she's got red lipstick and a bright pair of shoes (
sophieisgod) wrote2008-12-14 01:43 am
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"Just... don't be a prat."
OH GOD, I CRIED A LOT. And I can't even begin to sort it out in my head properly, so the sections are going to be slightly fucked and random.
I loved it, by the way. I know it had problems with pacing and trying to squish too much in and, y'know, lots of other things, but I can't help it.
+ Merlin & Arthur, or, OUCH MY HEART
Ohhh, boys. I love so much about what you choose to be! Just, I love that we once again open with crap-at-hunting!Merlin and banter, only this time we have genuinely-reassuring!Arthur ("It's probably more scared of you than you are of it"). Although, he may be genuinely reassuring, but he is not above flicking Merlin up and down with his eyes, AND THAT IS THE WAY I LIKE IT. Also, he comes back for fallen!Merlin! AND THAT CONCLUDES THE CAREFREE FUNTIMES PORTION OF TONIGHT'S EPISODE.
"He can't die! It's my destiny to protect him! We haven't done all the things we're meant to do!"
"That is the lament of all men."
"Gaius. He's my friend."
UM I CANNOT EVEN. Merlin. Merlin and his breathlessness and his face of complete anguish at all the stuff they haven't done yet. And then he is just so desperate when he goes to see the Slash Dragon, grasping onto whatever he can get and guh, "Whatever the price is, I will pay it gladly." GOD, it makes me hurt SO MUCH whenever Merlin gets all "Arthur's life is worth like a bajillion of mine!" because no, you lovely boy, the point is that you're awesome TOGETHER, and please stop trying to sacrifice yourself because it makes me cryyy.
UM, AND THEN THERE WAS A LOVINGLY AMAZING MONEY SHOT OF ARTHUR'S
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UM, AND THEN THERE WAS MERLIN CRADLING ARTHUR'S HEAD IN HIS LAP (O HAI THAR BRADLEY'S THROAT).
"The prince lives."
Ach, the way Merlin's face lights up with joy and relief at this news, and he does his adorable head clutch of happiness. And then, he just sort of settles into this serenity and acceptance, like, whatever happens to him next, it doesn't matter, because he's done his job, he's saved Arthur. GOD, SHOW. Like, it doesn't matter what type of love you want to label it as (and personally, in spite of all the delightfully smutty fanfic I've read in this fandom, in the context of the show I reckon Merlin's pretty much as pure as a unicorn at this point), I don't see how anyone could argue that this isn't love.
"I think there's someone watching over me, keeping me from harm."
FLAIL FLAIL FLAIL FLAIL
"I need to say goodbye to Arthur."
THIS SCENE. I cry more every time I watch it, it is ridiculous (ILU iPlayer!). God, this scene just has everything about Merlin and Arthur and Arthur/Merlin that makes me ache a little bit. It's banter and it's Arthur stuffing grapes in his mouth and slouching in a chair all entitled like, but it's also Merlin never being able to say the things he wants to say, and never being able to tell Arthur the truth, and Colin just looks like he's on the verge of tears the entire scene, it kills me. I love these two together so much, but if I stop and think about it for too long it hurts, because there is such a massive imbalance at the heart of their dynamic, and it isn't even the prince/servant thing (that one's mainly just kinky), it's the fact that Merlin knows Arthur, he knows their destiny and he clings to Arthur in all these different ways because of the things he knows, and Arthur is still largely in the dark about what exactly Merlin is to him, and is largely just bemused by his weirdly intense manservant and his prediliction for close talking (RE: WHICH - Merlin holding himself so far away from Arthur in this scene? YET ANOTHER THING THAT KILLS ME). IT MAKES ME SO SO SAD, AND THIS IS WHY I KIND OF NEED ARTHUR TO KNOW ABOUT THE MAGIC ASAP SO WE CAN JUST CUT TO THE SNUGGLING, PLEASE.
+ Merlin & Gaius, or, OUCH MY HEART
Ahhh, they have the best pseudo-father-son relationship everrrr. AND I CRIED AT THE LETTER. Rather a lot. And I had so much stuff I was going to put in this bit, but it's really rather late now, and it was all mostly along the lines of "ohhh, I love them to pieces," so whatever. I JUST LOVE ALL THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS OF HOW MUCH THEY'VE HELPED EACH OTHER. And Gaius! Gaius going to Nimueh was perfect, especially because I'm still kind of fascinated by the murky parts of what exactly his role in the purges was, and how much guilt he has and what he wants to atone for and shit like that. BUT, YEAH, I BASICALLY LOVE THEM A LOT.
+ Uther
The first point at which I actually started hardcore crying? UTHER CARRYING ARTHUR'S BODY, and the broken look on Anthony Head's awesome face, and how he couldn't go on, and there was only the score and it was heartbreaking.
+ Arthur & Gwen - For The Love Of Camelot
Awww, I am loving these two interacting, and I swear it isn't *just* because of the way he says her name. I actually really liked their two scenes; I didn't think they were overtly shippy in a romantic sense (and, for the sake of fairness, no Arthur/Morgana this ep? Where was she while he was, y'know, dying?), which was nice, because I really don't want the show to rush into that any time soon. Gwen's whole "That's what keeps me going" speech made a lot of sense to me, because it didn't seem to be about Arthur As A Person And Gwen's Romantic Feelings For Him, it felt much more like it was about Future King Arthur And How Important It Is That He Exists (hence the hand-kissing), if that makes any sense at all. Out of all the leads, Gwen is the one who has been most hurt by Uther's rule (meep, the look she shot him!). She's the one who was nearly executed, she's the one whose father was killed. This back end of the season, we've seen much more of a politically aware side to her (slotting nicely into my very hazy vision of Social Crusader!Queen Guinevere), so it makes sense that it's her, out of everyone, who sees the importance of Arthur's rule in terms of the effect it will have on the people. And with the second scene, I don't know, Arthur just seems sort of adorably coma-drunk, as opposed to flirty.
Also, I really am kind of obsessed with the way he says her name.
+ Morgana
WOEFULLY UNDERUSED, SAY WHAT. Obviously, yay for prophecy, and for Morgana/Gwen face!touching, but where the devil was she? I didn't really understand what was going on between her and Merlin - why was he so hostile? Is he still pissed off about her regicidal tendencies? Hmmm. I also think this was the most, like, hysterical we've seen here, which makes me wonder if she is for serious going to lose her shit next season and go AWESOMELY POWERFUL AND OFF THE RAILS. This would be epic, but there's still a part of me that wants that not to happen just yet, and for them all to stay a group having adventures in Camelot like a tag team of awesome. Just for a little bit longer.
HOMG THE ENDING! She can hear the dragon! MORGANA KNOWING ABOUT MERLIN'S MAGIC COULD BE ALL KINDS OF EPIC.
+ DESTINY: Not Just Epic And Gay, Apparently
OHH, SLASH DRAGON, YOU VILE BETRAYER. I actually kind of love this; it's always been slightly weird reconciling Merlin's complete and utter disregard for authority with his willingness to do whatever the dragon tells him to as long as he flings the word 'destiny' in there, so I'm really excited to see what MERLIN: UNLEASHED AND OFF THE CHAIN will do. It's kind of scary how much power he's going to have now, if what Gaius says is true; I'd really like to see him struggle with that in S2, especially if Morgana starts getting shifty. Also, Nimueh! It was so strange, her stuff seemed to tie in really well to the things that had been said before about magic itself being a force for neither good nor evil - it's what you do with it. How weird was it seeing her present herself as Arthur's salvation? VERY WEIRD, AND KIND OF WONDERFUL.
+ Merlin is my favourite ever, basically
FUCKING HELL, COLIN MORGAN IS GOOD. I can't even really talk about his performance because it would just be me gurgling and waving my hands around ineffectually, which doesn't really translate so well to type, but GOD. That whole section, up until he comes back from the Isle of the Blessed the first time, he doesn't quite look mortal - there's this crazy combination of that bone structure and darkened eyes and intensity and resolution and it's perfect, he seems more than human. I think that's kind of what I meant by the whole 'Merlin is as pure as unicorns and also snow!' thing up there - aren't there some versions of the story where Merlin is some sort of hardcore celibate virgin so as not to sully his powers, or something? Anyway, I don't know, he just kind of reminded me of an angel (WHAT THE SHIT AM I TYPING? IT IS LATE, I SHOULD BE ASLEEP NOW. FUCKIN' CONCERT BAND). THE FACES ON THIS SHOW MAKE ME CRAZY, I THINK. Oh! And that whole part where he was just sitting there waiting to die! COLINNNN ♥
I also think Colin Morgan should get wet more often. Camelot needs a pool in S2, maybe? Also, HARDCORE!MERLIN IS INCREDIBLE. It's kind of mindblowing that Colin did all that DRAGON BETRAYAL stuff to a greenscreen, it was so intense.
+ Everybody Lives
Maybe it's because I went into the episode having convinced myself that Gaius was doomed, but I found myself just, like, laughing with sheer relief when he woke up. WHAT IS THIS, I AM USUALLY ALL ABOUT THE ANGST, AND THIS SHOW HAS NO PROBLEMS WITH KILLING PEOPLE. Fuck it, I don't care, Nine is my favourite Doctor anyway - BIG EARS OF "EVERYBODY LIVES!"-RELATED JOY ARE BEAUTIFUL THINGS.
What did you think?
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I will be back when I have the time to say more, but for now, just fkdja;ljfdjfalsdjf asdfl I AM SO GLAD I AM NOT ALONE IN LOVING THIS EPISODE. (we even used the same icon for our reviews, great minds think a like and all that, y/y?)
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:P
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*replays "So Macho" vid to infinity*
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there's still a part of me that wants that not to happen just yet, and for them all to stay a group having adventures in Camelot like a tag team of awesome. Just for a little bit longer
IT MAKES ME SO SAD TO THINK OF WHERE THEY WILL ALL BE IN A FEW YEARS. AND THIS ICON I'M USING, LIKE, MAKES ME CRY BECAUSE I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO KEYWORD IT WITH 'WE USED TO BE FRIENDS' AS SOME KIND OF EPIC FORESHADOWING. WTF SELF. I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING ANYMORE.
Anyway, I don't know, he just kind of reminded me of an angel
Colin Morgan has NEVER been more attractive, oh my God. HIS SKIN WAS SO PALE, AND HIS HAIR WAS SO DARK, AND OH HAI UNDEREYE CIRCLES, AND JDAKLAJFKAJDFKL CHEEKBONES OF DOOM. And then they added water to the equation.
Um, I enjoyed the acting too.
[/shallow]I also think Colin Morgan should get wet more often. Camelot needs a pool in S2, maybe?
YEAH, WHERE IS MY SWIMMING COMPETITION, WRITERS? Everyone was down with that in Beowulf and Macbeth!
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Ohh, icon!angst! GOD, THAT HURTS. I really, really don't want them all to fall apart too soon, because I love the dynamics on this show so much - I think this is part of the reason I'm relieved that Gaius didn't die after all. I'd kind of reconciled myself to Merlin being like Harry in Deathly Hallows or something - HIS DUMBLEDORE IS DEAD AND NOW HE MUST DO EVERYTHING ALONE - but I think UltraPowerful!Merlin will be more interesting if he's still got Gaius there as a check, maybe?
COLINNNNN, GUH. I think he looked a lot older this ep; it was weird, but I approve the angsting wholeheartedly. HIS HAIR WAS SO BLACK, IT WAS AMAAAAZING.
YESSSS. It can be like Jaws - lalala, nothing exciting/dangerous is happening in Camelot, let's have a gratuitous swimming contest, WITH LOTS OF UNDERWATER SHOTS OF MERLIN AND ARTHUR FROM THE POV OF THE LURKING CREATURE OF DOOM.
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Although I didn't cry, because I very rarely do at TV/film things.
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*POINTS* YES. THAT. ARTHUR NEEDS TO KNOW. NOOOOOOW.
Also, I totally agree with you about Morgana. I loved the Gwen/Morgana scene, and I loved her being all crazycakes and telling Arthur not to go. THEN WHAT HAPPENED? I was also very confused by the scene with her and Merlin. WTH.
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I clutched the chair during the goodbye scene. The look on both their faces was heart-wrenching. I think Arthur knew that something weird was going on but he seemed too weak to think properly and so just looked lost and bewildered and I wanted to hug him and Merlin and...*flails some more*
And I pretty much agree on everything you wrote.
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MORE HUGGING IS REQUIRED, FOR SURE.
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UM, AND THEN THERE WAS MERLIN CRADLING ARTHUR'S HEAD IN HIS LAP (O HAI THAR BRADLEY'S THROAT).
sdapfmer,l;laui *points to icon* I had partaken of drinks by that point, so was basically making flaily gestures going 'He's cradling Arthur. MERLIN. IS. CRADLING. ARTHUR.'
Like, it doesn't matter what type of love you want to label it as...I don't see how anyone could argue that this isn't love.
OMG I know! That's exactly what I said after Poisoned Chalice. They love each other. They're boys. They love each other. They prove it on a weekly basis. And kids are watching this every week and growing up thinking that's Normal and Cool. *loves*
AND THIS IS WHY I KIND OF NEED ARTHUR TO KNOW ABOUT THE MAGIC ASAP SO WE CAN JUST CUT TO THE SNUGGLING,PLEASE.
Yes. As soon as, plz Beeb. First ep of new series: Reveal, Angst, Forgiveness, SNUGGLING.
I also think Colin Morgan should get wet more often.
See, this is why you have to reply to this comment so I can reply to your reply with my SoakingWetColinCheekbonesOfSex icon I gakked from reverseofedge XD
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Hee, we were all caught up in ~the drama~, but there was lots of double-taking and squeaking "Is he cradling Arthur? Has he got him in his lap?! Where are his hands?!" OHH, SHOW.
Yessss. Julie Gardner should get medals, I think.
Reveal, Angst, Forgiveness, SNUGGLING.
I think this needs to be some sort of postcard campaign. You know, just so they're aware of fandom opinion.
*makes grabby hands at wet!Colin icon*
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You know, just so they're aware of fandom opinion
Hee! Those would have to be some pretty detailed postcards if we tried to get everyone's wishlist in:
'1. Snuggling.
2. Angst.
3. But not too much Angst.
4. Better CGI
5. ASH being awesome.
6. Merlin in a dress.
7. MOAR MORGANA.
8. Whole Round Table not to be red-shirted before Arthur ascends the throne.
9. Excalibur.
10. Gaius being snarky.
11. Plz to be giving Colin these paperclips kthx.'
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Maybe we need something ~bigger than postcards~? For example, A MARCH ON BBC WALES. With placards. Or something.
6. AHAHAHAHA I bet if we just left them to it long enough, they'd probably come up with this one on their own. I mean, they were always dressing up in S2 RH. THERE MUST A BBC COSTUME BOX LYING AROUND SOMEWHERE. Heeee. Merlin-inna-dress.
8. WORD.
11. It would make me so happy if he got swamped with paperclips at the next MCM Expo or whatever. He would either be bemusedly WTF? or LEGITIMATELY TERRIFIED. And someone should dress up as a giant Microsoft Office paperclip. WHAT HAS THIS SHOW DONE TO MY BRAIN?
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6. Well, they're going to need to up the humiliation stakes when The Pudsey returns to terrorise Camelot next year, aren't they? *realises she just besmirched CiN with crack!kink. is appalled at self*
11. This show must have the shortest First-Broadcast-To-Moment-None-Of-The-Stars-Can-Access-The-Internet-And-Retain-Their-Sanity* ratio EVER. I have a theory that it's because the combination of:
a)pretty
b)slash
c)show actually being rather good
d)lots of other shows on break
e)fen being generally well-disposed towards sword'n'sorcery
f)magic being canon means you can get away with all sorts of crack and claim it's vaguely plausible within the context of the show
...has multiplied into this sort of ULTIMATE FANDOM CLUSTERFUCK.
*apart from Bradley, obviously, because the phrase 'Bradley's sanity' makes NO FUCKING SENSE.
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BUT. Briefly.
Like, it doesn't matter what type of love you want to label it as, I don't see how anyone could argue that this isn't love.
You know what? Quite besides the gay subtext(s) of the show, if this influenced boys to grow up thinking it was okay to platonically care deeply about another bloke that would actually be great too. I think close same-sex friendships are something girls are able to have more than boys? Which is just so lame and silly...
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Yes to all of this, most of all to Arthur & Gwen - For The Love Of Camelot.
It seemed neither sudden nor OTP to me and I've had trouble understanding all the wailing about it.
I think Gwen looking to Arthur as a good Future King fits very well and makes a nice contrast to Merlin who seems to me to be more about Arthur as a man.
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Yeah, it seems there's been a bit of a fuss on both sides - it seems to me like most of the slashers were complaining for pacing reasons, and then the het folks were getting all giddy and "CANON FTW!" I think it's a good thing that the scenes were in the finale, because it sets up the slightly altered dynamic between them for S2, but I didn't think that the characters are viewing each other romantically yet, at all. I mean, we saw Gwen and Lancelot together and it didn't look like this; what Gwen feels for Arthur is definitely bigger than the personal, I think.
Oh, good point! *snuggles Merlin*
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ANYWAY. The finale was totally epic, I just watched it today!! Your flailing is very amusing to read, too xD
Also, I really am kind of obsessed with the way he says her name. ME TOOOOO. I KIND OF MELT EVERY TIME HE SAYS IT.
And I totally thought they'd kill Gaius and was saaaaaaaaaaaaad ;-; But then he lived, yay!! It's a good thing when a show actually kills people, because then you're happier when they don't.
And yes. Wet!Merline. Moar!
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SO VERY EPIC. Ohhh, show. 9 months is a long time to be without unicorns :(