Series 4 Episode 3
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TRANSFORMATION was a really evil piece of work by the producers. The problem there was the team would have to have worked out, in about one second, that spelling out TRANSFORMATION at the speed they usually do would never be fast enough to save them. Instead, they would use BUT, which is quick. TRANSFORMATION, therefore, doesn't do anything. It's a "trap" spell.
BUT would have probably sent the magic sword straight back into that evil witch baddy (I'm terrible with names).
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It doesn't take long to figure out that TRANSFORMATION takes a while to spell, so they really should've had that in mind as soon as Hordriss granted it to them (especially with the comparison with how short the other spell was). I imagine it would probably have been used a similar way as the TRANSFORM spell from season 3.
As for what BUT would do, I think it would redirect the sword, but not necessarily straight back at Mogdred.
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BUT was described as 'quite humble' by Hordriss. My theory (and we can only really speculate) is that it would plant a seed of doubt in Mogdred's mind, leading him to say something like, 'But why should I kill you so soon? Take a moment to breathe your last...' giving them time to cast the other spell.
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Yeah, probably the BUT spell would have sent the swordback to Mogdred. Then he wou.d've probably teleported away, the team would've gone through the corridor of blades of Transporter pads and then Mogred would appear again. At this point they'd probably use the TRANSFORMATION and turn into the Bohemoth which would scare Mogdred away. Then they'd have gone into the next room with the Quest object and a skull ghost.
Hey, maybe the skull ghost at the end of Dicken's quest was old skull face.
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Ah yes, I still have this episode on tape from its original CITV broadcast
Look out for the graffiti on the castle wall as they go down the steps in the eye-shield sequence!
Found a chicken (which they took as food) and a bracelet. A skull appeared (looks terrible on my LCD TV!). Summoned Hordriss by calling 'Malefact' three times, and he disspelled the skull. The shadow of Hordriss is visible before he appears from behind the blue screen!
Gained two spells from Hordriss. One most powerful, TRANSFORMATION, and another which is humble, BUT. When the status bar appears, BUT appears in the spell book, then it seems to get stuck on TRANSFORM... notice the animated sparkles freeze
Next, they came onto a bridge with a sheer drop either side. Look closely and you can just see the blue ledge they put up in the studio for Helen to walk on
Mogdred appeared as an image, and asked if they wanted to pledge alleigence to him. They replied 'no', so Mogdred decided to crumble the bridge - they just got over in time though.
In the next room, Mogdred appeared 'in person' and summoned a magic sword. Look closely and you'll see a small dot as Mogdred fades in, where the hilt of the sword appears. The team decided to use the TRANSFORMATION spell, but it took too long to spellcast, and Mogdred used the sword to finish Helen off! Ooh, nasty!
What they needed here was the shorter spell! Mogdred even commented 'Too slow!' as they were doing the spell. At the rate they spellcast, it would take at least 30 seconds to complete spelling TRANSFORMATION
A feature that was only used in this series, the next dungeoneer is shown 'at the door', on the screen before Treguard says Enter Stranger. Treguard and Pickle discussed whether the new challenger was human or not before giving him the knapsack and helmet. Watch out for Treguard checking the knapsack to see if there's anything in it before giving it to the dungeoneer - don't want any more bananas!
New team came into the Spindizzy room, which was the place of choice. Pickle tried to persuade them to choose the sword, before Treguard said that 'The choice is yours'. Almost fell over walking onto the disc, and nearly fell off the ledge when stepping off! His foot actually hit the floor of the studio, but he was probably let off (rather like Akash's team, it would be a VERY short quest if they died here!)
Each team, after getting past the place of choice, encounter Dooris, the weeping door. Pickle told them the calling to start the question session. Scored 3/3 on the true/false riddles, and the door opened.
Encountered Meris in the eye-shield room (same costume as Morghanna from the previous series, but this time not as evil). Meris set them a task to retrieve a green gem (of little value to anyone other than herself), and gave them her calling name, as well as the eye-shield. After a small discussion on whether to take the shield, and examine some of the objects on the table, they took the shield.
When the first eye-shield sequence comes on, the advisers shout 'stop' several times but the video doesn't pause until they get through the door and into the forest!
Many teams think there's an obstruction on the path and make the dungeoneer to stop, before realising it's just grass.
Brother Mace appeared in the clearing with three trees, still speaking Latin occasionally. He gave them information about elf-paths. Timed out just as Brother Mace left the clearing! View of walking up the castle steps under the credits today.
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Kinda ironic John Woodnutt (he playing Merlin/Mogdred) would cause a death due to a dungeoneer casting a spell too slowly, after the previous series had Merlin taking a couple of blue moons to spellcast 'Energy'...
Still, finally a death.
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I believe they could've spellcast TRANSFORMATION in time had they have started from either when Mogdred appeared in the room or when the sword first appeared. Also had they have been quicker in making the decision to cast that spell and during spellcasting. In other words a matter of quicker timing.
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Take for example Kelly's team from series 3 when the advisor spellcast the TRANSFORM spell when mrs G went to get Festus in that blocked room. That was quicker spellcasting and the team survived in that room. I wonder what would've happened had they've cast the spell quicker. I think that has been asked before as well as what would've happened in they'd have spellcast the shorter spell.
Look out for the graffiti on the castle wall as they go down the steps in the eye-shield sequence!
I've just noticed that there is another thread for this episode that you replied last to in June last year Tom, where you were talking about the graffitti before.
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While spellcasting couldn't one of the other advisors moved Helen away from the path of the sword?
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