Second Merlin Rant

Please Note: Anyone who has not yet seen the MERLIN series finale, this rant/review is full of major spoilers.

As previously mentioned, what had drawn me to the show in the first place was it's magical charm. It followed the adventures of King Arthur and his friend/servant/wizard Merlin. There were a few episodes here and there that I didn't enjoy, but it was overall enjoyable. In the end, it was the series finale that took the prize in being the worse episode ever.

The scene that shocked me the most in the entire series was when Mordred had betrayed Merlin and revealed to Morgana that Merlin was Emrys. As soon as he (Mordred) said, "It is Merlin!" I let out a loud gasp, put my hand over my mouth and began anxiously waiting for the epic battle in the finale. I don't know why it surprised me when I already know how the legend of King Arthur ends. Arthur is destined to be betrayed and killed by the hands of his noble knight, Mordred. And of course, Morgana would have had to find out about Emrys one way or another.


With everything going the way it was, there were a few things I wanted to know: How will Arthur find out about Merlin's secret? Will Mordred and/or Morgana die? Was Arthur actually going to die, or would they change the end on a high note? Considering that they changed so much of the legend already, there was a shred of hope in me for a happy ending.

So the episode starts off with old Merlin striking his staff, and instantaneously killing Morgana's evil army. Within ten minutes into the episode, the "epic battle" has come to an end. I was expecting Merlin to use his Dragonlord magic and bring in his Great Dragon friend to join in the fun, but Kilgharrah doesn't show up until the end. (I'll get to that in a bit.)

After most of the army has died, Mordred comes up from behind and stabs Arthur in the back (very artistically, I may add.) Arthur then turns around and stabs and kills Mordred. Old Merlin finds Arthur and begins his mission to save his friend.

Of course, everyone was waiting for the big reveal to see how Arthur finds out about Merlin's secret. In my head, I thought it would be Merlin getting caught using his magic. But instead, it ends up being a very sad Merlin crying and saying "I am a sorcerer. I have magic." Which then leads to Merthur (Merlin/Arthur) going through the whole episode fighting like a married couple. Arthur is able to witness a few of Merlin's magic tricks, but it's very rushed and gives him little time to react to the big secret he just discovered.

Meanwhile, Sir Gwaine and Sir Percival are on a mission to find Morgana, and in the process, she succeeds in killing Gwaine. As if Sir Lancelot and Sir Elyan just wasn't enough of Camelot's knights being killed by Morgana, they just had to kill Gwaine.

Finally, Morgana meets Merlin and Arthur in the woods, which leads to her death. She gets stabbed in the chest by Merlin. Morgana is unable to die from any mortal blade, but Merlin's sword (like Morgana's) is forged in a dragon's breath. After all the wrath Morgana released on Camelot, I thought she got a very quick and easy death.

Merlin is still persistent on his mission to take Arthur to the lake of Avalon, where he hopes to restore his battle wound and prevent him from dying. Merlin and Arthur's horses get scared away, so he finally summons Kilgharrah for some assistance to fly them to Avalon. When they finally reach the lake, The Great Dragon reveals to Merlin there is no way Arthur can be saved, he is dying and even the most powerful wizard can do nothing to change that. The Great Dragon tells Merlin that Arthur will arise once again.

Arthur's death scene was the only thing I liked. It was emotional and it really showed how much Merlin always meant to Arthur, even thought he'd often tease him and give him a hard time. Merlin and Arthur both end up fulfilling their destinies, and the scene goes back to Camelot where Lady Gweneviere is the successor to the kingdom of Camelot. I don't understand how exactly they knew Arthur died? Merlin had Arthur's funeral all by himself at Avalon, and there was no way of him sending word back to Camelot. I thought Kilgharra and Merlin would have took Arthur's body back to Camelot, so Gwen could have seen her husband one last time. As if that wasn't bad enough, you suddenly see a truck driving by and a modern day old Merlin (looking like a hobo) walking down the street, peering out to the lake of Avalon, the end. I didn't understand the last scene at first, but after doing a bit of research, I found out it indicated Merlin has been waiting all those years for his friend Arthur to arise, so he can serve him once again.

It was a terrible way to end the series. The whole charm of the show was that it was set in medieval times, and the fact that they ended the series in modern day just ruined everything. I couldn't believe that is what it was all leading up to.

Whether it is a book, movie or TV show I find it really unsatisfying when the story is amazing through out and then they rob you of a good ending. I don't know what the writers were trying to pull, but that was an epic fail.

Merlin

There are just a handful of TV shows I watch, BBC's Merlin being amongst the few. The series has been on for five years, and I can't express how much I love this show and here's why. Those who follow my other blog know how much I love wizards and magic, and that's what Merlin brought to the table. The story of Merlin and Arthur is set in the medieval days when magic is outlawed in the city of Camelot. Merlin becomes Arthur's head servant, forcing himself to hide his magic powers from his King/friend all these years. I have a soft spot for stories set in the medieval times. I just find something fantastical about castles, sword fights, knights and magic. I also found the series was relatively family oriented. The story lines were clean, and the overall message of the show was to believe in yourself and stand up for what you believe in. The legend of King Arthur has been retold many times, in many different versions, and this was no exception. 
Last night, the show all came to an end with it's series finale. The ending was rather unsatisfying. I don't want to give too much away (in case someone is watching, or wishes to watch.) However, I will say this: It was all leading up to a great battle with King Arthur and his knights fighting the evil Lady Morgana. I expected a whole lot more to happen during the battle and I thought everything was very rushed. As previously mentioned, one of the reasons I watched the show was because of it's magical charm. The very last scene of the episode took all of that away for me. I was expecting to get a bit teary eyed because it's all over, but instead I was scratching my head and asking myself, "Um... what just happened?"

The writer's did such a fantastic job of keeping the story line interesting through out the entire series, but it almost felt like there was no thought whatsoever put into the end. It's a shame Merlin is not real and can't cast a spell to make me forget that awful end to such a great story.

Diary of 2 Cats: Kitten Edition (part 6)

I think I'll have to rename my upcoming posts, considering Tiger is not a kitten anymore! I thought I recorded his vet updates but it turns out I didn't. The last time we took him to the (second) vet office, there was a different vet on duty. This was roughly about two months ago. I was kind of frustrated that we weren't seeing the same vet again but it actually worked out in my favour in the end. So this would be the third vet whose examining Tiger.

This third vet we saw ended up being the most helpful compared to the previous two. He did a thorough test of Tiger by putting a green dye in both his eyes. When the dye leaked out through his right nostril but not his left, the doctor declared there is a blockage between the left nose and eye canal. He explained to us this is a chronic condition which can possibly be fixed by steroids (which we bought and used. But it did no good.) He then said if the steroids don't work, there is a small procedure you can get done which will implant an opening into his tear duct. However, he very clearly stated there's still no guarantee this condition will clear and it'll cost us an arm and a leg.

It turns out as long as he's eating, drinking, playing and is not showing any pain or discomfort towards his eye infection, it's nothing to worry about. It'll certainly be annoying to constantly have to clean the leakage from his eye on a regular basis but the vet said it will annoy us more then it'll annoy him and I think my little Tiger is worth the extra mile =).

On a side note: I noticed Pepper's behaviour is much naughtier then Tiger's, which I find pretty ironic! Pepper is the one constantly attempting to open all my kitchen cabinets and scratch up the furniture while Tiger runs away with a single spray of water. My theory is since we got Tiger as a kitten, he was easier to train. We missed Pepper's kittenhood so perhaps he was already set in his naughty ways!

Puppy Mills

We've all heard it a million times. Never get an animal from a pet store because the animal you are adopting is most likely a product of a puppy mill. Puppy mills are notorious for their cruelty and neglect towards their animals. Animals are often housed in tiny cages with sharp wiring on the bottom which leads to injured paw pads. Many have even been known not to provide their animals with proper food or water and many animals are often left to starve to death. It is a horrific living condition for these sweet creatures. It is a business, that's all it is. These animals are used to mass produce animals so the breeder can make a profit. A YouTube video even showed a breeder forcing two rabbits to mate when the female was clearly trying to run away.

On the contrary, it is important to note in the city of Toronto many pet stores have affiliations with local shelters and non-profit organizations like Toronto Cat Rescue. That's not to say that NONE of their animals come from such breeding facilities. However, it's still a step in the right direction.

Many pet stores will host as a temporary location for adoptathons. Furthermore, some pet shops have affiliations with local shelters. They transport the animals from the shelter to the pet store to give the animal more exposure. There ARE reputable breeders out there who treat their animals with love and care.

However, it is simply a matter of doing your homework. Although you may feel you are doing a good thing by taking a pet home, keep in mind it could have a dirty little secret.

Miscellaneous Updates

I've been feeling really busy and overwhelmed lately. Last month, I was busy with family visiting from out of town. We ended up going out a lot for lunches, dinners and such. This month has been relatively quiet, aside from weekend social activities. The first weekend, my family got together for a Thanksgiving potluck. Although we don't celebrate it, we did have turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy and the whole nine yards. The weekend following, my husband and I decided to go to Go For Tea for Bubble Tea late at night. Mind you, I love me my flavoured teas and coffees. This time, I tried honeydew pearl milk tea which was divine. On a side note, I've discovered the bubble tea place at my local mall to be quite tasty as well. But the ambiance is not as good as Go For Tea (a gorgeous modern tea house which specializes in Chinese food and many bubble tea flavours.)

Last weekend, we got together with family (again) for Eid. This week has been quiet so far, aside from mild affects of Hurricane Sandy making it's way to parts of Toronto. Thank God we were not affected at all, we still have our power. But I know some neighbourhoods did lose it for nearly twenty four hours.

I've been trying to make some changes in my life. I'm thinking of doing the unthinkable and going back to school soon. There is no saying when, but it's something I truly want. My research indicates it is not that cheap (as most of already know)! I have a passion for cooking and baking and wish to get into culinary school. I want to learn how to cook the kind of professional food they cook on the Food Network.

Also, I'm currently part of two book clubs but have decided to drop one of them. It is just becoming overwhelming always having to read a book for book club, it feels almost like a chore. I love reading and don't want this to take that away from me. I decided to leave the library one (my other one is one I started with friends.) It was a tough decision to make. I love being a part of both of them, but I think it's for the best.

Cat Update: We recently got Pepper microchipped. Tiger was already chipped from the day we adopted him. We just felt like it was the responsible thing to do.

Birthday Lunch

I had my "Golden Birthday" last Thursday, as I turned 27 on the 27th (of September.) In my opinion, it was a special birthday. This is something that will only happen once in a lifetime. I normally do not do anything special on my birthday. But this year, I decided to celebrate. Originally, I wanted to meet my friends at a restaurant downtown. I called them on Monday evening, asking how early I need to place a reservation for the weekend and the lady on the phone said, at least two days. I called back on Wednesday to make my reservation but was told that the weekend was fully booked due to Nuit Blanche. Furthermore, she said for a weekend reservation I should have called a week before!!! I complained to her and told her I did call on Monday and was told I could still place a reservation. If I had known at that time, I would have just placed my reservation right then and there. Anyways, I had to change my location a few days before the lunch to a nearby restaurant. I was disappointed at first, but it turned out fine in the end. I still enjoyed myself.

I expected eight of my friends to come, but three cancelled at the last minute. I tried not to let it get to me and I just enjoyed the day with the people who did come. We had a lovely lunch and some of us went for a walk by a nearby water fountain after lunch. I got a few really nice presents from some of the guests (which I really didn't expect.)

The last birthday I had celebrated before this was my thirteenth. I remember my three best friends had invited me over to one of their houses for dinner the night of my big day. I didn't expect it to be a party, I thought we'd just hang out. As I arrived to my friends house, I realized there was food and presents! So it was somewhat of a surprise party! I got a make up set and some little decoration pieces. The girls did a little makeover on me after we ate. It was loads of fun. I don't know why I haven't done my birthday since. My parents normally get me a cake, but this was the first time after many years I did something. I'm glad I did and I had a wonderful time with my loved ones.

On another note: We took Tiger to another vet for a second opinion. He's gone through more tests and medications and his eye infection is still there. Plus the vet wasn't able to give us any answers. I've come to the conclusion it's a chronic thing. I've done all I can to help him with it, I don't know what else I can do.

Friendship Has No Boundaries

Today we observed the thirteenth fast of Ramadan. So far, it's going good. The first day was hard, then my body got used to it. We've been breaking our fast with dates, fruit salad, yogurt shakes, and of course regular dinners such as baryani, pasta, meatloaf, etc.

I have a friend I made in my building a few years back. She is a devout Christian who goes to church every night. I ran into her this afternoon and she gave me a nice surprise. She gave me a headscarf as a Ramadan gift and it really put a smile on my face. I'm so lucky to have such great friends. I've never let religious beliefs come in the way of my relationships. My best friend is also Christian and I clearly remember her giving me Christmas presents as kids, meanwhile I would give her eid presents. One holiday, Christmas and Eid had fallen around the same time and we exchanged holiday gifts. I remember her giving me a necklace and I gave her chocolates. Friendship really has no boundaries, in my humble opinion.