Merlin Season 3: Feelings about lack of direction of series

[Connavar]

Dave

I feel your thoughts exactly i enjoy many of the eps but the lack of progress,direction of the story has made me care less of the show and almost stop watching it.

Nothing have changed at all,progressed in the seasons of story eps. Only Morgana has changed. No one has still seen what Merlin can do, his powerful magical enemies are blind like fools to why a simple servent can follow them,stop them at every turn.

Uther must not only die, Merlin secret must be known to Morgana or Morguse. There must be conflicts to any story.

It cant be too cozy ! Which is such a shame to potentially a good fantasy series. The actors is doing good job,its fun at times. There have been some impressive story eps too....

 

[Dave]

Well, some people have replied to my comments that it is a children's programme and therefore, what did I expect?

I have several answers to that:

1) It isn't just a children's programme. It was designed as an Autumn replacement for the iDoctor Who timeslot, just before Prime Time Saturday Evenings, and was meant to be something that all members of the family could enjoy - children, parents and grandparents.

2) I don't see why children should expect any lower quality programming than adults would. I certainly see very high quality in BBC programmes like The Sarah Jane Chronicles. Even The Chuckle Brothers 'To You, To Me' has more believable plotting than some of the Merlin episodes.

Anyway, it seems that they wish Merlin to continue to stagnate. Maybe they find it easier to write for characters who don't learn and change over time. Despite me saying I would now not watch it, I'm not going to actively avoid seeing it; that would be impossible, I just won't bother to record it any more.

 

[Connavar]

Children program thing is silly ! Its a family show,teen show and there are many better examples of it.

 

[TheEndIsNigh]

What I don't get, and it seems to have completely passed the script writers too, is that the other side -Druids and the like, know all about Merlin's powers from when he rescued that lad from the 'Village of the Damned' way back in the first series was it?

Now we know this traitorous, ungrateful, little urchin has had dealing with the baddies/goodies so how does Morgana and the like not know about Merlin. Especially as whenever Merlin comes across a stranger with powers he gets the old tingling 'spider sense'. Is this a one way super power - Seems unlikely.

 

[sloweye]

The elder druids knew of his coming before the village of the damned thing (I can't remeber but i think the lad was suposed to be a young Mordred) as his comming was prophesied, but under the name Emrys. As did the old man in the crystal cave. There must be a sect of elders who know 'of' him who i would say were most likly tied in with the dragon lords. His 'spidie sense' hasn't always worked for him either, and less so since the Dragon left. i think that may tie in later at some point.

I think the reason the likes of Morgos are unawear of him is that they are practioners of the old religion but not necessarily a 'part' of its history. after all Nimueh new of him but it took her a while to put 2 & 2 together.

 

[Overread]

I think the main problem is that they want to spin out the "merlin in secret" aspect just a little too much and can't think of a way to have key characters against him know about his secret without having to change the formula of the series as something would have to change (either the king finds out or Merlin ends up under heavy blackmail).

Again I think its the formula writing that is crippling the long term advance of the story - filler episodes are ok, but you can't have a whole series based on two end bits of story and a lot of filler in the middle

 

[Alexa]

I cannot complain about the filler episodes as I was too happy to have a third season. Maybe the problem is that the producer didn't expect to have such a succes from the beginning and now he doesn't know what to do in this season.

 

[Pyan]

Well, I hope that they've some idea about which way they're going:

Fourth BBC spell for Merlin

BBC bosses are to conjure up a further series of the Saturday night hit Merlin, it has been announced.

The family show, which has featured stars such as Anthony Head, Richard Wilson and John Hurt, has been commissioned for a fourth run.

The Press Association: Fourth BBC spell for Merlin

 

[Overread]

I cannot complain about the filler episodes as I was too happy to have a third season. Maybe the problem is that the producer didn't expect to have such a succes from the beginning and now he doesn't know what to do in this season.

This is to be honest a problem a lot of TV shows experience. Most only get one series guaranteed (even then marginal interest ones like scifi and fantasy can be pulled from the screens half way through) so many writers only plan for that one season. After that the deals vary depending on the channel that has bought the show - some will offer it series by series and others will offer a longer 2 or 3 additional seasons if the first shows well.

The result is writers that don't really want to set up long inter season story content because they don't quite know if it will ever pan out.

 

[TheEndIsNigh]

Or they just can't be bothered given they have the series in the bag.

Why kill the golden goose by moving the plot to the ultimate end when you can fill it with crap. After all if the BBC kill it they could possibly go to other broadcasters with the juicy bits.

A cynic, what me?

 

[Alexa]

I don't remember how Morgana ends in the other Merlin movies. Anyone can tell me ?

In my opinon, this season we will have a hidden fight between Morgana and Merlin till the end of the season.

They still have the dragon to use him for another season (youpi, thanks pyan for the good news ).

I saw this week another episode from the 2nd season. Remember the episode when Gaius almost dies because of the Witchfinder ?

Merlin is much more mature in this season. And Morgana goes deeper and deeper in her dark side. We even saw Uther ready to use for the second time the magic to save Morgana's live. too bad. Her sister plays her role much better.

Common guys, why don't we enjoy the series as they are for the moment ?

 

[TheEndIsNigh]

Well mainly because it's all so predictable.

It's time to kill of Gaius. Sooner rather than later. Preferably in the next episode. As someone has mentioned Merlin is supposed to be the wise advisor not some jumped up spotted teenager. It's time for Merlin to get out of himself.

On what planet would a powerful wizard be worried about a red wine slurping (not even frothy horns full of strong ale mind) sot who's already sold (and is prepare to sell every episode) his soul and used the magic he supposedly hates so much.

If I were writing it, Gaius would poison/kill of the king be tortured to death and Merlin would step into his role as the hero of the hour, having magically defeated Arthur with a sword just to teach him who's really top dog on the planet and put the strutting lout in his place.

 

[Alexa]

No way ! I like Gaius and I would like to see him all the seasons.

Kill Uther instead and let Arthur learn how to reign !

So what if it's so predictable ? It's still funny to watch it. Especially when Merlin adds something for his own pleasure. Remember how he takes his own revenge on Arthur ?

 

[sloweye]

Yeah, cos we were all born as grown men full of wisdom Eh TEiN?

 

[FeedMeTV]

As much as I agree watching Merlin is like taking two steps forwards and one step back I do like the angle of a young Merlin making mistakes, learning his craft and forging a friendship with Prince Arthur. We all know how it ends: wizened old man offers sage advice to brave king, but it's nice to see an interpretation of how that trust was formed in the first place.

In the legends Merlin was an adult when Arthur was born but legends are supposed to be reshaped and adjusted. Albeit with better plot development than what we're getting at the moment perhaps

 

[TheEndIsNigh]

FeedMeTV: However, play it forwards. By the time Merlin gets to be 'old and wise' with bunches of parsley to scatter around Arthur will be getting about with the use of a scaliber frame.

 

[sloweye]

Here here FeedMeTV.

What i don't get is a thread seemingly dedicated to how bad the series is, yet week in week out......YOU ARE STILL WATCHING IT!

so to all you guys who hate it.... cheers for the forth series

 

[FeedMeTV]

I don't think it matters that in this version Merlin will never get to be the old adviser to the new king, SFF is all about reinvention. In some Arthurian tales Merlin actually ages backwards, not just starting off old and getting younger but actually travelling backwards in time i.e he is born in the future. My point is that we don't have to stick with the accepted lineage of things.

My OH has a problem with the vampires in Twilight saying they are not vampires if they don't burn in sunlight or turn to dust when you stake them - whyever not? It's a reinvention.

Anyway this is drifting off topic sorry, back to Merlin's lack of direction!

 

[Overread]

I think by now most people have accepted that the series is only a loose base in the Arthur mythology and timer period and that its deviated a long long way save for key character names and very generalist themes.

The problem however isn't that factor (anyone bothered by those aspects would have given up on the series way into season one) its the fact that we had three massive parts - the dragon released and the castle under siege and Morganna changing sides - all within a matter of 3 episodes and then bang - that whole story arch effectively ended and things went almost back to where they were before those major changes occurred. So we got story advance - direction change and then everything seemed to take two steps back to what it was before. I think that threw a lot of people who were hoping for a new season and a new change of pace.

 

[Dave]

What i don't get is a thread seemingly dedicated to how bad the series is, yet week in week out......YOU ARE STILL WATCHING IT!

I'm still watching it if my son records it, or I'm not too late to catch it on iPlayer, but I won't rush home, or stay in. And I'm not going to to be upset if I do miss an episode. I also don't want to comment on an episode if it is only to nitpick holes in it.

The problem however isn't that factor (anyone bothered by those aspects would have given up on the series way into season one) its the fact that we had three massive parts - the dragon released and the castle under siege and Morganna changing sides - all within a matter of 3 episodes and then bang - that whole story arch effectively ended and things went almost back to where they were before those major changes occurred. So we got story advance - direction change and then everything seemed to take two steps back to what it was before. I think that threw a lot of people who were hoping for a new season and a new change of pace.

Yes, that is exactly where I stand, and the reason being that if that is how it goes, it could go like that for another 10 Seasons - something I don't have time to waste upon.