Board Thread:What If?/@comment-173.245.80.12-20140903054558/@comment-39489211-20190525015036

I mostly agree with November Witch (although I can see your side too, Brutegwaine!). Surely this tv show welcomes so much discussions and meta that we can go on for years more!

What's really frustrating, and I feel we can blame the writers for, is that you both are talking about the same guy who, the very second episode of the series, believes his brand-new-not-friend-yet manservant (a servant who is in his fourth-day* into the job, btw) over a noble knight, with only the proof of a snake head that "doesn't belong to Camelot" [semi-cit]. I doubt Arthur had any time or reason to watch from close Valiant's coat of arms/seal before Merlin comes bearing his snake-y gift and Arthur doesn't rush to the armory (or even to Geoffrey or the Steward that holds the seals/papers) to check the coat of arms to compare the severed head Merlin brought him and the one making the coat of arms/seal of Sir Valiant either, before telling Merlin that "I believe you". It's also unlikely (99.9% it didn't happen) that Arthur had any chance to make that close comparison between the head and the painted coat of arms on the shield before summoning the court (unlike Uther - whom, by the way, doesn't seem to find a resemblance enough to give credit to his son's accusations).

So. Yeah. It's frustrating that the same guy who accused Sir Valiant of using magic by showing up in front of the king with the severed head of a big snake, is believed dumb or close-minded enough that The Powers That Be In Canon (namely, Gaius and Merlin) decide that he's not to be shown the necklace that killed his father nor the bracelet that could explain why his almost-wife suddenly and illogically betrayed him the night before the wedding ceremony. I feel half of the issues our "good side characters" have or cause, can be blamed on Gaius and his decisions to never share anything (or share as little as possible) with Arthur. I understand Gaius reasoning, which is written as to balance Merlin's impulsiveness (he wanted to tell Morgana about is magic, and let's not image what would've have happened in S3, should've Merlin shared that bit with Morgana!) and coming from a character who survived the Great Purge and its horrors by lies, secrets and omissions, but at times Gaius errs on the secrecy side.

Our poor blond guy, with all his faults, is always left in the dark and has so little to make his decision on: no wonder that most of the times he doesn't take good nor fair decisions, when he knows half of the truth to start with.

I admit it, I'm a bit biased on Arthur, and it might show in these reply of mine, but... meh. :(

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 * that episode has a very messy timeline - I had to write down a small diagram about it when I wanted to write a what-if/remix of Valiant: according to my calculations, the episode spans six days.