Merlin 3.06 The Changeling

[selenak]

To start with the bad stuff first as per usual, a female scriptwriter obviously does not guarantee safety from a faily subplot re: sexy senior citizens. (I've always wanted to use that phrase.) Also, it would be nice if Merlin at least considered not blasting Pixies and Sidhe into smithereens, or he's starting to look extremely speciest. Though I have to state that Grunhilda was no innocent; dosing her charge from childhood onwards with drugs isn't cool. (No wonder she fell for Gaius. *veg*)

This being said, I enjoyed the episode which officially wins best of three in the "Arthur's annual alternate love interest episode" stakes. Not least because Elena wasn't a love interest (and there were no spells involved faking affections); she was presented as an endearing character, never vilified, she and Arthur both liked each other without loving each other, and even one of my least favourite plot devices, the proverbial breaking off in front of the altar (err, in front of Geoffrey), here was done without embarassment to the bride because Arthur actually talked to her and treated her as a sensible human being instead just making a declaration and walking away (looking at you, MJ and Xander), and Elena did not want to get married any more than he did.

Arthur was generally in good form in this episode, talking to Gwen about the situation instead of avoiding her, talking to Merlin and listening to what Merlin had to say, befriending Elena (that horseracing thing was great) - and no unfunny pranks. Well done, show. And we finally had a scene in which Morgana notices that something is going on between Arthur and Gwen and talks with Gwen about it. (It took her over a year, not counting the year of absence, but there you go.) Can't decide what I make of her reaction, btw; I've always wondered what it would be, because while anything to piss off Uther would please her, I couldn't help but suspect she'd be less than thrilled, either consciously or subconsciously, because in different ways she regards Gwen and Arthur as hers, not each others. So Morgana giving Gwen the "you know it can't be" speech was nicely enigmatic, especially given her more recent tunnel vision development of self absorption.

Continuity win and fail: just when I growled that someone really should mention Merlin had experience with Sidhe magic before they let him use the staff. Otoh, how the Sidhe can have a twenty years old plan running involving Arthur and simultanously be on board with drowning him so Sophia can gain her Sidhe-status is beyond me, but hey.

The trailer made me bounce up and down. Can it be - a Gwen centric episode that revolves around her backstory (complete with unexpected!relations), not the romance? Also, looks like Morgause is back (with Cendred in tow), which is always good.

Comments

[trude]

This episode felt so odd. Sweet and sensible princess-plot on one hand, Merlin on a magical killing spree on the other. (That staff still creeps me out.)

Otoh, how the Sidhe can have a twenty years old plan running involving Arthur and simultanously be on board with drowning him so Sophia can gain her Sidhe-status is beyond me, but hey.
Not to mention that if it's Camelot they want, why not place the changeling there instead of in some other random kingdom?

[selenak]

Exactly. Mind you, you can probably fanwank that by declaring Uther after Ygraine's death went on his anti-magic killing spree and the risk of a pixie nurse in place to dose Arthur being discovered was too big.