Editing 270: Merlin
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| date = May 30, 2007 | | date = May 30, 2007 | ||
| title = Merlin | | title = Merlin | ||
− | | image = | + | | image = Merlin.png |
| titletext = I mean, the black-and-white stuff was running backward, but it hardly mattered to the story. | | titletext = I mean, the black-and-white stuff was running backward, but it hardly mattered to the story. | ||
}} | }} | ||
==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
− | {{w|Merlin}} is a wizard who features prominently in various retelling of the legend of King Arthur. | + | {{w|Merlin}} is a wizard who features prominently in various retelling of the legend of King Arthur. {{w|The Once and Future King}} by author {{w|T. H. White}} is one of the most popular versions of the legend, and in it, Merlin is described as living backwards through time, as [[Cueball]] and [[Megan]] discuss in this comic (this is also briefly mentioned in the musical {{w|Camelot (musical)|Camelot}}, which is based on this version of the story). |
In the comic, Cueball is speculating philosophically on how this would have affected Merlin's life as he started life with all his memories, and gradually lost them, comparing this to Megan's own sense of unreality at goodbyes. | In the comic, Cueball is speculating philosophically on how this would have affected Merlin's life as he started life with all his memories, and gradually lost them, comparing this to Megan's own sense of unreality at goodbyes. | ||
− | Many old people do, however, end up alone without friends or family. And they may do nothing but watch TV all day. They might also lose their memory. So in this respect | + | Many old people do, however, end up alone without friends or family. And they may do nothing but watch TV all day. They might also lose their memory. So in this respect Merlin's last days may not be so different from many real peoples. Although they would not be able to enjoy Memento like Merlin. (Although he would always have remembers seeing it when he got old, until he saw it and then forgot it afterwards... Plot hole of the comic?) |
− | + | {{w|Memento (film)|Memento}} is a movie telling the main parts of its story backwards, while a few black-and-white-scenes are straightforward. So when Merlin watches the movie, he sees nearly the whole story in its actual order, and the title text drives home the joke by noting that these few scenes, that make sense to someone with normal perceptions, would make less sense to him. | |
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==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
− | :[Cueball and Megan standing by a train | + | :[Cueball and Megan standing by a train.] |
:Megan: I'm bad at goodbyes. At some level I never think they're for real. | :Megan: I'm bad at goodbyes. At some level I never think they're for real. | ||
:Cueball: They make me think of T. H. White's Merlin. | :Cueball: They make me think of T. H. White's Merlin. | ||
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:Megan: Oh? | :Megan: Oh? | ||
:Cueball: He lived backwards, remembering the future and not the past. To him, final goodbyes meant nothing, while first hellos were tearful and bittersweet. | :Cueball: He lived backwards, remembering the future and not the past. To him, final goodbyes meant nothing, while first hellos were tearful and bittersweet. | ||
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:Megan: Huh - so over the years he'd forget all his friends. | :Megan: Huh - so over the years he'd forget all his friends. | ||
:Megan: Must've been lonely. | :Megan: Must've been lonely. | ||
:Cueball: Yeah. He ended up just sitting around at home watching DVDs all day. The best was the time he rented 'Memento'... | :Cueball: Yeah. He ended up just sitting around at home watching DVDs all day. The best was the time he rented 'Memento'... | ||
− | + | :[Merlin is sitting in front of a couch, watching TV] | |
− | :[Merlin | ||
:Merlin: Well, that was straightforward. | :Merlin: Well, that was straightforward. | ||