CAMELOT “The Long Night” Review

CAMELOT The Long Night

CAMELOT “The Long Night” Season 1 Episode 7 - This week’s episode takes us to Castle Pendragon where Arthur and his close circle go to feast with Morgan. She claims to want to be his ally (building on a visit they had back in episode 3) and it all goes well – until Castle Pendragon is attacked by forces unknown.

Well, unknown to Arthur et al. We know that Morgan has set something up with the assistance of soldier Harwel and that simultaneously leeches the episode of any real tension it could have held and gives us a more relaxed atmosphere to explore the characters.

Because what follows is a long night (hence the title) wherein we learn a little more about our main men: Leontes is the upstanding man he is because he once killed a boy and turned to God to deal with the guilt; Gawain dislikes himself so much that, while not suicidal, he is a-ok with walking toward almost certain death; Brastias is a loud mouthed pervert who I adore; and Arthur loves Guinevere.

There’s some other relationship-building thrown in, too…vaguely. Igraine confronts Merlin about his avoiding her, he completely ignores the point, and later they talk again. It sounds uneventful, true, but these two have a chemistry that is a joy to watch and I would hope that it continues to develop over the remaining episodes, but now Igraine is locked in stocks somewhere in Castle Pendragon. Who knows, maybe it will be Merlin’s feelings for her that will eventually reveal that Morgan!Igraine is not the true Igraine.

There’s also a teeny tiny exchange between Kay and Guinevere’s cousin that seems like it may be the seed of something developing there too. That would be adorable. Hopefully he would be more enthusiastic during sex with her than with that dancer chick. Seriously, Kay, I know you were distracted almost immediately but at least try to look more into it next time.

While I really enjoyed the episode and getting to know the characters better, I wish we hadn’t been privy to the incoming attack all being a setup. The tension caused by not knowing who the attacker was would have added an edge to the episode and made everything just a little bit more exciting. (Although it would also have made the question of why everyone was so relaxed even more apparent. Was pissing off a wall in full view of possibly enemy archers such a good idea, guys?)

So what did you think, dear reader? Let us know in the comments below!

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By Candice Grace | May 14, 2011 | 3 Comments

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Deb L

I enjoyed it too. Especially what Morgan ultimately does, which I won’t share here! She is truly one of the best villains on TV and Eva Green is wondrous to watch. Yes, it would have been better if it was more ambiguous whether the attack was real. The frat antics are a bit tired, pissing on the wall etc, but love where the series is going.
Anitam

Honestly, I was really disappointed in this episode. In fact the last few shows I’ve been really disappointed. This series has such potential…but it just doesn’t deliver. Here’s the problems I have with this episode:

#1 The nearly naked girls dancing around the dinner table…manage to disarm experienced knights and plunge their swords right into he table…and they are laughed at?! Morgan should have just gone ahead and killed every single one of them right there…then disposed of them and blamed their deaths on the “attackers” that came later that evening…you know, the non-existent ones? But no…everyone just laughed it off…no biggie. Taking a knights sword is like taking a cowboy’s hat…YOU DON’T DO IT.

#2 The viewer is let in from the get go that this is a fake attack on the castle. Does Morgan even seem the least bit bothered…of course not, its fake and it’s written all over her reactions.

#3 As you mentioned, experienced knights peeing off the castle wall…when there is supposedly an attack underway (nary an arrow flying…BIG HUGE CLUE guys, DUH!)

#4 Morgan sends only HER men out to track down this unknown attacker and absolutely no one from King Arthurs men follows them…really?!

#5 Once again they show Castle Pendragon without any life surrounding it. There would have been people living outside the castle walls, raising crops/livestock etc. They didn’t live miles away…they’d have been right there….but yet again, they are absent.

#6 Merlin catches the nun signaling someone from the castle window and doesn’t call her on it?!

There is so much lacking, this could be so very much better but they are not making it believable. So much detail is missing from this series that would add depth to the country-side, depth to the characters…but they aren’t taking the time to do it and as expensive as this show is to produce…they should.
Anitam

Honestly, I was really disappointed in this episode. In fact the last few shows I’ve been really disappointed. This series has such potential…but it just doesn’t deliver. Here’s the problems I have with this episode:

#1 The nearly naked girls dancing around the dinner table…manage to disarm experienced knights and plunge their swords right into he table…and they are laughed at?! Morgan should have just gone ahead and killed every single one of them right there…then disposed of them and blamed their deaths on the “attackers” that came later that evening…you know, the non-existent ones? But no…everyone just laughed it off…no biggie. Taking a knights sword is like taking a cowboy’s hat…YOU DON’T DO IT.

#2 The viewer is let in from the get go that this is a fake attack on the castle. Does Morgan even seem the least bit bothered…of course not, its fake and it’s written all over her reactions.

#3 As you mentioned, experienced knights peeing off the castle wall…when there is supposedly an attack underway (nary an arrow flying…BIG HUGE CLUE guys, DUH!)

#4 Morgan sends only HER men out to track down this unknown attacker and absolutely no one from King Arthurs men follows them…really?!

#5 Once again they show Castle Pendragon without any life surrounding it. There would have been people living outside the castle walls, raising crops/livestock etc. They didn’t live miles away…they’d have been right there….but yet again, they are absent.

#6 Merlin catches the nun signaling someone from the castle window and doesn’t call her on it?!

There is so much lacking, this could be so very much better but they are not making it believable. So much detail is missing from this series that would add depth to the country-side, depth to the characters…but they aren’t taking the time to do it and as expensive as this show is to produce…they should.