Camelot 1.3-1.4

[meganbmoore]

Dear Writers,

You seem to be implying at least a bit of an eventual Ygraine/Merlin. I admit, in certain circumstances, I could be intrigued by this, with a Merlin I hated less. Though, I would have certain requirements for that. Requirements like, say, Merlin NOT being complicit in her rape, Merlin NOT be partly responsible for her first husband’s death, Merlin NOT helping to place her completely under the power of a wife killer who controls by fear and oppression, and, oh yeah, Merlin NOT stealing her newborn child and not letting her know if it was alive or dead for twenty years.

Absolutely no love on this front,

Me

Meanwhile, I understand that fandom likes to talk about Ygraine being a horrible mother who abandoned her child. I guess they slept through the scene where Merlin literally ripped Arthur out of her arms and Uther restrained her while she begged Merlin to give her child back. Also, I’m not really going to argue with people about Ygraine having qualities that get called “doormattish,” because she does (though I will say that in episodes three and four, when she’s actually been free of Uther for more than a few days, she’s much livelier and more assertive) but hey, if you spent the last twenty years completely under the power of a man who forced you to marry him after killing your husband and using his face to get you to have sex with him, not to mention that she pretty much confirmed in ep 4 that this is one of those versions where Uther is so obsessed with possessing her that he literally wages war to get her, well, I’m pretty sure you’d adopt utter passivity if you thought (pretty darn reasonably) that it was your only way to survive.

I’m actually not really sure how much I actually like this Ygraine, but all the Arthuriana I’ve been watching has made me very invested in her in general, and while I have issues all over the place with this show, including what they’re doing with her, this is dealing with the aspects of Ygraine’s story that I want to see explored.

So, basically, I’m watching for Morgan, Ygraine and Vivian. I like Kay and Leontes, but they spend a lot of time going on about how awesome Arthur is. I like Guenevere and want to be invested in her, but so far they’ve literally given her absolutely nothing to do except be torn between Arthur and Leontes. Also, I am totally mystified as to why we’re supposed to think Guenevere can’t help falling for Arthur when she already has the far superior in every possible way (including looks, and Philip Winchester isn’t my thing at all) Leontes. Even without that, none of their interactions justify anything resembling the epic connection the show wants us to buy into. Also, Arthur apparently studied at the Damon Salvatore School Of Wooing. You know, the one that says the way to a girl’s heart is to try to bully her into loving you and keep telling her she does and ignore her when she keeps telling you to knock it off.

Uhm…I’m only ranting outside the cut, aren’t I? Sigh.

I will say that it’s interesting how the show is largely following pre-Mallory/de Troyes myth (with bits of those thrown in) and then just throwing in random twists? Some of which I like, and some of which I don’t. (Like making Ygraine not be Morgan’s mother. On the one hand, I think they did that so they can have a focus on Ygraine and her past/freedom without having her torn between two children, while keeping Morgan’s motivation centered around her mother’s ill use and the death of a parent, but at the same time, it basically turns the main conflict into the two white guys we’re supposed to root for trying to screw a woman out of her birthright.) Also, this is one of the few things to actually remember that Excalibur isn’t the sword in the stone. And there was totally a callout to White’s Once and Future King at the end of ep 3. (Morgan is smirking and petting her owl when Merlin comes up to her.)

-So, I’m still making up my mind about Gawain? Sometimes I like him, and sometimes I don’t? Particularly in that last bit where he was talking about how Arthur’s douchery was why he’ll be an awesome king (Uhm…it’d be really nice if they gave us a reason to root for Arthur besides the fact that he’s a guy, and Merlin said so?) But at the same time, he’s Gawain and I have a bit of a preformed attachment there. And I wonder if this version is going to be Lot’s son. I’m pretty sure there’s some connection, there, given his reaction when Kay and Leontes mentioned Lot. (Uhm…if he is Lot’s son, then that means Arthur or Kay one killed his brother. I can’t remember which it was that killed Lot’s son.) Though, given his age and Lot’s age, it seems more likely that he’d be Lot’s brother or nephew than son, if they’re related.

-I am…entirely uncertain about what they’re doing with Vivian? On the one hand, I really like her as a character so far, and I get the impression that she only served Uther on her own terms, and is doing the same with Morgan? On the other hand, it’s the same “black servant” thing as with Merlin (though at least here they explained her background, which I understand Merlin never really does, and just goes “The black girl is the servant!”)

-I can’t quite figure out what they’re doing with magic here? Like, you’d think shape shifting would be advanced magic, not one of the first things learned? Unless Morgan is just really ambitious and jumped ahead. Also, I actually think Merlin is sincere when he says he’s worried that the magic will hurt her, but it’s also a very patronizing concern, and I can’t help but think that part of it is fear that’ll she’ll be more powerful than him. Also, he apparently doesn’t think the murder of a parent is doing anything bad to someone. At least if you’re a young girl. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing when he said that Uther hadn’t done anything to Morgan, and then he backed it up with Excalibur. (I wonder if Arthur would care if he learned his pretty new sword was acquired through double murder. Actually, he would be pretty upset about that. But still.)

-So, sometimes, I think that maybe Arthur will improve and that it’s actually a possibility since he’s pretty young, especially when he seems to genuinely want a relationship with Morgan, but then I remember he wants the relationship with the caveat that she be subservient to him and fall in line with what he wants. Or he tries to bully Guenevere into loving him. Or he gets judgmental towards Ygraine (apparently he’s a strong believer of “Death Before Patriarchal Concept of Feminine Dishonor Even If it’s Your Only Way To Stay Alive. Maybe Especially Then.”) while hero worshipping his rapist, murdering, abusive father. (Ok, I actually think both Ygraine and Morgan have tried to shield him somewhat from how awful Uther was, but presumably he has enough of a brain to figure out that they both had reason to hate/fear him.)

So, basically, my favorite scene of the show so far is when Arthur is being judgey to Ygraine again when she’s telling him to leave Guenevere alone, and she slaps him in the face and tells him that his father acting like this resulted in a lot of dead people and a lot misery for her.

Also, speaking of shows where I have a partial Stockholm relationship with them, a coworker has started watching Vanpire Diaries. She describes Caroline as “the really pretty white girl who can’t get any” and ordered me to assure her that Caroline lives. She also thinks Bonnie is the most interesting character so far (we already share favorites) and already wonders why Damon exists. She also has a huge crush on Stefan, which kind of amuses me. (I am fond of Stefan as a character, but he doesn’t do much for me, really? But gushing about Stefan is certainly a lot easier for me to take than gushing about Damon.)