#save me morgwen save me

[nimrism]

could you make this post? please, it's so fascinating i really want to hear your thoughts on it

"The Dark Tower" Morgwen Interactions Analysis

i've literally been waiting for someone to ask me this so i can go all out in answer, so you're literally my favorite- THANK YOU! i've tried to put all the thoughts swirling around in my head into one coherent post, so strap in and let's LOOK AT THE IMPLICATIONS (from my perspective)!

first and most importantly, i want to zero in on morgana's choice of kidnapee; she could've chosen anyone in camelot, any one of the knigts who were regularly privy to arthur's battle plans and schedule, but nope. if we're looking at it from the perspective of "she needs the closest person to arthur" wouldn't that be merlin? she could have kidnapped and brainwashed him; he would've made for a fabulous inconspicious mole in the court, and arthur literally goes to him for anything and everything. i actually think it would make for a really interesting au/fic if it were merlin who was kidnapped instead of gwen (love confession/magic reveal possibilities are ENDLESS), but maybe it's a little too close to the plot of "a servant of two masters" and the writers didn't want to be repetitive. i'm going to be biased and delusional in believing that morgana did choose gwen, in particular, for more personal reasons as well as for her nefarious ones.

the way i see it (and this is obviously very objective), by the time we get to this point in s5, morgana is LONELY, like, has-no-one-in-the-world-except-aithusa type of lonely, and her choice of allies has been lacking diversity as of late (why are they all men 💀), AND they all end up dying anyway. so, she needs a plan, and she needs a trusted ally (she also needs a bit of love and lip balm cause DAMN). BUT the thing is, why would anyone be loyal to her? she's never kept any allies (or friends) thanks to her wit and charm alone, she's only ever kept men loyal to her by striking fear in their hearts. it's the same for her friends and family, i think. she doesn't believe they even tolerate her existence, so she needs to be crowned queen to subdue them and FORCE them to respect her. the same goes for gwen. she was only morgana's friend when morgana was a naive and vulnerable girl, plagued by nightmares and unexplained fears, and the second morgana grew out of them (or learned to control them) gwen stopped being affectionate, stopped being open. that's how morgana sees it, and it only reinforces her belief that gwen would never understand the person she's become now, she wouldn't quite see what morgana was trying to do. unless morgana forced her to.

the whole kidnapping affair was to MAKE gwen understand, because she wouldn't do it of her own free will. gwen would never willingly be on morgana's side, so she had to jump through a few morally questionable hoops to bring her over. in the end, i do believe all morgana really wanted was a friend (maybe a little bit more, amirite ladies), though by this point her concept of friendship had become twisted beyond recognition, and in all the chaos, this was the only way she thought she could have one. throughout the episode, a lot of the old morgana shines through, even if it is portrayed as just manipulation, and i do think that was her either slipping back into old habits or forcing herself to, for the sake of the brainwashing and for the sake of their friendship that she's trying to rekindle.

a point that i've seen several people make is that between the niceties, the "real" morgana peeks through several times throughout the ep, but i kinda disagree. i don't necessarily think that just because her smile drops, it means that the niceties were a facade and her "evil" side pops back out. i read the sudden change in expression more as disappointment. gwen fights back with such vigour that it's probably painful for morgana to realize that her former friend sees her as nothing more than an evil witch who's hell-bent on hurting her, now. she's disappointed that gwen, who was supposed to know her best, believes what the others do, and doesn't believe that morgana is being sincere in her offer of friendship.

a small remark i also have is: why wasn't morgana one of the visions/hallucinations gwen had in the dark tower? it's interesting to see that the closest three people to gwen are her brother, arthur, and merlin, of all people. i feel like gwen's history with morgana has to have had a lasting effect on both of them, even if morgana is supposed to be "evil" now. you don't stop loving someone just because they've chosen (or BEEN chosen by) the dark side. morgana was one of the people gwen cared about most in seasons 1 through 3 (s3 is pushing it a little, but still), it doesn't really make sense for it all to be forgotten so completely like we see in this episode. i also think it would've been super interesting to see a hallucination of younger morgana in particular, partially as a reminder that part of gwen still cares about morgana and largely because i'd like to see how gwen would react to that vision... would it differ from the other three? what would morgana do? would she sneer and laugh like elyan and arthur? would she do a little rawr like merlin (😭)? i feel like a ficlet is in order for this concept cause i would like to see it but i have to imagine it first (but that's the hard part 😭)

NOW ONTO THE MOST DELICIOUS PART OF THIS ANALYSIS: THE QUOTES

M: "Would you prefer some chicken?"

i just found this one hilarious tbh like she's so out of pocket what are you doing offering your kidnapee some chicken and WHAT WAS THE OTHER OPTION, IF NOT CHICKEN?

M: "I know how lonely you must be, all by yourself in that room. At least you're not shackled, and there's daylight. You can move, you can see."

oof. she's obviously referring to her own capture and torture, pulling from her own experience. it's heartwrenching that morgana has been through all of this, traumatised beyond reason, but it's even more heartwrenching that she thinks she's doing gwen a service, like this. it might not seem like that to any sane person, but after everything she's been through, morgana's worldview is completely different. in her mind, however twisted and detached it has become, she's being merciful to gwen this way, giving her luxuries that she was never afforded when she was captured. (including a warm meal with chicken at miss havisham's table 🤩)

M: "I too have suffered, Gwen. I spent two years living in darkness. I spent two years chained to a wall at the bottom of a pit... You did not know."

goddddd this line... it's just so painful, so powerful, so indicative of SO MANY THINGS. it's EVERYTHING. every acting choice katie and angel made in this scene was brilliant but ESPECIALLY their facial expressions in this particular part WOAH. the way morgana's voice cracks on the word "pit" is DEVASTATING. i was floored. the way gwen's face falls as she processes her words and they properly set in... INCREDIBLE. the concern in gwen's eyes is palpable as she realizes the horrors inflicted on her friend. and the final "you did not know" was so, so powerful. morgana realizes that gwen didn't know about and clearly wasn't okay with what she went through. gwen had no part in it. morgana SMILES at gwen's reaction, but instead of it being a smile of malice or evil it's one of RELIEF, and one that she hides very promptly. she's reassured in the knowledge that gwen had no idea she had suffered so immensely, and that, more importantly, she wasn't involved in it. it's SO important to note that morgana has no idea whether arthur had a hand in her own torture or not. it's especially not a good look on him that he invites the sarrum as a friend of camelot so soon after the events of "the dark tower", so, as far as morgana knows, he could've been a "friend" when she was being tortured for years, too. i wonder what would've happened if morgana had kidnapped gwen AFTER the sarrum's visit to camelot... i feel like that would have complicated things with gwen much further, if morgana thought she was complicit in her imprisonment.

M: "I would have sold my soul for someone to show me kindness such as this."

only two points on this heartbreaking line: 1- FUCK the sarrum of amata. all my homies HATE the sarrum. s4 and s5 morgana might both be textbook cases of "evil", but they're two VERY different people with two very different worldviews and tactics. morgana's imprisonment turned her into the cold husk of a person she is by s5. and 2- this just further confirms that morgana thinks she's doing gwen a favor, dining with her and letting sunlight into her room and choosing not to tie her up etc.

M: "Your hands are cold... I have a warm fire going for you."

oh boy is this a MOMENT. the way morgana keeps her hand held out. the way gwen reluctantly puts her hand in hers (MORGWEN HAND-HOLD!) *ivy by taylor swift starts playing out of nowhere* {ohhhhh goddamn, my pain fits in the palm of your freezing hand, taking mine, but it's been promised to another, ohhh}

um anyway i digressed. then the way gwen wriggles her hand out of morgana's grasp, while morgana grips her fingers with unwavering determination... it's just delicious.

M: "Anything you want, you can have. I'll give it to you."

idk about you but personally i'm SOLD. take all my money. i read this as morgana trying her utmost best to sell gwen on joining her, but i can also see the manipulation laced in it.

G: "Why are you doing this?"

M: "Because we're friends. We always were."

to me, this reinforces the theory that morgana's just trying to get her friend back on her side. by stating that they've always been friends, morgana reaffirms their friendship as much to herself as to gwen. she was her friend once, and she can be again.

M: "I'm helping you. I'm looking after you."

this sort of feels like morgana is telling herself that, more than she's telling gwen. maybe it's just part of the manipulation process, but i do believe that this was morgana's conscience reassuring her that what she's doing is in gwen's favor and that she's being kind to her.

M: "It's alright, I'm here."

UGH this line. morgana is being the person she needed when she was imprisoned. this scene is also a parallel to all the times morgana woke up screaming in the middle of the night and gwen was there to comfort her in s1/2. this time the tables have turned and it's morgana comforting gwen. simply delicious.

M: "My darling, I was wrong to make you suffer."

TEA! to say that this line was spoken from the bottom of morgana's heart might just be a bit too delusional, but i like to think there's at least some truth to it. torturing gwen had a lot of paralells to morgana's own imprisonment and torture, and she did want to make her suffer, at least in the beginning. but it was also different from what morgana went through. this is NOT to justify torture, btw, torture is BAD, but her "manipulation" tactics got a bit too personal at some point, and i like to think at least a part of it was genuine.

G: "No. Whatever twisted game you're playing, I want no part in it. I would rather stay here and die."

ouch. gwen's resistance to the last possible minute shows such strength on her part (cause me? i would've given in before she even dragged me through the desert tbh) and it gave us such a delicious performance from angel; the reluctance? the uncertainty? the distrust? the relief that morgana is there but also the FEAR of what she's doing? the contradiction between the morgana that gwen once knew and the morgana that everyone KNOWS is evil? but the morgana that gwen once knew is shining through now, and she's saying everything gwen wants to hear... grade-A angst.

IN CONCLUSION they're gfs your honor, this was all just a plot to snatch gwen back from arthur cause morgana didn't think seducing her herself would work. (this phrase could be in reference to this ep or the "lancelot du lac" ep i'm cackling morgana really is hopeless) there are also SEVERAL psychological layers to it, but describing it this way is just easier.

SO... this is possibly the longest post i've ever made. it got a little more comprehensive than i originally thought it would be, but THERE YOU HAVE IT! that's my take on the morgwen interactions in the dark tower. if i seem a little biased, that's because i 100% am :) i hope that clears things up. this is an open invitation to keep sending me asks (even if it's about the most random things ever) cause i love them and i love every single person who sends in an ask, and a public apology for how long these answers get sometimes 😭

#the fuckass sarrum is public enemy number one #hate that guy #morgana defender til the day i die #yes she's done some questionable things but have you considered that she's baby #can you tell i'm biased #save me morgwen save me #morgwen will probably be my undoing at this point #they're so special to me #the dark tower #this episode was a whole rollercoaster #morgana's gf might've been stolen from her but she stole her BACK #and now she's dragging her across the desert #now they're having a lil heart to heart #back to torture #fruity #HAND HOLDING #torture again #bunch of other stuff happens #FRUITY AGAIN! #that's pretty much the summary #anyway i hope this is coherent enough to be read #feel free to discuss #include me in the discussion too i'm making an effort to socialize #bbc merlin #morgana pendragon #morgana #guinevere #morgwen #merlin theory

[elainiisms]

nothing harder than being a girl who sees sapphic ships where there aren't any

#noncanon sapphic ships save me.... #HELP ME PLS I CANT KEEP LIVING LIKE THIS #wlw #lesbian #sapphic #tyzula #supercorp #chisataki #kiarah #lottienat #leatin #missanderys #sansaery #morgwen #fuffy #nobamaki #nobamai #shautie #lottieshauna #jackieshauna #mitsunoa #jemily #diakko #faberry #hizzie #belice #renison #ninej #genyalina #ruegard

[lumism]

✨ bbc merlin moodboards: morgwen

we were friends once, were we not? i only wish to help.

#evil yuri save me. evil yuri. save me evil yuri. #bbc merlin #morgwen #bbc morgana #bbc gwen #merlin moodboard #i still haven't figured out how to tag my merlin things hm #moodboard #ph

[someguyinc]

thinking about a bbc merlin where morgana learns about what uther did to get arthur before anyone else,,

thinking about a bbc merlin where to complete a spell needs the heart of her first love,, ends up kidnapping gwen...

thinking of a bbc merlin where gwen and morgana meet after she kills her brother

#some guy talking #bbc merlin #morgwen... #save me morgwen!! #uther morgana parallels going insane rn

[camelots-daffodil]

My Fic Masterlist ✨

🌻 Diplomatic Immunity & Other Benefits

(Merthur, T) Marriage of convenience to save Merlin from execution but discover ✨feelings✨

🌻 Love in a Time of Dragons

(Gen, T) After Arthur’s death, Merlin has to find something else to live for, at least until Arthur comes back (Dragons)

In Progress, updates tagged #liatod

🌻 Until Forever

(Merthur, T) Hurt/comfort when Merlin gets injured by one of Morgana’s curses, Arthur cares for him

🌻 The Way Things Work

(Merthur, T) 4+1, The knights love Merlin and protect him by enforcing the ‘rules’

🌻 How Many Are There!?

(Leon & Merlin / Merthur, G) Leon is shocked as he slowly learns about all the secrets Merlin’s been keeping

🌻 Knights of Camelot: Just Add Water

(Gen, G) Merlin expected Arthur to rise up out of the lake. What he wasn’t expecting were the knights rising up out of random water sources where ever he went

🌻 I Hate You Because I Love Him

(Merthur, G) Recently promoted to Court Sorcerer, Merlin is jealous of Arthur’s new manservant, and the knights place bets

🌻 5 Times Merlin Didn’t Say It + 1 Time Arthur Did

(Merthur, T) Ft. Arthur being SO WHIPPED and Merlin being a little shit. Established relationship.

🌻 I Slithered Here from Eden

(Morgwen, T) Whilst imprisoned with Aithusa by the Sarrum of Amarta, Morgana dreams only of Gwen

🌻 The Kissing Fever

(Merthur, T) Love is in the air! Only Merlin thinks that there’s a little too much of it given that everyone seems unable to stop kissing each other

🌻 At Least Out Loud, I Won’t Say I’m In Love

(Merthur, T) Arthur and Merlin are having a fight over something stupid and it’s driving the knights absolutely insane.

🌻 Lucky I Love You

(Merthur, T) Merlin keeps using his Dragoon disguise to meddle in court - when Arthur finds out, it's only so long before he confronts him

🌻 That Which Binds Us

(Merthur, T) On the battlefield, Merlin takes an arrow for Arthur and pays the ultimate price. Arthur has to use magic to get him back.

🌻 Sometimes, All You Need is a Push

(Morgwen / Merthur, G) Morgana is hopelessly in love with Gwen, and Gwen doesn’t realise. Exactly like Merlin and Arthur. Maybe all it takes for a happy ending is an outsider’s point of view.

🌻 Little Do You Know (Just How Much I Love You)

(Merthur, T) 5+1 Arthur gradually sleeps closer to Merlin while out on quests, until they sleep better with each other than without.

🌻 Your Eyes, They Shine So Bright (I Want To Save That Light)

(Merthur, T) What if instead of millenia, Merlin only had to wait 200 years for Arthur to return? (+knights return)

🌻 For You, For Me

(Merthur, T) Merlin and Arthur are taken captive and Arthur claims that Merlin is his consort to save his life

🌻 No One Hurts Merlin

(Gen, T) Merlin, Arthur, and Leon are captured while on a quest, by a sorceress claiming to have a way to identify Emrys. The way? Poison.

🌻 Kiss Me Once

(Merthur-ish, T) Everybody wants to Kiss Merlin, and the only way to fix the issue is to improvise.

🌻 Happy For You

(Arwen, Merlin&Gwen, G) It's Gwen and Arthur's wedding day, Gwen misses her family, and Merlin comes through for her.

🌻 Holding Onto You

(Gen / Merthur, G) There was only one bed, and Arthur’s Daddy Issues

🌻 As My World Caves In

(Merthur, T) Last episode Fix-It Fic where Arthur doesn’t die. No one dies

🌻 Body Swap

(Merthur, T) Merlin & Arthur are cursed to swap bodies, with some scarred Merlin content for fun

🌻 Kiss, Kill… Same Thing

(Merthur, T) ‘Servant of Two Masters’ rewrite where instead of trying to murder Arthur, Merlin’s trying to kiss him

🌻 It Never Had To End Like This

(Merthur, T) A rewrite of episode 5x13 that follows their journey, but with a different destination

🌻 Beasts of Blame

(Merlin & Arthur, T) 700 word angsty magic reveal drabble for the anniversary

🌼 Family Line

Not a Fic but I made a gif set of Morgana and Uther to Conan Gray Lyrics for the bingo prompt hatred :)

🌼 Custom Gwen Funko Pop

Not a Fic but I made a custom funko pop of Gwen! I love her a lot

#bbc merlin #bbc merlin fanfic #merthur #merlin x arthur #arthur pendragon #morgana pendragon #morgwen #bbc gwen #bbcm #fanfic #the adventures of merlin #bbc lancelot #knights of the round table #gwaine #sir leon #merlin emrys #gwen pendragon #bbc arwen #merlin #bradley james #merlin fanfic #uther pendragon #bbc elyan #bbc percival #colin morgan #katie mcgrath #angel coulby #mergana

[lesbicosmos]

bbc merlin liveblog - s1 ep2: valiant

i forgot abt how many dramatic slowmo shots of knights riding horses this show has

i say id love a sword but if i actually had to use one id probably be like merlin, just flailing around and tripping over my own feet (when i say probably i mean definitely, im like that without a sword)

any scenes of merlin without his neckerchief feel wrong, like merlin why are you naked put that scarf back on pls

morganas so pretty what the actual fuck

*dramatic sword fighting music begins*

morgwen being adorable in the stands while the men brutally attack each other <3

merlin: *makes a joke* arthur: *chuckles* merlin: :D

once again, the costume department for this show is insane i love every outfit (particularly morganas!! all her dresses are absolutely gorgeous)

the random sped up parts of some montage shots is hilarious to me and i cant explain why

"he's using magic" "are you sure?" - summary of the entire show

morgana holding onto and stroking gwen's cloak is so cute i love them so much

gotta love the creativity of the episodes so far, there's been magic death singing and magic death snake shield

"i wouldn't like to you" "i want you to swear to me that what you're telling me is true" WHY ARE THEY STOOD SO CLOSE TOGETHER THEYRE SO GAY

arthur talking to uther in the council room and merlin just stood a few paces behind him like🧍🏻‍♂️

this whole thing makes no sense, could they not have just...shown uther ewan's body which has a snake bite???

im loving the random cuts to morgana just looking ethereal as usual. director rly said give the lesbians what they want

merlin having not even been arthurs servant for an episode and being fired already- if only it was that easy for arthur to get rid of him 😭😭

god the set's so beautiful, i wanna go to pierrefonds so bad

"just give me a straight answer!" HA 'straight' sorry merlin ur destiny is anything but that

the compilation of merlin trying to get the spell right to bring the statue to life is FUCKING HILARIOUS that one shot where he's stood on something pointing down at the statue dramatically and yelling the incantation 😭

*morgana enters the room* *music changes to something actually ethereal and godly* as it should she's perfect

"i did it! :D" merlins so adorable

AND MORGANA SAVES THE DAY LIKE THE BADASS BITCH SHE IS I LOVE HER

"you're too proud to admit you were saved by a girl" "because i wasn't!" "you know what? i wish valiant was escorting me." "fine." "fine!" why did they think anyone would believe the almost-romance plotline theyre so incredibly siblings

#three guesses who my favourite character is #youll never get it guys its so difficult #anyway morgana's entire existence is everything to me #bbc merlin #merlin #arthur pendragon #morgana pendragon #gwen merlin #merthur #morgwen #merlin liveblog

[illigrilltrash-blog]

When BBC disappoints, Sims comes in and saves the day. Morgwen and Merthur just living their best life. This is canon, Kilgarah told me himself

I tried my best when creating them, but well.. I did my best hh

Also, it's them...I was picturing them in their 30's. Especially Merlin because Colin with beard and longer hair...sheeeeeesh. Bradley was extremely hard to recreate, so I just improvised. My beautiful women Angel and Katie look fantastic, I love them <3

#bbc merlin #morgwen #merthur #morgana le fay #guinevere #arthur pendragon #merlin #sims 4 #merlinsims4

[i-really-should-change-my-url]

Methlin as my Merlin Rewatch Thoughts (2x04)

Andro: In this essay, I will explain why it would make more sense for Gwen’s character to go with Lancelot

Change: Lancelot and Inigo Montoya would have been best friends, fight me

Donts: “Giant baby rats” JUST LIKE MY COC-

Duckie: It’s Morgwen episodes like this that makes later series extra sad

Ferret: Pouty mcPoutyface Arthur

Imy: Arthur for rock climbing olympics 2024?

Jax: Ah yes, the “very obvious modern bra line” scene

Lemon: Morgana went to Ealdor to help Hunith, but won’t go with to save Gwen?

SC: Who the fuck pronounces it Morgæna

Tilt: “My feelings do not matter” YES THEY DO LANCELOT MY LOVE

#i-really-should-change-my-url-original #methlin #merlin #2x04 #rewatch #I don't even remember what I tagged the other ones with #and I know this one is lame #I am out of it today and my roommate keeps smoking weed #so tengo a massive headache #hi donts

[crowned-clown-rising]

Hello and welcome to part 2 of: It's 2022 and this girl is watching the bbc Merlin show for the first time!

The section in which I sell my soul to yet another terrible show that ended years ago and share my comments and thoughts with you so that you can see my falling and have a laugh. (And sharing your best fics.)

Part 1 | Part 3

• Second season is in. I'm not too happy about the new let's treat Merlin badly as if we hadn't fallen in love a whole season back.

• Gwen this has nothing to do with you. I love you. You have done nothing wrong ever take those flowers to Morgana my dear off you go.

• How do you guys call the 4 kids team from camelot? I'm calling them the camelot team free will until further notice. Mertroupe? Arteam? Camegang?

• Me naming Morgana my sword on the otome game Eldarya was not a coincidence, that was true fate because that woman is my wife.

• Does Merlin realise that an entire village of druids was slaughtered because of him or is he just going to shrug it off?

• A couple of episodes ago Morgana and Gwen were fighting off Odin's men and now they can't pick up a sword for their lifes what is going on here

• Ah, spoke too soon. I've never been happier to eat my words look at that combo omfg step on me swing that sword flawlessy yess my lady go offfc

•"She is more than just my maid" scene 🏳️‍🌈 season two is currently a downfall for merthur and Morgwen taking their place

• The scene where Arthur asks Merlin advice on dating girls... That bit was gayest thing I've seen. If I were to watch that without context, I would absolutely read it as 2 gays in the closet. It even removed the bisexuality of them.

• The change in Merlin's eyes from "Maybe my father was wrong about magic-You really believe that?" to "All sorcerers are evil thank you for remining me" breakes my heart into little pieces.

• Freya 😶 why didn't she fly away earlier tho? AnD ARTHUR COMFORTING MERLIN IN THE END THAT WAS SO CUTE.

• Several times already Arthur has gotten Merlin out of trouble without even knowing what he was being acused for, and not caring even he were to be guilty. He just wants him save and well 🥺

• Honestly my girls were onto something. They were about to take the kingdom with 0 death counts-except maybe some knights- (bc the ppl were just asleep) and free the kingdom from the magic prosecution. Why are they being antagonized like this.

• The poison bit– My sweet child I'm so sorry.

• No but all of this is actually sad bc Morgana actually has no idea what is happening she just has a vague guess

• Morgwen divorce. The worst plot of the show. Unfair. Homophobic.

• "Goodnight, son" I'M FUCKING CRYING THERE ARE TEARS ON MY FACE MY DARLING BOY

• What an episode. What a show honestly.

#merthur #merlin #bbc merlin #arthur pendragon #arthur #uther pendragon #bbc arthur #morgana #morgana pendragon #bbc gwen #guinevere pendragon #guinevere

[groundbreakingdot872]

For the ao3 wrapped ask game, 3 and 18! 💓

Thank you for the ask!! :)

3. What work are you most proud of (regardless of kudos/hits)?

Ooooh, hard one! This was the first year I started writing to post (and my first year on tumblr go figure), so everything still feels very fresh and mostly … ungood lol

But I think my fav has gotta be ‘Spirits of the Breach’. A story that was supposed to be a quick drabble on here but turned into s3 morgwen angst… as all things do 😌

It also gave me my first real experience writing abt the ‘whys’ of their dynamic, which is super fun and pain!

18. The one character that gave you the most trouble writing this year?

It’s Gwen! Lmao

Everything I’ve written so far has been Gwen-centric but I still can’t seem to get enough of her character.

On the show, she’s always saving face (mostly), and while that’s very admirable, I love trying to dig into her psyche and see the honest faultlines where they lie - even if it means writing about her insecurities and deeply anchored grief; which isn’t always fluff material.

Thankfully there’s crack-fics!

#💜💖💜💖💜 #writey write write #lol #bbc merlin fanfic #guinevere pendragon #joan answers! ✨

[m00n-pr1sm]

Assigning 25ji commissioned songs to Katie McGrath characters

Is this a shitpost? We’ll never know I guess.

1. Lena - Tricologe and kanadetomosusora

None of the commissioned songs really fit her, but the vibes on this one are nice. I suppose since the event is a kanade focus and as we know a huge part of her character is a sense of penance, she needs to save people through her music to make up for hurting her father. This is kind of how lena feels this obligation to her family name, to make up for lex’s crimes. The song alludes to things like being a “prisoner of life” and the section that is the singer being drawn to a glittering masquerade, but is pulled back (in the original mv). I think this can very abstractly being tied to Lena’s desire to express herself and put herself out there (#3Epilled) but being unable to make her vulnerable, shackled by her betrayals in life. This song can also apply to morgana in a similar fashion but I already have 3 songs chosen for her (and it doesn’t fit as well)

Kanadetomosora because the song revolves around reaching for something more and a lot of the imagery in the mv is the characters looking out windows and kanade reaching for the sky, the last few lyrics filled are filled with hope as something finally resonates (tie back to the event as kanade makes Mafuyu smile with her song),,, hmm Lena’s desire to trust another but feeling shackled by her past and her eventual growing closeness to Kara

Idsmile is more supercorp, of which I wrote an explanation for months ago. Basically just another addition to why supergirl is hella queer-coded, if Kara can tell her secret to Lena and still stay connected or if she could live in this world hiding a part of herself away from Lena, continuing the status quo. Also thinking abt how there’s a lyric that goes “the boundaries begin to blur” and there’s an episode in supergirl called “blurred lines” funny coincidence (and Kara says that one line “for a friend like you, there are no boundaries” which just reminds me of mizuena sm)

2. Morgana - Bug, saisei and nomad

ironically Mafuyu and morgana r incredibly different characters , secretly all the 25ji characters r just the Merlin core 4 send tweet /hj (Gwen is kanade, Merlin is mizuki, Arthur is Mafuyu, morgana is ena)

I like the duality of the song choices. Bug is mainly for its vibe and the sort of chaotic melody it has, the lyrics being a jumbled mess of repeating words. I think it kind of embodies morgana’s later season desperation and descent into despair. morgana’s entire arc is the sunk cost fallacy, lololol, she’s gone too fair, sacrificed too much for nothing in the end, but she can never truly let go can she? It’s also the most aggressive/forceful of all 25ji songs and it fits morgana being the sx4 triple reactive limbic mf we all know and love Also bug is a banger

NOW FOR SAISEI, I will never get over this one

IT HAS SO MUCH YEARNING AND WONDERING HOW THINGS WENT WRONG AND THE FACT THAT THERES A LYRIC THAT IS “IF THIS WAS JUST A SHALLOW NIGHTMARE, I COULD FORGIVE EVERYTHING” screaming crying throwing up, like I know morgana doesn’t really do this in canon and is like “lol everyone turned on me I’m right” BUT IT FITS MY VISION SO WELL. like the fact she lives her life with monotony, in which her life is reduced to seeking out revenge on Arthur (which I truly believe is psychological displacement) and to defeat emyrs, and also because the writers forgot to develop her character and she became one dimensional lol. The lyrics about wanting to return to long long ago and asking oneself “was it fine like this” scream morgwen and my belief that morgana enchanted Gwen also to have this companionship back, Gwen is a void no one else and nothing else could fill. Please see my vision.

Forgot to write a nomad explanation but it hinges on my headcanons for morgana that basically rewrite her to be 3V, just me thinking abt that line in that dream in s4 where Merlin asks “is this really what you wanted morgana?” I HATE THAT THEY GAVE US THAT IDEA AND NEVER ADDRESSED IT AGAIN??? Song fits bc yearning there, good enough (nomad makes me so emotional it’s such an underrated song it makes me so upset </3)

3. Lucy - Kimi no Yoruwo Kure

just read the lyrics oh my god, it’s also a really sweet mellow song so I think it fits her vibes, like at least in her vulnerable soft moments. WHY IS ALL OF KATIE MCGRATH’S CHARACTERS SO MIZUKI CODED. I think idsmile, lower, and kimi no yoruwo kure all have really really similar themes but the difference in how they go about it. Idsmile is more about hiding ones identity and a yearning for things staying the sam, lower reads as more of fight for staying together, being on the edge of telling; makes sense cause it’s a mizuena event and with ena swearing to stay by mizuki’s side until they can tell their secret. Kimi no yoruwo kure’s lyrics at least, seem like a gentle resignation, it has very Lofi sleepy vibes, a yearning for a “today” that won’t disappear. Which idk is more Lucy than any other character based on their vibes/ temperaments alone.

4. Sarah - Composing the future

haha emo song but the song puts a lot of focus on the past and being unable to move on from it. Nothing else I don’t really remember that much from slasher but yeah,,, I just needed to put smth

5. Saskia- Keitai Renwa and Lower

yes I had to pull out the mizuena songs for this, like come one the whole theme of being unable to admit one’s own feelings and unrequited love? come on (yes this applies to like 4/5 characters here but these just have Saskia vibes, and it’s a huge focus of her character). Keitai renwa also has lyrics that feel like they’re counting down to something?? Totally not olivia’s impending marriage/engagement,,, lower and keitai renwa both have more of a forceful fight for love and yearning than some of the other songs here, #saskiapilled

Lower honestly reminds me of morgwen too, which is my fav ship ever and i even made an art piece that had lyrics and one of them was from lower </3

which I will copy and paste and explanation for it lol

If you stay here with me: this is morgana's line, Gwen is the only person from Camelot she was willing to make some kind of peace with and trust, she so deeply desires staying with Gwen, they genuinely cared for each other so dearly and much of what morgana did is in some way motivated by Gwen (like the episode to kill the king)

if I could just keep you from leaving: but in Gwen point of view all she sees is morgana's turn to evil as a departure from their friendship (thus the leaving line) , she doesn't know how to help her but I believe she wanted to try and save her

Morgana views her action of offering Gwen mercy as "staying here" while Gwen sees morgana's turn as "leaving" this resulting in an insurmountable difference as they are pulled apart from each other, unable to connect again

Sorry to jackpot sad girl, infinitely gray, and I nandesu (I made this post before this song existed lmao it’s been sitting in my drafts 4eva) for not adding u, I couldn’t figure out a reasonable explanation

#this is targeted at an audience I don’t think exists #anyways stan 25ji #and morgana is Katie’s best character #not really writing-wise though #not tagging fandom tags bc imagine seeing this scrolling on the 25ji tag </3 #katie mcgrath #nvm adding this for the funny #morgwen #morgana pendragon

[sancastarcs]

Taylor Swift wrote Folklore (2020) for Merlin (2008), she told me herself!!!!

#LIKEE??? #every love song is for Merthur #except from Seven because it is for Morgwen #EXILE IS THE MERTHUR SONG #LIKE THE MERTHUR SONG #the last great american dynasty and mad woman are Morgana anthems #HAVE I TOLD YOU HOW EVERY LOVE SONG IS ABOUT MERTHUR? #CUZ WHEN I FIGHT YOU USED TO TELL ME I WAS BRAVE #I ALWAYS THOUGHT YOU WERE THE BRAVEST MAN I KNEW #AND IF I AM DEAD TO YOH WHY I AM AT THE WAKE #I HAVE MAGIC ARTHUR AND I WOULD USE IT TO SAVE YOU #SHUT UP #merlin #bbc merlin #merlin bbc #merthur #methur #morgana pendragon #taylor swift

[camelotsheart]

Alright. I’m watching 1x11 and trying a new way of liveblogging. Which is just me writing random paragraphs. Enjoy.

A creature of magic mourning the loss of a creature of magic 😭

“Arthur is a hunter. It's in his blood. Whereas you are something entirely different.“ reminds me of “He is a weapon, a killer. Do not forget it. You can use a spear as a walking stick, but that will not change its nature.“ “You are wrong.” Especially with the way that Arthur then proves what is in his heart by the end of the episode, and how his ‘heart’ is shown to constantly guide him towards the ‘correct’ choice in s5 (e.g. “My heart says do anything I can to save Mordred.“)

“You've got a face like a wounded bear ever since we got back from that hunting trip." Arthur means bear. I have no idea what to do with this information.

The unicorn as a metaphor for those sorcerers who “do no harm” and thus Camelot serves no purpose in killing them. Especially since people like the Disir and Alator describe the purge as a “hunt”.

The drought serving as a parallel to the events that happened before the purge to Uther, in that Arthur sees all the harm that “magic” is doing to the land and his people, just like Uther witnesses Ygraine’s death. Arthur initially refuses to accept that what happens is caused by him, just like Uther does. But unlike Uther, Arthur is able to acknowledge his mistakes given time (it’s interesting how in the book adaptation of 1x02 merlin makes this comparison too)

“If it is magic, it's more powerful magic than I possess.“ So unicorn magic is more powerful than Merlin’s magic. Would dragon magic be more powerful too? Is that why Merlin couldn’t heal Arthur from the poison of Mordred’s sword tha was forged in a dragon’s breath?

Merlin not understanding hand signals is my life 😂💖

Ok I can literally draw so many parallels between Anhora and Arthur’s first conversation, and Nimueh and Uther’s conversation in 1x09. Especially from how both Arthur and Uther seem completely unable to understand how the ‘curse’ that happened to Ygraine and Camelot was technically their fault.

“And could you bear for your children to see you be executed?“ The way in which Arthur says this breaks my heart because he does understand the feeling of blaming himself for the loss of a parent, just like those hypothetical children would. This is highlighted more by the fact that Evan later plays on Arthur’s insecurities about being his father’s son.

“If you're tested again, you have a chance to end your people's suffering. I know you want that more than anything." Reminds me of what Bradley says about Arthur putting Camelot above everything, even his personal relationships. Compare this to Lancelot and Merlin, who’s “something that is more important than anything” is a person (or people, in the case of Lancelot).

I LOVE S1 MORGANA. S1 AND 2 MORGWEN WOULD HAVE MADE A PERFECT QUEEN DUO FIGHT ME.

Merlin’s face when Arthur says he’s going to the forest to seek Anhorra out 🥺 Also the way he looks back like he wants to see the exact moment Arthur figures out that he’s eating rat meat 🤣 Merlin’s sarcastic little nod. Arthur’s shit-eating grin. This is what I mean by sibling dynamics.

AND THEN THEY TURN ON MORGANA ASDJSAJASLDKKLDJSA. MERLIN. ARTHUR. NO 🤣🤣🤣

“The King must wonder if you are even his son.“ I absolutely do not like how Anhora chose to do the test with Evan here. I hate it. But it does prepare Arthur for a lot of things. It prepares him to do things his father normally would not do. It prepares him to ignore when people compare him to his father (not that it worked with Agravaine, but Arthur does eventually come around most of the time with Merlin’s help). I find it like a mini 5x03 in a way. Also the fact that Arthur doesn’t even try to defend himself by saying that the looter would have been executed by the law of the land anyway; because deep down he knows that reasoning is wrong. What needs to be changed currently is Arthur’s arrogance in regards to his honour, not his internal morals. He has already proven his internal morals with saving Mordred, laying down his life in 1x09, as well as rescuing Ealdor and his reaction to finding out Will was a sorcerer in 1x10. Right now, Arthur needs to be able to accept that he is wrong.

“Besides I would rather starve than beg my enemies for help! What of our kingdom's reputation? Have you no pride?” “I cannot think of my pride when our people go hungry. They're all I can think of.” I’m screaming over the fact that what ends up beating sense into Arthur is his love for his people. I want to cry. He loves his people so much that his battle cry is “for the love of Camelot” 😭❤️

“Very well. But if you'd caught the sorcerer, I would not have to. That's your responsibility! One day you will understand what it takes to be King!” One day, Uther, you’ll learn to blame yourself for other people’s suffering.

“My people are starving. Camelot is on the verge of collapse. And it is all my doing.“ IT DIDN’T EVEN TAKE ARTHUR A DAY TO LEARN THIS I WANT TO CRY 😭 FUCK YOU UTHER YOU DON’T DESERVE ARTHUR AT ALL. (also the fact that Arthur fiddles with Ygraine’s ring as he says this 😭❤️)

“I trust Arthur with my life” the fact that arthur proves that trust right both in this episode by drinking the goblet and in the previous episode by admitting that he “of course” would not kill Will despite thinking he was a sorcerer.

Why the hell does Anhora use a sword to cast the vine spell.

“I thought I told you to stay at home.” Every time Arthur calls Camelot ‘home’ for Merlin I 🥺

Are those carvings... horseshoes...? Making the shape of a heart....? I--

(Sorry guys. By this point it’s 200% certain that my shipper brain is going to take over. Please expect a lot of screaming)

“What kind of ridiculous test is that? What does that prove?” “What it proves is for you to decide.” Which means that by the end, Arthur realizes what this test proves. And he proves what is truly in his heart by sacrificing his life for merlin. Remember “To sacrifice his life to save Gwen’s... I can’t imagine any man loving me so much.” “I certainly can’t imagine that either” “That’s because you’re not like Merlin. He’s a lover” “Yeah? Maybe that’s because I haven’t found the right person to love”. Remember how in the book adaptation this episode, it says that Arthur proves that there is love in his heart by giving his life for Merlin? Remember “there was magic at the heart of Camelot”? Remember how in the book version Arthur doesn’t deny having love in his heart when Anhora says so when the Unicorn lives again, and instead turns his head to smile at Merlin--

“I’m glad you’re here, Merlin.” @thebookluvrr1816​ More 1x11-finale parallels to scream about 😭 The book version describes Merlin’s surprise at this statement, and how he thought it was “ironic and unfair” that they understood each other "at the very moment that death was about to tear them apart.”

“No, I will drink it!” “As if I’d let you.” Someone stop these dollopheads from having a domestic about who will die for the other i beg

“You know me, Merlin. I never listen to you.” reminds me of “I’m the king Merlin, you can’t tell me what to do.” “I always have. I’m not going to change now.” Also, in the books Arthur actually says “farewell, Merlin” after this. Book Arthur is way more suave just saying.

HOW ARTHUR LOOKS INTO MERLIN’S EYES IN HIS FINAL MOMENTS UNTIL HE ISN’T PHYSICALLY ABLE TO ANYMORE. SOMEONE HELP ME 😭

“This was Arthur's test, not yours.“ idk but this reminds me of the fisher king saying “For this is not Arthur's quest, it is yours.“

“You've killed him! I was meant to protect him!” This is going to sound harsh but by this point I think Merlin was still putting Arthur’s destiny above Arthur himself. In the books, there’s a distinct difference in how he feels about Arthur’s death in this scene compared to 1x13 (I’m amazed at how fast his feelings changes, actually). Here, I feel like he focuses more on his own failure to protect Arthur as part of his destiny, but in 1x13, he says that the idea of destiny not being fulfilled was nothing compared to the idea of not being by Arthur’s side. I wonder what happens between this and 1x13 for Merlin’s feelings to change so much.

THIS HAS PROBABLY BEEN STATED MULTIPLE TIMES BEFORE BUT “HE HAS PROVEN WHAT IS TRULY IN HIS HEART“ AS THE CAMERA FOCUSES ON MERLIN. PRODUCERS YOU AIN’T SNEAKY.

Merlin’s smile as he looks down at Arthur sleeping 🥺

Arthur looking at Uther’s hand on his shoulder as if he’s trying to identify a foreign object 🙂 I can never say this enough but fuck you Uther.

“When he who kills a unicorn proves himself to be pure of heart, the unicorn will live again.” this is a stretch but it reminds me of “when Albion’s need is greatest, Arthur will rise again.”

And that’s done! I have a small meta that ties the theme of Arthur and magic in this episode to the same themes in 1x10, but I might do it on a separate post since this one is already so long 😂

#bbc merlin #merlin meta #long post #1x11 #merthur? merthur #someone stop me from having 4 spirals every episode #this is why my chronological watches take me so long

[everlastingfable]

TOA Fic Teaser In 6 Words Or Less: (I might be writing it as we speak, but wanted to gauge potential interest):

What If Queen Guinevere Lived AU

*excitedly waits to see your reaction*

morgwen? 👀👀

wait that changes everything though, because isn't Gwen's death the reason Arthur decided to outlaw magic? So if Guinevere is still alive, then the world of magic and man still intermingle, potentially. That also means Merlin still has all his apprentices, would he then still take Douxie in as well? Would Douxie's parents still be alive?

If Douxie is adopted as another apprentice does that mean he's got like older siblings who'll help teach him magic too? 🥺 If Merlin doesn't have to stay emotionally distant from his apprentices because of Arthur, would he/is he a caring father figure?

ooh I'm intrigued, keep me updated!

edit: you got me speculating now... or would Arthur still ban all magic because Gwen almost died, they're too dangerous and must be destroyed. So everything still happens but now you have a secret morgwen trying to save all magic creatures from Arthur. ooh like when Merlin brings Douxie in, Arthur wanted him in the dungeons or killed, but Gwen was able to help Merlin convince Arthur to let Douxie stay as an apprentice, so long as he doesn't cause any issues

#asks #anonymous

[fluffypotatey]

how do you feel about morgwen's falling-out? haven't seen any talk about that

Ooooh yes good question anon😌

Short answer: their falling out gives me pain, but I also think it had potential to be even angstier.

Long answer:

Ok so season 1 & 2 we have our morgwen happy as can be. They are the best of friends despite status and we have been shown that they will do anything for the other.

Season 3 happens, and we see our lovely morgwen start to fall apart and oh the pain.

Personally, I feel upset about Morgana and Gwen’s falling out because of how close they were to each other in the previous seasons, but then in season 3, suddenly, it’s not as important anymore until the season finale. 

Also, I feel like Morgana framing Gwen as a sorcerer just to get her out of the picture w/o an ounce of hesitation or regret was a little ooc. This is just me of course, but after seeing how much they cared and how far Morgana was willing to go to protect and care for Gwen (for example hiring an assassin to kill Uther after he killed Gwen’s dad and begging Uther to save Gwen in s2 when bandits kidnapped her instead of Morgana)....Morgana being okay to have Gwen be accused of sorcery just because she saw a vision of her on the throne with Arthur feels off. And then she expects Gwen to still be loyal to her once it is found out that it was Morgana who was the one that almost had her executed.

What I’m saying is that based on their dynamic and relationship shown previously to be very close, Morgana should not have been as determined to kill Gwen as she was in Queen of Hearts (ep 3x10). Personally, I feel like Morgana would try to sway Gwen to her side rather than kill her (like she did in the season 3 finale, but that just ended up feeling empty after what happened to Gwen only two episodes before). Gwen already has a vendetta against Uther. He killed her father solely because he housed a sorcerer without knowing said guest was a sorcerer. I highly doubt that Gwen ever forgave him for that. Also, Gwen had already been accused of sorcery in s1, so Morgana could use that to sway Gwen in a way.

I know that by s3 Morgana didn’t care about Uther or Arthur or Merlin, but she still cared about Gwen. Gwen was a constant in her life. Her only friend for a long time, so I doubt she would be so quick as to frame Gwen of using magic.

Anyway, I do think the falling out of morgwen had potential, but I feel like it needed some work. I always get really upset about friendships falling out just because these are people who have been so close to each other for who knows how long, but soon their dynamic changes and they can’t seem to click anymore. It’s angsty, it’s tragic, but it’s a really good relationship arc to see.

In s4’s finale, we can hear the anguish in Gwen’s voice when she asks what she has done to make Morgana hate her. And Morgana only says it’s what Gwen will do that makes her hate her once dear friend. (edit: which is a fucking gut punch of angst and would be even more impactful if s3 gave more focus on morgwen’s falling out).

By s5, Morgana and Gwen are no longer friends. They are far from it, actually, and I doubt that anything from their relationship would ever mend now. Morgana tortured Gwen until she was a helpless pawn for Morgana’s plans. Looking from there to where they started is just tragic, and should have been explore more.

Personally again, I think if we saw more of their relationship drifting apart in season 3 it wouldn’t feel as unnatural and off kilter as it felt in the show. For example: 

Morgana starts noticing how close Gwen is getting with Arthur. This is something that confuses her because Arthur, to her, is enemy by association. Uther is his father and is anti-magic and Arthur has shown not enough proof that he is any different from him. She starts to asks her friend questions. They are subtle at first but as the season goes on they get a little more nosy, a little more accusatory.

Morgana doesn’t understand. How can Gwen even begin to like someone who’s father is the reason why her own is dead? Arthur stood by and did nothing! It was Morgana who fought for her. It was always Morgana who spoke against such atrocities. Never Arthur.

Gwen is upset with Morgana’s questioning. She doesn’t understand why this has bothered her so much. Doesn’t she know that the faults of someone’s father does not mean that they too are at the same fault? They start having mini arguments that soon become heated and loud, and eventually, the room is always stifled whenever they’re together. Gwen stops answering her questions.

Morgana sees the vision of Gwen on the throne (this time a little earlier than the queen of hearts episode). It’s not terrible. She looks happy. It’s been a long time since Morgana has been privy to one of her maidservant’s bright smiles. Then dream Gwen looks to her right, and Morgana sees Arthur on the throne next to Gwen’s. She wakes up screaming.

From then on, Morgana does everything in her power to stop the two of them from being together. She tells Morgause that it’s because the throne should be hers and hers alone. She doesn’t tell her sister the second reason.

She begins by seeding doubt in Arthur. He was always insecure about many things. It had frustrated Morgana before. How one little word from his father caused him to shut down. She had always wanted to scream and shake his shoulders to make him understand how wrong Uther was. Before, she would try her best to tell him, to show him that he can be someone worthy of great feats without his father’s approval. Now, she’s glad the cracks are there, and she prods into him like she always does, but this time it’s not to help him. This time, she wants to see him crumble and fall.

This time she plants more doubt instead of that passionate reassurance and self-righteous will. She tells him about whether he’s truly sure he can love Gwen. Could he really put away his responsibilities of Camelot for a serving girl? That’s not fair to Gwen is it. To string her around while Arthur is still a prince only to drop her once he’s king. It’s not honorable and in no way noble. She plants those seeds the best way she can and waits for them to fester and grow. However, she forgot one thing in her plan for making Arthur doubt. He isn’t alone anymore.

She tries the same for Gwen, but her maid is too confident, too strong willed to let doubt enter her mind now. Morgana always admired that about her, but now it’s just frustrating. Not even a threat from Uther to the both of them seemed to deter their relationship. They’ve just become more secretive.

Gwen doesn’t talk to Morgana like she usually did. Their relationship is a professional one, and Morgana can feel her rage festering. (She doesn’t know that Gwen feels the same pain she does, but Gwen just can’t be close to her like before. Morgana has changed, and Gwen fears it’s too late to stop it.)

Morgana begins to hate Arthur more. No longer just by association. He took Gwen from her. He took her closest friend. How dare he! Gwen is hers. Forever her bright sun, forever loyal. What he has done is unforgivable.

When she and Morgause take over Camelot, Morgana tries again. She tries to show Gwen that what she’s doing isn’t bad. Who’s bad is Uther. Uther Pendragon is the cause, and she’s only bringing justice. Gwen fears Morgana has already lost that goal, but she stays silent. She allows Morgana believe Gwen is still loyal until she and Leon flee to where Arthur is and take back the kingdom.

Gwen....her sweet, darling sunshine...Gwen left her. And Morgana cracks.

So yeah....uh, that’s how I personally feel like what would make their falling out a little better since it definitely had the potential but not everything was there, in my opinion.

I do get really upset about their falling out only because of how close the show had them be. So, if they really want us to believe that Morgana would want to hurt Gwen, maybe they could have drawn out them drifting apart.

And those are me thoughts. I do apologize anon that I sort of went off on a tangent there soooo😅. I just wanted to show how I would have done their falling out in s3. I also apologize if it’s a little incoherent and rambly.

#thanks for the ask anon! #i also mostly focused on morgana and how she felt soooo sorry about that #gwen definitely did not have it easy either #at one point morgana was her friend then she wanted to kill her then keep her loyalty while killing innocents to show power #then try to kill her again then torture her into submission.....her relationship with morgana towards the end is not a friendly one #i wouldn’t be surprised if gwen had nightmares about morgana coming to kill her #gwen never actually knew why morgana came to hate her so much #to her it was more of a whiplash that to the audience #it’s really sad when you just sit and think about it #to add more angst by s3 morgwen is an unrequited love on morgana’s side #i do think morgana loved gwen a lot but when learning about gwen’s affections for arthur she became confused #add on that she was ambitious for the throne and was obsessed with achieving that goal #i bet that morgana was obsessed with keeping things and people that are ‘hers’ away from anyone else which included gwen #to learn that arthur was taking away someone she valued would probably make her go insane and try to stop them #but anyway that’s just me and adding my own morgwen angst into the mix plus my own interpretation on how they’re falling out could have gone #bbc merlin #morgwen #merlin meta #long post #i hope some of this makes sense in a way

[oohlook-thevoid]

Ranking Rating the Merlin ships

I’m bored and procrastinating doing more productive things plus I was already doing this in my head so I guess I’ll share and you can all tell me how wrong I am or whatever,,, jk please don't. Also to note these may not be all ships, they’re just ones I have seen on past perusals of ao3 or on here basically. 

Merthur

7/10 - this is like the main ship of the fandom and I get it, y’know they almost died for each other several times and so on but like, canonically, it really is not the best ship. Like, we’ve got to admit these two did not have the healthiest relationship - Merlin was basically obsessed with saving Arthur because of the prophecy and did so at the expense of helping magic eventually and then Arthur was just kind of a dick sometimes because he’s emotionally repressed and all that. But I mean it does still have a lot going for it, mainly the mass of great fics that make it all a bit more even and healthier, so it gets a 7. 

Arwen

7/10 - even though this is one of the only canon ships, I feel it’s a bit underappreciated in a way because of the merthur love out there. Anyway, arwen is an equally good ship and Arthur and Gwen were just really cute together; when I was watching s5 most of the scenes they were in (Edit: I’ve just remembered I specifically mean the scene when they’re de-mind-controlling Gwen at that lake cauldron thing or whatever, they were very cute there), I was just like they’re a really good couple, they work. I mean there are certainly downfalls which is largely the writing and treatment of Gwen in those later seasons but overall they really were a good couple who deserve better.

Merlance

9999999999/10 - PERFECTION. Like, Lancelot knew about Merlin’s magic and still cared about him greatly and this was the one relationship in which Merlin could be entirely honest and himself and Lancelot was just so so good about it. And also when Lancelot said “I look at you and wonder about myself, would I ever knowingly give my life for something.” and Merlin said “You have to have a reason. Something you care about. Something that’s more important than anything.” and then Lancelot sacrificed himself being the only one who knew Merlin was going to thus giving his life for Merlin. Just these were two amazing dudes who deserved better and by better I mean each other because they were in love your honour. 

Merwaine

10/10 - I mean come on first of all “help a friend” “Arthur’s lucky to have us” “not Arthur” like, Merlin understand that this beautiful chaotic man loves you. Like it is undeniable that Gwaine is brought into this all because of the fact he cares about Merlin, like that’s what brings him into all this. In fact it’s so undeniable that even when I’m reading merthur fics there’s a magic reveal and Arthur’s all like “begone foul demon” waving his sword about all threatening like whilst Gwaine is there like “wow I don’t give a shit because it’s Merlin and I love him end of discussion”. And sometimes it’s even like Arthur attacks Merlin and Gwaine stops him which like,,,,,, it is very clear that we can all see Gwaine is a fucking perfect man for Merlin and someone just needs to tell the dipstick warlock this so they can date. 

Perelyan

5/10 - tbh this could probably be higher but my awareness of Percival and Elyan is shamefully minimal. Like I’ve seen the show, they were there but I can’t say I remember that much. Still, from what  I do recall, they seem to have a good friendship going on so y’know if they ended up in a relationship I wouldn’t be opposed. Could be nice.

Perelyaine

6/10 - basically same as above but Gwaine’s here too now so I have to give an extra point.

Perwaine

6/10 - I mean the scene in Diamond of the Day where Morgana’s torturing Gwaine and he screams and then Percival just fucking hulks out from where he’s tied up and breaks free to get to Gwaine like,,,,, get you a man who can do that. 

Mergana

0/10 - Morgana is a lesbian. Thank you for coming to my TED talk. 

Merdred

-2/10 - I just simply do not vibe with this ship in the slightest. I mean firstly there’s the matter of Merlin just hating Mordred (wrongfully so imo but still). And then just, Merlin was like basically adult and Mordred was small child the first time they met so like I just can’t say I vibe with it. Mordred is the child of the group and he shouldn’t be dating anyone, that’s it basically. 

Freylin

6/10 - I can almost guarantee they’d score higher if someone had been allowed to live longer but alas the writer’s ain’t shit. They are the peak of deserved better though.

Morgwen

9/10 -  ah recall the earlier seasons when these two where just in love and everything was incredible. “Something to cheer you up, I know you’re not sleeping well” “You cheer me up.” That’s love bitch. Anyway these two could have had it all as shown by every early season interaction the had but no once again the writers had to fuck it up. So anyway thanks to them a point has had to be deducted off of perfection because it isn’t cool to torture and brainwash Gwen in the dark tower Morgana (also because of that stupid queen jealousy shit where Morgana was like Gwen can’t be on the throne like can it girl we know you you used to want to share that throne with her).  

Gwencelot

5/10 - I think what they had was sweet but I also think that, at the end of the day, they both at other people out there who they work better with than with each other. Still, I love them both and if they wanted to be happy together then I’m rooting for them. 

Mergwen

3/10 - but only if we’re talking romantically. Platonically their friendship is like  ∞/10. They deserved more screen-time together in later seasons but regardless earlier seasons tell us that their friendship is unmatched and I can live with that.

Merlin x Gwen x Arthur

8/10 - I don’t know the actual ship name for this but I know I’ve see it somewhere. Anyway, fuck love triangles, polyamory saves lives. (this sentiment can also go for any other love triangle or even love square on this show that you can think of)

Leon x anyone

-7/10 - yes, this isn’t a real specific ship. yes, I’m aware of that fact. But I had to say, given I’ve seen various ships with Leon, that overall no. Leon is long-suffering and tired of everyone’s bullshit. If Leon is going to date someone, it will be someone nice and sensible who he deserves and who doesn’t add to the chaos going on around him. 

On that note, I’m done, you’re welcome. 

#merthur #arwen #merlance #merwaine #perelyan #perelyaine #perwaine #mergana #merdred #freylin #morgwen #gwencelot #mergwen #merlin bbc