New Merlin on BBC
- Thread starter Starkers
- Start date
Okay, I caught on of the secrets and magic shows and they almost flat out said Freya will return as the Lady of the Lake and deal with Excalibur. I like some of the changes Merlin has made to the legends, but some of times when they just pull out names and swap characters I'm just confused by their reasoning.
Well its legend i.e. fiction, they can do what they like to it really. They're in quite a good position. They have an interesting story and characters, but because it isn't actually set in stone historically (if at all) then they can switch things around as much as they like.
plus some of us (me) know shockingly little about the Merlin legend (seriously if my primary school had spent 5 minutes not teaching me about the blumming 60 or having us sing 60s song) they could have taught us about the Merlin legend. As it stand I think the first Merlin myth I saw, was the Disney one.
The use of names can be baffling, if you try and associate the Merlin characters with their accepted roles in the legends. The relationships between the characters are different, and that can sometimes cause some cognitive dissonance. I spent "Sins of the Father" trying to puzzle out the exact relationship between Morgause, Morgana, and Ygraine. (Okay, Morgause/Morgana is simple, because the episode tells us they're half-sisters, both daughters of Gorlois. But I've been working under the assumption that Ygraine had a child before Arthur, to match with the legends, but "Sins" scuppered that. So what's the relationship between Morgause and Ygraine?)
The confusing one is Nimueh. In some legends, she also goes by Vivian, and that's Georgia Moffett's character's name in the next episode. Merlin and Nimue have an interesting relationship; they're lovers, he teaches her his magic, she imprisons him in ice for all eternity. Is Merlin going to teach Vivian his magic? Will they become lovers? Will Merlin flirt with dark magic? Will she become a "big bad"? And let's not forget that Nimue/Vivian/Ninian is the Lady of the Lake.
I do a little fist-pump any time I hear a familiar name, like Pellinore, but at the same time, I get a little disappointed when the relationships aren't what I expect. It's like the writers are reaching into a grab bag and pulling out names because they sound cool, not because they make sense.
Malory, with modern spelling and punctuation, isn't that difficult to read.
The text I've found surprisingly readable is the Lancelot-Grail Reader, which excerpts the massive Old French Lancelot-Grail (or Vulgate Cycle).
I like Mallory too, very much. More than T.H. White perhaps. It's nice that they can do what they like since almost all of the material is not set in stone, but I do agree sometimes they just toss names out because it might be hip or throwing a bone to the scholars. If you were a serious Oxford professor of Arthurian material I suspect this show would drive you mad.
I really think its a serious same that the classics aren't taught so much anymore or at the opposite shoved in students faces. The only classic book that I could not finish-and its largely do to a poor translation- is The Three Musketeers. And I love every other version of the story, too!
Though I think Merlin's updated and mixed bag formula with the legends works, sometimes the studios rushing to updated ad hippify a classic tale seriously RUIN it. Example, Crusoe! He was not a pirate Macguver. It's a shame more American networks don't create more house productions of qualtiy books. I miss the original Masterpiece Theatre!
I really think its a serious same that the classics aren't taught so much anymore or at the opposite shoved in students faces. The only classic book that I could not finish-and its largely do to a poor translation- is The Three Musketeers. And I love every other version of the story, too!
Though I think Merlin's updated and mixed bag formula with the legends works, sometimes the studios rushing to updated ad hippify a classic tale seriously RUIN it. Example, Crusoe! He was not a pirate Macguver. It's a shame more American networks don't create more house productions of qualtiy books. I miss the original Masterpiece Theatre!
^One per series?
I kinda enjoyed it, was just a fun episode, looks like the next lot are serious though, so I suppose I can see why they'd have a fun episode between 2 blocks of serious ones.
I kinda enjoyed it, was just a fun episode, looks like the next lot are serious though, so I suppose I can see why they'd have a fun episode between 2 blocks of serious ones.
it deepened the Gwen/Arthur 'ship as well as opening up possibilities for future villainy.
twas good.
twas good.
Well there's been three this series so far (this one and the troll two parter.)
Last night's was okay...can't really remember much about it less than a day later though. More Morgana next week at least.
Forgettable, childish and disappointing after the last couple of episodes. A shame that Merlin can't seem to do light hearted without doing silly. The servant/jester in particular acted like a CBeebies character.
Plus points were Merlin/Arthur (as usual) and Arthur/Gwen shipping.
Plus points were Merlin/Arthur (as usual) and Arthur/Gwen shipping.
What they gonna do though? They have no idea who she might love.
That's where I was going wrong then. I was reading it in the original.
I wondered if they were going to write that she was in love with the Jester
Well actually I was expecting her true love to be herself, so she'd kiss a mirror and be cured!!
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