Merlin on BBC1 (SPOILERS)
- Thread starter captcalhoun
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Didn't see it this week- was watching Adios Sabata on Bravo...
I thought this episode was the first step down in quality since the start of the series. But I still enjoyed it.
Personally I didn't have a problem with the effects work. Could it have been better? Yes. Did it pull me out of the programme? No.
Personally I didn't have a problem with the effects work. Could it have been better? Yes. Did it pull me out of the programme? No.
i look forward to Lancelot's inevitable heroic return
i enjoyed it...
i enjoyed it...
really? I would never have said Torchwood had bad CGI.
The space whale was pretty bad.
Then again, I suppose it was supposed to be a kinda shapeless blob, which is probably a bit vague for the CGI team.
I'm enjoying the series for what it is - something to watch with my grandparents on saturday night. Its a little frustrating, because although I have to accept that all of television can't be made for me, Merlin is genre so I pay more attention and therefore its shortcomings irritate me more, especially as I know who all these characters are.
I thought Lancelot was a missed opportunity - he was so BORING as a character. Lancelot has never been a character that I thought could have been interpreted as boring. Hopefully something will happen to him on his travels that changes him into the swashbuckling, queen-stealing civil-warring Lancelot we know from old.
I guess my main problem with the series is that I can't help but feeling that there should be this huge sense of foreboding over the whole thing, since we know how it turns out - who marries who, who betrays who, etc - but there's nothing like that. I guess I'm asking for too much from a family show.
I thought Lancelot was a missed opportunity - he was so BORING as a character. Lancelot has never been a character that I thought could have been interpreted as boring. Hopefully something will happen to him on his travels that changes him into the swashbuckling, queen-stealing civil-warring Lancelot we know from old.
I guess my main problem with the series is that I can't help but feeling that there should be this huge sense of foreboding over the whole thing, since we know how it turns out - who marries who, who betrays who, etc - but there's nothing like that. I guess I'm asking for too much from a family show.
fair point, there was some poor blue screen in that episode.
For me it's the frocks. Well, all the costuming and the castle, to be honest. I've enjoyed the series so far, except for the Lancelot episode, which I really didn't enjoy at all. Still, I'll be there next Saturday, in front of the telly.
I've just watched last night's episode. I'm still enjoying it, but I just wish they'd bring a bit more of an ongoing story to it. Because as it stands this land that eradicated magic seems to be absolutely brimming with it, with no real explanation of why, or no real recurring threat.
Yeah magic does seem to be everywhere, an it could perhaps do with a stronger story arc, although I'm guessing Michelle Ryan and the Morganna story will continue. I also wish Merlin didn't save the day, every week. Even when Arthur had to venture out for the antidote to save Merlin it was an unconsious Merlin who saved him!
I'm still enjoying it though, the guys playing Merlin and especially Arthur are well cast, shame the women are so drippy.
I'm still enjoying it though, the guys playing Merlin and especially Arthur are well cast, shame the women are so drippy.
All right, I'm biased - and probably shouldn't have watched at all - in that I like to see folklore done right if it's going to be done on movies/TV. PTerry's Lords And Ladies pointed out that, in the original folklore (and I was brought up on that), Elves are glamorous - they cast glamours; elves are terrific- they cause terror... Torchwood did not too badly (except for the flying Gollums), and Elrond in LOTR was good.
But these little winged fairies?!
Fuck right off! This is offensive to us Celts whose grannies told us the really cool stories. I wonder if I can complain to the Beeb to get this suspended, and have an extra season of Dr Who in its place. Or something.
And don't get me started about the potatoes and tomatoes.
Still, could be worse - it could be Robin Hood.
But these little winged fairies?!
Fuck right off! This is offensive to us Celts whose grannies told us the really cool stories. I wonder if I can complain to the Beeb to get this suspended, and have an extra season of Dr Who in its place. Or something.
And don't get me started about the potatoes and tomatoes.
Still, could be worse - it could be Robin Hood.
^I don't get the complaint, I mean it's a TV show that's "re-imaginging" the story. Everything is wrong about it, but I don't care because all I'm looking for is entertainment, not a faithful retelling of a story that has no faithful retelling. Because, lets face it, there are so many different takes on religion, folklore, myths and legends that it'd be impossible to get it right in most people's eyes anyway.
Yeah, I know, I said I was biased.
And I figured the potatoes and tomatoes were so obvious everybody would complain
I guess I switch my brain a little too far off when watching this, Primeval and Robin Hood, because I didn't even think of that until you mentioned it.
I guess I switch my brain a little too far off when watching this, Primeval and Robin Hood, because I didn't even think of that until you mentioned it.
I noticed it, but considering how wrong everything else is in it, couldn't really give a toss. After all, if we're to accept COMPLETELY anachronistic building designs, weapons and armour, clothing, scientific knowledge, speech patterns and MAGIC all over the place, I think we can accept that this fantasy version of early medieval England has plants that look a lot like tomatoes and potatoes in amongst its griffins and fairies and things.
don't forget, Gaius gave Merlin a bacon butty in episode 1...
Morgana's hot...
Morgana's hot...
Yikes. There's sloppy and there's flat-out, who-gives-a-fuck insulting-to-the-audience.
I sure hope for NBC's sake they didn't pay much for this turkey (another food item that Merlin has no business knowing about). This suckers going to crash & burn worse than Crusoe.
Nice try, but anachronistic food items are going to be far too obvious to far too many people in the audience, or at least the ones who have a glimmer of education (maybe the BBC is assuming their audience is composed of dolts and they don't need to bother to make any effort). The tradition of anachronisms like late medievel architecture, shining armor and widespread Christianity in Merlin's time is long established; but getting mundane details wrong comes from sheer carelessness. It's not like there's a point to putting a frakkin stupid tomato in the story like there would be a point to a griffin.
Yikes. There's sloppy and there's flat-out, who-gives-a-fuck insulting-to-the-audience.
I sure hope for NBC's sake they didn't pay much for this turkey (another food item that Merlin has no business knowing about). This suckers going to crash & burn worse than Crusoe.
Nice try, but anachronistic food items are going to be far too obvious to far too many people in the audience, or at least the ones who have a glimmer of education (maybe the BBC is assuming their audience is composed of dolts and they don't need to bother to make any effort). The tradition of anachronisms like late medievel architecture, shining armor and widespread Christianity in Merlin's time is long established; but getting mundane details wrong comes from sheer carelessness. It's not like there's a point to putting a frakkin stupid tomato in the story like there would be a point to a griffin.
I suppose I just considered it complete fantasy, so it just didn't bother me at all. Then again, you have a point, if I were writing it, I would leave out the potatoes and whatnot because they aren't correct and aren't necessary.
I just don't see it as a deal breaker though, given the whole fantasy, anything goes nature of the programme. Merlin has a lot of flaws, in the writing, directing and acting departments, but I think that's a pretty trivial example.
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