solitary_summer (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
solitary_summer) wrote2009-12-15 01:10 am
solitary_summer) wrote2009-12-15 01:10 am
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Last weekend's Merlin kind of depressed me. In retrospect it's clear that the elusive mood and occasional moments of grace that the second half of S1 sometimes achieved couldn't be maintained for any length of time, and change was inevitable, but I miss the innocence. I miss the four of them being friends. Hearing the dragon bring up again the destined future Merlin and Arthur are supposed to share, and then seeing Merlin kill Morgana, the thought crossed my mind that the shine had certainly worn off a bit over this season. And if that's the price, I'm not sure how much I care any longer.
I somehow hoped they'd change canon enough to give Morgana a more positive storyline, at least Mists of Avalon-style. I don't want to believe she's entirely crossed over to the dark side either, because Morgana's whole arc, if you can call it that, in S2 has been about how she was driven into isolation once she found out about her magic, like Merlin, who was prepared to leave everything behind and run away with Freya, and he had at least Gaius to confide in. Alone and scared for her life, forced to live with the ersatz father figure she certainly had loved on some level, until the knowledge that he would have her executed if he knew what she was killed that love. Does a bad decision have to make her irrevocably evil? Even Arthur was prepared to turn against his father when he found out the truth about what Uther had done. And speaking of bad decisions, what about Merlin freeing the dragon? The preview suggests that was a bad decision of epic proportions; how can Arthur forgive that, if he ever finds out? And if not, how will Merlin live with this secret? Also, will Uther survive S2?
It is Morgause who in the end is willing to give up revenge to save Morgana's life, so I can't see her as a pure villain, either. After all, she mostly did show Arthur the truth in TSotF, even if she did it for her own purpose.
OTOH, having a legitimate grievance didn't save Nimueh last season...
~
And another recipe to make up for yesterday, but I forgot the cook-book at my parents and was too tired to go back.
3. Schokoladeschnitten
[Chocolate squares. These are fast and easy to make, no fancy Kipferl rolling, but very yummy. They also should look a bit prettier, but we were all tired and a little rushed this year, and didn't sprinkle the batter with enough ground walnuts and forgot the sugar entirely.]
For one baking tray of ca. 42 x 35 cm you need:
# 250 g butter (room temperature)
# 5 eggs
# 250 g powdered sugar
# 250 g chocolate (dark, ca. 40% cocoa)
# 200 g flour
# ground walnuts, hazelnuts or almonds and granulated sugar
# Melt chocolate in a saucepan over a pot of boiling water (or a double burner, if you have one, which I don't).
# Beat butter with hand mixer until it's creamy/fluffy.
# Add sugar, beat some more.
# Add chocolate.
# Add eggs one by one.
# Add flour with an egg whisk.
# Pour the batter on a baking tray, smooth the surface.
# Sprinkle liberally with ground nuts/almonds and a bit of granulated sugar.
# Bake at 190 degrees for half an hour. This should be enough, but test with a cake needle to be sure.
# Wait a bit, then cut into squares and let them cool.
# Enjoy!
I somehow hoped they'd change canon enough to give Morgana a more positive storyline, at least Mists of Avalon-style. I don't want to believe she's entirely crossed over to the dark side either, because Morgana's whole arc, if you can call it that, in S2 has been about how she was driven into isolation once she found out about her magic, like Merlin, who was prepared to leave everything behind and run away with Freya, and he had at least Gaius to confide in. Alone and scared for her life, forced to live with the ersatz father figure she certainly had loved on some level, until the knowledge that he would have her executed if he knew what she was killed that love. Does a bad decision have to make her irrevocably evil? Even Arthur was prepared to turn against his father when he found out the truth about what Uther had done. And speaking of bad decisions, what about Merlin freeing the dragon? The preview suggests that was a bad decision of epic proportions; how can Arthur forgive that, if he ever finds out? And if not, how will Merlin live with this secret? Also, will Uther survive S2?
It is Morgause who in the end is willing to give up revenge to save Morgana's life, so I can't see her as a pure villain, either. After all, she mostly did show Arthur the truth in TSotF, even if she did it for her own purpose.
OTOH, having a legitimate grievance didn't save Nimueh last season...
And another recipe to make up for yesterday, but I forgot the cook-book at my parents and was too tired to go back.
[Chocolate squares. These are fast and easy to make, no fancy Kipferl rolling, but very yummy. They also should look a bit prettier, but we were all tired and a little rushed this year, and didn't sprinkle the batter with enough ground walnuts and forgot the sugar entirely.]
For one baking tray of ca. 42 x 35 cm you need:
# 250 g butter (room temperature)
# 5 eggs
# 250 g powdered sugar
# 250 g chocolate (dark, ca. 40% cocoa)
# 200 g flour
# ground walnuts, hazelnuts or almonds and granulated sugar
# Melt chocolate in a saucepan over a pot of boiling water (or a double burner, if you have one, which I don't).
# Beat butter with hand mixer until it's creamy/fluffy.
# Add sugar, beat some more.
# Add chocolate.
# Add eggs one by one.
# Add flour with an egg whisk.
# Pour the batter on a baking tray, smooth the surface.
# Sprinkle liberally with ground nuts/almonds and a bit of granulated sugar.
# Bake at 190 degrees for half an hour. This should be enough, but test with a cake needle to be sure.
# Wait a bit, then cut into squares and let them cool.
# Enjoy!