In today’s episode, MissSnowfox and Xan are joined by Amphigoury to talk about the ninth episode of season two: The Lady of the Lake. Join us for roughly two and a half hours of trying to find reason in what any of these characters are doing.
To get in touch with us, send an email, an ask on tumblr, or tweet at us on twitter. You can also join our discord and find our podacst on iTunes!
If you’d like to tip us for the work we do for this podcast, you can find us on ko-fi.
Find more stream or download options for this episode below the cut.
Download here [Right click, save as] || Listen/subscribe on iTunes here
News
Merlin Canon Fest 2020 Schedule
ACBB Camp Nano
Merlin RPF
Scruffy Pendragon Fest
Statistics
- First aired 21 Nov 2009
- 2 female characters (with lines)
- 1 main cast (Gwen)
- 1 minor cast (Freya)
- 5 male characters (with lines)
- 5 main cast (Arthur, Merlin, Gaius, Uther)
- 1 supporting cast (Halig)
- Enemy/Monster of the week: Bastet
- Freya dies
Archaeologist_D’s comment on Episode 55
Episode 2×09 on the Merlin Fandom Wiki
Tex on LJ
Tex on AO3
Remembering Tex
Amphigoury on tumblr
Amphigoury on AO3
Amphigoury on LiveJournal
Amphigoury on Deviantart
Amphigoury on Pillowfort
Amphigoury on twitter
Amphigoury on Twitch
BRACELET WATCH
And like the cycle of the year, we begin again by katherynfromphilly
xancredible on AO3 | tumblr | Podfic | Fanwork resources
misssnowfox on AO3 | tumblr | YouTube | Cosplay
Do you actually like this show or is there just more fun to pick things apart? Isn’t it EVER ok for things just to be FUN?!
Hey man, using a critical lens doesn’t necessarily mean someone doesn’t like a work. Personally, I really enjoy analyzing stories that leave an impression on me and trying to dismantle what I think does and does not work about them. They aren’t trying to rob the enjoyment of other people’s experiences with the work, they’re just sharing discourse with something they’re passionate about.
I’m a bit late with this, but I really enjoyed the review. 🙂 This podcast has been a such a cathartic listen for me – I was so frustrated with the last seasons of Merlin, and your conversations have been great for commiserating while also reminding me what I liked about the show in the first place lol. (Also I’m absolutely fine with this not comment not being mentioned in an episode, whatever you want to do with it is fine with me!)
I was interested in your point about how characters like Merlin are usually relegated to side characters, since I think this had a lasting effect on the show’s storytelling going forward. Merlin’s usually working from the shadows or pulling strings in the background, so he doesn’t often have as active a role in each episode’s A-plot, especially from season 3 onwards. I felt like Arthur’s character development lead him to eventually fill in that space of the action-hero lead character, even if Merlin technically remained the protagonist. In addition to that, a lot of Merlin’s development seemed to happen internally and wasn’t explicitly explored in the script of the show, to the extent that when the show ended, I felt like it wasn’t really his story anymore. He also had such little agency by that point that he was barely driving the plot forward, instead just constantly reacting to it. I don’t necessarily mean this as a criticism of the show, but at the same time I don’t think it was their original intent with the character of Merlin – I think they just didn’t know what to do with him as the series went on. I’m not sure if anyone else felt this way.
Speaking of Merlin getting water dumped on him, did you guys ever see the “Merlin’s Wetness” memes when the show was airing? I think it mostly came from an old tumblr called “Oblivious Arthur,” and I haven’t really seen it around in a long time.
I agree with Rox that the final scene is peak Merlin and Arthur – it was an incredible performance, and it’s usually the first thing that comes to mind when I think about their dynamic. God, and what happened to Tex is awful. I don’t think I was in the fandom around that time, but her artwork is really lovely now that I’ve seen it, very expressive. What happened is just deeply tragic.
No need to reply (I am really behind in listening). It wasn’t my favorite Merlin episode but there were parts I liked especially the last scene. However, that’s not my favorite scene of all of them. That’s the scene in Beauty + the Beast II where Merlin is trying to persuade Arthur to drink the poison, oops the potion. I know Gaius is there but the scene is really Arthur and Merlin having non-verbal words/argument that just gets to me.
I love this episode and kind of what it represents, because with Freya when he feels that connection he hopes for something outside of his destiny, he thinks that maybe his life doesn’t have to be pre destined but then its stripped away from him and its like a confirmation that he can’t have a life away from Camelot and if he tries people he cares for will get hurt or die in the process. Like the the line the dragon say in the first episode “you can not choose your destiny merlin and none of us can escape it” and merlin truly feels the consequences of this destiny in this episode and in away it makes sense why he becomes so focused on Arthur because while he cares deeply about him and it becomes more than destiny its the only thing he has left and the only thing he sort of gets to have a choice over. Sorry for the word vomit but these are my thoughts (also take a drink every time destiny is written) 🙂