But I always thought I was deep?
Dec. 8th, 2008 12:29 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
merelynHappy Monday, flist! Merlin 1.12 was pretty and I enjoyed it and am flailing about next week like everyone else. :)
That aside, I have a very serious question for you all. Someone over on![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
merlinxarthur linked to this article on AfterElton.com about Merlin airing on NBC in the U.S. It’s nice that AfterElton has also picked up on the gay (and sad that NBC won’t be airing the episodes anytime soon), but what really jumped out at me was this:
The weakest link in the cast is probably Katie McGrath who plays Morgana. She's almost a perfect clone of Keira Knightley, and like her big screen doppelganger she pouts and poses rather than actually acts.
I was shocked- shocked!- by that. She may not be the best actor on the show (that would probably be Colin I think? YMMV), but I’ve always thought that Katie has done a good job. And to be fair, the author admits that he hasn’t seen all the episodes, so I’m assuming he must have missed out on the ones where Morgana is AWESOME.
Even I have to say that I didn’t really like Morgana in the first episode. The scene with her twirling about in front of her mirror talking to Gwen about dresses has always felt off to me, especially as an introduction to her character. Don’t get me wrong, I love Morgana’s wardrobe (ridiculous fur shrugs, even more ridiculous heels and all). It just made her seem a lot more vapid than the she is, especially since she had nothing much to do that first episode other than wear pretty clothes and have the boys stare at her. (Also, the sleeveless number she ends up wearing was one of those whopping historical inaccuracies that hit me back when I was still bothered by those things. :) Still, she got better and better as the show went on, and by this point I would watch a show that’s just Katie McGrath fiercing her way around Camelot.
The reason why this really bothered me is that (confession!) I don’t like Keira Knightley- sorry![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
sovietkitsch- I know she’s your girlcrush to end all girlcrushes. I’ve seen a lot of her movies actually (also somewhat thanks to sovietkitsch, because there would be no other person who could have convinced me to see Domino in theatres, which was for the record pretty hilarious). She was cute in Bend in Like Beckham, and surprisingly good in Pride and Prejudice, but I really really don’t think she can act. Or rather, maybe she can but her range is…not big.
Anyway, what I’m saying is, that when it comes to actors- Keira in particular, unfortunately- pretty people who can’t act but are inexplicably famous movie stars is one of my BIGGEST PET PEEVES ever. I don’t care how hot you are, if you can’t act your way out of a paper bag you should not be stinking up legitimate movies (obviously craptastic things like HSM and the Flan don’t fall into this category).
It’s been pointed out that I’m an opinionated person, but I really do make an effort not to be snobby. However this is one of those instances where I get disgusted with how shallow Hollywood is- and society by extension for laying out their money to see movies starring Channing Tatum and the like.
SO. The point of this rambling ramble is that I had noted the similarity between Katie and Keira, but I’d personally thought of Katie as the prettier, more talented though less famous one.
HAVE I BEEN WRONG THE WHOLE TIME? HAVE I BEEN LIVING A LIE? DOES KATIE MCGRATH ACTUALLY SUCK AND I WAS TOO BLINDED BY THE PRETTY TO NOTICE? THIS IS VERY DISTRESSING TO ME. D:
PLEASE WEIGH IN FLIST AND TELL ME IF I ACTUALLY AM AS SHALLOW AS AN INFLATABLE KIDDIE POOL.
That aside, I have a very serious question for you all. Someone over on
merlinxarthur linked to this article on AfterElton.com about Merlin airing on NBC in the U.S. It’s nice that AfterElton has also picked up on the gay (and sad that NBC won’t be airing the episodes anytime soon), but what really jumped out at me was this: The weakest link in the cast is probably Katie McGrath who plays Morgana. She's almost a perfect clone of Keira Knightley, and like her big screen doppelganger she pouts and poses rather than actually acts.
I was shocked- shocked!- by that. She may not be the best actor on the show (that would probably be Colin I think? YMMV), but I’ve always thought that Katie has done a good job. And to be fair, the author admits that he hasn’t seen all the episodes, so I’m assuming he must have missed out on the ones where Morgana is AWESOME.
Even I have to say that I didn’t really like Morgana in the first episode. The scene with her twirling about in front of her mirror talking to Gwen about dresses has always felt off to me, especially as an introduction to her character. Don’t get me wrong, I love Morgana’s wardrobe (ridiculous fur shrugs, even more ridiculous heels and all). It just made her seem a lot more vapid than the she is, especially since she had nothing much to do that first episode other than wear pretty clothes and have the boys stare at her. (Also, the sleeveless number she ends up wearing was one of those whopping historical inaccuracies that hit me back when I was still bothered by those things. :) Still, she got better and better as the show went on, and by this point I would watch a show that’s just Katie McGrath fiercing her way around Camelot.
The reason why this really bothered me is that (confession!) I don’t like Keira Knightley- sorry
sovietkitsch- I know she’s your girlcrush to end all girlcrushes. I’ve seen a lot of her movies actually (also somewhat thanks to sovietkitsch, because there would be no other person who could have convinced me to see Domino in theatres, which was for the record pretty hilarious). She was cute in Bend in Like Beckham, and surprisingly good in Pride and Prejudice, but I really really don’t think she can act. Or rather, maybe she can but her range is…not big. Anyway, what I’m saying is, that when it comes to actors- Keira in particular, unfortunately- pretty people who can’t act but are inexplicably famous movie stars is one of my BIGGEST PET PEEVES ever. I don’t care how hot you are, if you can’t act your way out of a paper bag you should not be stinking up legitimate movies (obviously craptastic things like HSM and the Flan don’t fall into this category).
It’s been pointed out that I’m an opinionated person, but I really do make an effort not to be snobby. However this is one of those instances where I get disgusted with how shallow Hollywood is- and society by extension for laying out their money to see movies starring Channing Tatum and the like.
SO. The point of this rambling ramble is that I had noted the similarity between Katie and Keira, but I’d personally thought of Katie as the prettier, more talented though less famous one.
HAVE I BEEN WRONG THE WHOLE TIME? HAVE I BEEN LIVING A LIE? DOES KATIE MCGRATH ACTUALLY SUCK AND I WAS TOO BLINDED BY THE PRETTY TO NOTICE? THIS IS VERY DISTRESSING TO ME. D:
PLEASE WEIGH IN FLIST AND TELL ME IF I ACTUALLY AM AS SHALLOW AS AN INFLATABLE KIDDIE POOL.
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no subject
Date: 2008-12-08 06:17 pm (UTC)And did I notice an implication there that Joe Flanigan is not a stellar actor? I am shocked, shocked, I tell you!
no subject
Date: 2008-12-08 06:20 pm (UTC)And I have NO IDEA what you're talking about. Joe Flanigan is a credit to his profession in all things.
no subject
Date: 2008-12-08 07:27 pm (UTC)JFlan is... well, I like watching him act, but yeah, that guy makes some interesting "choices." I think the moment my heart died a little, though, was when I found out he was a Republican.
no subject
Date: 2008-12-08 07:34 pm (UTC)Ooh, no worries. It defintely does. :)
Yeah, that was a little disappointing. But kind of funny, too. He's just...an enigma wrapped in a mystery with weird hair and odd political leanings.
no subject
Date: 2008-12-08 08:22 pm (UTC)I'm starting to get into the fandom, and I will have to look to you to recommend stories with lots of Morgana (so far, I'm on the good ship Merlin/Arthur, but honestly, anyone could be shagging anyone and I'd be happy. I nominate orgy!) because she's got the most interesting storyline, I think. Because the actual plotline of Morgana is already so wildly off (she's Arthur's sister in most legends, isn't she? A by-blow, or he's a by-blow, or something) that she could literally do anything. Arthur will become king, Merlin will become bearded and more wise-cracking, Gwen will change her name slightly (spoiler alert!), but Morgana doesn't have that kind of destiny. Either that, or maybe she's a bit like a Lex-from-Smallville; the intrigue will be from watching her fall. I dunno. But she's fun to watch!
And btw, *do* you have any recs? *bats eyelashes hopefully*
no subject
Date: 2008-12-08 09:56 pm (UTC)Yep, they're supposed to be half brother and sister traditionally. And
Mordred is their unknowing incest baby o' doom.
Morgana is definitely the one character who I'm not really sure just where they're going with her. I'm fairly certain we're going to get Arthur and Gwen and whatnot, but I don't know if Morgana's going to become the EVIL SORCERESS she is in the stories (Marion Zimmer Bradley excluded of course).