Episode III.V – The Crystal Cave
Join us in the Crystal Cave, in epsiode 5 of Season 3 of BBC Merlin!
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21st October 2020 @ 7:56 am
Iām late so I know you wonāt be able to respond but my favorite bits were the toad joke and all of Colin Morganās acting. Also that scene with Arthur in the rain is beautifully heartbreaking. Gwen is also lovely as usual. I do think itās a shame that there are so many beautiful moments in this episode because for some reason I donāt like it very much so I rarely go back to it. Also itās my head cannon that when Merlin asks Gaius if he looks handsome is because of the barmaidās acknowledgment of him in the previous episode and that it gave him a little boost in confidence. Lovely discussion, thank you both for all your hard work.
23rd October 2020 @ 11:36 am
all of Colin’s acting can just be a given ‘favourite’ for every episode of Merlin!! And yeah, the rain scene isjust… GAH! like, they both do a very nice job, but that is so down to the writers, director, and the set designer. beautiful beautiful work!!
–I do think itās a shame that there are so many beautiful moments in this episode because for some reason I donāt like it very much so I rarely go back to it. —
this is absolutely my issue! Like, you can look at it the other way. ie that it’s not a great episode, but it has these lovely moments that elevate it. But I’m the same as you, I am frustrated because I dont ever go back to watch that episode, and therefore I miss out on these awesome moments.
anything that boosts poor merlin’s confidence I will haoppily accept as canon!!!! haha
M Xx
17th October 2020 @ 10:14 pm
Not much to say about this episode. A lot of it just didn’t flow right or make sense. I wish Merlin had let Morgana die and then suffered the consequences of that (what if Arthur had found out Merlin had been the reason?). A lot of this episode was frustrating but the gorgeous parts were just so gorgeous, I tended to only remember them (Merlin washing the blood off, Arthur and Merlin in the rain, Katie with her horse) and forget the things that didn’t make sense.
Anyway, thanks for all the insight. It’s certainly making me think!
19th October 2020 @ 12:41 pm
I wish my brain did that!! it always works the other way for me. The frustration definitely takes over, and it means that all those stunning moments (absolutely what you list) disappear from the episode in my mind. Which means that when I do end up rewatching it I’m like OMG THIS IS WHERE THAT IS <3 <3 <3 - which I guess is a nice surprise? lol
M Xx
12th October 2020 @ 12:24 am
OK Iām suuuper tired but here are some thoughts:
Possible headcanon that makes Gaiusā dismissiveness about prophecy maybe make more sense: itās related to his old friendship with Uther, and the specifics of this prophecy. He refuses to believe that the prophecy is true, because if it is then he either has to accept the death of his old friend (either because the crystals are never wrong or because he knows deep down itād be for the good of Camelot to have Arthur replace him) or actually do something to try to save Uther (which then puts him in the position of knowingly prolonging the persecution of magic-users). Essentially, as usual, Gaius is a coward.
I really fully expected the ātrust meā thing to be a much much bigger deal by the end of the episode. So that sucks.
I totally agree with you about the light thing! I loved it so much.
The Kilgarrah scene makes me feel like Merlin is very definitely not ready to be Emrys, which reminds me of all the times weāve heard that Arthur isnāt ready to be king (especially in season 1). We keep saying that Arthur didnāt really need to learn whatever lesson he was supposed to learn (eg with the unicorn), but maybe Arthur isnāt ready to be king because Merlin isnāt ready to be his advisor.
(I donāt know why the dragon is here tbh, but then Iāve never really wanted to see the Stinky Lizard)
I was convinced by the acting, and then thought about it, andā¦ yeah. No. Not a good episode. But if you donāt think about the plot itās so convincing!
13th October 2020 @ 3:33 pm
I really wish the show had any investment in the gaius and uther realtionship. I completely understand why we don’t go there, and I also completely understand why fandom mostly didn’t go there, but there is so much stuff to explore in that relationship and their history, that is absolutely relevent to what is happening on our screens but also to what is happening with Arthur. and yes, this weird knowledge that of course, for any prince to become king, the king has to die, and for merlin to fulfil his destiny (which gaius does believe in) gaius’ oldest friend has to die… like, that’s heavy stuff the show just doesn’t acknowledge. I don’t even think (SPOILER MUSIC) when we get to the point where uther dies, we really deal with Gaius then, either. though my memory is foggy of those episodes…
The other thing I’ve always been super fascinated by is the thought experiment that is about ‘what would Merlin do, if Arthur started heading down a dark path, in the way Uther did…’ which I’ve always felt helps to empathise with Gaius still standing by Uther, even after everything he has done…. that, and the fact that he is a massive coward of course lol
M Xx
13th October 2020 @ 4:20 pm
Gosh, that reminded me of a mini comic I found, where you read it like it’s yet another Arthur&Merlin adventure, with all the banter etc., and right at the end the king figure says “come on, Gaius”, and he responds “sometimes you’re a prat, Uther… um, sire”, and I tear up! O_O Maybe if the show had a more mature target from the beginning, they would have gone there, who knows… or not. My affinity for tragedy has no bounds š but it also helps me empathize with Gaius at least a bit.
13th October 2020 @ 4:21 pm
THAT IS THE SADDEST THING!!!!!
11th October 2020 @ 7:27 pm
Firstly, that is so interesting what you said about Gwaine and Lancelot being versions or ideals of Arthur that he canāt quite achieve. I think particularly when talking about nobility, G and L both have an inner, intuitive nobility that Arthur doesnāt but seems to want. Maybe that makes him the better man at the end of it, however – I think you have said to is on the podcast before – because he does have to work at it and push past the boundaries of being Prince/King and his father.
I think I might be the most unobservant person to to exist, I just canāt spot plot holes! Your episode this week made me completely rethink the episode, and you guys are so right there is so much wrong with it that I just didnāt noticeš. I always forget this episode exists and every time I rewatch it it feels so removed from the series, despite being vital to Morganaās arc -or supposed to be, anyway!
I think there are some great moments in it – the acting is pretty incredible, especially from Anthony, Colin and Katie and light, of course – but it is fundamentally flawed in the decisions Merlin makes, Morganaās arc. I wonder if it had been Arthur who Morgana tried to kill, like you said, it would have made more sense. They could have even inserted some internal Morgana conflict about killing Arthur, and linked it more to a ādoing it for the magical communityā kind of thing for her motivation.
LESSONS
I think Merlin learns that when it comes down to it, he just canāt bring himself to kill Morgana. He went back on it in Season 2 and once again, though this time less intentional, he canāt let her die. Maybe this is because, like in this episode, he does find it hard to hurt the people around him who mean something to him. Also, No one else he has killed before has affected Arthur and Gwen, his friends, in this way and maybe that feels to him like he is going against his destiny if heās hurting them.
Further more, he might learn that, as you said, it is his raw power that thwarts destiny/prophecy, not him trying to cleverly prevent it using more subtle techniques. I think EsmĆ© talked about a Hufflepuff approach not working, so merlin has to resort to Slytherin methods – he has to use brutal force (killing Morgana, blasting the window) to stop the events taking place.
I think he also learned that Arthur is pretty good at reading him. He seems to be able to tell when something is wrong with Merlin, like in the Last Dragonlord, Lady of the Lake, and now, and tries to get it out of him. Itās like you were saying about trust, that Arthur really trusts Merlin and he knows him well enough to sense that heās not okay. Yet Merlin isolates and, I think, will continue to isolate Arthur from his problems, maybe because itās easier to deal with that way. Maybe he is trying to keep Arthur away from anything destiny wise so he doesnāt get hurt/find out the magic. I think, after years now (it goes so quickly!) of Arthurās fathers oppression, and some from Arthur himself, Merlin has become more cautious with his trust than the boy who told Arthur about Valiant almost immediately.
Morgana has learnt that if she is rash and allows her emotions to get out of control, her magic will work in her favour (when she throws Merlin against the wall). This reminds me of Mordred killing the guards out of fear and anger. I think this speaks to her motivations somewhat, as she is furious with Uther for not acknowledging her as a daughter and I think in general is quite an emotionally driven character and her magic has always seemed to respond to that in a way that is dangerous to others and get what she seems to want – destruction of her enemies.
LESSONS OVER
This is so long and rambly, I am so sorry! Hopefully it makes some sort of sense. Thank you so much for another great analysis!
11th October 2020 @ 8:06 pm
I think Merlin learns that when it comes down to it, he just canāt bring himself to kill Morgana. He went back on it in Season 2 and once again, though this time less intentional, he canāt let her die. Maybe this is because, like in this episode, he does find it hard to hurt the people around him who mean something to him. –
The thing is, though, he DID kill Morgana at the end of season 2 and he would have let her die if Morgause hadn’t intervened. Blackmailing Morgause hadn’t been Merlin’s plan – he only wanted to take out the source of the sleeping spell. When Morgause arrived he improvised and that saved Morgana.
Also, the Crystal Cave and Merlin not being able to see people suffer and grieve doesn’t make sense when he has just spent a year thinking that Morgana has maybe died because of him or is forever abducted by Morgause. Merlin just spent an entire year watching his friends grieve and suffer over the loss of Morgana. And now he can’t take two days of it and needs to heal her despite NOW knowing that she is actually pursuing a destructive path.
It doesn’t make sense. Merlin, in this episode, should be resorting to the same coping mechanisms he’s used throughout the entire year of Morgana’s disappearance when he watched Gwen, Arthur and Uther grieve daily for her loss.
11th October 2020 @ 9:04 pm
Yep, absolutely, you are completely correct. He did kill Morgana in episode 12 and therefore should be able to do it here too, like you said by resorting to the coping mechanisms he used throughout the past year. Iām really not very good at spotting when things donāt make sense, I think I get so wrapped up in the episode that it just washes over me! Maybe thatās why this episode feels so separate and suspended in time, because Merlin should be past this point, he went through this in s2ep12 and developed to a point where he could kill her. Itās like both he and Morgana have time travelled back in time because it feels like theyāve both jumped back several places in their arc.
12th October 2020 @ 12:05 am
“I think I might be the most unobservant person to to exist, I just canāt spot plot holes!”
I have never related to something more ahaha, this is the first time I’ve ever watched Merlin and actually thought about the plot structure, character arches, deeper meanings and themes and basically anything else we discuss here! Even though I’d seen the show many times, I think I was definitely more of a ‘casual viewer’ in my lack of critical analysis.
I think this is why I love the podcast though – it both allows be and has taught me how to engage more deeply with the content I consume and I love the discussions we as a community have (but glad someone else also struggles with it until things are pointed out to them!)
12th October 2020 @ 4:42 pm
I totally agree! I think it might be partially due to the incredible acting, that I sort of get swept away and completely forget to think – hang on, does this plot actually work?! Iāve watched it many times too, and I seemed to focus on the bits I understood, that made sense, that the bits where I should be going – whatās happened here, why doesnāt this work – go straight over my head. I mean if you look at my first lesson that Mary rightly pointed out, makes no sense, there you go! It can often take me several stabs before I get it and I am definitely one who needs it to be pointed out tošBut you are so right, this podcast is incredible and has really helped me too with watching more critically and engaging even further and the discussions here are so amazing that I am often blown away by the extremely intelligent and interesting thoughts people have. Iāve learnt a lot here already and have a lot more to learn from this wonderful community who are so lovely and patient. I definitely struggle with this kind of stuff, so you are not alone, but I love to do it and itās so great when you finally get it! I never knew you could apply the same analytical skills as you would Shakespeare, but here we are!
13th October 2020 @ 3:45 pm
Honestly, we had SO MANY write ins this week basically saying ‘Yet again, D&C takes an episode of Merlin that I thought was good, and tears it to pieces’ and I actually feel really really bad, because if you’d asked me cold about this episode, I would have said that it’s kind of filler, because ultimately, everything cancels itself out by the end of it, but pretty solid… turns out that wasn’t the case lol but sometimes that stuff really catches me unawares, too hahaha
–I wonder if it had been Arthur who Morgana tried to kill, like you said, it would have made more sense.–
I think there is a fundamental flaw to the show, and that is the lack of reasoning we get for Merlin caring about uther and whether he lives or dies. Which isn’t 100% fair because we get the ‘arthur isn’t ready yet’ (said by gaius multiple times, and whether we like it or not, to Merlin, that does mean something, and does hold weight), and we get the ‘Sins of the father’ realisation what loosing his father would do to arthur… but I’d really like the show to lean into the emotional family bond reasons, and what it would mean for magic use, if uther died by magic, and what that would do to arthur… i think they could cover all manner of plot sins, if they really leaned on those aspects.
M Xx
13th October 2020 @ 4:05 pm
Oh no donāt feel bad! Everything I liked about the episode before is still there, the acting and visual storytelling and some of the character moments and you completely enhanced that! Itās so important to be critical of the thing we love, thatās how they improve and we appreciate the amazing bits even more.
I love your idea of leaning into the father-son bond between Arthur and Uther āsins of the fatherā style and I agree that I think it would make Merlinās motivation so much better. That was such a great moment and would make so much more sense to me if that was his reasoning for saving Uther. But failing that, I think even if the āArthurās not readyā argument was textual in the episode it would be so much better than not saying anything at all, because – may be wrong – I think all he says is it is a terrible thing (Utherās death)?
11th October 2020 @ 2:49 am
( please ignore my spelling and Grammer I do try but Iām just terrible at it)
Okay but Merlin is a mood though A:ā what do you want?ā M:āsome peace and quietā š it does kinda kill me
Also I like that Arthur does tell Uther that Merlin deserve some credit for helping the escape the bandits.
When Arthur is hit by the arrow it looks like it hits more central on his back so closer to the spine not through his shoulder so I think that might be why he passed out so easily ?
I think that with the threat of Morgana dying The conflict Merlin felt was less that he couldnāt let her die and more of he couldnāt watch everybody else suffer With grief the way they were doing I donāt think he explicitly tried to kill her or wanted to kill her but it was more of that he stopped her from killing Uther and with how he stopped her she was dying and he would of let things run their course and let her die but because everyone he cared about was so hurt by the fact that she was dying he couldnāt just standby and watch them all hurt like that.
when Uther and Morgana where talking in her chambers it was actually quite an emotional scene because you can really see how much Morgana means to Uther and when she says the heās like a father to its some great acting from Antony can really see the emotion in his face. ( even though yes Morgana still trying to be her sneaky self but oh wellš )
And Morgana the character should of been an ye oldy actor š
āļøLESSONS āļø
Something I learned was that if the crystal cave guy he obviously knew the future he knew when he was going to meet Merlin and all that so shouldnāt have known that by showing merlin the future in the crystal that he would make it happen because Morgana wasnāt on her way To kill Uther she was On her way to see her sister in the woods and it was through learning that Uther Was her father thatās when she decided she wanted to kill him so in other words donāt trust creepy cave guys it never ends well people who live in the caves tend not to be good. Merlin dad is the exception obviously
Merlin should of learned to stop trying to fight the Future so strongly because in doing so he ends up making the very things he wants to stop … happen ( he should of learned it but he never really does ā ominous Foreshadowing musicā)
We learn ( as if we didnāt already know š) that Arthur really dose actually want and listen to Merlins opinion like with the dagger š” he takes what Merlin says into account and gets morgana a pretty Dagger ( Even though it does kind of break my heart because Arthur thinks heās done such a good job and he looks so proud And looks a like good puppy and looks so happy that he thinks Merlin likes it at firsts and then Merlin laughs and says ye just what every girl wants … and Arthurās smile drops and is like sad puppy š„ŗ and I sit here thinking ā no Arthur you did a good job itās a great Present Iāll have it donāt look sad ā ) (( and honestly where in the real world are these golden beautiful broken blonde boys that are destined to be The greatest king this land has ever known … because I want one if anybody knows where I can find one please let me knowšš)) … anyway that the end of my rant on how beautiful Arthur is for the day š .
13th October 2020 @ 3:52 pm
salty merlin is absolutely one of my favourite merlins!!!!
–When Arthur is hit by the arrow it looks like it hits more central on his back so closer to the spine not through his shoulder so I think that might be why he passed out so easily ?–
fair! Mostly what I remember is that the wound/blood/looking at and caring for the wound seems to move around a lot, which is a general Merlin thing, more notable in other episodes, but does kind of make me wonder who did their continuity checks… hmmm.
–because everyone he cared about was so hurt by the fact that she was dying he couldnāt just standby and watch them all hurt like that.–
there’s a discussion happening above about merlin being ready to kill morgana in S2, and suddenly not being ready to kill her, which I think is fair, but yeah, I think the huge difference is that Merlin was ready to kill her with the poison, when the situation was desperate, is was her or them, and everyone else was asleep… what he can’t deal with, is killing her and watching her die, and watching all of the poeple that love her suffer, exactly as you say. it is a huge difference. and of course, if the fall down the stairs had just straight up killed her, then all you’d need to deal with is the aftermath. merlin even says ‘I couldn’t watch my friends suffer’, doesn’t he? because there is something he could do. whereas if she was dead, that would be that.
M Xx
10th October 2020 @ 5:40 pm
Lessons:
The dragon learns that it is, after all, not Merlinās determination to see goodness in people that will be his undoing. It is his inability to see those he cares for suffer and grieve.
Kilgarrah also learns that if you speak in riddles/ withhold concrete information long enough, even the most patient dragonlord will eventually order you to do something that you know is wrong.
Viewers learn that in the Merlin universe one must never EVER enter a cave. Everything evil and dubious lurks in a cave. And (ominous future music), this wonāt be the last time we will enter a cave! They are coded as places of evil. (The only exception I could think of may be Balinorās cave ā but it later on brings its own grief as well.) Whenever you enter a cave, evil witches, monsters, giant spiders, manipulating crystals await you to kill, break and emotionally fracture you. Every time Merlin or Arthur step into a cave, the noose of destiny tightens around their necks. I am firmly convinced that, just like the caveās magic conjured up Taliesin, they also send these odd bandits that basically drive Merlin and Arthur almost to the cave mouth, cutting off any other escape routes by appearing suddenly from unexpected directions. Also, the bandits take out only Arthur, not Merlin, but then show no more interest in them because they got them where they needed to be to meet Taliesin, allowing Merlin time to carry Arthur into a safe spot when previously the bandits had been hot on their heels. Also, what is up with that uber-creepy line from Taliesin when Merlin, at the cave mouth, asks why he has been brought here: āIn good time, you will discover all.ā Creepy laugh. Merlin, do not leave your recently half-dead friend to follow a stranger into a rocky crevice because he says your meeting has been āforetoldā. ALL alarm bells should be going off!
We learn that in Camelot, any creep/murderer can send presents to the royal family. There is absolutely no security. The only person to ask about King Grimause is Gwen but no one else thinks to investigate this. It was similar with Edwin Muirden and his beetle-infested flowers in season 1! One would think they would have learned since then ā but no!
We also learn that Morgana killing Uther is now officially accepted as worse than Merlin throwing Morgana down some stairs, fracturing her skull and condemning her to a slow death and those around her to grieve for her loss. I still donāt understand when this decision was made or why Uther dying is worse, but the show and Merlin silently assume that weāll go along with it. ā¹
Finally, we learn that Merlin has a naughty bench/ penance spot in the castle. He sits there after healing Morgana when Gaius comes to talk to him. This learning will later be consolidated in a future episode when Merlin again experiments with healing andā¦it doesnāt quite go to plan. Ominous spoiler music! (Everyone whoās seen the series: itās almost exactly the same shot/ set-up in 4.3 afterā¦you know!)
Merlin and Morgana both learn that acting rashly on information that may be incomplete and/or deeply emotionally distressing wonāt lead to good results. Rash actions without reason lead to failure, brokenness and further lies or suffering.
Merlin learns that Gaius, as much as he may care for him, is at heart a theoretician who can really only approach most magic experiences academically. When Merlin returns from the Crystal Cave, deeply distressed, Gaius says that heās āextremely luckyā to have seen it. This is insensitive to Merlinās current state of mind but is also really typical. Gaius has not got enough magic and no understanding of the impact of the real experience. He is only excited about the cave from an academic point of view. Later, he tells Merlin to ācalm downā and wonders why he reacts so unreasonably to what he has seen in the Crystal Cave. I think Gaius may learn this as well ā that there are things Merlin can feel and experience that are beyond him and with which he cannot help him. The only tool he has is his reason and I think Gaius may be quite happy to maintain his peace of mind/ reason rather than get the chance to be more magically sensitive but also more susceptible to the impact of the supernatural.
Okay, in my opinion, the final and biggest take-away for Merlin in this episode is that the battle to fulfil his and Arthurās destiny and to realise Albion will also be a battle for his own humanity. In the episode, there are two forces pulling at Merlin, personified by Taliesin/the Crystal Cave on one side (superhuman detachment) and Arthur (humanity) on the other. Taliesin tells Merlin that their meeting has been written for many, many years. Interestingly, he meets Merlin at a point when he is at his most humanly weakest: sobbing and hopeless because he cannot save his friend. (Did anybody else melt at the fact that calling Arthur his friend came so easily to Merlin?)
Taliesin then tries to intercept all Merlinās human responses (friendship, crying) by telling him not to waste his tears, citing another prophecy. He demands that Merlin becomes less human, lets go of his human worries and concerns and resigns himself to whatever fate has in store for him and Arthur.
Later in the cave, Merlin shouts āTake me out of here. How do I get back to Arthur?ā If Arthur symbolises Merlinās humanity, this is Merlin basically struggling to maintain the human part of himself, his human connection. (I also thought that line would work nicely as a tag-line to the entire episode ā or season 5?) In response, Taliesin has to appeal to Merlinās human side (āUse what you see for goodā) to finally get him to look into the crystals. However, it is also by appealing and taking advantage of Merlinās humanity that the cave manages to trick and manipulate him, showing only a close-up of Utherās face in shock and leaving Merlin to make human assumptions about what had happened with Morgana, Uther and the dagger.
Arthur, like I said, is most definitely his human anchor in this episode: Arthur throwing the jacket at Merlinās head releases him from the trance/ spell the cave has cast on him. Merlin grounds himself in the banter with Arthur. Arthur, more than in most other episodes, asks Merlin to trust him (like you said), talks to him, listens to him, even compliments him. He shares his grief with Merlin and isnāt afraid to be distraught or weak in front of his servant. Also, I love that all Merlin needs to say is, āCome on, you can tell meā and Arthur jumps at the opportunity to tell Merlin his secret present for Morgana.
I also think that the episode has done an interesting thing with the heartbeat that is heard (Merlinās?) whenever Merlin recognises an image from the Crystal Cave. Might link to his struggle to maintain his humanity also. Of course, it is also quite telling that his final decision to heal Morgana is based on his human instinct to not see people suffer instead of any rational/ detached argument or superhuman knowledge.
Iām not really sure what is ultimately better for Merlin. Personally, I donāt like the emotionally detached, super-human, larger-than-life Merlin that is led by these strange, otherworldy forces. I prefer my Merlin to be a more human. But then, I also know that without Arthur to ground and comfort him in his humanity, Merlin would be pretty much crying, confused, lost and alone all the time because his emotions are in place and they are hurting. Perhaps, after all, it would be better for Merlin if one day he would be able to detach himself and would stop to feel. It is easier to bear everything if you are numb inside. :ā(
10th October 2020 @ 8:09 pm
“Viewers learn that in the Merlin universe one must never EVER enter a cave. Everything evil and dubious lurks in a cave.”
Haha! SO true! It’s probably very medieval / fairy tale! I can’t think of one medieval dragon / beast NOT living in a cave š
“Merlin learns that Gaius, as much as he may care for him, is at heart a theoretician who can really only approach most magic experiences academically. When Merlin returns from the Crystal Cave, deeply distressed, Gaius says that heās āextremely luckyā to have seen it.”
So true! Gaius reminds me of an academic / doctor who’s excited that someone is suffering pretty badly, because it’s an interesting medical case!
“Okay, in my opinion, the final and biggest take-away for Merlin in this episode is that the battle to fulfil his and Arthurās destiny and to realise Albion will also be a battle for his own humanity. In the episode, there are two forces pulling at Merlin, personified by Taliesin/the Crystal Cave on one side (superhuman detachment) and Arthur (humanity) on the other.”
Really true. In my comment, I described it as destiny vs. power to make one’s own decisions, but it really works the way you put it as well. It’s interesting that it’s destiny which leads Merlin to Arthur, but it will be the presence of Arthur that will bring out Merlin’s humanity! I speak of presence mainly because it’s when Merlin stays in the present that he’s able to experience life fully with his friend, detached from destiny, prophecies etc. – whereas when Merlin is too worried about Arthur’s unspecified future, he starts acting emotionless and almost inhuman (now and in the future episodes, *ominous foreshadowing music*).
13th October 2020 @ 3:54 pm
honestly, caves are filled with spiders, so I think that’s a solid life lesson, not just in medieval times!!!!
M Xx
15th October 2020 @ 12:12 pm
š Oh, I remember how much you hate them!
Not a fan either. I can watch the Merlin ones because the CGI thankfully isn’t that great.
10th October 2020 @ 5:39 pm
Soā¦sorry that I donāt like Gwaine quite as much as everyone else. But then thereās more Gwaine for everyone else, right? š And go ahead and wax lyrical. Iāll be thinking of Lancelot meanwhile. š But itās possibly true that because I was āless engaged by the Gwaine of it allā, as Ruth said, the cohesion in plot construction, or lack thereof, was of greater importance to me. I think I generally prefer plot-driven stories and I have always seen this episode as mainly about the thugās revenge on Arthur. Differences in perspective, I guess.
Now, off to the Crystal Cave.
If the Goblin episode was Ruthās nemesis, then this episode is mine! I have watched through the entire series of Merlin possibly 6 or 7 times. I tend to skip this one though. I think I am overwhelmed by the entire premise of these supernatural/ otherworldly forces making Merlin suffer and causing terrible things to happen. They are missing the metaphorical warm, human heartbeat that we get in so many episodes (more on that later). Destiny and all that feels so cold and merciless. And I spend most of the episode shouting at Merlin to let Morgana die and thatās really uncomfortable on a level of my personal morals and ethics!
I am genuinely confused why Merlin isnāt better at healing spells. We know his knowledge as a physician with Gaius is improving. Gaius encourages this and Merlin enjoys gaining greater experience in the healing arts. You canāt tell me neither of them have thought about learning healing spells which Gaius must know an abundance. Surely that would be something Merlin would REQUEST to learn! Just because healing with magic went wrong once (1.3.), it canāt mean that Merlin no longer believes that it can ever be used for good. (I could however imagine that Merlin was traumatised by what almost happened to Gwen back then and now has some kind of mental block that prevents him from using his healing magic powers.) Also, when the dragon gave him the power to cure Morgana, Merlin said a spell ā surely he could just use that over and over again? And since the dragon didnāt know what was wrong with Morgana, I assume it was some kind of universal healing spell? Anyway, the bottom line is, Merlin should be excellent at healing with magic and isnāt becauseā¦plot.
The Crystal Cave and Valley of the Fallen Kings leave a lot of questions unanswered. Firstly, Merlin rode āthrough the Valley of the Fallen Kingsā in 1.13 to reach the Isle of the Blessed, as per Gaiusā instruction. It wasnāt special then. Now, he reacts to it as if heās never been there. Also, if Merlin isā¦(Ominous future music, look away now if you donāt want things spoilt for you!) you know, the āthingā itself, shouldnāt he feel attracted to and comfortable in the cave where magic began, like he is coming home to a place he never knew was home?
In this episode, as many times before, I was so frustrated by all the bloody magical people/ creatures speaking only in bloody riddles! This has led me to a very interesting idea: perhaps Utherās war against magic can be seen as more than just a massive shifting the guilt/ revenge plot. Perhaps this is a battle of ideologies. If Uther associates all magic with riddles and uncertainty and people kept ignorant by those with magic, his fight against these forces may be compared to the Renaissance/Enlightenment trying to end the Dark Ages. His patronage of the scientifically-minded Gaius would support this as does his large library and encouragement of the arts. Even some of Utherās wardrobe choices (especially, if I recall correctly, in season 1) seem to be more Renaissance than medieval. Seeing the forces located in the Crystal Cave and what they did to Merlin, Iām inclined to take Utherās side here (a little bit) and I guess it would be in line with this episode presenting Uther as more sympathetic or at least pitiable.
I think throughout this episode, the driving contrasts of reason versus rashness and humanity versus superhuman detachment may be the strongest themes and the forces driving the plot and driving Merlin (almost mad?) But more of that anon.
10th October 2020 @ 8:00 pm
“Also, when the dragon gave him the power to cure Morgana, Merlin said a spell ā surely he could just use that over and over again?”
I think in this particular case, they highlighted that it was a one-time thing through the sound – when Merlin used the spell, his speech was modified to resemble a dragon roar and it felt as if it was literally the dragon speaking through him (Colin Morgan is capable of doing a lot with his voice, but probably not of changing into a dragon! š ). Of course, it still doesn’t explain how the dragon knew what was wrong with Morgana (unless it is some universal spell of cure – a remedy to cure all ills? Haha), nor does it explain any other instance in the series when Merlin can’t cure anyone. Except, that it’s for plot.
“perhaps Utherās war against magic can be seen as more than just a massive shifting the guilt/ revenge plot. Perhaps this is a battle of ideologies.”
This is such an interesting idea, and it totally works! The Old Religion is all about magic / riddles / an unspecified balance of the universe / unknown rules, whereas Uther is all about libraries / science and scientific cures / funding research. Of course, it doesn’t work 100%, as magic also has its own spell books and lore, but it’s still interesting that the only person who has such books is Gaius, a man who approaches magic in a scientific way. I can’t imagine Nimueh or Morgause studying books, for example. There seems to be something instinctual / mystical about their approach to spells and magic.
You equated the two ideologies with Middle Ages and Renaissance, and it’s true that it somehow works with Uther’s (and Arthur’s, to some extent) wardrobe, though the costumes are still very fantasy and I don’t know if it was intentional. I will still argue though that this ideologies can be also very easily applied to pre-Christian early Middle Ages and Christian high Middle Ages (that the Middle Ages were some dark era without any learning is a myth). The opposition between books and learning on one side, and oral knowledge / mystical knowledge on the other match the approach of medieval cloisters / universities vs. pagan druid knowledge, for example. And I think I wrote it 2 weeks ago about Gaius as the medieval physician, that he has a very medieval-scholarly approach to magic, similar to what Irish monks, for instance, would do with ancient Celtic knowledge: describe it, write it down, comment on it, take anything useful, reject the “bad” pagan stuff (SORCERY! Dum dum dum).
11th October 2020 @ 7:58 pm
I will still argue though that this ideologies can be also very easily applied to pre-Christian early Middle Ages and Christian high Middle Ages (that the Middle Ages were some dark era without any learning is a myth). – Oh absolutely, both interpretations can work. Any ideology that reacts to a previous one (which they will inevitably regard as ‘dark’ no matter whether it’s true or not) could serve as an example here.
I do like the Dark Ages – Renaissance/Enlightenment comparison though because of what you say: there was so much learning around in the supposed Dark Ages but the later reactionaries overlooked it. Kind of like Uther overlooks the positive aspects of magic.
11th October 2020 @ 8:27 pm
Oh, I see š That works really nicely š
11th October 2020 @ 7:51 pm
Wow! You both have some incredible thoughts. Iāve never thought of Arthur as being an anchor for Merlinās humanity, I think I always focussed so much on Arthur being Merlinās Ā«Ā destinyĀ Ā» that I never stopped to think of that. But you are both so right, Arthurās presence and easy banter seems to ground Merlin, in a way that I feel that (ironically, I suppose with the whole magic thing) Merlin is most comfortable around Arthur. I feel like this is confirmed in Le Morte DāArthur when Merlin says āWe havenāt done all we were meant to doā (destiny) then, the one that convinces him and Gaius āheās my friendā. I think that, like EsmĆ© (I think?Please correct me if Iām wrong!) originally said about the Destiny being an merry important story that Merlin is deceived by, it makes so much sense that it is his human friendship with Arthur that drives the whole thing. I feel like I just went in a massive tangent that makes no sense, sorry! But I love what you both say about Merlinās humanity relating to Arthur, amazing.
11th October 2020 @ 7:56 pm
Thanks, Kirsty. It totally made sense.
Also, thanks for reminding me of that scene in 1.13. Absolutely, the thing that finally convinces Gaius and Merlin’s strongest and most important arguement isn’t about their destiny. It’s about their human friendship.
The Merlin writers get it wrong quite a few times. But, oh my goodness, when they get it right, it’s beautiful and so meaningful! š
11th October 2020 @ 8:29 pm
Oh no, Iāve just realised I commented on the wrong bitš! Not at all, it always sticks in my mind, and (spoilers!) is reminiscent I think of a particular line delivered by Merlin at the very end…
They do indeed, but your are so right that they somehow created a relationship so interesting and layered and clearly meaningful to us all, as it is the reason we are all here, to talk about it! There must be something about those two that we all aspire to, need, want, love, find real and authentic, Iām not sure if I can put my finger on it but something is there that we all latched on to! Not many of us – I donāt think – can relate to being told we have a great destiny by a dragon, but I think we all know what it is to love and care about someone, deeply.
11th October 2020 @ 9:55 pm
Gosh, Kirsty. You said this so beautifully. It made me tear up.
11th October 2020 @ 10:11 pm
Oh thank you so much! No intention to make you cry, I promise!
11th October 2020 @ 11:19 pm
Yes, yes, that also got me quite tearful, but in a good way š
12th October 2020 @ 4:49 pm
You are both so kind, thank you. I do apologise for making you cry, even if they were good tears!
9th October 2020 @ 3:57 pm
I liked this episode much more than you guys seemed to, I think because it’s a Morgana-centric episode and it’s hits the same kind of beats better than some of the other ones. It’s a shame it has to come after all of those- I think it’s a bit out of place here. same with the next episode- I do enjoy it but it should be in one of the earlier seasons.
The opening scene is wayyy to rushed and doesn’t suit the pensive mood of the episode. When Merlin was washing Arthur’s blood off his hands a little Macbeth alarm bell went off in my head (thanks GCSE English Lit). It reminded my of Lady Macbeth’s desperate and hysterical ‘out, damned spot’ speech, maybe Merlin feels really lost and helpless- but those are the only links I can come up with (other than the way he just kills and kills).
I also like how he cries and then Taliesin comes along like the fairy godmother from Cinderella, it’s nice to see Merlin be vulnerable and be cared for rather than bury it inside and be angry, even though taliesin does give me Gaius vibes because he SUCKS. This doesn’t fit the mood though, and neither does the fact that Merlin can do window-smash, tree-fall-on-head magic and not healing, which would fit his caring character much more. Was he like this is the lengends?
I also liked how Arthur’s being cross at Merlin about laundry is almost a direct retaliation to Merlin being all mopey and quiet on their way back, it highlights Arthur’s emotional dependence on Merlin which is nice to see.
Morgana is great in this episode in general. I like that Gaius mentions her always going out riding, it alludes to a familiarity between the characters that I would like to see more of in little day-to-day interactions. Also she wears a lot of white and green in this season, white when she is paying the innocent with Uther and then green, which really brings out her eyes, makes her seem so evil and jealous.
Another detail at the end which stuck out to me was when Uther waits in Morgana’s chamber for Gwen to finish tending ti her before approaching. He is bing respectful, careful and considered which is something we don’t see often in the high and mighty king who waits for no-one. I think it does demonstrate how he has been humbled by sharing his secret and almost losing Morgana.
LESSONS
I think you weaved my lesson about Gwen and Arthur’s relationship never being truly personal really well into their private and lovely little interaction of this episode!
This week my lesson is that Morgana learns that Morgause is not this perfect big sister and friend that she has been seeing her as, and that they don’t always see eye to eye. In the beautifully lit scene between them (really intimate and mystical feeling) when Morgana tells her about Uther being her father, Morgause jumps immediately to how this is a good thing, without trying to comfort or console Morgana despite her looking really distraught. I never think that Morgause doesn’t love Morgana- perhaps because of how Emelia Fox has such intense eye contact with Katie, like she is really looking out for her and seeing where she’s at- but this is the first time I get the impression of Morgause using Morgana, even though it’s made sense for her to all along. I think this dismissal of Morgana’s emotions is part of what pushes Morgana to kill Uther, because Morgause tells her not to do anything rash without having asked about er feelings. It makes clear the inevitability that Morgana will evtually surpass Morgause in both evil in power. Morgause has the level-headedness that Morgana can lack, and Morgana has the malice that she doesn’t.
11th October 2020 @ 7:53 pm
then Taliesin comes along like the fairy godmother from Cinderella – Oh my word, if Taliesin was MY fairy godmother, I’d run as fast and far away as I could. The guy is a creep, lures Merlin into a cave then refuses to let him leave and forces him to look into the crystals which causes Merlin pain, suffering and heartbreak.
Rather than Taliesin, I’d even have the Fairy Godmother from Shrek. š
11th October 2020 @ 9:07 pm
HAHAHAHAA!!! OMG yea I would have the Shrek one any day- Taliesin was forcing Merlin to go through trauma like that was really awful and then he dipped before Merlin could ask any questions! Yuck! Yet again the show failing to provide us with any evidence that magic users are not inherently bad people…
9th October 2020 @ 11:11 am
This episode was pretty weird to watch, because I completely agree that it really doesn’t offer a lot, does not fit nicely with previous episodes, and really could just stand alone. On the flip side, there were so many scenes that I remembered well and thought were super important, and was kinda surprised this was the episode they featured in.
Overall I don’t really have a lot of issues with this episode as it stands, but I think you’re right that it doesn’t fit so well in the scheme of the series – which probably came down to poor planning of overall character arches and just the general direction of the series.
I do also really like the small moments we get between the characters in this episode. The wee pat from Gwen to Merlin when Arthur gives him recognition for helping out in front of Uther is especially sweet, and I love the way their casual affection comes through in these nice moments. I also really loved Anthony Head portraying Uther’s breakdown in front of Merlin in the moment at the end where he just covers his face – he’s just so lost he has no more words or anything, and he’s physically trying to hold himself together. I don’t often feel sympathy for Uther, but it was just really raw and great work. And of course Katie’s face when Uther dismisses her and says it is only important what they think. Overall I think the little moments and reactions really helped to carry this otherwise messy episode.
LESSONS LEARNED
I think Arthur might have learned that his position as future King isolates him from others, and that his life exists for his people, not his enjoyment, in much the same way as Merlin’s life is for Arthur.
I was thinking about how we often discuss that Merlin’s life is to serve Arthur and bring about his destiny – and that because of that he has to be isolated from others. I couldn’t help but notice the parallel to that idea in this episode.
We have the whole opening sequence where he’s saying ‘Trust me, trust me, trust me,” to Merlin, and later when he’s encouraging Merlin to share what happened with him, and even being eager to share his idea for Morgana’s gift, and then the first knife with Merlin. And yet throughout this episode he got little back, and he could tell Merlin was withdrawn from him. We saw a similar thing in The Last Dragonlord episode, with Arthur pushing and Merlin either shutting down or giving him half truths. I can’t help but wonder whether Arthur sometimes feels a similar weight to Merlin. Although he mightn’t equate it to ‘destiny’ per se, as we know he is skeptical about such concepts, I think probably Arthur feels equally shut off from everyone else – he will one day be King, and he has very little people that he’s close to as a nature of his standing. He cannot always count on them to be honest and frank with him (as seen in The Once and Future Queen). And with all that, Merlin – who is undoubtedly who Arthur is closest to – also shuts down and takes steps back from him. Arthur cannot have close connections because of the nature of his position, and that it might interfere in bringing about his own destiny, in much a similar way to Merlin.
I think as far as other lessons go, they are generally pretty limited to this episode given the lack of it tying into everything else, or are a bit on the nose (ie, Morgana being Uther’s daughter, etc)
I am excited for next weeks episode though! Love a silly princess episode
11th October 2020 @ 7:48 pm
I think Arthur most definitely feels the burden of his impending kingship, in great part because of his father but in larger part because of the high standards he sets for himself. Arthur wants to do right and act justly and honourably.
So, in contrast to Merlin, I think the ‘narrative’ of Arthur’s birth and his eventual ascent to the throne have very little to do with the burden Athur feels. That comes out of himself.
Merlin, on the other hand, seems to feel the burden almost entirely because of the ‘narrative’ of the prophecy he has been given. There was no choice involved as there was for Arthur and although he now certainly WANTS to make Arthur king and to realise Albion, his willingness had to be forced by destiny at first (see very first episode when he refuses to believe that Arthur is the Once and Future King and he’s meant to help him.) So, Merlin’s pressures come from the outside.
But both boys rely on each other’s friendship so much because of the burden they bear. That’s why they are so close, pretty much each other’s life support, comfort and escape through banter to a less burdensome reality.
12th October 2020 @ 12:14 am
“I think Arthur most definitely feels the burden of his impending kingship, in great part because of his father but in larger part because of the high standards he sets for himself. Arthur wants to do right and act justly and honourably.”
Totally agree – Arthur always trying to prove something to his people coupled with the immense pressure Uther puts on him would absolutely manifest in the burden Arthur feels. I do think it’s interesting that generally we see these as things acting on Arthur that induce such feelings, whereas here it is Arthur trying to act and engage but the lack of response from Merlin that furthers his feelings of isolation (not sure I have worded that particularly well, but I hope you get what I mean!)
And yes, absolutely their friendship stems from a place of love and support, which I think is so crucial for them to ever hope to achieve either of their wider paths (becoming King, and bringing about Albion) – they would otherwise be crushed by the respective pressures they each endure.
8th October 2020 @ 5:06 pm
And finally, LESSONS (you’re all going to be so done with me this week!)
Merlin learned not to tamper with the future. I will stand by this even if the dragon wants him to believe that he actually learned to control it. And if the show wasnāt a tragedy (in the classical sense of the word), Merlin would have learned not to listen to anyone telling him things about the future, destinies and how heās supposed to bring it about / prevent it. Just saying. Can’t add anything else, because spoilers.
Gaius should have learned to be more empathetic towards Merlin, and for a moment, it even seems like the lesson sticked ā but letās not get our hopes up, shall we?
Arthur learned that girls like fancy daggers. But on a more serious note, both him and Gwen learned that they love Morgana more than they imagined (interesting how it didnāt come up that strong when she was missing! Maybe because back then, they still had hope, and now they know sheās dying?)
Uther should have learned to end the hypocrisy once and for all (not only with keeping Morganaās parentage secret, but also with magic! Heās repeating what he did with Igraine!). But of course, Uther never learns.
And well, obviously, Morgana learned that Uther is her father. And that heās never going to admit it publicly. I like to think she still had a moment of hope that maybe he will acknowledge her, that maybe it will change things for better. Maybe it was the last moment she could have returned from her path? As you said, I wish this was played out as a real point of no return, but it wasn’t, really.
8th October 2020 @ 5:01 pm
Other general comments on the episode:
I know that the sudden tragedy at the very beginning of the episode was weirdly paced, but I got moved by it anyway. Not for the first and not for the last time, I am awed by how Colin Morgan isnāt afraid to ugly-cry. The scene where Merlin washes his hands is heartbreaking. Also, after seeing the visions, he looks so convincingly traumatized. Heās literally shaking. Colin isn’t playing the stereotypical looks of someone in shock (we usually tend to believe that people in shock would be crying loudly etc., while in reality, they often freeze). He makes me want to give him something for anxiety. And a therapist. And a shock blanket. And hot tea. Poor Merlin. And yes, immediately after we have the lovely scene between him and Arthur, the one with the toad, and it’s really funny! Such a contrast!
The scenes where Gwen and Arthur, and even Uther, were despairing over Morgana were truly touching. The moment when Arthur is so frustrated that he canāt unfasten the belt, whereas obviously, it’s not about the belt at all ā the whole expression on Arthur’s face ā thatās some good acting from Bradley. Really, really good. Angel Coulby was also great in her scenes. I think itās the first time we see her care for Morgana so much! Or at least, showing it so strongly.
From Morgana’s perspective, this episode really feels as if the Tears of Uther Pendragon didn’t exist. I think you said everything that I also had to say on that matter, so I will only add that I do really sympathize with Morgana a lot in the moment when Uther tells her āitās not important what people know, itās what we feelā. Such hypocrisy! A very fine way to say āwell, I am attached to you, but I still worry about my reputation too much and you were actually a mistakeā.
I know itās a fantasy show, but we are still in a quasi-medieval setting, so, dear Morgause, no, Morgana doesnāt have āa legitimate claim to the throneā – no matter what medieval rule of hereditary power we assume (unless it’s going to be some ancient pre-Roman Celtic rules, which we don’t know much about anyway). Even if Arthur was dead, sheās still literally an ILLEGITIMATE daughter and, while it sometimes happened in the Middle Ages that an illegitimate son would take the throne, as far as I know, sadly, it never happened with any woman. And even if it did, illegitimacy was always grounds for deposing a pretended heir and whole wars were fought over a sheer rumor that someone was an illegitimate son. Oh, well.
And I also don’t understand how Morgana and Morgause’s sisterhood works, really. I also got really confused by it.
11th October 2020 @ 7:39 pm
I agree: the show really, really needed to explain how the inheritance of the royal power works in Merlin’s world. Especially since literally ALL of Morgana’s later actions (ominous music!!! Spoilers ahead!) are based on her ‘claim on the throne’. What claim? She has NO claim as far as we are aware and so all this is madness.
Unless, dear showmakers, you present us with some definitve rules so that we can follow Morgana’s reasoning and motivations. But, oh well, they didn’t care enough about Morgana to provide her with reason or even the few moments it would have taken to explain this entire issue to us. š
Also: Merlin cries = I cry! Absolutely. He shouldn’t be that good at making me feel so utterly distraught with the character.
8th October 2020 @ 4:53 pm
I think I’m going to leave three loong comments on this episode, I have so much to say!
First of all, I will talk about DESTINY / PROPHECY. Because, while I agree that this episode is really odd in terms of the story of the whole season, it’s quite interesting from a meta point of view, and most of the things that are difficult to explain (especially the Taliesin / dragon thing, or Merlin’s power (?) to change future), play out really well if you interpret them subversively. I won’t defend it as a good episode, but it’s fun for my inner literary critic.
So, dum dum dum, here it comes, my subversive reading of this episode from a prophecy point of view (though honestly, I sometimes feel that it’s really textual, then other times that it’s not, but I’m not going to make a verdict, because I don’t sit in the writers’ heads)
I was inspired by this quote by EsmĆ©, written two weeks ago: ā(Iām currently really interested in an interpretation the show in which destiny straight up doesnāt exist, and the Emrys/Once and Future King/uniting the lands thing is just a story told for centuries and passed down by followers of the OR ā that makes the show a tragedy in which Merlin is manipulated and turned against his better judgement and morality by a powerful story ā you could get really meta about it, with the Arthurian legends and the idea of the chosen one narrative and everything ā I kind of want to read it as a critique of the Heroās Journey trope?!)ā
So obviously, this quote is really inspiring for the interpretation of the whole show, but right now, I’m going to focus just on this episode.
So, letās assume that the destiny doesnāt actually exist. Itās just a powerful story.
First of all, I have to touch on the Druids, as they are the only people of the Old Religion (apart from the dragon) that know about the Merlin / Arthur prophecy and know the name Emrys. Unfortunately, the Old Religion isnāt very clearly defined in the Merlin world, but the Druids seem pretty distinct. To me, they are like a sect within the religion, with their own customs (tattoos), attitude (peaceful) and stories (the Albion prophecy). Thatās why, I associate Taliesin with the Druids, even though itās not confirmed exactly. But he wears Druid-like clothes and knows that Merlin is Emrys.
So yes, Taliesin – although textually, according to Gaius, heās a seer, you rightly remarked that in the legends / history he was also a bard, a poet. So, a storyteller. This is actually subtly conveyed in the episodeās soundtrack: when we meet him, there is a tune which we havenāt heard before, and itās a harp: an attribute of poets in the Celtic culture. I think that, given the fact that Taliesin was supposed to take his magic from the cave which is the source of the magic itself (was he the first human to have magic? That isnāt clear, but itās not impossible), itās safe to assume that Taliesin, as a bard, is an actual founder of the whole Albion-Arthur-Emrys myth. He invented it. Gaius says Taliesin was a seer to many kings of old, and given the place he appears to Merlin, The Valley of the Fallen Kings, itās safe to assume that it was them whom he served. We donāt need to know who those kings were to realize that the fact they have fallen implies some tragedy. Maybe Taliesin tried to assuage this tragedy by inventing an uplifting myth about the future where everything will be all right again.
I donāt believe Taliesin has sinister motives towards Merlin. I think that, like many poets who believed their work to be a result of some divine revelation, Taliesin believes in the myth he created. And now, he sees Merlin, a boy whom he believes to be an actual embodiment of this myth, and he wants to do everything in his power to make this boy fulfill his story. As to why he appears at this time, and why it will have all to do with the prospect of Uther’s death, not Arthur’s, I think that Taliesin doesn’t control it, really. He seized the opportunity to talk to Merlin, maybe he wasn’t aware himself what the crystals were going to show. But he was so desperate to talk to the one whom he imagined that maybe it makes him a bit careless. I know it’s a lot of headcannoning, but bear with me.
Merlin is right to oppose Taliesin, but he gets swayed in the end. After all, Taliesin saved Arthur, so he must be good.
Iām surprised that, for once, Gaius actually gives good advice to Merlin: to stop thinking about the visions, just live his life. But the way Gaius does that is so obnoxious (and, as you said, consistent with Gaius’ character in general)! The man entirely lacks empathy towards Merlinās feelings. Heās basically like one of those people who tell a person with depression to ājust stop being sad alreadyā. Itās no wonder Merlin probably feels belittled, so the advice doesnāt help. Granted, Gaiusā attitude gets a bit softer later, but itās too late then.
So, Merlin falls into the trap of self-fulfilling destiny. For this to work, the visions donāt even have to be true. Itās as if a person who believes theyāre going to die on a plane gets so anxious every time they are on a plane that finally, they get a heart attack there. Destiny is not real, but the fear is. And, contrary to the dragon, I don’t think Merlin actually changed anything in the end. Uther gasping was just another vision in the crystals, and Merlin assumed he gasped when he was stabbed. But in how it unfolded, he gasped because the window shattered and woke him.
Enter the dragon. Yes, from a logical standpoint, his appearance in this episode doesn’t make sense. He’s here simply to provide a contrast to Taliesin. Like the bard, the dragon preaches the destiny. But he’s wildly different in his approach.
I honestly believe that the dragon actually doesnāt believe in destiny, only using it for his own ends! Heās an ancient creature, he saw civilizations rise and fall, he may remember Taliesin coming up with the story! The question is, what incentive does the dragon have now, that heās free already and he is the last of his kind anyway, so he doesnāt fight for any future. His hate towards Morgana seems irrational, but maybe it isnāt entirely? Maybe the dragon fears a possibility of a powerful Morgana whoād have influence over Merlin? The dragon knows so many things, he must have known that Merlin was the son of a dragonlord even before Merlin himself knew that. Being a dragonlord means having a terrible power of bending othersā will (as we see in this episode!). If the dragon wants to live as he pleases without Merlin’s interference, he must make Merlin do everything he wants him to (maintaining an illusion that itās Merlin whoās in charge all the time – and that’s why, I believe, dragon tells him that he can change the future now). Morgana must be vilified, because any possibility of a truce between the two (no matter how slight the possibility is at this point) can mean effective slavery for the dragon. And the dragon, a cunning creature that he is, doesn’t believe in good motives. He measures Merlin the same way that he’d measure himself: he sees the possibility of Merlin having bad intentions towards him. Itās almost as if the dragon was the hate to Merlinās love, the darkness to his lightā¦ oh, wait. How cunning of him to use these words to describe Morgana, while they actually apply to him!
Now, I donāt think that what Merlin did, forcing the dragon to obey him, was okay. But the dragon is lying when he says that now, when he was forced to give Merlin the power to save Morgana, everything that happens will be Merlinās fault. Morganaās evil-ness at this point is definitely NOT Merlin’s fault. But it will be handy for the dragon if Merlin believes that.
And so it goes, my conception in its crudest form (I hope itās not too convoluted, I sometimes tend to get lost in my own sentences). As we progress in the series, I will definitely add more details to it. There will be so much to addā¦ *ominous foreshadowing music*
10th October 2020 @ 3:19 pm
This is so interesting! This time around watching it, since I’m not eight years old, I’ve definitely read it that destiny is a trap Merlin gets caught in. Already we’ve seen him go from a sweet and spritely young man to having much more distrusting and angsty moment and *Michelle singing ominous music* I think we will see a lot more of this. It’s definitely a tragedy in more ways than one and to be honest the more I think about it the more I dread the later seasons… anyway
That’s so clever that you linked in the music! I am always so blown away by everyone’s analysis of the links between music, lighting and costumes to meaning- did you all study this kind of thing or something? I just look at the costumes and think wow that is so not historically accurate… let me make it!
10th October 2020 @ 4:58 pm
Thank you for your kind words š
As to music, I took piano lessons for some time, also went to a choir, but I don’t have any official music school certificate. I was always very passionate about music, though, listened a lot to old / classical music, and took every opportunity to go for a concert / festival and train my ears to hear the particular instruments š Also, I studied Comparative Literature, and there were a few courses about the links between literature and music.
And haha, that’s so true about costumes š I just decided to stop caring mid-season 1, and accept it as pure fantasy š
11th October 2020 @ 5:07 pm
That’s so cool! And yea I don’t really mind the inaccurate costumes because I do see it as fantasy more than anything which is nice.
11th October 2020 @ 7:33 pm
Hello to both of you. I’m going to gatecrash your conversation.
Firstly, I think being able to pick out very specific musical cues or instruments and linking it to the message of the episode is impressive.
Secondary, I think being able to pick out historically-inaccruate costuming and MAKING them yourself is impressive.
So much talent!
What costumes bothered you most, Maddy?
The only thing I usually pick out is Morgana and her silly heels. Mostly because I think they give Katie McGrath this really weird, long-stride stomp that looks both unnatural, stiff and painful. Not her fault, I couldn’t walk in heels to safe my life. But I have to say I am always taken out of the scene whenever I notice the heel-stomping and that’s a shame because the scene should be about Morgana’s words and actions, not about noticing her wardobe.
Another thing that bothers me (sorry, so much complaining) is the make-up on the girls. It’s always so over-done. With Gwen is gets particularly bad in later seasons and I never understand why. Was she not beautiful enough in season 2 to be queen or desired by Arthur? Arthur certainly thought so.
Anyway, about your destiny vs storytelling ideas, Danuta: very interesting thought experiment. It will be interesting to see where that leads. But I think in the end, it doesn’t really matter whether it’s only a story or real destiny. The outcome, as we have seen, is that the characters react to the information they are given (correct prediction or made-up tale) and their reaction puts a specific spin or interpretation to the words or images which then determines the future.
I also am slightly confused: if there is no destiny, what is the power of magic in the Merlin universe? I mean, what’s it there for and where does it come from? Is it literally ‘growing’ in the cave? From what and for what purpose? If there isn’t a destiny then what is the point of magic and who or what determines its rules and right/wrong usage?
Hm, now I’m thinking of destiny and magic as a sort of government system of the Old Religion. Or maybe just the entire world of Merlin. Destiny is the legislative branch, making the laws. (Is it?) Magic is definitely the executive power. What would be the judicial force in this world? Who or what evaluates the laws and their enforcement?
11th October 2020 @ 11:16 pm
Thank you for the compliment š
Magic vs. destiny: I think that in Merlin’s world, magic is a tool like any other, a fabric of the world – whereas destiny is more about the direction of life, purpose of it etc. I don’t think we are ever given a certain purpose of the magic (just like with any other aspect of the world, we may ask questions: what is the purpose of animals? People? And the answer won’t be easy). Some, like the Druids, are trying to give some purpose to this raw power, telling the tale of destiny, Albion etc. But not all magic users do that. The High Priestesses don’t seem to be overly interested in the direction in which the world is going, just in the balance of power.
As to the government system, I think it may work to some extent the way you described it – although, as I said, we never get anyone apart from the dragon and the Druids to actually talk about destiny, which raises a question of whether the other magic users actually know / believe in the story. As to the judicial force – I can’t talk about it now, because SPOILERS, but I think there is something about it in season 5 š
12th October 2020 @ 4:41 am
I canāt talk about it now, because SPOILERS, but I think there is something about it in season 5 –
Oh yeah. THAT! š No wonder I didn’t think about that. I’m in denial about it and the entire episode. Another evil cave one that should have been called Mary’s Nemesis Part 2. š