Merlin S4 Episode 1 - No spoiler review (and a bit of squeeing over Fringe)

[shadowkat]

I have a bone to pick with you, flist. You did not warn me that Merlin was premiering on Syfy on Jan 6. How am I supposed to remember this on my own? Without my reliable tv prompters? See? THIS is the problem when everyone watches the show via the internet or overseas (I live in NYC - overseas is outside the US. Hey, if you think that's annoying I could be worse, a lot of New Yorkers define overseas as everyone who lives on the opposite side of the Hudson River and The Atlantic Ocean or the East River (if they are Manhattanites). I'm not kidding. This is true.]

That said, I did manage to find it on my own - online, took a little bit of hunting.

Here: http://stream-tv-shows-online.com/merlin-season-4-episode-1-the-darkest-hour-part-1/

Gotta love the information age. Particularly if you are a information/cultural junkie like myself. Time was you'd have to wait until the tv show got re-run in the summer, or if it didn't deal. Now..not a problem.

Damn, that was a good episode. What happened? They suddenly hire some really good writers, directors and cinematographers or something? Best episode I've seen. Special effects were even good. Plus we have a new and somewhat complicated villain. And Anthony Stewart Head's brief appearances were quite brilliant, he truly is a gifted actor when he's given something to do.

And Bradley James is getting really good in this role. His eyes really got across fear and vulnerability. I'm impressed. Actually everyone is getting good...even Morgana, who was admittedly the weak link for a while there.

We also have layers now. And metaphor! And it's not just monster of the week or problem of the week. It's actually become a serial. YAY! I have a feeling I'm going to love the 4th Season, which is nice...since S2 and 3 drug a bit.

[Oh - almost forgot...Violence-a-meter...about 20 deaths, lots of fighting, and a human sacrifice...but hey all in a good days work. And it was a willing human sacrifice, so there's that. A willing, already dying, somewhat morose human sacrifice.
The other deaths were all by ghost not sword...so maybe they don't count?]

Fringe - whoa...we are following Faux!Olivia or NEw!Olivia or Amber!Olivia in the Amberverse and everyone in it as well as Olivia in the Regular verse. I've never seen anyone follow two separate verses in multiple episodes on a tv series. Usually it's just an one-shot sort of deal. This is new. Even Farscape - which had two John Crichton's ended didn't quite do that. We have new characters, we have different versions of existing or dead characters. It's bloody brilliant and incredibly complicated and difficult to do. I applaud the ambition and risk involved.

I expected them to stop exploring both universes when Blue!Olivia made it back to the Blue verse and Amber!Olivia made it back to the Amber verse. But they didn't do that.
We are still following both characters and the subsidiary characters in both verses.
The attention to detail is astounding. For example? Sheep died off ten years ago in the amber verse and there's no FBI. Also they travel by hydrogen balloon ships, not airplanes. It's the little touches. I really appreciate attention to detail in tv series, particularly when it is consistent. That's hard to do. A lot of tv shows aren't very good at this.

Comments

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

Hee. Just finished writing my review of it. IT was a good one, loved it, but I have a quibble...which I wrote in the review. Not entirely sure the back story worked. (Right now my favorite fairy tale back stories are written by Espenson, who is for some reason or other doing all the male trickster back stories.)

[masqthephlsphr.livejournal.com]

Not sure it entirely worked myself, because the story shows Rumplestiltskin initially as a good man who is having his children ripped from him. And he is desperate to prevent that, and becomes willing to do anything.

This is a great set-up for showing a slow slide into corruption, but since they only have 45 minutes to tell the tale (less than that, with the modern tale going on simultaneously), they have to resort to turning him corrupt not by his choices entirely, but by being magicked into it in the end, and that sort of corruption story is a cop-out that never quite works on an emotional level for a viewer.

But is necessary if you've made a character convincingly a good person upfront (::cough::Morgana Pendragon::cough::).

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

This is a great set-up for showing a slow slide into corruption, but since they only have 45 minutes to tell the tale (less than that, with the modern tale going on simultaneously), they have to resort to turning him corrupt not by his choices entirely, but by being magicked into it in the end, and that sort of corruption story is a cop-out that never quite works on an emotional level for a viewer.

I agree.

Hee. We were both spoiled by Angel, Buffy and to a degree Lost. Where they do show that slow slide into corruption bit by bit. (Notably Willow's arc in Buffy...comes to mind.)

But here as in Merlin (with Morgana)...it feels a bit rushed and doesn't quite play.

So Rumplestilskin goes from nice, albeit terrified (potentially cowardly) Dad, and villager, struggling to protect his children, to evil child stealer? Okay. And all because of magic? Yeah, he might have been cowardly...but that's not enough by itself.

But is necessary if you've made a character convincingly a good person upfront (::cough::Morgana Pendragon::cough::).

Yep. I agree...on Morgana. Not sure if Rumple is as evil or unredeemable as Morgana is being painted at the moment. I've been admittedly struggling with Morgana's characterization for some time now - she's the weak link in Merlin.
While I think Rumple may be one of Once's strengths...he clearly has an agenda, just not quite sure what it is and since these writers hailed from LOST...I think he may end up being a little more ambiguous than we think. (at least that's my hope.)

[masqthephlsphr.livejournal.com]

I think a good trickster character needs to have a bit of a mercenary heart from the get-go, a trait that starts out as a minor character flaw and ends up overshadowing their conscience due to circumstances and personal choices.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

I was thinking about your comment on the way home from work today...and I saw a pattern emerge from previous tricksters that I've loved.

Spike if you recall..started sort of like Rumplestilskin, a desperate soul, weak, powerless, terrified. Avoiding violence at all costs. Good with language. And deals. And protective of those he loved. A good man at heart, but also deemed cowardly because he hated a fight.

Was there a bit of a mercenary heart in there? I don't know.

Emma Swan also falls into the category of trickster, prison background, desperate soul, struggle to protect those she loves...and a bounty-hunter, jack of all trades - definitely mercenary.

Also...the trickster is always the "fool" in the card deck. A glib line.

Very ambiguous character. Often will turn a story or change it, without the author's intention.

Will state - I think Robert Carylyle is an excellent choice here. He doesn't fall into the temptation of playing Rumple as too creepy.
But does he have bad teeth! LOL! The actor reminds me a little of the actor who used to play Ethan Rayne.