I agree with the person who said that Aithusa should be free. Neither Morgana nor Merlin did any good by this poor dragon. Merlin did nothing but abuse his dragon lord power by bending Kilgharrah to this will, even if it meant doom for the kingdom. He hatched and then completely forgot about Aithusa, letting him become the pet of the deadliest enemy Camelot had.
I absolutely hate her. This character served no purpose past the ending of Series 3. She was a stupid, incompetent one note villain. She was always set up to fail in her plans. She wasn't even given the opportunity to discover Merlin's Emrys alter ego on her own. A better villain would have been Mordred, in a different story than the one he got in this adaption, for Series 4-5. He had a better reason to fight against Arthur.
It was the actress' only skill, it would seem. On the other hand, the writing for her was very simple. Evil witch does evil things.
Matt Smith has a more imposing build that Colin Morgan. The character would have probably been adapted so as not to appear like such a weakling all the time. I had no idea about the almost-casting of MS in the role of Merlin. I would have liked to see it.
A lot of what happens within the walls and beyond in Camelot is dictated by plot. I have never seen a show that traps its characters in stupidity, or ignorance, for the sake of convenience like this show does. Ruadan, for example, infiltrates Camelot and makes a mighty noise.
2A02:C7F:BC0A:2E00:AD29:1452:1AB1:3677 wrote: Can anybody tell me what that ending was, with the truck and the tower on the island? Also to anybody who is wondering whose hand it was to take the sword into the lake, it was the person who informed merlin of the fact that he threw it into the lake and when he went to retrieve the sword for the immortal army.
It's Freya's hand. The reasoning goes that they couldn't find a woman diver, so that's why it is a man's hand.
The truck just means that Merlin is immortal, and is still waiting for Arthur in the present day. Magic has been left to myth and legend.
They had no way of explaining how they knew Lancelot was a Shade (or proving that he was) without admitting that they'd used Necromancy, aka magic.
Arthur knew that Gaius was a pseudo-follower and student of the old religion and magic. It was under Gaius's purview to tell Arthur that there was more to Lancelot than met the eye. Morgana used necromancy first, and Gaius did it to protect the kingdom. Of course these writers wrote it in a way that Lancelot fails the autenticity test because he doesn't know that Merlin has magic.
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.
Edit: Was looking at the transcripts, and Merlin actually does want to tell Arthur about Agravaine at the end of 5x07. It's Gaius who vetoes the idea because they don't have any evidence and Arthur wouldn't believe them over his uncle (a view which is supported by the fact that even Gwen believes Arthur trusts Agravaine more than anyone), and I'm guessing Merlin doesn't argue with him because he tried to tell Arthur about Agravaine earlier in the episode and was immediately shot down.
I's concede that they were mostly going by suspicions, but Agravaine wasn't exactly subtle about manipulating Arthur and isolating him from those he loved and trusted. Gwaine had also seen him trying to kill Gaius.
By this point, Merlin's best bet was to reveal himself to the court, including Agravaine, and letting the chips fall where they may. He was a mere servant going against a noble who has the uncle and also the king's second in command. He wasn't going to accomplish change, or put an end to Morgana's threats and Agravaine's scheming.
He got angry and even threw a punch at Arthur and called him dumb in the episode with Cornelius Sigan. The way to expose everyone else was to reveal himself and force Arthur to see the contrast.
I think that the main problem was timing. For Merlin (and the audience), the reveal wasn't something that he could just throw out there next Tuesday over lunch, it was an important event. And there was always the sense that if Merlin took the wrong cue or picked the wrong moment then everything could fall apart.
Merlin greatest asset was that he was supposed to be the most powerful warlock, destined to unite Albion, and someone whose destiny had been written since the dawn of time.
For Merlin and Arthur to fulfill their joint destinies, both had to be confronted with their greatest fears, and then move forward. Arthur had to learn to stop measuring his ability to rule against Uthers's. He wasn't like Uther, and that was a good thing. He had seen and disagreed with Uther's way of doing things with Gwen, Tom, Morgana, Gaius and Merlin. He had to learn to forgive and realize that a warlock in the kingdom willing to help it was a way of building good will with the Druids and good people with magic. Add to this that the writers needed to have more good people with magic in the show.
Merlin had a lot of fessing up to do: From taking Morgana to the Druids to freeing Kilgharrah to something as trivial as freeing a goblin that made everyone fart. He let his lies and actions snowball into powerlessness, forgetting that he had been chosen and given gifts by the old magic.
They had evidence in "The Secret Shearer" to tell Arthur where Agravaine's true allegiance was. They didn't, and it doesn't make sense to me why.
If Arthur was struggling this much with using magic when it was his idea and the only means of saving his father's life, I really doubt that he'd be in any state to weather Merlin's magic reveal after seeing Uther die, much less to sit and listen to him hash out the differences between him and Morgana and take in the standard magic-can-be-used-for-good speech. I can't see him being particularly receptive to Gaius's theories about Agravaine's alleged treachery, either, especially after he realized that Gaius himself had apparently been lying to him for years.(In fairness, I do think that Arthur would probably reach a reasonable enough frame of mind to process it all eventually - by the end of 5x07, for example, he'd made enough peace with his father's death that he was able to calmly listen to what Gaius had to say about Dragoon and how he wasn't responsible for Uther's death - but that wouldn't really do anything for Merlin and Gaius's immediate predicament.)
Merlin needed to reveal his secret sooner rather than later. That conversation was always going to be uncomfortable, to say the very least, and my biggest regret with this show is that the writers avoided this completely by Merlin revealing his magic to a moribund Arthur. Morgana was the main villain in S4, and most of the sabotage and scheming that happened could be traced back to her or Agravaine. Gaius and Merlin knew this, but chose to stay silent and hence allowed Morgana to take Camelot a second time.
At the heart of Uther's death story was both Pendragons' hypocritical relationship with magic. They were willing to use it to save their loved ones without giving a thought to the people who are persecuted for being borne with it--Uther so save Morgana, Arthur to save Uther, and then Arthur again to save Gwen, breaking his own decrees. Merlin always let Arthur off the hook when it came to using magic in secret.
You are right that Arthur was in too much pain and confusion in "The Wicked Day" to be open to understanding and acceptance, and might have been more so at the end of "The Secret Sharer". His father's death by magic, realizing that both his parents died by magic, and his coronation are perhaps too many events in one episode to also include the reveal. Sadly the reveal never came, no matter how big, close, or painful the threat.
Arthur acknowledges that the Druids are peaceful people, but there are Druids rebelling against the kingdom because they are not free to be who they are or practice their faith. The longer Arthur took to talk about accepting magic, or making it legal, the more people like Alvarr, Kara and Ruadan were willing to even kill him to meet their goal. It was in Merlin's best interest, in terms of fulfilling his destiny, to make sure that Arthur was a fair and jsut king to all the people in his kingdom.
November Witch wrote: I'm clearly in the minority on this, but I don't think showing Arthur the necklace would have changed anything. All it would have done is prove that his father was deliberately killed by sorcery (which is what he already believed) and Dragoon would still be the obvious suspect.
Dragoon, who was actually in the room when his father died.
Dragoon, who when Arthur first met him in 3x10 was trying to hide a magic poultice under his pillow in broad daylight.
By the end of episode two, Gaius and Merlin knew that Agravaine was liaising with Morgana. He walked into their chambers asking about Emrys, which they thought was odd, and concluded that the idea could only have come from Morgana. Gaius knows or at least deduces that the necklace came from Morgana. Either Morgana put the necklace around Uther's neck herself, (why not just kill him right then and there and volt out of Camelot with her powers?) or someone did on her behalf.
Morgana had already proven that she wanted Uther dead. Dragoon, or better yet, Merlin should have told Arthur this. The problem is that Dragoon was written since the beginning as a joke. I actually really dislike this aspect of the character. If Arthur sought help from the same crazy old crone who threatened them with a curse upon them all, that's on him. Uther is dying and the best the writers can think of Arthur giving Dragoon a piggyback ride. The episode's tone is all over the place.
From my perspective, this was the time for Merlin to come clean about his magic and show Arthur the difference between him and Morgana. The gig was up. A lot complications and Arthur's hatred of magic would have been resolved a lot sooner if Merlin spoke sooner. Edit: Something, or rather someone, always got in the way of the truth and consequences for Merlin revealing his magic. First it was Morgana and how dear she was to Uther. It would be her word against his. Then it was Agravaine and how dear he was to Arthur. It would be the word of his uncle and adviser against that of a mere servant.
The only obstacle to the Arthur and Guinevere was Uther. He was the only noble that ever voiced opposition to it, mainly because Gwen had no dowry and, land and might, or at least the appearance of them, were very important to Uther. No one else opposed, or even mentioned it. Not one person.
Granted, their courtship was kept mostly secret during Uther's life, but once Uther died, their relationship was more in the open. Neither the knights, nor any other member of the court ever voiced opposition, or concern over it. They see Gwen as a friend, and are mostly happy for the pairing. Would have been addressed by someone else, other than Agravaine, it would be a point of discussion, but it's mostly dealt with as a personal choice for Arthur.
Agravaine had Morgana's agenda to push, because he was too stupid to come up with one of his own. As for Morgana, she was jealous of Gwen because she was a servant, but she also wanted Arthur off the throne out of spite and the foolish belief that it was her birth right.
"I don't think that they needed to go into huge detail but it was a cop-out to have everybody okay with it, just as it was a cop-out to have the problem of Arthur not being able to marry a servant vanish when the time came for it to vanish. Short of Merlin using his magic to force a change of heart on the nobility, they should have had a problem with it."
I think what Machairodus tried to say was that the writers were trying to re-tell the legend with a modern twist by having the nobles, the court, and the knights not care about knighthoods being bestowed on commoners and the King marrying a servant girl. This is only my interpretation of his comment, and I wouldn't want to put words in their mouth.
Throughout the show, Uther shows very little regard for servants and commoners, despite his two children asking for compassion on his part. This show was always about Arthur breaking social status barriers, hence his best friend being his man-servant, his most trusted Knights commoners and his wife a former servant.
From a writing point of view, the views of the other Knights of the Round Table and other members of the court were never acknowledged. The only one with any lines is the librarian, who agrees with Gwen about the refugee situation. From what is portrayed in show, as well as from the Knights' interactions with Arthur, it's implied that they think he is a worthy king, and they trust his decisions. I do agree that is mediocre writing, but the audience is meant to just accept this.
The only nobles to voice concerns about commoners being knights, and the prospect of Arthur marrying a servant are Uther and Agravaine. The former was an elitist tyrant, and the latter was only expressing thoughts not even based on his own agenda. Gwen proved that she knew about the dealings of the people of the lower town, and that she could speak on behalf of the people of Camelot in their hour of need.
As far as I can recall, Arthur's decision to marry Gwen only bothers Morgana. His courtship, betrothal, and eventual marriage, despite Gwen's apparent betrayal, are seen as a personal choice. I don't see the validity of the Knights or the court opining in this when they don't bother to when Arthur decides to behead a king and start a war, or when he decides that the best way to make peace is to give up chunks of land as amends.
A Lurker in the Woods wrote:
I got angry at Arthur for yelling at Mithian when she led them to the trap, I know he later apologised, but still, he came across as a petulant child in that moment.
I really don't understand this point of view. How did you expect him to react? Last time he saw her, they parted on amicable terms, as allies. Now she comes to Camelot as a friend, with a knife in her hand, albeit under an enchantment. With only this information, Arthur had good reason to believe that Mithian had betrayed his trust and friendship and led him to a trap, and hence he was understandably angry. Anyone would be.
Once again, the characters act in a stupid way because the plot demands it, or maybe being hit in the head so often and thrown several meters have finally taken their toll. Gaius and Merlin know of aging spells; Merlin himself has used them. They also know that Mithian acts strange towards someone she is supposed to trust. If only Merlin hadn't had put so much trust in Gaius throughout the story, maybe he would have made better choices.
Early episodes gave me the impression that Merlin wished more for his own life than being a mere servant to a man and a destiny that he eventually didn't fulfill. He wanted to reveal his magic, and showed a little bit of romantic interest in Morgana and flattered-awareness at Gwen's insinuations. He fell in love and was willing to run away with Freya and live his own life somewhere.
I don't understand how his destiny entailed giving up all his life's desires to build a kingdom with Arthur; in the end none of that came to pass, and he still wonders the streets alone.
The more I look at Merlin's story, the more I realize that Arthur didn't really need anyone to help him build a kingdom. He made several choices on his onw because Merlin wouldn't reveal his secret, even if it meant endangering him and Camelot. Arthur experienced pain and disappointment with regards to relationships, but found his true love.
Merlin poisoned Morgana because she was in league with Morgause to take over Camelot. She was also the source of the magic that left the kingdom defenseless. She never told Uther of her magic, and assumed that he would hurt her or kill her. Uther had a hypocritical relationship with magic anyway. This is another of those stories that was never explored further and instead she just decided that she wanted him dead, and that the throne was rightfully hers. Regardless of her issues and mistrust of Uther, the betrayed her friends first. Arthur and Gwen did nothing but love and protect her, and she only returned sorrow and pain to them because they sat on the throne.
I actually had to re-watch this episode to make sure if someone had noticed that there even was a necklace because all I remembered was Arthur's anger at his father's death. And, sure enough, Gaius noticed the necklace and decided to keep it a secret from Arthur for no apparent, or believable reason. Why? Arthur already knew that Morgana had magic and that she had used it to take over Camelot; he also knew that Morgana hated Uther and sought revenge. It wasn't even a concern over hiding the truth for fear of his reaction towards Merlin. There was no reason, other than the writers decided that the servant/King dynamic and banter was more important than Merlin actually taking a proactive approach toward fulfilling his destiny and speaking to his so-called friend with truth.
Merlin's constant fear of Arthur with regards to his magic is tragic. This isn't a friendship that is built upon a secret that wouldn't be anyone's business under normal circumstances. Merlin's fear of exposing his secret almost brought down the kingdom he was supposed to help build down thrice. So what if Arthur threatened to or actually banished him and Gaius. At least give him all the facts.
This episode more than any other proved to me that the writers didn't know what to do with Merlin's magic and how keeping it a secret from his so-called friend affected the characters and the stories. This was a pivotal moment for Arthur and the show. It was the one event that could change his mind and lead him towards change and become a rightful and just ruler for everyone in the realm.
ReganX wrote: Does anybody else think that Kilgharrah might have been lying about there being only one way to undo the love spell?
Trickler is a petty sorcerer who isn't powerful enough to keep his master from abusing him yet we are to believe that he is capable of casting a spell so powerful that Merlin, aka. the most powerful warlock ever, can't put a dent in it. That seems implausible, at best.
Maybe a kiss from anybody who wasn't Vivian would have broken the spell but it amused Kilgharrah to nudge Uther's son in the direction of marriage with a servant, and he could guess that, if Merlin believed that he had proof that Guinevere was Arthur's true love, he would be determined to see to it that they were able to be together.
The Dragon doesn't even mention Gwen as the one who break the spell. Merlin knows and has seen enough to know that Arthur loves Gwen because Arthur confessed his feelings in Lancelot and Guinevere. The relationship was sidetracked by Lancelot's return and departure, but Merlin did know that Gwen and Arthur were had feelings for each other.
This episode marks one of the biggest inconsistencies or plotholes in the show. The kingdoms change from one episode to another, as does the amount. Arthur is destined to unite the lands and kingdoms of Albion, but Uther accomplished that here. Their discord seemed to be over territories( when is it not?), even though the use of magic seemed to be a complex disagreement since it was being used to bring down Camelot and trigger a war even as Uther celebrated peace. Whatever agreement they reached, clearly didn't last because Uther says that his treaty with Cenred is not valid anymore in "The Last Dragon Lord". Later, King Caerleon invades Camelot lands and Queen Annis allies herself with Morgana to defeat Arthur.
The realm was very much in need of unification in regards to partition of lands the the rulers' use and treatment of magic. There are more instances of the kingdoms being in turmoil than the one episode where Uther is credited with achieving a peace that didn't last that long anyway.