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The Queen of Clean - Guinevere thread

  • Avatar of Govvy

    Govvy

    [1]Oct 17, 2009
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    -This thread is only for discussions on Guinevere as a character and / or Angel Coulby as an actress.
    -It is strictly forbidden to bash this character or any other.
    -Spoilers are not allowed.



    Thank you

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    Does anyone else feel the casting is wrong for the role? I really haven't seen the strength or the strong personality I know of the character. She doesn't seem to match up well with the other actors and actresses in my opinion either.

    Edited on 07/24/2012 1:57am
    Edited 3 total times.
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    boom-moo

    [2]Oct 17, 2009
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    Well, I dunno if I should have casted the role differently, but I personally like Angel in the role. There are some plotlines she's been part of that I don't like but the actress can't be blamed for them. I think we are starting to see glimpses of her personality because her character was hardly developed in season 1. I think her best is yet to come, and then I could judge better.
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    illegalferret

    [3]Oct 17, 2009
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    I've grown to like her! she didn't do much in series 1 but the was just the script! I think she's a pretty good actress and i think we're beginning to she here shine as she comes to the front in this current series.
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    areith

    [4]Oct 19, 2009
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    Terrible cast in merlin imo. Only one or two fit for thier role even though they suck as actors still.
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    boom-moo

    [5]Oct 19, 2009
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    I agree that the acting is not brilliant, but I like the cast and the choice that it's been made to combine new faces with well known stars.
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    Geordiegirl1967

    [6]Oct 20, 2009
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    I disagree Boom-moo. I think the whole cast are excellent. The older members, Richard Wilson and Anthony Head are experienced and it shows. However the younger members, particularly BJ and CM are also extremely good in the roles. The young male leads have created an on screen chemistry, and relationship between Merlin and Arthur, that really convinces IMO.

    I had my doubts about the casting of Angel as Gwen in the beginning. For me she didn't seem beautiful enough to become Queen Guinevere, although I think she is a good actress. They are clearly trying to address this. They have changed her make-up, hair and costumes for series 2 and she is starting to look the part a bit more.

    The one slightly weak link for me is Morgana. She is a beautiful actress, and pretty good in the role, but I don't think she is as strong as the others.

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    boom-moo

    [7]Oct 20, 2009
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    Geordiegirl1967 wrote:
    The one slightly weak link for me is Morgana. She is a beautiful actress, and pretty good in the role, but I don't think she is as strong as the others.
    That is precisely whom I was referring to. In my opinion, her acting is not as convincing as the other actors', so to me and in season 1 particularly, some scenes sounded a bit off. However, I gotta say that I like her way better in this new season, maybe because her character has been given a more background than simply being around the castle convincing Arthur to do things

    I do think that the cast are excellent indeed, both old and young members and I sgree that the chemistry Arthur/Merlin is really showing (guess that having become mates off screen helps a good deal).

    I've always been able to see behind Angel's physical appearance and enjoyed both the actress and the character. And yeah, she does look prettier this season with her new dresses, hairdoes and make up, but that was clearly intended to be that way and I'm sure both the actress and the character have a lot to offer
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    electricpeppers

    [8]Nov 24, 2009
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    Gwen was fine for what she was at the beginning of the series: a slightly awkward cute girl with an unrequited crush on Merlin. She tumbled over her words around Merlin because she fancied him -- in series two I've not liked her as the rushed love interest of Arthur. I appreciated Gwen better when she was sweet and shy. The producers have always said they used Smallville as a model so I think they were initially going for Gwen = Chloe, and Morgana = Lana. I think it actually ended up being: Gwen = Lana, and Morgana = Chloe. It's odd that no men are interested in Morgana (well Merlin and Arthur in the beginning, but now zero). Yet all of them love Gwen? She is a burgeoning Mary Sue.

    I disagree Katie McGrath is a bad actress. She's perfectly competent in my opinion; she just doesn't get to work with much -- especially this series, she just needs more room in which to showcase her abilities which she's not had thus far. Angel is the worst in the acting department, she's quite wooden and lacks screen presence so her position in series two has made her acting worse as it's not working with her strengths -- being the goofy girl next door like in series one worked for her.
    Edited on 11/24/2009 8:01am
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    boom-moo

    [9]Nov 24, 2009
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    I agree that the Arthur/Gwen storyline has been awfully rushed. Arthur seems to develop a crush on her out of the blue, leaving her in an awkward position. Add to it that Gwen is hardly getting any good scenes so her character is in some kind of blurry place right now. I like her better as an actress than Katie, although the fact that Katie got a lot more screen time during series 2 has contributed to her getting more challenging scenes and she has stood out a lot more. I like her acting way more this season and I miss having some more of her

    I also agree that it's really odd that no men are interested in Morgana, not even I dunno, foreign knights from surrounding kingdoms or something. Poor Katie, no kisses for her
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    electricpeppers

    [10]Nov 25, 2009
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    ^^I know! And she's supposed to be the most beautiful woman in the kingdom (or thereabouts). I think she deserves a love interest, well one for a few episodes or something, just so she has loved and lost before she turns evol -- I should be saying I admire this show for not giving in to the trend of giving EVERYONE a love interest. Go, show.
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    boom-moo

    [11]Nov 25, 2009
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    electricpeppers wrote:
    I should be saying I admire this show for not giving in to the trend of giving EVERYONE a love interest. Go, show.
    Ahahaha! I know and I agree with that, but I'd really like to see her in a romantic situation. Guess only Camelot men are easily enchanted
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    electricpeppers

    [12]Nov 29, 2009
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    boom-moo wrote:
    electricpeppers wrote:
    I should be saying I admire this show for not giving in to the trend of giving EVERYONE a love interest. Go, show.
    Ahahaha! I know and I agree with that, but I'd really like to see her in a romantic situation. Guess only Camelot men are easily enchanted


    I would as well. I don't think she'll be afforded it though, which is a shame -- I gather her character is going be something of a tragic villian in this series. It makes me sad, kind of like Lex Luthor.

    Although in the version of the legends they're following at least she'll be there in the end for Arthur (Morgan Le Fay takes a dying King Arthur to Avalon to heal him/to his resting place until he's reborn). Even though we won't see it at least she'll be afforded some redemption in this manner. In that whatever love she has for him obviously cuts through her choice of morality.
    Edited on 11/29/2009 2:02pm
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  • Avatar of boom-moo

    boom-moo

    [13]Nov 29, 2009
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    electricpeppers wrote:
    In that whatever love she has for him obviously cuts through her choice of morality.
    I love the sound of that and I hope we get to see it reflected in some way. Whatever Morgana's future choices are, I hope part of her heart will always remain truly to Arthur and Camelot, if not as a romantic love, at least as a brotherly one.
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    boom-moo

    [15]Dec 2, 2009
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    Hmmm, never heard of that before. It'd be interesting indeed but I'd only like that to be real and known after they've overcome every obstacle. The struggle sounds like a cool plotline to me.
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    ilee1990

    [17]Dec 14, 2009
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    The thing that always turns me off is that in reality there were no black peasants during this time. Least of all knights. It always throws me out of the story when I see a black actor in the scene. But I understand that political correctness is the expectation and not historical accuracy. Making Gwen black is just way off the mark though and totally unbelievable, though.
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    boom-moo

    [18]Dec 14, 2009
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    I guess it's a "modern" take on the legend in every possible sense. I catch up on lots of innacuracies and inconsistencies but luckily they don't make me enjoy the show any less.
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    Geordiegirl1967

    [19]Dec 14, 2009
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    ilee1990 wrote:
    The thing that always turns me off is that in reality there were no black peasants during this time. Least of all knights. It always throws me out of the story when I see a black actor in the scene. But I understand that political correctness is the expectation and not historical accuracy. Making Gwen black is just way off the mark though and totally unbelievable, though.


    What, and dragons, magic, mythical creatures and sorcerors are believable? You say there were "no black peasants during this time". What time is that exactly? Merlin is set in 'a land of myth and a time of magic' ie a fantasy world where anything goes. When black people actually came to Britain is totally irrelevant. Why shouldn't there be black knights, servants etc in Camelot? Is that any more fantastical than unicorns wandering about the place, knights rising from the dead etc? I just don't get this debate about the colour of Gwen's skin. Sorry but it mystifies me.
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    dpebbleson

    [20]Dec 15, 2009
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    Geordiegirl1967 wrote:
    ilee1990 wrote:
    The thing that always turns me off is that in reality there were no black peasants during this time. Least of all knights. It always throws me out of the story when I see a black actor in the scene. But I understand that political correctness is the expectation and not historical accuracy. Making Gwen black is just way off the mark though and totally unbelievable, though.
    What, and dragons, magic, mythical creatures and sorcerors are believable? You say there were "no black peasants during this time". What time is that exactly? Merlin is set in 'a land of myth and a time of magic' ie a fantasy world where anything goes. When black people actually came to Britain is totally irrelevant. Why shouldn't there be black knights, servants etc in Camelot? Is that any more fantastical than unicorns wandering about the place, knights rising from the dead etc? I just don't get this debate about the colour of Gwen's skin. Sorry but it mystifies me.

    I couldn't agree more. In the kingdom of fairy-tales, everything is possible, and the more it's different from reality, the more fantastical it is. At first I too was surprised to see Guinevere played by black actress, but then I thought: She is a good actress, she is good-looking, what more can you ask?

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