Merlin-commentary - in one compact post
Post #1:
Here are the caveats:
I don't tend to watch TV, so I have seen neither the show nor any clips.
The web site video doesn't work if you're logging in outside the UK, so all I had to go on were the character descriptions and stills. 

Transcript of chat below:

[22:15] <zephre> so what is this merlin that everyone is drawing and writing for? is there a new show I don't know about?
[22:15] <zephre> (by everyone, of course, I mean, like, three people)
[22:16] <Dizilla> it's everywhere on my flist
[22:16] <Dizilla> first season recently ended in england
[22:16] <Dizilla> um... i wasn't too impressd by the first ep
[22:16] <Dizilla> i have the others and just haven't botthered to watch it
[22:16] <zephre> reeeeeally? because ditzy horrible but beautiful british legend on TV makes me happy most of the time.  I'm easy.
[22:16] <zephre> sometimes I have beautiful nostalgic flashbacks to Roar.  :D
[22:17] <Dizilla> i thought it was about the young adventures of merlin
[22:17] <Dizilla> mmmroar
[22:17] <Dizilla> and it still is but...
[22:17] <Dizilla> arthur's the same age as him and acts like an arrogant jackass
[22:17] <zephre> young adventures... but wasn't he aging backwards or something?
[22:17] <Dizilla> along with half sister morgana
[22:17] <Dizilla> and a very ugly servant being gwen
[22:17] <zephre> obviously a very loose interpretation.  Malory who?
[22:17] <Dizilla> lol
[22:17] <Jude> this is fun
[22:18] <Dizilla> i think she's ugly, i think they were trying for variety... believe she's indian
[22:18] <Dizilla> morgana's gorgeous looking but acts like a spoilt princess
[22:18] <Dizilla> and this all from the first ep
[22:18] <Dizilla> supposedly it gets extremely slashy (though with our flists... that could be just their goggles on overdrive)
[22:18] <zephre> they're pulling another Robin Hood trick, are they, trying for a multicultural ancient culture?
[22:18] <Dizilla> as i guess merlin becomes arthur's bodyguard
[22:19] <zephre> mmmm.  are they cute, at least?
[22:19] <Dizilla> well from the first ep, gwen's the only one
[22:19] <Dizilla> oh yeah
[22:19] <Dizilla> arthur looks like a good looking jock
[22:19] <Dizilla> and merlin's this thin scrappy thing with a great smile
[22:19] <zephre> I was thinking the recent robin hood series, with the young woman of color who is disguised as a merry man.
[22:19] <zephre> bwahahaha
[22:19] <Dizilla> *nod*
[22:20] <Dizilla> yeah i love that robinhood series .... Much/Robin otp XD
[22:20] <zephre> sometimes I do wish I watched a bit more TV
[22:20] <Dizilla> and iknow that's loose too but still
[22:20] <zephre> but I can't be arsed to recall when things are on
[22:20] <Dizilla> i dunno. when i was a kid, i was a big arthurian legend fan
[22:20] <zephre> if Merlin is Arthur's age, there's something weird going on.
[22:20] <zephre> I wonder if my buddyvermilionsun has seen it...
[22:20] <Dizilla> i don't remember everything nowadays like a good fan would but... just how wacky they did it bothers me too much
[22:21] <Dizilla> and apparently it's rather anachronistic? (i think that's the right word)
[22:22] <Dizilla> i thought i'd get used to Merlin being arthur's age but what really killed me was Arthur doesn't act at all like the Arthur we know and love
[22:22] <Dizilla> he acts like the people who used to bully him
[22:22] <Dizilla> and i guess it's supposed to be about how merlin's good nature turns him against his father and makes him a good person but  BLEH
[22:23] <Dizilla> it feels like a highschool au lol
[22:23] <zephre> well, LOL, if there are kids acting like teenagers it's anachronistic. 
[22:24] <zephre> oh, yeah, wow, look at that armor, that's centuries too late.
[22:24] <Dizilla> so that is the right word XD
[22:25] <Dizilla> yeah all around there's stuff that's before or after the time period
[22:26] <zephre> omg, the Merlin kid looks like an old west rider.
[22:26] <zephre> wtf is the costume designer on? ;)
[22:26] <Dizilla> hehe
[22:26] <Dizilla> XD
[22:26] <Dizilla> omg wait till ou see what morgana wears
[22:26] <zephre> I like this Gaius fellow, though.
[22:26] <Dizilla> oh yeah love gaius
[22:26] <Dizilla> and not just cause of his name XD
[22:27] <zephre> he's wearing clothes appropriate for the period, too. ;D
[22:27] <Dizilla> cause he's old, he's  supposed =P
[22:27] <Dizilla> *supposed to
[22:28] <zephre> holy cow, she's got a MEASURING TAPE in an IC moment. 
[22:28] <zephre> an actual measuring tape!
[22:28] <Dizilla> LOL
[22:29] <zephre> ok, gonna stop the winge now
[22:29] <Dizilla> lol keep going, i don't mind XD
[22:30] <zephre> omg, there's a talking dragon! awesome.
[22:31] <Dizilla> everyone loves the dragon
[22:31] <Dizilla> some people even think he even ships merlin/arthur XD
[22:31] <zephre> ... Guinevere is a dark-skinned servant girl, and Lancelot is a commoner longing to be a knight.  Somebody with serious Arthurian issues wrote this script
[22:32] <Dizilla> LOL yeah
[22:32] <zephre> ahahahahahahahahah.  the sorceress has a voodoo doll!  does that even make sense? 
[22:32] <zephre> (the term, not the magic - the magical theory is perfectly sound.)
[22:32] <Dizilla> i forgot about lancelot being there haha
[22:33] <Dizilla> *nod*
[22:33] <zephre> they have a really long list of Villains.  gee, it's only 13 episodes.
[22:33] <zephre> OMG is that Torchwood Gwen???
[22:33] <Dizilla> lol
[22:34] <Dizilla> i dun watch tw so wouldn't know XD
[22:34] <zephre> this is like the funniest stuff ever.
[22:35] <zephre> omg, exiled Sidhe who have to sacrifice Arthur to regain their immortality!
[22:35] <zephre> DUDE, this is like every game of D&D EVAR.
[22:35] <Dizilla> hahaha, you know? that didn't even occur to me XD
[22:36] <zephre> you know what this show lacks?  in a very serious WTF is Arthur doing in this show without them sort of way?
[22:37] <zephre> (at least, from the descriptions on the website which are limited because I can't make all teh magic work - it's UK only)
[22:37] <zephre> this show lacks SAXONS.
[22:40] <zephre> evil knights, evil sorcerors, magical monsters, but no saxons.  I mean, hello, reason for Arthur's existence in the first place? ROFL.
[22:45] <zephre>I have got to see this show. ;)



Post #2:
I have now seen the first episode of the BBC's Merlin.
Here is my running commentary.  bwahahaha.


[23:00] <zephre> wow, you can totally just watch tv on the interwebs. amazing
[23:01] <zephre> holy cow look at that castle, the aliens brought it from 500 years in he future!
[23:01] <@Dizilla> lol
[23:02] <zephre> Giles is looking a bit stout
[23:03] <zephre> oh, hatred and ignorance are evil!  wow, what a concept for the 7th century.
[23:03] <@Dizilla> *snerk*
[23:03] <zephre> you're now getting live episode commentary.  ;) 
[23:03] <@Dizilla> woohoo! =D
[23:06] <zephre> it's so cute, everybody wears trousers!
[23:07] <zephre> holy cow, a literate woman of presumably peasant stock!
[23:07] <zephre> who has paper!
[23:07] <@Dizilla> LOL
[23:08] <@Dizilla> if i wasn't working out my homework schedule and blogging... i'd be watching along with you... alas i shall go from memory ^_^
[23:09] <zephre> look at that fine, even chain mail.  and a mirror! with actual glass!
[23:09] <@Dizilla> and it's not smokey
[23:10] <zephre> it's not polished bronze
[23:10] <@Dizilla> that too, heh
[23:11] <zephre> well, I suppose at this point we can roughly date the show to somewhere between the 13th century and the Renaissance Festival. 
[23:11] <zephre> and a mop!
[23:11] <zephre> A MOP!
[23:11] <@Dizilla> i love how you're trying to put logic to it
[23:13] <zephre> omg, is that Lancelot?? the Neville-type?  he totally doesn't look like that in the stills
[23:14] <@Dizilla> *snerk*
[23:14] <@Dizilla> i believe so
[23:14] <zephre> aaaaand clap him in irons! 
[23:14] <zephre> did I mention the boots already? the BOOTS! wow.
[23:15] <@Dizilla> you know if this was an American production people would have been pissed about all the innacuracies
[23:15] <zephre> holy crap what IS she wearing?  it's PURPLE - like neon, metallic thread - cross-woven, on a loom taller than she is!
[23:15] <zephre> oh, pish, it's the BBC.
[23:15] <@Dizilla> morgana? i told ya XD
[23:15] <@Dizilla> you'd love it XD
[23:15] <zephre> no, Lady Helen
[23:16] <@Dizilla> oh right....
[23:16] <zephre> Morgana so far has been pretty blah.
[23:16] <Jude> hooray BBC
[23:16] <zephre> stocks, too?  what a grand time. and - are those tomatoes?
[23:16] <@Dizilla> her outfit for the celebration dinner or what not
[23:17] <zephre> OMG Gwen's bodice has a LACE PANEL
[23:17] <zephre> those ARE tomatoes!
[23:18] <@Dizilla> yeah
[23:18] <@Dizilla> told you a lot of anachronistic stuff XD
[23:19] <zephre> the tomato didn't even make it to England until the Tudors!
[23:19] <@Dizilla> what amazes me are that despite this presidence, people still bitch at fanficrants about what should be allowed and what shouldn't be in Merlin fics
[23:19] <zephre> ROFL - that is pretty hilarious
[23:19] <zephre> and that stained glass!
[23:19] <Jude> zephre: Hence why I don't try and write medieval fiction :)
[23:19] <Jude> People love to just stuff all the periods into one.
[23:19] <@Dizilla> thank god Merlin hasn't really invated fandomsecrets... sadly hetalia has but not merlin
[23:20] <@Dizilla> no i get merlin in my flist and tons at fanficrants XD
[23:20] <@Dizilla> jude, what i'd do is do the research necessary, write the story with that research in mind. and then after nitpick where i've added stuff or hire someone to do it for me heheh
[23:20] <Jude> well, yeah
[23:20] <Jude> but a hell of a lot of research
[23:21] <Jude> the one thing about reearching novels is that the internet is never enough
[23:21] <zephre> I can't get over the castle - it's not even a Roman castle.
[23:21] <@Dizilla> but you'd think england would know their own XD
[23:21] <Jude> the romans didn't build much in the way of castles
[23:21] <Jude> they built forts!
[23:21] <Jude> especially in briton.
[23:21] <zephre> wow, Arthur really is an ass.
[23:21] <@Dizilla> see
[23:21] <Jude> zephre: I visited vindolanda :D
[23:21] <@Dizilla> that's what's killing me about it
[23:21] <@Dizilla> i would have excused everything (mostly) but it's OOC ARTHUR
[23:22] <@Dizilla> XO
[23:22] <zephre> Jude, I so jealous.  I really want to visit Vindolanda
[23:22] <zephre> I saw the letters at the British Museum.
[23:22] <zephre> WIN
[23:22] <Jude> zephre: It's fucking amazing.
[23:22] <Jude> I didn't get to dig
[23:22] <Jude> but a part of me would love to go back and dig sometime
[23:22] <zephre> oh, he's risking everything now. dumbass
[23:23] <@Dizilla> awesome jude!
[23:23] <zephre> oh, it's love!
[23:23] <zephre> "There's something about you, Merlin!"
[23:23] <zephre> hehehehehehe
[23:23] <@Dizilla> hahahha
[23:23] <@Dizilla> et tu, z?
[23:23] <@Dizilla> XD
[23:23] <zephre> oh, medieval teenage angst
[23:24] <zephre> oh, I am watching this with the slash goggles firmly screwed on.
[23:24] <zephre> :D
[23:24] <Jude> zephre: slash ftw!
[23:24] <zephre> oh, dear. shirts being removed
[23:24] <@Dizilla> lol z
[23:25] <zephre> poor skinny merlin. so where's the dragon? 
[23:25] <@Dizilla> near middle end z
[23:27] <zephre> and strawberries!
[23:28] <zephre> I'll take ridiculous uses of psycho-kinesis for 1000, Alex!
[23:28] <@Dizilla> hahahha
[23:28] <zephre> oooh, old Roman shields in the basement, that's good.
[23:29] <zephre> a cave! every good castle is built on a cave.  
[23:29] <@Dizilla> not just a regular gave
[23:29] <@Dizilla> *cave
[23:29] <zephre> awright - the dragon! he's cute!  but his wings seem a bit small.
[23:29] <@Dizilla> he is underground after all
[23:30] <zephre> "Let me explain your destiny, Merlin. Let me spoil the whole story."
[23:31] <@Dizilla> cause you know attention spans of kids today
[23:31] <zephre> a dragon on a BIG HONKIN leash.
[23:31] <zephre> ok, I'll give them the strawberries as a special occasion and symbolism of the EVIL that is about to be unleashed
[23:32] <@Dizilla> hahaha
[23:32] <@Dizilla> what did the strawberries ever do to you?
[23:33] <zephre> peeping Merlin! and vamping Morgana.  geez.
[23:34] <zephre> good grief is everybody wearing those painted-on dresses? 
[23:34] <zephre> oh, Camelot, you're so multicultural!
[23:34] <@Dizilla> hehe
[23:35] <zephre> ahahahahaha - good grief, Morgana - that dress should be illegal
[23:35] <zephre> and this lady looks like she should be in Venice.
[23:35] <@Dizilla> XD
[23:36] <zephre> lalalalala
[23:36] <zephre> oh, the SCA Court is in session!
[23:36] <@Dizilla> ROFLAO
[23:37] <zephre> oh, I like that lady's wimple.
[23:37] <zephre> I wonder if that's really her singing.
[23:39] <zephre> ahahaha.  here, have a job.
[23:40] <zephre> you're a teenager, you'll hate it
[23:40] <zephre> what a sucktastic destiny to be told - you're supposed to help the other guy rule the world.
[23:40] <@Dizilla> HAH
[23:41] <zephre> good luck, have fun, and whatever you do, DON'T GET LAID.
[23:41] <zephre> sex leads to being trapped in trees.
[23:41] <@Dizilla> lolol
[23:41] <@Dizilla> plus then he won't be able to touch the unicorn
[23:42] <@Dizilla> assuming they keep to that idea
[23:42] <zephre> there's a UNICORN, too?
[23:42] <@Dizilla> yep
[23:42] <zephre> does it fight the dragon?
[23:42] <zephre> I'd pay to watch that.


Oh, interwebs, I love you! I'm going to watch the whole show now!
Except not right this minute because it's time to sleep.