This week’s Camelot left me feeling sad. I was sad for Arthur, who has fallen for perhaps the one girl he can’t have: Guinevere. I was sad for Guinevere because she was set to marry a life-long friend that she cares deeply for, but does not love. I was sad for Morgan, who never felt the love of a father and lost her mother too soon, causing her to be self-destructive. I was sad for Leontes, who genuinely loves Guinevere and who risks his life for Arthur only to be betrayed by both of them.
I watched the episode again today and still felt that sadness. It takes good writing and acting to portray such emotion. It is kinda odd that this episode in many ways was more emotional and sad than the premiere, yet no one died this week. It’s almost as if the aftermath of the deaths permeated throughout the story.
Was I the only one who didn’t realize that Guinevere was virgin? With the pre-marital sex, we saw in the first episodes, it never even occurred to me that she was a virgin. It made her proclamation of “just once’ seem a bit odd; it didn’t sit right with me that she would give into to Arthur, if it was her first time. If she wasn’t a virgin, it would’ve made sense. To be honest, when they came across the deer, I thought maybe she was taking the blood for some type of ritual, not to use on her marital bed. I’m intrigued to see where this love triangle heads.
Within such a short time, the characters and their relationships have been well-developed. I was surprised to see Arthur take such an independent route from Merlin already. When he said, “I’m the king and I made a decision,” I wanted to cheer for him. Though, I do worry that he will take unnecessary risks that put others in danger. He is too trusting of Morgan and that is leading him down a dangerous path. He doesn’t think of consequences, not with sleeping with Guinevere, nor with trusting his sister.
I’ve never watched a medieval series before and now with Camelot and the coming soon Game of Thrones, I’m looking forward to being immersed in their worlds.
Clacked by Carla Day 
on Apr 09, 2011 @ 21:12 EST5EDT
I think I’m going to keep watching Camelot. I like Morgan and Merlin – both mysterious characters with elements of good and evil in them. And I’m intrigued by Vivian (perhaps next week she will be revealed as the Lady of the Lake?).
I still don’t like Arthur, which is a shame because he’s the main character. I like him even less after this week. Guinevere kept saying, “He (Leontes) will know, he will know,” which should have immediately told Arthur that she was a virgin. He still went ahead and did a despicable thing, sleeping with his own champion’s bride, the night before the wedding. He didn’t consider the damage it could do to his relationship with Leontes (whose support he needs) and to Guinevere’s reputation. I don’t accept the excuse that she was willing, and he hoped that she would call off the wedding. No – what he did was dishonest, and he told Morgan that his first duty as king was to seek after truth.
It’s certainly original of the writers to turn the legend around and make Arthur the “other man,” but I don’t think it was wise. One of the reasons I always root so strongly for Arthur is that he’s the guy who is wronged. There’s that sympathy factor. He also proves himself to be the better man in that he still loves both Guinevere and Lancelot, while knowing that they are betraying him. With this new version of Arthur, I don’t see a man who deserves the loyalty of his people – he’s done the same thing as his father Uther, in stealing another man’s wife. But Uther took his enemy’s wife, while Arthur took his friend’s wife, which makes it worse.
I suppose this humanizes Arthur, shows him as flawed. But, for me, he’s coming off as a little douchebag who doesn’t deserve to be king. By contrast, I can really sympathize with Morgan – she is flawed too, but I can understand her motives and where the flaws came from (major daddy issues). Arthur is flawed because he was the spoiled younger brother in a loving home – I can’t muster up even the slightest bit of sympathy for him.
I think you’re point about Arthur being the “other man” is completely relevant.
Many people are assuming that, especially with the Guinevere connection, and the fact that Leontes’ name starts with an L, that he is actually Lancelot. My theory is that they are two different characters. The only way that Arthur and Guinevere can (eventually) be together morally is if Leontes dies (In the Season One finale, if your asking for a more solid prediction), making way for the two (at this point star crossed) lovers to really be together. Will a child be born from this week’s efforts? Probably.
Then, in Season Two, perhaps the finale (if we get that much from this show, which I definitely hope for), in a shocking twist, we are introduced to the real Lancelot.
My theory is that Merlin (who I assume is immortal since they made references to him not aging) will revise history and change the story in order to make Arthur look better. In other words, Camelot is showing us “what really happened” and our traditional story of Lancelot betraying Arthur is a case of Merlin rewriting history so that his king, who was supposed to live up to all his ideals, comes off as the good guy in the eyes of posterity. Does that make sense?
I definitely don’t feel sad for Arthur or Guinevere. They couldn’t be any lower or more treacherous.
This is always the problem for me with Camelot. I never like any of the characters except for the antagonist Morgan. I even dislike Arthur when he is the one playing the role of the cuckold because he is so blind to Lancelot and Guinevere’s affair and when he does find out about it he deals with it very meekly.
All I wrote me not feel sad on Jennifer never treacherous and unruly they are certainly