One Week To Go!

Don't know what I'm going to do today. Maybe the mall.

I'll let you all know later.

I'll let you in on a secret-if I keep posting these pointless blog entries talking about my meaningless life every day for the next week, I'll hit 700 on graduation day. Which would be why I'm posting repeatedly. Because that would be awesome. I might have to post an extra talking about cupcakes or something to get it there ON the day but this is what I'm aiming for for some reason. I have no idea why.

Gonna go do something more productive with my time (ha ha ha)

Ta,
Bec



PS: Went to the mall. Got a few things-one small thing for myself but got presents for Mum and both sisters.

I also watched Merlin and here's my thoughts on Episode 10.







SPOILER LINE





Herald of the New Age

Okay, so the knights, Arthur, and Merlin are walking through a forest. Elyan gets teased because Gwaine drank all his water. The troupe walk into a clearing full of what appears to be Druid laundry.

However, the area is a spirit haunt thing, and Merlin kind of gets wary about the whole thing. Arthur thinks it a good idea to get out of there and they do...but Elyan gets a drink from the well first.

They go back to the castle. Everything seems fine.

AND we find out Elyan woke up the spirit of a drowned boy and is now possessed by him. The boy wants Arthur dead. (I actually predicted the kid would want Arthur dead BEFORE he said it. Sigh. Show, you can be a TAD bit predictable sometimes.)

Elyan, then, gets to have the ignomious honor of being the first person to try to directly assassinate King Arthur (they tried plenty when he was a prince.) Arthur defends himself with a couple of stools but I'm fairly certain from now on, our king will have a sword two inches from his fingers at all times (he does when he's SLEEPING!)

The assumption between the knights is that Elyan's lost it because Gwen got banished. Give me a break. He never even said goodbye to her as far as we know and the two of them spent YEARS apart in the past. It was Gwen's fault in the first place, too. Bit ridiculous.

Elyan gets cornered, Percy calms him down, then Percy basically whops him one with a paw and takes him out of consciousness for awhile. (I love Percy by the way and wish the man got more screen time.)

Agravaine, showing remarkable loyalty (why isn't he HELPING Elyan here?) wants Elyan dead.

Merlin, wise and powerful, tells Arthur it's a damned vengeful spirit and Elyan's not himself. Him and Gaius have visited the camp and Merlin got all sensey and teary-eyed because he could FEEL what had happened. Colin Morgan is amazing in his ability to cry on command and should receive a BAFTA for doing so at the drop of a hat in almost every episode.

Arthur decides that both of them are driving him nuts and they should leave him to think.


Merlin decides to fix the whole stupid problem himself by taking Elyan out, knocking him senseless with some drugged water, and banishing the spirit. The Camelot prison guards are just as dumb as they always were (personally I think the writers get a kick out of guards who are as thick as a flaming Christmas pudding.) Merlin gets past them easy and lets Elyan out with the keys. They go out the dungeon entrance and Merlin tries to get Elyan to drink the water full of sedative, but the spirit warns Elyan not to drink with a shake of its head.

Elyan clonks Merlin in the head and escapes.

It's obvious to Arthur that Merlin busted Elyan out of jail, but he doesn't call him out on it.

Elyan attacks Arthur in the throne room. Merlin blows the door lock to try and get in there and stops Arthur from killing Elyan. He lets him go free.

Arthur pretends to Agravaine that if they find Elyan they can kill him, then TURNS AROUND to Gaius and Merlin and consults with them as to what he should be doing. This obvious disagreement with his uncle's method of shoot first and ask questions later is new and welcome. It shows Agravaine isn't completely in favor anymore. Could be interesting to see where that goes.

Arthur is basically told he may have to kill Elyan because the spirit ain't going to get its vengeance. Uther was the one who committed the atrocity at the Druid camp and caused the tragic deaths and there's no avenging it because Uther is dead. The spirit won't let go until it gets what it wants and it won't.

And then Arthur does something unexpected.

Arthur goes out to the camp in the dark. (Merlin follows him.) Arthur gets a little ticked about it but lets Merlin follow.

Arthur lays down his sword.

Elyan comes to him, possessed by the spirit. Arthur kneels.

It turns out Arthur is responsible for the atrocity at the camp. He apologises, says he was young and inexperienced and longing to prove himself to his father. AND THEN!

ARTHUR SWEARS TO NEVER ATTACK THE DRUIDS AGAIN.

Yes, that's right. Arthur swears to leave the Druids in peace. And you can be sure he means it.

The spirit forgives him and leaves Elyan.

I cried when Arthur promised to leave the Druids be. How many times were they attacked for no reason at all? How many of them died for no reason, even in the last five years?

How much has Arthur changed things if he's calling a stop to all the Druid massacres, a stop to all the meaningless deaths, a stop to the senseless violence enacted upon a peaceful people?

This had to be a proud moment for Merlin (and you can guarantee he'll hold Arthur to this promise.) It's such a big step. Such a proving of destiny. Arthur is becoming the king who lets magic be, who lets the Druids live in peace and safety once again.

There was also the minor subtext of Arthur missing Gwen. He falls asleep in his stew and winds up with it in his hair (heh heh). Why he didn't wash it out is beyond me. He's clearly distressed over the whole business of Gwen being gone and is trying to move on.

But barring the mooning over Gwen stuff, Arthur has come so far since the days of that arrogant prince who threw knives at a servant holding a wooden shield. Aren't you proud of our boy?


Next week: A blonde princess comes to Camelot. Oh, no. Here we go again. (Don't laugh at me. How many BLOODY times has a blonde chick, lady, princess, whatever, shown up, tried to get Arthur, and wound up almost killing him? THREE TIMES? I have a right to be cautious about this. Merlin should be watching this girl. Blondes and Arthur do NOT mix, have we not learned this yet?) Gwen is in some sort of purple thing that kind of makes her look like Princess Jasmine. Morgana and Aggie are involved somehow again.


Three more episodes to go, folks!