• Welcome! The TrekBBS is the number one place to chat about Star Trek with like-minded fans.
    If you are not already a member then please register an account and join in the discussion!

New Merlin on BBC

Wow. That was fantastic. This is one episode that KB24 is going to be happy with; it's everything she's been wanting in Merlin since the show began. Not only did it move the plot along far more than all the episodes behind it combined, but it had some great smaller character moments. I can't wait for the finale.

- Merlin leaving Morgana behind to be killed by the knight
- Merlin finally getting the courage to poison Morgana
- Arthur desperately trying to save his father.
- Merlin and Arthur sweeping the floor with Uther :lol:
- Merlin wanting to dress Uther up like a woman and then leaving him lying on the floor (with two pillows) :guffaw:
 
I haven't seen the ep yet, but I agree Morgana should have had more of the recurring evil slow burn all along. Instead of some of the early guest star focus, she should have been exploring and meddling in story arcs as far back as the middle of season 1. I'm also glad it looks like the dragon got his due. His barely there use was a waste too. He should have been a serious special arc or not at all. Hopefully the show is now where it's supposed to be with no reset in sight!

I know budget is tight, but we should have had a complicated Lancelot, Mordred, and Morgause all along instead of some creature feature fun.
 
I haven't seen the ep yet, but I agree Morgana should have had more of the recurring evil slow burn all along. Instead of some of the early guest star focus, she should have been exploring and meddling in story arcs as far back as the middle of season 1. I'm also glad it looks like the dragon got his due. His barely there use was a waste too. He should have been a serious special arc or not at all. Hopefully the show is now where it's supposed to be with no reset in sight!

I know budget is tight, but we should have had a complicated Lancelot, Mordred, and Morgause all along instead of some creature feature fun.

I don't know if it was budget really. Would casting Emilia Fox for six episodes instead of two cost more than casting Charles Dance, Mckenize Crook etc? I don't mind the one off bad guys but it's good that we're starting to get some reccuring ones now.

Was there something different about Morgana in this week's episode? I don't know what it was but something looks subtly different.
And is it me, or is the Dragon looking more expressive, and a little bit more like John Hurt nowadays?

I'm really glad you said that, she definitely looked different tonight, way hotter than usual...It might have been something as simple as a change in eye makeup!
Yeah, I thought the same thing. It could have just been that they had black eyeliner on to go with Mogause or they did her hair slightly different, but she did look hotter.

It was something that's for sure. Thought she is a very beautiful woman, I don't think I ever really fancied Morgana till last night!
 
I hope Series 3 is more heavily serialized. This way character and plot development can be intertwined and I'm sure will also keep the ratings up if there's enough suspense and intrigue at the end of every episode. More ratings means more series down the road.
 
I'm really glad you said that, she definitely looked different tonight, way hotter than usual...It might have been something as simple as a change in eye makeup!
Yeah, I thought the same thing. It could have just been that they had black eyeliner on to go with Mogause or they did her hair slightly different, but she did look hotter.

It was something that's for sure. Thought she is a very beautiful woman, I don't think I ever really fancied Morgana till last night!
Same here. Guess that's why I noticed there was anything different at all.
 
Hey Keltz! I didn't know anybody was ready all my hairbrained ideas! The new look eye makeup on Morgana has been hinted at in some of the interviews and photos of McGrath throughout the season. I think they might have made her more pale since the end of the first season, too. Or maybe that was just natural, not for the creepy.

I agree Rah they should map out their season, storylines and guest stars, then go, okay, this is going to take place over Four eps here, three eps there. Imagine if Morgana was joining with Morgause while Merlin had Freya hiding in the basement and Cook was possessed and Arthur was not getting along with his best knight Lancelot because both were romancing Gwen while the witchfinder was torturing Gauis during the marriage of Arthur to Katrina! Whew, poor Leon and Geoffrey of Monmouth would be at a loss. ;0)

I still think Merlin has the power to be the next Buffy. Sure, they had some great one off episodes that garnered a lot of attention, but look at all their arcs and season storylines. Katrina could have been played for the creepy over an entire season, so could have Morgause or any of the villians.

I haven't seen this ep yet! But I suggested the Dragon Merlin saw in the crystal was a second dragon, not Hurtndragon. Am I wrong?

I should do a season 2 review, soon, too, but I'll probably watch the season over again first. How do you think the series has done so far against my first season quibbles. Let's analyze and compare for the finale.

http://ithinkthereforeireview.blogspot.com/2009/09/merlin-season-1.html
 
Well golly gee wow! Of course I must mention the Ringwraith nature of the Knights but who cares? Merlin should always be this heavy and intense! And there was still a lot of great humor and witty moments among the cast. All these heady and big decision aches and pains and there's still secrets to go around! This all seems a little too quick because of the uneven nature of the Morgana storyline this season, but still damn fine!

It is a little polar that it looks like they had to get Morgana out of the way to make room for Gwen, because again, Gwen should have been suspecting things about Morgana throughout the season. Anyone think Uther will have a touch of heart and ask Gwen to be his new ward? And though she hates him, she might just say yes to automatically raise her social standing. I thought Merlin's magic was going to be made known a few times tonight too. How could it not have been!

I really don't understand the writers hesitation to go to these places all the time. Better to stretch the storyline out as they should be. I think the problem would be when audiences complain that you have a show that's too slow. If your audience is asking for things to get more and more, then given them more and more. I'd really like Season 3 to begin with a serious 3 parter allowing Morgause and Morgana to get to know each other and do some anti magic bads.

I know you guys don't really have time restrictions like in the US, so why is Merlin only a 45 minute show? I dare say simply adding 5 minutes to each show could mean a lot. What if we got to see Gwen waking up to Arthur telling her about Morgana? I wouldn't mind a two hour opening and closing episode, either, but I think that's asking too much. With as well as Merlin's doing, I wonder if their budget increased? There certainly never seems to be much press. Do they not know we want more?

As a writer, you learn to go to the heart stopping moments and axe the slow and meaningless. You have to tell a story about something significant, not just narrate when nothing's really happening. When Merlin makes shows like this, it makes them seem like nothing else of significance happened previously. Every ep should top the prior. For the most part, they do, but Merlin needs to unchain itself just like it's dragon.

I'll stop now. ;0)
 
And here I am again. On the finale's preview, hmmmm.....I think the Dragonguy is Merlin's father, or at the very least his uncle or such. Either the dragonguy dies, or Merlin's mother dies-one or the other seriously gets to him. And of course, imagine if the Dragon kills Uther! Both the boys losing a parent would be major. Imagine Arthur having to deal with a twisted by Morgause Morgana in season 3-without the knowledge of the pre-anti magic familial bits?

See how good dark is? Remember when a fw folks said it should be a dark and heavy show? but it's so good that way! And you can still have the fun and family oriented programing needed. NBC would be foolish to not show Season 2 this summer. If they can get the same ratings as last year or the current ratings, now, dang. Imagine if they wanted to put a little bit of money towards production?

Anyone know the ratings magics anyway?
 
The reason for 45 minute episodes is a concession to the international market. Doctor Who, Robin Hood and Merlin are expensive shows (by British standards) around $1.5m I've heard, so they need international sales to off set the costs.
 
I still think Merlin has the power to be the next Buffy. http://ithinkthereforeireview.blogspot.com/2009/09/merlin-season-1.html


Please the Powers of the Universe - no! I can't think of a worse fate. Except perhaps being the 'next Primeval'.

Good episode. It took me a long time to get into this series. I think the second season is definitely better than the first for dramatic deveopment. However I have always thought Morgana was a waste of space and still do. She's far too wimpy to be any kind of villain.
 
I still think Merlin has the power to be the next Buffy.


Please the Powers of the Universe - no! I can't think of a worse fate. Except perhaps being the 'next Primeval'.

Good episode. It took me a long time to get into this series. I think the second season is definitely better than the first for dramatic deveopment. However I have always thought Morgana was a waste of space and still do. She's far too wimpy to be any kind of villain.

Guess you're not a Buffy fan then? I prefer Merlin to Primeval but I'd take Buffy over either of them at this point.
 
I'm actually a Whedon fan but but vampires and werewolves need grown-up treatment to hold my interest and Buffy was Hollyoaks with fangs. True Blood I like.
 
I'm actually a Whedon fan but but vampires and werewolves need grown-up treatment to hold my interest and Buffy was Hollyoaks with fangs. True Blood I like.
Comparing Buffy to Hollyoaks... That's fighting talk.
I'm beginning to like True Blood, but it isn't something I'd miss if it were to disappear.
 
Heh. I like the way the lead vamp is almost prudish compared with the citizens he finds himself living amongst, with his old world courtesy. The sex is very explicit too, which holds Him Indoors's attention, so I don't have to turn the volume up to drown out the snoring. Win win.
 
Heh. I like the way the lead vamp is almost prudish compared with the citizens he finds himself living amongst, with his old world courtesy. The sex is very explicit too, which holds Him Indoors's attention, so I don't have to turn the volume up to drown out the snoring. Win win.
The explicit sex was what put me off it at first. I usually find shows use gratuitous sex to distract from it being shit. But I guess there are shows for which this is not true.
It's interested me enough that I want to pick up the books and give them a try though.
 
Ah, finally some plot- and character-development on Merlin, very nice.
I like it a lot that the writers didn't use some cheap cop-out to end the episode as they usually did in the past - like ending the spell by making Morgana sleep and Merlin breaking his promises to the dragon (again).
 
If you are not already a member then please register an account and join in the discussion!

Sign up / Register


Back
Top