Board Thread:Rewatching "Merlin" - Season Four/@comment-5102537-20140111151000/@comment-37001937-20181009172107

I do hope that the discussion on this show never end. It's kind of sad to see that it's not as popular. Part of its lack of fandom probably stems from the ending being unsatisfactory.

Anyway...episodes that deal with Gwen, Arthur, and Lancelot are difficult for me to process because the stories feel rushed and stepping stones to something else. That Lancelot and Gwen were not cleared of their treachery is something I will never forgive this show for.

The problems with the plot and the overall affair start with Lancelot and Guinevere's romance, which came down to her being nice to him when they met, and then fighting for their lives and talking through a window. It was easy to assume that they would be attracted to each other based on their lowly origin, and the fact that Arthur told her that nothing could happen between him and her. Lancelot steps away once the Arthur and Gwen romance is in the open, and then he is killed off.

Lancelot's death and return is another thing that didn't make sense, and it frustrated me to no end that neither Gaius nor Merlin brought this to Arthur's attention. After all the drama and tragedy created around the magic and sacrifice needed to close the veil, why didn't anyone question Lancelot's mysterious return from the realm of the dead? Keeping Arthur in the dark became a running gag in season 4 from Uther's real cause of death, Gwen's betrayal, Agravaine's plotting, and Morgana's control of Merlin's mind, and even Gwen's ordeal after her banishment. It

One thing though, the break up scene works in every aspect. It feels real and the actors' heat every emotion beat for beat, especially Bradley James. I can understand that by banishing her he was in fact saving her life, and that he couldn't or wouldn't want to see her after her betrayal, but condemning her to loneliness and danger seemed callous and cruel, given how much he said he loved her. This also became indicative of the hastiness Arthur was prone to in season 4 making mistakes that could have been avoided if he pondered with a cold head.

As for Arthur's forgiveness and eventual marriage to Gwen, it's all by the power of love and true forgiveness, which also worked for me, Merlin's and Gaius silence notwithstanding. Arthur continued to love and respect his father even after finding out that he may have cheated on Igraine, betrayed Gorlois, had a child, kept that child's paternity a secret, and may have even had his friend killed. Gwen loved him, fought for him and Camelot, and apologized and paid enough. In a good point of continuity he made good on his word of changing customs once he became king. Plus, what good is to deny oneself love because of one mistake, a mistake that the transgressor has apologized and made amends for?