With the hype about the final two episodes of this series of Merlin, I am feeling that nothing should be given away...so with that said, I'm going give my thoughts about it after I watch it, but no synopsis, while I watch...you need to watch the final two episodes to find out :)
Ummm...just watched the first moment...and yeah, this is definitely one you have to watch!! BIG happening right at the start...shocking, really...I don't like it--wait no, it's all good.
Thoughts about part 1:
-Yeah!! Gwaine is back!!!
-Holy smokes Cenred has a freakin HUGE army! Where did all those people come from?? And they are ALL immortal??? WOW!!
-Morgana giving Gwen a choice, shows she does still care about people, but really, the evil smirks need to stop!
-Yeah!!! Elyan is back!!!
-OMG!!! The ending is AWESOME, and I can't wait until next week's conclusion!!!
Here is a sneak peek at next week...Lancelot, the Great Dragon, the Round Table, Excalibur, and possibly the Lady of the Lake??? This looks EPIC!!! This is the stuff I love, finally they are back to it!!!!
Merlin's Series 3 has had its up and downs, but this finale looks amazing!! It's a 2 part ending to a long drawn out story arch of Morgana's slip into evil--at least I hope that it wraps it up, as it's getting somewhat old (but I still love it)! The first of the two parts airs on Saturday the 27th and the second part on December 4th on BBC One in the UK!
With the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 1 this past weekend--including a HP marathon of the first 6 films and then going to see the 7th (for the 2nd time), I found no time to watch this week's Merlin--which ironically, has a guest star that is in the HP films. I was saddened that Harry Melling (who plays Dudley Dursley, Harry's not so lovely cousin) was all but left out of the film--see my previous post about my thoughts on that...but at least we can see him here, and I have to say, he is no longer Dudley!
**SPOILERS BELOW**
The first scene introduces us to Gilli (Harry Melling), who is traveling through the forest, and meets 2 bandits who torment him, especially after he tells them he's heading to Camelot to fight in the tournament. I must say here, the way that they are tormenting him, it just makes me think, there, now you know how poor Harry felt for all those years, being tormented by you...but I then have to remind myself these are 2 different franchises, and he is not playing Dudley Dursley! Back to the show...
The bandits take his sword, and when they don't return it when he asks, he tries his hardest to fight them, but he's thrown to the ground, and they are off with his sword. He then rummages through his bag and pulls out a ring. On goody, we've moved away from magic bracelets to rings! It glows, and then so do his eyes. Another sorcerer is coming to Camelot.
Merlin (Colin Morgan) and Arthur (Bradley James) are walking through Camelot, and discussing the tournament, clearly to tell us--this is a tradition in Camelot, every 10 years anyone may sign up to win big money--which brings in some not so lovely people, and any weapon may be used, as there are no rules--though I would bet that magic would be the exception to the, "there are not rules" rule. And then, the bandits we saw earlier are flinging axes, and Merlin's head barely escapes.
Later as Merlin is working on Arthur's armor, and the bandits come in and one demands that he clean his boots (what an evil fellow), and Merlin actually goes to do it! When he's not fast enough, the bandit whips him. At this moment, Gilli makes his entrance, wearing the ring. He asks the guys nicely to put down the whip, and when they are rude and don't listen, he uses his magic to quickly summon a sword (which no one seemed to notice) and then he fights them briefly, obtaining the whip, and tells them to get out--and they do. Then it seems that Merlin and Gilli are fast friends as they both know what it's like to be bullied.
At dinner that night, it is clear that Morgana (Katie McGrath) is trying to use reverse psychology to get Uther (Anthony Head) to compete in the tournament and defend his title as 3 time champion, clearly hoping that he won't live to see the following day...her true hope is more than likely that both Uther and Arthur fall in the tournament, then she would be the queen. To Arthur's horror, Uther falls for Morgana's ploy!
We then are treated to a bunch of fighting, old, old, old school style and also getting to see the faces of the spectators reacting to the fighting. Interesting enough, but let's get on with it. Oh, hey, it's Uther, and he won--though by Morgana's face you'd think it was he who fell. Then it's Arthur's turn, he stands and watches his opponent swinging around the swords, and once he advances, Arthur simply punches him out. Too funny!
Bandit #1 is up--though he's quickly taken down...but he's evil, so he pulls a knife from his boot, and cuts his opponent, who goes down. Instead of just taking the win though, he takes an ax and cuts the fellow's neck, WTH?? The audience seems to think the same.
Gilli then walks into the ring, holding only a sword and small shield, with no armor. He looks utterly outmatched by his large and armored opponent, though he is very good at defense. Once he gets his bearings, the rings glows, then his eyes, and magic causes his opponent's sword to get stuck in the wood of the stands, then he is able to take him down. The use of magic wasn't totally obvious, this time...but Merlin looks skeptical.
On his way out of the stadium, Gilli runs into Merlin and Gaius (Richard Wilson), who wants to treat his arm (which was cut in the fight), Gilli covers it up, with his ringed hand, and declines treatment. This allowed Gaius to see the ring, and we learn that the markings are from the old religion, duh? And then Gaius reminds us that Uther will have him killed if he finds out...something that has been made very clear in every episode of Merlin to date.
Gilli then goes to put his sword away, and realizes that his arm is a bit more worse off than he thought, so he steps out into the hall and uses the magic of the ring (My Precious) to heal himself. Alas, he is seen--really, he thought he could hide a massive glow and him screaming while standing in a hallway? Two guards appear and chase him, in the chase, the ring falls to the ground, which he doesn't notice until he's back at his room in the inn, safe, for a moment. Then the bells start to toll...Uther will be after him now.
In the hallway, Uther investigates the burn markings (left by Gilli's spell) and determines it had to be sorcery--amazing, this time he's right! But GaiusUther. This also gives Gaius the chance to find Gilli's ring, who, once Uther has left, tells Merlin to go and talk to Gilli, "before it's too late."
Merlin goes to visit Gilli, and let's him know that though he need not fear him for the use of magic, he definitely needs to fear Uther. Gilli doesn't seem to care, or get it. He says he will not be like his father that possessed magic, but would never use it, even to save himself. He doesn't go for it, and still will fight.
The next day, we are then treated to more tournament fighting...Uther wins, Arthur loses his helmet, but still takes the win...wait a sec...a thought, if both Uther and Arthur win out, won't they then be forced to fight each other?? That wouldn't be a good thing for Camelot, would it? Oh hey, look, they are going to fight each other--remember I write this as I go...oh, and Gilli is fighting the evil bandit, who taunts him right before the match. Maybe not such a good idea.
I'll be honest, I'm kinda bored with this episode, and don't feel like watching anymore of it. I don't like that we've gotten fully away from the Morgana story arch and this is a stand alone episode. I like the epic storyline of Arthur finding his destiny, with Merlin's help, despite Morgana. I love the medieval fighting as much as the next gal, but I feel like we are past that at this point in the series. I want to see the story that has been set up unfold. Not some sorcerer of the week step into Camelot and have the same ol' stuff happen. I'm disappointed in you "Merlin," I expect better. If you want to find out the rest, watch for yourself, as I am going to quickly watch the rest (another 20 minutes) and move on with my day.
WAIT! Okay, I may have misspoken, a tiny bit. Best part of the episode so far is the fight between Uther and Arthur--and of course, Morgana is loving every moment, hoping that they will kill each other. The last 20 min are FAR better than the first, there is an intense scene between Gilli and Merlin about the use of magic--where Merlin reveals his secret, and Merlin seeks advice from the Great Dragon, and there is a suspenseful fight at the end...you'll have to watch to find out more...it's not a bad episode, it's just not one of the best.
Looking forward to the final episode of the series, a 2 parter...Looks freakin awesome and back to the greatness that is, Merlin. Elyan (Gwen's brother, and a known knight of the Round Table) returns! Here is a sneak peek:
It's finally here...WAHOO!!! I'm not going to go on and on about it, as most people have seen the film already...and I'm sure that most would agree, it was fantastic!! I laughed, I sat on the edge of my seat, and I cried like a baby--all things I expect to do with part 2, as well. It really followed the book well, and set up everything that is needed for part 2, which should be even more amazing!
There are 3 things that I had a bit of an issue with in this film, they are as follows:
1.) Bill Weasley--not once in the first 6 films are we even told about this Weasley older brother. We know Ron, George and Fred, and Jenny; meet Percy along the way; Charlie is mentioned, but Bill is not ever even brought up. In the books, we learn more about the Weasleys than in the films, so we know that there is another older brother, Bill. In HP7.1, Bill arrives with the crew to get Harry out of the Dursley home safely, just like in the book. There is a quick introduction, where he also, in one line explains how he got the scars on his face. It seemed too quick and rushed. He had to be in that scene, as the 7 Potters is a huge part of the 7th book, as is his wedding to Fleur (who just appears again, after not seeing or hearing about her since film #4--and if I didn't know because of the books, or hadn't just seen the other films, I wouldn't have put together who she was), and I'm hoping he will be in the next installment, as a lot happens in his and Fleur's home...but I feel they should have looked ahead to this in the other movies and at least mentioned him, since he is mentioned and in so much of the books when they are at the Burrows. It seemed odd and just thrown in to me.
2.) Dudley's scene--There is a scene in the book where Dudley (Harry's not so lovely cousin) actually shows that he appreciates that Harry saved his life, and that he has a heart. It would have only been a moment long, but it was left out of the film entirely. We only see Dudley for a brief moment, from the back, complaining about having to leave. I know that it's not a huge moment to drive the story, but I think that it would have been a touching moment between Harry and the only remaining family he has. We watched the Dusleys torment, and pretty much torture poor Harry, but this moment makes you realize that the youngest of this horrid family actually somewhat cares about Harry.
3.) The ending--not the actual ending, really, but the fact that it ended at all! I hate that now I have to wait 8 months to see the end of this epic tale! I know why they split it into 2 movies, and I am glad that they did, because they are able to have so much more detail!
I REALLY want to see it right now!!! Alas, I have no choice but to wait....Bring on July!!!
With having a 4 day weekend, and also fighting a lovely head cold, I almost forgot that Merlin had a new episode this weekend, almost! When I remembered this afternoon, I found myself rather excited at the thought of seeing this episode!! Though I will be honest and say that I hope it clears up somethings, and that Morgana is found out. I am getting rather tired of her sneers behind Arthur and Uther's backs and her getting away with all she has. Hopefully, now that Gwen knows she's evil, things will start to play out! In fact, just to see, I'm going to tally the number of evil smirks and sneers that we see from Morgana in this episode. Let's see what this week has in store, shall we?
**SPOILERS BELOW**
It's pretty clear from the start that the first scene has to be some sort of lovely dream sequence. Gwen (Angel Coulby) is being crowned queen by Arthur (Bradley James), who is wearing the Kings crown, with Merlin (Colin Morgan) and Gaius (Richard Wilson) smiling happily. Gwen and Arthur definitely have their own soundtrack, every time they are together in a moment of their love. It's fairly similar to the music in the love moments in Braveheart--I've checked, not the same composer.
Oops, not a lovely dream, but Morgana's nightmare! I'm not sure why, but I kind of find this funny--maybe it's because I just typed that! LOL! Anyway, getting off topic here. When Gwen comes to check on her, she says all is well, and then we see sneer number one, from Morgana (Katie McGrath).
Morgana is lured to a deep part of the castle by her sister Morgause (Emilia Fox) so that they can have a chat. I'm thinking that when all is said and done, even though Morgana and Morgause are sisters, this won't matter to Morgause when she can have what she's wanting, Camelot--but we shall see, shall we. Anyway, Morgana tells big sis about her dream of Gwen becoming queen...while doing this she looks like she's in so much pain, like the thought of Gwen having the throne would kill her. Remember back to our first introduction to Morgause, she gave Morgana a bracelet to help her to sleep, well, it was to stop the premonitions from coming to her in her sleep. Apparently some are too strong to be stopped by a silly little bracelet, and this is one of them (which we all know is true). Morgana can't believe that a serving girl would ever become queen, but Morgause cautions her, and then tells her that she must destroy the relationship between Arthur and "this Gwen." Wait, she acts like she knows nothing of this relationship, yet earlier in the series, she had Gwen's brother kidnapped in order to get Arthur to come to the rescue. Hmm...a bit of an oversight, I would say. Oh, goody, there's smirk number 2!
Morgana then goes and confronts Gwen about her feelings for Arthur, trying to play nice, and sympathize with her about having to hide her feelings. Gwen doesn't seem to fall for it, she also doesn't admit her feelings either. She quickly removes herself from the room. Good for you Gwen!
So it didn't work to talk to Gwen, so then she goes to chat with Arthur, who falls right into her plot. He admits to liking Gwen, as soon as Morgana says that Gwen speaks of him all the time--silly Arthur, acting like a high school boy. And smirk number 3! She encourages him to spend some time with Gwen, and that no one needs to know, because he is the future king and can set his own rules.
When told by Merlin that Arthur wants to spend the day with her, Gwen is apprehensive (again, good job, Gwen), but agrees to go anyway. She then fibs to Morgana about feeling ill so that she could have the next day off. Morgana agrees, but she clearly knows what's really happening, because we see smirk number 4!
The next day, Merlin takes Gwen out to meet Arthur in the forest. As Merlin takes his leave, we see that Morgana has followed them...ah, and we see sneer number 5! As she leaves back to Camelot, and urges Uther (Anthony Head) to go for a ride with her...clearly to take him to see Arthur and his unworthy love having a nice afternoon picnic, so sad, really!
When we do see the lovely picnic that Arthur and Gwen are having, we see the connection they hold, as Arthur shares that he sometimes thinks about leaving Camelot, and how things would be different. We see a different side to Arthur when he's with Gwen. The softer, warmer side, the side that would make him the king that he is destined to become. Aww...right when they are having a lovely romantic moment, and kiss, Uther and Morgana come riding up, and ruin it--well the cat's out of the bag, isn't it?!
Uther's response is not what I expected. Back at the castle, he walks in, and starts laughing, saying that he was young once too, and has experienced the temptation of serving girls. Arthur seems relieved, for a moment, but then Uther tells him that he cannot allow it to continue. With this, Arthur finally stands up to his father, and states he will no longer deny his feelings and that he loves Gwen! WOW!!! This is big for Arthur. Well, Uther can't have that, now can he?! So he...banishes Gwen from Camelot. Little harsh, don't you think?! When Arthur pleads with his father, Uther
Arthur and Merlin talk about what has happened, and Morgana appears, looking so sad, but as Merlin is leaving the room, we see sneer number 6! Morgana is acting all sympathetic to Arthur, since she heard what has happened. She asks him what he will do, and he says, he will leave with her. Aww...so sweet. I just love him...but I digress. She acts all concerned, because he would be giving up his right to the throne. His response..."One day we will return to Camelot together and Guinevere will take her place on the throne beside me." GO ARTHUR! Morgana seems taken back by this, unable to respond, tears come to her eyes, and she tries her hardest to smile.
Merlin is really sweet, and honestly cares for people, which we have seen be his downfall in the past. This time though the love (friendship love, people) he shows Gwen, when she is digesting the fact that she will be leaving everything she's ever known is touching. This is definitely a fellow that I would want on my side.
Then Morgana puts something, probably magical, under Arthur's pillow...as she drops the pillow back down, we see smirk number 7! Then she goes to visit Uther, who is very happy to see her. I know that he's her real dad, but he seems far to excited to see her or spend time with her, what about his son...he doesn't seem to care too much about him, other than him becoming the next king. Morgana talks Uther into thinking that Arthur has been enchanted--because Arthur tells her everything (yeah, right) and she had never been told about his love for Gwen. So Uther has Arthur's room searched, and what do they find? The satchel that Morgana put under his pillow.
Well, Uther has played completely into Morgana's hand, and now thinks that Gwen put an enchantment on Arthur--because a prince could never fall in love with a serving girl! To that, Uther sentences Gwen to death, because he must break the enchantment on Arthur. It has to be said, Bradley James does great in this scene. The torment on his face, as he says he will leave with her and relinquish his rights to the throne. That seems to make Uther more convinced that he's enchanted, because his son would never say that...clearly he doesn't know his son well. As both are restrained and Gwen is taken away, there is a moment where Arthur reaches her, kisses her and tells her that he will always love her. Tears came to my eyes, such a heart wrenching scene. Then in the background, we see that Morgana is giving sneer number 8, and Gwen saw it too!
Merlin goes to talk to Gwen, and says they need to find the person that really put that under Arthur's bed. Gwen shares what she saw in the throne room, Morgana smiling as she was drug out. She thinks that Merlin won't believe her, but we know he does! Gwen figured it all out though, that it was no coincidence that they were found in the woods and that Morgana is not to be trusted! YEAH!! Finally!! Merlin goes to Gaius, and talks Merlin into not telling Uther is was Morgana, as he won't believe him...true, we've seen Uther's blind eye when it comes to Morgana. Merlin then gets the idea, that if they can't reveal the real sorcerer, they will have to invent one.
The plan: disguise Merlin as another, have him get caught putting an identical satchel under Arthur's pillow, then Gwen would have to be free, and Merlin could us magic to escape. And we see Merlin use magic to become the old man, with the long white beard that is usually thought of when referring to the Merlin legends. Interesting way to bring that image into this version of the story. I rather like it.
All begins to go as planned, Old Merlin is found by Arthur putting the satchel under his pillow, and an amusing scene commences. Upon Old Merlin making a run for it, he tries a few times to turn back to his young self, to no avail. He gets caught and when he's taken to Uther, Morgana seems a bit taken back, no sneer, just shock. Old Merlin says the reason he did it was to cause Arthur to fall in love with a serving girl to bring shame to the throne. When Uther asks if he has wronged him in some way, Old Merlin goes off, clearly his real thoughts about Uther and Arthur. Old Merlin met his goal, Gwen is released, and he then is sentenced to death. Let's hope he can break the spell that he put on himself in time!
Gaius tells Old Merlin that he can make an antidote, but it will take longer than he has, so he tells Merlin to stall...how? Nothing seems to work...and right as Gaius finishes the potion, Old Merlin is being taken to be burned at the stake...will he get away? Will the potion work? How does this all go about? How does Morgana handle all this, knowing that the Old Merlin, was covering for her? What will happen to Arthur and Gwen? You must watch to find out how all this occurs, but there's a great scene of slight action and suspense! Though it would have been so much more cool if Merlin had commanded the Great Dragon to come and save him!
I am saddened by the fact that now Arthur and Gwen's love is still under wraps and now they know for sure that they cannot show how they truly feel in public because Uther will have Gwen banished or even killed. But we do know how the story ends, so we know it will happen one day. Just such a sad love story.
Looking at the next episode, we're back to the tournaments and sword fighting, away from the Morgana story arch, this could be good--but I would like it to just be done with. Though I am intrigued to see Harry Melling (who plays Dudley Dursley in the Harry Potter series) get some magic of his own! Though when I look at him I only see Dudley (who I can't wait to see in HP7--apparently the scene between him and Harry is rather touching and really good...4 more days!!!).
Oh, to live in The United Kingdom, where DVD's of shows come out in stages, while the show is still running in that season. Here in the States, we don't get the DVD's of shows until right before the next season is about to premiere. Below are some of the deleted scenes from the UK's Merlin Series 3 Volume 1 DVD's. Some of these scenes are great, and I think would have added a bit to the show...too bad they had to be cut. A BIG thank you to those that post these from those of us that don't get the chance to see them!
I'll admit, I am one to watch the Disney Channel, and I have no children. I find their shows like Wizards of Waverly Place and Sonny with a Chance to be cute and fun entertainment, and other shows like Hannah Montana and Suite Life, though fun, to be kind of mindless entertainment. It also keeps me in touch with the things that my students (since I am an elementary teacher) tend to like. I have also enjoyed quite a few of their made for t.v. movies, like Twiches, the Halloweentown series, and many others.
Their newest jump into movies is clearly their absolute best. Avalon High is not the normal sweet and "Disney-like" movie. It has an interesting and compelling storyline. The story is based around the idea that King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table would be reincarnated into modern times bringing with them the hope and greatness of the original King Arthur, bringing a new age of light, instead of darkness. Hope, light, something that we are all wishing for in this struggling time.
The setting is a High School, aptly named, Avalon High. The new girl, Allie Pennington arrives and slowly puts the pieces together of who she thinks is the great king, Lancelot, Gwen, Merlin, and Mordred. Though she's right in some aspects, she is incorrect in how she fits--I won't give it all away.
This film has mystery, action, and a small hint of a love story (it is Disney, afterall). I found it really grabbed me. The thought that the great King Arthur could come back and carry this world into an era of light, is interesting--and that the destiny of our world lies in the kids that are now in school, very true. I think that it would have been even better on the big screen with more of a budget and more time. The ending seem rushed a bit, since I'm sure they had to fit it into a specific time slot. But all and all, it's worth a watch--definitely a great story, and reminds us all that hope for this world resides in the children that will one day take it over.
Until the greatness of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 hits the screens! I just watched the live streaming of the London Premiere, and it has me all excited, not that I wasn't before! I found this little video...and I think that you'll enjoy it. It's a glimpse at behind the scenes of part 1 and part 2. I think that waiting for the second part is going to be torture!!! Enjoy:
As we get closer to the release of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, we are getting to see a bit more and more of what to expect. Yesterday, a new trailer was released, showing more of the action scenes, and a bit more of the story. Personally, I haven't read the books, they are on my list of must reads, but other books seem to get in their way, but these movies are great. I am truly glad that Fox picked up the franchise, after Disney dropped it. I hope that Fox was able to keep the same quality with their take on the stories. We shall see Dec. 10, 2010!!
Here is the newest trailer:
And I just have to throw in...Ben Barnes is just lovely!
After seeing that new trailer (see previous post), I have to say that I have been SO excited to watch the episode--even though it looks like it's probably a Gaius centric one, that trailer with all the sneak peeks got me wanting the rest of the season, right now!!
I do write these as a watch the show...
**SPOILERS BELOW**
We open on a woman coming into Camelot. She walks into, what I assume is her house (though it looks like she hasn't been there in awhile), and places a box on the table. She opens it, and says a spell. All of the sudden, an extremely creepy creature (I'm not even sure I can describe it, honestly--the face that is slightly human, the body of a cat, and the tail of a scorpion) pops out of the box and crawls on to her lap. She then soothes it by saying, "Calm yourself, my pretty, we're home now." And the freaky thing smiles! Whoa!! What the hell is this thing?? Clearly it's some magical creature...
We then learn from Uther (Anthony Head) when he's chatting with Gaius (Richard Wilson) that in the outlying towns around Camelot, there has been a physician that he thinks is practicing magic. People that should not have lived have made full recoveries. I know that Uther is against magic, and he has is crazy reasons, but wouldn't people being cured and healed be a good thing? Anyway, now there is a case of such an act in Camelot. The Inn Keeper, who was apparently critical, has returned to work, so Gaius and Merlin (Colin Morgan) go to investigate.
At the inn, both Gaius and Merlin focus for a moment on a mobile that is hanging from the ceiling as they walked in. It was crystals and feathers. When they talk to the Inn Keeper, he tells them that his wife was desperate, as he was slipping away, and she had met a healer in the lower town that gave her a medicine. Gaius looked at the potion and it was some sort of glittery powder. The Inn Keeper then asks if he's in some sort of trouble (clearly knowing that Uther will execute anyone that possesses magic), Gaius assures him that he's not (though I'm not sure that is true, Uther may not agree). As Gaius turns away to leave, he glances at the mobile again and a sweet smile crosses his face--he seems to know who is making these remedies!
What's interesting as well, is that before he met with the Inn Keeper, he was sure it was magic, when debriefing with Uther after, he tells him that it was a remedy made with a mix of herbs and nothing more. Uther questions it, as Gaius himself is the one that said that the Inn Keeper was extremely ill, and fatal. Gaius seems to backtrack, saying that a highly skilled physician could have made the potion of herbs--doesn't that make him look pretty bad?? Merlin seems to pick up on this, too. He tells Gaius that it was great that he was protecting the Inn Keeper from Uther's wrath, but Gaius plays it off to the herbs again, and tells Merlin that he must be tired, and he should get some sleep. What is Gaius hiding??
That night, Merlin is sleeping and is awaken by a loud noise coming from outside his door. He goes to investigate and sees Gaius leaving their quarters. He follows Gaius through the town to a house. Gaius knocks on the door and the woman from before answers. We then learn her name is Alice (Pauline Collins). He DOES know her, and by the look of it, well! The guards come, so Merlin is forced to leave, while Gaius and Alice step inside. As they are talking the background music turns to the same music we hear when Arthur and Gwen (Angel Coulby) are having a moment, so clearly there is a love between these two. We learn that it has been 20 years since they had seen each other. He pleads with her to leave, as Uther will find out that magic is afoot in the town of Camelot. She states, she's come back to see him again. This seems to be enough for Gaius! He embraces her and takes his leave, with her asking to see him the next day. Once Gaius leaves, that creepy creatures pops up and talks! Seriously, that is one scary thing, and it can talk, it's giving me the creepy crawlies!!! It let's us know that there is a plan and Gaius is going to be blamed for whatever it is that will be happening. Alice protests, but the creature does something to her, her eyes turn black (like the demon eyes in Supernatural) and then she agrees.
We then see Gaius opening old love letters from Alice, reminiscing about his lost love, perhaps?
The next morning, Merlin questions Gaius' whereabouts the night before, and Gaius opens up about the relationship that he once had with Alice. Alice apparently was an amazing sorceress and had mastered magic, especially the healing kind. They were once engaged to be married, but then Uther declared war on magic, and created a list with the names of all people thought to be using it, in order to execute them all. Being the King's physician, Gaius was able to see that Alice's name was on that list, and he removed it and sent her away. He stayed behind, thinking that he would never see her again. Though now that she is back, he feels that they may have a second chance. Oh, poor Gaius
After a long day of helping Arthur (Bradley James) train and practice being a knight, Merlin returns home to find Gaius and Alice. Apparently, Alice can't stay in her home (for reasons we are not told, and frankly, I find it odd, and it's never explained) and is going to be staying there with them. Merlin has to give up his room for her.
Since he is now sleeping on the floor, he's not sleeping well, that night he hears talking coming from Alice's (his) room. He goes to investigate, and sees Alice talking to the creepy creature (I can't get over how disturbingly freaky this guy is), and Alice is taking venom from the scorpion tail. How will Merlin tell Gaius that his long lost love is working with a devilish creature?
While walking in the town the next day, Merlin asks Gaius what types of magic Alice used. Gaius answered, all kinds, as back then it was a time of experimentation. Merlin tells Gaius what he saw the previous night, and says that he could feel the dark magic of the creature. When Gaius questions it, Merlin says he can prove it. They go up to Alice's (Merlin's) room, and Merlin takes Alice's box from under the bed. Gaius grabs the box and opens it, trying to prove Merlin wrong, alas, he does, because the box is empty.
Merlin then goes down to the library and finds a book...I'm guessing one that will tell him what the creature is...he finds a book and starts reading.
We then watch as Alice helps Gaius make come of his potions to help those in Camelot. He asks for an ingredient, and she asks who it's for. It is going to the King, for an old battle wound. She learns that he takes it daily, and then seems to make her stop and take notice. Hmmm....this plan of the evil little creature must be to kill Uther and blame Gaius, and Gaius has just given her the opportunity...but that is simply my thoughts at this point.
Back to Merlin, he finds a picture of the creature in the book, and asks the record keeper about it. He tells Merlin that it is a manticore, and that the first talk of once was over 1000 years ago, and the ancients were scared to death of it, yet, as far as he was concerned, it was an imaginative creature.
Back to Gaius and Alice. Alice distracts Gaius, by having him get her something, and Alice starts to pour the venom from the manticore into Uther's healing potion (remember that potion here refers to medicine). Merlin walks in at that moment, and startles Alice, who drops both viles on to the floor.
That night Merlin sneaks back down to the library, to do more research on the manticore. He finds out that the box isn't a container for the manticore, but a portal/gateway. He goes to tell Gaius, and Gaius doesn't want to hear it. He loves her, so he is blind to the fact that she has some sort of evil plan. This confrontation seems to really rattle both Gaius and Merlin. When he returns home, Alice plays it off as though Merlin is just jealous because now his attentions are on her, and offers to make Uther's potion for him, so that Gaius can rest. This can't lead to good things, as we know she's up to something.
We are then given a funny little scene between Merlin and Arthur--Merlin is again helping Arthur to train, and Arthur asks what's wrong, Merlin tells him that he and Gaius had a falling out. Arthur tries to make Merlin feel better...by punching him the arm and saying "Cheer up, will you." Showing that they are becoming friends more and more.
Alice finishes making the potion for Uther, and Gaius goes to deliver it to him. Nothing happens when Uther takes the medicine, though the background music is all suspenseful.
Cut to that night, Gaius and Alice are having dinner, and there is an empty place (Merlin's), Merlin is sitting in the courtyard looking perplexed about the situation, and then the bells start to chime--and we know that means something bad has happened in the castle.
Uther is laying on the floor and Arthur can't revive him. Gaius comes to his aid, and has Arthur seal off the King's quarters. Merlin joins Gaius to help. Uther is alive, but his pulse is weak. Then all of the sudden Uther's eyes pop open and they are black (seriously, just like the demons in Supernatural). Merlin freaks a bit. Gaius stays calm. He finds the vile that Uther's meds were in, and sniffs it--does he know that something is wrong with it? When asked by Arthur, he plays it off, and says he doesn't know what has happened. Merlin confronts Gaius about Uther being poisoned and that they both know who did it. Gaius still is in absolute denial.
In talking to Merlin, Arthur is sure that his father has been poisoned, and starts to conclude that it must be Gaius' medicine that has caused this. Merlin then says he knows who did it! Is he going to go against Gaius and turn Alice in? He knows the truth, Alice is under the control of the manticore...
Gaius goes home and confronts Alice. He clearly knows the truth, but couldn't admit that to Merlin. When she tries to tell him the truth, her eyes turn black, and she's unable to speak--maybe the manticore has some spell that binds her from talking about it? Then Arthur comes in and arrests Alice for poisoning his father. Yahoo, Merlin, for telling Arthur the truth!! Gaius gives Merlin a look of absolute disappointment. Merlin says he had no choice, it was either her or him. Clearly, in some ways, Gaius is wishing it was him that was blamed, when he tells Merlin that it wasn't his choice to make.
Arthur questions Alice, and she says that the creature made her do it (Arthur, obviously, doesn't believe her), and that she does not know how to cure the King. As Arthur is walking away, she tries to explain about the manticore, but her eyes go black once more and she is unable to speak--Merlin sees this.
He goes to talk to Gaius, who tells him that the King won't last the day. They both have a moment where there is understanding between them, that Merlin was trying to save Gaius from harm. But they also agree that Alice was not out to hurt Uther, that something has made her do it. Merlin fills Gaius in on the manticore. Apparently the only way to stop the venom from killing Uther, is to kill the manticore. Gaius goes looking for a book ( and finds it within moments--interesting that was just laying around) with information about how to kill it. They find that the manticore cannot live long in our world, that it's power comes from the spirit world, so they need to trap it in this world. They hash out a plan....
Now, I am leaving you with that...you must watch to see what happens--but I'll tell you, the manticore attacks and Gaius uses magic--but is it enough to save Uther's life? What will happen to Alice, who is in the castle dungeons? What of Gaius and Alice's love?
Man I love this show! And honestly, it was nice to have an episode without Morgana (Katie McGrath) in it. Yes, I am enjoying her story arch, trying to take over Camelot, but I feel like it's been so drawn out--and frankly, I'm tired of her evil smirks. Yes, we get it, you're evil now! Let's get on with it!
Here is a sneak peek at next week's episode! Oh, wow!! Looks like Morgana is back up to her evil deeds (and evil smirks), and Arthur and Gwen are found out?! And a possible look at the historical view of Merlin as a sorcerer with the long gray beard?? SO looking forward to this one!!!
I only have a moment, and really there's not much to say, once you watch this!!! Holy smokes, look at what's coming in the last 5 episodes of Series 3 of Merlin!!!
Seriously, I can't wait!!! Lady of the Lake?? Excalibur?? Morgana as queen?? Lancelot returns?? It looks like it's going to get better and better!!! I'm all kinds of excited now!!
I can hardly contain my excitement for the first installment of this epic finale! There have been sneak peeks and loads of trailers put out for us all to see... and though I am dying to see the movie, I'm to the point where I don't want to see anymore of the clips or the trailers, I want to see it in it's entirety!
I recently finished rereading the book, and that has brought it all back into mind. Of the clips that I have seen, I can see that they are picking some of the best scenes, and I can't wait to see how they do it. The bits I've seen of the 7 Potters looks fantastic! I just don't want to ruin anymore of the movie. I want to be surprised. We all know it's going to be unreal and frankly amazing!!
So anytime something new pops up online, with a clip or new trailer, I try my hardest to ignore it...though it really is hard. I think that my excitement about this movie is higher than any other, to date--I may change that statement come July.
Though I am not one to go to midnight showings, since I am a morning person, and I tend to get sleepy in the theaters (can't be falling asleep!), I have contemplated going to this one! Yet, I can wait until after work that Friday...though I can guarantee you that I will be chopping at the bit to get to the theater as soon as I can that day!
Instead of posting a clip or trailer (as there are a bunch to choose from), I will leave you with this great site. It has 3 videos on it (plus a trailer), and they are all pretty cool. They show the changes that the 3 wizard heros, well the kids (though they aren't kids anymore) that play them, have gone through over the 10 years of this epic adventure. It's amazing to see, and interesting as well. Enjoy.
With all the hype and excitement of the Harry Potter movies coming to an epic ending, I think that the next installment in the Chronicles of Narnia may get overlooked. I know that I have heard little to nothing about it, and went searching to see when it will be released...and it is a mere few weeks after Harry Potter!! Here is the one and only trailer...hopefully they will start advertising more and get the word out! Maybe they are waiting until the HP craziness dies down...
It looks rather good!!! So...starting Nov. 19th, I will be focused on HP and all the greatness that will be! But come Dec. 10th, I will be awaiting this new adventure through Narnia!
It's not a show that I normally watch, since everytime that I have I end up crying like crazy. Extreme Home Makeover is touching and heartwarming. The stories of the families and communities they help allows people to see that not everyone is making it by, and yet they still help out those around them.
This week was a bit different. They didn't help a conventional family, but a school family. The Oregon School for the Deaf has been losing funding, and their boys dorm was falling apart. After the closing of the Oregon School for the Blind, it looked like the school for the deaf might be following suit. Enter Ty and his crew...who just might have saved this school from the downfall of Oregon's budget shortfall.
Each year, the school creates an amazing haunted "Nightmare Factory" as the school's main fundraiser. In the past, it brings in about 9,000 people and each pay $10 to get scared out of their wits, as students and community members cause them to scream and have nightmares of their own. Knowing this, Extreme Home Makeover decided that they would revamp the haunted site, and make it better than ever, in order to draw in more spectators. Yet, that wasn't all...they took on a second building project. They also completely built a new boys dorm. The show took on a lot this week!
Usually, when they are remaking someone's house, they send the family off on a lovely vacation, this time, they sent all the students of the school, their families and some staff on a trip to get the students top of the line hearing aids--which is amazing! The most touching scene of the show was when a mother was sitting behind her son, and said, "I love you" and he turned and signed, "I love you." He had heard her! There were my tears!
This episode really effected an entire community. These students and families were helped more than the show will ever know! As of show time, the haunted house had more than 30,000 visitors and more were coming in. The construction company has stated that they will continue to build the school's dorms and be involved. It also brought to light the school itself and the struggles that it has been going through, and people have stepped up to help out.
Extreme Home Makeover, I tip my hat to you...you always do good...but this time, this time you did an unreal thing for A LOT of people! Thank you!!
