms that Mordred is dangerous to Arthur…
It’s also sad to realise that we are bidding farewell to Kilgharrah the dragon. I almost cheered when he swoops down and saves Merlin, and there’s a glorious moment where he’s silhouetted against the moon, but then we learn that he’s old and his wing’s injured and his time is running out. We’re given very little time to feel the weight of melancholy though because in the final moments a dead knight is brought in and we’re given to understand that “Morgana has declared war.†Fingers crossed next week’s episode, the last before the two-part conclusion, continues with the portentous ambience established here.
Finna talks of “the once and future king†which is exactly what Osgar called Arthur back in episode five and of course is the celebrated line from Malory. She also mentions that “the great battle nearsâ€, a battle which is later named explicitly as Camlann on the parchment: “Let the dread fire of the last priestess rain down from angry skies … as the great horn sounds a cold dawn at Camlann … there Arthur will meet his end upon that mighty plain.†Yep, naturally the Battle of Camlann is the king’s grand finale in the legends. The earliest known reference to it is in the Welsh histories known as Annales Cambriae, where it says that in AD 537 Arthur and Mordred both perished – although interestingly it does not state explicitly that they were on opposite sides. There is much scholarly debate about where Camlann might be in Britain. Some scholars place it in Somerset (where the river Cam flows beneath Camel Hill), at the Roman fort Camboglanna on Hadrian’s Wall, on the river Camel on the Cornish border, at Camelon near Falkirk, or on the river Camlan in Wales!
Sea5 Ep11: The Drawing of the Dark
This was a good episode. It has great atmosphere and momentum – but Mordred’s descent into evil is too rapid and it happens because of a dead lover; I would have been better for it to spring from the long-simmering mistrust between him and Merlin; or that secretly he was harbouring some druidic plan, but no: he was a genuine good guy until his childhood sweetheart tries to kill the king. Feels like a bit of a cop out.
And then there’s the whole conundrum of Arthur being the enemy of the druids in the first place. Sure, he told the Disir that he wouldn’t authorise magic in Camelot… but we haven’t actually seen him commit any of the same atrocities as his father – in fact, this series we’ve seen him rescue a woman who was going to be burned by the public; he tells Dolma that he will consider accepting magic; he makes druid Mordred a knight of the Round Table; he’s openly used magic to save Gwen and made it clear that his problem with magic is only when Morgana uses it for ill. This episode he tries his best to be merciful, offering Kara a chance to save herself – and as he clearly states, she wasn’t on trial for being a druid, she was on trial for murder. Arthur is at great pains to point out that “I have no quarrel with the druids†and that he’s always thought of them as peaceful. So where, exactly, is Kara’s evidence that her people are under threat from him?
These nitpicks aside, however, it’s a well-crafted, moving, tense episode that sets us up for a gripping end to the series. With Mordred finally driven to the dark side, this ending gives us the long awaited reveal to Morgana that Merlin is Emrys! Whatever happens now there’s no going back from that.
Sea5 Ep11 & 12: Diamond of the Day parts 1 & 2
A great finale and farewell to the series!
Isn’t it creepy to see Mordred at the right hand of Morgana’s throne? He doesn’t look overly happy with his new mistress’s methods; his face betrays him (I’m going to miss Alexander Vlahos when this series is over) and even challenges her: “He was a loyal soldier – in robbing him of his magic you’ve lost yourself a powerful ally.†It’s terrific to see Morgana using some properly ground-shaking magic like that fireball spell. In comparison we see Merlin, um, create a butterfly in his hands like a parlour trick, but at least there’s more than just the classic air punch this time.
The tender heart of this episode is, as always, Merlin’s relationship with Arthur. About 19 minutes in there’s a touching farewell scene between the two of them as Merlin reveals he has to go on an errand instead of join the battle. The emotion on their faces reveals a degree of heartbreak as Arthur realises Merlin won’t be there, and Merlin can’t reveal how much he’s actually trying to help. The king confesses that he never meant all those jokes he made at Merlin’s expense: “I always thought you were the bravest man I ever met†he tells his servant.
In the second part we see they have the sorcerer Emrys to help them out. Finally he starts throwing around the kind of powerful lightning attacks we’ve wanted to see for ages! And it works: the Saxons are defeated and with his dragonlord powers Emrys is even able to send away Aithusa. From Merlin’s perspective the battle is triumphant and it’s a striking vision of him on the hillside casting bolts of magic against their enemies. We’re treated to yet more epic scenes as Emrys strides amongst the bodies of fallen knights and then carries his friend’s body out of the valley.
The real meat of this episode is Merlin and Arthur having the conversation they should have had for years. It begins with them revealing how much they care about each other (Arthur’s cry of “Where have you been?!â€), continues with Arthur’s revelation that he is the sorcerer Emyris (which Arthur is shocked by and initially rejects, partly because he’s stung that he’s been lied to) and ends with acceptance and restored comradeship… just in time for the king’s departure. Merlin’s tearful confession that he’s the sorcerer as they lie on the ground is excellent and reminds me once again how lucky we’ve been with Colin Morgan in the lead role. Although Arthur’s initial reaction is bafflement and, briefly, rejection, their long-established friendship wins out. It’s a subtle turning point when Arthur starts to joke with Merlin again: “So you’re not an idiot – that was another lie!†He realises that Merlin hasn’t sought any credit for what he’s done over the years and fondly says, “I don’t want you to change, I want you to always be you.†It seems a full reconciliation has occurred, especially when he apologises for how he treated him and thanks him. I can’t be the only one with a lump in my throat as Arthur’s dying body drifts away from Merlin on the boat.
So despite the odd pacing, the characters get an emotional resolution of sorts – even the Great Dragon – and the scenes with Arthur and Merlin are heartbreaking. It’s hard to believe this is the same show that gave us farting goblins or Lady Catrina the Troll. It’s gone on a tremendous journey from light-hearted teatime romp to something darker and more poignant. We’ll miss it.
The weirdest bit was the last scene where Merlin apparently lives until the 21st century where he goes hiking around Glastonbury as an old man. That was a peculiar and unforeseen final few seconds!
Some notes on the final two episodes:
The isle of Avalon appears here to be Glastonbury Tor, long associated with Arthurian legend. The tower on the ancient hill is St Michael’s Church. Allegedly the tomb of Arthur and Guinevere was found here by monks in the 12th century – monks who were suspiciously in need of money and stood to gain a lot from pilgrims. Nonetheless, the graves of a man and a woman were moved to the nearby abbey and duly labelled as that of the king and queen. Modern archaeology has discovered evidence of sub-Roman structures on the site and Glastonbury Tor is a fascinating place; if you want to follow in the footsteps of beardy Merlin the place is managed by the National Trust so go for it.
In Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur (book 21, chapter five) it is Sir Bedivere who survives Camlann with Arthur and who takes him to the water’s edge. Arthur tells Bedivere to throw the sword into the lake but the knight pretends to do so a couple of times before finally slinging it in – and that’s when he sees “an arm and an hand above the water [which] met it, and caught it, and so shook it thrice and brandished, and then vanished away.†Here the honours are performed by Merlin. I don’t recall there ever being a Sir Bedivere in TV’s Merlin. At the end of this story, Guinevere becomes queen of Camelot but in Malory she goes to become a nun Almesbury (by the way, the modern name Jennifer is descended from Guinevere, via Cornish). According to Geoffrey Of Monmouth, the king who took over after Arthur’s death in battle was in fact Constantine III, son of the Duke of Cornwall.