reaction to the Merlin episode Excalibur, no spoiler

[scarfman]

I'm all for reenvisions of the legends to suit the contemporary pop culture trends. It's the same thing Chretien, Tennyson and Bradley have done. I'm enjoying the new tv series even though it is Smallville A.D. 500. So why, of all the irrational things, does it bother me that, when they drop genuine names from the legends will-nilly with no regard for their characters' traditional stories, they couldn't trouble to give Merlin's mentor the name he has in the sources instead of pulling one out of their butts?

Comments

[chocolatescifi.livejournal.com]

What fun would that be?

[purpleranger.livejournal.com]

Just for the hell of it, what is the name of Merlin's mentor in the sources?

[scarfman]

Blaise.

[purpleranger.livejournal.com]

First name Modesty? :)

[pedanther]

You laugh, but it's official-type canon that Modesty Blaise's surname comes from Merlin's mentor. (Not that she's descended from him, as far as she knows, but since she doesn't know who she's descended from she got to pick her own surname, and Merlin's mentor is explicitly the Blaise she was thinking of when she chose the name.)

[purpleranger.livejournal.com]

I know. I was being somewhat tongue in cheek when I made the comment.

[janusfiles.livejournal.com]

So when are we going to start seeing the meteor freaks of the week?