Stuff

[karohemd]

Merlin was quite enjoyable, actually, but it's getting really formulaeic. I also wish the dark-haired female characters (except Gwen) were easier to tell apart. Obviously, it's still drivel, but nice drivel to while away the time on a Saturday evening.

faerierhona's birthday drinks last night were good. Met some people I hadn't seen in ages (like colonel_maxim and mattp) and new people I'd heard of but not met before, too. It's a good thing Ikea's pear cider is non-alcoholic or it would be lethal.

Comments

[sea-cucumber.livejournal.com]

I saw Merlin for the first time this evening by accident, I quite enjoyed it :) Yay for cheese :)

[undyingking.livejournal.com]

I agree entirely about the dark-haired female characters, what is with that? Casting director with a very limited imagination?

[ubiquitous-cat.livejournal.com]

Me too, though I'm most amused to note that someone else can't remember the actress's name and she will always be Gwen from Torchwood (though she did also appear in skins season 1)

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

You're even more confused. ;o) Torchwood Gwen (Eve Myles, apparently) played Lady Helen the singer in the first episode. Just to confuse matters, the role of Merlin Gwen is played by someone else. ;o)
So there were three not too disimilar looking ladies in the first episode already. When you're trying still trying to find out who is who, it's not easy. Then suddenly another one (Nimue) is introduced who again looks rather similar and you get completely lost.

[ubiquitous-cat.livejournal.com]

D'oh that's who I meant the singer, the rest of them I can't tell apart either.

When Nimue first came on the screen I did wonder if they had resurrected the singer.

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

or Morgana.
I keep thinking that Morgana (the king's ward) is the evil one, i.e. Morgan le Fay/Morgaine and other spellings, which just adds to the confusion. If she's supposed to be(come) le Fay, it's going to get even more complicated.

[ubiquitous-cat.livejournal.com]

It confused me enough that Uther was still alive and I know what you mean about Morgana. I keep expecting to see a young Mordred now.

Out of curiosity what are the great German tales, I know of Siegfried and the Rhine gold but I presume there are a bunch of others?

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

The "Nibelungensage" is certainly the biggest and most important. Some of it goes very far back and some stories or figures also turn up in the Icelandic Edda. It's probably the one that is the most generic German(ic).
Most of the others are more regional, like the saga of Rübezahl (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%BCbezahl) but are still widely known.

Considering the political borders of Germany have changed so many times and so drastically throughout history with people from various backgrounds moving (or being driven) back and forth, bringing their tales and taking others with them, it's a real mix of things so you can find tales from all over continental Europe entwined with the local ones.

[undyingking.livejournal.com]

The twists required to get Arthur and Gwen together are also going to be pretty interesting, I think.

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

I've been wondering about that, too.

[nannyo.livejournal.com]

heh, I think she will be! Also, how are they going to get in the incesty stuff, cos remember, this is a story FULL of incest.

We get to meet Lancelot next week. I wonder whether he will trouble the undying love between Arthur and Pixie!Merlin?
N.

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

Considering this is for kids, there will probably not much of that.

No slash, please! o_O

[nannyo.livejournal.com]

Dude, it totally slashes itself. Morgana and Gwen, Arthur and Merlin... there are all those longing glances and lingering touches. Nothing wrong with that at all.
N.

[nannyo.livejournal.com]

but Nimue has the eeery blue eyes, whereas Morgana is hotness incarnate but also manages to look a bit like one of the Corrs... Are there other girls in the show apart from Gwen and the "miscellaneous vilains and serving girls"?

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

There was Lady Helen (Gwen from Torchwood) in the first episode.

[nannyo.livejournal.com]

see "miscellaneous villain" also, the shape of her face is totally different! She's all round, and has gappy teeth! Plus Morgana's eyebrows are unique in their arched pluckedness.