Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-24691863-20140413080351/@comment-5102537-20140413110104

Interesting post. I hope you don't mind that I have to dispute some of your points (not your take on the show or the fact that you liked the way it turned, of course)

Since you started with Uther, I'll do that too :-)

You wrote that he missed telling and showing his children how much he loved them and that he was proud of them. It's a miracle to me that so many people have said exactly that, and I wonder if it's the result of what the main protagonists said within the show - because it's simply not true.

Please let me quote some things here. In "Excalibur" of season one (already!):

UTHER  "(the knight's code) Be damned! I believed you would die. And that was a risk I could not take. You are too precious to me. You mean more to me than anything I know, more than this entire kingdom, and certainly more than my own life."

ARTHUR   "I... always thought that...

That...I was a big disappointment to you."

UTHER "Well, that is my fault, and not yours. You are my only son. And I wouldn't wish for another."

Another one from season one, "The Poisoned Chalice":

UTHER  "I'm proud of you, Arthur. Never forget that"

Season one, "To Kill the King":

UTHER  (to Morgana) "I cannot tell you how much it pains me to be at odds with you. "

MRGANA "My Lord, it gladdens my heart to hear these words. I too wish to heal these wounds. Let us visit my father's grave together and put the past behind us."

UTHER "Nothing would give me greater happiness."

(---)

UTHER (about Gorlois) "When he died, and I took you into my care, you fought me from the beginning. Your will is as strong as my own. You challenge me as a friend must. As your father did in his time."

(He even admitted that killing Tom was wrong)

UTHER "Please forgive me, Morgana"

Season two, "The Sins of the Father":

UTHER  "My son, you mean more to me than...than anything"

Season two, "The Nightmare Begins"

UTHER (hugging Morgana) "I was so, so worried about you."

Season three, "The Tears of Uther Pendragon":

UTHER (to Morgana) "Drunk with happiness. I would have searched the entire world, the seas, the skies, the stars, for that smile. To have it stolen from me was like a blade to my heart. Morgana, there are no words. You mean more to me that you will ever know. To Lady Morgana!"

Season three, "The Crystal Cave"

UTHER (to Morgana) "You and Arthur, you mean everything to me"

Season three, "The Eye of the Phoenix":

UTHER "Arthur, I don't know what pleases me more, to be in possession of such a precious artefact, or to know that you have finally proved yourself to be the man I always hoped you would be. I have no doubt that you will one day make a fine king ."

Season three, "The Sorcerer's Shadow":

UTHER " I have followed your progress with a sword since you were a boy. I know your abilities better than anyone. I am eternally grateful. I hope that, when you are King and have sons of your own, that they will afford you the same honour. Indeed, the most satisfying outcome of the tournament was that Arthur's actions have shown me that he is now truly ready to be King."

So we see that Uther has already shown his love and pride for his children from season one onwards, yet Arthur keeps saying in season four that he hopes that now Uther will be proud of him. Is it again the enormous lack of consistency or do Arthur and Morgana have selective memories?

It's not only what he told them but also what he did for them. In season one, Uther tried to sacrifice himself for Arthur in "Excalibur", being well aware that Arthur is notready to be king yet, leaving the kingdom to his son. The oh-so precious kingdom which he supposedly cared more for than his children? He wanted Arthur to live, no matter what, so he wanted to die for him.

In "Le Morte d'Arthur" Uther cried for Arthur, stayed with him and slept by his side while his son was in a fever.

Morgana not only ignored what Uther told her but also what he did for her, meaning that he searched for her for an entire year and risked his kingdom, the precious one he cared for so much... He also used magic in order to heal her, the one thing he feared and hated the most. Yet she ignored this and constantly ranted about him not caring for her. Yet, she and Morgause knew that Uther would be like melting snow in Morgana's hands on which they based their malicious plan upon when Morgana returned in "The Tears of Uther Pendragon"

When Uther agreed to participate in the tournament, he risked losing his face in order to give Arthur an important lesson of what it means to be king. He wasn't stupid and knew that Arthur meanwhile was faster and a better fighter than him due to his youth. Yet he humiliated himself in front of everyone only to make Arthur see what it means to "lose" even when you win in order to show honour and mercy.

After the conversation at Gorlois' grave, Uther kept his promise he gave to Morgana and let her speak and criticise him in front of everyone without any consequences for her. He grew softer and allowed her to say whatever she wanted at any time. He never pnished her again, which was very unusual for a king at that time period.

This was all ignored by both the protagonists/antagonists as well as by a lot of fans.

As or the hypocrisy, he used magic indeed when Morgana was about to die. But this was the only time. It wasn't only a noble reason (saving her life) but also the only time he ever took advantage of magic. Had he been a true hypocrat and such a power-hungry king that the show suddenly made him in seasons four and five, he would have used all the magical tools he had in the vaults in order to gain more power and to conquer other kingdoms. He wouldn't have destroyed most of the magical tools but kept and used them, especially those slugs that rid sorcerers off of their powers. He didn't.

This all doesn't absolve him from the wrongdoings especially in regard to the Great Purge, of course. But it's untrue that he didn't show his children that he loved them and that he was proud of them.

Have to continue later with the others.