(no subject)

[vanessarama]

Well, I suppose we can't get wonderful angsty stuff with Merlin-and-Arthur-bonding-without-words every week. However, this episode made up for it with Merlin being a proud dragondaddy dragon midwife and weeping happy tears, and both the boys looking even more beautiful than usual, if such a thing were even possible. Arthur walking through the waterfall was one of the most gorgeous things I have ever seen on television.

Julius Borden was an interesting character, quite apart from his being played by James Callis who is always interesting. It was nice to see a villain who wasn't the slightest bit magical - although I suppose last week's Circus Villains weren't magic either. I do wonder how he thought he was going to birth the dragon from the egg, but maybe he hadn't thought that far ahead.

It'll be interesting if most of the threats to Arthur's newly established reign this season are non-magical apart from Morgana. It would make Merlin's continued use of magic less likely to be forgiven by Arthur. I can see Arthur (eventually) authorising magic to be used against magic, to save his people and if there was no other way, but I can't see him believing there is no other way than magic to defeat a non-magical foe. Also, it would bring to the fore that Arthur needs and relies on Merlin for many, many things - without the magic - and will continue to do so, not for what Merlin can *do* but for who he *is*.

Colin and Bradley gave excellent comedy as well as excellent pretty. Nice thighs, Bradders.

Loved the unspoken communication between Merlin and Gaius at the end there. That is notwithstanding the fact that Gaius and Merlin are at loggerheads to some degree in nearly every episode now. I wonder whether that's leading up to something too.

Merlin's tears of joy = so so beautiful.

Comments

[hope]

I am really enjoying that Gaius and Merlin are at loggerheads nearly every episode (it makes the show a bit less faily for me!). With that in mind, I thought the Borden-Gaius-Merlin dynamic was particularly interesting - it really brought to the fore Gaius' subjectivity. Like, Gaius warning Merlin to be wary what Borden says because Borden is manipulative - when that's exactly what Gaius does pretty much every episode (eg never giving everyone all the information they need to be informed because it doesn't fit his worldview!). And Gaius' description of Borden as "a dishonest young man" that he'd mentored - that description pretty much fits Merlin as well, especially with his going against Gaius' wishes more and more.

INNERESTING.

Also, Bradders' thighs. Yep.

[vanessarama]

Yes, I was surprised that they didn't play up the parallels between Merlin and Borden a bit more, like they did with Gilli last season. It would have been logical to do so.

Gaius gets dodgier the more time goes on. In some ways he is the exact opposite to Merlin; Merlin thinks with his heart, is impulsive, does what he thinks will be best at the time, tends to think of others first. Gaius keeps his head down, acts to save self first and others later (apart from the one time in s1 he went out to sacrifice himself for Merlin), will not rock the boat under any circumstances and thinks with his head. It wouldn't surprise me if we are heading for some major confrontation between Merlin and Gaius. Or even Gaius' death. From a story/myth standpoint, it seems to make sense; Arthur has lost his main adult mentor, and only now will he be able to grow into the person he can be. Merlin needs the same before he can fully grow into himself.