2.04: Lancelot and Guinevere

[ctg]

Gwen is mistaken for Morgana and kidnapped by the savage outlaw Hengist. Uther refuses to pay her ransom, so Arthur defies his father and heads out into dangerous enemy territory to fight for Gwen's freedom.

I thought the episode was brilliant. I really like the way the writers has woven in the story arch where Arthur's cannot any longer deny he's deeply in love with Guinevere. It makes this season so much more stronger and propels the story going forward towards the point where Arthur becomes the king.

Another point is that we get to see what Lancelot has done since he left Camelot in first season and his devotion on earning his keep by using his skills in art of war was a brilliant turn of the events. Although to my eyes the first fight seemed to go pretty much too easy. But nevertheless he showed chivalry at the end of it by sparing the life of his opponent.

Opponents in this season seems more and less coming from outside the walls of Camelot, and I expect to see more of these rural kings or rather warlords trying to make Urther head in. But the way how Anthony acted his lines was by far the best acting that I've seen from his since he left Buffy.

What did you guys thought about the giant moles?

 

[Alexa]

Lancelot looks like a broken man. I hope Arthur brings him back for Gwen, if he really intends to ignore his feelings for her.

I thought the giant moles were a sorcery thing.

 

[Dave]

I thought the giant moles were very odd, but I liked the rest of the episode. There is no longer an evil sorcerer of the week, and they writers seem happy to write within their own mythology that they have created (which incidentally is no more or less accurate than any one else's Arthurian mythology) They are bringing back characters, and building onto first Season stories. It seems to me that it has found it's footing, and can only get better.

 

[Alexa]

I hope they didn't plan to tell the truth about Merlin to the others in the last episode.

 

[Dave]

Merlin doesn't seem half as worried as in the First Season about being discovered. With such over-confidence he is surely heading for a fall. In the end, either Urther will die and Arthur will allow Magic again, or Merlin will be found out, but he does something so redeeming that the Kingdom is saved and he is pardoned. I can't see either of those happening for some time, and not before Morgana turns to the Dark Side.

 

[Alexa]

As long as Urther lives, Merlin's life is in danger. And he is still alive because of Merlin.

 

[Lenny]

Definitely the strongest of the series so far.

To the BBC, Merlin seems to be their Fantasy Doctor Who, and you don't get much more Fantasyish than rescuing the damsel in distress from the castle.

It was nice to see Lancelot again (I agree that he looked like a broken man), the banter between Merlin and Arthur gives us a good idea of their relationship, and I thought that the story held up quite well (I'm not one for scrutinising every plot).

 

[Alexa]

You mean we have finally had some love in the air. It was about time.

 

[TheEndIsNigh]

Oh come on chaps.

First the moles - Now if they're supposed to be the every day back garden kind of mole then what hope for building castles with them tunneling all over the shop. If they are magical, what's Uther been up to allowing a dirty great hoard of magical animals loose in the kingdom.

As for the rescue. What happened to the chivalrous knight in shining armour and tilting your lance at the drawbridge to issue a challenge to the baddies. Instead they sneak about in tunnels and back stairs, creeping up behind people and doing the dirty on them.

And the wall climb just about did it for me.

I was expecting a window to open at any moment and a concerned peasant to poke his head out to ask.

"Is that you Batman and Robin?"

Only to have Aurthur reply "Fear not citizen, you are two millenia too early..."

 

[Lenny]

The moles were outside the kingdom of Camelot, I believe - the castle was, at any rate.

 

[ctg]

That's brilliant TEIN. I was in tears when I finished laughing on your piece, and it's not often when I can't read something aloud and not laugh. You're a comedy genius.

 

[TheEndIsNigh]

The moles were outside the kingdom of Camelot, I believe - the castle was, at any rate.

I thought the mole tunnels were a short cut out of the kingdom. Some mention of saving days or at least a day if they used them.

ctg: I'm humbled