Board Thread:Rewatching "Merlin" - Season Five/@comment-5102537-20140517082836/@comment-30546716-20170108150242

Tabahta wrote:

As for the bromance, the relationship between Arthur and Merlin has been stagnated since the first 2 seasons. We have certain friendship between them, but this is developed early in the show. However, for all this time Arthur still doesn't acknowledges Merlin as his equal, and still bullies him and treats him as a servant. Some rushed declarations after the reveal meanwhile Arthur is dying are not enough to compensate for the lack of development in that area. So I can't understand why a Merthur shipper would be happy either. Not to mention that homosexuality doesn't even seem to exist in canon Camelot.

Tabahta, I agree with you that the relationship between Arthur and Merlin was difficult to fathom. Having re-watched all of the Series recently, I think that there is a major shift in the first half of S4 to the closeness in their relationship, where they are almost on the level of open friendship. It takes a step back again after 'Lancelot du lac', but this can be reasonably explained by Arthur's depression after losing Gwen. At the end of the 'Sword in the Stone' Merlin's show of extraordinary loyalty, and ,of course role, in keeping Arthur alive and helping him to regain faith in his ability should have strengthened the relationship. Then in S5, there is an inexplicable reversion of their relationship to S1 levels. Arthur was at times cold and horrible towards Merlin in the final series, and it was clear that the warlock was jealous of the apparent friendship Mordred enjoyed with the king.

This ties in neatly with your point Lurker, about Merlin's 'obsession' with Arthur. The distant  relationship between the two protagonists felt at odds with the outpouring of devotion in the 'Diamond of the Day.' Merlin's expression that he was always meant to be Arthur's servant and that everything that he did for him was out of devotion to the king wasn't true according to the preceding narrative. Merlin saved Arthur's skin so many times so that the king would live long enough to create a land where magical users would be tolerated. Merlin, in a way, was a manipulator. He grew fond of Arthur along the path of his intended purpose, but the prince and later king, demonstrated in his treatment of his servant, that he  was often undeserved of Merlin's loyalty. I think it is clear that Merlin felt this. At times, being the king's servant was demoralising and painful, but it was Merlin's conviction that he would create a better future with Arthur that kept him going. Their last moments together give the misleading impression that Merlin was rather happy with with status quo. Taking more cynical view, I think that this may have been included to cover up how disjointed the ending felt with the rest of the narrative.

I like to think that Merlin returned to Camelot after Arthur's death. I would have liked to have seen this in the finale instead of the redundant and rather jarring scene of an elderly Merlin walking past Glastonbury Tor in the modern day. Contrary to what the producers had intended, I found this scene depressing. The producers confirmed in an interview that magic was tolerated in Camelot by the Queen. This is subtlly implied by Gwen when Gaius informs her about Merlin's magic.

Merlin of all the TV shows has a unique effect on me. If any other TV show had been so badly handled in its final chapter, I would not have remembered it so fondly. At five years since it ended and I still am in love with the show.