Board Thread:What If?/@comment-173.245.80.12-20140903054558/@comment-37001937-20190529172618

The fact that no-one but Morgana and Agravaine knew about the enchantment actually sucks, especially watching the thing from Gwen's side, although this at least makes Merlin and Gaius innocent. They still held the secret about Lancelot's nature, though. I guess I'm irked, in place of Arthur, for all the secret he was withheld: many were withheld for a reason (protect Merlin), but these two... there was no reason to not tell him.

The bracelet is even more egregious than Uther’s necklace. Once again, Merlin and Gaius are privy to substantial information and decide to keep it from Arthur and Gwen. The part that really angers me about this is that Merlin didn’t even have to worry about saving his own secret, or his worthless hide to expose the truth. November Witch is right in that without concrete evidence, Arthur wouldn’t believe even Gaius. The writers made up situations in such a way that Merlin, Gaius, and Kilgharrah, or a combination of the three, would solve the problem and Arthur would be non the wiser. I hardly know where to begin with the bracelet incident. Lancelot died by crossing over to the afterlife, or underworld, or whatever. It was made clear that the veil was opened by a sacrifice and another sacrifice would be needed to close it. He died saving the realm. The dead cannot just cross over to the realm of the living. They need the horn, or a living sacrifice. The rules have been set. Why didn’t anyone, Arthur included, ask just how in the halibut Lancelot just waltzed into Camelot again? He didn’t just leave after a battle, he died sacrificing himself in a way that has specific rules for coming back. Merlin and Gaius discover that he was a shade. Why isn’t this brought up to Gwen, Arthur, or the court during Gwen’s trial? He acts overly flirtatious and seductive before he gives her the bracelet, which is not what the real Lancelot would do. This episode fails the friendship between Arthur and Merlin, and Arthur and Gwen because, Merlin doesn’t even attempt a conversation with the latter about just what she might have been thinking betraying Arthur on the eve of their wedding. If such conversation would have taken place, Gwen would have mentioned the bracelet, that she felt an unnatural overwhelming attraction to Lancelot that she couldn’t explain, just like she told Arthur in the throne room. Gaius would identify the bracelet as being enchanted, and then both Gwen and Lancelot’s honor would have been restored.