Merlin 4.03 The Wicked Day
Oct. 18th, 2011 01:50 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
selenakThird episode into a season which is a British one and therefore short, thus may we tentatively say this is the season of EPIC? Because wow.
"The Wicked Day" is traditionally used to refer to the Battle of Camlann, Mordred and Arthur and their followers killing each other. Obviously this doesn't happen in this episode, and yet it's a very well chosen title, not least because it's an early hint that despite the deceptively humorous beginning, this is not the comic relief episode. (Sneaky, though, making this game changer ep 2, not the opener, not the finale, not a mid-season two parter, but an episode after the opening blast which everyone expects to be a breather and a standalone of harmlessness. (Exception: s2 and The Nightmare Begins, but the comparison shows how far we've come, because The Nightmare Begins as the start of Morgana's arc, in as much as she had one in s2, was very flawed and hardly a highlight of the show.) I have to rewatch as soon as I can but I must catch up with my other book fair missed shows first, so, early impressions because I can't not talk about it.
Starting with the trivia: I noticed Howard Overman as the writer. He of course wrote The Once and Future Queen where Odin sending an assassin to kill Arthur to avenge his son is the McGuffin that sets the events of that episode in motion. The assassin here is a similar plot device (and btw, neat show continuity to show Odin is still on his vengeance quest, plus of course given what happens it adds even more to Arthur's sense of guilt), but with a lot less screen time and used only when he was necessary. Not surprising considering everything else that happens.
In terms of "how we've grown": in s1 and most of s2, Merlin when acting against Gaius' advice would go behind his back, treating Gaius as a parental authority. It's a sign of how their relationship has shifted to a more adult status that by now Merlin simply informs Gaius of his plans, very aware there isn't really anything Gaius can do to stop him. Which of course is both a strength and a flaw.
The knights don't have any lines this week, but I appreciate the continuity of showing them at Arthur's birthday feast early on enjoying themselves instead of giving the actors a day off, because they would be there.
Morgana has less screentime but far more in-depth characterisation this season than through most of the third one. From the exterior details (her hair, the fact she has a knife at hand when someone wakes her up suddenly) to the dialogue and actions: the days of campy smirkness are gone, and instead we get her reaction to Uther's death which confuses Agrivaine but not anyone watching since the beginning. I had a feeling they wouldn't show Morgana gloating when we saw her lying there with open eyes and in that embyronic position, and was very satisfied when my suspicion proved true, and they showed her not triumphant but well and truly shaken by the reality of what she thought she wanted for years. Without, of course, wanting to take it back; truly, this is a villain one can respect. Also, kudos to Katie McGrath for the way Morgana says "I felt his pain", which conveys so much. (Plus I thought it was a lovely parallel that both Arthur and Morgana, at different places, spent the night of Uther's death in a silent vigil for him; Uther's love for his children didn't outweigh the evil he was responsible for, and he both formed in some ways deformed them, but he did love them passionately, and they loved him, much as Morgana tried to deny it until she felt him die.)
Meanwhile, Agrivaine continues to be a satisfying new villain, using opportunities when they present themselves, getting a scene that points to his own motive beyond power (his whisper into Uther's ear), and handling himself low key and seemingly sensible enough that nobody at Camelot trusting him looks like an idiot.
And now for the big ones. Merlin and Arthur in different ways go through a terrible tragedy in this episode, and following Aristoteles' demand, it's due to a mixture of circumstances and the character themselves making the fatal decisions due to their own traits and flaws. The episode lets Gaius point out the obvious ahead of time and remind Merlin that if his "healing Uther with magic = grateful Arthur ends persecution of magic " idea could backfire if he can't pull the healing off, resulting instead in Arthur becoming even more set against magic. (Gaius should know, given the initial Uther, Ygraine and Nimue tragedy.) At that point, Merlin blithely assures him that this would simply be the same status quo as before whereas if he risks it he has the chance to improve everything. Of course, characters who assume they have nothing to lose immediately find out they do. Merlin and Arthur through the seasons have grown simultanously closer and further apart, both at the same time, and nowhere more than in this episode. By now, as we've seen in previous episodes both scattered through s3 and in the two from s4, Arthur has no problem giving Merlin the occasional compliment in a non-teasing way; he asks him for advice, he makes it clear Merlin is important to him, and in the achingly beautiful and painful "it's a new day" scene near the end of this episode, he unhesitatingly uses the word they've both shied away from for seasons, "friend", as in "you're a good and loyal friend". The one thing that is lacking is knowledge and acceptance of Merlin's magic. And Merlin feels that as long as he doesn't get that from Arthur, Arthur doesn't truly know him. It's this, as much as the desire to improve life for all the other magic users, that drives him through his gamble in this episode. (And let's be honest, he doesn't just want Arthur to know, he wants Arthur to be impressed and admiring. I always loved that the show keeps Merlin three dimensional, and this is a very human desire.) And when it backfires - which it could have even without Morgana's interference - he knows he created his ultimate nightmare scenario - Uther dies through magic, thus setting Arthur even more against magic - with his own hands.
Only Uther doesn't primarily die through magic. The way Uther dies is both a parallel and a contrast to the way Arthur came to be born and Ygraine died, with Arthur in Uther's position. He is his father's son, a Pendragon unwilling to accept the death of someone he loves, but there is a difference in their respective situations and demands which I think will prove important to how the show will keep Arthur from simply becoming Uther Mark II (and thus no Once and Future King material). Uther and Nimue argued in s1 about the past, but what they seemed to agree on was that a) Uther asked her for a spell that would give him and Ygraine a son and b) Nimue told him the price would be a life. (The point of argument being whether or not she made it clear the life could/would be Ygraine's. But Uther was apparantly ready to sacrifice Spear Carrier 100044 from the right.) Before the magical interference, Ygraine was healthy and alive (if childless); her death was directly due to the bargain between Uther and Nimue. Whereas in The Wicked Day, Uther is already dying from a non-magical mortal wound, which he received while trying to save his son. If Arthur (and Merlin, and Morgana) had done nothing at all at this point, he would have died either way. Also, what Arthur consents to (consent is important with magic, ask Uther, Merlin and Morgana, and indeed Morgause) when bargaining with Aged!Disguised!Merlin is to allow magic users to live without persecution in his real once he is king as the prize for saving his father, not to anyone's death. Arthur's immediate reaction when his father instead dies parallels Uthers - blame the magic user, see magic as evil - which is in character both given his temper, experience and being raised by Uther. But the real test is what comes after; it was the long term aftermath of Ygraine's death that proved Uther a tyrant, the laws and years of persecution. So the question is - what will he do next, and how will he (and the show) handle things the first time a magic user who isn't up to someone's death crosses his path?
One more observation about the manner of Uther's death: it comes through four people - the assassin hired by Odin who actually means to kill Arthur, through Arthur both because of that and because Arthur tells Agrivaine what he plans to do re: magic, through Morgana because of the amulet she gives Agrivaine to place around Uther's neck so any healing spell backfires and becomes lethal instead, and through Merlin because of his need to change Arthur's mind on magic. (For the mixed motives mentioned above. Note that saving Uther's life for Uther's sake doesn't even enter into the equation for a second. Merlin was already doubtful whether or not to bother in s1, and he's grown more and not less ambiguous and ruthless since then.) The assassin is the least important person here; and you could say that Arthur, Morgana and Merlin are all three instruments of nemesis Uther himself created, Arthur and Morgana in obvious ways and Merlin because if not for Uther's persecution of magic users, Merlin would never have ended up with the need to bargain for its end to begin with, and he might never have come to Camelot (supposing his parents would even have met).
Lastly: I mentioned it before, but that scene of Arthur ending his vigil next to Uther's body with a kiss, then we cut to Merlin outside and then the conversation between them slays me. And then the coronation scene, with Arthur making his vows (which include fairness to all people - again, that will be the test) and then Merlin, despite now living with the prospect he might have ruined the future for another generation, watching him and at last joining the cheer with that desperate pride and hope, was incredible. And so very well played by Colin Morgan, who was awesome throughout, including in the comedy scenes (he obviously had a blast with Aged!Merlin).
"The Wicked Day" is traditionally used to refer to the Battle of Camlann, Mordred and Arthur and their followers killing each other. Obviously this doesn't happen in this episode, and yet it's a very well chosen title, not least because it's an early hint that despite the deceptively humorous beginning, this is not the comic relief episode. (Sneaky, though, making this game changer ep 2, not the opener, not the finale, not a mid-season two parter, but an episode after the opening blast which everyone expects to be a breather and a standalone of harmlessness. (Exception: s2 and The Nightmare Begins, but the comparison shows how far we've come, because The Nightmare Begins as the start of Morgana's arc, in as much as she had one in s2, was very flawed and hardly a highlight of the show.) I have to rewatch as soon as I can but I must catch up with my other book fair missed shows first, so, early impressions because I can't not talk about it.
Starting with the trivia: I noticed Howard Overman as the writer. He of course wrote The Once and Future Queen where Odin sending an assassin to kill Arthur to avenge his son is the McGuffin that sets the events of that episode in motion. The assassin here is a similar plot device (and btw, neat show continuity to show Odin is still on his vengeance quest, plus of course given what happens it adds even more to Arthur's sense of guilt), but with a lot less screen time and used only when he was necessary. Not surprising considering everything else that happens.
In terms of "how we've grown": in s1 and most of s2, Merlin when acting against Gaius' advice would go behind his back, treating Gaius as a parental authority. It's a sign of how their relationship has shifted to a more adult status that by now Merlin simply informs Gaius of his plans, very aware there isn't really anything Gaius can do to stop him. Which of course is both a strength and a flaw.
The knights don't have any lines this week, but I appreciate the continuity of showing them at Arthur's birthday feast early on enjoying themselves instead of giving the actors a day off, because they would be there.
Morgana has less screentime but far more in-depth characterisation this season than through most of the third one. From the exterior details (her hair, the fact she has a knife at hand when someone wakes her up suddenly) to the dialogue and actions: the days of campy smirkness are gone, and instead we get her reaction to Uther's death which confuses Agrivaine but not anyone watching since the beginning. I had a feeling they wouldn't show Morgana gloating when we saw her lying there with open eyes and in that embyronic position, and was very satisfied when my suspicion proved true, and they showed her not triumphant but well and truly shaken by the reality of what she thought she wanted for years. Without, of course, wanting to take it back; truly, this is a villain one can respect. Also, kudos to Katie McGrath for the way Morgana says "I felt his pain", which conveys so much. (Plus I thought it was a lovely parallel that both Arthur and Morgana, at different places, spent the night of Uther's death in a silent vigil for him; Uther's love for his children didn't outweigh the evil he was responsible for, and he both formed in some ways deformed them, but he did love them passionately, and they loved him, much as Morgana tried to deny it until she felt him die.)
Meanwhile, Agrivaine continues to be a satisfying new villain, using opportunities when they present themselves, getting a scene that points to his own motive beyond power (his whisper into Uther's ear), and handling himself low key and seemingly sensible enough that nobody at Camelot trusting him looks like an idiot.
And now for the big ones. Merlin and Arthur in different ways go through a terrible tragedy in this episode, and following Aristoteles' demand, it's due to a mixture of circumstances and the character themselves making the fatal decisions due to their own traits and flaws. The episode lets Gaius point out the obvious ahead of time and remind Merlin that if his "healing Uther with magic = grateful Arthur ends persecution of magic " idea could backfire if he can't pull the healing off, resulting instead in Arthur becoming even more set against magic. (Gaius should know, given the initial Uther, Ygraine and Nimue tragedy.) At that point, Merlin blithely assures him that this would simply be the same status quo as before whereas if he risks it he has the chance to improve everything. Of course, characters who assume they have nothing to lose immediately find out they do. Merlin and Arthur through the seasons have grown simultanously closer and further apart, both at the same time, and nowhere more than in this episode. By now, as we've seen in previous episodes both scattered through s3 and in the two from s4, Arthur has no problem giving Merlin the occasional compliment in a non-teasing way; he asks him for advice, he makes it clear Merlin is important to him, and in the achingly beautiful and painful "it's a new day" scene near the end of this episode, he unhesitatingly uses the word they've both shied away from for seasons, "friend", as in "you're a good and loyal friend". The one thing that is lacking is knowledge and acceptance of Merlin's magic. And Merlin feels that as long as he doesn't get that from Arthur, Arthur doesn't truly know him. It's this, as much as the desire to improve life for all the other magic users, that drives him through his gamble in this episode. (And let's be honest, he doesn't just want Arthur to know, he wants Arthur to be impressed and admiring. I always loved that the show keeps Merlin three dimensional, and this is a very human desire.) And when it backfires - which it could have even without Morgana's interference - he knows he created his ultimate nightmare scenario - Uther dies through magic, thus setting Arthur even more against magic - with his own hands.
Only Uther doesn't primarily die through magic. The way Uther dies is both a parallel and a contrast to the way Arthur came to be born and Ygraine died, with Arthur in Uther's position. He is his father's son, a Pendragon unwilling to accept the death of someone he loves, but there is a difference in their respective situations and demands which I think will prove important to how the show will keep Arthur from simply becoming Uther Mark II (and thus no Once and Future King material). Uther and Nimue argued in s1 about the past, but what they seemed to agree on was that a) Uther asked her for a spell that would give him and Ygraine a son and b) Nimue told him the price would be a life. (The point of argument being whether or not she made it clear the life could/would be Ygraine's. But Uther was apparantly ready to sacrifice Spear Carrier 100044 from the right.) Before the magical interference, Ygraine was healthy and alive (if childless); her death was directly due to the bargain between Uther and Nimue. Whereas in The Wicked Day, Uther is already dying from a non-magical mortal wound, which he received while trying to save his son. If Arthur (and Merlin, and Morgana) had done nothing at all at this point, he would have died either way. Also, what Arthur consents to (consent is important with magic, ask Uther, Merlin and Morgana, and indeed Morgause) when bargaining with Aged!Disguised!Merlin is to allow magic users to live without persecution in his real once he is king as the prize for saving his father, not to anyone's death. Arthur's immediate reaction when his father instead dies parallels Uthers - blame the magic user, see magic as evil - which is in character both given his temper, experience and being raised by Uther. But the real test is what comes after; it was the long term aftermath of Ygraine's death that proved Uther a tyrant, the laws and years of persecution. So the question is - what will he do next, and how will he (and the show) handle things the first time a magic user who isn't up to someone's death crosses his path?
One more observation about the manner of Uther's death: it comes through four people - the assassin hired by Odin who actually means to kill Arthur, through Arthur both because of that and because Arthur tells Agrivaine what he plans to do re: magic, through Morgana because of the amulet she gives Agrivaine to place around Uther's neck so any healing spell backfires and becomes lethal instead, and through Merlin because of his need to change Arthur's mind on magic. (For the mixed motives mentioned above. Note that saving Uther's life for Uther's sake doesn't even enter into the equation for a second. Merlin was already doubtful whether or not to bother in s1, and he's grown more and not less ambiguous and ruthless since then.) The assassin is the least important person here; and you could say that Arthur, Morgana and Merlin are all three instruments of nemesis Uther himself created, Arthur and Morgana in obvious ways and Merlin because if not for Uther's persecution of magic users, Merlin would never have ended up with the need to bargain for its end to begin with, and he might never have come to Camelot (supposing his parents would even have met).
Lastly: I mentioned it before, but that scene of Arthur ending his vigil next to Uther's body with a kiss, then we cut to Merlin outside and then the conversation between them slays me. And then the coronation scene, with Arthur making his vows (which include fairness to all people - again, that will be the test) and then Merlin, despite now living with the prospect he might have ruined the future for another generation, watching him and at last joining the cheer with that desperate pride and hope, was incredible. And so very well played by Colin Morgan, who was awesome throughout, including in the comedy scenes (he obviously had a blast with Aged!Merlin).
no subject
Date: 2011-10-18 02:00 pm (UTC)I couldn't watch the last ten minutes or so, it was too... half-painful, half-I still can't take the show seriously enough to let it do these kinds of really, really serious things without wincing, so I need to rewatch.
no subject
Date: 2011-10-18 02:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-10-18 02:45 pm (UTC)