Board Thread:Rewatching "Merlin" - Season One/@comment-5102537-20130428092325/@comment-5674726-20130430181938

''The dilemma of deciding who will get food and water was quite interesting. Even though I would have decided the way Arthur did, meaning that I would have helped the citizens, Uther was also right when deciding that the army needed to be strong enough in order to defend Camelot. He was also right to not ask for help on one hand. On the the other hand I wonder what allies and befriended kingdoms are for when they are not even to be trusted in such a desperate situation.''

I'd say that Uther not asking his allies for help was either because the writer didn't think of it, or so the situation would be presented as more urgent. Similarly, nobody seems to have any kind of provisions in their larder since people are flooding to the city to be fed within a couple of days of the crops failing, and the food stores end up rotting.

As for rationing, it'd be a very difficult call for a King to make as, on one hand, the kingdom is vulnerable and needs its army to be strong to defend it but, on the other hand, it's an excellent way to stir up discontent among the population if people feel that their King is letting them starve to death to feed his army. One note I quite liked is that it's clear that the royal household is suffering the effects of the food shortages, rather than being insulated from the crisis at everybody else's expense. When Gwen smuggles food out of the kitchens, it's dry bread rather than the makings of a court dinner.