Camelot 1.04
Sep. 29th, 2011 10:39 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
felicitykingOkay, show. Why must you keep telling me that Arthur is meant to be king, and then make every character more bad-ass then he is? Arthur fumbled for an explanation for why people for for him and then lost his battle to Gawain.
Oh, and he's being piss-bitchy. Clearly, he's the son of Uther because one can tell 10 minutes in, he's already planning on how to sex up Gwen again. She at least feels guilty about it, while he feels nothing except jealousy that she's not his. And I'm supposed to root for this romance? Gag me!
I like the costumes, but I'm getting more struck by how contemporary they look. Pride and Prejudice 2005 and The Tudors had this problem too. At first glance, the costumes look medieval, but on closer inspection, it's more like steampunk or dieselpunk: an imagination of what the clothes looked like back then based on what we know but not period accurate. It's like biker gang meets Renassiance faire fashion. Of course, this is a fantasy so I'm not mad about it, but it can be distracting sometimes: like too in one's face that this is a ~daring and different~ retelling of Arthurian legend.
Arthur to Merlin "you don't control my future." Really Arthur? Cause last time I checked, you still need Merlin to save your butt and guide you and stop you from looking like a fool every single time you do something. STOP WITH THE BRATTINESS ALREADY! Seriously, Arthur, you are acting like Kay does in the legends. And the legends at least were smart enough to acknowledge Kay was not fit to be king. Headcanon again: Merlin just picked Arthur because he doesn't want to see his baby Kay (who could pass as Uther's son and Morgana's brother if one is going by looks alone) get killed.
Wow show, wow! Is Chuck Bass your role model for Arthur? Trying to embarass Gwen about her sex life and quizzing her on who is better. That is just...NOT ROOTABLE! Thank god Gwen has a backbone and maturity even though it's probably only temporary. "And will it bring you much happiness?" Fuck you Arthur! Just because you have sex dreams about Gwen doesn't mean you KNOW her. Leontes has been with her for FIVE years. I think he knows how to make her happy!
"And when he fights he's passionate but too impassive." Um, no. He's a dumb idiot who thinks he knows how to fight and jumps in recklessly and gets beaten by the more experienced person. The show has proved to this to us countless times and twice by Gawain himself this episode. Stop Gary Stuing Arthur writers! Your magic tricks aren't working!
Yuck. I know what Arthur is questioning Gawain about strategy for, and it has nothing to do with being a better king caring for his country!
Morgana, you are flawless! And you actually do mean it when you say it means "everything" to you when say you care about your land. Again, show, how the fuck am I supposed to root for Arthur when Morgana is the ones who actually CARES. She's only a power hungry bitch because nobody gave her in a chance to prove herself in the first place. And nobody continues to. Besides, unlike that puppet brother of hers, she actually does LEAD and make decisions.
Merlin, you are an asshole or Arthur is rubbing off on you. And you killed TWO people over a sword? Even Morgana isn't that egotistical. Yes, she uses magic wrongly, but it only hurts her. Not others. Arthur's power of that sword is forever corrupted by its back-history. On the other hand, I did enjoy the lake sci-fi effect. Very cool!
Thank god someone slapped Arthur and it was the right person too!
Oh, please, show. Arthur has spent this entire episode obsessing over Gwen. I don't believe his mindset ever once drifted over to values and kingly platitudes and ways to fight, because he's too busy plotting ways to sex her up again. This Gary Stuing is ridiculous. And Jamie, you might as well stop trying to play your role seriously because you're not working. Thank god I only have to endure another six more episodes of this (oh no! only six more episodes to enjoy Morgan's HBIC awesomeness! too few!)
"If you have to fight dirty to protect your cause, so be it." And how exactly do you differ from Morgana, Arthur? How exactly now? Refresh my memory, and at least she doesn't treat her people like chattel. Whereas you so obviously don't value your Champion or Gwen's feelings. THIS EPISODE IS PISSING ME OFF!
I'm definitely finding Merlin after I finish with this series. (I actually have seen bits and pieces of it on sci-fi and am surprised at how much more ~level-head, ~noble, ~daring in retelling, it is than than version of the Arthurian legends is.) At any rate, I'm glad this series got cancelled. I quit GG because it was sexist and offensive...and this show is sexist and offensive. Like GG, it is only redeemed by talented actors who make shitty material look less shitty (and like GG, all the money is spent on pretty scenery and fanciful clothing).
This series is weirdly becoming an interesting statement on how patriarchy works. How it begins and why it fails,and why women are so fucked up in patriarchy. Of course, patriarchy boils down to power and men (no matter how ill fit) being the heads of that power. And why is this dumb show making me think this academically? Oh, well. I suppose I could do worse.
Oh, and he's being piss-bitchy. Clearly, he's the son of Uther because one can tell 10 minutes in, he's already planning on how to sex up Gwen again. She at least feels guilty about it, while he feels nothing except jealousy that she's not his. And I'm supposed to root for this romance? Gag me!
I like the costumes, but I'm getting more struck by how contemporary they look. Pride and Prejudice 2005 and The Tudors had this problem too. At first glance, the costumes look medieval, but on closer inspection, it's more like steampunk or dieselpunk: an imagination of what the clothes looked like back then based on what we know but not period accurate. It's like biker gang meets Renassiance faire fashion. Of course, this is a fantasy so I'm not mad about it, but it can be distracting sometimes: like too in one's face that this is a ~daring and different~ retelling of Arthurian legend.
Arthur to Merlin "you don't control my future." Really Arthur? Cause last time I checked, you still need Merlin to save your butt and guide you and stop you from looking like a fool every single time you do something. STOP WITH THE BRATTINESS ALREADY! Seriously, Arthur, you are acting like Kay does in the legends. And the legends at least were smart enough to acknowledge Kay was not fit to be king. Headcanon again: Merlin just picked Arthur because he doesn't want to see his baby Kay (who could pass as Uther's son and Morgana's brother if one is going by looks alone) get killed.
Wow show, wow! Is Chuck Bass your role model for Arthur? Trying to embarass Gwen about her sex life and quizzing her on who is better. That is just...NOT ROOTABLE! Thank god Gwen has a backbone and maturity even though it's probably only temporary. "And will it bring you much happiness?" Fuck you Arthur! Just because you have sex dreams about Gwen doesn't mean you KNOW her. Leontes has been with her for FIVE years. I think he knows how to make her happy!
"And when he fights he's passionate but too impassive." Um, no. He's a dumb idiot who thinks he knows how to fight and jumps in recklessly and gets beaten by the more experienced person. The show has proved to this to us countless times and twice by Gawain himself this episode. Stop Gary Stuing Arthur writers! Your magic tricks aren't working!
Yuck. I know what Arthur is questioning Gawain about strategy for, and it has nothing to do with being a better king caring for his country!
Morgana, you are flawless! And you actually do mean it when you say it means "everything" to you when say you care about your land. Again, show, how the fuck am I supposed to root for Arthur when Morgana is the ones who actually CARES. She's only a power hungry bitch because nobody gave her in a chance to prove herself in the first place. And nobody continues to. Besides, unlike that puppet brother of hers, she actually does LEAD and make decisions.
Merlin, you are an asshole or Arthur is rubbing off on you. And you killed TWO people over a sword? Even Morgana isn't that egotistical. Yes, she uses magic wrongly, but it only hurts her. Not others. Arthur's power of that sword is forever corrupted by its back-history. On the other hand, I did enjoy the lake sci-fi effect. Very cool!
Thank god someone slapped Arthur and it was the right person too!
Oh, please, show. Arthur has spent this entire episode obsessing over Gwen. I don't believe his mindset ever once drifted over to values and kingly platitudes and ways to fight, because he's too busy plotting ways to sex her up again. This Gary Stuing is ridiculous. And Jamie, you might as well stop trying to play your role seriously because you're not working. Thank god I only have to endure another six more episodes of this (oh no! only six more episodes to enjoy Morgan's HBIC awesomeness! too few!)
"If you have to fight dirty to protect your cause, so be it." And how exactly do you differ from Morgana, Arthur? How exactly now? Refresh my memory, and at least she doesn't treat her people like chattel. Whereas you so obviously don't value your Champion or Gwen's feelings. THIS EPISODE IS PISSING ME OFF!
I'm definitely finding Merlin after I finish with this series. (I actually have seen bits and pieces of it on sci-fi and am surprised at how much more ~level-head, ~noble, ~daring in retelling, it is than than version of the Arthurian legends is.) At any rate, I'm glad this series got cancelled. I quit GG because it was sexist and offensive...and this show is sexist and offensive. Like GG, it is only redeemed by talented actors who make shitty material look less shitty (and like GG, all the money is spent on pretty scenery and fanciful clothing).
This series is weirdly becoming an interesting statement on how patriarchy works. How it begins and why it fails,and why women are so fucked up in patriarchy. Of course, patriarchy boils down to power and men (no matter how ill fit) being the heads of that power. And why is this dumb show making me think this academically? Oh, well. I suppose I could do worse.
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(no subject)
Date: 2011-09-30 04:25 am (UTC)One of my friends posted this when we were discussing it:
Men in furs and women in diaphanous cloth that would have had them succumbing to hypothermia within minutes, and veils that belong more in India than England. Their jewelry was much more historically accurate than their dresses and the textiles. And someone really could have done a little better research. The cleric who crowned Arthur was wearing the Cross of San Damiano, which wasn't even painted until the 12th century.
(no subject)
Date: 2011-09-30 09:29 pm (UTC)Good points about the jewelry and costumes. I think Claire Forlani wears the costumes the best, but they've also made her the most regal character. So her costumes seem truer to the era.
(no subject)
Date: 2011-09-30 07:09 am (UTC)I shipped Leontes/Gwen until the very end! I couldn`t stand her and Arthur!
I mean shouldn`t he be making an effort to put his feelings aside and concentrating on building the kingdom?
I completely agree about Morgan! She wants it! Truly! Why does no one want to believe her and give her a shot atleast?
Ah yes Merlin walking on the lake was one of my favorite scenes of the entire series!
I was pleased with the costumes. I think they did a pretty decent job unlike some of our modern JA adaptations .
LOL 6 more eps to go! xD
(no subject)
Date: 2011-09-30 09:24 pm (UTC)I thought of another compare/contrast: Morgana doesn't "trust" the nun but lets her in. Meanwhile Merlin seeks out the swordmaker and kills both him and his daughter because he doesn't trust them to deliver the sword. (Funny that both stories involve blood: but the blood in Morgana's in her own, meanwhile Merlin accuses swordmaker of bloodlust but Merlin is the one who does the damage. But I'm supposed to root for Merlin and Arthur????? Are you kidding me show?)
I have mixed feelings about the costumes. They aren't accurate, but nothing about this series is. Plus, it's a fantasy so it should be given some liberties to do as it pleases. But I can't get of the "outlaw biker gang" vibe I get everytime I watch the show. And the costumes DO suit the characters. I notice them but they aren't distracting.