Uncut Merlin 4x08 Reaction
Added 2021-03-06 01:45:06 +0000 UTC
Comments
Looking back, this has to be one of the weakest episode for me. Don't get me wrong, I like that we got a Merlin, Gwen and knights storyline but the overall story did not bring much the the show in general. I guess if you like Arthur/Gwen, this episode is a nice build up to what happens next, expecially the last scene, but since I'm no Arwen shipper, I kinda don't care about that XD Still, the episode is not entirely bad and we have some good moments. The problem, for me, is that the episode started as a good storilyne for Merlin proving himself to be a good physician and the prelude to that, with Gaius encouraging him and trusting him with his medicinal bag. I just think it would have been a much interesting plot to see Merlin gain confidence in his physician abilities and have the knights, Gwen and even Arthur aknowledge that by the end of the episode. But well... it's just another monster of the week episode (although, quite a cool one visually) and the plots just falls flat. Another thing I like about the episode though is Merlin and Gwen teaming up. I mentioned this in the previous reaction, I love their friendship and it deserves so much more screentime and at least that episode gives us that. Plus Gwen rescuing Merlin is one of my fave moments for these two ever :) The knights acting like real jerks when enchanted really irks me... It feels so weird seing that look of pure hatred on Leon's face, Gwaine nearly burning Merlin's face off and Percival being so menacing.... I just wanted them to return to their wholesome selves... Agravaine is still a snake, I wonder if the Lamia's enchantment would have had any effects on him considering they're both snakes XD Another thing that doesn't sit well with me is how Arthur, at the end, seems to have reseted to his old prattish ass ways when telling Merlin he should basically be ashamed to have been saved by a woman.... That's something season 1 Arthur would say not this Arthur, who only a scene later praised Gwen for her bravoury. If Gwen had heard what Arthur had told Merlin, she would not have been happy, considering she's the woman who saved Merlin... I know this is due to bad and inconstitent writing, but it really annoys me to have Arthur act like a total ass with Merlin whereas he's the all charming and complimenting with Gwen... Anyway, we still have some shipping moments in this episode. Arthur saying that Merlin can't find his own backside most of the time and Merlin just sending him that look (sometimes Colin's face has this suggestive expression and you just can't help interpreting things differently :P) Then the whole "It's almost good to see you Merlin" as if that grin is not coimpletely betraying how Arthur truly feels in that secene :) and also how he just pats Merlin's body to check if he has any injuries <3 and of course Merlin's smile. Yeah a hug would have been amazing, but to be honnest, I like that scene the way it is. There's also so much subtext in the scene with Gwen asking Merlin why he hasn't been affected by the lamia. Since season one, magic has been interpreted as metaphor for being gay or at least bisexual, and well this scene, just really illustrtates that. Also there are so many memes from that scene alone but my favortie comes from a crack video in which Gwen's questions is followed by cricket sounds and "gay silence" written as subtitle XD Another favorite is the theory that Merlin couldn't fall under Lamia's spell because his heart already belongs to Arthur and therefore he couldn't be enchanted. Your hopes for someone finding out that Merlin has magic, yeah I've been there man, and Gwen would totally be a good candidate for figuring it out, she did with Morgana after all, so she's definitely observant. Plus having Gwen know would be so awesome for Merlin, ever since he lost Lancelot, he has no friend he can truly be himself with and I definitely think that Gwen would be really good about it. With the knights being so mean to Merlin this episode, it was bound to result in fix-it fics. One of y favorite is when Arthur doesn't even know how badly the knights have treated Merlin while under the spell, and he notices Merlin being twitchy and scared around them at training. Then it's Gwen who tells Arthur what happened. This results in a special training with the knights and Merlin in which the tasks is for each knight to hug Merlin. That way, he can make sure that Merlin and the knights re-establish trust with one another. It's a really cute fic and it redeemed the episode a little for me (I hate that we did not get any kind of onscreen resolution between Merlin and the knights, because they were just awful to him...) Oh next week, is going to be an interesting reaction. I think yoiu're definitely going to enjoy it. I'm not a fan either of bring characters back to life, but Lancelot is a favorite of mine and I was so excited when the preview showed him back in Camelot. I'm curious to see if you have theories about the episode before watching it.
Cynthia Jehl
2021-03-06 11:06:51 +0000 UTCyeah just rendering
AniCrunch
2021-03-06 02:17:08 +0000 UTCAre we getting Farscape today :)
Belinda
2021-03-06 02:16:38 +0000 UTC
