Tumgik
#and as for why she would want arthur dead had she loved ygraine 1) she knew that it was not arthur's fate to die by her hands
farieshades · 1 year
Note
:)
You know what time it is.
What would you change about Merlin?
There is alot that could be further expanded on and/or changed within the series BBC Merlin shows. What I think would be most beneficial, would be expanding on the Characters, Changes to the plot and character arcs, along with an addition to what we know as "Old Religion" as it's quite vague and unclear from the little we have from the show.
The Characters
Leon, angel, nothing. 
Percival, give me backstory. I want more info.
Elyan, also backstory. Why did he leave? I want all the info. I also want you not dead sir.
Morgause, what was the point in the duel? Was it to try and convince Arthur that his father was a bastard with his mothers spirit? If so, was Ygraine’s spirit actually just an illusion made to look real, likely not. Morgause looked confused at what Ygraine was saying and shocked and no one was paying attention to her but the camera. She wanted to see if he was an honourable man unlike his father? Do-able I suppose. Suspicious activities happening here. Also, self-sacrifice to unleash mortal-killing spirits is very manslaughter of her.
Elaine, for the love,,, please I would have loved to have her included as Elaine of Garlot. Let her be another half-sister of Arthur and later go on to be a marriage alliance with her marriage to King Nentres of Garlot. Let her have a son named Galeschin, who becomes a Knight of the Round Table [and a daughter also named Elaine]. It would just be a nice dynamic of Angry Half-Sister Morgana and Helpful Half-Sister Elaine. 
Gwen… She required more screen time, let us see her being Queen and making decisions. On that note however, let us see Arthur as King rather than the focus on his childhood when he wasn’t King. It’s the Story of King Arthur and we only get one season with him as King? Let me have Queen Gwen outwitting Kings in strategy that she learned from Leon and Arthur. Let me have Queen Gwen who is powerful in her own right, set in her decisions, but never loosing the gentleness she has in season 1.
Arthur, as above, should have had time to actually rule. Like, ok, reign cut short cause Camlann. Yeah, alright, thats typical. But all the adventures he has as a King never happen. There’s nothing being added to Camelot that the audience sees. There’s no treaties, no alliances, and there’s no Kings bowing to Arthur as a High King. Disappointing. 
Merlin, somehow despite the set up as the most powerful Warlock, is also the weakest version of Merlin that we also see. I’m pretty sure Disney’s Sword in the Stone Merlin has more power than this fellow despite BBC Merlin having more power in his pinky than the Disney Merlin. Merlin is supposed to be the enchanter. The prophet. The shapeshifter. And we get none of that. This boy is dangerous, and untrained, and should have had more emphasis on this. The writers nuked his power.  
Lancelot is doing great, we love lancelot. I’d love to have him a bit more intune with Magic because he was supposedly raised by the lady of the lake, but BBC decided he wasn’t and that’s an okay decision. I’d also like, because the show stressed it so much, more interactions with Merlin + Druids. 
Gwaine I’d have loved to have been confronted by his noble past somehow. I think it would give more to the character development if we see where he came from. Hell, a flashback scene would work. Little Gwaine running away from home. Or maybe, visitations to Camelot and the like. 
Gaius, as much as I hate to say, should have died season 2-3. Before Uther did in my head. Its the change of a regime. The old dying out and the younger generation taking their place. Gaius and Merlin basically share the role that is, in lore, “Merlin”, the old wise mentor for Arthur and the helpful aide that protects him. But, in killing him off, there is a chance for Merlin to blossom as a court Physician. He’d have a seat on the council, and while this would restrict his movements as Manservant, he could easily take on an apprentice (you know a young impressionable boy who needs some Guidance deagle) and follow Arthur on his quests while the apprentice would tend to the folk of Camelot. There, theoretically, should be another (or more) physician within Camelot. One for the nobility, and a handful for peasantry and then a couple of Midwives. From what the show gives us, it feels like Gaius is the sole physician in the bloody kingdom. Which… if healing looks like magic, might be the case horrifically.
Morgana’s story is tragic, but flat. I do love the Evil Morgana route that is taken, but there is a disconnect between Season 1-2 and 3+ in her behaviour. She is strikingly darker, more unhinged as the series progresses. Whether this is bad writing, paranoia, or enchantments, no idea, but it could be written better. Given more time for the change to become apparent for the audience then “Morgana’s back from a year away and now she smirks evily when no one but Merlin can see.”
Mordred has an interesting dynamic in the show, he vanishes out of existence after the Alvarr episode until season 5. I’d have liked to have him as a recurring character even if it's just a mentioned name somewhere. 
Uther’s character is weird because he very quickly blames everything on Magic, even when it has a very logical explanation. “Sorcerers broke into my wards room, that’s why the glass shattered outwards into the courtyard.” is very easily explained by literally anyone breaking a glass window outwardly, no magic needed. But again, changes could be done with how quickly things are forgotten. One episode he’s talking about a guardian power watching Arthur, the next he’s trying to kill someone for protecting their loved one with healing magic, you know?
Ygraine - from the little we’ve seen - is an alright character. She could have more life given in flashbacks, something Gaius, Geoffrey, Balinor, or Uther could have done that related to something present. 
For Vivienne I’d love to know more about Morgause’s birth and how she smuggled her out to Nimueh (or another high priestess but theres only ever reference to Nimueh, then theoretically Morgause who taught Morgana who was the last). Personally I like the thought that they were siblings, as it can be seen that Morgause is a powerful sorcerer and with two children with such magic, Vivienne is a strong contender for also being magic. 
Gorlois is the most boring character and I know nothing about him outside of him living, presumably, in Cornwall. Tell me more about yourself sir. I want all the knowledge.
Balinor I’d love to see more of then “Hey, hello, I’m your son and need help and oops your dead ffs.” He had the potential to be a strong ally and a mentor to Merlin, a possible foil to Gaius and, hells, a mentor to Arthur in teaching him that magic isn’t all evil as Merlin’s obviously not doing that job.
Hunith should have more screen time, but more so, I’d love to see Merlin’s childhood stuff with Hunith just shrugging her shoulders at the impossible magic acts like “yep thats totally normal.”
The Plot of Merlin itself is fine, not much would need to change, however, there were a few times when things just don’t make sense. For example, the cup of life nonsense (alright Holy Grail knock off) didn’t make much sense for the plot. We would have been fine without it. Aithusa’s plotline works only when following the prophecies about the Red and White dragon fight that… didn’t actually happen anyway. 
[Which the prophecy in question is related to Vortigern and stated “The pool is the emblem of this world, and the tent that of your kingdom: the two serpents are two dragons; the red serpent is your dragon, but the white serpent is the dragon of the people who occupy several provinces and districts of Britain, even almost from sea to sea: at length, however, our people shall rise and drive away the Saxon race from beyond the sea, whence they originally came; but do you depart from this place, where you are not permitted to erect a citadel; I, to whom fate has allotted this mansion, shall remain here; whilst to you it is incumbent to seek other provinces, where you may build a fortress.” Which really,,, doesn’t fit the show’s battle of Camlann when Aithusa was there as the white dragon]
The Reversal of character arcs that happen is very annoying. Each episode acted like everyone was a blank slate to learn the next lesson but built on it with nothing that they remembered from the previous. If it were changed to the characters actually remembering what they learned before, the series might have had less deaths and less trust issues and betrayals.
Religion in Merlin is really confusing. Theoretically, Uther is a Christian King following the “New Religion” (that is never actually mentioned) while the “Old Religion” is that of what was before. Which, in the UK at the theoretical time, was both Celtic and Roman due to Roman occupation of most of the area barring most of scotland. The show wasn’t about Religion, really, but touching on the subject would have been nice, and maybe telling us as an audience why. ‘Lore’ wise Arthur would have likely been a Christian King (written by christian authors undoubtedly do not help this) but with tolerance to Pagan/Heathen ideas. At the very least, Arthur was nominally Christian – according to the Historia Brittonum he bore an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary on his shoulders in one of his battles, while according to the Annales Cambriae he bore the Cross of Jesus Christ on his shoulders or his shield (translation errors from Welsh to Latin).
9 notes · View notes
camelotsheart · 3 years
Text
Ygraine x Nimueh is the superior old gen ship fite me
51 notes · View notes
Text
AGAIN
I haven't been here for awhile. And that's because I ALMOST forgot my password again.
Anyways I was reading through some headcanons of mine and let me tell ya: I'm fucken inspired.
SO LET'S DO IT AGAIN!
Merlin Headcanons: Because I Love Doing These And You Should Do Things That Make You Happy
- I really like the idea that Nimueh and Ygraine were in love? Like it probably didn't happen but like?? I live it???
- I don't really think that Uther ever hit Arthur like seriously but with the way he treated him, Arthur sometimes had a sneaking thought that Uther was gonna hit him whenever he was angry; a 'he's finally gonna snap' type of mentality
- I have LOTS of AUs, like LOTS but the first that came to mind (ive been watching assassin's creed keep that in mind) is that Merlin and Morgana are goofing around in her chambers with magic and Arthur sorta just.. walks in and they get exiled and all that and they both become the most feared assassin's of all time, notorious for being more of anti heros and only killing greedy kings and predatory men and such; and ofc they use ~magic~
- Okay so, remember my ship of Leon/Elyan? What if they had met as children (which is VERY likely might I add) and Elyan was mesmerized by Leon's pretty curly hair, calling him 'pretty boy' but not menacingly?? Hello im soft
- Also there was a time where Elyan was actually taller than Leon but then PUBERTY and Leon fucking,, tOWERED over him ever since
- He's very petty about it okay? Leon won't stop bullying him for it
- Gaius and Ygraine were like those two ppl that sit in a corner and gossip, often playing pranks by looking at Uther and then whispering gibberish so that Uther always thought they were shitting on him
- Arthur is very fascinated by ppl who can play instruments and music in general but doesn't rly show this side of his very often
- There was this one time that some new knights were dumping all of their heavy stuff in a box to later be attended to by the servants. Gwen, who at the time didn't realized that the box was full of armor and like clothes or fabric, just lifted the thing with little struggle, muttering about how heavy it was before calmly taking it inside the castle, never stopping once. Least to say, all the young knights had this slight crush on Gwen after that and also an underlying fear of crossing her
- Arthur never truly realized how jealous Merlin was of Cedric until after the whole ordeal was over, whenever Arthur complained about anything Merlin did, Merlin would reply something of the likes of 'Do you want me to fucking rise Cedric from the dead, sire?' and if it weren't for Merlin's terrifying tone, Arthur would've found the whole thing hilarious
- Leon can bitch slap a bitch; i feel like i don't need to explain it just,, fits
- Sometimes Merlin and Gaius will just start to hum sone songs and before you know they're twirling around, singing, having fun, and being dramatic and i just,,,,,,, i need a moment this made soft too
- A little smut warning but ummm Morgana and Gwen DEFINITELY had amazing bath sex and you CANNOT tell me otherwise also Gwen tops cause I read this one (1) fanfic where she tops and it changed my life
- Morgana loves to kiss every and each freckle on Gwen's face and you know who else does it? Lancelot cause in this house we support polyamorous relationships; Gwen is very spoiled yes but it's what she deserves
- Merlin is incredibly grumpy when he's sick but also very mushy and tired so one minute he's all like puff cheeks, eyes basically closed, scarf framing his face making him look chubbier and pouting like a sleepy baby then you touch hin and he roasts you so hard it's like he gave you a personal tour to Hell itself
- Arthur rly likes how snakes look; he can't explain why but they're so dangerous and majestic and beautiful? And he likes that, a lot
- Arthur is actually pretty quiet; when Merlin and him are alone it's basically Arthur taking care of royal shit while Merlin talks about this and that and then there's some soft kisses and it's v cute i like it
514 notes · View notes
coinofstone · 4 years
Text
Combining 4x12 and 4x13 The Sword in the Stone pts 1 and 2 into one post, no commentary tracks on either episode, unfortunately.
4x12 The Sword in the Stone pt 1
I really don't mean to question any of this homoerotic comedy gold, but why has Arthur got his chainmail on before his pants? Surely chainmail is a post-trouser application?
"No one likes to be called fat, Merlin"
Arthur sitting there moping over Gwen is the biggest self own. "I look for her in the room, and she's not there. Then I remember why." Yea cuz you threw her out you DUMBASS. Sick of TV trying to make me feel sympathy for dudes who played themselves.
Can you hear the music when you see this
Tumblr media
Such a great shot. AND a great piece of music too.
Dear reader, you're probably expecting me to make a shit ton of hypnosis jokes, and you know, you're not wrong, but first - there is something pressing that needs to be addressed:
Tumblr media
Behold, the most awkward handshake of all time. Eoin is literally going for his bicep instead of his forearm, what even is that?!? And poor Percival, he's got one injured dumbass hanging off him on one arm, and another dumbass trying to shake his other hand like he's never seen an arm before. It looks like he's reaching up into his armpit because of the angle 😂😂 I'm cackling watching this gif loop.
Same energy:
Tumblr media Tumblr media
(Gif credit not found)
THIS is why Elyan/Percival is the superior side ship:
Tumblr media
Look at that sweet sweet chemistry. I almost always see Percival paired with Leon or Gwaine in fic and I just... how on earth can you pass this up? These two are perfect together. That LOOK Elyan gives him and Percival's giddy face as he looks over at Merlin and Arthur 😍😍😍 it looks better in the video than I can reproduce in gif
Christ, he DOES play the bimbofication well, doesn't he? "Whatever you say I'm entirely in your hands." I feel like at the time that was the line that spawned a million fanfics.
Morgana that is a magic snake, not a pen
Agravaine is so fuckin creepy. I mean I'm glad it took this long for him to go full blown creepazoid but we ALL saw it coming. Even tho he's NOT her uncle it's still gross, he's twice her age and disgusting.
How many brothers did Ygraine have anyway? Tristan I guess we'll never know but why would Agravaine really want his sister's SON dead? Fuckin royals.
Is Arthur listening for woodworm?
Why is Tristan twice Isolde's age
I miss Simpleton Arthur, but at least King Arthur looks good fighting in those tight capris
Arthur's all moody about Agravaine betraying him and Merlin is so supportive. If I were Merlin I would've been dropping "I told you so's" left and right.
What I don't get, is if Merlin knew Gwen has been in Ealdor, why has he never told Arthur this?
Gotta figure the people of Ealdor are not gonna be too happy about their village coming under attack cuz King Arthur is hiding out there. He's not even their king 😂
4x13 The Sword in the Stone part two
It's weird to have what feels like a ending moment ten minutes in
Tristan is such a dick
Won't eating moldy bread just make Gaius sicker
Hey um... how did Arthur get his clothes back? Did he keep a spare set in Ealdor? You know, for all those times he visits Hunith with Merlin? What's that you say, I'm getting fanon confused with canon again? Am I though?
Actual scene from when Merlin was telling Arthur the Bruta coda:
Tumblr media
Omgggg the way he looks at Merlin's mouthhhhhhhhh before he goes to try and pull the sword from the stone
This is probably the second most iconic scene in the series, after the round table scene
Tumblr media
and yes, I realize I'm going to hell for this but I can't be the only pervert watching this and thinking about how incredibly ... phallic it is.
There's a whole other level of subtext to this. Not just the phallic imagery but Merlin literally leading a doubtful Arthur to this ... performance space in front of a crowd, where Merlin is in full control of what's about to happen - and he guides Arthur through the motions, encouraging and confidence boosting, until Arthur becomes the truest version of his self. I say Merlin is in control but that's not even entirely accurate, he's only in control of releasing the sword from the stone, but that in and of itself is of no consequence; the power in this scene lies with Arthur, in his faith in himself - which is what Merlin is really helping him reclaim; the sword is just metaphor.
But am I supposed to believe that this subtext isn't intentional? Especially immediately after Merlin had Arthur in a trance-like state where he became more pliant and willing to be led?
My god if I were involved in this fandom when this was airing this episode would've made me lose my MIND.
Daaaamn Leon coming on a bit strong there but okay.
Nice to know that Morgana Pendragon, last priestess of the Old Religion, powerful Socereress and current ruler of Camelot, freezes and whimpers in terror at the first glimpse of an unexpected octogenarian in her castle.
I never watched any cast interviews beyond the SDCC panel that was in the S3 extras but I really want to know where that little laugh Old Man Merlin does came from. That little 'heh' is just the greatest thing ever, I'm dying to know if he based that on anyone or anything in particular.
Hey remember in S2 when Morgana got a whole bunch of hairbrushes for her birthday? Bet she wishes she knew where those had got to now.
This brief moment between Gwen and Arthur is actually perfect. Arthur has for so long gone been brooding about how he loves her but he's angry, even though we, the audience, know he has no business blaming her, none of the fucking characters do, including Gwen. But Gwen has also been through a lot, and he's given her zero benefit of doubt the whole time. So watching her march up to him and angrily tell him that she still loves him, then walking away without letting him speak - him, the king, her, leaving the 'tho God knows why since you behave like such an ass' unsaid at the end. It's really a beautiful, perfect moment.
Arthur: what happened to you, Morgana?
Morgana:
Tumblr media
We love a mirror corridor fight scene
Percival and Elyan tho 😍😍
"Hold me"
No parallels there, nope, not at all.
Arthur: will you marry me?
The castle staff: christ, not again
Merlin's got himself a new coat for the occasion and everything!
Why is it that Merlin never checked on Aithusa? Never even asked Kilgharrah about her? You'd think he would've felt some kind of obligation, as the last Dragonlord, towards her. Yes I'm going with 'her' don't @ me it's hc.
As per usual, if there's anything worth commenting on in the special features for S4 I will create a separate post.
54 notes · View notes
thegeminisage · 5 years
Text
i’m gonna liveblog my rewatch of 2.08 because i can
it’s stupid long so here’s the cut
just to give you an idea of how fast this switch flipped for me at the start of this episode when uther is like “u will find no one who embodies nobleness better than my son arthur” i went “PFFFFFT” & had a good chortle
i have a lot to say about this duel challenge sequence. 1. why are strangers always coming in and tossing their glove on the floor. everyone in that room is armed. just take them out! 2. arthur picks up the glove first this time, unlike 1.03. guess he can learn after all 3. he does it BEFORE SEEING HER FACE god classic he’s so fucking stupid
everyone getting their panties in a twist over having to fight a WOMAN when in reality she goes on to kick his ass is like...both tiresome & hilarious
i used to really be on the fence about the Vibe between merlin & arthur because while they seemed quite happy to die for one another from the get-go most of the time arthur is just being MEAN and merlin isn’t as mean back and it’s like :/ ok i don’t get what everyone else is so heart-eyes over. but in 2.08 they do a lot of confiding in one another and just general talking about plot-stuff where arthur’s insults are...not absent, but kept to a minimum, and idk it’s nice! it’s nice. less like arthur is a massive bully and more like they’re Companions. i’m not hopeful about it lasting bc this show doesn’t know the meaning of the words “consist continuity” but it was reeeeeaally good here
arthur’s face when he lost to a G I R L and uther just walked out with no comment. even back when i still hated him i was like “ouch”
that being said it was a welcome change of pace to see merlin giving ARTHUR shit for once. finally
upon morgause and morgana’s first meeting when morgause says “i hope you will remember me fondly” i went “WOW THAT’S GAY” because i didn’t KNOW and cathy told me later she had to put her head in her hands for five whole minutes. don’t shoot me i’m just the messenger they’re the ones who wrote it that way
my favorite thing about morgause is that i couldn’t immediately figure her out. i’m in the habit of throwing out guesses about future plot points for fun, because i’m a writer and that’s how i deconstruct things, and since this show was kind of meant to be kid-friendly i’m usually right. but as far as morgause went...i didn’t have a clue. i had NO IDEA this whole ep would be like this
i’ve said this before (not on this blog tho) but arthur is like...really eager to die. i keep joking that he has a death wish but upon further reflection i don’t think he’s actively seeking to end his life as much as he would be relieved to die for something noble like honor or whatever because then he would have...done it right, if that makes any sense, and wouldn’t have to worry about screwing it up anymore. he doesn’t want to die but he craves a good death. to prove to his dad and himself that he’s made of the right stuff?? i’m not being very clear. this concept requires more thought
it’s REALLY a lot for me that uther would rather throw arthur in his own chambers than have him find out about ygraine. yyyyikes
merlin sneaking in that rope was so cute. he finally got the group’s communal braincell for a few minutes
on the other hand after the troll episodes i am SO tired of dung being played for laughs. i really suffered
also man i’m so glad morgana finally got some sleep it’s what she deserves
this Dead Parent talk really mcmurdered me. both merlin and arthur lost a parent when they were very young & they now cannot remember said parent and we HAVE THAT IN COMMON so every single word they said was like an arrow straight to my heart!!!!!!! like as good as the ending to this episode was (and OH it was good OHHHHH it was GOOD) i think this right here is what truly softened me up towards arthur. this is relatability, this is emotional vulnerability, this is a genuine human connection made between EQUALS and frankly it’s exactly what i’ve been wanting from these guys for a season and a half. their willingness to die for each other is good stuff to be sure but it’s EMPTY without some meat to back it up & we’re finally getting what we deserve
“i’d do anything for even the vaguest memory” like they didn’t have to go that hard & read me for filth like that but they did. they did. arthur. babe. my guy.
almost every time someone comes in to speak with uther he’s eating and he has like an entire mini-banquet in front of him even though he’s all by himself. like, an entire plate of grapes, a whole-ass chicken, an intact loaf of bread, a bowl FILLED with whole uncut apples...wtf??
“what would YOU know about magic, merlin?” “nothing ;)” i did have a good chortle truly
i’ve already made my points about arthur and a good death but MAN he was hasty to put his head on that chopping block for no good fucking reason at all. holy shit. him casually doing that swing-thing he does with his sword to the axe ahead of time really adds a lot to this entire thing and also aged me ten years
when arthur was like “what if my father’s attitude towards magic is wrong” and “surely not everyone who practices magic can be evil” i gasped so fucking loud. so fucking loud
and the worst part is you can practically feel merlin’s heartbeat pick up. just LOOK at his “wtf am i hearing is this for real could my dreams actually come true” face. but at the same time, he’s got to be the one with a healthy suspicion here because arthur is in over his head. so he STILL can’t trust it. and then naturally it goes to hell so quickly that the chance for merlin to confide in arthur is lost. i can’t believe this took 4 irl years and five seasons. watching this live must have been like TORTURE. i’m practically bingeing it and i’m still suffering deeply
it’s very odd to me that arthur specifically said his mother died before he opened his eyes but the first thing ygraine says to him is that she remembers him staring up at her. to me that’s an obvious clue that she’s a fake, and the cutaway during that line to merlin’s face tells me he had the same suspicion (and that he’s kind of horrified by it)
ARTHUR FEELS SO GUILTY FOR HER DYING AND I’M ALSO DYING AND SLDFKMGHLSKDFJH
i know for a fact that ygraine’s telling of these events is slightly altered from the truth too...there’s no way that uther would have been so overcome with grief that he went on to commit genocide if he knew beforehand that his wife would die and was willing to sacrifice her
on the other hand, there’s also a cutaway to morgause’s face during this speech in which she looks surprised or confused at what ygraine says, which doesn’t add up if she was pulling these strings, so...What Is The Truth
not to be like this but merlin bearing witness to this whole series of events is like...there’s some things that once you go through them with somebody things between you change and there’s a new intimacy there...i don’t expect much from a show that likes to return to the status quo but in my heart it’s how i feel
OH BOY HERE WE GO. arthur arrives in camelot and pulls his sword out as soon as he leaves his horse leaving a visibly spooked merlin behind him this is the STUFF
“arthur was born of magic” is really a hell of a line because even though i already knew this backstory i hadn’t stopped to consider it like that...no, magic is not a crucial part of arthur’s identity and how he views himself the way it is for merlin and morgana, but it’s still a part of his history and what made him who he is, that made him alive and different from other people. his hatred and fear of it becomes so much more tragic in that light. i think also there was such a clear line drown before between people who are magic and people who are not and for me, mentally, arthur kind of...swapped sides, or is at least straddling the border
merlin’s absolute FURY at uther’s hypocrisy is like...........fucking. another thing i wanted to see for a season and a half. imo there’s not nearly enough meat to the fact that merlin is magic and ultimately serves uther who is trying to decimate him and his kind - has actually SAVED UTHER'S LIFE on MULTIPLE occasions. this is the first time this show actually went “hey uther is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of people and that’s really not at all ok” and i am SO into it. like, no, he’s not misguided. he’s not “just grieving.” he’s a murderer. he’s responsible for genocide.
the final 9 minutes of this episode feature arthur pendragon being absolutely FURIOUS. he’s LIVID. he’s PISSED. and i love it more than anything else this show has done so far
i genuinely, truly believed he didn’t have this in him. never in my WILDEST DREAMS could i have imagined arthur doing this. i had written it off as the stuff of fanfics. but holy shit my man snapped
HE👏DID👏THAT👏
reasons i did not see this coming at all even a little: 1. i figured there was no way arthur would get over his anti-magic thing until near the end (i know it must come back later, but STILL) 2. i did not believe for one second he could ever seriously stand up to his father for more than a few minutes at a time 3. most of what’s making arthur so goddamn pissed is that he thinks his dad killed his mom on purpose but he’s also showing a fair amount of horror at the fact that uther hunted down and killed everyone even remotely associated with sorcery like animals. do you know what that is? does anybody else understand the enormity of this? HE IS SHOWING EMPATHY. i DID NOT believe he was capable of it.
i do feel a way about how uther started this scene from a place of cool confidence - he was handing out orders, “leave us and no one comes in,” manipulating the situation, “she was lying to you, magic users are trying to destroy us,” and finally trying to close the door on the topic and reassert control, “i am your kind and your father and you will SHOW ME SOME RESPECT” - and arthur was not only having none of it (the way his eyes narrowed as uther’s casual “she was lying”...oh boy) he TURNED THE TABLES and had uther ON THE DEFENSIVE. the number of times we’ve seen uther shut other people down and get his way because he’s king and everyone is afraid of him and this time uther was the one who afraid LITERALLY for his life. HOW’S THAT TASTE BITCH god it was SO satisfying. like, there’s one shot where arthur is walking slowly towards him after all his verbal tactics have failed to de-escalate the situation and he’s in the backround with his eyes so fucking wide and he looks TERRIFIED. i LOVE IT
“you are my son. you would not strike an unarmed man.” “i no longer consider myself your son” AND HE STRIKES HIM
HE👏
DID👏
THAT👏
when i say that i LITERALLY screamed i am not at all exaggerating or using hyperbole. cathy asked twice if i needed to pause & collect myself. i could not have paused if my life depended on it
i’m really on the fence about merlin stopping arthur. on the one hand, arthur has suffered enough and doesn’t need to suffer more by having to carry the guilt or dadmurder. under the other, uther is a monster and needs to die, and the entire world would be better off without him
like...arthur’s face when he says “you have caused so much suffering and pain”...he really finally got it. for one beautiful brilliant moment he understood
i am NOT on the fence about merlin lying to arthur. that was the wrong way to do it. arthur 6000% deserves to know the truth and that’s only gonna come back and bite them later i’m sure (unless it never comes back at all in which case i’ll be pissed)
i’m not sure that arthur would have backed off if they had told the truth and said “uther didn’t realize your mom was gonna die so really that part wasn’t his fault”...he was really mad! but he might’ve. lying was not the way to go. i’m so angry at literally everyone in that scene for allowing arthur to walk away believing he was wrong. he was so full of conviction and he was about to do a really good thing - not good for him personally, but good for the world - and everyone he trusts lied to his face in order to maintain the status quo and not have to deal with anything ugly. i HATE it. i’m team arthur now. i’m in the arthur defense squad. all those dumb liars aren’t good enough to be his friends!!!!!!
like, even his dad’s words were sooo carefully chosen to avoid lying but also avoid telling the whole truth. even in that moment when arthur was laying it all bare and they could have made some sort of progress as character and as people. we had to go BACK TO THE STATUS QUO
Once Again Arthurs Heart Is Hardened To Magic i hate it thanks
honestly look uther telling arthur that he’s a trusted ally in the fight against magic should make him feel a lot more distressed than what we got. i mean i’m sure he’s glad his cover is safe but he should realize that if uther approves he’s doing something wrong
furthermore, uther hasn’t changed a bit. he says he came to thank merlin and that merlin is a loyal servant and trusted ally, but then threatens his life before he leaves. honestly we should have just let arthur stab him
i do appreciate them making a point of mentioning that merlin was tempted to let uther die and that it would have been better for him if uther HAD died and he only did what he did to protect arthur but like...there were ways to do that that didn’t involve lying i think. this is an optimistic show most of the time. it wouldn’t have messed with my suspension of disbelief if arthur had dropped the sword knowing the real whole truth! but no, The Status Quo
i don’t know if i will still love arthur so much in the coming episodes.................we’ll see. i’m kind of nervous because i don’t know how they’re ever going to top this. i think we peaked right here and it’ll never be this good for me again
4 notes · View notes