Merlin?

[RippleGylf]

Just wondering if there are any other Merlin fans on here. Please no spoilers, I'm only on season 2. 

[Briar King]

It's good. It's much better then its replacement show Atlantis.

[nicocoberru]

Oh wow. It's been such a long time since I watched Merlin. Ha. I seriously missed bratty Arthur and sassy Merlin. And of course, Gaius' eyebrow of doom.

 

I also have the biggest crush on Mordred and Morgana and their respective actor/actress. Heck, I fully admit that the entire reason I watched Merlin was because of Asa Butterfield, the actor who played Mordred. I stayed because of Morgana. XD

 

Oh, and you already know about /that/? Okay.

 

<rant here read at your own risk>

I hate season 5. I really do.

 

I guess it's because there's so much build up on the Magic Reveal thing and they failed to deliver. Really? Merlin telling Arthur about it 30 minutes before the ending? That's how they did it? Wow. I can't. The fanfictions I've read are a hundred times better then that.

 

Also, where's the entire prophecy thing? The whole, Arthur will bring back magic? Arthur will be the greatest king evah? Arthur hated magic until the last few minutes. It was Gwen, presumably, who bought back magic. Arthur was a good king, or at least better than his father (though a squirrel would be a better King than Uther), but not prophecied-greatest-king-ever material. Nope. Nah. Sorry Kilgarrah.

 

Also, there's the entire white dragon thing. The writers all said Aethusia will play such a huge role in the last season but nah, white dragon actually didn't.

 

And okay, I'll be honest. A part of my reaction is, in part, due to the fact that Asa isn't playing as Mordred. Yeah, I know a few years had passed, but I watched Merlin because of Asa. Where is my Asa???? Okay that is extremely biased of me, I apologize.

 

I love Merlin, I really do. But that love does not extend to season 5 and I'm forever denying that it existed.

/end rant

Edited October 18, 2015 by nicocoberru

[Voidus]

Oh wow. It's been such a long time since I watched Merlin. Ha. I seriously missed bratty Arthur and sassy Merlin. And of course, Gaius' eyebrow of doom.

 

I also have the biggest crush on Mordred and Morgana and their respective actor/actress. Heck, I fully admit that the entire reason I watched Merlin was because of Asa Butterfield, the actor who played Mordred. I stayed because of Morgana. XD

 

Oh, and you already know about /that/? Okay.

 

<rant here read at your own risk>

I hate season 5. I really do.

 

I guess it's because there's so much build up on the Magic Reveal thing and they failed to deliver. Really? Merlin telling Arthur about it 30 minutes before the ending? That's how they did it? Wow. I can't. The fanfictions I've read are a hundred times better then that.

 

Also, where's the entire prophecy thing? The whole, Arthur will bring back magic? Arthur will be the greatest king evah? Arthur hated magic until the last few minutes. It was Gwen, presumably, who bought back magic. Arthur was a good king, or at least better than his father (though a squirrel would be a better King than Uther), but not prophecied-greatest-king-ever material. Nope. Nah. Sorry Kilgarrah.

 

Also, there's the entire white dragon thing. The writers all said Aethusia will play such a huge role in the last season but nah, white dragon actually didn't.

 

And okay, I'll be honest. A part of my reaction is, in part, due to the fact that Asa isn't playing as Mordred. Yeah, I know a few years had passed, but I watched Merlin because of Asa. Where is my Asa???? Okay that is extremely biased of me, I apologize.

 

I love Merlin, I really do. But that love does not extend to season 5 and I'm forever denying that it existed.

/end rant

More later season spoilers

What are you talking about? There was no season 5. Definitely no incredibly disappointing finale that would make me refuse to ever acknowledge an entire season. I'll just always be sad that the show was never finished because I'm sure it would have been an awesome finish where nothing stupid happened.   

(To very temporarily break my vow to never acknowledge it, that magic reveal was complete and utter crem, the whole journey made no sense since by any kind of logic whatsoever Merlin should have just called Kilarrah straight away to fly them, Morganna simultaneously came up with some nonsense that she can't be killed because she's a high priestess, despite both the previous ones dying or being mortally injured just as easily as anyone else and yet also seemed underpowered and just... just all of the everything. Grrrrr.  )

[nicocoberru]

Hahahaa. Of course. You're right. What season five? There was no season 5. It's really too bad such a beautiful show was cancelled. Too bad. Oh well, there are some really, really, good fanfiction out there in the net. I can always read those.

(To also temporarily face reality, I just love the fact that most of the fandom had unanimously agred that Season 5 doesn't exist. I remember when Season 5 ended, I saw a lot of fanfiction authors completely rejecting the canon and writing their own endings. And those actually makes a whole lot more sense, plot-wise and character-wise.

I mean, /that's/ the reveal? That's how the prophecy ended? What happened to my "I shall never forgive this, Emrys, and I shall never forget" Morded? And don't even get me started on Gawain's girlfriend.)

Okay. I'm gonna stop writing rants and start saying the things I loved about it. I just love Arthurian legends and this, for me, is a new take about it so I fell hard. I love the characters so much. Gwen with her strengtj and kindness. Arthur with his brattyness. Merlin with his sassiness. Morgana and her rebellious streak. Plis, I don't know what language they used whenever Merlin says magic, but I love it. Also the dresses. They have some really amazing dresses.

Oh, Ripple, what episode are you in now? Have you seen my sweet son Mordred?

Edited October 18, 2015 by nicocoberru

[RippleGylf]

I think the last one I watched was where Uther marries a troll...

[Voidus]

I do love the legends, the magic and the general style of the show but I think for me the thing that always sold me was the actors. Collin and Bradley just had some amazing chemistry that totally pulled off a young Merlin/Arthur relationship could have developed, Katie McGrath was an amazing Morgana and young Mordred was super awesome.

[nicocoberru]

Oh man. That episode was my favorite one. It feels so gratifying seeing Uther so lovestruck with a honest to goodness troll.

He deserves it. He deserves it so much.

I remembered shipping Morgana/Merlin so badly during the early seasons. I mean, I get Arthur/Merlin, I see their chemistry and understand why people would ship them, I just liked Morgana/Merlin better.

Which is why it irritates me to no end that Kilgarrah forbids Merlin from telling Morgana that he has magic. The poor girl was scared. She has magic, lives under a maniac who would kill all magic-users, and she thinks she was alone. It's no wonder she turned evil with her fear and Morguase's brainwashing. If you'd only told her, maybe none of this would have happened. Seriously Merlin, Kilgarrah, you created your own monsters

Edited October 19, 2015 by nicocoberru

[RippleGylf]

Oh, I'm totally shipping Gwen and Merlin. And so, the last Lancelot episode I've seen just kind of sunk my ship. 

[Voidus]

Oh man. That episode was my favorite one. It feels so gratifying seeing Uther so lovestruck with a honest to goodness troll.

He deserves it. He deserves it so much.

I remembered shipping Morgana/Merlin so badly during the early seasons. I mean, I get Arthur/Merlin, I see their chemistry and understand why people would ship them, I just liked Morgana/Merlin better.

Which is why it irritates me to no end that Kilgarrah forbids Merlin from telling Morgana that he has magic. The poor girl was scared. She has magic, lives under a maniac who would kill all magic-users, and she thinks she was alone. It's no wonder she turned evil with her fear and Morguase's brainwashing. If you'd only told her, maybe none of this would have happened. Seriously Merlin, Kilgarrah, you created your own monsters

Morglin forever!

[nicocoberru]

The best ship will always be ArthurxTree though XD

[Retsam]

Merlin is one of those shows that I started out really liking, and was super ready for it to be over by the end.  As others have said, the easily best part is the chemistry between Arthur and Merlin.

 

My big complaints: 

 

1) It came across as oddly sexist, and not in an "accurate depiction of feudal society" sort of way; the issue is that virtually every woman on the show is evil, or turns evil, or is being manipulated by evil at some point in the plot.  (I can literally only think of one or two exceptions in the entire show).

 

Sure, you can blame the original legend for some of that; Morgana being the main antagonist is sort of inevitable for Arthurian adaptations, but even before Morgana turns evil (also, see #2), they decided to introduce a generic evil sorceress to be the main antagonist (named Nimueh, but no real connection to any character from the legend; though some have a character with that name), and it applies to minor characters, too: there were a bunch of throwaway female characters whose only role in the plot is to be secretly working for evil.  

 

2) A big focus of the show is Morgana falling to evil... and they really didn't do it well.  Her reasons - Uther's opposition to her newly discovered magic, and some family history - aren't that great, and it just seems awfully quick that she's willing to turn on all of her former friends.  (You can argue "brainwashed by Morgause", and that's a reasonable explanation... but not a terribly satisfying one) 

 

By the end of the series, she's not really a tragic character, nor an interesting villain.  Despite the fact that the magic system in Merlin seems to have infinite variety of ways to be evil, while Merlin's arsenal seems to be limited to poltergeisting, making himself look old, and the occasional fireball, (and, inexplicably, the ability to make an enemy's sword burn their hand without arousing suspicion later), Morgana just holds the idiot ball far too often to be a real fearsome villain.  By the end of the show, she reminds me of Rita Repulsa from Power Rangers: cackling laugh, crazy hair, and loses every episode. 

 

3) As was said; saving the "I have magic" reveal for the last episode was a terrible decision.  We could have really used a season of Arthur dealing with the knowledge that Merlin has magic; it'd be good to shake the dynamic up between them and to let them grow as characters.

 

On a less complain-y note; my girlfriend and I developed a drinking game for the show (though we don't drink, so it was a more hypothetical drinking game), it's been awhile, I don't remember all the rules, but these were definitely there:

 

1. Take a drink every time Merlin goes to see the dragon.

2. Take a drink every time someone says "I have no choice" or "destiny". (This frequently followed #1)

3. Take a drink any time Arthur or Merlin is oblivious to someone flirting with them

Edited October 23, 2015 by Retsam

[DanTheSeamonster]

So I am horrible at watching shows. Think I'm joking? 
 

I haven't finished Merlin, The 100, Bleach, Sword Art Online, Arrow, Parasyte, and a whole lotta others. 

 

That being said, I got up to Season 4 Episode... 11? I think?   Somewhere along there. And I really like the show! It's not the highest production value, and at many times it is ridiculously goofy. But it is still wonderful. Like a lot of other people have been saying, the relationship between Merlin and Arthur is awesome! The actors do a really good job of portraying them as best friends who won't admit that under pain of death. 

 

Honestly, I always shipped Arthur and Gwen together. Team Garthur for the win!!! 

[Bort]

I've just started watching this. Being at home and ill for the past few days gave me time to get through season 1. The next episode on the list is the "Your new wife is a troll, Sire," episode, which I think will be quite funny.