Board Thread:Rewatching "Merlin" - Season One/@comment-5102537-20130330123307/@comment-5674726-20130401230824

Rubelle wrote: exactly, It would make more sense that the prince does not inform his manservant of his every move. But the show often goes to  unbelievable measures to show  how Merlin hid his secret in the guise of a fool. The guise of a fool seems to have been one that was wished on him rather than one Merlin courted, at least in the early days of the show when he was frustrated with the way he was dismissed because he was a servant. Arthur dismissed him as an idiot, as did Uther in this episode - justifiably so, given that he was claiming inability to remember simple messages - and Gaius would eventually use the tavern to excuse his absences.