BBC Merlin Finale - The Coming of Arthur
Ah, geez, it's over. Because my girlfriend (praise her awesomeness) managed to crack the code for english TV, we were able to watch Merlin's last episode simultaneously with all the others yesterday! Hurray!
Gotta say, it's another thing to watch it when it actually runs right now than a day later. Even if we had to sit in front of the computer for an hour, it was freezing cold and the screen wasn't that big. But we didn't mind much.
Okay, let's see if I can do a proper review of yesterday's episode. Uhm, first of all: I like it, but I was a bit disappointed. And I can't imagine to wait almost a year until the new season will be released. The more I watched Merlin, the more I developed a deep affection for it's characters, with Merlin himself leading the way 'cause he's absolutely adorable. His loyalty, the way he's rejoicing for his friends, how he always saves the day without getting the respect he deserves...well, you just have to love him. He's fantastic!
But the others are great, too. Funnily, I evolved a thing for Sir Leon in the last few episodes. And don't forget Gwaine. Well, Gwaine, the new hero in town. Since he first appeared, my beloved and me fell for him very fast. He's this sort of funny, carefree, loyal secondary character I always like in movies/books etc. So it was pretty obvioushe would become one of my favourites.
About the third season in general: it was exciting, cool, funny, sometimes sad. Meanwhile, Merlin became our most and hotly favoured tv show. More than SPN ever was. But that's why I have to say I'm a little disappointed in the finale. Like I already said, I like it, but it could've been better.
First thing I criticise is the way they defeated Morgana. The whole thing was too rushed. I mean, she became queen of Camelot just an episode ago, so I expected at least one full or even two episodes of "reign of terror". I thought the end of se03 would be a huge cliffhanger about failing to regain the castle, so next season would be about the rogue knights, trying to end Morgana's tyranny. No, they just recruit their friends, Lancelot brings Percival with him, the build the Round Table in a few seconds, every soon-to-be knight does a sentimental speech and wohoo, here we go. I just liked about it that Gwaine was the only one who sits while he was talking and the way Percival was introduced. He seemed like a giant fangirl of Arthur; when the prince gave him his hand he looked like he would faint, completely overwhelmed by meeting the future king XD
But like I said, too rushed. After pledging allegiance to Arthur, all men become knights in a matter of two minutes. One point I definetively loved about that scene? Merlin's face when Gwaine was knighted. Like: "Gosh, I'm so proud of you, darling." Aw~!
I liked how they brought up Freya. Yes, surprise, she was there. Only in a puddle, made of holy water from the lake of Avalon (Merlin broke that little phial from the Fisher King), but she was there. She told Merlin to travel to the lake to get Excalibur so he would be able to defeat Morgana's immortal army. Awesome thing about that? Gwaine, sleeping somewhere behind Merlin, woke up, babbling something like "Nature calls" and staggered outside, like he wanted to interrupt out of jealousy and when Merlin looked at the puddle again, Freya was gone. Sorry...I kinda like Freya but this scene was just too good to be true. Gwaine's so brilliant.
A very big negative about the episode: Lancelot! I have nothing against him, really, he's a nice guy and a loyal friend to Merlin (knowing about his magic and all), I do like the actor and all that stuff, be he was more in focus than bloody Arthur! Everything was like "Lancelot saves the knights, bringing Percival with him", "Lancelot still loves Gwen - hurray for later seasons, already introducing this topic". "Lancelot knows about Merlin", "Lancelot saves the day". I mean, c'mon, the fucking episode is called "The coming of Arthur ". There's no Arthur in it. Not as much as Lancelot. Well~...
And he didn't appeare since the middle of season 2 and now, he's suddenly back in action, saving the day? But that's just my opinion. I only wish, Gwaine would know 'bout Merlin's magic, too. I mean, he's his best friend (according to his own words) and he's not dumb. He saved Merlin and Arthur more than one time and he saw magic before (according to his own words again). Furthermore, there were some hints in the last episode (Coming of Arthur I) that could be interpreted that Gwaine knows or suspects at least something. The whole go-and-collect-firewood-so-I-can-heal-Arthur-thing was totally fitting. It was like Gwaine's trying to force Merlin to tell him his secret but when he realised that Merlin wouldn't do that (not yet), he decided to let him have his will and go "to collect firewood", waiting for Merlin to tell him when he's ready.
So, uhm, yeah, the episode was too rushed in a lot of ways. Morgana's reign of fear and terror was more or less only mentioned in a sec ("I'm queen for one week now, they have to fear me, gnyahaha!"). That's a crying shame 'cause I love the way Katie McGrath plays her role. She's so sadistic and vicious with that little cruel smile she always gives her father and woah...I wish there would've been more of her.
But yay, after Merlin and - surprise - Lancelot were send to destroy the Cup of Life, the other knights split up to fight the immortal army. 'kay, I can understand why Lancelot went with Merlin, concerning he knows about his magic, so he wouldn't suspect anything when Merlin uses it but I missed that OT3 action from the last episode between Merlin, Arthur and Gwaine. It's like I already wrote: too much Lancelot focus here. Pity.
Arthur was just a secondary role. Besides from the end whree he had a nice little scene with Merlin but not enough to compensate the whole Lancelot thing.
In the end, Merlin destroys the Cup of Life, Gaius and Merlin more or less accidentally kill Morgause (aha, so she was the cast member that wouldn't appear again), Morgana freaks out, the castle rumbles and Morgana's gone into thin air...whysoever. Nobody knows what happened. The knights are united, everything is fine and boom, the season is over.
There was more than one moment I thought Gaius would die. Than I thought Uther would die. Than Gaius again. I didn't expect Morgause to be the one. My favourite scene was near the end, when Merlin destroyed the army of immortals and the knights stand in a dungeon, asking where Gwaine is. Boy, was I in a blue funk for a sec. It was like: "Wait a moment, Gwaine's missing?! He can't die! He appears later, you morons, he can't be missing!"
So I thought he would be gravely wounded or such stuff but he just stumbled out of a hallway, snarky as ever, mumbling a manly remark. Oh bugger me, I like him! My second favourite scene (okay, it was a moment) was Merlin's already mentioned face when gwaine was knighted.
Beside the Lancelot point and the too rushed story, the speeches on the Round Table were a bit too tacky and the slow motion deployment of the knights at the end was unnecessary.
If you ignore these thing the finale was fine. Had it's moments. Now I'm eagerly wating for season 4 even if I don't know what they want to show 'cause my love and me thought se04 would be about regaining Camelot and fighting Morgana. Now we guess that it's about little cases as always and Morgana's revenge for her sister. Maybe they will even bring up the Mordred scenario. I just hope the series will end before Gwen elopes with Lancelot, Arthur's depressed, Mordred kills him and Merlin's an old man...
Our ideal: it ends happy (oh dear god, we're such sib-stuff lovers) with the crowning of Arthur, Merlin being his loyal adviser, his magic revealed, a new reign of freedom and peace over Camelot and the knights of Camelot united. Hurray!
All in all a nice finale with a few negatives but good to watch anyway. Now waiting for september(?) 2011 and in thr meantime, there's plenty to do, concerning Merlin and non-Merlin stuff. We'll stay tuned. Haha, already looking forward to the first spoilery pictures :)
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