Merlin 3.04 Gwaine
Oct. 3rd, 2010 04:36 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
selenakIn which another future knight of the Round Table shows up, and much feels very familiar, but I really enjoyed what was different.
Complaints first: this is the third time the "bad guy tries to kill Arthur by cheating in tournament" is used, and that's two times too many, though I'd easily give you Valiant and keep The Once and Future Queen. Also Uther getting into banishing mode again to explain why Gwaine doesn't stick around for the rest of the season is a rinse and repeat from Lancelot that wasn't necessary, especially in the light of the differences, which I'll praise in a moment. Moreover, this week's writer should check out last week's Overman episode for ensemble use - as mentioned in the last review, Overman gave everyone something to do, which is sorely missed this week. And lastly, this season really has lost a sense of what is and isn't funny in their attempt to keep the prat side of Arthur alive; throwing something at Merlin's head is, like the equivalent stuff in the last three episodes, distinctly unfunny and should have remained in the pilot to first four episodes era.
Now on to the good stuff. Gwaine as the carousing, brawling and fun loving counterpart to Lancelot's serious and noble knight goes back to several Arthurian lore traditions, but what I liked even more are the other factors they used to avoid making the two copies of each other. This version of Gawain isn't the son of Morgause and Lot anymore, of course, but he is the son of a knight (with issues about it), which has several useful consequences. For starters, it allows Merlin (who consciously or subconsciously is proably struck by the Will parallel) to finally talk with someone about Balinor and the manner of his death. Yay for emotional continuity! Secondly, it means Gwaine has a choice about sticking around, and chooses to leave because "I could never serve a king such as Uther". This is great (and about time one of the show's declared good guys does that) and would have sufficed as an explanation why Gwaine remains a guest star instead of becoming ever present like Sir Leon, so what I'd have done, were I the script editor, is to let Uther declare Gwaine can stay after the melee life saving and then proceed as scripted. It would have avoided a repetition of the Lancelot reason (and provided a counterpart to it).
Gwaine having the good taste to flirt with Gwen was great again in its difference to Lancelot. Gwen is amused and likes him, but clearly not more than that, and has no difficulties both making that clear and keeping on chatting. She's about as far from someone who'd go "nobody could ever find poor little me attractive!" (I still carry a grudge against certain websites, oh yes) as it's possible. Her relaxed confidence was very enjoyable to watch.
Also great and with good taste: Mary the inkeeper. I do hope Merlin reminds Arthur that someone should pay for all that broken furniture and pottery, otherwise she'll have to do it herself. LOL at the return of the stocks and the anachronistic vegetables thrown, this time put to good use by Arthur against the thugs of the week.
Said thugs are about as interesting as Valiant, which is to say, not. Ah well. The villains of the first three episodes were great, and you can’t win them all.
Complaints first: this is the third time the "bad guy tries to kill Arthur by cheating in tournament" is used, and that's two times too many, though I'd easily give you Valiant and keep The Once and Future Queen. Also Uther getting into banishing mode again to explain why Gwaine doesn't stick around for the rest of the season is a rinse and repeat from Lancelot that wasn't necessary, especially in the light of the differences, which I'll praise in a moment. Moreover, this week's writer should check out last week's Overman episode for ensemble use - as mentioned in the last review, Overman gave everyone something to do, which is sorely missed this week. And lastly, this season really has lost a sense of what is and isn't funny in their attempt to keep the prat side of Arthur alive; throwing something at Merlin's head is, like the equivalent stuff in the last three episodes, distinctly unfunny and should have remained in the pilot to first four episodes era.
Now on to the good stuff. Gwaine as the carousing, brawling and fun loving counterpart to Lancelot's serious and noble knight goes back to several Arthurian lore traditions, but what I liked even more are the other factors they used to avoid making the two copies of each other. This version of Gawain isn't the son of Morgause and Lot anymore, of course, but he is the son of a knight (with issues about it), which has several useful consequences. For starters, it allows Merlin (who consciously or subconsciously is proably struck by the Will parallel) to finally talk with someone about Balinor and the manner of his death. Yay for emotional continuity! Secondly, it means Gwaine has a choice about sticking around, and chooses to leave because "I could never serve a king such as Uther". This is great (and about time one of the show's declared good guys does that) and would have sufficed as an explanation why Gwaine remains a guest star instead of becoming ever present like Sir Leon, so what I'd have done, were I the script editor, is to let Uther declare Gwaine can stay after the melee life saving and then proceed as scripted. It would have avoided a repetition of the Lancelot reason (and provided a counterpart to it).
Gwaine having the good taste to flirt with Gwen was great again in its difference to Lancelot. Gwen is amused and likes him, but clearly not more than that, and has no difficulties both making that clear and keeping on chatting. She's about as far from someone who'd go "nobody could ever find poor little me attractive!" (I still carry a grudge against certain websites, oh yes) as it's possible. Her relaxed confidence was very enjoyable to watch.
Also great and with good taste: Mary the inkeeper. I do hope Merlin reminds Arthur that someone should pay for all that broken furniture and pottery, otherwise she'll have to do it herself. LOL at the return of the stocks and the anachronistic vegetables thrown, this time put to good use by Arthur against the thugs of the week.
Said thugs are about as interesting as Valiant, which is to say, not. Ah well. The villains of the first three episodes were great, and you can’t win them all.
no subject
Date: 2010-10-03 03:50 pm (UTC)I LOVED that bit. Not only is the idea of Camelot=shiny beacon of justice in a harsh world one of the silliest things about Lancelot (the episode and I have to admit, the character too), it was great to see someone being anti-Uther without being a)a power-hungry murderer or b)dead before the end of the episode. Let's hope it's the start of a new trend.
GShe's about as far from someone who'd go "nobody could ever find poor little me attractive!" (I still carry a grudge against certain websites, oh yes) as it's possible. Her relaxed confidence was very enjoyable to watch.
And she's really far from the girl who spent the first couple of episodes pining for Merlin, yet still the same person. I really enjoy that.
(And I like to think that Gwaine and Lancelot eventually end up in the same Mercian tavern and gets into a fight with the other guests because who refuse to admit that Guinevere of Camelot is the most noble and beautiful lady in all the world.)
no subject
Date: 2010-10-03 04:07 pm (UTC)Yes indeed. A first, surely? (Well, I imagine Hunith isn't a fan, either, for obvious reasons, but she did send Merlin to Camelot, so...)
And she's really far from the girl who spent the first couple of episodes pining for Merlin, yet still the same person. I really enjoy that.
Same here. Gwen grew up in so many ways.
Love your idea of Gwaine and Lancelot teaming up to fight Gwen doubters!
Gwaine
Date: 2010-10-03 04:34 pm (UTC)Personally, I kinda wish that Gwaine had interacted with Morgana instead of Gwen...even though he wasn't smitten like Lancelot and Arthur, I'm getting a bit tired of everyone running after her. I think it could have been much better seeing a conversation with him and Morgana, because I can imagine the personality contrast possibly being quite interesting, along with their mutual dislike of Uther. I also think it would have given Morgana a chance to do something rather than just sit there silently...bit of a waste. The Gwen/Gwaine convo was still a little charming and fun, and they actually have decent chemistry, so I guess it wasn't a total negative.
The 'villains' were awful and uninspired, but I've come to expect as much. Arthur throwing something at Merlin's head was, I agree, utterly unnecessary and even a bit backward, considering the way their relationship has progressed over the series. You'd expect him to do that in season one, but surely not now. It also came across as strangely malicious rather than amusing, rather than the more good natured ribbing they usually indulge in. It was a pretty flat episode in terms of what occurred, but Gwaine is a good addition to the cast.
Re: Gwaine
Date: 2010-10-04 12:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-04 12:32 pm (UTC)Anyway, I feel like I should be annoyed that the show only has about three plots, but I enjoyed this regardless. Merlin must be getting sick of Uther throwing all the hot knights out of the kingdom by now.
no subject
Date: 2010-10-04 12:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-05 01:18 pm (UTC)Yes, Sir Leon is the one indestructible and un-banishable knight in Camelot. However, as far as we know he has not spent time shirtless in Merlin's bed, so I'm not sure Merlin would consider him an adequate substitute for Gwaine.
(And one more reason why Merlin needs to come up with an exlanation why people shouldn't kill Uther...)
I can actually think of half a dozen good reasons not to kill Uther, but I'm still not sure why Merlin thinks it's such a bad idea. Especially now that Arthur is a bit more mature and has shown himself capable of leading Camelot in a crisis. Maybe Merlin is just waiting for Arthur to grow out of throwing things at his servant's head?
no subject
Date: 2010-10-06 03:06 pm (UTC)Yes, I think that must be it. Merlin will let Uther die once Arthur finally doesn't throw things anymore. Except for pillows.
no subject
Date: 2010-10-04 01:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-04 03:19 pm (UTC)