Merlin 4.08

[kivrin]

I've been enjoying this season of Merlin quite a lot, so this episode stands out as a reversion to seasons 2 and 3. It particularly feels like a huge step back in terms of the Arthur/Merlin relationship, with Arthur doing the "what, Merlin, that idiot?" routine even in the rescue. It was annoying before and it's annoying now, with extra bonus "whut?" since just last week Arthur was unashamedly worried about Merlin and hugged him.

It's also a big, unwelcome step backwards in terms of "magic users, especially women, are just out to mess with things for the fun of it." I kept thinking of the Buffy s1 episode "Inca Mummy Girl" and how Ampata got to have nice things like motivation and internal conflict and a name, all of which are denied the lamia.

It's nice that Gwen got to be smart and observant and to swing a sword a little, and Merlin got a promotion to Assistant Physician. It was not so nice to feel the echoes of "Lancelot and Guenevere" in the sense of it being all too easy to read the plot as "Merlin is unrequitedly in love with Arthur who is casually mean to him and totally ready to throw him under the bus for Gwen."

In other news, this is the five hundred and eighty-seventh Sunday after Pentecost, and next Sunday is Advent 1. It's still WRONG that both the supermarket and the CVS were playing Christmas music when I went shopping yesterday, but it could be wronger.