Board Thread:Rewatching "Merlin" - Season Four/@comment-5102537-20131116154357/@comment-4814726-20131119000314

I agree. I wouldn't have ad a problem with Uther's death if it had been done right. Even though a character death is sad and horrible, that doesn't make the deaths worthless. Meaning a character death should have an emotional, gripping essence just like deaths in real life. The way Uther died in the end was pointless, used only as another excuse for Arthur to hate magic and keep the show "dramatic".

Perhaps another version could have been-

Merlin follows Arthur into his father's chambers and finds Arthur crying and holding Uther's body. He comforts his friend and helps get Uther into the bed. He tells Arthur that he will do everything he can to help his father. When he asks Gaius, the physician tells him that using magic is too dangerous but Merlin refuses to let Uther die(like he healed Morgana in The Crystal Cave) and he finds the spell, sneaks into the chamber and heals Uther. Meanwhile, Morgana has asked Agravaine to esure Uther's death by poisoning him as well (since she wouldn't know about Dragoon in this scenario) so when Merlin tries to use his magic it doesn't work.

The next day, Father and son say one last goodbye, and the king dies.

Merlin wonders if this is the moment when he would tell Arthur about his magic as the crowd cries "Long Live The King".