MERLIN CLUB: The Witchfinder

MERLIN CLUB: THE WITCHFINDER

Or The One Where Uther is Deceived…Again. 

So Merlin is out collecting firewood and stupidly decided, once sitting by the fire (not sure exactly why he has a fire going but whatevs), to use magic and make the shape of a horse with the smoke. 

Side note: This scene makes me sad. Because Merlin doesn’t have a whole lot of opportunity to use his magic for fun really. And look at the smile on his face when he just does something silly with it. But then the sadness that edges it out. 😦 (Though still super not smart, Merlin, of doing this know, when you passed people as you were gathering wood. *sigh*)

Unfortunately, it is seen by a woman who freaks the fuck out over it and rushes to go tell the king. 

Arthur says he’ll find out who did the magic, but Uther decides that stronger measures need to be taken. Because, people, a horse of smoke… How can he allow such insidious magic to go unchecked. He must bring in the “the Witchfinder”. Seriously, this annoys me. With all the magic we’ve seen in this show, which has been much more dangerous and threatening and often targeted towards the royal family, it’s a freaking horse conjured by smoke that pushes Uther to bring in the big guns? How does that even make sense?

Anyhoo, Gaius tries to convince Uther to go another way, but the king stays firm in his decision. Back in their quarters, Gaius gets after Merlin about using magic like that and tells him to hide anything that connects him to magic.

The Witchfinder, a dude named Aredian (and also known to us as Tywin Lannister from Game of Thrones) arrives. 

Morgan is watching from her window, terrified. Uther tells Arthur that Aredian doesn’t work for anyone and is a law unto himself. Then, Aredian walks in and announces that Camelot stinks of sorcery. He refuses help from Arthur and his knights, since his methods are clearly superior. 

The following day, Merlin and Gaius run into Aredian in town. The Witchfinder asks to see Merlin in his chambers for questioning. During this questioning, Merlin denies seeing anything magical. While he is obviously unconvinced, Aredian lets him leave. Later, he brings three women to the King, and they all describe “magical” happenings in Camelot.

Merlin is named as a suspect. Arthur’s look of disbelief is fabulous – and I can’t find a good shot of it – but it’s great, seriously. Merlin says he has nothing to hied and Aredian and his men search the physician’s chambers. The search is quite destructive and a magical bracelet is found in a pot. As Aredian leaves to bring it to Uther as proof of Merlin using magic, Gaius stops him and says the bracelet is his. 

When Merlin returns to the chambers, he’s shaken by the state of the rooms and the fact that Gaius is now in the dungeons accused of sorcery. Uther is shocked that Gauis is apparently still using sorcery, having believed he gave that up during the Great Purge. Aredian is all gloating and in need of a good smack across the face. Gaius’ interrogations are not pretty and is refused basics like water unless he confesses.

Merlin goes to the Great Dragon for help. He’s told that even if he does confess to being the sorcerer, Aredian would simply burn them both; he wouldn’t be saving Gaius. He tells Merlin he cannot help because he doesn’t know how to and that he’s sorry Merlin is so distressed. Merlin leaves even more upset. 

 

During a session of questions, Gaius mentions having treated Morgana (along with many others) and Aredian latches onto that and pulls the king’s ward in for questioning.

We finally understand how evil Aredian in this scene because…

Nothing says evil like a skull ink well, my friends. Between that and Aredian’s all-black ensemble, he is clearly the bad guy. Make no mistake.

When asked, Morgana says that she was treated by Gaius for nightmares, and when pressed, admits that the nightmares had been getting worse and she doesn’t know what was in the potions Gaius gave her. Aredian concludes that Gaius was giving her nightmares. Though he seems to still suspect Morgana of magic. He then tells Gaius that Morgan and Merlin will join him in the flames. The physician makes a deal—he will confess if Aredian leaves the other two alone. 

 

In front of the court, Gaius confesses he is the sorcerer who is responsible for everything happening in Camelot lately. Uther is all offended and hurt and sentences his “friend” to death the following day. Merlin is PISSED and as Gaius is being taken out, he accuses Aredian of lying, but Arthur jumps up and drags him from the room.

Merlin tries to fight him off but Arthur assures him he isn’t throwing him in a cell. He’s breaking the law and allowing Merlin to see Gaius.

The older man tells Merlin that he was trying to protect him. Merlin says the bracelet wasn’t his, and the pair realize Aredian must have planted the bracelet. Merlin is determined to prove Gaius’ innocence but Gauis insists he do nothing, fearing Merlin may die too if he attempts it. 

Morgana watches from a window as the pyre is set up for Gaius’ execution, and Aredian appears behind her. Gwen bursts into Gaius’ chambers to tell Merlin that Aredian isn’t stopping; he has Morgana and she is close to breaking point. Merlin tells her that Gaius has been set up. He goes off to sneak in Aredian’s room and search it. He finds some flower petals and nearly gets caught but manages to escape. Like he does.

Merlin and Gwen go through Gaius’ books and find that the petals Merlin found are Belladonna and can be used to produce powerful hallucinations. They deduct that they were used somehow on the “witnesses” Aredian brought before the king. They go into town and talk to the dude that sells potions and stuff—apothecary? Chemist? After some prodding, he admits he was given eyedrops from Aredian to sell. The witch finder threatened him with death if he didn’t sell them. 

Merlin sneaks into Aredian’s chambers while the man is sleeping and performs some magic. Next morning, Gauis is being led to the pyre. 

Gwen says she will convince Arthur to delay the execution. In the square, people are gathering. Uther is looking on but leaves before Gaius is even in position to die. Gwen begs Arthur to stop the execution, but he says he can’t as the king has already order it. Gwen gets angry and says he can do the right thing, that he doesn’t have to stand by and let another innocent man…like her father. Ouch. She tells him to start acing like a prince. After a moment of shock, Arthur stops the proceedings just as Aredian is about to light the pyre. 

In front of Uther, Merlin states his case against Aredian, with the help of the man who had been coerced into selling the Belladonna eyedrops. Aredian denies all this, of course. Arthur defends Merlin and suggests a search of Aredian’s room. That results in revealing a bunch of bracelets similar to the one found in Gaius’ chambers and a store of the eyedrops—these were clearly conjured by Merlin when he snuck in the night before. Clever boy. Aredian still insists he’s innocent but sudden is choking and gagging, and toad falls from his mouth. Uther takes this as confirmation that Aredian is a sorcerer, but a desperate Aredian grabs Morgana and holds a knife to her throat. Merlin uses magic to make the hit burn…and seriously, no one notices this or the smell of burning flesh? *sigh* Aredian stumbles back in pain, trips over a chest and falls out the window.

He’s dead, people. Dead, dead, dead. 

Gauis is freed and is beginning the long process of putting his chambers back in order. Utther comes in and says he’s pay for anything that was destroyed. He apologizes that Gaius suffered at Aredian’s hands. Gaius says he didn’t suffer at Aredian’s hands; he suffered at Uther’s. Aredian was simply doing Uther’s bidding. Uther protests that he was deceived. 

But Gaius is having none of that. 

He tells his king that his fear of magic has robbed him of reason and he sees enemies where there are none. He isn’t the first wrongly accused, and most haven’t been as lucky as Gaius. The physician then basically dismisses the king saying he has work do do. Uther insistes that all measures will be taken to make sure this doesn’t happen again. 

That night while eating dinner, Gaius discuss what happened and the older man accuses Merlin of overdoing it. Merlin jokingly promises to never save Gaius’ life again. They laugh and all is well.

 If I’d written this episode, I would have changed… The whole concept of the Witchfinder. Why was he never mentioned or brought in before. There have been how many magical threats towards Camelot, Uther and Arthur and it takes a horse conjured of smoke to bring him in. Really? Wouldn’t it have made sense to bring him in when the water was killing people? Before they knew it was the work of Nimueh? Or when they thought Morgana was kidnapped and they were rounding up suspected witches? Or dozens of other times! 

Nope. Clearly, everyone, this…

…is more threatening and urgent than this…

Totally makes sense, Uther. Totally and completely. 

 

The thing(s) I loved about this episode—I loved seeing Gwen and Merlin working together to figure out what Aredian did. They were awesome together. 

 

Loved that Arthur listened to Gwen in the end and acted, despite going against his father’s word. 

 

Loved how quickly Arthur was up and out of his chair, dragging Merlin away, when Merlin went to confront Aredian.

Merthur! I love it.

And finally, loved that Gaius didn’t let Uther smooth it all over with words at the end. That he finally called Uther out on some things. And let his king, his friend, know that everything wasn’t okay between them. 

 

The thing(s) I hated about this episode—No surprise, I loathed Uther in this episode. He pissed me right off. Like after Gaius says the bracelet is his and Uther is talking to Aredian, he fully admits he knows Aredian’s methods and that he didn’t know that Gaius could hold up under them. You dick. 

Hey, Uther…

So he knows that Aredian basically tortures prisoners, denies them food and water, and all of that… Well, no wonder his methods are so “effective”. 

 

And him looking so hurt when Gaius confesses. Seriously? What did you expect? 

 

Then when Gauis is being brought out for his execution, the king doesn’t even have the balls to stay and watch what he ordered! He runs back inside, leaving this son to oversee the burning, essentially. 

Hey, Uther….

Then the last scene between Uther and Gaius… Uther is all “I can’t believe Aredian was a sorcerer.” You had no problem believing it of Gaius, but oh no, this stranger you call in to hunt witches…that is unreal, so difficult to believe. And when Gaius calls him on his bullshit, him looking all hurt and saying “I was deceived…”

OMG, I was just all…

Hey, Uther…

I’m so sick of Uther and his I-Was-Deceived card that is supposed to magically (see what I did there?) erase all his assholery. 

 

Something I never noticed about this episode before—That is was Sir Leon leading the group of knights/guards that searched Gaius and Merlin’s chambers, and he was the one that broke the pot that the bracelet was hidden in. Damn it, Leon! Though I stand my by assessment that he’s smart. Doing what Uther tells him, not making waves, waiting it out until Arthur’s rule. Because we KNOW he’s better than this. Yes, I love Sir Leon. 

Favorite costume—Aredian’s ensemble. Just because the all black=evil theme. And the hat (pictured above) really rounds out the whole look. 

Here is proof of some random head canon I’ve created—Well obviously I didn’t create the Merthur head canon, but that’s where I reside much of the time. 🙂 So this episode, the fact that Arthur reacts so damned quickly when Merlin goes after Aredian, shows me just how close they are. He’s so in tune with his manservant. He was watching Merlin. Not what else was going on or worrying how his father would react to his friend’s “betrayal”. Nope, it was all about Merlin. 

What would Bron steal from Camelot in this episode? Either the belt on the girl/witness on the left OR Morgana’s necklace.

What made Jen lose her shit (in a good or bad way) in this episode?

In a good way? This: 

ASH in chainmail AND leather… Jen may need a moment, or several. 🙂 

Bron’s Merlin Club: The Witchfinder Post
Jen’s Merlin Club: The Witchfinder Post

 

Until the next episode—The Sins of the Father—which we’ll be watching Monday, 6/2, at 8pm EST. We’ll be on Twitter with the hashtag #MerlinClub.

Wednesday Randomness: GO AWAY, STRESS!!

Happy Wednesday, everyone. This week’s topic – Stress and How We Cope With It – is quite apropros considering the week I’m having. Nothing horrible, just lots of stress (some of it good stress). 

So what do I do to cope with it… Well, I’ll be the first to admit not all my coping mechanisms are healthy. That said, here we go…

Smoking – This is the non-healthy way. I’ve been desperately trying to quit the horrible habit I was stupid enough to start. I do pretty well…then the stress hits and all my good intentions/work goes out the window as I go outside to light up. It soothes me and calms me down. I get to walk about from what is stressing me out, even if it’s for the short time it takes to smoke a cigarette. So I’m always on the lookout for healthier ways to cope that can replace this one. 

Mindless TV Watching – For the last few months, watching Hannibal on Friday nights with Bron on IM (Because I couldn’t do it alone, people! Too much) was a huge stress reliever. Odd, that, considering how tense I was while waiting to see what would happen each episode. But yeah, watching an episode or two (or six) of a show – like Merlin, Hannibal, Game of Thrones, Primeval, Supernatural… – is a definitely way to decompress and I don’t have to THINK. It’s totally shallow of me, but come on, how can I stress when gazing at these lovelies…

Talking with Friends – I am so freaking lucky. I have a circle of friends who are amazing and who help me through the really hard times. I don’t know what I would do without them, without the knowledge that I can ping them on IM or dial their number, and they’ll be there. 

Listening to Nature Sounds and/or Guided Meditation  – I don’t do this one often enough because it totally works when I do. Listening to waves or a thunderstorm or doing a guided meditation…I find it more relaxing and ultimately better than a nap. I end up more calm and able to then do what I need to. 

Retreat – I do a retreat with a group of awesome ladies every year. In the UP of Michigan on Lake Superior. It’s crazy how one week out of the year can affect my day to day life. Like, right now, I’m counting down the days. It’s getting me through the really tough ones, knowing that soon, I’ll be hanging with my girls, drinking some wine, writing a whole lot, and laughing until my face hurts. 

And look, the view alone is relaxing. 

And that’s it from me this week. Be sure to check out what the other ladies do to kick out stress. I know I will be…always looking for ideas on that front. 

Bronwyn Green
Jenny Trout
Kellie St. James
Kris Norris
Leigh Jones
Tess Grant

Until next week!
Hugs
~J

MERLIN CLUB: Beauty and the Beast

MERLIN CLUB: BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

Or the One Where Uther Does a Troll 

 

RECAP—I’m going to try to be more brief in this recap because it’s a two parter and if I went into great detail…well, this post would be freaking LONG.

 

So part one opens with a troll—a fairly hideous troll—and her servant, Jonas, performing some magic. She takes a potion and takes on human form. It’s all part of a scheme to get Camelot’s riches.

 Merlin is complaining to Gaius as they walk the streets of Camelot. Apparently, he’s bored. Jonas comes up to them, asking where Uther Pendragon is, because he has urgent business with the king. Huh, perhaps try…the castle? Seems like common sense, yeah? Anyhoo, Jonas hands Merlin something, which Gaius recognizes as the seal of the House of Tregor. The physician questions Jonas about it and “Lady Catrina” is introduced.

Side note & a bit of trivia: The actress who plays Catrina/Troll is brilliant–Sarah Parish. She was also in Doctor Who. The Empress of the Rocnoss. 

Catrina is welcomed by Uther warmly, and she claims her city was destroyed and, from her family, only she survived, with Jonas’ help. Uther offers to help, and Catrina says she only wishes a bed for the night. Merlin seems a bit enamored with the lady, and comments to Gaius how brave she is. Gaius seems a bit bothered by something.

 

In her room, Catrina takes on her troll form and all of the loveliness that entails. At dinner, Uther talks about how the houses of Pendragon and Tregor have long been allies. He is clearly smitten by Catrina and much flirting happens—to Morgan’s amusement and Arthur’s disgust.

 

Back in their chambers, Merlin tells Gaius Catrina treats him differently, better, than most nobles. We find out that Gaius has met her before and sends Merlin to her with a potion. Catrina talks to Jonas how Uther is stupid and blind by pretty things. She eats rotted food but is interrupted by Merlin. He tries to give her the potion but is told Catrina never asked for one, that she is in perfect healthy. Confused, Merlin goes back to Gaius, who says that he treated Catrina as a child. She apparently had a disease that caused great pain and difficulty walking. And it was incurable. Her refusing the potion proves to Gaius that she isn’t who she seems.

 

The next morning, Uther takes Catrina riding and they have some romantic time by the river. 

This cracks me up. Every. Time.

And Merlin sneaks into her room, which is filled with a foul smell. He is confronted by Jonas. He notices the other servant appears to have a tail and manages to make a quick escape.

 

Gaius talks to Uther about Catrina but Uther totally blows him off. 

Hey, Uther…

Later, when Uther speaks to her as they lounge in front of a roaring fire 

Tres romantic, no?

Catrina says that, yes, she did suffer as a child, but luckily the disease was not incurable. Catrina then puts the moves on Uther. He resists, saying it’s been a long time since Igraine. Catrina is not happy and knocks over a tray of fruit in the hallway (Don’t worry, though; Camelot obviously has a surplus of fruit. No one will go hungry), and Merlin (the adorable creeper) follows her.

 

Merlin goes to Arthur’s room, which is above Catrina’s, and enchants a mirror so he can look into Catrina’s window from Arthur’s. Arthur wakes and assumes Merlin is spying on Catrina for other reasons. He warns Merlin to never do it again. Merlin runs out and follows Catrina underground—where she sleeps in filth and doesn’t realize that Jonas sees him. Merlin goes back to Gaius and tells him what he’s found—and they realize Catrina is after Uther’s riches and power.

 

Gaius goes to Uther again but the king refuses to believe him. Shocker. In Catrina’s chambers, Jonas tells her that Merlin followed her before and offers to kill him. Catrina refuses but decides it’s time to speed up her game plan. She presents Uther with an enchanted amulet and he immediately falls under her spell—besotted completely and following whatever she desires.

 

The next morning, their “love” and intention to marry is announced. Merlin tries to use a spell to reveal her true form but it doesn’t work. Though she felt the spell and has to take more of her potion to offset it. She tells Jonas to trap Merlin so he doesn’t ruin their plans. Merlin goes to Arthur to tell him what he knows. 

 

The prince thinks he’s joking when he calls Catrina a troll, and tells him he just needs to get used to the idea of Catrina being queen.

 

On his way back to his chambers, Merlin encounters Jonas who pretends that he is a slave to Catrina, not there of his own free will. He tells Merlin about the potions she takes and leads Merlin underground under the guise of getting the potions. Once down there, Catrina uses magic to seal the doorway with rocks, trapping Merlin.

 

Merlin struggles to use magic to break free. The wedding begins. Finally, we come to one of my all time favorite scenes. BAMF Merlin. Le sigh.

He busts out, but is delayed by Jonas. By the time he makes it to where the ceremony is taking place, he is too late. Uther and Catrina are married. And this ends part one.

 

In part two, Catrina is desperate to get Merlin off her back, so she tells Uther that he has stolen her family’s seal. Arthur sends men to find Merlin but then rushes to his chambers to warn Merlin. He tells him to leave Camelot or die because of Catrina’s accusations.

 

Catrina tells Jonas of her plan to get Uther to distrust his son. Meanwhile, in the forest, the knights find bits of Merlin’s clothes in the forest and return to Camelot under the assumption that Merlin is running toward the northern border. Gwen worries about him, but Gaius assures her that Merlin can outrun them. He goes back to his chambers and helps Merlin out of the barrel he’d been hiding in. The warlock immediately leaves to follow Catrina. He sees her making the potion that will keep her in human form.

 

Uther, under the enchantment, tells Arthur that he is imposing a new tax on Camelot’s people. Arthur argues that the people cannot spare more than they already give. When Arthur mentions changes in Uther recently, Catrina argues that the king confided in her that he’s wanted to institute such a tax for some time. Much tension all around.

Merlin sneaks into Catrina’s chambers and steals the potion to take to Gaius. The physician starts making a potion that looks and tastes similarly to put in its place.

 

Catrina questions Uther’s ability as a man and as a king, saying his love for his son blinds him to Arthur’s weakness.

 

Merlin brings the fake potion to Catrina’s chambers and is forced to hide in a cupboard when Jonas returns unexpectedly.

 

In the lower town, Arthur comes upon some knights roughing up a man unable to pay the new tax. Arthur orders his release and tells the knights to return the people’s money. Back at the castle, Uther and Catrina are pissed at this turn of events. Uther demands Arthur go out and collect the tax from the people, but Arthur refuses. Uther orders him out of his sight. When he is gone, Uther wonders how his son can do this after all he’s done for him, blah, blah
, blah. I won’t flip him off or anything because he’s under an enchantment. Though some of this shit, I could see him doing without enchantment… But that’s not the case here. So I’ll refrain. 

After some manipulation, Uther agrees to make Catrina his heir.

 

Catrina returns to her chambers to take the next dose of her potion. After she takes it, they leave, which allows Merlin to come out of hiding. Gwen goes to Arthur and praises him for his actions. Arthur sees it as pointless because Uther hates him and the tax is still to be imposed. Gwen argues that the people will always remember Arthur’s actions.

 

Arthur is summoned by Uther and is disinherited for opposing the king.

Everyone is shocked. Arthur says he only acted as Uther raised him to, but the king stands by his decision. Arthur leaves and Catrin is named heir to the throne. During the ceremony where Catrina will take her oath, her troll form begins to appear. Catrina tries to hurry it along, insulting Geoffrey of Monmouth (gasp!) and finally grabs the crown and runs from the room. Uther, Arthur and Morgana run after her. Merlin uses magic to lock the doors. As she tries to open them, she changes fully into her true form. The reactions are priceless…

Uther, still besotted despite Catrina’s form, follows after his wife after she tears the door from its hinges. In their chambers, Uther apologizes as he still sees her as beautiful. And something happens that Uther will regret for the rest of his days…

The next morning, there is an intervention: Camelot style. Gaius, Sir Leon and a handful of other knights try to get through to Uther, and fail. The king threatens anyone who dares to insult his queen with death. Gaius then advises Merlin to ask the Great Dragon for help with the warning that dragons and trolls have been allies for a long time.

 

The dragon takes much pleasure in hearing Uther’s predicament, basically laughing his ass off. Finally, he tells Merlin the only way to break the enchantment is for Uther to cry tears of true remorse. He also reminds Merlin of his promise to free the Dragon.

 

Merlin goes to Arthur …

He and Gaius tell him their plan. Arthur will take a potion that will make him look dead, so Uther will grieve and cry. Once that happens, Merlin will administer the antidote that will wake him. Arthur agress to this plan and takes the potion.

 

Gaius leaves to tell Uther the news. Merlin is attacked by Jonas and knocked out. When he wakes, he finds the bottle containing the antidote broken on the stairs. He mops the liquid up with his neckerchief.

 

As Uther cries over his son, Catrina tries to get him to move away. The enchantment is broken and Uther is a bit horrified at the state of his wife. The guards try to restrain Catrina and Merlin rushes in to give Arthur the antidote. 

 

After some fighting, Arthur, with a bit of help from Merlin’s magic, manages to kill Catrina.

 

Later, Uther thanks Arthur for exposing Catrina, though he puts the blame of everything solely on magic, of course.

Arthur thanks Merlin for his help and there’s this awkward, yet delightful, moment.

 

If I’d written this episode, I would have changed… I don’t think I’d change anything,  really. I love this episode

 

The thing(s) I loved about this episode—Loved Sarah Parish playing the troll/Catrina. Her facial expressions and mannerisms – espeically when in Catrina’s form but acting like a troll – were fabulous. 

BAMF Merlin. I know, shocker. But, c’mon! This….THIS!

Also the hint of the king Arthur would become. I love, love, LOVE those moments. When he refuses Uther’s orders to collect the taxes, standing his ground…one of the best moments of the episode. 

The thing(s) I hated about this episode—I guess it would be Uther STILL not listening to Gaius about things. Even before being enchanted, when Gaius tried to talk about his concerns about Catrina, Uther just totally blew him off. Not for the first time, folks. It’s a pattern, and I greatly dislike it.

Something I never noticed about this episode before—Honestly, can’t think of anything here. 

Favorite costume—The Troll. Some of it’s the makeup, obviously, but they did a helluva job. It’s amazing that the beautiful woman who played Catrina was transformed into that. Props to the makeup/prostetics department! 

Here is proof of some random head canon I’ve created—Totally certain the reason that Arthur was so upset by the thought of Merlin being under his bed the entire time was because he cries out Merlin’s name when he wanks. Oh yes, he does. 

What would Bron steal from Camelot in this episode?

(THis picture is for both this question and for Jen’s.)

 

First, Bron will take the candle holder on the table. And as part of the answer to the next question…would you look at the amount of fruit on the damned table for two people!! For shame! There are people starving in Camelot, Uther!

What made Jen lose her shit (in a good or bad way) in this episode? That Uther totally did a troll. LOL And the amount of freaking fruit the Pendragons have on their table AT ALL TIMES, it seems. 

Bron’s Merlin Club: Beauty and the Beast Post

Jen’s Merlin Club: Beauty and the Beast Post

Until the next episode—The Witchfinder—which we’ll be watching Monday, 5/26, at 8pm EST. We’ll be on Twitter with the hashtag #MerlinClub

Wednesday Randomness: My Dream Yard

Happy Wednesday, everyone! This week’s topic is Dream Yards.

This probably won’t be a cohesive picture of what I want my yard to look like. It’s more a hodgepodge of things I’d like in a yard–they don’t necessarily go *together*. LOL

I would love a place to entertain outdoors like this. I adore the fireplace and grill/kitchen area. 

Or this, guys, THIS…

I’m yearning for an outdoor oven ….It should totally happen.

A water feature scores high on my list. I would love to have something like this in my yard. To be able to sit outside, listen to the water as I read, wrote, or just lazed about. 

I would love the knowlege, time and patience to have a good vegetable garden in my yard. I *do* grow some veggies, but nothing big. I am quite infactuated with the idea of growing my own produce, but thus far, I haven’t had the time to make this happen. I really should work on that. 

AN HERB GARDEN! I want it so badly. I love to use fresh herbs and growing them would be fabulous. 

And what yard would be complete without…

…a hammock to relax in. Perfect for curling up with a book or for a nice nap in the breeze. 

And I sure would like to find these in my backyard… 

What? Norris wants pretties in posts…and they’re all outside! And it’s MY dream yard. I want them in my dream yard. 😀 

Make sure you go check out what the other ladies want in their dream yards

Bronwyn Green

Gwendolyn Cease

Jenny Trout

Kelly St. James

Kris Norris

Leigh Jones

Until next week!

Hugs, 

~J

MERLIN CLUB: Lancelot and Guinevere

MERLIN CLUB: LANCELOT AND GUINEVERE

Or One I Don’t Really Care For (Don’t worry, I’ll be explaining LOL)

 

RECAP—Morgana and Gwen leave Camelot to visit Morgana’s father’s grave. Along the way, they are attacked by outlaws, of course. They try to escape but they are captured, and Kendrick, the leader of the group, says Morgana is more valuable to him alive.

 

The girls start planning their escape, while back in Camelot, Uther sends Arthur to find Morgana since their party hasn’t returned. Morgana and Gwen manage to escape when Morgana insists on bathing. You know, distract the men by the possibility of seeing boobies…good plan. 

BAMF Morgana for the win! Notice she does Arthur’s little sword twirl? Wonder if he taught her or she taught him? 😀

Gwen is injured and tells Morgana to go on without her and get help. She does and Gwen defends herself but Is recaptured.

 

Arthur and his men come across where the outlaws took the girls. Merlin finds a ransom note, and Arthur leads the group through the forest, tracking the girls and their captors. When they hear a noise, Athur nearly shoots, but luckily does not as it is Morgana. Arthur asks where Gwen is, and Morgana shakes her head sadly.

 

Gwen is give Morgana’s clothes to wear. The man who wanted Morgana—Hengist—has never seen Uther’s ward so Kendrick decides to pass Gwen off as Morgana.

 

Uther is overjoyed to see Morgana return but refuses to send out men to find Gwen. She’s a servant, after all, and isn’t worth it. 

Hey, Uther… (My collection of “Hey, Uther…” .gifs is growing. Makes me so happy)

Morgana begs Arthur, but he says there is nothing he can do.

Gwen is presented to Hengist as the lady Morgana. He’s quite taken with her beauty even as she demands to be released. She finds herself in the dungeons instead.

 

Morgana goes to Arthur, pissed and insisting he goes after Gwen. He points out to her that he’s already packing to go. He couldn’t disagree with Uther in front of the court. Meanwhile, Gaius wishes Merlin a safe journey, and prince and servant head out to find Gwen.

 

Gwen is forced to join Hengist for a meal and entertainment. Which happens to be cage fighting. Woohoo. She recognizes one of the men fighting. Cue the romantic music, people. It’s freaking Lancelot. He wins the fight but doesn’t kill his opponent. He really should have, it would have been more merciful because Hengist sets a Wilddeoren on the loser.

Rodent of Unusual Size….that feasts on human flesh. RUN!

Arthur is getting frustrated with Merlin—he’s slowing them down and they don’t have time to waste. Gwen’s life is at stake.

 

In the dungeons, Gwen and Lancelot talk through a grate in the wall. She tells him how she came to be there and fears she will die like the man in the cage. Lancelot says he will never let that happen. We dind out that he has been making his way in life by fighting like this—his opportunities aren’t very vast apparently. There is much loving eye contact and Lancelot says he has thought of Gwen often.

In the forest, Arthur pours water over Merlin’s head to wake him Such a sweetie. Arthur hasn’t been able to sleep for worry of Gwen. Merlin says he’s never seen Arthur like this over anyone, but Arthur totally ignores that and diverts the conversation.

 

Hengist is suspicious because Uther hasn’t responded to his ransom demand. He threatens Gwen’s life if he doesn’t hear from the king by dawn. Because that makes sense. Gwen totally has control over Uther’s actions from Hengist’s cell.

 

Arthur decides they will save a day’s journey by going through the tunnels of Andor. Bad news is they’re infested with Wilddeoren. That just sucks. 

Arthur says they have to cover themselves with these stinky Gaia berries. The Widdeoren are blind and rely on their sense of smell. The berries will cover their scents.

 

Lancelot goes to Gwen in secret and says he will not let her die. Gwen admits she has feelings for him, and Lancelot now has a reason to live and vows to return by nightfall.

 

Safely out of the tunnels, Arthur and Merlin wash off the berries and after Merlin has a bit of a freak out, Arthur apologizes for risking Merlin’s life like that. 

Seriously look at that man’s smile. *swoon*

Merlin then tells Arthur he should just admit his feels for Gwen. Arthur says he can’t. It hurts too much. He knows they can never be. His father wouldn’t let him rescue a servant, he sure as shit isn’t going to let him marry one. Merlin says hwen Arthur is king he can change all that. Arthur says he can’t expect Gwen to wait for him, but Merlin insists if Gwen feels as Arthur does, she’ll wait.

 

Hengist is growing more and more suspicious, and confronts Kendrick about the situation. Kendrick admits that Morgana escaped and it is her maidservant they have in her place. He’s killed by Wilddoeren in the cage.

 

Lancelot slips the guards some kind of sedative and frees Gwen. They make their way through corridors to make their escape. But when Hengist finds Gwen’s cell empty, he sends hi men after them. Gwen refuses to leave Lancelot and they kiss. 

He convinces her to run and she voews that her feelings will not fade. Lancelot fights like a bad ass but is outnumbered and ends up back in the cage. Hengist says he will feel great pain before he dies, and Lancelot says it doesn’t matter as long as Gwen is safe. Sadly, the door opens and Gwen is thrust in the cage with him.

 

Outside the castles, Arthur and Merlin have to scale the walls to get in. Once inside, Merlin distracts the guards, and Arthur knocks them out. 

They steal the guards clothes to blend in and then they’re off looking for Gwen. Wilddeoren are released into the cage just as Athur and Merlin enter the room. Arthur jumps into the cage and he and Lancelot fight off the beast. They escape through the tunnel (that the Wilddeoren come through). Lancelot stays back to fight, and Merlin uses magic to lock Hengist in the cage.

 

As they escape, Gwen and Lancelot learn that it is just Arthur and Merlin—no knights. Lancelot helps her out of the tunnel, and they share a meaningful look. Merlin is surprised and Arthur is upset. Once in the forest around a campfire, there is much tension. Awkward. Lancelot says it was brave for just the two of them. Arthur says he defied his father’s orders only because Morgana begged him too. Gwen looks hurt by this and says she’s going to get some rest. Arthur follows suit, looking equally upset. Lancelot offers to keep watch and Merlin joins him.

 

Lancelot questions Merlin about Arthurs true feelings for Gwen and realizes the prince is in love with her. Merlin asks if Lancelot has the same feelings, and he says it doesn’t matter. He will not come between Arthur and Gwen. He asks Merlin to give Gwen a message—that she has changed him forever and some things cannot be.

 

When Gwen wakes, she asks after Lancelot and looks heartbroken when she finds he’s gone and hears his message. Arthur notices but says nothing about it, instead saying they need to continue home. When they return to Camelot, Morgana is waiting for them and the girls embrace. 

Arthur, heartbroken himself, walks away. And the episode ends with this lovely exchange. 

If I’d written this episode, I would have changed… This may take a while. I apologize in advance. 

 

I don’t like Lancelot’s characterization. Don’t get me wrong; I like Lancelot just fine, all things considered, but honestly, I feel like to this point he is a flat character. There’s not a whole lot of development whatsoever and I feel like there could be so much more. By the end of this episode, it’s like okay, okay, we get it. Lancelot is the noblest noble that ever nobled (Thanks @TayciBear for that line. It fits so perfectly!). He’s walking away from the woman he loves (a woman he hardly knows but he LOVES her. Don’t worry about being shown how this love develops. Just trust in that love, because we are told he loves her so much he’s willing to die for her, willing to step aside…. URGH. Sorry back to the sentence I rudely interrupted) so that she can have her fairy tale with the prince. Whatever. Seriously, maybe ask her what she wants. Perhaps she would have chosen Lancelot. Maybe we could see her getting a choice instead of it being made for her. You know, for funsies. 

 

The whole romance BS in this series is pissing me off. I’ve already talked in previous posts about my feelings on the lack of development when it comes to Arthur and Gwen’s romance. But aside from that, just two episodes ago, she was basically telling Arthur that he can change things when he’s king and implies that she’ll be waiting for him. That’s all different now, I guess, that Lancelot is in the picture. Because her feelings for him are intense, people. She didn’t know she could feel this way about another person. She met him once! Was around him for a grand total of, what, a couple of days before he left for parts unknown? And it wasn’t like she spent all that much time with him. Yes, she measured him for some clothes and chainmail then cheered him on as he tried to become a knight, but that’s it. An intense appreciation for his looks and what little she has learned about him to this point? A healthy dose of lust because the man is all kinds of beautiful? Sure, I can get behind that one hundred percent. But this deep seated love she apparently has? I don’t buy it. 

Though I guess this is kinda her thing. Happened with Arthur too. Sudden deep love, but as soon as they’re out of sight and another hot hunk of ass comes along…that love shifts targets. 

 

*ahem* So, after ranting, what would I change? Show some freaking development in the relationships if we are to believe that they are strong and enduring. To show that this is a choice that is heartbreaking for Gwen no matter which man she chooses (You know if she gets a choice and one or both of the men don’t make it for her). I would have liked to see more than just throwing Gwen in the vicinity of a man and suddenly she has massive love feelings for him. And I think the actors in Merlin could have acted the crap out a decent storyline; they proven that time and time again. But this…this just makes Gwen seem dramatic and fickle. And I think the character deserves a hell of a lot more than that. 

The thing(s) I loved about this episode—There were some good Merlin-Arthur moments. Even if you aren’t a Merthur lover, they were great. The banter is hilarious and I love it. 

 

Loved BAMF Morgana with her sword. 

 

The thing(s) I hated about this episode—I have never been a big fan of the Arthur-Gwen-Lancelot love triangle. So yeah, that didn’t appeal to me at all. 

 And…well, just see what I wrote for the first question and that’s about it. 

Something I never noticed about this episode before—Rewatching, I’m baffled by the pissy, and sometimes cold, looks Gwen is shooting Arthur’s way. Now I understand the hurt and angry look after Arthur says he only came because Morgana begged him to. But I noticed this time around she was looking at him in an almost angry way well before that. The first in the tunnel when Arthur notices the affection between Lancelot and Gwen. Then around the fire before Arthur ever speaks. 

I never noticed it before. It’s like she’s pissed off at him. For what? Defying his father, coming to rescue her, even though it was just him and Merlin? He just saved her and Lancelot’s lives and she’s glaring at him like he’s rudely encrouching on her time with her new lover. What is up with that? 

Favorite costume—Merlin in his stolen guard clothes. Yummy. 

 

Here is proof of some random head canon I’ve created—I would say that Merlin is so damned tired on the journey to save Gwen because he was otherwise occupied in the nights, if you know what I mean. Other than that, I have nothing for this episode. 

What would Bron steal from Camelot Hengist’s place in this episode? Since most of the episode isn’t in Camelot, and a good portion of it is in the woods or the dungeons, I’m going to say, Bron would happily take Lancelot home. He can’t return to Camelot anyway…so she’d give him a good home. 

 

What made Jen lose her shit (in a good or bad way) in this episode? Oh this is a tough one this episode. I don’t know… I probably lost my shit more than Jen in this episode as evidenced above. LOL 

 I think she appreciated BAMF Morgana fighting to be free. And while nowhere near as uncomfortable as previous scenes between Uther and Morgana, when Morgana is returned to Camelot, there is the moment when he cups her face…causes a moment of squickiness there. Maybe? 

Bron’s Merlin Club: Lancelot and Guinevere Post

Jen’s Merlin Club: Lancelot and Guinevere Post

 

Until the next TWO episodes. It’s our first 2-parter – Beauty and the Beast – which we’ll be watching Monday 5/19, at 8pm EST. We’ll be on Twitter with the hashtag #MerlinClub

Wednesday Randomness: I Don’t Wanna Work…

…I just wanna bang on my drums all day! Sorry had that song in my head…

Anyway, happy Wednesday, everyone. This week’s topic is Shitty Jobs We’ve Had or Currently Have.

I’m pretty lucky, I’ll admit. My list isn’t very long. I’ve been a stay-at-home mom since my oldest was born (he’s 17) and haven’t had to work outside the home very often. Like I said, lucky. And I know it full well.

Mom – Being a at-home mom isn’s all grand. There are plenty of down sides. Not having any breaks is the first one that comes to mind. I have four kids. The age difference between the oldest and youngest is five and a half years. So life was very busy here, let me tell you. There were plenty of days I was watching the clock, waiting for for the hubs to walk through the door. Those days now, with the kids being teenagers, still happen but they are few and far between. But, honestly, the hardest part of it all was if I was frustrated or upset about something, it wasn’t like I could just walk away from the kids and have alone time to work through it.

Though I will say, I loved being able to stay home with my kids and it was definitely my choice to do so. I don’t regret it, and didn’t regret it even on the hard days.

Retail – Over the years, here and there, I’d take a seasonal job to help out financially. Usually around the holidays. Yeah, working retail is not for me. Having to smile and be uber-helpful even when people are being douchcanoes? 

Yeah, I’m so happy this type of job was always a temporary thing.

Nursing Assistant – Once upon a time, I really thought I wanted to be a nurse. I worked as an NA for a while and it wasn’t the worst job ever, but it showed me that nursing was definitely not my calling. 

Adding a pretty…mostly for Norris. Okay, I just like looking at Bradley James.

I worked in a nursing home, mostly on the transitional care unit (those who were there short-term due to a surgery or something like that), and while I enjoyed doing it – I worked with some fantastic people and met some incredible patients – it stressed me the heck out. I may be a caretaker at heart, but when it came to taking care of people at work then having to be mom at home…it was too much. I burned out big time. So when I found out I was pregnant with my third child, I stopped working as an NA. 

And that brings us to now. My kids are teenagers and in school all day. I help out my in laws and watch my neices during the day and I write. Watching the girls presents some of the same issues as when my kids were little, but at the end of the day I love it, and they go home. LOL And writing? Best damned job in the world. I realized it’s all I ever wanted to do and I’m so damned lucky to be a position I can do it. 

So that’s it from me. Can’t wait to see what jobs the other girls share. Make sure to go check it out.

Bronwyn Green
Gwendolyn Cease
Kris Norris
Tess Grant

Until next week!
Hugs
~J

MERLIN CLUB: The Nightmare Begins

MERLIN CLUB: THE NIGHTMARE BEGINS

Or the One Where Creepy Mordred Returns…WITH DR. MOON!

 

RECAP – It’s storming in Camelot and Morgana is having a nightmare. A candle magically lights as the she drams. Gwen enters the room (Why is Gwen still there? It’s awfully late?) blows out the candle and moves it over by the window. After Gwen leaves, Morgana wakes, panicked, and her eyes flare gold and the candle lights again, flames high and starts the drapes on fire. The windows exploded. It’s all very dramatic.

The king, prince, Merlin and Gwen are in Morgana’s room after the fire. Uther, of course, suspects sorcery.

Morgana tells Gaius it was she who started the fire, fearful that she has magic. Merlin, the fucking adorable creeper he is, is listening to the conversation. Gaius tries to comfort Morgana and convince her that surely she doesn’t have magic. His solution…another draught. Yes, Gaius, drug her harder. That’s the way to go.

 

After she leaves, Merlin talks to Gaius and tries to convince the older man to talk to Morgana about what is really going on with her. Gauis disagrees and warns Merlin not to get involved. Merlin brings Morgana flowers to cheer her up, Arthur sees and is a wee bit jealous. And freaking adorable while he’s at it. 

 

That night, Morgana goes to bed and, when frightened by lightning, her magic reacts and shatters a vase. 

She races to Gaius’ chambers, but the physician is not there. She speaks to Merlin instead.

 

Merlin goes to the Great Dragon and asks where the Druids are—he believes they can help Morgana. The dragon says it would be better if Morgana never knew the full extent of her powers and refuses to help Merlin.

 

The next day, Arthur is still investigating sorcerers who could be involved in what happened in Morgana’s room. He asks Merlin about the flowers for Morgana and his apparent affections toward her. When he is distracted, Merlin reads a scroll on the table – it has the names of suspected sorcerers and Merlin hopes one of them can help him find the Druids.

In the lower town, people on the list are being rounded up, arrested for sorcery. Merlin uses magic to enter the house of Forridel, a woman suspected of consorting with Druids. He begs for her help to find the Druids, and, after some hesitation, she agrees. That night, Merlin visits Morgana. She tries to explain away what she said the night before as rambling caused by exhaustion. Merlin says he can help her, that he understands how scary all this must be. He says the Druids may be able to help and he knows here they are.

 

The next morning, the alarm bells are ringing. Uther is convinced that Morgana has been kidnapped. Gaius confronts Merlin  and is angry when Merlin admits what he’s done. He says that Morgana doesn’t have anyone to help her, not like Merlin has Gaius. The older man understands but fears what the consequences of Merlin’s actions will be.

 

Uther announces that unless Morgana is returned, all the prisoners will be executed. 

Hey, Uther…

Hearing this, Merlin sets off to find her. 

Merlin off to find Morgana (Honestly this is just because I can’t resist a windblown Colin Morgan. Le sigh)

At night, we see Morgana walking through the woods (in her stunning red cape, like you do when you’re meaning to be stealthy and sneaky). Suddenly she is surrounded by Serkets – these huge scorpion type things.

 

They attack, injuring her leg, but as she’s about to pass out, she sees a man walking through the creatures and the Serkets run away from him. Morgana wakes and finds the man who saved her. 

Aglain (who is Dr. Moon from Dr. Who! The fangirl in me is DYING right now) –

He assures her she is safe. Turns out it was the Druid boy Mordred who told Aglain where to find her. Mordred says he will care for her as she cared for him before.

Back in Camelot, Uther orders Arthur to find the Druids, telling him to take no prisoners. He feels he has been too lenient on the Druids. *sigh* 

Uther exhausts me.

Arthurs asks Gaius where Merlin is, assuming he’s upset over Morgana’s supposed abduction.

 

In the forest, Merlin is searching for the Druids and Morgana. He hears voices in his head and that leads him to their camp.

 

Gaius meets with Uther and brings up the possibility that Morgana may have run away on her own. Perhaps she wasn’t kidnapped. Uther disagrees, saying Morgana would never run from anything, just like her father. He says that if she died, a part of him would as well.

 

Aglain questions Morgana about her reasons for seeking out the Druids, and she tells him and asks for his help. Aglain confirms that she has magic, but that she shouldn’t be afraid of it. She is safe with the Druids. When Aglain leaves the tent, Merlin comes in, surprising Morgana. He says she needs to return to Camelot, that Uther believes her kidnapped and people’s lives are at risk. Aglain returns saying Arthur and his men are there  and they need to run. The camp is invaded by Camelot’s solders and the Druids flee. Morgana is seen running away with Aglain and Mordred and pursues the trio. Merlin, wanting to give them a chance to get away, sends them on then uses magic to create a dense fog to disorient Arthur and his men.

 

Morgana is having difficulty because of her injured leg, and Aglain is shot. Mordred continues to run but is soon surrounded by solders. As Merlin watches, Mordred screams and the solders go flying back, allowing Mordred to escape.

Arthur returns Morgana to a teary and grateful Uther, who embraces her. Arthur says that Uther was right; the Druids had kidnapped her.

 

Later that night, Merlin visits Morgana and promises to never tell anyone her secret. She says she is not scared of who she is anymore and that maybe someday people will see magic as a force for good. As he leaves her chambers, Merlin is stopped by Arthur. The prince tells Merlin to stop denying his feelings, but then says he cannot hope for a relationship with Morgana. That he should turn his sights on someone more at his level.

 

When Merlin returns to his and Gaius’ chambers, he apologizes. But Gauis is just glad he is safe and hugs Merlin. When Gaius learns that Morgana is aware of her magic, he advises Merlin to look after her and make sure Uther doesn’t find out.

 

If I’d written this episode, I would have changed… I don’t know how to answer this! This is a hard one for me. Because, as you’ll see below, there are things I didn’t like about the episode and would change BUT the things I would change…they wouldn’t just change the episode. They’d change the whole course of the series. Merlin being honest wit
h Morgana, for example. If they were able to talk about their magic and have each other…well, that would just change everything, wouldn’t it? 

 

The thing(s) I loved about this episode – I love that, even though Merlin isn’t completely honest with Morgana (see what I hated below), he DOES try to help her. It ends horribly, of course, but he really does care and tries to help. 

 

Loved Aglain. When he says that Morgana shouldn’t hate or fear Uther, that she should pity him…just wow. Yes, the Druids are evil magic users out to destroy your kingdom, Uther. *sigh*

 

Lastly, there was some lovely scenes with Merlin sans neckerchief, and you KNOW how much I love those. 

 

The thing(s) I hated about this episode – I hate that Merlin doesn’t confide in Morgana. I get it – between Gaius and the damned dragon, he doesn’t know what to do. But his damned instincts are to be honest with her. He should totally follow those. Of course, THAT would have changed everything. (For the better, IMO, but it’s not my story to tell.)

 

HATE THE DRUGGING MORGANA. I was yelling at Gaius during this episode. 

 

Uther, as usual, pisses me right off. Yes, Your Majesty, I’m certain that killing all the suspected sorcerers you’ve arrested is exactly what it will take to make the Druids return Morgana. Seems logical to me.  

 

Also something is bugging me. After the fire in Morgana’s room and Uther is convinced it was sorcery, he tells Arthur to arrest everyone they have under suspicion. This doesn’t ring true AT ALL. If someone was under suspicion, how are they still living? It’s been proven time and time again that Uther doesn’t need PROOF or EVIDENCE that someone used magic to execute them. Just the suspicion or, hell, CONSORTING with a sorcerer is enough to set someone on fire or take of their head. So this makes no sense to me and bugs me like you wouldn’t believe. 

Something I never noticed about this episode before – I didn’t notice that Aglain was Dr Moon from the “Silence in the Library” and “Forest of the Dead” episodes of Doctor Who. How did I miss that before? It doesn’t surprise me…I mean there are like a dozen actors in all British television, and half a dozen locations. 😉 Or so it seems. LOL

 

Favorite costume – Aglain’s robes. I like’em. 

Here is proof of some random head canon I’ve created – Don’t have much here. I suppose adorable jealous Arthur makes me think Merthur. Does that count? LOL 

 

What would Bron steal from Camelot in this episode? The table in Arthur’s chambers. Gorgeous wood work. Reusing scroll .gif to show it. 😀 So ignore the scrool and check out Bron’s new table! 😀 

 

 

What made Jen lose her shit (in a good or bad way) in this episode? The not being honest with Morgana and the fact that, instead, Gaius just keep drugging her some more. 

 

 

Bron’s Merlin Club: The Nightmare Begins Post

Jen’s Merlin Club: The Nightmare Begins Post

 

Until the next episode – Lancelot and Guinevere – which we’ll be watching Monday 5/12, at 8pm EST. We’ll be on Twitter with the hashtag #MerlinClub

Wednesday Randomness: Fave Books

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

This week is the start of a new regular feature for our little Wednesday blogging group – “A Few Of My Favorite Things”.  The first Wednesday of every month we are going to post about our favorite things. This month is BOOKS. 🙂 

What did I get myself into with this one? I loooooove books, so writing a list of my favorites…I will have to limit myself. LOL I’m seriously just took a look at the bookshelf and chose the ones that have been there for so long and read so many times that you can barely read the spines. LOL So here goes nothing. 

The first two are series I read as a child and read with my kids and hold a special place in my heart. 

The Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder

I read these like crazy when I was younger and loved reading them with my kids when they were little. Living in Minnesota, we’ve been to Walnut Grove, Plum Creek, and Pepin, Wisconsin to visit the places from the books and all that fun stuff. We went through several copies and read them until they were falling apart. 

The Anne of Green Gables series by LM Montgomery

I know there are more books in the series, and they were read, but these were the three that were read the most…and over and over again. 

Next is another series. 

The Harry Potter series by JK Rowling

I started reading Harry Potter when my oldest was in 1st grade, because he wanted to read it. I wanted to what level it was (he was an early reader but still) and it was appropriate. Some may say it wasn’t appropriate to let him read it, but I totally did. I was swept into the series as much as he was and we had many wonderful conversations about it. 

Parent-child bonding through books is the best. 😀

JRR Tolkien’s books were my first taste of fantasy, and I was swept away. I could go on and on, really, but let’s just leave it at I looooooove these books. 

Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen

I love Austen. Have since high school when I was forced to read Emma. I thought it was going to be awful and was proven wrong. But, out of all of her works, Pride and Prejudice is my favorite. I still pull it off the shelf to read often. I will see every adaptation of it on film and TV. I read sequels people write (some are okay, some just painful to read), or modern retelling of the story. My love knows no bounds when it comes to Lizzy and Mr. Darcy.

As a romance reader, I cut my teeth on the books of Jude Devereaux, LaVyrle Spencer, and Julie Garwood. I will admit, I don’t read many historicals anymore, but these books (not just the ones pictured below, but all the books from these authors)… I still have them lined on my shelf and will pull them out. Comfort reads, like visiting old friends.

And that is where I’m going to leave it, folks. I could go on…and on…and on, but let’s face it, none of us have time for that, do we? And I have a book to finish writing. (Do you hear the whip cracking? Because it is, and it stings!) 

What are your favorite books? Which ones pull you back again and again? 

Don’t forget to go and check out the other ladies’ favorites!

Bronwyn Green
Gwendolyn Cease
Jenny Trout
Kellie St. James
Kris Norris
Leigh Jones
Tess Grant

Until next week!
Hugs, 
~J

MERLIN CLUB: The Once and Future Queen

MERLIN CLUB: THE ONCE AND FUTURE QUEEN

Or the One Where Merlin Loses His Shit and Looks Adorable Doing So

RECAP – So we open with King Odin— cheery fellow  —hiring an assassin, Myror, to kill Prince Arthur. Apparently Arthur killed Odin’s son in a duel and the king is holding a grudge. Myror heads off to Camelot.

Watch out, Arthur, bad ass assassin coming your way.

In Camelot, Arthur is practicing for a jousting tournament (Yes, another tournament in Camelot! We get to see Uther’s fabulous tournament clap! Woot!) and realizes he’s being treated differently and the knights are going easy on him because he’s a prince. And we see SIR LEON…FINALLY! 

Seriously, people, I love Sir Leon. LOVE HIM. Don’t know why, but I doooo!

After talking with Merlin and thinking really hard, Arthur comes up with a plan to participate in the tournament without anyone knowing who he is. 

The plan is to hire someone to act as “Sir William of Daira” when the knights ride out and greet the crowd. Then he will return to the tent and Arthur will exit with his helmet on. No one the wiser that it’s Arthur and not the man they saw before. The prince will reveal himself after the final, after he wins of course.

So, at dinner with Uther (yes, there is a shit ton of food on the table. Heaven forbid Uther go hungry. Screw the starving children in Camelot; the king needs to eat!), Arthur feeds his father some line about a beast being seen roaming a nearby wood. He says the creature has the body of a lion, the wings of an eagle, and the face of a bear. Merlin’s very amused by this. Clearly, Arthur says, this beast has been conjured by magic. Uther agrees and therefore it must be destroyed, though he does pout a bit when he points out Arthur will miss the tournament. But obviously, destroying something of sorcery ranks higher than one of Camelot’s many tournaments.

The next morning, Arthur leaves the castle with a hunting party, but they go ahead under orders from Arthur that they tell no one he has returned to Camelot. Merlin meets him and gives him some clothes to wear. Arthur goes to Gwen’s house, where he’ll be staying for the duration of the tournament. There, the prince, Merlin and Gwen work to transform this poor peasant, a farmer from one of the outlying villages, into a believable knight. 

Uther is warned that Odin has hired someone to kill Arthur. Uther sends people to find Myror. But the assassin is waiting for the hunting party but sees Arthur is missing so he heads on into Camelot to find him.

After the first day of the tournament, Gaius is giving Merlin grief about not finishing his chores and whatnot. He doesn’t know, of course, that Arthur is still around. Poor Merlin is being run ragged. After working all night, Merlin falls asleep on the wet floor he was scrubbing. Gauis makes some snarky comment about Merlin laying around doing nothing. And then comes my favorite scene of the whole episode. Merlin loses his shit, my friends. I apologize for all the images, but I had to include it in it’s entirety, because it’s just freaking gold. 

Gaius does apologize to Merlin later and all is well. 

At Gwen’s house, Arthur is pretty much an ass. He takes her bed, not even wondering where she’s going to sleep (which turns out to be sacks of something. Not sure what, but it looked freaking uncomfortable), has her running to the well late at night and heating water for him so he can wash, and other stuff. She finally blows up at him, saying he talks about wanting to be treated like everyone else, not given special consideration because he’s the Prince, but he’s rude and selfish and clearly wants special treatment when it suits him. Her rant isn’t as lovely as Merlin’s but it’s quite awesome. 

Arthur says he wants to make it up to her by cooking her dinner. In the end – after being perplexed by a raw chicken – 

he sends Merlin to the castle kitchens to get dinner. While the prince and Gwen are eating, Myror is spying on them. He tracked Arthur there, mostly because it was a bit suspicious that the prince’s manservant was helping some random knight in the tournament and Myror followed Merlin and figured it all out. Myror is ready to kill Arthur but is distracted and nearly caught by guards coming through the town.

Gwen realizes that Arthur didn’t make dinner after recognizing the plates from the castle. And she is PISSED that he lied, saying she thought he’d learned some humility. Arthur apologizes and tells her he cares about her. Merlin then rushes in, having found out there is an assassin after Arthur. They agree Arthur will continue to stay at Gwen’s since no one knows he’s there. 

The next day, while Gwen is helping Arthur get ready for the tournament. She gives him a handkerchief, telling him it’s “for luck”. He kisses her before he leaves.

Swelling music and the Arthur/Gwen moment everyone has been waiting for.

Myror kills Arthur’s opponent and takes his place As he and Arthur charge towards each other, Myror triggers a hidden blad to slide out of the end of his lance. He manages to injure Arthur. Merlin has seen the blade and sneaking around, see Myror in armor and the dead man on the ground inside a tent.

Arthur, meanwhile, refuses to forfeit because of his injuries. Before Merlin can get back and warn him, Arthur is back on his horse ready to joust again. Merlin manages to break the strap on Myror’s saddle before the assassin can injure Arthur more or
kill him. The fall kills Myror (lucky, that, yeah?) and Arthur wins the tournament.

Back in his tent, Arthur tells the farmer posing as “Sir William” to go out and accept the win, saying “Perhaps this is a time for humility.” Gwen looks super happy with Arthur.  

Arthur tells his father that the assassin attached him while he was hunting the mythical beast, and that was how he was injured. Uther wants Odin to pay, is ready to go to war with the other king, but Arthur convinces Uther towards peace, that it was grief for his son that pushed Odin so far. Arthur and Gwen exchange a meaningful stare across the room, 

but later, he tells herhis father would never understand, would never allow anything between them, with her being a servant and all. Gwen assures him that he doesn’t have to explain, and that maybe when he’s king, things will be different.

If I’d written this episode, I would have changed… Okay, I get this is the episode where it becomes clear that Arthur and Gwen are this great epic love story. Well, it didn’t work or me. Not. One. Bit. And it’s NOT because I am all about Merthur. I swear. I actually appreciate the pairing of Arthur and Gwen. What I don’t appreciate is the way they did it. 

The entire episode, Gwen is pissed at Arthur and his behavior. Even though there have been moments in past episodes when it seemed she was a bit interested in him, right now, she literally can’t stand him. She only helped him out because Merlin convinced her to. Then, because he smiles at her and says he cares, she’s giving him her handkerchief as a favor and sucking face with him. I could even accept that, because damn, he’s hot. Despite being an ass. But then when he says his father would never approve and all that, she’s all “When you’re king, maybe things will be different.” It’s a strong implication that she’s going to wait for him. I have big problems with this. Big ones. 

One, Uther’s fairly young and healthy, so it could be a long ass wait for someone you couldn’t stand a day ago. 

Two, how can her feelings be that strong in so short a time? I don’t get it. But it’s Arthur and Guinevere and their epic freaking love, so we are supposed to just accept it, I guess. 

So what would I change? Show that her feelings are beginning to change, that she’s seeing a different side of him. And then continue to develop it positively over the next episodes. Instead of rushed and unbelievable (In my opinion).

The thing(s) I loved about his episode – Merlin losing his shit. Best. Ever. Seriously, love it. 

And SIR LEON!!!!

This is the first episode he appears in and it’s a beautiful thing. 😀 It just makes me so happy. 

And lastly, when Merlin’s cleaning out Gaius’ leech tank at the end (apparntly his punishment for lying to Gauis), his reaction to leeches on him is exactly how I am when anything creepy touches me. It delights me to watch. 

The thing(s) I hated about this episode – Arthur being such an ass. My GOD. It was like all progress we’ve seen in him to this point has disappeared. Even when he’s apologetic to Gwen and trying to make things up to her, he’s being a total dick to Merlin and acting like he used to. I think it’s ridiculous. I know why they did it. They wanted viewers to go “Awwww look how much Gwen changed him. That’s how much he loves her; he changed into a better man for her, blah blah blah.” And it pisses me off. Because he HAS grown as a character and they basically erased all that growth in a blink. RAGEY. 

It’s like the writers were like, let’s make Arthur act like a dick again so we can show what a wonderful influence Gwen is on him and how he changes for her. Epic. Love. Story. Right?Let’s throw away a seaon’s worth of character development because…

This is the story we’re telling now. It was totally Gwen’s influence that changed Arthur. That’s the story now, people, don’t question it. 

I didn’t enjoy that it was a magic light episode, but that’s fairly minor. Even Uther in this episode didn’t make me rage or pull out the Ryan Stiles .gif. Go, Uther. I know it won’t last. 

Something In ever noticed about this episode before – So when Arthur leaves with the hunting party then sends them on their way, I guess I never really or thought about it before – there’s a handful of people out there that know there was no magical creature. Arthur must freaking trust them because if any of them mentioned to Uther that they just went camping for a couple days… I dunno, just seemed odd to me. 

Favorite costume – Even though it’s not the first time she’s worn it, Gwen’s dress is my favorite costume of the episode. 

And I don’t think it’s coincidence this dress popped up when we started seen Gwen as a real love interest for Arthur. Purple is the color of royalty after all. 

Here is proof of some random head canon I’ve created – Don’t really have anything this episode for this one. 

What would Bron steal from Camelot in this episode? Ignore the prince fondling the poultry and look behind him. Bron would love that cabinet, I’m fairly certain. 

What made Jen lose her shit (in a good or bad way) in this episode? The fact that Arthur, Merlin and Gwen do exactly what Lancelot did – fake a seal of nobility – and get away with it. Perhaps it was because Lancelot was trying to be a knight, but c’mon, Uther is such a stickler about the rules of nobility and the knights’s code etc, would he allow a fake noblemen win a tournament? Why wasn’t he having good old Geoffrey of Monmouth look into his seal??

Also, the good kind of losing it, Uther’s tournament clap. 🙂 

Bron’s Merlin Club: The Once and Future Queen Post

Jen’s Merlin Club: The Once and Future Queen Post

Until the next episode – The Nightmare Begins – which we’ll be watching Monday, 5/5, at 8pm EST. We’ll be on Twitter with the hashtag #MerlinClub