How Could You Sleep with Amanda?
Merlin 1.02
Knight Valient wanders in with a shield that looks like an art project that is actually a magic shield with snakes that pop out of it. Merlin figures it out and spends most of the time trying to get Arthur not to fight and failing.
Arthur is still a jackhole, but he's a vulnerable one with a noble streak, daddy issues and who can be very thoughtful and brave to a fault when he's not working at being an ass. What stands out is that Arthur is willing to go out on a limb for Merlin even though he IS just a servant. And it ends badly for poor Arthur who is humiliated in front of everyone, which is like his worst nightmare. Of course he's angry at Merlin, but he forgives him pretty quickly.
And Merlin can't figure out why Arthur won't just call the match until he realizes that Arthur CAN'T call the match without losing face. It really doesn't have much to do with him being arrogant and more with him knowing that his people will never respect him if he does that. He's a prince and if that requires dying to save his dignity, that's what's required of him and he sucks it up and faces it. He honestly reminds me of Dean Winchester and Robin Hood. All of them are asses to a degree, but they're good people and are noble to a fault. It makes sense since Dean is a bit of a throwback character to knights in shining armor. I apparently go for this type.
As much as Merlin claims to hate Arthur, he obviously is growing fond of him and does his best to protect him even though Arthur isn't too gracious about people helping him. And as snotty as Arthur is, it's impossible to hate him. He wants to do the right thing, even though his father is slimy and hard to get along with, and there's vulnerable sweetness under all bristley arrogance.
And I still love Merlin to death. He's fiesty and cocky in his own right. There's nothing even slightly subservient about him as he dishes it back out to Arthur as much as Arthur snipes at him. He may look goofy and harmless, but he's just as firey and snippy as Arthur when he wants to be.
I still love Gwen too. She's smart and nice and practical as opposed to the rather spoiled and petulant Morgana. I'm not sure what's with the Morgana/Arthur flirting unless they're going to go the whole "he fell out of love with her and made her MAD" line (that was actually Morgause that he slept with when they didn't know they were related), but I hope they don't really go there as I'd prefer to see Arthur with Gwen.
Knight Valient wanders in with a shield that looks like an art project that is actually a magic shield with snakes that pop out of it. Merlin figures it out and spends most of the time trying to get Arthur not to fight and failing.
Arthur is still a jackhole, but he's a vulnerable one with a noble streak, daddy issues and who can be very thoughtful and brave to a fault when he's not working at being an ass. What stands out is that Arthur is willing to go out on a limb for Merlin even though he IS just a servant. And it ends badly for poor Arthur who is humiliated in front of everyone, which is like his worst nightmare. Of course he's angry at Merlin, but he forgives him pretty quickly.
And Merlin can't figure out why Arthur won't just call the match until he realizes that Arthur CAN'T call the match without losing face. It really doesn't have much to do with him being arrogant and more with him knowing that his people will never respect him if he does that. He's a prince and if that requires dying to save his dignity, that's what's required of him and he sucks it up and faces it. He honestly reminds me of Dean Winchester and Robin Hood. All of them are asses to a degree, but they're good people and are noble to a fault. It makes sense since Dean is a bit of a throwback character to knights in shining armor. I apparently go for this type.
As much as Merlin claims to hate Arthur, he obviously is growing fond of him and does his best to protect him even though Arthur isn't too gracious about people helping him. And as snotty as Arthur is, it's impossible to hate him. He wants to do the right thing, even though his father is slimy and hard to get along with, and there's vulnerable sweetness under all bristley arrogance.
And I still love Merlin to death. He's fiesty and cocky in his own right. There's nothing even slightly subservient about him as he dishes it back out to Arthur as much as Arthur snipes at him. He may look goofy and harmless, but he's just as firey and snippy as Arthur when he wants to be.
I still love Gwen too. She's smart and nice and practical as opposed to the rather spoiled and petulant Morgana. I'm not sure what's with the Morgana/Arthur flirting unless they're going to go the whole "he fell out of love with her and made her MAD" line (that was actually Morgause that he slept with when they didn't know they were related), but I hope they don't really go there as I'd prefer to see Arthur with Gwen.