Merlin 5.02 and 5.03 thoughts & impressions

[vanessarama]

5.02: just a few thoughts on this one. I love Mordred. I think the actor does a marvellous job of being simultaneously vulnerable and inscrutable. I loved the scene at the end between him and Merlin. Mordred is probably about the age Merlin was when he first came to Camelot, I've just realised.

Mordred's hero worship - or at least admiration - of Arthur seems genuine; he believes in Arthur and what he stands for. I'm sure I am not alone in thinking if Arthur is his own bane, and his end will come through Mordred as Merlin has seen, then it will stem from Arthur's own flawed nature and Mordred's admiration of him. Mordred has spent his life on the run, has seen family and friends killed before him; he's looking for something to believe in. It could have been Morgana, but her demonstrable spite and insanity has prevented that. Instead he falls for Arthur's steadfast loyalty and courage, in the way a deprived and immature half-grown boy will. And if he's really fallen for Arthur as a symbol, rather than a person, then I can see Arthur in the future doing something foolish or misguided which causes Mordred to totally lose faith in him, and to destroy him in desperation that his idol has the proverbial feet of clay.

Either way, I am looking forward to more Mordred. He's nice and complicated, and that's how I like 'em.

5.03: what a delight. But first, one nitpick; Uther knows what's been happening since his death; he knows all about Arthur's rule, his marriage to Gwen, his knighting of filthy commoners, etc... but he doesn't know Merlin has magic? How can he have seen the former and not the latter? I'm fanwanking this by assuming Uther's link to the World of the Living (TM) is Arthur, and so he somehow only knows what Arthur knows.

I have had issues in the past with Howard Overman's characterisation of Merlin (like the stupid falling-off-the-horse and then wanting a little nap while riding to rescue Gwen in 'Lancelot and Guinevere') but no problems with this one. Top comic marks to the poetry reading, the threatening with a spoon, and jumping when startled by Gaius.

What a delight to see Tony Head again, and Zombie Uther is even angrier than Alive Uther was. I honestly did not expect him to knock Arthur out. I thought the whole Uther-trying-to-kill-Gwen thing was treated rather strangely; she gets tucked into Merlin's bed rather than her own, presumably far more comfortable, one, and then she's practically forgotten for the rest of the episode. Also, Arthur trusts her "more than anyone" and yet he doesn't tell her where he's going with Merlin. Hmmm.

Superb acting from both Bradley and Colin, although Bradders really had the edge this episode (not surprising since he had more to work with). Poor Arthur; I wanted to hug him about eighteen times in the course of this episode. Bradley did a wonderful job of conveying emotion, often without even having dialogue to work with; witness the scene at Uther's tomb.

As for Colin, the weight of emotion behind Merlin confronting Uther was wonderful - the quiver in his voice when he bursts out with "I was born with it," followed by the triumph of telling Uther magic was at the heart of Camelot even while he was king. I especially liked the moment when he told Uther that Arthur was a better king, with the little note of regret/apology in the middle of the triumph and force. There were parallels with this scene and the one where Agravaine discovered Merlin's magic (Merlin's response was even the same) and I thought in both scenes Colin did a wonderful job of showing the complexity of Merlin's feelings as this most powerful, fundamental truth is revealed; the "Be careful," to Agravaine, and the way he takes his time meeting Uther's eyes in this episode. Marvellous.

There was also an echo of the Labyrinth of Gedref in this episode, with Arthur and Merlin facing each other over two drinking vessels on a table. Note how they paralleled each other's movements, even to the point of taking up the phials with opposite hands (Arthur's right, Merlin's left).

And most interesting; Arthur's increasing tolerance to the presence of magic, from the very beginning where he won't see the old woman burned without a trial (although as it turns out she actually does have magic, or at least A Magic Horn) to him openly accepting Gaius talking about his own magical past. It's ironic that Arthur's own forays into actually using magic have both been related to his father, the most vehement opponent of magic in the kingdom.

So far, greatly enjoying this season. Yayes!