TV Reviews: Merlin

Overall this show is fine for people who do not know or care about the glorious legend of King Arthur. There are so many moments which defer from the story many know and love of the King who united a land in upheaval. Now I won’t explain them all to spoil the five seasons of the show, just give a brief description.

It is an interesting premise to have the Prince Arthur growing up under the banishment of magic when we know that Arthur did not grow up in the Palace and that Merlin was known all around as the greatest sorcerer working openly in Arthur’s court. The creators of the show do bring in different aspects of the legend and those characters here and there while mostly making their own separate story which is fine without prior knowledge of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.

However there are other problems with Merlin as an adventure series. Basically the same thing happens in every episode. The villain forms a new plan for the destruction of Camelot, it works for a minute, Merlin saves the day. Occasionally the villain actually takes Camelot and rules for about a week or two which is surprising, but a nice change from always failing. Also a fun moment for the role reversal of Arthur and Merlin sneaking into the castle to defeat the ruler of Camelot. However you can see the problem with Merlin as a successful show when magic is outlawed in the kingdom and Merlin is never able to do magic openly as the partnership we know of Merlin and King Arthur never comes to fruition in the show. Disappointing!

I have to say that it might be fine to watch for someone who enjoys fantasy without knowing about King Arthur, but that is an unlikely combination. I enjoy stories of King Arthur and am currently reading a book entitled A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court which is a very fun story intertwining the legend and modernity in a most fascinating way. If you enjoy King Arthur I would suggest skipping this show and proceeding with the stories found in written form. Or enjoy some fantasy shows like Once Upon a Time or Charmed which don’t retell an epic legend in their own way.

Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella

As for the second book from my box of goodies at the huge used book sale… I have not read anything else by Sophie Kinsella so I really had no idea what to expect, but it seemed like a fun girly book and why not just grab a book based on the cover?

Such a lovely book!

I feel like I cannot begin to describe how much I enjoyed this book. I read it in two days, which is unusual for me to complete 435 pages in a week let alone two days! Clearly, the plot progresses well without tedious details clogging up the text. The plot follows Lara Lington from the time she meets the young ghost of her great aunt Sadie at her own funeral and follows the pair throughout London as Sadie requires Lara to help locate her favorite necklace before she can rest in peace. This creates all sorts of chaos in Lara’s life, but it also allows her to learn lots about life, moving forward, and the exciting life of her great aunt who lived through the twentieth century.

Like I mentioned, I could not put this book down! It was fun from the first page and kept me interested throughout. I was so attached to the girls and involved in the story that I was crying at the end. I really did not want it to end, but of course it did beautifully. Twenties Girl  is interesting, fun, and well-written to keep the reader engaged. I would recommend it to any lady who wants to read a fun story about life and growing up as we all must.

Luxury

J and I went to a fancy, formal wedding over labor day weekend. The ceremony was in downtown D.C.  at the top-notch, ornate Baptist Church with stained-glass windows, old fashioned stage and grand piano.

I went with Tea to get pedicures that morning. What!? We got pedicures for some one else’s wedding. Interesting… Is this what high society life looks like everyday!? They gave us soda, magazines, and candy while we waited and had our feet pampered for the next hour. I sat back and read the next scene in my play as I secretly surveyed the way everyone interacted in this society. Tea explained to me how there is another nail salon down the road but no one goes to that one! As everyone could see that this was the worthwhile salon just because it was full the whole time we were there.

With fresh feet we got ready at the house and went to the hotel where our special bus would be to chauffeur us around for the night. I was fortunate to be part of the VIP group including the groom’s family and friends. We sat in the reserved seats in the front rows of the church, showing up late enough for everyone to watch us glide past them in style straight to the VIP seats. Ya, that’s right. I’ve never met the bride or the groom and I’m sitting right behind the groom’s parents. Suckers! KK, the other gf of a groomsman who knew no one and was also part of the elite group, and I wondered who would be sitting behind the couple during the ceremony when a group gathered on stage at the beginning. As the ceremony began our quest was answered. It was the fabulous choir, of course! And they were incredible(what else would you expect?), and the organist leading the group kept the soul going for a while as the congregation enjoyed the continued worship of this day to glorify the Lord through the union of marriage.

Everything about this wedding was different than what I am used to with camp couples! The reception was at the military base in D.C. It was in a fancy building with a great view of the whole river across the length of the room we were in. All the tables were set with multiple glasses and silverware and plates and the nicely folded napkins for the individual. I placed my name plate at the seat I chose and wandered the building for a while since we had at least an hour before the bridal party would arrive from their extravagant photo shoot at the national monuments.

Upstairs KK and I found the Castle Room. Oh yes. A big, beautiful room covered with crests and armor. Like we were in a museum or something. It was crazy. We found another giant fancy room like the one downstairs with the B/B reception. Even the conference rooms off to the sides had big windows with elaborate views and grandiose chandeliers.

Because you can take photos at the national monuments when you get married, so why not!