Board Thread:Rewatching "Merlin" - Season Four/@comment-5102537-20140111151000/@comment-37001937-20181009172107

I do hope that the discussion on this show never ends. It's kind of sad to see that it's not as popular. Part of its lack of fandom probably stems from the ending being unsatisfactory.

Anyway...episodes that deal with Gwen, Arthur, and Lancelot are difficult for me to process because the stories feel rushed and like stepping stones to something else. That Lancelot and Gwen were not cleared of their treachery is something I will never forgive this show for.

The problems with the plot and the overall affair start with Lancelot and Guinevere's romance, which came down to her being nice to him when they met, and then fighting for their lives and talking through a window. It was easy to assume that they would be attracted to each other based on their lowly origin, and the fact that Arthur told her that nothing could happen between him and her. Lancelot steps away once the Arthur and Gwen romance is in the open, and then he is killed off.

Lancelot's death and return is another thing that didn't make sense, and it frustrated me to no end that neither Gaius nor Merlin brought this to Arthur's attention. After all the drama and tragedy created around the magic and sacrifice needed to close the veil, why didn't anyone question Lancelot's mysterious return from the realm of the dead? Keeping Arthur in the dark became a running gag in season 4 from Uther's real cause of death, Gwen's betrayal, Agravaine's plotting, and Morgana's control of Merlin's mind, and even Gwen's ordeal after her banishment.

The break up scene works in every aspect. It feels real and the actors' hit every emotion beat for beat, especially Bradley James. I can understand that by banishing her he was in fact saving her life, and that he couldn't or wouldn't want to see her after her betrayal, but condemning her to loneliness and danger seemed callous and cruel, given how much he said he loved her. This also became indicative of the hastiness Arthur was prone to in season 4, making mistakes that could have been avoided if he pondered with a cold head.

As for Arthur's forgiveness and eventual marriage to Gwen, it's all by the power of love and true forgiveness, which also worked for me, Merlin's and Gaius silence notwithstanding. I'd like to believe that somewhere in between season 4 and 5 or before the wedding, Merlin Merlin elaborated to Arthur about Morgana's alliance with Agravaine and how Lancelot was a shade and hence had a supernatural pull towards Gwen. For all the love he claims to have for his friends, Merlin seems more concerned with saving his own skin at times, and this is a prime example. It's sad that from what we see on the show as canon (an not my dream scenario where Merlin explains to Arthur Lancelot's true nature), Gwen the only person who never lied, or bent the truth to Arthur and always believed and supported him, is thought of as a traitor.

The show had established the friendship between Lancelot and Merlin quite well, with the former's knowledge of the latter's magic, so of course, Lancelot gets a nice send off, while Gwen leaves Camelot in ignominy. Gwen bears all the guilt and penance for something she didn't do on her own free will. Once again, Arthur is kept in the dark about Merlin's magic and Morgana's plans to invade Camelot. Do the writers realize how stupid it is for Merlin to keep his magic a secret when it nearly killed his friend and put Camelot, Arthur's beloved kingdom and people in danger?

As for Arthur's eventual forgiveness of Gwen, he continued to love and respect his father even after finding out that he may have cheated on Igraine, betrayed Gorlois, had a child, kept that child's paternity a secret, and may have even had his friend killed. Gwen loved him, fought for him and Camelot, and apologized and paid enough. In a good point of continuity he made good on his word of changing customs once he became king, although that should have been done sooner. Gwen had proven that she could talk to the nobles on behalf of the common people of the lower town. If Arthur's real concern was to protect and serve the people of Camelot, most of whom were poor, then courting Gwen, making her part of the council/advisors, and eventually marrying her, would have been seen as progress. Plus, what good is to deny oneself love because of one mistake, a mistake that the transgressor has apologized and made amends for?