Board Thread:Rewatching "Merlin" - Season Three/@comment-5102537-20130831114747/@comment-5102537-20130906110319

199.68.218.74 wrote:

Too right. I fondly remember when Uther talked to Merlin in Excalibur! Telling him that Merlin acts way beyond duty and that he shall look after Arthur. That was lovely and so different from the usual arrogance towards servants in Camelot. I think that Uther dropped his walls when he was in an exceptional situation. Loved the few scenes between the two of them, most of all the deleted scene when Uther pushes sleeping Merlin in his chair. :D Too bad they deleted it!

This episode was one of the best eps ever. I tend to believe that Merlin was supposed to enter the Crystal Cave all along and that it was his destiny to see the future, thus saving Morgana after causing her injury. Perhaps it was a test for Merlin, a test for his heart. Things probably would have turned out the same way if he hadn't tried to save her life but he probably would have failed the test? If this even makes sense.

Yes, the deleted scene was very funny. I wish they had kept it. Whatever reasons they had to delete it, it was a wasted chance to show the more humorous side of Uther which were very rare.

What you said about Merlin makes perfect sense to me. As a matter of fact, I would imgagine that since the future was set in stone by whom or whatever, all characters were being tested. Though they couldn't change the outcome they could have changed the way to reach the outcome by their actions. As we know, when Merlin met the Fisher King it had all been determined long time ago which means that Arthur's quest was determined too, as was Morgana giving him the bracelett which made Merlin following Arthur and meeting the Fisher King.

I have no idea what a test would have been about and what difference it would have made for everyone - maybe it was about their souls/spirits finding peace in the afterlife or whatever. But especially "The Crystal Cave" proved that the future couldn't be altered. Long before Merlin intervened, he saw the visions coming true already.

The question is what would have happened had he not seen the future in the Crystal Cave. Morgana probably would have gotten the dagger from someone else or she may have found and stolen it. She may have suffered an inury due to some other reason which caused Merlin healing her and Uther revealing the secret which then caused Morgana to sneak into Uther's chambers, trying to kill him.

There's also the possibility that the Old Religion or whoever simply manipulated pretty much everyone. Maybe there was a way to alter the future but nobody knew or noticed the manipulation. Either way, the characters, all of them, weren't really capable of escaping what was planned for them.

ReganX, I agree with what you wrote. There's almost nothing I could add, except that it never made sense for Morgana to not try to use her powers and talent for manipulation to change things for the better. Uther was like butter in her hands and she could have changed things, like Merlin told her later in "The Coming of Arthur". Again I can only conclude that Morgana was enchanted because a rational person with a tiny bit of intelligence would have tried to take an advantage of the situation for the better instead of making things worse and ignoring the great opportunities. If she wasn't enchanted she then must have been mentally afflicted.