Board Thread:What If?/@comment-69.148.49.98-20140113232611/@comment-37304183-20181026010441

If only tiny things had changed we could have seen a very different Morgana Pendragon. If Merlin and Morgana had been a bit closer after he helped her find the druids, they might have found a strong friendship there and maybe more.

Merlin would have stopped Morgana from going on the dark path her sister takes her on, and they could have worked together instead of apart. It's also a bit strange how in the episode where Morgana mind controls Merlin with the black worm thing in the back of his neck, she seems to view him as nothing more than a devoted servant, even though by this time she should know that this is clearly not the case, as demonstrated by his resourcefulness and compassion towards those with magic which she has witnessed. They seem to be quite close, especially in the episode where they both hide young Mordred from Uther. It is interesting, then, that she develops a doting friendship with Mordred and NOT MERLIN after this, since Merlin is one of the only people who has been truly compassionate in this way, and he is the only like-minded person she knows.

There are also many misconceptions that cause Merlin and Morgana to become farther apart. One is Merlin poisoning her. Among other things, though, this should have given Morgana a hint that Merlin is not all that he seems, and is far smarter than Arthur makes him out to be. However, in her restless hunt for Emrys, she never even considers Merlin(but is interestingly not surprised when she realizes it's him). This leads to the conclusion that maybe she suspected Merlin all along but didn't want him to be so badly that she couldn't bring herself to accuse him. It is likely that she automatically assumed he'd be on her side because of his friendliness towards magic and also care for those in need, especially her, both qualities she still associates with her side even at her darkest of times.

Intimacy between the two is seen throughout the show. Merlin clearly likes Morgana at the beginning of the show, and never underestimates her throughout. He blames himself for the evil inside her and credits her with the good that she has managed to accomplish. While they never kiss or show clear outward signs of physical affection, they become quite close in the early episode where they hide Mordred from Uther, both mentally and physically. According to the actors, they had originally intended to further develop that storyline, but the overall writers forbid them, as it was not the direction they intended for the show. Maybe, then, if the original legends had not made Morgan le Fay so evil, Merlin would have been able to save her.

Even at the end of the show, when Merlin kills Morgana, it is clearly a mercy kill, and something Merlin is far more likely to sob over than rejoice. He says, "I blame myself for what you have become." Both equally heartbreaking and fitting, Merlin sees what he has done to Morgana, helping her too much to keep her separate from magic but not enough to save her when the time came. Mergana is one of the most painful almosts in television history, because if Merlin and Morgana had been just a tiny bit closer, Arthur (along with countless other characters) would still be alive.