"Suicide Squad" Full Review

I went and saw the new DC movie Suicide Squad last week and had some mixed feelings about it. Overall, I really liked it, but I acknowledge that it had a lot of problems. The biggest one was the story and as many know, the story is usually what brings me back to a movie. The story was a complete disaster for a number of reasons. However, there were many redeeming qualities that managed to save it for me.

Let me back up a little to give you some background on my viewing experience... I remember when I first heard about this movie was when they released the first picture of the Joker. If anyone knows me

at all, you will know that the Joker is one of my favorite villains of all time; so naturally I was really anxious to see his design... I was very thrown by it. He had tattoos and metal teeth? Bling? He was like a gangster Joker. I wasn’t sure what to make of it. However, I was willing to keep an open mind. Maybe this new movie would be good. Just because the style was a little bizarre didn’t mean it was going to be bad. I had heard of “Suicide Squad” before in the comic book world, but didn’t know much about it, so I looked into it. I was very intrigued by the concept and began to look forward to the movie a little more.

A short time later, they released full cast photos. Same with the Joker, I was a little thrown. I recognized a lot of the comic villains’ names, but their costumes and styles were SO bizarre and different than their original style. However, I was excited by seeing all these characters together and looked forward to the movie even more. 

Finally, a trailer was released. That sealed the deal for me. I was sold. I didn’t care about the strange new take on the style. I wanted to see this movie. And then, as time passed and I saw more trailers and pictures, I decided that the style sort of worked. It was an interesting new take on these characters. Of course, I’m a stickler for the original designs, but the sort of punk/gangster looks kind of worked. I accepted it (I didn’t like it, but I accepted it).

What I am trying to say is that I knew what I was walking into when I went to see the movie and I think that helped prepare me for the bizarre style. I can easily see it not being someone’s cup of tea, but I enjoyed it.

As for the movie itself... Strengths? Definitely the casting. Particularly Will Smith as Deadshot, Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, and Viola Davis as Amanda Waller. They all had such a strong presence every time they were on screen and totally owned their characters. 

There were some pretty good lines in there, both funny and serious. Even though they were usually thrown in random spots and/or the script was clunky, there were still some good lines every once in a while. Deadshot had some great quips and Will Smith nailed that performance. His dry humor, his love for his daughter, his total boss-ness. Awesome!

Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn surprised me. I’ve always loved Harley Quinn. She’s a very complex and interesting character, plus as the Joker’s girlfriend, I’ve got to love her. Also, she’s never been portrayed in a live-action role before, so I was very interested to see how this would go. I was not disappointed. She totally embodied that flat-out craziness you see in Harley, but then those moments when you see her tender side too... Like, she’s more than just a psychopath, she has emotions. It was extremely well done and Margot Robbie was spot on!

And then Viola Davis as Amanda Waller. She had such a presence whenever she was on screen. You knew who was in charge. She was intimidating! And ruthless. Like, she kills a room full of people just like that because they knew too much. (And I love Deadshot’s comment on that: “Now I’m a bad guy, but that’s a mean lady.”) She’s a bad good guy, you know? Not a corrupt good guy, just a bad one. Someone who will do literally anything to get the job done. Very suited to run the Suicide Squad. And Viola Davis was perfect in that role!

I would say the casting and characters were the strongest part of the movie. I loved the dynamic between all the villains as well as each of their own individual personalities. In fact, the characters were what carried the movie; because while the movie started out strong, it definitely fell apart by the end and was pretty disjointed throughout the entirety of it. If it weren’t for the enjoyable characters, this movie would’ve been a flop for me.

Another thing I liked about this movie was the relationship between the Joker and Harley Quinn. It fascinated me because they changed the dynamic from the usual portrayal. Harley is usually there fawning over the Joker and he sees her mostly as another disposable sidekick. He’ll come rescue her only if he needs her for a scheme or something and doesn’t actually genuinely care for her the way she does for him. However, in this movie, they changed that. He does actually care about her and they have this sort of psycho-in-love-with-psycho relationship. I really enjoyed it, the way two crazies get along like that.

While on the subject of the Joker, I will say that I did actually like this performance. I didn’t love it, but I think it was an interesting take. He was so creepy and completely psychotic. I would have liked to see a little more of his goofy side though because the Joker is well, a joker. He was mostly just a sick, crazy, crime-boss sort of guy. One of the things I love about the Joker is his twisted sense of humor. Everything is a joke to him. While I adored Heath Ledger’s Joker, that was sort of lacking there. So hopefully with this Joker, we’ll see some of that in the future. Like I said, I did enjoy the performance and I think Jared Leto really did go all out in trying to capture this character. However, I read a review that I kind of agree with where they said that they felt that it was "Jared Leto playing Jared Leto playing the Joker" meaning he was so caught up in his own head trying to play this character and there are times where you can just tell he's thinking "I am nailing this." And perhaps he is, but the fact that you can tell that he's thinking it is a point off his performance score. However, I still did enjoy the performance and I will definitely be interested in seeing him again.

However, this brings me to a weakness... the Joker. While I did like the performance, I feel like his screen time was very unbalanced. He either should have been given more screen time or should have been cut from the movie entirely. While that last one hurts me to say, it’s true because he felt a little thrown in. For such a big character in the comic book world, he deserves so much more screen time than what he got, especially for how much marketing he was given for this movie. (He was practically the cover boy.) The movie was much more about Harley Quinn. The whole reason he was in the movie in the first place was to explain her backstory, but then once that was out of the way, he had so many small, random scenes. And then they killed him off? What? And then it ends with him coming back to life? As if that was some big reveal. (Of course the Joker wasn’t really dead. He’s the Joker.) And what made them think that was a good ending for the movie? He wasn’t even a main character! To sum up my rant, I think he either should’ve been given more (logical) screen time or been cut out. In fact, he and Harley Quinn could probably manage their own stand-alone movie. I would totally go see that!

Speaking of randomness, this movie is full of it. It has the same problem that Batman v. Superman had and that is cramming too much of stuff into one film. While this film is definitely not on the same scale as Batman v. Superman, there’s a lot of disjointed stuff happening. And you know what? I think it probably could have worked here. The concept is good, but the editing sort of ruins it. Everything is all over the place. You’ve got backstories, you’ve got flashbacks, you’ve got what’s happening now, you’ve got what’s happening over there, you’ve got what’s happening with these people, you’ve got to throw in a random joke here and there. Now, I do like most of what is going on with all of those things, but the way it’s all thrown together to try and make a story... no. It doesn’t really work.

Now the one major problem that I really think could have fixed a lot of things is the villain/motivation. The Suicide Squad is sent into an abandoned urban area to save some people and then end up facing off against this supernatural entity and save the world. That’s the problem. The point of the Suicide Squad is that they’re special, but not that special. Like not special like Superman or Wonder Woman or Batman or whoever. The Suicide Squad members are expendable and have no interest in saving the world and only do so because they are forced to. Some of them have supernatural powers, but most of them are just highly skilled. My point is, why couldn’t someone like Batman or Wonder Woman go and save the world here? Surely Wonder Woman would’ve made the most sense. Where were those guys during this crisis? Why did the Suicide Squad have to go in? I was just so confused. 

 I think they should’ve been going into a top secret military base in like Russia or something. Somewhere where the regular American army couldn’t go in under normal circumstances. That would’ve been cool. It would've been dangerous enough that we could see why these people were useful; then it would’ve been smaller scale, therefore less important to the big-time heroes like Batman or the Flash or whoever; and it would’ve been a good reason to bring in expendable people since it was in dangerous territory; plus they weren’t saving the world. 

Now, as for the villain herself, Enchantress... why? Just why? There was absolutely no reason for her. And her motivation was just so vague. “People do not worship me. I will kill them with my machine because they worship machines!” But then we never even learn what the heck her machine does. And then what’s the point of her building a machine? We see throughout the movie that she can literally do anything with her magic. Why build a machine? And again, WHAT DOES HER MACHINE DO!?!! All it does is shoot a pillar of light into the sky (and we haven’t seen that a million times in action films). 

Now, this is an action film and people are coming for fights. How was it? Entertaining for sure. I would not say it was the best action I have ever seen, but it keeps you interested. It was never dull, but it wasn’t really creative either. That is to say, it didn’t make itself stand out from other action films in that regard. I did like the scene when Harley Quinn beat up the guys in the elevator, as random as it was, I really enjoyed it. That was a standout scene for me.

Alright, I have ranted enough over things I did not like about this film. But I did actually really enjoy it. As disjointed and random as it got, I was still very entertained by the action, the characters, and the smaller stories that were involved (backstories and such). I hardly cared about the motivation or plot as I watched it, I didn't care that it didn't make sense. I mentioned the casting, the characters, the Joker and Harley Quinn’s relationship, and the Joker’s performance. Those were all great parts of the movie and certainly carried it through the weak stuff. 

It is definitely very dark, but what do you expect from a movie about villains? However, it’s not as dark as it was originally supposed to be. They reshot some stuff and threw in a lot of upbeat things (which I think is a reason for a lot of the randomness), hoping to change the tone slightly. The result is a rather dark movie with a sort of quirky undertone. I enjoyed it, but I can easily see it making some people uncomfortable.

If you want to watch a movie with a great plot and well-done storytelling, you’re not going to get it. But, if you want a movie with awesome and interesting people doing some boss things, you won’t be disappointed. I would say give it a go. It won't waste your time.

My rating: 7/10.

KELSI WRITES FICTION- "Emma's Wait"

 “If you’ll just take a seat, Mrs. Tyler, the doctor will be with you in a moment.”

The young woman behind the desk turned away from the hunchbacked old woman before her, and immediately began typing away on her keyboard.

“Th-th-thank you,” came the barely audible reply of Emma Tyler.

The woman behind the desk hardly gave her a glance of acknowledgment, too wrapped up in what she was working on. Emma’s caretaker, Julie, grasped her arm and gently began to guide her towards the nearest chair.

The waiting room of the doctor’s office was empty, save Emma, Julie, and the secretary. The walls were white and bare, and the chairs sat lined up together against the wall, an awful gray and maroon checkered pattern. 

Carefully, Julie helped Emma lower herself into one of the chairs, then quickly took a seat beside her. Other than the clicking of the secretary’s keyboard, there was silence in the room.

Emma slowly lifted a trembling hand to flatten out some wrinkles in her floral pattern dress. It was her favorite dress, and even though it was a struggle to even lift her hand, she liked to see the material neat. Albert had given her the dress as a Christmas present many years ago. She mentally smiled at the memory, for it ached too much to actually smile. 

There they had sat beside their small yet friendly-looking tree, covered with several homemade decorations-- popcorn strings, paper-maché ornaments-- coming to the end of their small pile of presents. Emma had sat surrounded by piles of colorful wrapping paper, sipping her peppermint hot cocoa, believing the celebrations to be over.

“Wait here,” Albert had said, getting to his feet, “I’ll be right back.”

Puzzled, Emma had stayed in place, clutching her mug of cocoa, relishing in the warmth it radiated onto her cold, withered fingers. After a moment, Albert reappeared with a box in his hands, a small smile playing on his lips. 

Without a word, he handed the box to her. Emma had no idea what to expect, so she simply dug into the wrapping. She caught a glimpse of Albert’s slightly anxious smile as she removed the cardboard lid of the box beneath. 

Emma smiled as she ran her had over the blue floral pattern in the box. “It’s a dress,” she said simply, smiling.

“Yes,” Albert replied as he wrung his hands together, “I know I’m not very good at picking out clothes, but I... I wanted to get you something more personable than just another cook book or vacuum cleaner or something. And I know you like flowers and--”

“Albert, I love it,” Emma said.

Albert paused, processing her words. Then he grinned.

That had been nearly ten years ago. Emma sighed, using her thumb to stroke the faded pattern of her dress. Albert. If only he were there to support her through this hard time. He had always been good at that, always knew the right thing to say, the right thing to do, how to bring a smile to anyone’s face even in the grimmest of times.

Emma managed a glance at Julie beside her. She was absently playing with a strand of her curly red hair, staring ahead at one of the blank walls. Emma opened her mouth. “J-J-Ju-Ju... Julie,” she began.

Julie looked towards her, eyes round and attentive as she patiently waited for the struggling woman beside her to speak. “D-d-do you h-h-have Mindy’s let-t-t-ter?” Emma asked.

Julie nodded. She reached into her bag and handed her patient a small folded piece of paper. With some difficulty, but determination, Emma unfolded it. There was not much on it, but some marvelous multicolored scribbles, swirls, and a large, lopsided heart that sat right in the center. In the corner, written in ballpoint pen, were the words, “Mindy drew this for you this morning to let you know she’s thinking of you. The big heart represents how much she loves you. She says you’re the best grandma ever and to get better soon.”

Emma lifted a shaking hand to wipe away a single tear trickling down from beneath her glasses. Sweet Mindy. If only everyone’s love could be as genuine and pure as hers. Suddenly everything did not seem as bad as before. The disease that ailed and ached her body did not seem as painful. The small act of love from one little child was enough for Emma. Everything would be okay.

A door opened across the room. “Mrs. Tyler, the doctor will see you now.”

Favorite Merlin Episodes

I have to do this at some point for all my TV shows and since I've been rewatching Merling, I felt it appropriate to do this now. So, here is my top ten favorite Merlin episodes (in order of air date).

Labyrinth of Gedref
Arthur unintentionally brings misfortune and destruction to Camelot by killing a unicorn. He must pass a series of tests to lift the curse.

These moments when we see how true-hearted Arthur really is, is what makes the series great. The comparison with Uther's ruthlessness and Arthur's wisdom and kindness is awesome. Even though at this point in the series, Arthur is still immature and arrogant, it's nice to see the glimpses into the future of what he will be one day become.
Also, the random subplot with Merlin hunting the rat is so pointlessly hilarious.

The Once and Future Queen
Tired of special treatment, Arthur goes undercover as a commoner in a tournament held in Camelot. Merlin arranges for him to stay with Gwen. Meanwhile, an assassin arrives in Camelot to kill Arthur.

Oh, Arthur. He is a good person with good ideals, but early in the series, he's such a spoiled, arrogant little brat. This episode marks the beginning of his change for the better. Also, the beginning of his romance with Gwen. I do think it was a little rushed and sort of jumped into, but still enjoyable. I like that Gwen is not afraid to tell him off when he's being annoying. Her little rant about how rude and insensitive he can be is awesome. Merlin is the only other person brave enough to do that.

Lancelot and Guinevere
Morgana and Gwen are kidnapped and their captors intend to hold Morgana for ransom. Morgana manages to escape so the kidnappers decide to have Gwen pose as Morgana and present her to their employer instead. Uther refuses to send a rescue party after Gwen, so Arthur undertakes the journey alone (with Merlin, of course). Meanwhile, Gwen meets up with a familiar face.

We finally get to see how much Arthur really cares about Gwen. Although I think it's a little sudden since their first kiss; because it's the first time it's even acknowledged since "The Once and Future Queen" and suddenly he's talking about how he cares about her more than anyone? ...Well, it's still very sweet. He risks so much to go rescue her. It was so flippin' heartbreaking when he saw her and Lancelot together.
Also, I think Lancelot and Gwen's romance was a little out of the blue too (because they only met once before and didn't have a ton of interaction), but it was still quite tender. It was great to see Lancelot again though. I love him so much!
What I loved most though was Arthur and Merlin's journey. I always love their banter and interactions. When they go through the Wildren-infested tunnels while covered in Gaia berries became so iconic that they even brought it back in later seasons.

Beauty and the Beast (part 1 and 2)
A troll transforms herself into a beautiful lady of the court and attempts to woo Uther.

One of my all-time favorites. The actress who plays the troll is so good. She is so disgusting! Ha!
I love the scene when Uther is flirting with her at the dinner table. Arthur is so disgusted and Morgana is just like, Oh Uther, you sly dog.
Even after she is exposed as a troll, but Uther is under her spell and completely in love with her... it's too funny! The scene when the court gathers to make sure he is aware that he knows he is married to a troll is so hilarious ("...Not that it's necessarily a bad thing. We just thought we ought to point it out in case it happened to pass you by.")
Then Merlin, Gaius, and Arthur's hair-brained plan to break the troll's enchantment over Uther... Ha! ("After I have administered the poison-- the POTION!") It's pretty touching though that Uther still cries over Arthur even under an enchantment.

Sweet Dreams
The four kingdoms come together to sign a peace treaty. However, one king does not want peace and has his jester use sorcery to cause trouble: By causing Arthur and a visiting princess with an over-protective father to fall in love, the peace treaty could easily be called off.

Lovey-dovey Arthur is so hilarious! (GAIUS: "One of your ribs is broken, sire." ARTHUR: "Nothing can hurt me today. I am invincible! *grabs Gaius's face* Love really can conquer all, Gaius.") Poor Merlin trying to keep it all straight. Then poor Gwen getting her heart broken like that, just when she was getting her hopes up, bam! Nope, sorry.
Of course it's true love's kiss that breaks the enchantment! XD (Although, I have to say that it was a very good kiss.) I always wonder what happened to Vivian after she left because she was still under the spell.

The Eye of the Phoenix
To prove his worth to the kingdom, Arthur must undertake a grand quest alone through the Perilous Lands to retrieve the Fisher King's trident. Little does he know that Morgana is hindering him and he cannot complete his journey without help.

Poor clueless Arthur. (That just about sums up the entire show, to be honest.)
I liked that Morgana's bracelet served a purpose beyond just hindering Arthur's quest. It actually helped complete it in the end. Like, everything came into a full circle.
There were a bunch of small things I liked about this episode. For example, the Wyvern. As soon as you hear "distant cousins of the dragon", you're like Oh, Merlin's got this. Or the riddle that Arthur needs "courage, strength, and magic" to complete his quest. And of course, it's always great to see Gwaine again. He's awesome!

Queen of Hearts
Morgana has a vision of Gwen becoming queen and decides to expose her's and Arthur's relationship to Uther.

I find this a very stressful, but also a very sweet episode. You can see how Morgana knows exactly how to manipulate Uther and it annoys me so much!
Finally, Arthur straight-up says he loves Gwen instead of beating around the bush. And to his father no less. Then when Uther begins to think about it, wondering why Arthur feels so passionately (he might've even changed his mind), Morgana just had to suggest sorcery. I mean, naturally. It's the only logical explanation.
The scene when Gwen is sentenced to death is extremely heart-wrenching. Arthur and Guinevere for life! (Also, finally someone notices Morgana's evil smirk!)
And then this episode is the very first time we see old Merlin (known as Dragoon the Great here). So freakin' hilarious! I love his sassiness!

A Servant of Two Masters
Morgana captures Merlin and enslaves his mind, telling him to kill Arthur.

I think this one might be my favorite Merlin episode. All throughout the series, we see everyone else get enchanted and become someone they're not. So, for the first time, it happens to Merlin... and it's hilarious. Usually, he's such a loyal, polite, caring person, and then suddenly he's such a rude and grumpy little traitor who is so not subtle about what he is doing. I love that Merlin is just so trusted in the castle that even when he flat-out tells Leon that he's going to kill Arthur with a crossbow, Leon only laughs, Oh, good old Merlin, off to kill his Majesty. (He's the worst assassin ever too. I mean, when he's running at Arthur with a sword, he knocks himself out.)
Then, the first time Morgana encounters Emrys (old Merlin)! So good! You get to see how terrified she is of him. (I was a little let down by their magic face-off because all they do is throw each other in the air, but you get the idea of what's supposed to be happening.) Old Merlin is always a joy. He's just so darn sassy!

The Secret Sharer
Morgana becomes obsessed with finding out who Emrys is. She realizes that Gaius knows who he is and decides to have him kidnapped and tortured.

Oh, Gaius. He's a great character, really. (Even though I think for the sake of good story-telling, he should've been killed off at some point in order to allow Merlin to grow and progress... but I digress.)
I really loved hearing Merlin's destiny in full. I mean, you always hear bits and pieces about what he's going to do and who he will become, etc, but in this episode, when Gaius finally breaks, he says everything together and it just gave me chills. "He's the most powerful sorcerer who has ever lived." And the intensity as you wait for him to reveal Emrys's true name! Like, you want to hear it, because who is this great sorcerer But then you don't want him to give it away.
And freakin' Agravaine! I think he is the most frustrating character ever put in the show. And this episode made me so mad because he was so close to getting caught by Gwaine, but he still managed to talk his way out. He had a knife to Gaius's throat and he still talked his way out!

With All My Heart
Arthur finally finds out that Gwen is working with Morgana. He consorts with Gaius and Merlin and they find that sorcery is the only way to break Morgana's hold on the queen.

I have talked about how much I love old Merlin plenty of times, but here with old lady Merlin... I cannot even handle how hilariously perfect it was! Colin Morgan, how? His mannerisms, his voice. Hahaha!
And finally Gwen is fixed. I cannot believe they dragged on her brainwashing with Morgana for so many episodes. I mean, I didn't exactly grow bored of it, but usually they only carry this stuff for a maximum of two episodes if it's not the major plot arch.

How to Improve Merlin

I recently have rewatched the TV show Merlin from the BBC. That show was one of my first loves. I started watching it even before Doctor Who. It was also the first time I experienced a show ending live. (It was quite traumatic. Oh the tears!)

Anyways, as I rewatched it, I remembered all the things I loved about it, but I also realized it had a couple of blaring faults. Now, the faults were not big enough to deter me from the show (because its strengths outweigh them by a long shot), but if I could redo some of this stuff, here's what I would change...

(WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD)

1) The ending
Alright, so if you have watched this show, you'll know that a lot of people were not happy with its end.

If you know the Arthurian legends at all, you know that King Arthur does die, so that's what happened. The writers couldn't change that. He had to die. If he didn't, then they would've been rewriting too much. Also, it is written that Merlin does actually stay alive until Arthur "rises again."
What I am getting at is that I think that the ending was handled very well and I think it was a very true adaption to the Arthurian legends.
HOWEVER, my problem is that I don't think that show should have ended with Arthur's death.
The whole point of the show is that it is a prequel. It's all backstory to the Arthurian legends. I think the writers got carried away and lost sight of that after the third season. They were supposed to show the build up to Arthur's kingship and how everything came to be. They were not supposed to actually show the Arthurian legends play out. (And they didn't even do that. A lot of stuff was skipped over in time jumps.)

What I think should have happened was that the show should have ended with Arthur becoming king. Because there is so much build up to how he will be the "greatest king that Camelot will ever know" and that he will "unite the lands of Albion", so if the show would've ended with that FINALLY happening, it would've been perfect. Of course, it could have shown a little bit of the future, like how magic was allowed once more, how Merlin was Arthur's main consultant, how there was peace in the land, the Knights of the Round Table were united, Arthur and Guinevere had married, etc.
If the show had only ended on a good note like that; with what the main plot had been building up to in the first place... it would've been so much better.
Alas, no. It had to go too far. Arthur became king in the fourth season and we saw two whole seasons of him as king and then ended with him dying. He had such a short reign and we didn't really get to see him as "the greatest king the land had ever known." It was just too much.


2) Merlin's magic reveal
This sort of ties in with the last one.

The show was extremely compelling because you kept wondering how and when Merlin's powers would be discovered. At the beginning, you feared for it because he could be executed, but then as he discovered his potential and grew more and more powerful, you really wanted him to become known.
The whole point of the show was for Arthur to see that magic wasn't as bad as his father made it out to be so that when he finally became king, he would legalize it and there would be peace. However, time and time again, his heart would become hardened towards it. It was pretty compelling for a while, but in later seasons, it got a little waring and I started to think that there were some missed opportunities.
As Arthur got closer to becoming king, his heart should have been softening towards magic and yet he remained the same towards it: either mostly indifferent or hating it.

One of the most frustrating moments for me was when Uther was dying and Arthur decided to use magic to save him, so he contacted a sorcerer (Merlin in disguise). Merlin made a deal with him that if he saved the king's life, Arthur would make magic legal when he became king. It was a fantastic opportunity to begin changing Arthur's mind, but in an effort to keep the "magic is evil" plot going, the spell went wrong and Uther died, turning Arthur against magic once again. See, what they could have done was start changing Arthur's mind and then start using magic to defeat Morgana instead of keeping poor Merlin in the shadows and... Oh! So much missed opportunities! Because by the end, we should have seen how powerful Merlin had become and that he truly was "the most powerful sorcerer who has ever lived." And we couldn't see that while he was hiding in the shadows just casually saving Arthur's life by causing a rock slide or flinging people in the air or whatever. We needed to see his awesomeness!
There's a couple things I think they could have done. One idea I really like is the idea of Emrys (old Merlin). Whenever Merlin aged himself, he had no restrictions and we always saw the full extent of his power. Morgana frequently encountered him and feared him (I loved how scared of him she was). So, maybe something they could have done was let Arthur see or at least hear about Emrys helping him every once in a while. He would always wonder at this old sorcerer who was so powerful and always there at the right place at the right time. As his heart was softened towards magic by his witnessing of this old man's kindness, eventually, it would be revealed that it was Merlin all along.
All I am saying is that I really don't like how it was handled in the show. Right as Arhur is dying, Merlin's all, "Oh, BTW, I have magic. See? Oh and I've only been saving your life all this time. NBD." And then Arthur dies. It was just so rushed and Arthur didn't have time to fully appreciate it. Nor did they "unite the land of Albion" together, at least knowingly which is what all the prophecies were sort of implying. So if Merlin had just revealed his magic earlier... It could have been so epic!

3) Guinevere
This is a sort of delicate situation because it might seem like I am hating on certain things. Rest assured, I'm not. I just think things could've been better.

Anyways, Guinevere, the leading lady, future queen, etc. I don't think she was handled very well and didn't live up to her fullest potential. I know that women are very difficult to write, to make them believable, strong, interesting, and still realistic.
Guinevere was not written very well, I thought. They focused a lot on her "wisdom" and "kindness" aspects, trying to make her an intellectual equal for Arthur, but they didn't expand much on anything else. Yes, they did make her very sympathetic and caring and pretty wise, but she didn't have much else to offer. She was kind of a pathetic weakling to be honest, at least physically (even emotionally). She was the biggest damsel in distress. I'm not saying she had to be a warrior or anything (because we see too much of that nowadays too), but seriously, she could've been a little tougher. Despite her wisdom, she could never devise a plan to save herself or others and would always sit and mope when she was in trouble. She cried a lot. Now, there is absolutely nothing wrong with crying. It's real. However, whenever she got captured, was under stress, or anything, she not only cried, but cowered and blubbered. On more than one occasion, she would beg for mercy. She would never hold her own. She was just the opposite of a "strong" woman. Not really what Arthur needed by his side.
Also, I think that she needed a different actress. Nothing against Angel Coulby because she is a perfectly lovely woman, but I don't think she was the right choice. I'm about to sound super shallow, but I can't take it! Because the show would always talk about how beautiful Guinevere is. Literally every single man who met her would fall for her. There were always comments made about how her beauty would shine from beneath her servant's garb and dirt. So... I don't think Angel Coulby quite lived up to that.
I'm sorry! It's not that she's not pretty, it's just that she doesn't live up to all that hype. And it's NOT because she's black. They easily could've had another black girl who was just... prettier. I know I sound completely horrible, but that's just my opinion.

Princess Mithian

But it's not just that. While she did have some chemistry with Bradley James (Arthur), I thought it could've been better. In fact, I sometimes thought some of the princesses that Arthur courted/encountered had more chemistry with him than she did. For example, Princess Mithian in the fourth season whom Arthur almost marries. She is more what I pictured as a Guinevere. She was beautiful, funny, sweet, caring, spunky, had a lot of chemistry with Arthur, would get upset, but still see sense... All this in just one episode.

4) Magic spells

My last grievance is how they handled the use of magic, particularly when there was a face-off.
So, the first season or two was alright, but once it got into the third season and beyond, things got a little less creative.
What happened every single time if someone with magic wanted to hurt someone or delay them or whatever, all they would do was toss them in the air. It was always a different spell that they incanted and yet it always did the same exact thing! They would just get tossed in the air! It drove me crazy! Couldn't they think of some interesting spells with cool results? They couldn't like throw fireballs or conjure snakes or give each other the plague or something? So much potential that wasn't taken!

For example, the first time Morgana first encounters Emrys, they face off in a magic battle. It could've been so epic and we could have seen them display their powers against each other and see how they measure up. But no. All they do is throw each other up in the air over and over. So annoying and so boring! Even when Merlin overpowers her with the "big" spell (the "creative" spell) by conjuring the tornado, it still has the same result by tossing her in the air. Good grief!
The final episode was pretty good when Merlin conquers the battle with lightning. Creative! (But he still tossed Morgana in the air at one point)


Buuuut... despite all this, I still love the show. It has so many virtues that outweigh those faults.
Merlin and Arthur are FANTASTICALLY written characters! And their banter is hilarious. Colin Morgan is a great actor, he is an amazing Merlin! Even though it is a family show with very clean battles, I think they were still very well choreographed for the most part. I also really liked the concept that when someone uses magic, their eyes glow.
Even some of the silly stuff, you come to find very endearing: how very escapable the dungeons are, how bad a sneaker Merlin is, the horrid CGI in some episodes, how whenever Arthur says he's going alone, he still always brings Merlin, how Arthur always gets conveniently knocked out, how no one EVER notices Morgana's blatantly obvious evil smirks, how ridiculously vague and unhelpful the dragon is, mother-huggin' sassy old Merlin, and so on. I just love this show so much!

The Complicated Language of Love

Now that I suddenly find myself back in the world of hanging around people my age, I find myself back in the dating game. And it SUCKS! For the past two semesters, I have gone through so many ups and downs on this stupid roller coaster on the way to finding my eternal companion. No, I am not going to give any specifics, but as I’ve been going through this, it’s caused me to really think about the mystery that is love. I’ve been evaluating myself and others, trying to figure it all out. 

HOW MANY DATES?

I think that a lot of people (myself often included) have this idea that you need to be immediately attracted to a person when you go on the first date. (Some of my roommates last semester would talk about this idea a lot.) Or even if you give the person a chance and you go on a date with them, you might think they’re cool, but you aren’t attracted to them... so you decide not to pursue it. Is that really the right course? Is it possible to become attracted to them? If you think they’re cool, maybe you should go on at least another date and keep your mind open. 

I always say yes to the first date, because I think I should always give the guy a chance, but I have never been on a second date... I’ve only been asked for one twice, but I turned both of them down in the mindset that I wasn’t interested and didn’t want to pursue anything. Was that right? Should I have given it a go? Could I have become interested if I kept my mind open?

But then another problem arises if I try going on another date or two and I realize I really am not interested, but the guy is. Then he asks me out again and I have to say no. Well, after like five dates, he might’ve fallen harder for me than just one and it’ll hurt more. It could be seen as “leading him on.” Do you see the dilemma? 

So what does one do? As I said, I always say yes to the first date (unless the guy’s a creeper or whatever), but won’t say yes to another if I’m not feelin’ it afterwards. However, I’m beginning to question that idea. Because it may be possible that one date isn’t enough to gage your feelings. I’m thinking maybe two, even three dates would suffice. Of course, it depends on the guy. There are some guys that you can tell are really clingy and/or who are already falling for you hard and you don’t want to go on two or three dates only to crush them at the end of it.

Now, something I should explain to any guys reading this post: This does not apply to every single individual, so do not take it as gospel. This is just a general thing I’ve observed and experienced... 

Guys tend to view dates (at least the first few) as casual activities where they can just get to know a girl and have fun. Girls also see them as this, but with something a little extra. They’re already thinking ahead. 

First date is just the casual, getting to know you part. Second date- “OMG, he’s interested in me because he asked me out again!” Third- “He’s definitely interested. Does he want a relationship? Where is this going?” Fourth- “He must want a relationship.” And so on. Beware the overthinking female.

DO I LIKE THEM?

I know I tend to have a problem where I get confused when someone else likes me first. “Do I like them too?” My initial reaction is usually to reject it. I guess I don’t want to have to deal with it? Or maybe I’m scared? Maybe a bit of both. Because what if I do like them? Well then what? So usually I don’t think too deeply about it and decide that I don’t like them like that. I’ll go on the one date with them and then say goodbye. 

I’ve seen this problem in others. We think (often subconsciously) that we need to like the other person first. We recognize our own feelings right away when we like someone, but when someone else approaches us unexpectedly with these feelings, it’s like pure chaos! Nope! Sorry! I don’t think of you that way! ...But what if we really stopped to think about it and give it a chance? Could you like them? Love is a dastardly thing. It’s just not easy!

You’ve got to be brave sometimes and give it a chance. Life's all about trying and succeeding or failing. I have an intense fear of rejection, so I don't like doing it to others. I think that's part of the reason why I like cutting things off before they even start. Because what if it turns out I don't like them? I'll have to reject them when it's even worse. Best cut it off now. 
I’m trying to be better at not immediately rejecting everything that comes at me. I have a problem where I always make a plan in my head... and it never works out. However, whenever something comes into play that messes with my plan, I reject it (i.e. an unexpected boy appears). I need to stop! 

I know we hear these stories about how someone was sitting in class and then one day this girl walked in and at that moment they had a thought, “I’m going to marry that girl,” then a year later they were married. I think that’s a very rare occurrence. For me, it’s utter bullcrap. My imagination’s too crazy for me to interpret fantasy from a genuine thought like that. If I ever have even the smallest thought like that, I immediately push it aside like, “Nope! You don’t know that! Don’t be stupid!” Getting married or even getting in a relationship is not so simple as many people make it sound.

BEING "IN LOVE"

I've never been "in love", so I have no idea what that remarkable sensation is like. However, I have observed plenty of couples to have come up with a theory. My three steps of a relationship: attraction/being "in lust", being in love/the honeymoon phase, and reality.

Allow me to explain: 

1) Attraction/being "in lust": The initial attraction of two people is more often than not based on small, trivial, physical things; physical attraction being the big one, similar interests, first impressions of certain things (they're smart, they're funny, etc). This remains the case for the first several dates while the couple is getting to know each other. Those tingly feelings (I have personally experienced) are not "love". I call them "lust", although that makes it sound sinful. However, "lust" is defined as "an intense desire of the body." You simply want to get to know this person better and are excited by the thought of them. You have "an intense desire" to be around them. Some people have this desire so intense that they misinterpret their feelings as "love", so they skip over the second step and get married right away.

2) The second step I have not personally experienced: being in love/the honeymoon phase. At some point, the couple moves out of this "intense desire" phase and into "love." I have absolutely NO idea what that is like, how it happens, when it happens, or anything. I do know that love is purer than lust. It's more than just an intense desire to be around them, but something... more. Being in love is all blissful happiness and couples always feel like they can conquer the world as long as they're together. This is what I call the "honeymoon phase." Because somewhere in this time is when people decide to get married and go on their honeymoon. Life is so perfect and grand for a time. Like the honeymoon will never end.

3) Until the last step which is reality. Now, I don't mean to imply that you always fall out of love once this sets in, but I've seen it happen. That's why the divorce rate is so high. The people who get married during the "in lust" phase often get divorced because they didn't have time to give their relationship a chance and see if they were really "in love." Those who really are in love finally start to see reality and begin to work together as a team. Of course there's trials and tribulations, but if the couple really do love one another they CAN conquer anything like they thought. 

Just an opinion based on observations.

RELATIONSHIPS

Now, I’ve never been in a relationship, so I’m really not fully qualified to speak on the subject, but I still have opinions. 

I have met a wide range of boys (that makes it sound like I hang around tons and tons of guys. I don’t really. I’ve just met a lot). And I’ve gone on a reasonable amount of dates. I have seen two types of guys: the over-attentive ones and the aloof ones (of course there are others, but let's just focus on those). Now, as a friend, I don’t mind the guy being a little aloof. I’m not a super needy person overall (most of the time). However, upon observing some couples and from personal experience on dates, etc, I have to say, you cannot be like that in a relationship! You need to pay your girl attention! Let her know you care; be by her side, call her, talk to her, take her places, whatever it takes. You can hang out with friends and talk to other people, but don’t abandon her and/or ignore her. She needs to feel like she’s important and special in your life. As Rihanna says, "Make [her] feel like [she's] the only girl in the world."

On the other end of the scale, there’s the over-attentive guys who over-do all that stuff so much that it becomes a nuisance. You’re constantly calling her, you never leave her side, you compliment her on literally everything that it doesn’t feel special anymore, in an attempt to be gentlemanly, she’s not allowed to do anything, and so on.

Girls are not off the hook for any of this stuff either though. I’ve seen aloof and overly-attentive girls too.
Everyone, find a balance somewhere in between.

In my mind, the ideal relationship should be evenly balanced. Both partners should not only respect and love one another, but should also complete each other. What I mean by that is one of two things: two opposites come together and compliment one another or two similar halves come together to make a whole. I’ve seen couples with two complete opposite personalities joined together who work remarkably well with one another. They even each other out and are happy. Then, I’ve seen couples who share many common interests and personality traits who are equally happy because they understand one another on a different level. Both types are compatible and both take a lot of work!

In any case, a spouse or boyfriend/girlfriend should be your best friend. Someone you get along really well with, someone you can have fun with, someone you can talk to, someone you’re comfortable around, someone you work well with, someone who understands you and knows you better than anybody (except maybe your parents, but even that could be debatable in some cases), and, most importantly, someone who makes you happy. 

CONCLUSION

I know this all seems impossible to find now, but I believe it can be done. Sometimes I (and others) think, “How can I possibly be a good husband/wife? I’m horrible at [insert relationship expectancy here].” I believe that once the right person comes along, you’ll just feel the need to do all these things. It will all just click. I’m holding out for a little longer! All this crap I’m going through right now ought to be worth something spectacular in the end! My husband is going to be frikin’ AWESOME!!!

I Believe...

Hey, we’re talking religion again!

Now, growing up in the church there are a lot of things that I’ve grown up hearing and believing. For example, we have a prophet who speaks for the Lord, the bible and the Book of Mormon go hand in hand, men are called of God by the laying on of hands, God speaks to us today, and so on. These were all things that I was taught from infancy and that I just accepted. I sort of took them for granted, I think. I was just like, “Yeah, OK. We have a prophet. We have priesthood power. Cool.” However, now that I am older, I am really starting to appreciate all these things that we believe in.

As I have grown older, I have started to really think for myself about all these things for myself and understand what they all mean. We have a prophet. A prophet! Just like in ancient times. “We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church...” as the sixth article of faith says. We are called the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints because it is Christ’s church. Not Joseph Smith’s, not Mormon’s, not anybody else’s. “Therefore ye shall call the church in my name... And how be it my church save it be called in my name? ...but if it be called in my name then it is my church, if it so be that they are built upon my gospel” (3 Nephi 27:7-8). It makes sense!

Then have you ever stopped to think about the priesthood? Joseph Smith and his apostles received the same priesthood authority that was on the earth from Christ’s time. The resurrected Peter, James, and John conferred it upon them because there was no proper priesthood authority on the earth after they had died. JSH 1:72 reads “The messenger who visited us on this occasion and conferred this Priesthood upon us, said that his name was John, the same that is called John the Baptist in the New Testament, and that he acted under the direction of Peter, James and John, who held the keys of the Priesthood of Melchizedek.” 

Specific men are actually called of God to act in His name. In 3 Nephi 11 verses 18-22, Nephi was directly called forth by Christ to be given the power to baptize. D&C 22 says that “although a man should be baptized an hundred times it availeth him nothing, for you cannot enter in at the strait gate by the law of Moses, neither by your dead works.” This means that one must be baptized with proper priesthood authority.

Often, an attack against the Latter-day Saints is that we don’t believe in the bible (a misconception because we believe in the Book of Mormon). The belief is that we are replacing the bible with the Book of Mormon. This is false. We believe in both books. The bible has gone through many men’s hands and different translations and we believe in it as long as it is translated correctly. 1 Nephi 13:26-27 mentions this confusion with the mistranslation: “they have taken away from the gospel of the Lamb many parts which are plain and most precious; and also many covenants of the Lord have they taken away. And all this have they done that they might pervert the right ways of the Lord, that they might blind the eyes and harden the hearts of the children of men.” The scriptures are very sacred to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “The scriptures shall be given, even as they are in mine own bosom, to the salvation of mine own elect” (D&C 35:20).

I think it is such a miracle that we have all these sacred works today. Looking back on the history of the bible blows my little mind. Watch this documentary that BYUtv put together. It’s extremely fascinating: FIRES OF FAITH

I do believe in all these things. I do not rely on anyone else’s faith except for my own. God does reveal things today just as He did in ancient times. He reveals things to the individual just as easily and willingly as He does to a prophet. I have a firm testimony of all these things!