Episode IV.XII & IV.XIII – The Sword in the Stone Part 1&2
We discuss Episode 12 and Episode 13, the end of Season 4 of Merlin, The Sword in the Stone, Part 1 & 2.
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6th June 2021 @ 5:11 pm
Ok, so I know that I’m super late here (in my defense, I’ve been binge watching all 7 season of the West Wing), but I wanted to write in and comment on this anyway. Arthur has this moment in the episode where he says he isn’t anything special, and I know the point of the episode is that he’s wrong, but wouldn’t it be so much better if he was right? Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think the show ever gives us any reason for Arthur to be the Once and Future King. I know that he is, but why? I really like it in media when the main character doesn’t have anything inherently special about them and it doesn’t happen often enoughâI can’t even think of any examples off the top of my head that actually followed through. I though this was where Star Wars was going with Rey, but then Rise of Skywalker completely killed that. Anyway, wouldn’t it be so great if Arthur wasn’t anything special? If he was just a normal person? And the fact that he wasn’t special is what made him the Once and Future King? I get the point about Merlin making Arthur special, but that then begs the question why Merlin? What makes Merlin so special? Why is Merlin Emrys? I don’t have an answer to that one. I also don’t like the idea that Arthur is irrelevant in his own right. I think Arthur makes himself special by being completely ordinary. Like there is nothing that makes him any different from any of his citizens and for that reason he is the purest representation of them and that’s why he’s the Once and Future King. This might not make sense, but it’s an idea I really love the idea.
I think this would also go with the whole Excalibur thing. It’s just a sword. It does nothing, it just kills stuff that would be otherwise impossible to kill (I’m wondering if it might have worked on the Dorocha?? They are the dead, after all.) Excalibur is just a sword just like Arthur is just a man. I just really like when we strip back the legend of things, and portray these figures as just people. It’s part of why I really love Hamilton: it portrays these figures that have an almost legend-like status as human people. It’s always seemed that that’s what Merlin (the show) is doing, especially in Arthur’s case. There’s nothing special about him, and that’s why he’s able to be extraordinary.
About the whole destiny thing: I’m not sure how much this is supported in canon, but I like to think of the Emrys and Once and Future King prophecy in the same way I think of the prophecy from Harry Potter. Like, the prophecy in itself means nothing. It doesn’t have to happen. If Merlin had walked away in Episode 1, that would’ve been that. But if you hear the prophecy and believe the prophecy and act as if the prophecy is true, then it will be true. I’m not sure how much support it has in the text of the show (probably not much because since when does the show support a good idea that overarches all five seasons), but that’s how I think of it.
I also recognize that I’m super late so no one will read this, but I wanted to say it anyway. I have way too many thoughts about this show, and no one I know has even seen a single episode of it, so this is the only outlet I have.
18th May 2021 @ 5:14 am
Hey guys! Long time listener, first time commenter. I first want to say I love yâall and this podcast brings me so much joy!! So thank you đ Now usually I agree with almost everything you say but I had to comment because I absolutely love simpleton!Arthur and I had to speak up. Not so fond of the name (simpleton) as it kinda feels like a ye olde âr-wordâ but Bradleyâs acting is my favorite in this ep. It never fails to bring a smile to my face so I want to talk about some of the points you guys brought up against these scenes. You mentioned the fact that there were so many other things Merlin could have done to get Arthur out of the castle. You gave the example of Percival knocking Arthur out having the same affect and then we couldâve skipped the whole thing. But for me, either way they are taking Arthurâs will away – knocking him unconscious does the same thing. They know Arthur would never leave his people so by rendering him unconscious they are taking away his will. They could do anything to Arthur while he is in this state just like they could do the same if he is under a spell to be suggestible. The way Merlin does it means that Arthur isnât a dead weight that they have to carry while they try and escape from Morgana and her men, and they barely escaped as is. But his will isnât his own no matter if itâs from being rendered unconscious or due to magic because they knew he didnât want to leave. The intention to take away his will is still there. Itâs not a huge problem for me because I know that Merlin would never do anything to hurt Arthur when heâs in a vulnerable state and that Merlin is only doing this to save Arthurâs life. Maybe it is morally questionable on my part to be okay with that đ¤ˇđźââď¸ The way they do it in the show means that we are entertained and they donât have to lug an unconscious Bradley around the whole episode lol. Please be kind about my comment! Iâm just a girl that loves Bradleyâs performance as simpleton!Arthur. On another note – I assumed that Merlin rode on Kilgarrahâs back to find the citizens of Camelot in the forest, and he got Merlin as close to them as he could without being spotted. Not textual but thatâs what I imagined! Thanks for all you girls do!!
21st May 2021 @ 11:38 am
Hi Meghan!
Welcome to the madness that is the F&F website haha đ
You are far from the only one who has a huge amount of love for simpleton Arthur, as you may see if you scroll through the rest of the comments haha
I never (and I don’t think Ruth did, either) meant to imly that Bradley doesn’t do a great (hilariously funny!) job of playing simpleton arthur. There are many lines and especially the way in which the lines are delivered that make me laugh, and that I still use in every day life on a semi regular basis, because they are funny. I totally get how watching simpleton arthur it without getting ready for a critical analysis straight after gives people huge amounts of enjoyment. Me, too.
But the second I stop to think about and analyse the story beats, I have to questions every decision ever made to get Arthur to the point where Simpleton Arthur is necessary. Because you’re right, this is of course a way in which you don’t make Arthur dead weight, and have him be able to move under his own steam, and therefore enable them to get out of Camlot. But the only reason you need to do that, is because the story decided that Arthur would never leave Camelot when (as we discussed) we had the exact same scenario in the S3 finale, and he did leave Camelot. So you could just have him leave Camlot with the plan to regroup. Which is of course where we then run into the second big story issue, the complete lack of a plan. It’s totally defensible that the first instinct is to run run run, and then pause, regroup, and come up with a plan, and that’s what should have happened in Ealdor. However the story just drives out characters to Ealdor, where they are found by Agraivaine and his men, then we kill everyone, and Merlin decides that we should return to Camelot, so we’re just doing this big loop, without at any point seemingly having come up with a plan. And the Sword in the Stone being in the forest only occurs to Merlin when the Dragon says ‘Arthur’s broken and you need to fix him, but how you could possibly achieve that, I do not know…’
I guess, to me it feels like the writers thought Simpleton Arthur would be HILARIOUOS (and yes, I completely agree with you on the name sounding dangerously close to a ye olde version of the r word!!), and then came up with a story that would support / excuse including Simpleton Arthur, rather than the other way around, if that makes sense? It felt to me like they had to bend and twist so many things that I feel we know about this characters, to allow the story to go in a way that meant they could have Bradley in hot pants for half of it. And I’m just not the biggest fan of how forced it all feels.
As I say (and maybe didn’t say loud enough in the podcast discussing the episode, and I apologise for that), this doesn’t take away from how funny Bradley is in laying Simpleton Arthur, and it doesn’t take away from how much I laugh when I casually watch the episode or out of the blue remember a line, or something makes me think of a moment with Arthur in the woods, in his crop top and tiny trousers. It’s funny. It just sadly doesn’t make any sense to me đ
M Xx
17th May 2021 @ 6:29 am
I really like these episodes, they are so pretty! The Arthur gag is dumb and morally dubious, but I still love it. Arthur is just the cutest idiot of all time. I’m also very happy that Agravaine finally died, I was worried he stuck around till the 5th season. I like that we have Dragoon pop up out of nowhere and do some dark magic, but I don’t really get where Merlin learned it from. Sure he saw it, but I don’t think he would have wanted to know how to do it, it’s some pretty twisted stuff.
Also, the bread gwaine elyan and gauis keep getting seems to be the same prop bread every time. the bread is really gross, it’s super moldy, it’s probably got maggots in it. I’m curious to know where morgana keeps pulling maggoty bread from, she seems to have a lot of it. is she stealing someone’s rations? raiding the kitchen? magicking it into a state of nastiness? I want to know if someone has a job of searching around for maggoty bread, just carrying this massive burlap sack around or something.
I enjoyed the fact that we harkened back to morgana being a competent swords person. i know she’s killing a bunch of Camelot soldiers, but she looks she really cool doing it. I love how she lounges on the throne with her black dress and wild hair, it seems like a pretty queer thing to do. I feel like theirs a headcannon out there somewhere about her being a lesbian. besides the point that morganas very pretty and a great wielder of the sword, I don’t really get why Aithusa was like, ah yes, I like and trust this person who I just met. Poor silly dragon, morgana is going to get you into some evil stuff.
i dont really care about tristan and isolde in this episode though, they arent that important and tristans kind of a jerk, he keeps attacking arthur whilst he’s in a very emotional place. isolde keeps getting stabbed and eventually dying, and i dont really get why arthur is so upset about it. i guess it was a last straw situation. i think they just brought tristan and isolde so they could rub it in arthurs face that he really misses gwen. personally i dont care about romance that much, so i dont really get all the significance around gwen and arthur. (MINOR SPOILER) once gwen actually becomes queen she becomes a pretty passive character, more so being arthurs wife than an actual character. she changes a lot and becomes more up tight, and then i just miss season 1 gwen. I’m looking forward to season 5, and i hope the plots get a little more sensical.
I learned something recently, which is chainmail is actually pretty useful to keep from getting stabbed or slashed to death. in merlin people just go down, regardless of whether or not they are wearing chainmail (unless it’s a main character). it’s very helpful against arrows as well, I wish they had utilized this more.
this episode is a stab fest, Arthurs not well dressed
wear sandals in a forest, the ideas not the best
Agravaine finally dies and nobody cries
merlin becomes old in a move that’s pretty bold
the sword in the stone helped morgana be overthrown
merlin does some morally dubious stuff, he is no longer a hufflepuff
Gwen gets crowned and morganas nowhere to be found
I cant wait for season 5, I hope they keep my favourite characters alive
17th May 2021 @ 10:02 am
–Iâm also very happy that Agravaine finally died, I was worried he stuck around till the 5th season.–
I hadn’t actually realised before that we get Helios saying he’s dead, but while making it so clear that he didn’t actually find and check his body, and that this totally could have left a possibility of Agravaine returning in Season 5, and wow, would that have been bad!!!
— Iâm curious to know where morgana keeps pulling maggoty bread from, she seems to have a lot of it.–
I’m glad I’m not the only one who was preoccupied with just how ridiculously mouldy that bread was, and how she kept giving them entire loafs of bread exactly as mouldy as the last one and the one before. Why is there so much mouldy bread in camelot??? at least the troll actively *made* thing rot. I don’t think we’ve quite reached that level of evil-coding with morgana, so where is the mouldy bread coming from???
though, I guess… she did tell agravaine to burn all of the crops, to make the people yield. So the bread that was in the castle when she said that, would be the only bread they have available to them… lol
–I donât really get why Aithusa was like, ah yes, I like and trust this person who I just met. —
I don’t think anyone gets that… I feel that they literally thought ‘wouldn’t it be cool if they each had a dragon??’, and then didn’t bother to think of a way to make it happen, and instead just did it. =/
–I learned something recently, which is chainmail is actually pretty useful to keep from getting stabbed or slashed to death. in merlin people just go down, regardless of whether or not they are wearing chainmail (unless itâs a main character). itâs very helpful against arrows as well, I wish they had utilized this more.–
absolutely! the whole point of chain mail is that it’s actually incredibly difficult to get a blade through. Hell, you can re-enact it (on a super tiiiiiny scale) in your home. by trying to stab a butter knife through some wire wool… it’s really hard!!! And I do think the show does okay-ish with indicating when people have been stabbed or slashed at (generally villains, mercenaries, and bandits – all of whom don’t wear chainmail) and have our chainmail’ed knights suffer from heavy bruising and broken ribs and stuff like that instead. But yes, I wish we’d played more with really nasty thin little daggers and stuff, because our villains also show awareness of chainmail and why people wore it! lol
–I cant wait for season 5, I hope they keep my favourite characters alive–
DO DEE DO DEE DO DEE DOOOOOO….
17th May 2021 @ 12:14 am
Season 4 comments:
Having watched Merlin thru to the end, I find that what Season 4 may be setting us up for is the possibility that Arthur may not be the âgreatest king that ever livedâ and its primarily Merlinâs fault. This Arthur, as written, does not rise to those expectations because at every turn, Merlinâs attempts to help him only serve to undermine Arthurâs worthiness. Arthur has deep rooted insecurities that undermine his ability to rule, love, and bring peace and the acceptance of magic that the Druids have long waited for. All because Merlin and many of those around him, do not give him enough information to make wise decisions. It is not enough to be constantly told by Merlin that he is destined to be great if his actions never rise to that level. I think this hurts those of us that believed we would be watching the manifestation of the âOnce and Future Kingâ. We come to expect it not because Arthur is no longer a bully, abusive, oblivious, or dumb but because of how wonderful Bradley Jamesâ acting is.
Agravaine served to highlight how gullible, manipulable, and dumb Arthur is. Merlin does not ever trust Arthur enough to reveal his magic and after witnessing how he allowed Agravaine to mistreat Gaius after accusing him of sorcery, and how quickly Arthur relegated both Merlin and Gwen to the back benches after Agravaine arrives, one cannot blame Merlinâs hesitancy. Morgana is correct in not trusting Arthur to overcome Utherâs prejudices against magic because he never does. And she becomes irredeemable because again, Merlin withholds the compassion and honesty that may have had a positive effect on Morgana.
Arthur was right about one thing this past episode though, so far, he is not special, and it breaks my heart to say it because I so yearned to see him evolve and grow into the man we were eagerly awaiting. But alas, he has yet to materialize. And Merlin, the one that is destined to guide Arthur to a path of greatness also never shows up.
What I find inexplicable is how after having received a script with so many inconsistencies and holes, that the actors and directors could not demand that those issues be resolved. Is it because the actors did not have the inclination to go against the writers or they just didnât have the influence to demand script changes? And then as they are filming, why would the director of both episodes not see those blatant plot holes and inconsistencies? Is it so unusual for scripts to be massaged until the storylines are plausible and in line with previous episodes?
This season is so frustrating and I think we all mourn what could have been, especially because of what this amazing cast could have done with better material.
16th May 2021 @ 10:13 pm
The Sword in the Stone comments
So…this one is interesting and not in a good way. I donât think there is another Merlin episode with such a terrible patchwork of editing. I think they must have had so much material and then had to cut it viciously, leaving us only with shreds of a good story.
However, I disagree with you about the ranking of these episodes: for me, part 1 wins out over part 2 as I love Simpleton Arthur and the pirate-y/smuggler/adventure vibe I get from Tristan and Isolde. (When she isnât being half-dead on her feet because her arm was slashedâŚWhat?!) This could have been such an awesome episode. Also, I just love Arthur and Merlin out in the woods together – everything about this is right! In terms of the spell Merlin uses on Arthur, I get that it is morally reprehensible, but I always assumed that the spell was a little too strong or went wrong and Merlin had to simply wait it out until it lifted. I donât think how he treats Arthur is vengeful or insulting. Yes, he makes him clean the dishes and look after the horses but he clearly cooked for him and is otherwise also very gentle with him. Arthur, on the other hand, kicks Merlin awake when he is back to himself. Naturally, the comedy tone of Simpleton Arthur jars with the seriousness of what is happening in Camelot – again, this ought to have been its own episode.
In fact, in isolation, I love pretty much all the Arthur and Merlin we get in these two episodes. It is very clear that they know each other well enough to understand each other without words and to anticipate the otherâs reaction. In the belt scene from the beginning, it is clear why Merlin gets to write Arthurâs speeches: he tries to cloud his meaning in fancy words. At the same time, Arthur isnât fooled at all and thatâs lovely too. He knows what Merlin really means and Merlin can anticipate just what Arthur is going to do when he counts only to 1. During the Beltane banquet, there is this lovely conversation between the two of them where they both look lonely amongst the crowd but equally attuned to and absorbed only in their conversation. Later on, when both watch Agravaine, Morgana and Helios traverse the courtyard, Merlin watches Arthur and knows exactly when to hold him back, when Arthur has made the rash decision to confront his uncle. And he knows exactly what to say to him to calm him down a little. I am rambling but I just love the unspoken understanding and intimacy we get that shows how in tune our two protagonists are at this point.
I think the Sword in the Stone moment, and how we get there, is the most egregious moment in the show so far. Sorry show, but I canât be distracted by pretty visuals and that blasted âThe Bond of Sacrificeâ music theme that they now play ALL the time when they want to provide emotional depth and resonance and cover up the ridiculousness of Merlinâs Bruta story. From the outset of this double episode, Merlin takes charges and begins to make more and more decisions, which is pretty much the opposite of what happened in the finale last season during the âComing of Arthurâ. So, what has happened between the triumphant beginning of Arthur as the true king (if not yet in name) to now when Arthur is removed from most decisions, manipulated, his authority and agency, even his will, taken away? Merlin even hijacks Arthurâs own destiny and manipulates it in the way he wants it to go. And with lies and deceit which I find much more morally reprehensible than Simpleton Arthur. And ultimately, the Sword in the Stone only acts as a reset button. It doesnât take Arthur further, only back to the place of confidence and leadership where he was before Morgana attacked the castle. Except that it was done through dishonesty and deceit on Merlinâs part which makes me think that their relationship which I loved best in these episodes, is the actual casualty here.
Arthur says in the episode that there is âthere is nothing special about me; Iâm good with the Sword.â Now, perhaps Merlin, by some miracle, manages to make Arthur believe in the Bruta story. But what the whole Sword in the Stone situation confirms to us as viewers is exactly what Arthur says: He isnât actually special. Merlin is but without Merlinâs help (or manipulation), Arthur wouldnât be marked out as special at all. If anything, this double finale shows him powerless, other people deciding his path. Merlin tells Arthur, âYou arenât just anyone, you are special, you and you alone can draw out that sword.â Perhaps Arthur may believe this in the end, but to us viewers it says the exact opposite because we know it is all a lie.
And Merlin is being lied to as well: âYou and you alone can restore Arthurâs faith.â Why would that ever be true, dragon? And when has Merlin become so arrogant and convinced of his own importance to just believe this and take that as justification to build up this fabricated lie around Arthur? Can the show really not think of a truthful reason to prove to both Arthur and us that he is special? (Iâd say it is eventually the faith and presence and willingness of his people (not just Merlin) that moves Arthur to action, not the silly story or magic trick – but thatâs not what the episode tells me.)
In 4.11, we have a similar occurrence of the show wanting Arthur to be special but being unable to give a justification for it. Arthur asks Merin how he can be sure that he will see Gwen again and do the right thing. His answer: Because you are the once and future king. Thatâs nothing. Thatâs saying: You are special because you are special.
And there would have been so many opportunities to bring out Arthurâs true âspecialâ with the sword in the stone scene. Wouldnât it have been cool if Arthur would have surprised everyone and had pulled out the sword without Merlinâs help? Excalibur was made for him, after all, and this is the first time Arthur has held it. So, the show could have absolutely told us that the sword has some kind of magic reaction to its true owner. It wants to come to him and although Merlin had planned to use his own magic, he doesnât need to. In the end, it is the fact that the sword and Arthur are destined for each other that actually moves the sword out of the stone. That would have been so cool!
Some random thoughts:
– Now, if I am not mistaken, the festival of Beltane isnât pronounced phonetically, at least the Irish version. They use the Irish pronunciation for Samhain but I am confused why they donât do it for Beltane, especially since Colin Morgan, the person first mentioning the festival by name, would most likely be able to pronounce it properly. In terms of the festival scene, I am actually really relieved that we didnât again use the standard festivities music (think Trickler in 2.10 or Arthurâs birthday in 4.3). It sounds like a soft flute and works really well – I wonder if they newly composed it for this scene, or if this is an actual Beltane song.
– I am very confused by the gate leading out from the secret tunnel into the woods. In 1.8, Merlin needed to open it with hook and horse so that Mordred and Arthur could escape; in 2.3, when Merlin goes to call Morgana back from the druid camp, he blasts the door off its hinges with magic, making Uther think that Morgana was forcefully kidnapped. But apparently now itâs left open, as Agravaine can simply go out from the inside to meet his accomplices to storm the castle? Is that what Arthur meant when he promised to respect the druids in 4.10: They now have an escape route left open? But hold on, in part 2 of our finale, when Merlin infiltrates the castle as Dragoon, he has to open it again with magic. I am so confused about that secret entrance door!
– I really like the trust Arthur places in Merlin when he tells them to lead the people to the inner sanctum (?). However, I unfortunately donât necessarily read competence. I think to really land this (and I wish they had), this needed previous indications that when Merlin shouts âEveryone follow meâ, it would actually work. I honestly doubted that it would but it had to because plot. But only last week, Merlin was threatened with exile twice and made to run as one of the common beaters. I have no indication that anyone but Arthur and the knights would follow his direction or agree with Arthur trusting that manservant of his.
– This is the most complicated and interesting Agravaine has ever been, so naturally he had to die. Canât do proper ensemble casts.
– What is it with Morgana and snaky creatures? I feel like the show is using deliberate symbolism here but I canât really work out what they want to say.
– I really like that both Arthur and Leon are given a last glance back at a burning Camelot. For all other characters, this is their chosen home, but those two have grown up there and I like that we give them space to linger over their heartbreak.
– I love how all the knights become Arthurâs rearguard, buying him time to escape from Morgana. Itâs very Roland/Charlemagne.
– I donât like that Isoldeâs hair is braided in a fishbraid. That braid takes AGES to complete and is messy after a day so Isolde would have to spend significant amounts of time re-doing it every day. That doesnât really suit her no-nonsense, tough-smuggler lifestyle.
– I donât understand why Merlin thinks it is safer to travel with the smugglers. They leave a much bigger trace than two people which he cannot erase with magic as they would see him. They are unlikely to defend him and Arthur.
– I have nothing to say about the Gwaine fighting for Morgana scenes, except that I skipped them. And I never skip in Merlin!
– I have also noticed that while consistency overall isnât the showâs strong suit (understatement!), they at least achieve joke consistency: soup and woodworm are carried forward from one episode to the next. When Arthur is listening to the tree, I always imagine that Merlin told him to listen out for woodworm to get him to stay out of the way of the smugglers.
– As ever, I wish we had made much, much more of Ealdor but once again, the show refuses us even the possibility or reading of any sort of history for Merlin when he visits his home village. Like the first time, no unnamed villager reacts to Merlinâs return at all! I donât get this. He grew up there and no wave, no âWelcome back, Merlinâ or even âWhat on earth are you doing back here, freak?â Equally, why isnât Merlin happier to come home, why donât his steps speed up or lighten, why does he not search with his eyes for his mother or run to her when she finally sees him? Is this toxic masculinity or simply the showâs refusal to give away any sort of emotional or social reading of this place and Merlinâs past in it?
– On a similar note, I want more of Hunth, I want her presence to make a difference. In the evening, when Merlin and she walk and talk outside, why donât they have Merlin carry something as well as Hunith, indicating their relationship and how easily and seamlessly they can go back to their previous way of life. It would be so lovely and the show simply refuses me this.
– How close or fast really is Kilgarrah? In 3.1, the dragon needed almost half a day to save Merlin from the serkets; here, heâs present within seconds! SECONDS!!!
– The scene of Agravaineâs death, especially Colinâs performance, is undoubtably awesome – but I feel like the show is making a point that is four seasons too late: There is no point of return now that Merlin is willing to kill to protect Arthur. Wait – he did that in episode one. So, why wasnât it a milestone there instead of here? Or is the reading here that it is the first time he publicly embraces his Emrys persona and powers and kills to protect his secret? I canât remember whether Merlin has ever killed anyone off, because they found out about him. Now, letâs say this was the milestone: why then doesnât that make Merlin ready to kill Morgana in 4.13 as he wasnât in 3.2 or 3.13 (but strangely was in 2.12)? I also donât really understand why Merlin tells Agravaine that he was âborn with itâ. We as the audience know that that is something awesome and unique but Agravaine wonât have that knowledge. Heâll be much more bothered by âYou have magicâ rather than the origins of Merlinâs magic, wonât he?
– I donât understand why Tristan can affect Arthur the way he does: Merlin pretty much nails it: âDonât listen to Tristan, he doesnât know you.â Itâs true and that should be the end of it for Arthur!
– Arthur and Gwenâs relationship is just patches of randomly inserted scenes and I hate how it all seems of so little importance. Itâs like they didnât even try because everyone knows they will get married. And what happened in 4.9 is also without consequence and will never be mentioned again! ARG! Itâs so frustrating. The one beat I like is that in the conversation between Arthur and Merlin which exists twice, Arthur lists the people that betrayed him, but Gwenâs name never once appears. But that makes his later outburst at her (moment of weakness, can never marry you etc.) even more unbelievable.
– Camelot knights have no idea about camouflage. But as it turns out, they donât need to.
– Again, Morgana refers to Gwen as âdestinedâ to do something – I have ranted about this last episode so I wonât again. But it bugs me. I guess we need this to give Morgana some motivation which is just as unfounded as her âYouâve made it perfectly clear how you feel about me and my kindâ to Arthur. Has she? âCause I havenât seen Arthur persecute a magic user ONCE since he was on the throne.
– During Isoldeâs death (âHold meââŚ), Gwen and Arthur look at each other and Lancelotâs death theme plays. I am not really sure why thoughâŚare they both remembering the actual Lancelot here? Why didnât we give Shade Lancelot a new musical theme to play here and indicate what still stands between Gwen and Arthur?
– I am SO distracted by Merlinâs new coat during the coronation. It looks uncomfortable and is so sudden and without explanation, it really startles me out of the scene. Also, SPOILER, it will disappear forever after and I just keep wondering what happened to it.
17th May 2021 @ 11:30 am
–Naturally, the comedy tone of Simpleton Arthur jars with the seriousness of what is happening in Camelot â again, this ought to have been its own episode.–
it really really should have been, and if the stakes weren’t so high then we’d still have to deal with the moral implications of doing it, but we wouldn’t be quetioning Merlin’s every decision, while people in Camelot are dying. And yeah, you’re totally right, it would have been super easy to imply that it was a spell gone wrong, or that it worked 10 times stronger than Merlin meant it to, which would give him some grey area as far as moral dubiousness is concerned, and then show him trying to lift the spell once or twice and actually be distressed about not being able to do so, and telling himself he’ll just have to wait it out, and hopefully arthur will be back to his old self soon and everything will be fine!!!
Also, you know what, if Tristan & Isolde and simpleton Arthur was it’s own episode, you could have Arthur turned into a simpleton by whoever attacked them in the woods and made it so they had to team up with T&I in the first place, and then you’ve got every reason for Merlin taking a bit longer to work out the spell (that he didn’t cast) and how to counteract it.
–During the Beltane banquet, there is this lovely conversation between the two of them where they both look lonely amongst the crowd but equally attuned to and absorbed only in their conversation. —
good shout! that bit is lovely!!
— I am rambling but I just love the unspoken understanding and intimacy we get that shows how in tune our two protagonists are at this point.–
I do feel that season 4 was one of the few seasons where it didn’t feel like we got a massive re-set when it comes to merlin and arthur. We get the messiness around episode 11 and the complete lack of clarity as to how much time has passed, and what exactly went on between them during that time, which is why it all feels a bit… jump-y and not very cohesive. and then, as you say, the fact that 12 and 13 feel like they were twice as long, and then just got slashed to pieces, makes their relationship quite messy, too. But mostly I think their story has reached a stage where the show doesn’t feel the need for drastic season re-sets anymore, and that’s long overdue, but also very nice to have actually got to!!
–And Merlin is being lied to as well: âYou and you alone can restore Arthurâs faith.â Why would that ever be true, dragon?–
I always just took that as typical big dragon speech and making stuff sound more important than it is, but honestly, I didn’t ever really question it, because at that point there’s arthur, merlin, gwen, tristan, and isolde, so yeah, merlin in that very situation is the only one who’s going to get through to arthur, especially because after their brief happy reunion in ealdor, arthur makes a point of distancing himself further from gwen. And as far as Merlin’s arrogance goes in believing it… it’s only a small step and a slide from the original ‘two sides of the same coin’ destiny the dragon told him about, and Merlin believes in that. I think a large aspect of these later episodes and season 5 (from what I remember, which is minimal, I must highlight that again! lol) is about Merlin being so stuck in what he believes is the correct thing to do to allow him to fullfill destiny’s plan, that he makes horrible decisions that bring about the tragic irony of it all…
–In 4.11, we have a similar occurrence of the show wanting Arthur to be special but being unable to give a justification for it. Arthur asks Merin how he can be sure that he will see Gwen again and do the right thing. His answer: Because you are the once and future king. Thatâs nothing. Thatâs saying: You are special because you are special.–
someone else commented on Merlin accidentaly saying ‘once and future’ out lout in front of arthur and how surely he didn’t mean to?? and it made me remember that this isn’t the first time Merlin has said this, directly to Arthur. And yes, as you say, he might as well say ‘you’re special, because you’re special’ because it doesn’t mean anything, at all… but I also just really don’t understand… like, what is Arthur hearing every time Merlin says this? Like, the last time Merlin said it Arthur went ‘I’ve heard these words before…’ but then we had no follow up over where he heard them, what context they were in, whether he heard it about himself, or whether he heard it in like an old legend type setting, and yeah, ultimately, what he thought it meant?
— That would have been so cool!–
it would be a very different story from the one they were clearly going for, but yes, I agree, it would have been really cool if Merlin had this entire manipulative plan in which he tells Arthur that he only has to believe in himself, and he’s all ready to do the magic thing, and then Arthur pulls out the sword by himself, because he does believe in himself, and you’ve got the reaction show of Merlin who is confused and unsure what just happened, and whether he did actually do something magic without meaning to… (cause it’s not like we don’t constantly harp on about Merlin’s instinctual magic and how he can’t help himself) and then it’s left ambigous for us as viewers, for merlin himself, and arthur is left in exactly the same position he is in now. I could see that being quite neat, too.
-â Now, if I am not mistaken, the festival of Beltane isnât pronounced phonetically, at least the Irish version. They use the Irish pronunciation for Samhain but I am confused why they donât do it for Beltane, especially since Colin Morgan, the person first mentioning the festival by name, would most likely be able to pronounce it properly. —
having never heard anyone irish say it in real life I just had a ‘oh god, has this been wrong in my head all my life??’ moment, so I’ve just watched 17 different pronunciation videos on youtube, and they all pronounce it the way it is in my head, and the way Colin said it. And several of them have a ‘people who watched this, also watched’ video for Samhain right after the Beltane one (which makes sense I guess lol) and they all pronounce it sah-win, so I’m mostly lost, as I’m not sure what other way to say ‘Beltane’ there is, other than what the show did. help??
-â I am very confused by the gate leading out from the secret tunnel into the woods. In 1.8, Merlin needed to open it with hook and horse so that Mordred and Arthur could escape; in 2.3, when Merlin goes to call Morgana back from the druid camp, he blasts the door off its hinges with magic, making Uther think that Morgana was forcefully kidnapped. But apparently now itâs left open, as Agravaine can simply go out from the inside to meet his accomplices to storm the castle? Is that what Arthur meant when he promised to respect the druids in 4.10: They now have an escape route left open? But hold on, in part 2 of our finale, when Merlin infiltrates the castle as Dragoon, he has to open it again with magic. I am so confused about that secret entrance door!–
but you agree it’s the exact same door every time! Which is reassuring, as I said that to someone else before the weekend, utterly concinved that it’s always the same tunnel (obviously, outside the story, filming wise, but seemingly also within the story) and considering it’s always the same tunnel… it’s really not all that secret, either, so I’m really not sure why we had to kill the apprentice and work on this entire plan for a whole year. Wasn’t Morgana even in the room when we discussed the plan to take Mordred out through those tunnels? Like, okay, she may not have paid super close attention, but come on! Half the castle at this point knows where those tunnels are, and where they lead. What they really aren’t is super secret and a perfect way to infiltrate the castle. SIGH.
I wonder if we cut a scene where Agravaine steals the keys for this gate, from a feast distracted Arthur? Or whether we genuinly just don’t bother explaining and justifying stuff anymore… DOUBLE SIGH.
— But only last week, Merlin was threatened with exile twice and made to run as one of the common beaters. I have no indication that anyone but Arthur and the knights would follow his direction or agree with Arthur trusting that manservant of his.–
I totally see what you’re saying. However all the knights etc are obviously doing stuff, so the people Merlin is asking to follow him are going to be other servants, the councilmen etc that hang around camelot whenever they are required for a special council scene, and random ‘others’ (like all the people on the steps, when Mithian arrives… WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE??? lol) – but, what I mean, is that they’re not going to be the bravest and boldest Camlot has to offer, and honestly, in a high pressure situation like that, anyone raising their voice and giving clear cut instructions while sounding like they know what they’re talking about, is going to be listened to by a large percentage of the people present. And to me, it’s Arthur’s trust that Merlin’s going to get the job done (and immediately leaving after saying it) and Merlin’s confidence in the delivery and execution of Arthur’s request that gives me competency vibes, not so much what other people think about him and how they see him.
Honestly, I’ve been in that situation (not an invading army, but an emergency situation in the middle of a large crowd), and I look underaged, am covered in tattoos, and have brightlty coloured hair and piercings. NOT the kind of person most people would immediately identify as ‘capable’ and ‘in charge’. But I can project my voice ensuring I am heard, and I can give very brief, very clear instructions, that sound incredibly sensible and competent, meaning 90% of people will listen.
Would I love it if Merlin all around was given more responsibility and seen as moire competent by a larger body of the castle folk? hell, yeah! of course I would. But I buy people listening to him in that moment of confusion and crisis, and I really love the competency it shows Merlin having in himself.
–â I donât like that Isoldeâs hair is braided in a fishbraid. That braid takes AGES to complete and is messy after a day so Isolde would have to spend significant amounts of time re-doing it every day. That doesnât really suit her no-nonsense, tough-smuggler lifestyle.—
this goes hand in hand with everyone’s complaints about her outfit, and it’s all just so frustrating and unnecessary. There’s ways to make women look cool and though and warrior-y without feeling the need to insist on their breasts being got out or their make up being on point, or their hair being super stylish to ensure we still see them as women. SIGH.
–â I donât understand why Merlin thinks it is safer to travel with the smugglers. They leave a much bigger trace than two people which he cannot erase with magic as they would see him. They are unlikely to defend him and Arthur.—
I wish we had more information in regards to where the smugglers were going, and that they would be much faster travelling by cart! cause the other weirdness is also the fact that there appear to be 10 or more people in that party? they don’t all fit in the cart, so why does Arthur get to go in the cart prior to anyone else from the smuggler’s party? and it also just made me realise that we loose all the other smugglers when agraivain’s men attack. Are they all dead? cause we really don’t seem to care very much…. hmmm.
â– When Arthur is listening to the tree, I always imagine that Merlin told him to listen out for woodworm to get him to stay out of the way of the smugglers.—
someone else casually described that scene as ‘I love arthur listening for woodworm’ and it hadn’t occured to me before, but now I love the notion that Arthur is hugging the tree because that’s what Merlin told/taught him with his woodworm knowledge! it’s so cute!!!
â–Is this toxic masculinity or simply the showâs refusal to give away any sort of emotional or social reading of this place and Merlinâs past in it?—
I don’t think it’s to do with toxic masculinity, but honestly, I cannot think of an explanation other than the show seems to have no interest in… not only continuity as such, but the emotional resonance you can achieve from it, without putting in any extra effort. Someone else talked about the lack of mention of Will, and I pointed out how easy it would be to just add his name when talking about Merlin growing up playing in the caves, and how for people who remember it would be a lump in the throat moment, and for people who don’t remember it would just register as ‘name of random villager that must be from Merlin’s past’ and then you’d shrug it off… I do not understand why they wouldn’t want to add more emotion and history into these scenes… except that they also want to be able to burn Ealdor down and have Merlin leave without looking back or in any way worrying about his maybe now dead mother. And I guess if you made us more emotional over Ealdor, that would be even more problematic…. but that’s not a good enough reason!!!
—In the evening, when Merlin and she walk and talk outside, why donât they have Merlin carry something as well as Hunith, indicating their relationship and how easily and seamlessly they can go back to their previous way of life.—
beautiful!! and yes, so so so so so SO simple.
–â How close or fast really is Kilgarrah? In 3.1, the dragon needed almost half a day to save Merlin from the serkets; here, heâs present within seconds! SECONDS!!!—
hahahaha maybe when he’s got nothing better to do he just sneaks behind Merlin at all times! You know when Kilgarrah says stuff like ‘I’m a dragon, I know a great many things….’? What he actually means is ‘I’m a creep, and I’ve been watching you this entire time’ LOL
–â Camelot knights have no idea about camouflage. But as it turns out, they donât need to.—
who needs sneaky armour when you have plot armour?
–â I am SO distracted by Merlinâs new coat during the coronation. It looks uncomfortable and is so sudden and without explanation, it really startles me out of the scene. Also, SPOILER, it will disappear forever after and I just keep wondering what happened to it.—
it does look rather stiff and too new, doesn’t it? which kind works for me, because I always just saw it as ‘Merlin got a nice thing to wear for the coronation’ but also very much ‘he bought it yesterday and this is the first time he’s wearing it’, and I am pretty sure that it’s one of the coats that Arthur dismissed while getting dressed to propose to Gwen, so we theoretically know where it came from… but yeah, mostly it’s just a bit random and jarring.
And it wouldn’t be, had the show no insisted on making Merlin into a character with only three pieces of clothing, ensuring highly recognisable action figure potential… if he just got clothes then having a new coat wouldn’t be a STOP THE PRESS sort of a moment.
However having scanned through a few S5 episodes to get a head start on ideas for cover art… there are so many different outfits in season 5!!!! – not that coat, grant you, that coat is gone forever, sorry! – but so many other clothes!!! đ đ
20th May 2021 @ 3:57 am
As usual, I agree with so many of your points, Mary. đ I like Part 1 way better than Part 2 as well!
I totally agree about the pulling the sword from the stone moment… I don’t like Merlin does it with magic, it would have been way cooler for the sword to recognize it’s true owner and Merlin not realize this. Don’t get me wrong, Bradley’s acting is amazing in it and I love his desperation for it to work before he believes and then him calming down and actually believing, but I don’t like Merlin’s manipulation. Story is cute and the way Colin delivers it all is, of course, amazing, but just the story line is meh. Your idea is way better!
I actually disagree about Isolde’s hair. I braid my hair in a fishtail braid a lot and have for years and it’s actually not that complicated or time consuming if you are practiced đ
I totally never noticed Lancelot’s death theme is playing during the “Hold me” scene. That is so weird…. I think maybe they were just sloppy in choosing that music for that moment. It makes no sense that Gwen and Arthur would be thinking of Lancelot in that moment. I have always seen that moment as them realizing they need to be together because you never know when you might die. SPOILER-ISH…. At this moment I am shipping Merthur and kind of wish it was Merlin and Arthur making eyes during that moment since we get another similar moment…. later…. in season 5 đ
16th May 2021 @ 12:24 pm
I still have some thoughts about the last two episodes so here we go:
I hate that Merlin canât keep quiet about the extra hole in the belt. Arthur obviously is uncomfortable about it and I feel like theyâre better friends than that.
Bradley and Colin play it beautifully so it doesnât come across as an actual breach of trust and just funny teasing, but I still canât help but be very irritated by it.
That scene with Agravaine and the fire behind him is like every typical action movie and I have no idea what it is doing here. It feels so it of place. I guess it highlights how out of Agravaine feels too.
I donât know how to feel about the loosing his will spell. Again it feels like a breach of trust. It makes the impression that Arthur isnât a good man and not capable of making the right decisions on his own. It feels like a very weird thing to do in the season that Arthur just became king (Itâs a scary thing to do in general). Merlin taking advantage of it by making Arthur clean the plates makes it even worse. Itâs just so uncomfortable.
Iâm also still not clear on what exactly the spell does to Arthur.
I also noticed Arthur sticking his leg out of the wagon at Merlin and mirroring Tristan and Isolde who just had their âromantic momentâ. Like, Arthur who isnât in his right mind would have romantic interest in Merlin or something? What is the show trying to tell me with that?
Why are we so keen on making Morgana barbaric? She wants the thrown and is willing to do anything for it, okay. But why torture prisoners, letting them starve and having Gwaine fight with barely any strength? Why is she enjoying it so much? Not that a lot of Morganaâs motivations make sense but this struck me as especially brutal.
Seeing Agravaine being followed by a dragon fills me with pleasure. Seeing him dead is even better. Though I wasnât sure he was actually dead the first time watching because the throwing through air hasnât worked literally a minute before. When I realised he was actually dead though, oh my god, the DELIGHT! Weâre finally rid of him!
The pain of Agravaine saying one of the things Merlin probably dreads most: that heâs deceiving Arthur. That he isnât actually his friend. Not really. So many fanfics have dealt with that fear and pain and I forgot Agravaine actually says those things.
Why doesnât Gaius die? Shouldnât they have noticed while making this season that heâs unnecessary? They didnât even have to think of a way of killing him as they already created one.
Merlin and Arthur have so many heart to hearts. Almost every one of them makes me cry. Iâm soft. I love how the episode handles Arthurâs insecurities and Merlinâs strong contrast of undoubted trust and faith in Arthur. The plot isnât the actual point of the episode, we did Morgana taking over Camelot before, the point is Arthur growing to believe he deserves it back.
I donât think Arthur and Merlin have ever looked at each other adoringly as much as in this episode. They know how to melt my heart.
I personally donât like the pulling sword out of the stone scene that much. Merlin waiting to allow Arthur to pull it out feels so uncomfortable to me. It has a similar vibe to the wicked day where Merlin waits to say âlong live the kingâ at the end. We donât know what the people of Camelot have been told about what is happening but in the beginning it must look ridiculous to them with Arthur trying to pull a sword out of a stone. I feel anxious on Arthurâs behalf.
Gwen must know Merlin has magic at this point. And Iâm pretty sure Merlin knows too and itâs just an unspoken agreement between the two. Thereâs just no way she didnât notice.
I hate the way they handle Gwenâs coronation. It is rushed, just like Arthurâs, and therefore doesnât allow it the weight it should have in the story. Thereâs no lead up to the second engagement and the ceremony is over in the blink of an eye as well. You could forget it happened itâs such a small moment⌠At least she doesnât get a burger king crown like Arthur.
You mentioned an alternative story and which Merlin and Arthur actually went undercover. There wouldnât be any fanfics about that, would there?
16th May 2021 @ 6:46 pm
–Bradley and Colin play it beautifully so it doesnât come across as an actual breach of trust and just funny teasing, but I still canât help but be very irritated by it.–
that’s litereally it, isn’t it? I think Ruth nailed it when she said that she hates how charming they make this stuff, because you are charmed by the execution, while being incredibly annoyed by the sheer existence…
–That scene with Agravaine and the fire behind him is like every typical action movie–
that is very spot on, because just like with 95% of the action movie’s I have seen, the second stuff starts to blow up, I have NO IDEA what’s going on anymore, and I just sit there and wait until it’s over and hope that someone will explain it all to me, afterwards lol
–Why doesnât Gaius die? Shouldnât they have noticed while making this season that heâs unnecessary? They didnât even have to think of a way of killing him as they already created one.–
the gaius story line always makes me wonder whether they had Richard sign a five year contract, so that was that… and it didn’t matter how the story developped, Gaius was going to have to stick around, cause they paid him already… which is ridiculous of course, but genuinly I don’t see any other reason for why we keep not killing gaius!
Especially as we mention his age and how close to death he is over and over and over… just do it already! sheesh.
–Gwen must know Merlin has magic at this point. And Iâm pretty sure Merlin knows too and itâs just an unspoken agreement between the two. Thereâs just no way she didnât notice.–
and I do think in hindsight, you can totally trace everything back and fill in all the moments in which Gwen already knew, and was just asking the ‘what happened? why didn’t it work on you? how did the ceiling fall down?’ type questions in the hope that Merlin will be honest with her. Which of course makes is sadder đ
–At least she doesnât get a burger king crown like Arthur.–
her crown is pretty cute! I bet Arthur steals it when she’s not looking, wishing his crown was less cartoon-y haha
–You mentioned an alternative story and which Merlin and Arthur actually went undercover. There wouldnât be any fanfics about that, would there?–
I’m utterly blanking on mentioning M&A going undercover… when and where? sorry, my brain is SOUP, so if you give me some more info, I will consult my fic folder and see if I have something of the sort đ
M Xx
18th May 2021 @ 10:01 am
– the gaius story line always makes me wonder whether they had Richard sign a five year contract –
Yeah, either that or they just liked having Richard on set so much that they disregarded his whole storyline but were just happy to keep him there. I can’t believe it was an actual storytelling decision.
– I bet Arthur steals it when sheâs not looking, wishing his crown was less cartoon-y –
I absolutely love that!!! haha
– M&A going undercover⌠when and where? –
Ruth mentioned it at minute 36 đ She basically says that instead of taking Arthur’s will and doing the whole simpleton thing, M&A could have a whole story in which they actually go undercover with some smugglers.
21st May 2021 @ 11:47 am
gotcha! with the smugglers. For some reason I thought going undercover to infiltrate the castle and beat Morgana, and I couldn’t remember talking about that at all! hahahahaa
I’m afraid I do not, and a quick AO3 search and summary skim didn’t bring up anything that made me go YES! THIS! but there’s some stuff that looks interesting in regards to re-writes of the end of S4, so you may want to have a browse just in case, anyway
(get ready for the uggliest link ever lol)
https://archiveofourown.org/works?utf8=%E2%9C%93&commit=Sort+and+Filter&work_search%5Bsort_column%5D=revised_at&include_work_search%5Bcharacter_ids%5D%5B%5D=151374&include_work_search%5Bcharacter_ids%5D%5B%5D=217323&include_work_search%5Bcharacter_ids%5D%5B%5D=227588&include_work_search%5Bcharacter_ids%5D%5B%5D=577937&work_search%5Bother_tag_names%5D=Isolde+%28Merlin%29&work_search%5Bexcluded_tag_names%5D=&work_search%5Bcrossover%5D=&work_search%5Bcomplete%5D=T&work_search%5Bwords_from%5D=&work_search%5Bwords_to%5D=&work_search%5Bdate_from%5D=&work_search%5Bdate_to%5D=&work_search%5Bquery%5D=&work_search%5Blanguage_id%5D=&tag_id=Merlin+%28TV%29
20th May 2021 @ 4:18 am
-Why are we so keen on making Morgana barbaric? She wants the thrown and is willing to do anything for it, okay. But why torture prisoners, letting them starve and having Gwaine fight with barely any strength? Why is she enjoying it so much? Not that a lot of Morganaâs motivations make sense but this struck me as especially brutal.-
Yes! WHY?? Gosh! Here I am beating a dead horse, but COME ON, writers! The best villians are those that have a great backstory that isn’t forgotten. Why can’t they circle back to Morgana’s old ways of thinking, but just twist them a bit? I mean she wants to just burn the people’s crops when she use to hand out food to them in season 1 and help tend to the sick. How could we go from that to THIS without any reason or explanation. We know she is angry about her father lying to her and she wants the throne, but is that really enough for her to say “Oh F$%^ it! Screw everyone!” Yes, she could be mad that the people aren’t accepting her and jealous of their love for Arthur, but it was was MORGANA in S1E1 that said to Uther “You know the more brutal you are, the more enemies you will create.” ….Morgana could have had such a beautiful/tragic character arc….instead of this sloppy mess.
-The pain of Agravaine saying one of the things Merlin probably dreads most: that heâs deceiving Arthur. That he isnât actually his friend.- Do you think this is why Merlin clings so hard to telling Arthur he is special (and relying on his believed destiny) in the rest of the episode? Because of his guilt of lying to Arthur (his bff) and Agravaine pointing it out?
Speaking of Agravaine and his last scene. I find it really hard to believe the rest of the soldiers were killed by the push magic and Agravaine doesn’t even have a concussion after being flung against rock? He just immediately comes to and is fine? Yeah….OK…
16th May 2021 @ 1:23 am
OH! One more thing: the scene with the belt between Merlin and Arthur, which I love, always gives me way more queer-batey vibes then The Hug in A Servant of Two Masters. Is that just me? The whole thing feels so intimate and domestic, Arthur is half dressed (something Colin definitely seems to take note of in his performance) and Arthur just manhandles Merlin like they do it all the time. For someone as standoffish about touch as Arthur has been portrayed to be, it seems slightly out of character albeit adorable. That was one of those scenes (not the only one, but the most obvious to me) where I thought, âAh, ok, I get the ship now!â
16th May 2021 @ 12:48 am
All these rounds ups are amazing! Theyâre tiding me over while we wait for Michelle and Ruth to return.
I wonât be rounding up with the rest of them, but I will be griping about the double finale. Mainly…Isolde.
So, look, I love a power couple and I thought those #squadgoals moments between her, Tristan and Arthur in the throne room were cute but UGH can we not introduce another lovely woman just to kill her off to move the plot along?
Iâve never liked the way this show introduces characters just to kill them in the same episode, but this one remains my least favorite example. Itâs so unnecessary. Gwen and Arthur could have gotten back together some other way. This just confirms to Tristan every reason he shouldnât have followed Arthur, magical destiny or no. People die so he can ascend. But of course there are no consequences because we never see or hear from Tristan again. Sigh.
My other axe to grind is Gwen not finding out about Merlinâs magic. Itâs past time for someone who doesnât die in the same episode (see rant above) to know about his magic. It would solve so many of this shows dumb problems. Siiiiigh.
Ok, complaining over. On to the fun stuff!
I believe this episode cemented my crush on Katie McGraw/Morgana. I think sheâs given us the best Morgana this season, in general, but these two episodes felt like a run through of all of her facets – emotionally damaged, ambitious, manipulative, afraid, sexual, vulnerable, lonely, cruel – it was all over the place and Katie made it work. I actually think my main takeaway so far from rewatching Merlin with these podcasts has been appreciating her performance much more and the way it grows over the seasons. Props. Also, the dress, the hair, the eyeshadow, the slo-mo…I just love her đ
I also love the breakdown of the sword in the stone manipulation and everyoneâs views on that. I didnât catch any of that complexity or moral ambiguity the first time I watched the show and I am here for it đđť The idea of this episode being the catalyst for Merlinâs gradually more ambiguous behavior, between his deliberately killing Agravaine and deceiving Arthur, is really compelling. And yaâll are so right, itâs carried mostly by Colin Morgan being crazy good at his job. Also, and this is slightly unrelated, but I like it when stories have characters that are cunning, clever, intelligent and yes, Slytherin-like, without their being automatically evil. Iâm into this side of Merlin and everything it could mean for Arthur and Camelot. It shows that there is more than just one kind of power – Arthurâs kind, namely – and it brings with it just as much responsibility and temptation to abuse it.
16th May 2021 @ 7:04 pm
–but UGH can we not introduce another lovely woman just to kill her off to move the plot along?–
also i really don’t get why they don’t injure her, and then kill him. like, if you’re just bringing these people in so you can kill someone who’s now one of our named characters (and I still think you should have!!) then kill the guy. SIGH. And yes, Merlin does have a tendency to bring characters in as guests and have them be dead by the end of the episode. It’s rare when that doesn’t happen, which is also why fanfic is hilariously limited when it comes to supporting characters, and why Gwaine ends up dating Elena half the time, cause she’s one out of like… 5 named characters that’s still alive lol
–My other axe to grind is Gwen not finding out about Merlinâs magic. Itâs past time for someone who doesnât die in the same episode (see rant above) to know about his magic. It would solve so many of this shows dumb problems. Siiiiigh.–
I do understand the ‘but then more people are lying to arthur’ conundrum the show got itself into. But considering the show has *no problem* making arthur stupid, irrational, forget what he learnt the week before, and just the biggest dumb dumb when it comes to magic… I don’t see why characters other than Merlin lying to him is the moral line they seem to have drawn in the sand… come on!!! indeed.
–I actually think my main takeaway so far from rewatching Merlin with these podcasts has been appreciating her performance much more and the way it grows over the seasons. Props. Also, the dress, the hair, the eyeshadow, the slo-moâŚI just love her đ–
I completely agree. First time watching I loved Morgana early on, in spite of struggling a bit with some of her dialogue lol but then I was just so angry with what they did to her character and how little sense it made, and how easily it could have been prevented, that I do think I lost a lot of the enjoyment of Morgana as a character during season 2 (where she’s behaving irrationally and Merlin & Gaius suck) and season 3 (where she’s smirky and obvious and yet doesn’t get caught even once) so by the time she was fully evil and a very different character in S4 and S5 I’d kind of given up on her, if that makes sense? And rewatching, I know what’s coming, and can look at Morgana quite separate from Good!Morgana, to Weird!Morgana, to Evil!Morgana, and just accept that they are three – really not linked – iterations of Morgana.
M Xx
18th May 2021 @ 12:16 am
– Itâs rare when that doesnât happen, which is also why fanfic is hilariously limited when it comes to supporting characters, and why Gwaine ends up dating Elena half the time, cause sheâs one out of like⌠5 named characters thatâs still alive lol –
So THATâs why thereâs so much Elena/Gwaine in fics đ Mystery solved. Although I actually think it could work between those two.
– I do understand the âbut then more people are lying to arthurâ conundrum the show got itself into. –
I say just go there and deal with the consequences! This community has brought it up before but consequences make for good television, and I wholeheartedly agree. I think it would have been really gripping to watch Merlin, Gwen and Arthur deal with the truth about Merlinâs magic. And if Lancelot had lived, also knowing about Merlinâs magic and loving Gwen?! Good lord, I would totally watch that.
– Iâd kind of given up on her, if that makes sense? –
Me, too!!
Thanks for taking time to read and respond to all of us, itâs above and beyond nice xo
21st May 2021 @ 10:58 am
I mean, that may have been over simplifying things a little! haha because I do love Elena and Gwaine together and I totally see how much sense they make!! but I do think you get it quite a lot in shows with limited characters and fanfic where people can’t accept that some people are single, and they’re okay with that… where everyone needs to be paired up, so you do the obvious ones, which (certainly in stuff I read) is always Merlin/Arthur, Lancelot/Gwen, Morgana/Leon, and while people are often happily ignoring the rest of the knights, everyone loves Gwaine, so he has to be in the story, which means he need to go out with someone, and weirdly enough it’s almost never another knight… hence Gwaine/Elena lol
Oh I completely completely agree, dealing with the consequences would be better than sticking their heads in the sand going LA LA LA LA LA. I wasn’t justifying it in any way! well, at least I didn’t mean to!!! just having a stab at a perceived “explanation”.
–Thanks for taking time to read and respond to all of us, itâs above and beyond nice xo–
that’s so sweet of you to say! <3
15th May 2021 @ 7:36 pm
I think you said to get submissions in by yesterday? But I’ll put my bit here anyway on the season finale.
The line ‘We knew Agravaine was planning something’ from Merlin at this point is so disappointing. The fact that he has known for so long and done literally nothing feels almost cruel at this point, or at best lazy or cowardly. Like you said, these episodes do just kind of match the rest of season 4 which hasn’t been the best.
It was strange to see such a change in Agravavaine once Morgana was in power- he seemed super concerned and I definitely get the vibes that he wasn’t getting what he signed up for. At least when he was acting as double agent, Morgana needed him for something, and because his work was far from her he had some control and power. Now she is in the castle too, he has lost that and I think is beginning to face up to his redundancy. When Morgana is torturing Elyan, he and Helios stand outside, while Aggy feels queasy, Helios goads him. It almost pushes Agravaine in a direction against Morgana, but of course we don’t go that way. Instead his story ends just as dully and meaninglessly as it has been throughout.
When Merlin is giving Arthur the pep talk in ep.1, he gives the ‘you will be the greatest king’ line and then stops himself, it feels like this is one of those moments where Merlin slips into his Emrys persona a little, and he tries to hold back so as not to reveal himself, but also I feel not to condescend to Arthur? Despite all the jabs at Arthur, Merlin naturally lets Arthur lead and does not impose upon him- he knows he is to be a background character so I think he is careful not to take up too much of Arthur’s time himself- why he snoops so much!
I kind of like the little reveal of Gwen in Ealdor, just her silhouette. But the ‘heal a broken heart’ line doesn’t really work for me because I don’t feel that’s what Gwen needs? Because she blames herself as much as Arthur does, I don’t think him banishing her broke her heart as much as her betrayal did and seeing the pain it caused Arthur- Gwen has always been so empathetic and put herself before Arthur. The scene between them in Ealdor is ok? It is a little anticlimactic though. I don’t like how when Arthur is ill and lying on the bed is when he says its all ok, but as soon as he is up on his feet in the forest he turns her away again. At this point it feels like playing with her emotions in a ridiculous way. And later, when Gwen is telling Tristan how great Arthur is when she’s like 3 feet behind him feels so clumsy and silly. As you said, their relationship in these episodes is about as patchy as it has been throughout.
Fiiiinally the conversations between Morgana and Gwen and Arthur! And what do we learn? Virtually nothing :/. I do love the tears in Arthur’s eyes when they speak. It really feels like he’s mourning the loss of Morgana and taking in what she has become- this conversation is just emotional for him while that’s the side she is shutting off- convenient so the writers don’t need to justify her actions; she is simply evil. I liked your idea that Morgana could have run off from Gwen rather than get ceiling-ed; it would be so much more interesting if she chose not to kill Gwen, we could see that she still does have some sympathy left.
I do quite like Gwaine in this episode- his fights are a little out of place but (do doo do doo spoiler) I think we get scenes between him and Morgana again in the next season, and I quite like the idea that they have some sort of relationship- Morgana has been away from Camelot for some time and presumably things have changed, so it kind of works to see her attack/ cling to the parts of it she knows (idk if that makes sense sorry!). He is also so sweet when he sort of limps out of the prison cell :’).
Ok perhaps I will do my whole season ideas in another comment…
15th May 2021 @ 8:05 pm
SEASON 4
I feel disappointed by this season. The beginning held promises of a darker season with serious things going on and difficult character moment, and while this somewhat held true, it was just not well done. I do think it’s partly because they were too afraid to go all out, so we had a) some silly plot lines and jokes that didn’t fit and b) darker plot elements that did not link well with one another- in earlier seasons, stories were more episodic and monster-of-the-week, but I think this season should have had a stronger over-arching plot.
My favourite costume of this season is 100% Morgana’s! Her clothes look shabby and kind of grungy, but she also has lace details and green undertones that make it more beautiful and complex. While this show never goes above and beyond with historical accuracy, her silhouette and high belted waistline sort of reminds me of a houppelande which was worn in the later medieval period which is kind of cool- it’s just a very different look from any of the other noblewomen we have seen.
The Gwen storyline is my saddest thing of this season. I mean, at least she was present (ugh season 5) but she has had such a difficult year! Lancelot dies, Lancelot comes back to life, they kiss, Lancelot dies again, Arthur banishes her, pig poo, gross men, Morgana magics her, she gets shot, has to leave again and then the climax is like… ok. She becomes queen at last, but there is seemingly no emotional healing or emotional development. It doesn’t feel like they worked through what happened which just makes the whole journey feel underwhelming. I would really love to hear your (and everyone else’s!) thoughts on how you would prefer the Gwen story to have gone- how would you reintroduce her into Camelot? How could Arthur come to terms with her and his own actions and forgive her?
Annis was great, Mithian was wonderful. Uther’s death (well, his almost-death in Arthur’s room) manages to make me cry and so genuinely it’s a bit of a highlight for me. There are some beautiful emotional conversations that I asked for in Lancelot du Lac, The Hunter’s Heart and even The Herald of The New Age which I do appreciate. We also got quite a lot of the knights, and though it wasn’t always nice, it was cool to have a little posse.
I keep wondering what the best season of Merlin is, it’s difficult to choose. From my memory, 5 is too miserable and 1 too juvenile for them to be it, but I’m not sure about the others. 2 and 3 had their silly farcical episodes which are not my favourite, something which I think 4 avoided, but then we have Lamia which was the same level of pointlessness but with no humour. However, I think what Merlin has always been for me is a place; it’s the feeling of the show that I want to escape to; beautiful scenes played by a cast that I love and that make me feel all the things. Overall I think I did get that from this season, but not as much as I’d like. Maybe this is just me but I found it more difficult to like Arthur at times in this season than I ever did with him in season 1. He was, I feel, cruel to Gwen, and his relationship with Merlin didn’t gain much this season. He was trying to find his footing as a king, for sure, but even by the end, I’m not sure that he has.
16th May 2021 @ 7:05 pm
thanks for that! We had to DIY this weekend, so aren’t recording until later, so you’re all good đ
16th May 2021 @ 7:18 pm
–The line âWe knew Agravaine was planning somethingâ from Merlin at this point is so disappointing. The fact that he has known for so long and done literally nothing feels almost cruel at this point, or at best lazy or cowardly. —
actually, I talked about there being no point in Merlin rubbing it in, but I think you’re right, there’s also the other side of that. Not just that Arthur didn’t listen this entire time, but also the fact that Merlin didn’t do anything this entire time. So maybe Merlin’s evasive “I thought something was up, but I couldn’t be sure” is both about being kind to Arthur, and cowardly about his own actions. Especially considering Merlin really didn’t try as hard as we would want him to try to convince Arthur. And should have started in episode 1, not in episode 11 SIGH.
— I donât like how when Arthur is ill and lying on the bed is when he says its all ok, but as soon as he is up on his feet in the forest he turns her away again.–
that’s a fair thing to call out, in addition to Gwen’s invasion or Arthur’s privacy and his seeming yo-yo-ing in regards to being hurt / not hurt / hurt / not hurt.
because of course what you’re doing with the Ealdor vs the later rejection is all about surprise, and arthur reacting without thinking etc, but you’re point is well made, it can totally be read as ‘when he gets his groove back, he rejects her again’ – So yeah, all around, it would have been so much better had they just bumped into each other, both up on their feet, to put them on as equal a level as they’re ever likely to be, seeing as arthur is king of nothing right then, and also believe himself not even worthy of being king, so is very much just arthur the man.
— And later, when Gwen is telling Tristan how great Arthur is when sheâs like 3 feet behind him feels so clumsy and silly. —
I watched that scene like three times, because I kept waiting for a reaction from arthur indicating that he heard, because it seemed like that would make sense within the story line we’re doing at that point (whether it’s hearing Tristan disparaging him, as he’s doing the entire time, or Gwen talking him up, which would feed into the arthur/gwen getting back together storyline, and his conflicts around all that stuff) but there’s literally nothing from him, so I do think we’re meant to believe Arthur didn’t hear. Which of course is ridiculous.
Xx
20th May 2021 @ 4:30 am
-I liked your idea that Morgana could have run off from Gwen rather than get ceiling-ed; it would be so much more interesting if she chose not to kill Gwen, we could see that she still does have some sympathy left.-
I was discussing this scene with my friend at work who just watched these two episodes for the first time and she was like, “So is Morgana’s magic gone forever? And how did she magic herself out of the castle??” “Also, what happened to the voodoo doll? It should still be there causing her to lose her powers right?”
I guess since I have seen this all the way through and knows what happens, I didn’t even think about this season finale leaving viewers wondering if Morgana will get her magic back, but then 5 seconds later she apparently magics herself out. How lame is that? The run away from Gwen would be much better.
21st May 2021 @ 10:50 am
at least we don’t actively see her use magic to disappear, she is just gone, and gwen and merlin literally don’t bother to even look around the corner, so for all we know she just took one step to the side… and is then gonna continue fighting her way out of the castle. but yeah, if you wanted her to escape via merlin’s rockfall, why have the ceiling fall down indicating that she would have been squashed under it, except POOF, she’s gone? Why not have merlin bring the ceiling down to protect gwen, shielding her from morgana, and putting a very clear barrier between them. and then afterwards realise that DUH, that means she can escape, what an idiot… but there’s more important things to deal with, like the rest of the army that’s still all over the castle ::shrug::
15th May 2021 @ 5:12 am
Oh dear!! I hope I am not too late for my comments! It’s still May 14th (8:35pm) here in the USA! (It freaks me out when I submit a comment and it says May 15th haha)
Season 4 Comments:
I have learned from re-watching Merlin along with the podcast is that my love for this show truly comes from the cast’s performances. Once I listen to you both break down an episode and point out plot holes or unfinished character arcs or a totally different approach to the episode that is more stream lined and makes more sense, I am left wondering how I missed these things. Or how did this not bother me before? Simple. The cast is amazing and Bradley and Colin’s performances and chemistry are unreal. Season 4 is one of my favorite seasons because of the new upgrade in quality, but also the cast have all really grown in their acting and it is obvious they really understand their characters.
I also appreciate the darkness that has come along with Season 4, not just visually but also the darkness to the storyline and to Merlin, the man. He really has gone from having the destiny of a great kingdom on the shoulders of a “young boy” to “a young man.” Merlin’s Slytherin is truly coming out and it both scares and thrills me. (It also doesn’t hurt that Merlin is now somewhat buff compared to previous season and I LOVE IT!) We also get A LOT of serious Bradley…. which we know equals Most Handsome Bradley.
Best Bromance Moments:
– The shoulder squeeze and Arthur’s stare as Merlin rides off on the horse dying (and yes…. Thanks to Mary I do giggle a little inside thinking of Bradley watching Colin’s butt bouncing around on the horse haha)
– “Thank you, old friend”
– Arthur saving Merlin in beginning of S4E6. His concern is so obvious and I love that he agrees that Merlin is a very good servant. “A servant who is extremely brace, and incredibly loyal, and to be honest, not at all cowardly.” And he DOESN’T FOLLOW IT UP WITH A JOKE to undercut the compliment.
– S4E6: Merlin: “Leave me.” Arthur: “Now’s not the time for jokes.” Merlin: “Please leave me.” Arthur: “Sure, whatever you say.” as he carries him away.
-Arthur telling George about Merlin and how he wants to say “but he is… my Merlin” when he says “my manservant.”
-THE HUG (sorry Ruth)
-Merlin “enhancing” Arthur’s belt
Best Colin performances:
– How Colin seems to have a single, beautiful tear in his eye during every heart breaking or touching moment.
-S4E3 When Merlin realizes he didn’t heal Uther and that he is really dead and he forgets to use his Dragoon voice.
-S4E6 Sass to Morgana when he is chained up in her hut
– S4E7 Asking Arthur how he can believe Agravaine in and standing up for Gaius.
-S4E13 Killing Agravaine
Best Bradley performances:
– S4E9 Asking Gwen what happened and shaking her, but then gaining control again.
-S4E10 Admitting guilt and promising to stop violence to the Druids.
-S4E13 Pulling the sword from the stone
Best Angel performances:
– Faces she makes during S4E3 while Arthur is tied to the wheel and having knives thrown at him and the faces she makes when Gaius is digging the snake out of Merlin’s neck
– S4E6 Her staring down Arthur so he won’t get in the tub of acid
-S4E5 Break up scene
Best Katie performances:
– S4E11 “Hmm. Best not to be caught then.”
Favorite Dragoon moment:
– When he hands Arthur a broom after he smashes his “favorite pot.”
Favorite Episode:
S4E6: A Servant of Two Masters
Least Favorite Episode:
S4E4 Aithusa
Favorite Lines (Mostly all from my fav episode):
“You never know when you might need to kill someone!”
“You would take her side, wouldn’t you?”
“I’m pacing.” “A man who is alright does not pace, Gaius.”
“If you did want to hurt a fly, or even a human, what would you use?”đ
“Driving you mad, is he?” “Not for much longer!”
“Good job I’m not very dirty then.” “That’s a good job indeed!”
“Hm.. best not to be caught then”
“Then make it quick.” >Cocky sneer from Caerleon< (S4E5)
"Well, Arthur, what can I say? You look like a total turnip-head."
"Without me, he wouldn't last a day."
"Hold me."
I think that is about it for my Season 4 round up comments. I have really enjoyed listening along with the podcast and commenting on the website! I am a bit nervous with this hiatus… what am I going to do in my free time?! How long does the hiatus last?!?!
Also, can't wait for Season 5! I will probably watch it during the hiatus for pure enjoyment before y'all rip it apart. haha
P.S.
Forgot to mention scenes where Colin is just so handsome:
Chained up in the hut obviously
crouched by that mossy wall in S4E12 waiting on Arthur to change his clothes đ
15th May 2021 @ 5:41 am
Ah! I forgot Merlin carrying crossbow in corridor! And shooting it in the woods….
15th May 2021 @ 11:06 am
you’re perfectly in time do not worry! thank you for your S4 thoughts Xx
15th May 2021 @ 4:38 am
Ruth has said it before, and it makes so much sense to me. I love this show because I am always sold on the bit-by-bit emotion. Even when the logic makes no sense, I am completely emotionally invested! I cry every time Merlin cries because Colin has me right there with Merlin. It is fantastic, and makes it so easy to fall into the emotion and forget to pay more attention. But, alas, watching, taking notes, and listening each week with the podcast makes me put on my critical thinking cap, which takes me away from that emotional place (in a neutral way).
One thing I never quite understood was why finding a queen and producing an heir wasnât higher on the priority list for Arthur once he became king. I understand stuff was happening to keep him busy, but he could have died at any point, especially as a warrior king as mentioned this week. Did he really think to just let it go to Agravaine? After all Uther went through because he wanted an heir, wouldnât a stable line of succession be a priority for Arthur now? Or maybe an heir was not as much of a priority because it had been such a priority to Uther? Questions; so many questionsâŚ
I commented last week about different rulers and locations. I couldnât remember who took over Ealdor, and lucky me I got an answer this week: King Lot. I donât think he has EVER been mentioned, though. I understand that names can just be pulled from legend, but what a mess if you are less familiar or if the show hadnât been based on legend. There is so much reliance on familiarity of the audience with the legend, making it so easy for things to get garbled. I think it could have been really interesting to explore the fallout of losing Cenred for the five+ kingdoms. Perhaps that could have been the inciting incident for kingdoms to war against one other (despite Utherâs peace treaty) as each tries to claim parts of Cenredâs old kingdom. THEN we would have impetus for a uniting of the five kingdoms again and building Albion, whether that be by peace or Arthur ruling them all.
I completely agree it would have made more sense to kill Uther at the end of Season 3 and Gauis at the end of Season 4. Make Season 4 about Arthur getting his footing as king, and then Season 5⌠Well, I wonât say anymore.
I still really, really wish Gwen had found out about Merlinâs magic. Like dang. Maybe Merlin deep down didnât trust her because he also believes Gwenâs betrayal was of her own free will and lapse in judgement. He never found out about her bracelet, so he, too, thinks it was Gwen who willingly kissed shade Lancelot. I know this is just more frustrating, but it is the only reason I can think for why Merlin did not solve the case for once and why he wonât tell Gwen.
I was also surprised Morgana brought up Emrys to Arthur. Like, he doesnât understand and has never heard that name. The selective deafness is frustrating to me as well. Maybe itâs a lapse in cognition from all the times heâs been knocked out. Poor Arthur. On a similar note, I am surprised Arthur didnât recognize Excalibur. Hasnât he used it before? Someone please correct me. I remember Uther ended up using it in âExcaliburâ and Merlin using it to knock over the cup in the Season 3 finale. I suppose Arthur hasnât? Because surely if he had, he would remember such a good sword with such distinct markings. Itâs so bizarre to think we are this late in the game before Arthur ever actually gets to use it.
I think it is such an interesting idea that Merlin uses magic for Arthur to pull Excalibur out of the stone (while doing yoga-like mantras behind him, which kind of cracks me up in an otherwise beautiful scene). The idea also makes me wonder if any other magic user could have done the same, or if the magical lock spell thing was specific to Merlin. Seems like Excalibur was safer with Freya, but then weâd get no stone scene, and I love that scene.
A few more finale-related things. First, why couldnât Merlin magically cover their tracks with leaves or something as they left Camelot and/or Ealdor? If you must run and sometimes go back, why not make it impossible for them to track you? Second, as uncomfortable as simpleton Arthur is as a plot device, I do think itâs interesting seeing Arthur come out of it and have to play at it for a minute. Arthur suddenly must pretend to be much less competent than he really is, which is something Merlin does ALL THE TIME. Arthur is not very good at it, nor does he have to maintain the persona for long with the invasion. I like, though, that we get to see that mirroring, despite all the downsides discussed this week. Third, I like to headcanon that this moment was when Merlin invented the Imperius curse. Thatâs why the High Priestesses had to use Femorrahs and as an origin story for some Harry Potter stuff lol. The ethics are more obvious in Harry Potter, thankfully. Fourth, I am also a huge fan of Merlinâs lines about enhancing Arthurâs belt for perfection. The moment is precious. Finally, just want to share that Gwaineâs line the first time he fights for food cracks me up every time, âYouâre a very angry man. I can see that. It must be hard, being so ugly.â The little pause in Eoinâs performance just makes me laugh so much.
I suppose that is about all I have to say for the season. Really looking forward to the roundup and dreading the hiatus!
Here are my superlatives for Season 4:
– Most hopeful moment: Aithusaâs birth
– Scariest moment: Any of the jump scares by Darocha
– Moment that piqued my curiosity most: When the Druids said there are some legends only they know
– Most confusing moment: When the creature tells Morgana that it is her destiny to bring back the old ways, implying more than one destiny is at work, or something?
– Funniest line (this is hard): âWhatâs that in your hair?â Gwaine – âItâs stew,â Merlin – âWhy have you got stew in your hair?â Leon – âWell, Because he was reading,â Merlin. LOL
– Best crossbow scene: When Leon lovingly stares at a crossbow explaining which is the best to (femorrahâd) Merlin
– Biggest thing I wish I could change: Gwen finding out about Merlinâs magic. There were SO many good opportunities!
– Part that makes me angriest: Aithusa appearing out of nowhere for no reason to save Morgana, also implying absentee guardianship by Kilgharrah and Merlin
– Most beautiful shot: Arthur leaving his fatherâs vigil and talking with Merlin
– Best costume: Gwenâs purple and gold coronation dress
– Best musical theme: Gwenâs. I just love it, but there are many that I love (even if re-used weirdly at times)
– Most competent Merlin: When he can ACTUALLY heal the knights for once after they are poisoned by Julius
15th May 2021 @ 8:46 am
It’s interesting you mention how Arthur’s priorities as king are different to Uther’s straight off. He’s not been king for long but he would be expected to start looking into creating the next leader of Camelot, like you said, he’s the warrior king and anything could happen. I don’t even think this subject comes into the show in season 5 after Arthur and Gwen have been married for a few years. Many people would be putting pressure on Gwen within the first year to conceive. God knows how it was like for Ygraine!
I think even the writers were a little confused by fate, destiny and prophecy. When the dochraid told Morgana it was her destiny to bring back the old ways, destiny in this conversation means ambition or drive or hope. If she said Morgana was ‘prophecised’ to do so, THEN we’d have a massive problem haha.
15th May 2021 @ 2:33 am
Quick thoughts on Part 1 (and yes I like this one best and I knew you both would not! Haha!)
I love the belt scene in the beginning. My favorite is how Colin says âenhancing it.â Just great! I do wish Bradley had pants on though…. I donât mind seeing his thighs if it makes sense but putting your belt on before your pants just doesnât.
Why is Percival the only knight at the feast and apparently the only one with a woman!?!
Arthur jumps over the table so he isnât THAT fat!
It frustrates me that Merlin says âWell, we knew Agravaine was planning something.â Yet we havenât seen him spying or snooping, which is what we all know Merlins do! I wish they would have showed him going out of his way to keep tabs on Agravaine throughout the season.
I absolutely LOVE Arthurâs fight scene in the corridor. He looks amazing and I love the music!
I stand by what I said in the Lancelot du Lac. Arthur is a warrior and reacts to betrayal or an emotional threat with the fight response. We see him do this again when he sees Agravaine and realizes the betrayal. Had Merlin not been there, he absolutely would have killed Agravaine, just like he would have killed Lancelot if Gwen hadnât stopped him. I did go back to the episode where Morganaâs betrayal was first exposed to see what his reaction was then. Arthur wants to attack when Morgause is standing before Uther and dethroning him, but Merlin holds him back. Then Morganaâs betrayal is revealed. I wonder if he didnât respond with fight response then because Merlin had just talked him down. To me, all of this is very in character with Arthur.
As far as Gaius suggesting to Merlin to take Arthurâs will away… I wrote âthatâs screwed up, but ends up funny…â
I knew you both would hate Simpleton Arthur, but I enjoyed it on a superficial level. I love Merlinâs multiple raised eyebrow looks when Arthur does what he wants haha Heâs so handsome! â¤ď¸
I love their heads together in between the trees looking adorable. â¤ď¸
I LOVE that once Arthur is himself again and has to pretend to be a simpleton, he goes with a pirate voice đ đ´ââ ď¸
SPOILER Foreshadowing: âHe wouldnât last a day without me.â đ
You are right! They are gorgeous with crossbows and now Iâm just daydreaming of Merlin carrying a crossbow everywhere! đ
Love how Bradley delivers the line: âI cared about these people. I donât understand.â Breaks my heart every time.
Part 2:
I agree with you about making Tristan and Isolde a different episode. It feels so strange that they donât just stay in Ealdor, especially since Isolde is hurt. Agravaine doesnât know them and doesnât care about them. It makes way more sense for them to hang low in the village.
I LOVE Colinâs performance when he kills Agravaine! I LOVE IT! Itâs so chilling how he acts like a scared little boy at first and then a tough little man and then a badass killer! I wrote in my notes âyou can really see the slytherin in Merlin when he kills Agravaine.â
Do you think Merlin kills Agravaine so Arthur doesnât have to decide what to do with him or so Arthur doesnât have to carry the weight of killing his own uncle? Or had Merlin just finally had enough and said screw this guy!
Those two sitting by that tree!!!!! â¤ď¸â¤ď¸â¤ď¸
When Arthur is talking about misjudging people, he doesnât mention Gwen. He just had a conversation with Gwen saying he couldnât forgive her, but here when he lists those who have wounded him and betray him, he forgets Gwen.
When Tristan and Isolde decide to fight with Arthur, they say he has showed them âhe fights for what is right and fair,â but I donât think we have really seen that in this episode. Arthur has shown he will go back for his servant and that he can pull a sword out of a rock, but isnât that it? Heâs been running, not fighting. And the only reason he is going to fight his way into Camelot is because it is his home and throne…. I wish they would have changed the wording here. Seems clique and not supported.
I love the slo mo of Morganaâs wild hair in the corridor.
SPOILER: âHold meâ Oh God…more foreshadowing (sort of)
It is strange that Gwen is back in her dress from beginning of the season at the end of the episode. It would be better if she was still in her traveling clothes or something since we havenât seen that she has been accepted back into Arthurâs life or even the castle staff…..
Thatâs it for my episode thoughts! Iâll post another comment for season 4 thoughts!
15th May 2021 @ 9:01 am
I assumed this festival was a weekend thing so percival gets to be at the feast this night as Arthur’s protection and the others are on duty but will get to celebrate the next night.
When Merlin says they knew Aggy was planning something, yes it would have made more sense if Merlin snooped, but I think he meant that a month ago Gwen told him that Aggy stole the map, or supposedly so.
I noticed Gwen’s dress too. It made sense throughout s4 because she’s girlfriend of the king and it’s a step up, but right now she doesn’t expect to ever be with Arthur again so maybe she should have opted for a dress she had in s3..
15th May 2021 @ 11:48 am
–Quick thoughts on Part 1 (and yes I like this one best and I knew you both would not! Haha!)–
hahaha we’re sorry! lol
–I love the belt scene in the beginning. My favorite is how Colin says âenhancing it.â Just great!–
his delivery in that scene is amazing, because he managed to make me laugh out loud, without at any point sounding like he is mocking Arthur, but also at the same time managing to sound sincere, and tongue in cheek. Basically he managed to deliver his entire dialogue while giggling at Arthur to himself but without being able to be pulled up about it because nothing in his dialogue or voice suggests he is teasing. it’s astonishing!!!
–Why is Percival the only knight at the feast and apparently the only one with a woman!?!–
have you seen his arms? of course he pulls! hahah
–Arthur jumps over the table so he isnât THAT fat!–
casual display of physical prowess as my absolute weakness!
We had a volunteer at the farm once… now I need to preface this by saying that climbing on any of the fences of animal enclosure or structures inside the animal enclosures was forbidden to anyone who wasn’t a goat, due to the high and unnecessary risk of injury. So we had this volunteer and he casually leapt over fences from complete stand still without a second of hesitation or thought… I never resented having to tell someone off and forbid someone from doing something more in my life. it was insanely attractive!!! lol
–I stand by what I said in the Lancelot du Lac. Arthur is a warrior and reacts to betrayal or an emotional threat with the fight response. We see him do this again when he sees Agravaine and realizes the betrayal. Had Merlin not been there, he absolutely would have killed Agravaine–
or died trying of course.
–Arthur wants to attack when Morgause is standing before Uther and dethroning him, but Merlin holds him back.–
even if arthur never finds out about merlin’s magic, there’s so many times when merlin has physically saved his life, these two instances being just the latest of them!
— Then Morganaâs betrayal is revealed. I wonder if he didnât respond with fight response then because Merlin had just talked him down.–
to me, i think the Morgana betrayal came as such a shock that it left him numb. i think there was just too much going on that he was processing, which prevented him from jumping into action at that point. because of course she steps out and your instant reaction would be ‘oh no, they have morgana, too’ and then clock that she’s not being helf prisoner, then clock that she’s interacting with Morgause, and then finally register the words she’s saying, at which point arthur’s also processing the daughter/sibling revelation. so yeah, I think that one’s mostly down to confusion. But yes, I think putting these scenes together makes an interesting case. and that with Morgana, the confusion is what gave Arthur the delay to think about his actions and not leap hot headed into battle and get himself killed. With Agravaine, Merlin physically stopping him is what held Arthur back and made him think about his actions and not get himself killed. And with Lancelot there wasn’t anyone there to snap him out of it, until Gwen steps between them. So yeah, I can see how you can draw a thread there that makes sense.
–I knew you both would hate Simpleton Arthur, but I enjoyed it on a superficial level. —
Oh, me too! I’ve said this in a different comment, but genuinly, for the last decade, on a regular basis, Ruth or myself will drop something valuable, or realise we’ve lost something in the house, or pay for coffee at Starbuck and one of us will go ‘my goooooooold’… because it’s HILARIOUS. And that’s why the writers created Simpleton Arthur and put him in the show. I get it and when just casually watching the episode, I laugh, because it *is* funny. But when analysing it? When you take a step and look at the story structure… I do NOT understand what in the world they were thinking lol
–SPOILER Foreshadowing: âHe wouldnât last a day without me.â đ–
O_O DUDE! not okay!!! too soon.
Doesn’t matter how much time has passed.
It will ALWAYS be too soon!!!!!!!
lol
M Xx
20th May 2021 @ 5:01 am
-have you seen his arms? of course he pulls! hahah-
I have convinced two of my friends to watch this show and we were talking about plotholes and quirky things about the show and one of them was like “Now tell me why they don’t give Percival sleeves?!” and I can officially say “so he can be the only one with a lady” đ¤Ł
-So we had this volunteer and he casually leapt over fences from complete stand still without a second of hesitation or thought⌠I never resented having to tell someone off and forbid someone from doing something more in my life. it was insanely attractive!!! lol-
That made me actually laugh out loud! Haha I am sure you were like “Hey….you can’t do that…” (wink wink)
-Iâve said this in a different comment, but genuinely, for the last decade, on a regular basis, Ruth or myself will drop something valuable, or realise weâve lost something in the house, or pay for coffee at Starbuck and one of us will go âmy gooooooooldâ⌠because itâs HILARIOUS.- đ¤Ł
My favorite simpleton Arthur line is when he sticks his head in the conversation and says “I’m very annoying,” with like the most serious expression. Also, I do want to say (because I forgot in my original comment) that I know some people have issue with Merlin letting Arthur walk around in the too tight/small clothes and sandals, but I actually really think it is a great disguise! The King of Camelot would never look like that big of a fool, as Tristan and Isolde point out. haha
âSPOILER Foreshadowing: âHe wouldnât last a day without me.â đâ
O_O DUDE! not okay!!! too soon.
Doesnât matter how much time has passed.
It will ALWAYS be too soon!!!!!!!
I know! I know! But that line always reminds me of Season 5. I both want to get to the last episode ASAP to discuss thoughts, but I also don’t want my heart broken AGAIN.
21st May 2021 @ 10:47 am
I am very excited to discuss 5×13 however I have a very strong view of it in my mind, and I have NO IDEA whether that is still going to be the view, when I finally rewatch it, almost a decade on!!! ? ARGH.
only time will tell…
14th May 2021 @ 11:01 pm
Season 4 Round-Up Comments:
List of Destiny: I have found it extraordinarily hard to place these in some kind of order this time, because I think many, many are fairly on par in terms of my enjoyment and the likelihood of me watching them. So, I have placed them in different tiers additionally their individual ranking. The tiers, I think, are pretty solid but individual ranking may change any given day according to:
⢠How pretty Colin looks in the episode (especially how good he looks in cloak and chain mail)
⢠How much Bradley makes me cry
⢠How much I am scared for Merlin throughout the episode
⢠How much Dragoon annoys me
⢠How much I am underwhelmed by Alatorâs torturing techniques
⢠How often I simply forget about Lancelot du Lac when doing the ranking for the round-up and need a full five minute to figure out why I am one episode short
(You may laugh, but these are genuine considerations that popped into my head during the ranking!)
Tier 1:
1. His Fatherâs Son
2. A Herald of the New Age
3. The Wicked Day
Tier 2:
4. The Secret Sharer
5. Lamia
6. The Servant of Two Masters (might have been higher but I canât really watch Merlinâs tortureâŚitâs difficult.)
7. The Darkest Hour Part 2
8. The Darkest Hour Part 1
9. The Hunterâs Heart
Tier 3:
10. The Sword in the Stone Part 1
11. Aithusa
12. Lancelot du Lac
13. The Sword in the Stone Part 2
Superlative Challenge:
1. Top 3 characters, plots or ideas you wish the show had expanded on: Tristan and Isolde (I totally would go for a smuggler/pirate-y type episode!), Mithian (just, more of Mithian! Perhaps even Merthian?), Hunith and Ealdor (Merlin returns after years and years and we hardly get any emotional beats – yet weâre meant to care for a unfamiliar smuggler who canât walk because her shoulder has been slashed?)
2. Top 3 characters, plots or ideas you wish had been cut: Tristan and Isolde (at least from 4.12 and 4.13), bullying, especially stew jokes (except Merlinâs bad joke in 4.10 about getting out of the wrong side of the table!), âHave you tried the tavern?â
3. Most important lesson for Arthur, Merlin, Gwen and Morgana:
a. Arthur: I donât have to be a king alone but I must choose my advisers wisely
b. Merlin: If I wish for destiny to be fulfilled, I, and only I, need to make it happen, no matter the cost. (Also: when my father was living in a cave for the last 20 years of his life, he was actually guarding the secret location of the last dragon egg).
c. Gwen: Arthurâs affection, favour and promises are given and lots on a whim with often no context as to what changed his mind. (i.e. Arthur is unpredictable.)
d. Morgana: I am both thrilled and shocked at how far I am willing to go and how much I am willing to pay to get what I want.
4. Favourite Merlin/Arthur moment: 4.6: The log scene where Arthur admits how brave Merlin truly is OR 4.3: The Stairwell Scene
5. Favourite bromance moment: 4.5 When Merlin gets Arthur ready for single combat in his tent and Arthur calls him âold friendâ.
6. Best and worst editing: Best: 4.3 Corridor at night before Arthurâs vigil, transition and Stairwell Scene in the morning; worst: The Sword in the Stone, Part 2
7. Most sound and most atrocious episode structure: Sound: The Secret Sharer; Atrocious: The Hunterâs Heart and itâs bad patchwork of a double plot with opposing development of relationship dynamics between Arthur and Merlin
8. Scene that makes you laugh even though itâs uncomfortable or possibly offensive: Merlinâs anticks with Arthurâs trousers in 4.4.
9. Best chemistry: Morgana and Helios (4.12 and 4.13 only), Percival & everyone
10. Worst chemistry: Agravaine & everyone
11. Most inconsequential character: Gaius (How easily could he be cut from season 4!)
12. Top 5 things I appreciate about the addition of the knights: Percival, Gwaine, Elyan, Leon and, at the start, Lancelot. đ
13. Moments you shouted at Merlin to âGo tell Arthur!â: When they found the enchated necklace on Uther; when he found out that Lancelot was a Shade; when Gaius refused to accuse Agravaine even after he was abducted and tortured
14. Most perfect moment for Merlin to reveal his magic: When offering to heal Arthurâs father with magic, thereby not wasting time with Dragoon that gives Agravaine time to tell Morgana and use the âleft-hand pathâ.
15. Scene I could watch all day, every day: The hatching of Aithusa and Merlin being so joyous that he begins to cry
16. Best musical moment: Lancelotâs funeral
17. Outstanding guest appearance: Lindsay Duncan (Just wish it hadnât been a guest appearance!)
18. Best and worst way the show subverted the legend: Best: Mithian, the perfect princess, does not get to marry Arthur but through no fault of her own; Worst: The fabricated lie of the Sword in the Stone, Second Worst: Lancelot and Gwen
19. Best tear-jerker: Arthur crying over a dying Uther; Second: Arthur crying and confessing at the druid shrine
20. Most epically awesome moment: When Annis completely reads Morgana like a book and calls her out on being similar to Uther
21. Most impressive and underwhelming use of magic: Impressive: Morganaâs powers having grown enough to heal Merlinâs mace-to-the-collarbone wound; Underwhelming: Morgana and Merlinâs (Dragoonâs) magical duel
22. Greatest losses: Lancelot, Mithian, Annis and, first and foremost, Merlinâs purple shirt!
23. Best knightly moments:
a. Leon: When he looks back at a burning Camelot (4.12)
b. Elyan: Hugging and comforting the druid boy ghost
c. Gwaine: The loudest apple crunch in the history of apple crunches (4-1)
d. Percival: Saving the children from the Dorocha
e. Lancelot: The smile before he sacrifices himself
24. Actually funny yet meaningful comedy that isnât offensive, ill chosen or tonally inconsistent: George!
25. Character with the most wasted potential: Gwen, Morgana, Arthur (he only gets to be, know and do whatever the plot – or Merlin – demand of him)
26. Most surprising twist: Alatorâs true loyalties, Second: Arhurâs responsibility for the Druid massacre
27. Most iconic moment: Arthur: âLong live the Queen!â All join.
General Season 4 Round-Up Comments:
A line to describe season 4 that has come back to me again and again is from Arthur himself: Big mouth and no trousers. They really had many, many great ideas and many episodes were jam-packed and, sadly, too many, too much so. They donât follow through, donât extend, donât develop, donât achieve consistency and, like Ruth said, often get us to a place at the end of the episode that isnât really worth it.
I think the problem is that with season 4 and the attempt to make the show more epic, they wanted to tell larger, longer stories, developed over several episodes. However, by the end of season 3, while they had become fairly good at doing episodic, contained plots, they had never been great at double episodes or arching characters or plot across episodes or more extended storytelling time. Unfortunately, they almost entirely abandoned the contained episodes in season 4 (there are some and those are the most structurally sound) and focused on telling the story of the show in a way theyâd never really been good at. So, they didnât do themselves any favours or built on their strengths. I think that also the incredibly short and hectic production time of Merlin is to blame for that, as well as the difficulty of adapting and subverting the episodic nature of most Arthurian legends, which were first committed to paper hundreds of years before the idea of an extended narrative novel first made its appearance.
Despite all this, I think season 4 as a whole, still contains the highest number of episodes that I am happy to re-watch regularly and, when I first finished watching the series and did my personal rating of each episode, season 4 finished top. But that, like you said, comes down at least 97% to the quality of performance with a good sprinkling of masterful handling of camera work, direction, art direction, lighting, music and sets/locations. I believe if I removed all other scenes but those containing a one-on-one conversation between Arthur and Merlin (adding in the lost additional scenes that were cut), I think this season would undoubtably be everyoneâs favourite. đ
15th May 2021 @ 11:50 am
SMOOCH Xx
14th May 2021 @ 4:53 pm
This episode reminded me of a big issue I’ve had since season 1 of Merlin. You guys have pointed out numerous times on the podcast how Merlin doesn’t really know how to use their female characters well, and this has been especially evident to me with Gwen using a sword. In the second part of this finale, Gwen wields a sword, albeit not very expertly, but at least she was given something to hack around in order to protect herself, protect others, and help in the battle. It always made sense to me that as a blacksmith’s daughter, Gwen would or should at least be familiar with the workings of a sword and would know the basics of how to use it, so I was really annoyed by all the times that she was denied access to a sword, especially in “The Castle of Fyrien” episode (I’m pretty sure this is the one I’m thinking of) where she literally got captured in two seconds because all she had was a torch smh. Plus, this finale episode is not the first in which we see Gwen use a sword. In the “Lancelot and Guinevere” episode, Gwen used a sword to slash that bandit’s ankles, which was a moment I loved because it gave Gwen some competency without needing to make her more skilled and powerful than she would believably be. It’s just the fact that they pick and choose when to outfit her with a weapon and when they make her the damsel in distress who really just gets in the way of battles because everyone else needs to make sure she doesn’t get hurt in the process. It gives me major “Princess Bride” vibes when they’re in the forest and Buttercup literally STANDS AND WATCHES as Westley gets attacked by the ROUS like GIRL GO GRAB HIS SWORD AND THROW IT TO HIM OR SOMETHING DON’T JUST STAND THERE. I’m not asking for Gwen to be some super skilled warrior like Arthur or even a practiced swordswoman like Morgana, I just want her to be given the liberty to protect herself so that she is not a useless burden on those around her. The only argument I can think of is that it is not in Gwen’s nature to kill, but she can stay away from the fighting for the most part if that’s what she wants or just like slash some arms and legs. Finally, I know that Merlin sometimes is not granted a sword either, but the audience knows that he doesn’t need it because he has power of his own kind, whereas Gwen is wholly and unnecessarily stripped of all competency or usefulness. Again, just another example of Merlin’s confusion on how to make a compelling, well-rounded, and consistent female character. Thank you for coming to my TedTalk/rant lol.
15th May 2021 @ 11:17 am
When you said ‘Gwen with a sword’ my thoughts actually went to ‘the moment of truth’ an equally cool scene where Gwen asks arthur to let the woman fight. I can’t remember if we saw much of her actual fighting or if there was a sword available to her because of the village’s lack of weapons, but I vaguely remember her hacking at someone then. No one ever questioned whether she could fight, just whether the woman should. That was Gwen, she taught that lesson to Arthur all the way back then!
I’m pretty sure you can give anyone a knife for self defence and they will know just what to do with it when attacked, it’s a question of whether they’re able to reach the knife in time or fight response kicks in rather than flight. Gwen doesn’t run away.
I too am frustrated with buttercup the dainty thing, just watching til her bf possibly gets eaten đ
15th May 2021 @ 11:52 am
aren’t most Ted Talks actually Ted Rants? I approve!!!
Xx
14th May 2021 @ 1:21 pm
This is the first time doing a season round up and Iâm a bit overwhelmed to get everything about one season together. But weâll see how this goesđ
I like this season a lot more during my second watch than I did on my first. The first time I kind of wanted to rush through it because Agravaine made me really tense and frustrated. I was afraid of what him being a spy in Camelot would mean and watching Arthur make bad decisions because of that is just something I can cope with really badly. Now however, I knew what would happen and therefore I could just ignore Agravaine, which makes for a lot more enjoyable watch. I could actually focus on everything else and everything that is still fun about this season. Therefore this season also appeared a lot lighter than I remembered it being.
You guys were talking about how you didnât like that the season gets a big opener and a big finale. Frankly, I have to disagree. I like the big epic stories that have time to get a little more complex. They might not have executed those episodes that well, but when looking at the season as a whole it makes the season feel bigger. I think thatâs a valuable thing to do because they have to go through a lot of events and time in order to get through their story in time.
That leads me to my next point of this season: Big Arthurian events.
This season tries to get through some big stories in a very short time and then doesnât even give them the time and attention they deserve.
– In the season opener we kill Lancelot off, a big and well known character in the legends who definitely had more significance than the show gave it. The show does its own thing with the legends anyway but one would expect that we do more with a character weâve been building since season 1. His story is a let down, especially because most of us really like his character and his friendship with Merlin had so much potential. His whole character had so much potential.
– Uther dies and Arthur is crowned king. Utherâs death gets one episode which feels very small in between the big opener and finale. My biggest issue is not even that Utherâs death was small, but Arthur becoming king was dragged down as well. If we would have consistently built Arthurâs character this season and had a clean arch on him becoming king, a wicked day would have gotten away with rushing the coronation, but thatâs not what happens.
– The love triangle⌠We killed Lancelot off and then forced the cheating storyline on the show anyway. We took away any agency of the characters and therefore the aftermath of the events feel absolutely out of place. The last 4 episodes donât let Arthur or Gwen grow from the events and it wouldnât even make sense to have them grow from it as they donât actually know what really happened to them. The last episode rushes them making up and then suddenly Gwen is queen? Considering that the show decided to make Gwen a servant, one would have expected that during the wedding/coronation that topic would be brought up again. Instead we just get a very cinematic scene, which doesnât allow the emotional depth and plot relevance the show has been building up to.
All these big Arthurian events have been muddled and rushed. I donât know what their plan was, or what they tried going for instead.
This isnât just the problem of this season, but I only just found the podcast and didnât have the opportunity before and it hasnât been as big of an issue as it is this season.
The plots were too big per episode. They wanted to keep it somewhat episodic and the season suffered from it. They wasted a ton of potential that way.
There wasnât time for a plot threading through all the season, which would make a lot of sense as the season should be telling the story of Arthur growing into his role as king, Morgana in her hovel planning things and Arthur and Gwenâs relationship. We have these original episodic stories which are very fast paced and have a lot to cover and therefore also arenât extracted of their full potential and next to that we have the stories of legends which everyone is waiting for and they are mostly ignored and rushed. They are so caught up in their own stories so that the legend stories are forgotten most of the time and get little random moments all over the season. Biggest example of that: Gwen and Arthur. I forgot they are have a thing most of the time until it became relevant for the love triangle story again.
And there is no time for any of the characters other than Merlin and Arthur. We would have had great opportunities to give the pretty big cast of characters lotâs of things to do and just give them fun character moments. I donât even care if itâs important to the plot, but I wanted to see more of the knights. I wanted to see more of Gwen. I wanted to see more of the friendships that exist in the space of those characters, especially to Merlin.
The show is simply too episodic for the story it is trying to tell.
The theme of this season is Arthurâs doubt in himself as his ability as a king and learning in many different ways how he actually is. (Iâm honestly surprised this season managed to have a theme)
They repeat that lesson a bit much though. They should have varied the ways Arthur is a capable king more for it not to feel as much of a reset. But I feel like the last episode is able to pull all those strings together and build a capable king who creates the golden age of Albion in the season gap. The last episode is quite a mess because that is what it focuses on instead of the actual plot đ
Time and time again we get a glimpse at Arthurâs insecurity. He doubts his abilities and he doubts his heart. Through all of it Merlin is there to pull him out of it and allows Arthur to prove to himself that he is indeed worthy. Merlin is able to finally manifest that lesson through the sword in the stone scene.
Merlin is also able to add pressure on it by saying Arthur will be the best king ever, so thatâs probably why we need so many resets this season đ
Agravaineâs story was such a waste. His presence barely changed anything. Iâm sure lotâs of people will talk about this, so Iâll move on to my other point.
If Agravaine wasnât there I feel like we could have done better villain stories this season. Morgana wouldnât be able to do a lot as she doesnât have any insight on the events in the castle so we can get more villains of the week. I think having more of that like in season 1 would have been an interesting thing to do looking at Arthur becoming king. We can see how attacks on him change from being a prince to becoming a king and what the different motivations for his enemies are now.
We could also let go of most magical enemies because as king there are other enemies to be made than your magic politics. I know they donât want to be a political drama, however, if your main character becomes king you have to at least hint a bit more on what has changed in his life.
I just think we didnât do enough with the fact that Arthur is king now other than the reoccurring theme of him doubting his abilities. With more diverse villains we could have done more with that.
Once again I looked at your list of destiny to determine where season 4 lands in comparison to the other seasons:
Season 3 (score: 7,09)
Season 2 (score: 6,6)
Season 4 (score: 6,26)
Season 1 (score: 6,21)
The distance between seasons is minimal though. I gave the seasons scores based on the episode placements on the list. The number doesnât have a deeper meaning (Itâs not like 6/10 or something. Iâm too lazy to think of a way to do that). Theyâre just numbers to make the seasons comparable.
What do we learn from this? Well, over all the seasons rank about the same. Season 1 and 4 have an almost identical score.
Season 4 scores 11,71% worse than season 3 (the best season so far) and 0,68% better than season 1 (the worst season so far).
My list of destiny (which is entirely based on my personal enjoyment):
6 A servant of two masters
1+2 The darkest hour
12+13 The sword in the stone
11 The Hunterâs Heart
5 His fatherâs son
10 A Herald of the new age
4 Aithusa
9 Lancelot du Lac
3 The wicked day
7 The secret sharer
8 Lamia
I donât have a lot of best bits. I forgot to write them down for most episodes and now I donât know what else should be in it. When I hear them from the others Iâll probably feel very stupid for forgetting some great moments.
Best bits:
E1+2 Merlin and Lancelotâs friendship
E3 staircase
E6 Arthur confessing how much he cares for Merlin after he gets wounded
E10 Arthurâs speech to the spirit and submitting himself to it
E11 Conversation in the corridor with Merlin and Mithian
I criticised this season a lot but honestly, I really enjoyed myself watching most of it. There were great emotional moments in this season and looking at most episodes on their own and not bringing them in a season/show context makes them a lot better as well. I personally am also able to ignore plot inconstancies most of the time and look at the characters and I just have fun watching Merlin and Arthur.
Iâm already dreading the hiatus so Iâm just going to ask: Could you maybe make another fanfic recommendation list? I need new fics to read and you guys had some excellent recommendations!
Looking back at my experience with the podcast, itâs funny how every time I thought I wonât have a lot to say my comment ends up being way too long anywayđ I definitely enjoyed getting into the Merlin fandom this way! Looking forward to discussing season 5 (even if Iâm not ready for all the angst) âşď¸
14th May 2021 @ 2:33 pm
you may have been feeling overwhelmed, but you did an excellent job in getting your thought together AND doing maths!!!! Which I hugely appreciate, and also wow. it really does all just come out in the wash, doesn’t it? there’s so barely any difference between seasons, it’s mad!!
Thank you so much for getting all your thoughts to us, and, spoiler: we already have a fic rec episode in the schedule for the hiatus đ
Though also, did you listen to our thinky thoughts fic brackets game? it’s multi fandom, but a lot of mostly my recs are merlin based, so worth scanning through the link list on that if you haven’t yet
https://www.fascinationandfrustration.com/fic-bracket-recs-list-part-1/
https://www.fascinationandfrustration.com/tt-fic-bracket-recs-list-part-2/
sorry if I’ve linked that previously, I loose track of who I have and haven’t sent these links to ::facepalm::
M Xx
14th May 2021 @ 7:45 pm
Ooh Iâm looking forward to the new recs!
You havenât linked it to me before, but I have taken a look at it already. I read way too much fanfic lately đ
15th May 2021 @ 11:54 am
no such thing!
13th May 2021 @ 10:11 pm
As for summing up season 4, as much as this is my favourite show of all time, the cons outweigh the pros and I’m inclined to say for me, the best seasons and episodes are behind us, before season 4 started. I feel after season 3 the writers grew too cautious of what they could and could not handle, as well as being restricted by the family friendly audience and early airing time. I wholeheartedly believe if they really weren’t held down by so many rules and had all the time and budget in the world, they would have planned plots through more thoroughly and made a consistent base for characters to bounce off of, rather than create pasts that characters have to forget to make the episode work, or evil plans that are much more complicated than need be just to pad things out.
I enjoyed the idea and potential of episodes rather than the episodes themselves, hence the constant rewrites in my head haha. There was way too much clashing with serious and comedic tones, too much relying on very old dynamics and jokes that were barely funny the first time, and too many modern concepts meddling with medieval one, e.g. toxic masculinity, where in those days they were actually not afraid to show a fellow many how much they cared, in a way that these days on screen would be accused of pushing homosexuality onto children. Or that Gwen has become a woman who can do no wrong and so to be make her do wrong, only her actions under enchantment will justify anything. In this season alone, there were far too many characters under enchantment to learn lessons or for others to learn lessons.
The acting as always way extraordinary, if not more so. Before it was like the actors were getting comfortable with their characters and the show’s gradual change in tone. But now its definite that Colin, Katie and Bradley have their own visions of their characters that they can sometimes get away with portraying on screen, others they can’t and we can see that happening throughout season 4. Like you guys said, Colin’s acting and face are beautiful during emotional scenes and he has a talent for making Merlin appear so complicated, but it feels like the writers had a different direction for Merlin. Same with Arthur, they are conflicted with making Arthur relatable, a man who needs to learn and change, and a different man who should have been the great king of legend from the start. He’s not the same Arthur as he was in season 1, but either do I see that he will ever be the prophecised king of legend either and (spoiler alert) unfortunately he never changes enough. I always felt he was the most ‘king Arthur’ he could be, aside from the Merlin bullying and magic fearing, he just needed tiny little pushes and be told once. In series 4, its like everyone’s pasts and relationships have hit a wall or been reset, Arthur’s and Morgana’s standing out. I can’t say that I will find Arthur or Gwen remotely tolerable going forward even with the time skip unfortunately, because it won’t feel like a time skip.
Favourite episode I could watch again and again: Servant of two masters
Favourite character: Mithian
Favourite villain (not much choice): Helios
Least favourite episode I barely watch: The secret sharer
Episodes I feel had the most potential had they been done differently: ‘Wicked day’, ‘Aithusa’, ‘Servant of two masters’, ‘Lamia’, and ‘Herald of new age’.
I’m going to spend the hiatus listening through all your previous discussion episodes again haha. Thank you two for the podcast.
Next up: Buff Merlin and cheese that tastes of Apple pie đ
15th May 2021 @ 11:55 am
thank you for the round up thoughts! Xx
13th May 2021 @ 8:30 pm
So this two-parter episode is best summarized as ‘the one where Merlin actually takes back Camelot and Arthur gains a pretty yet useless sword.’ This included some of my own rewrite ideas so I’m real really sorry in advance, this is likely to get long:
I like ‘the belt scene’ and Arthur’s and Merlin’s interaction (despite giving fuel to many merthur fanfic đ). I agree with you guys though about everything in this scene. The fact Arthur wears chainmail constantly now, the way he wears it before his trousers are on, and when Merlin abuses Arthur’s self esteem a little at the banquet. Poor Arthur’s face later, even though it was about Gwen and not fat jokes. I understand that Arthur is different to Uther, Uther barely wore armour because he had a son to send out for the action stuff, whereas Arthur now has to be both the warrior and the statesman now. But yeah, he should still have more clothes for various occasions. Later when Merlin says Arthur needs to change clothes, it wouldn’t matter if he was changing out of chainmail or fancy noble clothing that is recognizable.
It’s now Beltane, so that means that since ‘Hunter’s heart’ its been over a months time skip? What has Morgana been doing all this time since she got the map? Also, Beltane is another pagan spring festival that Camelot and Arthur happily adopt and celebrate, and in more or less exactly the same way as everything else, with a moderate feast.
The entrance to the siege tunnels look like the same ones that Merlin and Arthur got Mordred out through in season 1. I didn’t remember them being so close to the citadel, you can see the castle in the background when Agravaine is waiting for the soldiers. Surely being this close means they are seen. Then we see Helios and his army with lit torches on a hill, surely sentry guards would see and report them on the horizon way before the army could surprise them during the celebrations. But no, they get word from Gwaine as the army is literally inside already.
Love the HD slow motion shots of Arthur fighting the soldiers in the corridor and just seeing their silhouettes. Boy, has picture quality improved over the years. Also love love love the slo mo shot of Helios with his hardened look coming towards to camera, what Leon and Elyan see. So cool and creepy.
I like how much time we get to see Arthur’s face as he goes through all emotions after seeing Agravaine with Morgana, with the music build-up and his breathing increase, you really do feel for him, as well as expect him to nearly do something stupid out of impulse, if not for Merlin.
Morgana clearly has learnt a little from her previous take-over, she knows its not worth attempting to be queen of Camelot if others do not see Arthur is defeated and dead, she doesn’t even care anymore about the people’s loyalty or health. “Burn the crops”, yeah well done, Morgana what are you gonna feed your army on then?? She doesn’t seem to have any long term plans for Camelot’s future anymore. Yet later, she is looking through Arthur’s papers like she’s getting up to speed on what he’s been doing and intend to carry on from there. Or just being nosey idk.
I understand to some extent why knocking Arthur out would not be preferable, lugging an unconscious mass around might have been too slow to escape, but getting him to comply and use his legs to help would be faster.
Dunno how I feel about Merlin using magic on Arthur to make him ‘lose his will’, its one thing to make someone completely dependent on you like a child, or zoned out yet highly suggestable, but another thing to make them a mentally disabled person with a change of personality who also needs to trust you to look after them. When I was younger, I found this whole ‘simpleton’ Arthur thing funny and harmless, but now I keep thinking of all the ways this subplot could have been done better.
No quick goodbye for Merlin and Gwaine, who’s staying behind to protect Gaius for him and stall the army. I get they don’t have much time, but just something would have been nice. Also, Morgana bursts into the hall seconds after Arthur leaves, she could have easily caught up to him before he even left the castle. Gwaine and Gaius don’t attempt to do anything to delay or distract the soldiers.
It might have been more of an impact to see Arthur looking up at a burning Camelot, if he was not a ‘simpleton’ and could actually acknowledge what he was seeing…
The forest is absolutely beautiful and eerie in the darkness and the fog. I have re-written this scene in my head however, as Morgana’s sudden spell to fling the group does nothing, and also begs the question of did Morgana see them before she did the magic. Wouldn’t it have been more interesting an escape from Morgana if Morgana could not see where they were so used a spell to send a massive pulse through the forest that caught Arthur, Merlin and the knights, causing them to fly a few yards like then did. But when they get up, they are disorientated and dizzy and see the forest twist around them. This could explain Percival and Elyan suddenly getting separated. I can imagine Merlin trying to get Arthur through the forest sluggish and hallucinating like Katniss in the hunger games after being stung by tracker jackers.
Another thing I would have changed, is to kill off Elyan. I know I know, kinda mean and sad. But you did say ‘kill a knight and Gaius’, and the way he was tortured makes it impossible to believe he’d survive. I imagine the Nethair works by going in through the ear and bringing pain beyond belief, but keeps the brain functional enough to remain conscious and keep the victim’s ability to talk. Elyan is then dumped in the cell, and despite no wounds (I get it, family friendly), Gaius knows immediately its the nethair snake and ‘will do what he can’. Gaius has nothing to treat Elyan with. Elyan should be dead by the week’s end.
Why didn’t Morgana think for herself about possible places Arthur might have gone. Ealdor? Castle of Fyrien? A safe spot Arthur used to run off to as a kid? Once again, the chance to connect Morgana to the past or previous relationships with other is wasted and forgotten about.
I don’t think Arthur’s dignity should be robbed when he doesn’t understand. Don’t force him to walk around in clothes that are too small whilst its damp and cold just coz the shoe’s on the other foot now, Merlin. I didn’t twig until you two said that Arthur could have just had normal clothes under his armour lol.
The difference between Helios’ and Agravaine’s reaction to hearing Elyan scream is really interesting to watch. It shows the contrast between the two men both almost battling for Morgana’s attention and praise. i would have loved to have seen that throughout the season. Helios leaning casually whilst eating chicken and not batting an eye to the screams shows just how much of a brutal warrior he is and is the cause for pain on many raids of villages himself. Agravaine is curling in on himself, trying to block the screaming out. I think this is a neat touch to Agravaine’s character. I can see him not being a soldier like his older brother Tristen, being more a quiet scholar and stays away from fighting as much as possible (ignoring the fact he has his own chainmail). He likely cannot stand the sight of blood, explaining the unexplainable way he killed the mapmaker last week, leaving no wounds, only bruising and broken bones.
I really like the last scene Morgana and Agravaine have together. You can really see the depth of his devotion to her. Their interactions, whilst differentiating, are actually quite sweet. I noticed when Agravaine leaves, that Morgana sits back and brushes her lip with her finger, looking fondly. This gesture has often meant that a character is remembering the feeling of a kiss. Is she suddenly realising how fondly she feels about Agravaine, or possibly they kissed at some point?…… *shudder*
Morgana’s line ‘I have nothing to fear’ comes across as a little odd. At this point she has battled with Emrys and lost, and hates that he knows so much of what’s happening. Surely Morgana should remember that Emrys is still out there somewhere, or in response to her line, Agravaine should remind her of Emrys.
LOVE Tristan and Isolde. Dislike how Isolde dresses, but I like how Tristan dresses. I see a similarity and contrast to his character and Arthur’s, like he’s an older Arthur. Blonde, blue eyes, same long brown coat. Only this guy has the freedom to move where he wants and express love to his gal openly. I would have loved to have known more of their backstory in this show, considering they are also famous tragic characters in Arthurian legend.
Arthur has modern wellies on when he’s pretending to be a simpleton to Tristan, what?
Arthur and Merlin are so in sync with each other, Merlin chucks Arthur an arrow and Arthur catches it without anyone saying anything and Merlin is also really good at shooting! Cue the fanfics where Merlin is Arthur’s right hand bowman! Arthur, teach your servant and friend self-defense onscreen!
Gwaine’s pub brawling and basic cage fighting skills come into play. He gets given screen time, and I both love and hate to see him suffer in this episode. He’s not a quitter, he keeps going and going until he’s ready to drop because he needs to keep his friends alive. And Morgana seems almost fascinated by watching him. One thing I would have done differently, is have Gwaine talk and give Gaius the bread, not elyan. He is essentially Merlin’s knight, and just as he went with Merlin to rescue Gaius in ‘secret sharer’, he wants to keep Gaius alive for Merlin, so I would have liked Gwaine try to convince Gaius to eat so that he will live to see Merlin again, and not have his fighting to exhaustion be for nothing.
There are few too many repetitive scenes between Arthur and Merlin during this two-parter where Arthur is humbled and has anxiety and Merlin keeps trying to talk him up. There could have been a couple convos, before Merlin goes ‘right, that’s it’ and goes on his mission to build Arthur’s self esteem and worth up again. Merlin’s line ‘I couldn’t be certain’, wouldn’t seem so bad, if like you guys said before, if Merlin had not known for sure all along that Aggy was a traitor, until ‘hunter’s heart’. After the 25th time Tristan pushes Arthur’s esteem down again, someone needs to tell him to shut the hell up, i don’t care who!
Love the transition from the dark and silent campfire to the loud and chaotic fight scene, symbolic for Gwaine having a harder time than Arthur and Merlin are right now haha.
Poor Hunith. Gets given screen time only for generic motherly lines and then no-one ever sees her again. Is she alright? Did the village turn out okay? Did Merlin get his mother to safety?
Love the ‘moments weakness’ scene. Gwen looks beautiful and unsure and Arthur looks dopey as if he’s on pain medication, which means past grievances don’t apply for a momentary loving reunion. I had no qualms with Gwen treating Arthur, coz though he wasn’t feverish, he clearly still needed wrapping up and wasn’t complaining he had untreated broken ribs.
Merlin tells the dragon to come and torch a whole army? Whoa! Go to Camelot and do that while you’re at it!
Merlin ‘grew up’ playing in the tunnels, yet another chance to mention Will like he existed, wasted.
The one time I wish Arthur didn’t follow up a genuine line with a joke or jibe. I get this is how they talk to each other and they know they both care. But just once or twice in the whole show, I would like Arthur to just friggin say what he means and leave it there. ‘I couldn’t bare to lose you’, now walk away Arthur, Merlin don’t say anything else, please!
Now, this is what I call ’emrys’ Merlin. We saw it before with Nimueh and other future characters, he’s pushed down his human side to coldly kill a threat with no more negotiation. He’s darker, colder, more serious, barely says a word, you just know what’s coming. I wouldn’t have minded seeing more emrys Merlin in the show, where he uses more various power magic to kill an enemy rather than to just fling them away, fully embracing his powers like a scarlet witch! Maybe Agravaine could have said something about his mother and Merlin loses it, would have otherwise given Agravaine a swift clean death, but not now.
In terms of time going back, if the group had stayed away from Camelot for another week or couple of weeks, constantly hugging the borders of Camelot but having to keep on the move until they found their people again, they could have had to go into other small villages for supplies where Arthur meets more individuals who don’t believe he is a good king, which would fuel his depression, not just leave it to Tristan. this could also have been a nice moment for Arthur and Gwen to have more time to grow comfortable in each other’s presence again and get on speaking terms. Doubt is constantly swirling in Arthur’s head, making him think the people who survived will have to find somewhere else to live and he is not worth leading them (like Thor to the lost asgardians). So maybe one time sat at a campfire, he is left alone with Gwen and he just says as a half joke ‘maybe I should go somewhere and become a farmer after all’ and she could light-heartedly reply ‘that isn’t you, not whilst there are people in the city who still need your help’ or something.
(So basically my rewrites would be: Over a two-three week period, despite Gwaine’s efforts, Gaius dies and Elyan succumbs to his wounds. Therefore its a bittersweet ending where, Gwen loses her brother, Arthur loses his uncle, Tristan loses Isolde and Merlin loses Gaius. He rekindles his friendship with Gwen and Gwaine, who is weakened and recovering and so sorry he couldn’t keep Merlin’s father figure alive.)
I got the impression that Merlin rode the dragon to find the people himself in the night, found the people parked the dragon somewhere and then told the people to head in a certain direction til they come across a sword in a stone, then he sods off mysteriously back on his dragon. Then next night, Merlin’s out again going to stifle Morgana’s magic. Poor sleep deprived Merlin doing all the work.
Dragon ‘you alone’ schpeel is boring.
Wish Excalibur did more in Arthur’s possession than with anyone else, making him unique and worthy of the sword and crown. Merlin could have infused the handle with Arthur’s blood or something so that literally only Arthur could now pull it from the stone and wield it without corruption or burning themselves, and that Merlin’s magic had nothing to do with the sword’s freedom from the stone anymore. He need only tell Arthur to grasp the sword with ungloved hands. Bradley did such a good job, I really felt for Arthur in this scene when he couldn’t at first pull out the sword and felt humiliated coz everyone was watching.
I took Uther’s line of “I didn’t inherit the kingdom, I won it” as canon, so I am always thrown off when there are references to Arthur’s family being kings of Camelot for generations. Would have preferred Merlin to say ‘predecessors’ whilst telling the story of Bruta, not ancestors.
I remember watching this first time and thinking Tristan was now going to be one of Arthur’s knights at the round table next season. There IS a sir Tristan. It’s a shame he didn’t stay and maybe uphold Isolde’s memory by fighting for Arthur. Their story is a tragedy so I don’t have issues with Isolde dying, but it might have been neat to see her in the new season as Gwen’s only girl-bestie and the only woman knight of Camelot.
Nice moment of Morgana seeing Emrys in a flash, like a ghost haunting her. Also love how Merlin uses more variety of magic and uses a disguise to get out. Looking good in leathers, Merlin đđź #NinjaMerlin
Helios doesn’t do a quick sweep of Morgana chambers before leaving her there, Emrys could have been hiding under the bed lol.
Would have been cool if as the knights were about to subduing a few southron soldiers but instead of fighting them the enemy soldiers turn round and hold their hands up as if they were unwilling kidnapped villagers made to be his soldiers and surrender quickly. The knights can take them prisoner, and like you say, later Arthur can let them go back home if they truly were made to be soldiers.
Morgana with her priorities, getting someone to lay Arthur’s bed with her old white silk pretty sheets and curtains rather than doing any queening or bathing lol. Where are all the servants that couldn’t escape the castle? Surely not everyone is in jail, escaped or dead.
I agree with you, I’m racking my brains trying to think of a specific point that Morgana was referencing to Arthur being horrible to Morgana or her magic or her kind and couldn’t think of anything…
I made a meme on reddit a bit ago where Morgana says ‘I have an army’, and Arthur says ‘we have a merlin.’ haha Might have been an epic moment.
Merlin’s face when Morgana’s magic doesn’t work is interesting. We hear the whispering and hissing and he looks like he’s vibrating, like he’s not only stopping Morgana’s magic from working, he’s absorbing it and her dark magic. Least that’s the impression I got…
Sorry Daenerys, Morgana got there first with the epic winged imagery! Such an iconic moment!
Another reimagined scene is when Morgana’s about to kill Gwen, maybe this could have been the moment Gwen sees Merlin’s magic, if not earlier. If Gwen saw Merlin just behind Morgana use magic as she was about to slash her, and then the scene would go as usual and they say nothing until later, having a scene together.. Morgana (at this point) is not indestructible (spoilers she will be), Merlin could have killed Morgana at this point.
No Gwen and Elyan reunion scene?
No Merlin and Gaius reunion moment?
Bit confused on the time line. Is Gwen’s coronation happening at the same time Morgana is dying in the forest? Has Morgana been walking for days?
Yay, finally baby Aithusa!… Oh he’s gone? Oh okay. Love the music choices in this last scene. the eerie slow one as we see Morgana about to die alone in the woods, then building to majestic and hopeful as the dragon heals her and more action-y when he flies off.
Smaller notes:
Also noticed how Arthur entrusts Merlin to get the guests to a safer place, I like that.
Elyan was in the street with Leon, then he’s way up in the palace, how he get there so fast?
Where did the flame throwing wall come from?
Merlin can make people lose their will just like that, why has he only used this useful spell now?? We don’t really see Merlin read Gaius’ spell book anymore.
How come Morgana gave up her ‘hunt’ so quickly as was back in the castle in no time, was it after only finding Elyan?
I can’t imagine Elyan giving away Arthur’s location, and there not being emotional turmoil or moral repercussion to come from this.
Love the ‘my gooooooold’ line, I use it often XD
King Lot, finally mentioned. Not that anything comes of it. King Lot is someone of Arthurian legend, its kinda odd that the writers didn’t try to milk that for all its worth to cross another famous Arthurian tale off their checklist.
Arthur’s looking for woodworm! I love this little moment haha.
Why does Agravaine need so many of Helios’ men with him to find a man he assumes is on his own?
Was Ealdor always surrounded by mountains? I don’t remember that.
Why has Merlin never visited his mother until now?
Camelot knights storming to castle in red capes for all to see, why?
Merlin gets a new coat for two camera angles! Don’t get used to it, we never his costume change again.
But Helios DID confirm to Morgana that Aggy is dead, I assumed he saw his body in the caves and dead by another way. Now I’m also with you guys and that he just assumes Aggy is dead by dragonfire.
Morgana and Helios DO look sexy together. If not Alvarr, than Helios is your boi!
BRING ON THE POUTING DRINKING GAME!!
15th May 2021 @ 12:47 pm
–The entrance to the siege tunnels look like the same ones that Merlin and Arthur got Mordred out through in season 1.–
I am absolutely certain it is. filming wise, as in they are using the same location, but even within the series, I always assumed when they were talking about the siege tunnels, that this is the tunnel they are talking about. though frankly, I’d never thought past the bit where… it’s really not very secret, if that’s what it is lol so that’s possibly on me. But yeah, I always assumed there was only the one tunnel. ::shrug::
— Yet later, she is looking through Arthurâs papers like sheâs getting up to speed on what heâs been doing and intend to carry on from there. Or just being nosey idk.–
looking for clues as to where he is likely to have gone? allies he has made and places he might be hiding out in? y’know, casual stuff you would do as an evil invador to find and retrieve a fleeing king… just like remembering that he was your brother for 18 years and maybe you can figure out where he went all by himself. SIGH.
— Also, Morgana bursts into the hall seconds after Arthur leaves, she could have easily caught up to him before he even left the castle. Gwaine and Gaius donât attempt to do anything to delay or distract the soldiers.–
and even worse, we’re not using Gwaine and Gaius’ presence to distract and draw attention. We IMMEDIATELY have Gaius say ‘hah! you just missed them! they left only 4 seconds ago! through that door over there! you complete looser!’ which is just the dumbest thing EVER. I get we wanted to do the ‘Morgana chasing them on horseback’ scene, but man, find a better way of getting there!! lol
–Wouldnât it have been more interesting an escape from Morgana if Morgana could not see where they were so used a spell to send a massive pulse through the forest that caught Arthur, Merlin and the knights, causing them to fly a few yards like then did.–
literally using arthur’s (and everyone’s) standard hunting technique against them, by flushing them out. I like it!
–Another thing I would have changed, is to kill off Elyan. I know I know, kinda mean and sad. But you did say âkill a knight and Gaiusâ, and the way he was tortured makes it impossible to believe heâd survive.–
Honestly, I don’t think it dramatically matters which knight you kill, but yes, the one who’s been tortured beyond what a human can endure… does seem like the obvious choice!!! And having Gwaine not only stuck in the cell and tortured by Morgana for a week, but also experience the death of both Elyan and Gaius? that’s a start of the most epic hurt/comfort fanfic if ever I’ve encountered one! lol
— I noticed when Agravaine leaves, that Morgana sits back and brushes her lip with her finger, looking fondly.–
that was exactly what I meant! it’s the first time where I can see any potential romantic overtones from Morgana in regards to this relationship, and it comes out of nowhere, and maybe it could be inspired by how close to her goal she is and that now it the first time she can think about something other than vengance… maybe? but then she’s told agravaine is dead and she goes ‘eh, whatever’ so… what was the show doing with any of this???
–Surely Morgana should remember that Emrys is still out there somewhere, or in response to her line, Agravaine should remind her of Emrys.–
which would also really help with how quick Agravaine is to call Merlin Emry in their confrontation. If Emrys and Emrys’ existance had been more on his mind.. that would be much more justifiable in my eyes.
–After the 25th time Tristan pushes Arthurâs esteem down again, someone needs to tell him to shut the hell up, i donât care who!–
i volunteer as tribute!!
–poor Hunith. Gets given screen time only for generic motherly lines and then no-one ever sees her again. Is she alright? Did the village turn out okay? Did Merlin get his mother to safety?–
i can’t even remember if we see Hunith/Ealdor again in S5… no idea! it’s mad.
–Merlin âgrew upâ playing in the tunnels, yet another chance to mention Will like he existed, wasted.–
I do miss casual references like that in Merlin. Literally have Arthur say “you grew up in these caves!” and have Merlin go “yeah, but Will and I were 6! give me a moment to remember” and then continue as you were. If people remember Will they can go ‘aww, cute’, and if they don’t, then it doesn’t matter. At all.
Casual continuity. It’s nice. They should have looked into that! lol
–But just once or twice in the whole show, I would like Arthur to just friggin say what he means and leave it there. âI couldnât bare to lose youâ, now walk away Arthur, Merlin donât say anything else, please!–
I don’t disagree. though actually in this season we had the entirety of servant of two masters, and while I am very unhappy about the fact that merlin’s not himself, arthur is, and therefore everything he says in that, he means, and it counts. and we have all of the competency shown and acknowledged in the first episode with the speech writing etc, merlin going through arthur’s schedule and arthur trusting him implicitely to get it right, and of course all the competency and trust in this episode. we also have the genuine moments of thanks at the end of hunter’s heart, but we’ve had quite a lot this season. possibly more than ever before. I wonder if that’s going to continue to grow in season 5…. hmmm.
I like the ‘surrounding villages’ re-write, and yeah, if we cut simpleton arthur, and we gave tristan & isolde their own episode and took them out of these two, then we could be doing all sorts of fun stuff, that made more sense, and got our characters to an end point more naturally!
–I got the impression that Merlin rode the dragon to find the people himself in the night, found the people parked the dragon somewhere and then told the people to head in a certain direction til they come across a sword in a stone, then he sods off mysteriously back on his dragon. Then next night, Merlinâs out again going to stifle Morganaâs magic. Poor sleep deprived Merlin doing all the work.–
yeah, sure, why not. and you copuld literally fix that with a few words. rather than the dragon saying ‘I’m a dragon, I can cover many leagues in seconds’ (or whatever), have him say ‘good thing you’ve got me then, WE can cover many leagues in seconds’, and then you don’t need to film it and show us merlin going to speak to all the people, we just believe it and fill in the details in our head.
— Looking good in leathers, Merlin đđź #NinjaMerlin–
also just how delightful and refreshing is it to see him in different clothes, like, at all??? I’ve been skimming through S5 episodes for podcast episode cover ideas, and there are SO MANY DIFFERENT OUTFITS!!! I got unreasonably excited!!!
–Where are all the servants that couldnât escape the castle?–
Merlin and Gwen are in Ealdor, and those are all the servants that Camelot has! LOL
–I made a meme on reddit a bit ago where Morgana says âI have an armyâ, and Arthur says âwe have a merlin.â–
LOL
reminds me of this one fic (pre 04×13 and what Aithusa does), where Merlin’s magic is revealed and camelot are going to have to battle this unwinable war and arthur doesn’t know how they’re going to do it, and Merlin’s all ‘so… remember Balinor…?’ and explains about being a dragon lord etc
Arthur “Do you mean to say you can bring me a dragon?”
Merlin “I can bring you two.”
always sends shivers down my spine!
–Merlinâs face when Morganaâs magic doesnât work is interesting. We hear the whispering and hissing and he looks like heâs vibrating, like heâs not only stopping Morganaâs magic from working, heâs absorbing it and her dark magic. Least thatâs the impression I got⌖
I agree. It’s very similar to when he had so absorbe Sigan and then battle him “on the inside”, so I think he’s doing a similar, less visual, thing here.
–Sorry Daenerys, Morgana got there first with the epic winged imagery! Such an iconic moment!–
they do over-use it. i think you can actually get screencaps of pretty much every member of the merlin cast in front of those wings, if you’re determined enough, but i don’t even care, it’s so epic! and this one with Morgana 100% looks planned, whereas some other ones I think happen accidentally and then at one point one of the directors realised and then they went and did it on purpose in the future lol
–Bit confused on the time line. Is Gwenâs coronation happening at the same time Morgana is dying in the forest? Has Morgana been walking for days?–
… I
ve got nothing, sorry lol I guess Arthur and Gwen got married pretty much immediately, and then the coronation happened a few days later, and yeah, clearly morgana has been stumbling around the woods, bleeding out, and not healed herself for…. reasons best beknown to herself. and then Aithusa saves her, for… reasons best beknown to himself…
–Merlin can make people lose their will just like that, why has he only used this useful spell now??–
also why isn’t he using it on every member of the army that’s coming after them???
–How come Morgana gave up her âhuntâ so quickly as was back in the castle in no time, was it after only finding Elyan?–
yeah, considering she was right behind them, threw them all on the floor, and then went ‘that’ll do’ and turned around and tortured elyan to find out where arthur went, rather than follow him and capture him when he was RIGHT THERE. gosh, sometimes this show is painful with hos hard they make things on themselves… lol
–Love the âmy goooooooldâ line, I use it often XD–
HARD SAME!
–Arthurâs looking for woodworm! I love this little moment haha.–
love that thought!!! he saw merlin do it, and therefore that’s what he remembers about wood <3 <3 <3
--Why does Agravaine need so many of Heliosâ men with him to find a man he assumes is on his own?--
again, if it was because he is aware and terrified of the notion that Emrys is out there and waiting for any of them to slip up... that would be great.
--Was Ealdor always surrounded by mountains? I donât remember that.--
nope. Ealdor grew some mountains in the off season LOL
M Xx
Camelot knights storming to castle in red capes for all to see, why?
Merlin gets a new coat for two camera angles! Donât get used to it, we never his costume change again.
But Helios DID confirm to Morgana that Aggy is dead, I assumed he saw his body in the caves and dead by another way. Now Iâm also with you guys and that he just assumes Aggy is dead by dragonfire.
Morgana and Helios DO look sexy together. If not Alvarr, than Helios is your boi!
BRING ON THE POUTING DRINKING GAME!!
13th May 2021 @ 2:56 pm
Now, on to my general season 4 comment:
It’s been quite a ride. I think this season largely made me realize how different my reception of media/stories is to yours. Week after week, I found myself thinking “ooh, that’s gonna be an awesome episode” (or, at least “that one isn’t great, but it’s not terrible either”) – and being completely surprised by your reaction! It made me realize that I rely heavily on character beats and development, on big emotional scenes and on visuals, and I’m willing to disregard / simply not see plot inconsistencies if the characters seem emotionally true to me, and their interactions work. Which, for me, they largely did this season, and thus, season 4 still remains my favorite besides season 2! Sorry-not-sorry đ
That isn’t to say that there weren’t aspects of the season that I found frustrating. Obviously, Agravaine was one – but to be absolutely honest with you, once I accepted the absurdity of his existence, he was much easier to overlook for me than season 3 smirk-y Morgana had been, simply because I cared about Morgana and her sudden descent into cartoonish villainy bugged me, while I never cared about Agravaine to be bugged by him as a person. I was bugged by Arthur’s absolute trust in him, though, and I think it’s the greatest fault of the season.
The second thing that was hard for me was the Lancelot du Lac episode with no one learning about the enchanted bracelet, and with the writers not having enough courage to actually go for Gwen kissing Lancelot without the bracelet. But I talked about it already in length.
Coming back to Morgana – she worked for me much better in s4 than she did in s3. Less evil smirking, more surprising vulnerability. I think Katie had great fun playing her this season, and I really liked the complexity which she brought to the role – a complexity which I would have expected from s3 more. And she looked great.
I know the fandom largely hates Arthur’s lack of character development, but I really didn’t feel it that bad this season. There was no episode 1 reset, and all the small resets that Arthur went through throughout the season didn’t seem far from realistic to me. I know you said once that a show is different than real life in that in life, we forget our lessons, but in a show, the development should be smoother – but, honestly, I have a totally different opinion on that. I always found it refreshing to see a character who actually behaves like a real-life person. I know that a contradictory character could be very easily attributed to bad writing unless it’s very explicitly pointed out by the other characters that they find them contradictory – and in many cases, we’ll never know if the intent was to make a character like that, but I enjoy contradictory characters anyway! I love when things aren’t black and white (also, probably one of the reasons why I’m never gonna get published, my characters are apparently contradictory too, but well, whatever, I stand by my choices :P).
So, some favorites:
Favorite soundtrack choice: the Golden Era soundtrack when Merlin is healed by the water spirits in presence of Lancelot; the Ygraine soundtrack when Arthur is asking the spirit of the druid boy for forgiveness
Favorite emotional beat: there were so many (and THAT’S why I love this season), so I’m just gonna list them all – the log conversation between Arthur and Merlin in the Darkest Hour; the Lancelot-Merlin dynamic in the Darkest Hour; the Lancelot funeral pyre; Arthur weeping over his dying father; the horror of Merlin’s realization that Uther is dead; Arthur spending the night by Uther’s body; the whole “it’s a new day” scene (BRILLIANT!!!); Arthur’s coronation; Merlin being wounded by the bandits and Arthur telling him he’s brave; the horror in Arthur’s cry when Merlin gets separated from him in The Servant of Two Masters; Arthur observing Merlin and the knights from his tent in His Father’s Son; Arthur sparing Annis’ champion and looking straight at Merlin; Arthur’s argument with Gwen; Mithian’s exchange with Merlin; Arthur finding Gwen’s ring; Merlin killing Agravaine; the sword in the stone (!!!!!!); Arthur and Morgana’s confrontation; Gwen’s coronation. That’s A LOT!
Favorite symbolism: the fragment of Merlin’s jacket put over the map of Camelot, over the outline of the castle, indicating Merlin protecting Camelot from danger / Merlin being in Camelot’s heart/Arthur’s heart ; Arthur and Mithian unknowingly hunting Gwen as the doe
Favorite guests: Annis and Mithian
Favorite jokes: EVERYTHING from The Servant of Two Masters. Also: “great broth. What do you know about necromancy?”
The prettiest face: Merlin when he does necromancy / Mithian when she unveils herself (now, see the appeal of Merthian? My esthetic attraction is flying through the roof)
The best sword: Excalibur
The best crossbow user: Merlin, though Leon and his geekiness about crossbows in The Servant of Two Masters really gets me
The best female squad which should totally go on adventures together: Annis, Gwen, and Mithian
The prettiest dragon: Aithusa
Thank you for the ride đ Looking forward to the round-up!
13th May 2021 @ 5:10 pm
thank you for the S4 round up thoughts, and also thank you for making it so neat and easy, by splitting it in two for us!!! Xx
13th May 2021 @ 2:18 pm
So, like the last time, I’m going to split my comment into two, and this is a comment on s4 finale specifically.
It was really uneven, and I do agree that the first part was largely “meh” while the second one was great (for me at least). I hate the simpleton!Arthur, and you outlined really well why it doesn’t make any sense, so I’m not going to dwell on that. This is an example of Merlin doing the manipulative thing which doesn’t make sense – unlike in the second part, where it does. I still can’t help but laugh at some of the bits of simpleton!Arthur, though, especially the tree hugging. I have no idea what it’s doing there, and it’s all a mess, but Bradley’s face is hilarious and I laugh, sorry!
I do like Tristan and Isolde, though. I love that they are a power couple, that Tristan isn’t some kind of a pretty young boy, that they have chemistry together. The acting is also great. What I don’t like, is Isolde’s costume. Because of course she couldn’t wear anything practical instead of sexy (and it doesn’t pay off cause she gets slashed on the arm! See?).
Oh, I do love the killing Agravaine scene. The moment Merlin realizes he’s going to have to kill everyone is brilliant. And I don’t have any problem with the dialogue. I think the exchange of “You have magic!” – “I was born with it” might actually be an indication to Agravaine that Merlin is Emrys? Because it seems to hark back to Gaius’ astonishment from season 1 at the fact that Merlin has been just born with magic, that he’s always been able to do it even without any spells – Agravaine has witnessed Morgana doing magic, and it has always been so elaborate, with long spells and all, and it looked really mysterious and powerful, but here is Merlin, just moving his head ever so slightly, and a whole bunch of people fly on the floor. I think Agravaine recognizes an unprecedented power in Merlin and that’s what makes him guess he’s Emrys.
I actually think it’s a very good thing that we don’t have Merlin announcing himself as Emrys. I’m sure there’s gonna be time to talk about it at the end of the series, but I think it’s really clear that Merlin has never fully accepted being the prophesied magic messiah, that it’s a responsibility that’s too huge for his shoulders, that he grudgingly accepts the name, but doesn’t take any joy from announcing it. I think it’s an important character beat for him.
I also love Merlin’s silent response to Agravaine’s goading about how they’re similar because they both deceive Arthur. You can see the clear shadow of guilt and regret on Merlin’s face, because in a twisted way, that’s true – but at the same time, Merlin knows that it has to be like that and that he’s going to do it again – which he does in the same episode! I think we are doing a really intense and emotionally complex thing with Merlin’s deception this episode, moving Merlin to a much more morally compromised space, which is both tragic and brilliant.
The reasons why I LOVE LOVE LOVE the sword in the stone scene (apart from what you’ve mentioned):
1. It fits with my interpretation of the show đ For me, it’s an epitome of what the whole show is about: Merlin and Arthur, and their relationship. Not about the destiny, actually. Here, I think it’s very important to distinguish magic from destiny. Magic is a tool, an aspect of the world (like physics in our world), but the destiny is the purpose of this magic. And I genuinely believe that the world of Merlin is a world where magic is real, but the destiny is just a story. The magic doesn’t need any purpose to exist, and Merlin’s magic doesn’t need any prophesied purpose; it’s Merlin who chooses to make it so, and he seems to realize it here. All that is to say, Arthur is the great king not because a dragon said so, but because of a person he is, and because Merlin believes in him. The whole show seems to be about a self-fulfilling prophecy, in that the people who believe in destiny make the destiny happen themselves.
2. On a meta level, this is a great scene to show the power of stories. What Merlin says isn’t “true” in an absolute sense, but it becomes so because of the impact it has on Arthur and on the people of Camelot. Merlin essentially makes it true. In this scene, it works out for good, but I think Merlin does realize that it may as well be a dangerous weapon. Stories which become prophecies, stories in which people start believing like they’ve been magically/religiously revealed, are dangerous, because you could manipulate people with them. That ties back to the shift in Merlin’s character which we witness this episode: he now knows he’s going to manipulate Arthur if needs be, and even though he might have done it in the past, he resented that – now he seems to have come to terms with that.
And Merlin’s character shift leads me to another very important point: when he sneaks into the castle as Emrys, he essentially does dark magic. The show has established the puppet thing as dark magic since its very first episode, when Mary Collins did the voodoo thing to Lady Helen; then, the only person who’s been using puppets were Morgana and Morgause, to cause pain / exhaustion to people, like when Arthur was going on his quest in The Eye of the Phoenix. This is a huge shift for Merlin, and it’s really well done that one thing leads into another: killing Agravaine – mythmaking – doing dark magic to Morgana.
Love the confrontation between Arthur and Morgana. In it, we are suddenly thrown away from the epic big battle thing, and into a domestic conflict: two hurt siblings, children of an abusive father that has hurt them both. It is wonderfully acted and tears my heart apart.
SPOILER-y comment: it’s so weird, every time I rewatch the last scene with Aithusa I get goosebumps because it seems to promise so much more mystery and a new plotline! But we never get to actually know why Aithusa rescued Morgana :/
A soundtrack comment: when Merlin finishes his tale and says he believes in Arthur, we hear Freya’s Theme, which, normally, would be odd, if I didn’t remember that Freya’s Theme is also the music that evolves into the whole Golden Era soundtrack which I’ve been rambling about last finale. Which is nice, because that’s what Merlin is essentially creating here.
14th May 2021 @ 2:44 pm
–I still canât help but laugh at some of the bits of simpleton!Arthur, though, especially the tree hugging. I have no idea what itâs doing there, and itâs all a mess, but Bradleyâs face is hilarious and I laugh, sorry!–
don’t be! Genuinly, for the last 10 years, on at least a bi-monthly basis, Ruth or myself will drop something valuable, or realise we’ve lost something in the house, or pay for coffee at Starbuck and one of us will go ‘my goooooooold’… because it’s HILARIOUS. And that’s why the writers created Simpleton Arthur. I get it. But when you take a step and look at the story structure… I do NOT get it. What the hell were they thinking??? but that doesn’t mean I don’t still laugh at the jokes.
and on the tree hugging. While skim reading comments I saw that someone very casually referred to it as “when Arthur checks for woodworm”, and I *love* the idea that he remembers Merlin doing that, and therefore that’s what you do when you’re near wooden things… lol
–I think the exchange of âYou have magic!â â âI was born with itâ might actually be an indication to Agravaine that Merlin is Emrys?–
having just skimmed through some season 5 episodes to start on the artwork for that I (very randomly) watched the uther-merlin confrontation, and it’s got this exact exchange in that scene, too, which I thought was interesting, and defo something we’ll need to look at when we’re done with all of season 5 in regards to what Ruth mentioned as well, which is tracking whether Merlin *ever* claims Emrys, but I think you’re probably right that he doesn’t.
–Love the confrontation between Arthur and Morgana. In it, we are suddenly thrown away from the epic big battle thing, and into a domestic conflict: two hurt siblings, children of an abusive father that has hurt them both. It is wonderfully acted and tears my heart apart.–
I completely agree, and I do love the journey that Katie has gone on with Morgana. God, she has come so far since Smirk!Morgana of the beginning of season 3.. it’s gorgeous to watch!
–SPOILER-y comment: itâs so weird, every time I rewatch the last scene with Aithusa I get goosebumps because it seems to promise so much more mystery and a new plotline! But we never get to actually know why Aithusa rescued Morgana :/–
why he did, what he did, how he did… as far as unfulfilled prophecies go, it’s probably the most frustrating one for me, simply because of my love of dragons!!!! but also… what were they thinking? why put this in and then just not speak about it? WHAT???
like, I cannot remember 100% what goes on with Aithusa through S5, but I remember that it’s all bad from here on out! lol
Xx
15th May 2021 @ 11:37 pm
âAnd Merlinâs character shift leads me to another very important point: when he sneaks into the castle as Emrys, he essentially does dark magic. The show has established the puppet thing as dark magic since its very first episode, when Mary Collins did the voodoo thing to Lady Helen; then, the only person whoâs been using puppets were Morgana and Morgause, to cause pain / exhaustion to people, like when Arthur was going on his quest in The Eye of the Phoenix. This is a huge shift for Merlin, and itâs really well done that one thing leads into another: killing Agravaine â mythmaking â doing dark magic to Morgana.â
Whoa. Mind blown. I love that breakdown. It makes me think that Merlinâs progressively darker character arc through season 5 (my least favorite season, to be honest) was actually…dare I say it…intentional?! Or at least given precedent. Very interesting!
16th May 2021 @ 11:46 pm
Thank you đ I definitely think it’s intentional (maybe not to the every last beat, but in general), as I think Merlin’s character development is one of the things that’s done very well in the show, and most thought through. Which makes sense given the show title đ
13th May 2021 @ 12:49 pm
Here’s my personal Series 4 round-up -enjoy!
Beauty over Brains?
I remember there was a lot of excitement about Series 4 because they had moved to a better camera, allowing a more cinematic look. Frankly, I always thought Merlin was a visual treat, and I watched for the characters! But I admit Series 4 does have that cinematic glow. I can’t help but wonder if they concentrated more on the technical, visual aspects than the writing, given the increase of plot problems and character development going backward this season…
Arwen:
As a loyal Arwen fan since Series 2, their storyline caused the most disappointment for me, the Love Triangle being at the heart of the issue. What more, from a feminist lens some of Gwen’s lines are quite concerning:
“I have what I deserve.”
“Please, Arthur, I can’t forgive myself.”
Gwen has become this self-loathing woman, only able to move on when she receives the validation of a man. Arthur’s “forgiveness” also bothers me for two other reasons:
– It wipes away any remorse from him/his wrongdoing
– It gives zero character development to both Arthur and Gwen. What did they learn from all this? Let’s call it what it is: A Reset Button. And it’s not even their genders (the misogynistic vibes) that is the only problem.
I mean, if Gwen found Arthur kissing someone before their wedding because he ‘got overwhelmed’ and she just forgave him I’d find her a bit of a doormat. Unless we revealed the enchantment and they both go through a range of emotions, instead of one party submitting to the other. Cheating is a complex topic that a show like this was never going to properly explore. So it’s just sad this whole storyline even happened, and that Gwen’s last impression of Lancelot is a negative one. đŁ
I think I know why Arthur and Mithian were shippable âthey had the equality that Arthur/Gwen were meant to have but lost this Series. The dilemma with Series 4 is we can honestly imagine each of these stories being properly explored and given the depth they deserve. The Triangle for instance could have culminated after Arthur pushes Gwen away and gets engaged to Mithian to prove he is willing to put the kingdom first. Then let’s say Lancelot is alive and she has a relationship with him just to get back at Arthur. In the last moment Arthur cancels his wedding as he truly loves Gwen. Then the enchanted bracelet happens…which they eventually find out about. And how cool would it have been if Gwen left on her own and became a badass smuggler with Tristan and Isolde?
The Knights:
Some other characters whose development went backwards are probably the knights. Like Gwen, we could have explored their struggle to receive the acceptance of some of the nobles. I was thinking about how The Liberator reminded me of this. It also had a group of warriors who represent their country’s actual values but are not accepted due to being different to the other soldiers, in the case of Merlin, due to their lack of noble backgrounds. Instead of this, the knights got to grapple with the Lamia!
Sword in the Stone:
My last gripe is I don’t approve of the sword in the stone plotline. There is this sense of Merlin coddling Arthur that is very visible in this scene. Couldn’t Merlin magically program the sword so that only someone worthy or Arthur in his best self can lift it? I just don’t like the deception of ‘oh look you did it’ he plays when we know he was doing the actual sword lifting. It’s like what parents tell their kid so they don’t get upset and chuck a tantrum! Also, I don’t like how this massive crowd and most importantly Arthur don’t reflect on the very magical act he has just performed.
Despite all that, yes, Series 4 is visually stunning, does contain the adorable/angsty character moments we all love and some amazing guest stars. While we don’t get the ideal arc for our two main ladies, we get an awesome Queen Annis and Princess Mithian. Oh and a baby dragon.
Thank you both and thanks for sharing many of my Series 4 ‘frustrations’! Hope you guys have a wonderful hiatus. đ PS: I’m loving my Redbubble tote with Michelle’s ‘Dragonlord’ cover.
13th May 2021 @ 5:10 pm
Thank you for the round up thoughts, Rez!
And also, yay on the tote! RedBubble doesn’t tell us who orders stuff (obviously, and quite correctly) so I know a tote bag had been ordered but with no idea who ordered it. I’m so glad you love it!!! thank you for telling me đ đ
M Xx