Board Thread:Rewatching "Merlin" - Season Five/@comment-5102537-20140329115401/@comment-5102537-20140405102054

98.214.159.15 wrote: I think that the choice was not Mordred lives (bad choice) or Mordred dies (good choice, when they said he would live). Merlin thought the choice was between getting rid of Mordred and Magic. It was really about Arthur's fate. They said multiple times in the episode that this was his one chance to change it. If he had accepted magic, they would have kept their word and saved Mordred. How would that be a losing proposition? Magic would be allowed, Mordred could be himself, and he would never have any cause to turn against Arthur. They both thought that if Arthur rejected magic Mordred would die. Arthur rejecting magic was obviously the choice that would doom him forever. Merlin thought that it would be ok, though, because Mordred would be dead and no longer a threat.''' The fact that Mordred lived anyway says to me that it wasn't about whether Mordred lived or died. '''It was about whether Mordred became evil or not. It was about Arthur's fate, and Mordred's part in it. If Arthur had made the right choice, Mordred would never have turned evil. When Arthur made the wrong choice, that doomed Mordred to turn against him.

Interesting points. I agree with the most part. However, Mordred turned on Arthur because his girlfriend Kara was executed by Arthur. The question is: had Kara slaugtered innocents and attempted to kill Arthur if Arthur had submitted to the Triple Goddess?

I believe she would. Kara was driven by revenge and hatred and she even didn't care for Arthur's offer when he made clear that she was not sentenced because of her magic. The reason why she was executed was the fact that she had killed innocents and tried to kill the king. Had she cared for a change in Arthur's  opinion she would have at least appreciated his offer, whether she had taken it or not. The whole situation reminded me a lot of Morgana. She wasn't willing to see the change in Uther, and neither did she bother to even remember that Arthur had already helped saving sorcerers. All that mattered was revenge/hatred/power. Kara was the same.

So I highly doubt that a different decision of Arthur's towards the Triple Goddess would have stopped Kara. Mordred would have turned on him in any case, that's what I'm sure of.

Yes, I agree that Mordred would have lived anyway, regradless Arthur's decision. That's why I think that the Old Religion played a very sick game with everyone. And what basis would it be to only allow magic due to the powerful entity's cruel threat? It wasn't a test of Arthur's goodness but of how good he could be frightened. The Triple Goddess tried to break him and failed, yet Mordred's life never was really at stake. It was a set-up, a trap and a cruel game.

To the other Lurker (wouldn't it be better if you all registerd so that we can address you with your names here?), I read the blog to which you posted the link.

I agree with parts of it but other parts I find rather offensive. Moreover, he got some things wrong, both in regard to the story as well as in regard to coloured people in England in medieval times. Those who would like to watch a series for "historical" accuracy and perfect CGI have chosen the wrong show. To me, "Merlin" was never about accurate history or special effects, and I believe that the show has never claimed to be about that.