my thoughts on the news

[merlocmod.livejournal.com]

'official' thoughts

As I'm sure you've already read elsewhere, the news has finally broken that we are currently watching the last ever episodes of our beloved show. The BBC announced overnight that the fifth series of Merlin will be the last. It will end with a ‘spectacular’ two-part finale just before Christmas. You can read the full BBC press release here.

For anyone kind enough to wonder, please let me assure you that Merlin Locations will be around for a long while yet! There’s still so many locations to visit, so very many episodes to rewatch, and so many friends to stay in touch with… Not to mention a whole heap of Arthurian Locations we can visit, too! ♥

personal thoughts

Well, I have rather mixed feeling about this, it’s true.

This is the first time I’ve really been involved in the fandom for a ‘live’ show, a show that’s being made while we watch – sometimes literally while we watch! – and that’s been one heck of an exciting experience. It will be very sad to see the show and the ‘live’ experience come to an end. But then, this in no way means the end of the Merlin fandom itself, and I plan to be around for years yet. There’s so much Merlin!loving yet to be done, let alone following our beloved cast, crew and creatives on to whatever stories they bless us with next.

I have to say that I admire the creators for having a five-year plan and sticking to it. In my opinion, too many other shows have kept going and going, until finally it ends not with a bang but a whimper. I think going out on a high is almost always the thing to do. And (perhaps speaking as a fellow writer) I think sticking with the original conception of the five-year story they wanted to tell isn’t a bad thing.

Many of us will be left with disappointments, and many of us would have told the whole story in different ways, let alone ended it differently. But my firm belief is that this version of Arthur and Merlin’s story belonged with the creators, and they have told it according to their own vision. They can’t have done so badly with that, if we love it so. Perhaps I’m speaking as a writer again here, but there are so many versions of this story out there already, and so many more waiting to be told… and the only ‘perfect’ telling for each of us is the one we tell ourselves.

It’s been an awesome four years. When I first tuned in to watch Arthur and Merlin as ‘two hot young things’ way back in September 2008, I had no idea that I would fall so deeply in love with these wonderful actors – some of the best actors around, both young and old – with the cinematography and direction, and indeed with the filming locations!

But most importantly, I didn’t guess at how many wonderful friends I would make. I think the cast and crew have found that, too, as well as we fans. It’s been a very friendly show. And that’s perhaps the best way that Merlin will live on and on for years yet. In the friendships.

I’m loving you all…

Comments

[merlocmod.livejournal.com]

LOL! You must know by now that I think so, too, absolutely. So maybe you'll trust me when I say that the hotness had been turned all the way up to 11 that day. :-) It seemed to me to be the first time (and still the only time I've witnessed) he decided to actually present himself as hot. Generally he presents himself as just an ordinary guy (though of course we don't experience him that way). Even when he was on stage the other day in clinging pink yoga pants, he was otherwise presenting himself as a regular guy. Sometimes I've wondered if he even realises how very very attractive he is. But then surely an actor is more self-aware than that, at least in physical terms.

Well, he wasn't presenting himself as ordinary this time. This time he unleashed the hotness. Not sure why. Maybe he was 'experimenting' as it were, or trying it out. (I didn't mind being a guinea pig.) The backstage photos certainly don't show it.

And pretty much everyone there recognised it. When he first arrived, there was the usual excitement in the audience at being In The Presence - and then there was this ripple of 'guh' as we all took in the hotness. I myself spontaneously burst out 'oh my God Oh My GOD!', and my legs kicked out in front of me as if they knew a good thing when they saw it and wanted to be under it. I glimpsed Katie grinning happily at our response; she knew what was going on.

You've seen the photos, so you've seen the kitten-licked hair and the form-fitting clothes. The beautiful smiles and comfortably happy demeanour. But there was something else going on that day, too, and I can't explain it any other way than that for once he'd let his hotness shine through.

Forgive the long reply, but I just got all nostalgic for a wonderful experience. And, as a talented observer and drawer of people, I can only wish you'd been there to take in the full effect.

[altocello.livejournal.com]

I love long replies! :D I wish I had been there too, and I wouldn't' have minded AT ALL to be a guinea pig for him practicing being as hot as I know he is. And it would have resulted in art, no question!

I would love to write you a long reply in return, but it's very late, and I will have to limit myself to saying that I wish he'd turn the hotness on more often. :D I think he probably, even though he's an actor and relies on his looks, does suffer a bit of a crisis in, not self esteem, but self view; you have to admit, it's a unique set of features he has, and I'm sure he went through an extremely awkward phase, but talk about gosling to swan. But I'm also sure a lot of the 'regular guy' act is camouflage to help maintain his privacy. Apparently he's pretty good at it, because you don't see internet evidence of fans all over London and Cardiff melting into puddles all the time, so they must be clueless to The Presence, lol. Maybe he did it that day to see if he could get everyone to swoon over him the way people seem to swoon over Bradley? You have to admit, the show really downplayed his attractiveness and played up Bradley's (not inconsiderable) charms.

And, wow, that ended up being long. Suffice it to say, I would love to see Colin being hot in person. And it would be the cherry on the cake to get to do it with you. <3