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Oct. 11th, 2009 12:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
solitary_summerOh, Arthur. *tinysob* And I've been starting to think I'd never like you again. Oh, Gwen.
I thought I'd fallen out of love with the show, but this week's episode was really quite lovely. Loved (as always) Gwen (who is growing into her role as future queen very nicely) and Morgana and their friendship. Angel Coulby was brilliant throughout and Bradley James had some very good moments, too. Katie McGrath was exceptionally pretty. Loved the brief moments between Arthur and Morgana and their brother/sister relationship. Really liked Lancelot, which was a bit of a surprise considering that he didn't leave much of an impression last time, and Gwen/Lancelot already convinced me much more than Gwen/Arthur has so far. And I thought the set-up for the future tragic triangle was exceptionally well done; that's what I missed so far in S2, how the show can be light-hearted and funny and occasionally silly, but also at the same time completely, unselfconsciously serious about Arthurian legend and their recreation of it. There's so much that could have gone wrong there, but I think they absolutely succeeded showing three profoundly honourable people whose feelings will nevertheless bring about tragedy and the fall of Camelot despite their best intentions. The only (slight) problem I have is Lancelot being so concerned with being selfless and honourable that he doesn't even stop to consider Gwen's wishes.
Oh, and the giant naked mole rats were appropriately creepy, too.
Actually loved everything about the episode except for the relationship between Arthur and Merlin. It's improved somewhat on first two episodes, but something there still rubs me the wrong way, as if the whole warmth from last season has gone out of it, now that Gwen is Arthur's main, if not sole, emotional focus. And the way Arthur keeps risking Merlin's life for Gwen without ever even asking is... something Gwen would (verbally) slap him for, if she knew. Although with Arthur saying how painful it was to talk about his feelings for Gwen considering nothing would ever come of it, it occurred to me that if Arthur really does know (or suspect) about Merlin's magic, then in his eyes talking about this would not just be even more impossible, but downright dangerous, especially because Merlin would probably get even more careless than than he already is if he knew Arthur didn't disapprove, and harder to protect. In 2.03 Arthur is trying to protect Merlin from Uther's anger, telling him not to try to get involved with Morgana. Is he protecting him in this, too? I've been going back and forth on this during S1, and I'm still wondering whether the Big Magic Reveal will be along the lines of shockhorrorbetrayalhowcouldyouhaveliedtome?, or 'Just how stupid and blind did you think I was?'
'If you dare tell anyone about this I promise I'll make your life a living hell.' — 'You mean more than you already do?' Merlin's reply is much too serious here, and admittedly Arthur is mostly concerned about Gwen at this point, but he should start paying attention. Something is being built up there; about magic, about the way Arthur is treating Merlin, about Merlin getting genuinely impatient and unhappy with this.
'I see you're still up to your old tricks, Merlin.' Couldn't remember and I think I deleted that episode - so Lancelot knew about Merlin's magic?
'Couldn't disagree with father in public.' — I think that also might be the key to Arthur's lack of opposition in 2.03. He's certainly concerned about finding Morgana, but he does try to stall a bit ('That's going to take time,' when Uther tells him to arrest everyone under suspicion of magic) and never looks enthusiastic about hunting down the druids, but short of outright rebellion there's very little he could have done when it comes to this particular issue where he knows from long experience that Uther isn't prepared to budge even a fraction of an inch.
And while it wasn't a perfect episode, it showed how Uther's obsessive hatred of magic and the enforced secrecy isolates and threatens and almost destroy them all, as well as the relationships between them, making it impossible for them to trust and be honest with each other. Merlin and his inability to confide in Morgana which triggers the whole disastrous sequence of events; Gaius, who after a lifetime of hiding and trying to protect people is almost irreversibly damaged and wants to protect Morgana from herself and both her and Merlin from Uther at any cost; Uther, who genuinely loves Morgana, but I think would rather have her killed if he ever found out than reconsider. And whether or not Arthur knows or at least suspects about Merlin, it's slowly eroding even their friendship, because Merlin is getting increasingly impatient with having to constantly lie and hide an important part of himself. The banter over the flowers shows how strained their relationship has become and in what different places they really are — Arthur is actually being quite nice there, but at this moment this is more or less meaningless to Merlin, because he's desperately trying to memorise the names to save people - people like him - from arrest and very likely execution.
And every time I think I'm bored & done with Dollhouse they come up with an episode that at least fascinates me enough to keep watching. 2.03 wasn't perfect, but intriguing enough, although to be perfectly honest, like with Annie's story in Being Human at this point I could do without all the rampart (and murderous) misogyny even if it's used to make a point about existing misogyny. Even with all the best intentions I found this episode a bit painful to watch, what with the psychopath serial killer nephew, Echo-Caroline offering to sacrifice herself to really and truly kill him, and Echo's assignment of the episode. Not that it hasn't always been obvious that prostitution was the biggest part of what the Dollhouse did, but somehow I found Echo's assignment with the professor particularly creepy, never mind that we're probably supposed to see how pathetic it is that his ideal woman is not just a young student in a miniskirt, but a not very bright student he can enjoy feeling intellectually superior to. And it's not as if she's really in control sexually either, because she's been imprinted according to his wishes. *sigh*
Also, I couldn't help thinking that if this had been a Torchwood episode, Victor-as-Kiki would have ended with a snog instead of a blow, and Ballard having to pry him away from some guy. I'm still trying to figure out whether finding the whole scene a bit uncomfortable is due to me having issues (not that Kiki wasn't cringe-worthy enough, but why would it somehow be more embarrassing to watch her behaviour in a male body?), or if it really was a bit problematic. Once again, there's probably a point in there about gender stereotypes and violent homophobia, but the first time they cross the gender lines like that it's (mostly, if perhaps not entirely) played for laughs and ends with violence, even if it's the bad guy on the floor in the end? Or am I overreacting?
Still not sold on Ballard/Echo-Caroline. Still adore Adelle ('Yet somewhat incomplete, yes? I encourage candour.'), who wouldn't let Victor's body be used for murder by the creepy nephew's serial-killer mind, and I'd really love to see their relationship developed a bit further, even if it's probably never going to happen since Victor/Sierra seemed pretty much set up in S1. I wonder what's the history there. Who exactly is it she has feelings for - the real person, before he became an active? Or is it all just her fantasy?
I thought I'd fallen out of love with the show, but this week's episode was really quite lovely. Loved (as always) Gwen (who is growing into her role as future queen very nicely) and Morgana and their friendship. Angel Coulby was brilliant throughout and Bradley James had some very good moments, too. Katie McGrath was exceptionally pretty. Loved the brief moments between Arthur and Morgana and their brother/sister relationship. Really liked Lancelot, which was a bit of a surprise considering that he didn't leave much of an impression last time, and Gwen/Lancelot already convinced me much more than Gwen/Arthur has so far. And I thought the set-up for the future tragic triangle was exceptionally well done; that's what I missed so far in S2, how the show can be light-hearted and funny and occasionally silly, but also at the same time completely, unselfconsciously serious about Arthurian legend and their recreation of it. There's so much that could have gone wrong there, but I think they absolutely succeeded showing three profoundly honourable people whose feelings will nevertheless bring about tragedy and the fall of Camelot despite their best intentions. The only (slight) problem I have is Lancelot being so concerned with being selfless and honourable that he doesn't even stop to consider Gwen's wishes.
Oh, and the giant naked mole rats were appropriately creepy, too.
Actually loved everything about the episode except for the relationship between Arthur and Merlin. It's improved somewhat on first two episodes, but something there still rubs me the wrong way, as if the whole warmth from last season has gone out of it, now that Gwen is Arthur's main, if not sole, emotional focus. And the way Arthur keeps risking Merlin's life for Gwen without ever even asking is... something Gwen would (verbally) slap him for, if she knew. Although with Arthur saying how painful it was to talk about his feelings for Gwen considering nothing would ever come of it, it occurred to me that if Arthur really does know (or suspect) about Merlin's magic, then in his eyes talking about this would not just be even more impossible, but downright dangerous, especially because Merlin would probably get even more careless than than he already is if he knew Arthur didn't disapprove, and harder to protect. In 2.03 Arthur is trying to protect Merlin from Uther's anger, telling him not to try to get involved with Morgana. Is he protecting him in this, too? I've been going back and forth on this during S1, and I'm still wondering whether the Big Magic Reveal will be along the lines of shockhorrorbetrayalhowcouldyouhaveliedtome?, or 'Just how stupid and blind did you think I was?'
'If you dare tell anyone about this I promise I'll make your life a living hell.' — 'You mean more than you already do?' Merlin's reply is much too serious here, and admittedly Arthur is mostly concerned about Gwen at this point, but he should start paying attention. Something is being built up there; about magic, about the way Arthur is treating Merlin, about Merlin getting genuinely impatient and unhappy with this.
'I see you're still up to your old tricks, Merlin.' Couldn't remember and I think I deleted that episode - so Lancelot knew about Merlin's magic?
'Couldn't disagree with father in public.' — I think that also might be the key to Arthur's lack of opposition in 2.03. He's certainly concerned about finding Morgana, but he does try to stall a bit ('That's going to take time,' when Uther tells him to arrest everyone under suspicion of magic) and never looks enthusiastic about hunting down the druids, but short of outright rebellion there's very little he could have done when it comes to this particular issue where he knows from long experience that Uther isn't prepared to budge even a fraction of an inch.
And while it wasn't a perfect episode, it showed how Uther's obsessive hatred of magic and the enforced secrecy isolates and threatens and almost destroy them all, as well as the relationships between them, making it impossible for them to trust and be honest with each other. Merlin and his inability to confide in Morgana which triggers the whole disastrous sequence of events; Gaius, who after a lifetime of hiding and trying to protect people is almost irreversibly damaged and wants to protect Morgana from herself and both her and Merlin from Uther at any cost; Uther, who genuinely loves Morgana, but I think would rather have her killed if he ever found out than reconsider. And whether or not Arthur knows or at least suspects about Merlin, it's slowly eroding even their friendship, because Merlin is getting increasingly impatient with having to constantly lie and hide an important part of himself. The banter over the flowers shows how strained their relationship has become and in what different places they really are — Arthur is actually being quite nice there, but at this moment this is more or less meaningless to Merlin, because he's desperately trying to memorise the names to save people - people like him - from arrest and very likely execution.
And every time I think I'm bored & done with Dollhouse they come up with an episode that at least fascinates me enough to keep watching. 2.03 wasn't perfect, but intriguing enough, although to be perfectly honest, like with Annie's story in Being Human at this point I could do without all the rampart (and murderous) misogyny even if it's used to make a point about existing misogyny. Even with all the best intentions I found this episode a bit painful to watch, what with the psychopath serial killer nephew, Echo-Caroline offering to sacrifice herself to really and truly kill him, and Echo's assignment of the episode. Not that it hasn't always been obvious that prostitution was the biggest part of what the Dollhouse did, but somehow I found Echo's assignment with the professor particularly creepy, never mind that we're probably supposed to see how pathetic it is that his ideal woman is not just a young student in a miniskirt, but a not very bright student he can enjoy feeling intellectually superior to. And it's not as if she's really in control sexually either, because she's been imprinted according to his wishes. *sigh*
Also, I couldn't help thinking that if this had been a Torchwood episode, Victor-as-Kiki would have ended with a snog instead of a blow, and Ballard having to pry him away from some guy. I'm still trying to figure out whether finding the whole scene a bit uncomfortable is due to me having issues (not that Kiki wasn't cringe-worthy enough, but why would it somehow be more embarrassing to watch her behaviour in a male body?), or if it really was a bit problematic. Once again, there's probably a point in there about gender stereotypes and violent homophobia, but the first time they cross the gender lines like that it's (mostly, if perhaps not entirely) played for laughs and ends with violence, even if it's the bad guy on the floor in the end? Or am I overreacting?
Still not sold on Ballard/Echo-Caroline. Still adore Adelle ('Yet somewhat incomplete, yes? I encourage candour.'), who wouldn't let Victor's body be used for murder by the creepy nephew's serial-killer mind, and I'd really love to see their relationship developed a bit further, even if it's probably never going to happen since Victor/Sierra seemed pretty much set up in S1. I wonder what's the history there. Who exactly is it she has feelings for - the real person, before he became an active? Or is it all just her fantasy?
