Amusing use of the "ANVIL" spell to thwart Gumboil again.

Their choice in the level 2 clue-room was rather easy, altho that meant Casper the key again. grrrr

Stormed Merlin's questions (3/3) and were given an unprecedented three spells. What a pity they never actually got to cast any of them....

Made a bizarre performance of the corridor of spears.

Funny how Merlin claims that the Hall of Spears is the Level 2 guards "holding a tournament" and that Danny must "brave their gauntlet" - but you can still hear the usual sounds of machinery operating the spears!

Merlin's description makes a whole lot more sense when you read Tim's original brief for the Hall of Spears! Instead of the mechanical spears moving in and out of the doorways, he intended for them to be thrown across the corridor by hidden warriors.

Also it served a good purpose on a few deaths.

Just a pity as the show went on it became less important.. they should have never changed the skull animation.

Or is it stated in the official adventurers' code?

And the team were quick to decide NOT to use the freeze spell and using the anvil Are we getting to the end of the series then?

Overall I though the team has been doing quite well, they have gotten most questions correct, I to thought the egg timer was to slow something up, I thought that moving lock was quite fast and maybe they should have used it there? compare it with the other time the room appeared, it was much slower then.

And Folly still rocks.

I noticed that all the advisors wanted to take the grapes, but the third one seemed to mishear that:

"Take the grapes"

"No, don't! How is he going to eat a raw fish?"

"Exactly, take the grapes"

"Oh"

I think he was confused as to whether "take" meant take as food or take as a clue object.

Although the team may have come across as indecisive, particularly in the clue room, I'd say that that had as much to do with loose editing as anything else.

Frustratingly, this episode feels like a bit of a walkthrough, in a way that became common in Series 4. This would seem to be partly the result of the production crew tackling the problem of 'wastage' i.e. unused material (which Tim Child has mentioned once or twice). If Treguard hadn't given a whopping great clue to Cedric's third riddle, the team mightn't have done well enough to earn the ANVIL spell, and the crew wouldn't have had a second chance to show off its effect. The Gumboil/ANVIL scene went very smoothly, as if the advisors had been well briefed - and their awareness of dispelling hadn't been imparted on-screen. Added to that, Casper gave the team a lot of guidance and Merlin's riddles were far from obscure, not least when he gave a visual clue during his third.

I wonder if FREEZER might have worked in the Hall of Spears. Although it could only affect sentient objects, and the spears weren't, Bert had implied that there were guards operating the spears.

Folly's Level 2 riddle was the seventh of the episode and the eleventh of the quest - surely records.

Folly's riddle was something like this:

"Said the right hand to the left hand, 'I don't know the way'.

Said the left hand to the right hand, 'I'm in disarray'.

'Very well' quoth the right hand, 'Then I'll have the say'."

If that wasn't meant as political satire then (with a General Election a few months behind), does it apply now?

An unsatisfying episode in many ways, but redeemed by very enjoyable moments with Cedric and Bert.

I've never understood the significance of the egg timer in this episode. Would Merlin really have sent them on their way with no riddles or rewards if they hadn't returned it to him? It seems to me that line of dialogue was added in just to justify the item. The whole thing seems a bit odd unless I've missed something?

The same is true of the headache pills in the previous quest...

I've never understood the significance of the egg timer in this episode. Would Merlin really have sent them on their way with no riddles or rewards if they hadn't returned it to him? It seems to me that line of dialogue was added in just to justify the item. The whole thing seems a bit odd unless I've missed something?

My weekly dose of wild speculation is that the egg timer should have been used in the corridor of spears to slow down particularly fast moving spikes, but the production team had difficulty with the technical aspects of adjusting the animation speed so this was abandoned. No evidence for this at all of course!

I agree with all you said. For me I thought there was no purpose of the egg timer unless it was to be used to stop the spikes or to pause something.

My weekly dose of wild speculation is that the egg timer should have been used in the corridor of spears to slow down particularly fast moving spikes, but the production team had difficulty with the technical aspects of adjusting the animation speed so this was abandoned. No evidence for this at all of course!

I can see what Tim Child meant by the first few epsiodes being a bit slow. I agree that inserting lots of non-puzzle rooms/outside areas doesn't help, but I thought Merlin and Folly talked for far too long before getting round to what they were actually meant to say. Casper the talking key was irritating. I don't like the idea of the dungeoneers having an acting guide; they ought to have to work everything out themselves. I was disappointed the didn't die in the moving keyhole room. Having them panic and try to follow round the moving keyhole whilst the timer ran down and the deliciously dark life force sequence ran its full length would have been wonderful; the kind of thing I remember from series 2 and 3 the first time round.

My mum kept having to say: They're just kids! lol.

I did like the " But How can he eat a Raw Fish" comment too

Yes, and all the time the life-force counting down - classic stuff.

Level 2 Clue Room - Was was going on here, Was'nt it obvious what food to take even when Treguard gave them a clue, Also their life course really drained down quickly, and I thought they were going to run out for a minute there. I personally thought it was funny when after they finally took the grapes, one of the advisors come out with the comment " Should We Take the Fish as one of the items too" ummmmmm, how about NO

I did like the " But How can he eat a Raw Fish" comment too

the Ad Break was certaintly odd, they used the Later Series Logo with the little jingle too. Surely a Mistake of some kind???Not that it really bothered me, but it was noticeable

So was there 2 firsts in Knightmare in this episode. Firstly given 3 Spells from Merlin(WOW) and 2 warnings too, I cant think of another team that was given so much information and spells from one person, Surely the only person to do so in the history of Knightmare.

The Spears Room - How Hilarious with them crawling under the spears, It was brilliant. Also I reckon they let them off a tiny bit because when he crawled and they told him to go left, they went into the next room automaticlly.

The End Riddle - Its Clearly The Right Door isnt it.

Says the Right Hand to the Left Hand, I dont know the way

Says the Left Hand to the Right Hand, I'm in Disaray

Very Well says the Right Hand, then I will take the Say.

Surely the Phrase " Very Well says the Right Hand,I will take the say" should realise to the team thats its the right hand door to take.

Also loved Folly's Reaction when he was told to repeat the phrase, he obviously was'nt very happy.

ARGH, Cant believe we have to wait till monday for more, I'm sure I can handle the wait though