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Merlin: S2|E1: "The Curse of Cornelius Sigan"
Well, after a harrowing search online to watch the episode and pretending I didn't see all the reaction posts and coda fics; I finally saw the episode. I feel so impatient. :P Don't get me started on the one site that stopped playing the episode all together (THE HELL?!!) about halfway through. So glad I found another site that wasn't so lameass...
So, points:
1. Oh, poor Merlin! I wanted him get Cedric back somehow...kick his ass or something. How dare he make Merlin look bad? And looks like Arthur is a bit of an oblivious prat yet again... *sigh* Oh, right "royal prat" or "clotpole." LOL.
2. But omg, I should start from the beginning. How can I not? They are totally messing with our minds - ARTHUR HALF-NAKED AND CALLING FOR MERLIN?! *is dead* And not to mention, Arthur's half-naked (only waist-up, UNFORTUNATELY :P) like THREE times in the episode. TEASE! :p At first, I was wondering, why the hell does Arthur expect Merlin to be on call and right outside his door? Anyway, my brain is fried...I think it was an antechamber or something...but how can one's mind NOT go full-tilt into the gutter?? Answer me that!
3. I wanted to smack Arthur hard for getting so taken by Cedric...I get why he was appreciative of him. Cedric was a total bootlicker: "an honour to serve you" (while Merlin thinks this about Cedric: "It would be an honour to kick your arse, you arsewipe bootlicker. Die, die, die!")
4. I was so glad when Merlin finally had a legit reason to kick Cedric's arse when he found out about him taking the key. Too bad Arthur rained on Merlin's parade. And it's just...tiring, you know, that it's likely they'll drag out the magic reveal as long as they can... *sigh* BUT --
5. The fight in Arthur's room...Merlin tackling Cedric to the ground and Arthur's like, "Oh fuck. Well, this is just great." And you know, despite Arthur's growing annoyance with Merlin (damn you, Cedric!); I loved that Arthur went over the bed and jumped Merlin and then restrained him.
Foreplay, anyone? (I feel like I should put a warning on this post. My mind is going to the special place at the moment...)
And then Arthur tells him that Merlin should spend some time in the cells to cool off (which really means, "I'll meet you down there later, we can play that bondage game we haven't tried yet").
ANYWAY, hints of Morgana/Gwen (very cute and sweet) and Arthur/Gwen - Awww! "You surprise me...and Thank You." And the LOOK on Arthur's face! The whole Arthur/Gwen thing doesn't seem too forced if you remember the sweet scene between them in the S1 finale. I suppose in this episode, Arthur is opening his eyes and beginning to realize that he feels something for her, but maybe he's not sure what it is exactly. So endearing (almost makes me forget his meanness to Merlin - *hugs Merlin* :-().
But ohhhh, poor Merlin! "Everything I do is for him, and he just thinks I'm an idiot."
They were milking Merlin's frustration - I should have realized (and was not too surprised) when Cornelius Sigan (with Cedric as his meatsuit - yay, Supernatural term that totally applies here as well :-)) tried to convince Merlin to join him (it's always like that, isn't it?) by reminding him of how Arthur just thought he was an idiot - and how Merlin could continue to be simply his servant when he could focus on becoming a great and powerful sorcerer.
Merlin did look like he was getting persuaded, but of course, it didn't stick. "Better to serve a good man than join with an evil man." Awww, oh, Merlin! Still think he should give Arthur what's for, but you can't have everything...
Okay, so I read a comment regarding something in this episode that is probably not true, but it would be so wicked if it really were the case. The thing is this: Sigan's soul entered into Merlin, and we assume that whatever spell the Great Dragon gave Merlin was able to return the soul back into the heart, so it was blue again when Merlin showed it to Gaius.
Right, so the villain is taken care of...Camelot lives to see another day...all is well.
BUT, Merlin's eyes turned black when Sigan's soul went inside of him, showing that he was indeed possessed by Sigan for a brief time...What if Merlin was tricking Gaius into thinking that Sigan's soul was back where it should be? What if that heart was a duplicate? (this is where the idea falls flat, but anyway...). What if the audience is supposed to believe that Merlin is back to normal, no harm done, etc. etc.?
Meanwhile, Merlin could still be possessed by Sigan and he spends the whole rest of the season, biding his time...until the finale when all hell breaks loose and everyone finds out that Merlin isn't Merlin anymore... I don't know of many shows that would have the guts to do that - to mess with people's minds like that. Leave this final big reveal to the end of the season...and everyone's like, "Oh shit, Merlin is still possessed by Sigan!"
And then all those little moments where Merlin does weird, inexplicable, vaguely dark things...people realize why he did them. (okay, well, maybe Ruby on "Supernatural" fit the bill, but she was a demon first and foremost no matter her apparent good intentions...)
Yeah, that is a rather twisted idea, but it would make a great AU! Season 2 fic, I think. It just made me shiver a bit...that would just be so wrong, but still...
On a final note -- Arthur and Merlin make up in the end! Yay! And Arthur finds it hard to admit that Merlin was right, but at least he acknowledges that Merlin was not an idiot in the matter with Cedric. :D ...and so with that, he dumps all this armor on Merlin for him to clean. Arthur, you're so predictable. :P
Anyway...I do think Arthur looked really good in this episode - especially in the scene where he finds Merlin asleep in the stables. The annoyed look on Arthur's face reminded me of that scene in "The Labyrinth of Gedref" where he gets on Merlin for resting when he was supposed to keep watch ("...and stop smacking your lips. It's annoying." :-)). Ah, such a snarky (for Arthur at least) scene and the banter between the two was love. "I was bending down to look for something..." "...could it be the horses???" Arthur does seem rather patient with Merlin in that scene - or he's controlling his temper much better than expected...
I'm glad Merlin had a heart-to-heart with Gaius on the matter - he really needed it. Merlin looked so down-trodden. :-(
Overall, it's great to have "Merlin" back on [my computer] :p. Now, please, when the hell does the BBC plan to release the S1 "Merlin" DVD in the US? Because that's just mean and very frustrating.
Next Episode: Uther's wife is a troll! Muahaha! That should be great. And I hope Arthur isn't so prattish in the next episode (to Merlin at least).
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Yeah, I agree. It's not an easy thing to do especially to the protagonist that the audience is supposed to be rooting for. It would be a big disappointment to find that out. And the only way to resolve it would be to get Merlin back to normal. I personally would feel betrayed...still, cool idea. Probably "Supernatural" is one of the few shows gutsy enough to do that (they did do it in one episode with Sam, but it was all contained in one episode, so it managed to work...).
The stable scene was cute! Merlin's faces... adorable.
I agree - it was very cute. Merlin has the best adorkable! faces.
There hasn't been a US release yet? Weird.
NBC did air season 1 of "Merlin" over the summer, but the BBC is still being stingy and not releasing the DVD in the US (the right region at least). I'd have to buy a region-free DVD player if I want the DVD...it's really not fair in my opinion.
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But you know, that's probably not ever gonna happen in series, LOL. SO FIC. SOMEBODY. THE IDEA IS TOO AWESOME.
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I know, right?? It would be an awesome idea.
But you know, that's probably not ever gonna happen in series, LOL. SO FIC. SOMEBODY. THE IDEA IS TOO AWESOME.
Yeah, it's definitely an idea that would work best in a fanfic. Otherwise, it would make the show darker than it should be. Still, it's something worth pursuing. :-)
reply part one
Me too. I dislike the royal prat scenes but I have to remind myself he was raised to be that way. Still I want to slap Arthur sometimes.
2. But omg, I should start from the beginning. How can I not? They are totally messing with our minds - ARTHUR HALF-NAKED AND CALLING FOR MERLIN?! *is dead* And not to mention, Arthur's half-naked (only waist-up, UNFORTUNATELY :P) like THREE times in the episode. TEASE! :p At first, I was wondering, why the hell does Arthur expect Merlin to be on call and right outside his door? Anyway, my brain is fried...I think it was an antechamber or something...but how can one's mind NOT go full-tilt into the gutter?? Answer me that!
ROTFL I had the same thought "Bet the slasher are having a heart attack right about now" when watching that scene:D I wonder how long Merlin stays in the room next to Arthur's as night? He comes home but always seems to be around Arthur's bedroom...:p Half naked Arthur three times in one episode was a reward for the long wait fans had for season two:D
3. I wanted to smack Arthur hard for getting so taken by Cedric...I get why he was appreciative of him. Cedric was a total bootlicker: "an honour to serve you" (while Merlin thinks this about Cedric: "It would be an honour to kick your arse, you arsewipe bootlicker. Die, die, die!")
I had the same feelings. At least I thought he only took Cedric on to bug Merlin but still. The fight was so funny.
4. I was so glad when Merlin finally had a legit reason to kick Cedric's arse when he found out about him taking the key. Too bad Arthur rained on Merlin's parade. And it's just...tiring, you know, that it's likely they'll drag out the magic reveal as long as they can... *sigh* BUT --
I know just how you feel. Let arthur find out then have the two of them hiding the secret from Uther.
5. The fight in Arthur's room...Merlin tackling Cedric to the ground and Arthur's like, "Oh fuck. Well, this is just great." And you know, despite Arthur's growing annoyance with Merlin (damn you, Cedric!); I loved that Arthur went over the bed and jumped Merlin and then restrained him.
LOL it was so funny. Merlin really doesn't know how to fight but it was so funny. I love Arthur jumping Merlin over the bed to stop him. I can make so many slash jokes about that scene:D
And then Arthur tells him that Merlin should spend some time in the cells to cool off (which really means, "I'll meet you down there later, we can play that bondage game we haven't tried yet").
ROTFL!
and Arthur/Gwen - Awww! "You surprise me...and Thank You." And the LOOK on Arthur's face! The whole Arthur/Gwen thing doesn't seem too forced if you remember the sweet scene between them in the S1 finale. I suppose in this episode, Arthur is opening his eyes and beginning to realize that he feels something for her, but maybe he's not sure what it is exactly. So endearing (almost makes me forget his meanness to Merlin - *hugs Merlin* :-().
I forgot about that scene in the final. Yeah it does make more sense and is a little sweet when you add that in.
reply part two
Then Merlin's soul in heart being transferred to someone else body (say Arthur's body) who gets a spell to reverse what happened. More fighting, good laughs and a few close calls with people finding out that Merlin is a wizard.
The Arthur/Merlin stables scene where such a laugh. Arthur was just so witty int hat scene:D I hope next week Arthur is less of a prat too. Maybe he'll try to be nicer now he sees Merlin was right.
I take it Uthur marrying a troll is what is really going to set him off and bring in the witch finder. The look on his face when he says "what?" was so funny:D I love Tony Head so I'm looking forward to episode with lots of Uther:D
Re: reply part two
Yeah, you're right. It would work much better if it was a plot point in the following episode and then resolved at the end of it. It would have made for a very cool two-parter.
The Arthur/Merlin stables scene where such a laugh. Arthur was just so witty int hat scene:D I hope next week Arthur is less of a prat too. Maybe he'll try to be nicer now he sees Merlin was right.
Oh yeah, they had great banter in that scene. Though I can't help but remember Merlin's sad, heartbroken face when Arthur dismissed in that scene. It kinda sucks the funny out of the scene... all I could think was, "Poor Merlin!" :-(
I take it Uthur marrying a troll is what is really going to set him off and bring in the witch finder. The look on his face when he says "what?" was so funny:D I love Tony Head so I'm looking forward to episode with lots of Uther:D
LOL, I bet. This episode definitely sounds like it has potential for high levels of crack! Anthony Head is awesome, no doubt. He was great on "Buffy."