User blog:Dryuuu/Merlin animated series..?

We know for sure it won't be happening this year, but the possibility it will within the next few years is high!

So what would your expectations be of an animated series? Consider: So this is my rough outline/idea of what an animated series could take advantage of. So the arch of the whole animated season, of course I'd have no idea how long it'd go on for, we don't even know how long the current season will go on for. But the first season should be at around 20 episodes, or more! Now Series 3. Moving onto the fourth season..
 * The amount of episodes in a season, and how the main arch for each season is structured (who is the main enemy of the season, who emphasis should be put on, how dark it is, what the tagline is i.e. "The battle for Camelot has just begun").
 * If there are more episodes (there should be!) what should be explored in them?
 * Using flashbacks, or instead of that (as flashbacks can get annoying and confuse the audience), opening sequences for episodes that take place before the opening credits, or right after them, that show backstories in action. e.g. Lancelot's village being destroyed, his family and friends dying, and a montage of his journey to become a great warrior.
 * More spread out fighting scenes! More happening at once in all directions, big explosions, magical blasts, wounded soldiers and so on.
 * More monsters! They could go crazy with it, as long as they got good artists, which isn't hard!
 * It should open with much of the first episode (or all of it and more) being flashbacks of The Great Purge, with Gorlois, Vivienne, a younger Gaius, a younger Nimueh (she casts an illusion of her age so stays similar later on) and a younger Uther. It would show the death of Gorlois, Morgana's birth, Vivienne disappearing (she may come back in Series 5, though!) and sorcerers being hunted down and pursued. It should show Gaius saving Balinor, breaking up with Alice, and also flash back to Ealdor with Merlin's childhood with his friend William.
 * The first season should mainly consist of Merlin awkwardly struggling to keep his relationship with Arthur and hide his secret. He is always disputing with Gaius about why he can't reveal it and towards the end of the series starts to realise Gaius is right. I guess lots of episodes with Merlin saving Arthur's life from villains, many being magical, and realising just how much magic can corrupt one. This should put him to the test. Morgana's dreams and seer abilities should be explored earlier on and sooner, given more room for episodes! Of course Nimueh will be in the main arch, haunting Uther!
 * Lancelot should definitely appear a bit more. In three episodes, maybe? That'd be great. :))
 * The Sidhe should be explored more. We should see more of Avalon and find out why they don't even know about Merlin's destiny if they're so mighty!
 * Merlin should visit Ealdor more than just one time, and I want to see his life in the village explored in flashbacks as well. In Series 1, he seemed to walk back in like it was just another place, not much of a sense of nostalgia or anything. With some good juxtapositioning effects, it would be good if there were scenes where for instance Merlin looked at a broken tree in the village and we saw a vision of when he accidentally broke it with his magic as a child.
 * Relationship with his mother- very important! More Hunith. More Balinor as well, I'd like to see him mentioned earlier.
 * Moving onto Series 2, I think Nimueh should live onto here and a plot with the Questing Beast be pushed further on and maybe continue for a few episodes. The duel between Merlin and Nimueh could go on for longer, with Nimueh chasing Merlin through more parts of the isle of the blessed with her fireballs.
 * Merlin could discover his father earlier on, and there could be a couple episodes when they go on a mission together. Balinor could be at this point unsure of whether his dragonlord gift will pass onto Merlin. Later, Merlin frees Kilgharrah after something happens and Balinor comes to Camelot. We get to see him look at Uther face-to-face and become enraged. (Visions showing of all the dragonlords being rounded up, and used to slay the dragons) Balinor might die chasing the dragon, from rubble or fire or something, which is when Merlin inherits the gift.
 * Beauty and the beast, while it was funny (it was disgusting with the dung) should only go for one episode! Two episodes of Uther making out with a troll was a bit much.. for a first two-parter as well, not a good impression!
 * I'd like to see more of Aredian's calculative and scheming character. He was so smart! Smartest villain yet, in fact. He didn't even need magicStart a wiki to detect Merlin.
 * More Morgause, instead of appearing in just two episodes, she could start scheming earlier, and try dragging Morgana in on more occasions. Morgana's hatred could start to develop earlier, and we can see more depth and reason for her. They can do with less smirking, as well!
 * Alvarr in more episodes! He should go into Series 3 as well, and ally with Morgana and Morgause...
 * Morgana is, like in the series, pretty much consumed by hatred. Her magic is still in its infancy but maybe a bit stronger than it was in the real series. We see more dialogue between her and Merlin.. less scenes with her pretending to like Uther and smirking in the background. Start developing her as an anti-hero instead of black-and-white villain.
 * Gwaine should appear earlier and in more episodes.
 * More Cenred plots!
 * Maybe more Dragoon the Great? :)
 * A two-parter with Gilli and Merlin? More complex plots, like they get into an argument and start threatening to tell other people of each other's magic! I really liked them together, it's not often Merlin reveals his magic to someone after knowing them for less than a couple days!
 * The Coming of Arthur- maybe this arch could continue for over a few episodes. I'd like a confrontation between Morgana and Arthur after he witnesses her crowned as queen. Also more of Morgana's role as queen explored. We don't know if she's really up to the job! As well as some more backstory behind Percival, even at least half an episode with him as one of the main/featured characters.
 * As for a showdown with Morgause, Merlin could get into his dragoon disguise earlier when he goes into the castle, fearing he'll see Morgana when he is killing guards with his dragon breathe sword (Lancelot won't mind Merlin turning into an old man, he'll understand), and ends up fighting Morgause with it. He realises he's too weak after a couple of minutes, and Morgause is about to finish him off, when Gaius comes through and strikes Morgause. As she gets up and attempts to kill Gaius (she didn't expect his attack, but can easily take Gaius out in one go if prepared), Merlin, whose disguise has worn off, and is now fit, gets up and throws Morgause into the pillar. Morgana then comes in, knocks the place down and they run!!!
 * We could see a dialogue between Arthur and Uther about why Uther didn't reveal Morgana was his daughter?
 * Importantly as well, we have to see Morgana with Morgause out of Camelot. At least a montage of her training Morgana, in both magic and some combat (she matches the knights of Camelot, as seen in The Sword in the Stone).

I have always personally favoured the dark direction they've gone in. I like the darkness. Why not get darker? Some have criticised it, but I don't care, it's a bit more adult-like but still family-friendly. I've worn myself out now, that's all I can come up with now! What do you think an animated series could bring us? Should they re-arrange everything? Who would you like to see introduced earlier/later? Which plots do you want to see extended? Please comment!
 * Instead of having a Darkest Hour plot opening some other episodes which explore Arthur's growth into a prince taking on the role the King takes.. (As Uther does nothing but stare out of windows now, I don't blame him after what he's done).
 * We can see Morgana nurturing Morgause in her hovel, as Morgause is teaching her the last of what she knows and is weakening. They're awaiting Samhain's Eve. Morgana is not happy about having to sacrifice Morgause. We see interaction between Agravaine, Morgana and Morgause. Maybe even Agravaine reuniting with Morgana. (It will be a bitter encounter) We need to see Agravaine explaining his motives fully as well, but if he doesn't, I won't be surprised, Agravaine hasn't made much sense and I don't think the producers intended on having him.
 * Exploring more challenges Arthur faces as a king. His Father's Son did that, or to some, attempted to do it, but it did push it by having him start a war too soon. Maybe some more minor issues, like Camelot's market, civil crises, etc, or if anything reference to these sort of things, to add depth to Camelot.
 * Uther should still die early, to allow Arthur to grow.
 * See Odin again!
 * See Alinor!
 * See More Caerleon and Queen Annis. Like the two together as a couple before he went out on the raids (Annis advised him not to)
 * Morgana still appearing in almost every episode. More plots with her getting closer and closer to finding out who Emrys is. Some tweaking should be done to make her appear less stupid (e.g. obvious moments when Alator is staring at Merlin and telling him he knows who Emrys is!)
 * MORE HELIOS!!! I want to see their early days, their history, Helios and the Southrons kind of came out of nowhere.. Even if Helios appears earlier in Series 3.
 * The Lamia plot.. now that's a tough one. I would see them doing it, as having an animated octopus monster is important to the magic! (BBC is big, so gimmicks are ok) Maybe a bit less, though? It wouldn't look so bad if we had other episodes exploring the knight's characters which this episode greatly abused.
 * More confrontations between Gwen and Morgana?
 * More battles between Emrys and Morgana! See more of Morgana's potential...