vanessarama

I'm so in love with my show right now. I don't care if other people don't like it, I'm in my show-adoring bubble.

In no particular order:

I am SO glad Merlin is now "a young man" and not "a young boy". Yay! Double yay!

The Isle of the Blessed has got the builders in since Merlin was last there, not to mention a public transport system :)

Lancelot's little "you can do magic" eyebrow waggle is cute. Although come on, Merlin, don't do it in front of everybody. Silly boy.

Loved Merlin writing Arthur's speech, and that Arthur obviously relies on him to do so. Actually I think that whole little speech at the end where Arthur jokes he'll make Merlin his court jester, coupled with the crack about "Not many servants get to write the Prince's speech" shows that Arthur is thinking about Merlin's place in his life and what role he might end up with when Arthur is king. I like that.

I so loved Arthur's questioning of the frightened girl from the village. He was so strong and gentle and reassuring and human, from saying "I'm Arthur" (rather than "I'm the Prince" or something like that) all the way to thanking her at the end. He treats her with dignity - I can't see his father doing that. Bradley does a wonderful job of making Arthur into someone who you can absolutely see why he inspires not just honour and respect in his people, but love.

Merlin's little desperate "I'm scared" to Gaius - oh, man, squeeze my heart, Colin Morgan. You know it's a funny thing - Merlin is so rarely frightened for *himself*. At least, not frightened for his life. He's always trying to get other people out of danger, and he's often in danger with them, but you get the impression that he knows he has that magic to rely on and if he couldn't save others he could always survive himself, at least - but now when he doesn't have it, he really sees that not only might others be at stake, but *he* is. Mortality knocking at the door for him.

Gaius seemed to say "I'm not sure" an awful lot in this episode. I wonder if he knows what Emrys means? Has Merlin told him that Mordred and the Druids call him that?

Loved the Knights and all the Knightly kinship - Arthur so clearly gathering his own men around him. They slipped really easily into a believable one-year-later relationship.

I love broken Uther. Think what that role could have been in the hands of a lesser actor and give thanks for Tony Head, who from the very beginning put so much into it. That little scene between him and Arthur - my heart hurt, for Uther being broken but mainly for Arthur, who is clearly trying so hard - and succeeding, but I don't imagine that makes it any easier to bear. The "I hope that this time you'll be proud of me" just KILLED me. Oh, Pendragons.

In short I LOVED THIS EPISODE A LOT. My heart is full and happy. It bodes well for the rest of the season. YAY YAY YAY YAY YAY!!!