I really liked Gwen in this episode too, she was so strong when facing Hengist, even though she must have been scared.
I didn't think it was so bad that Gwen didn't fight, she wasn't shown as fighting when she was with Morgana either, as Morgana is obviously the much better swordswoman, so leaving the sword fighting to Arthur and Lancelot I think would be pretty normal, Merlin didn't fight either, I suppose because as servants they would only have minimal if any sword training.
I also didn't think it was unusual that at least in this episode, Morgana couldn't convince Uther to save Gwen, it's almost exactly the same situation that Arthur and Merlin were in last series and Arthur couldn't persuade Uther to save Merlin either. It's just to do with how he sees servants.
Finally, I know the show isn't known for it's authenticity, but at a time like this women generally didn't have a lot of political or physical power, so they are left with the power of persuasion, unless they have magic like Nimueh. But I liked that Gwen and Morgana were able to escape by themselves, without needing to wait for the boys to get there.
Yeah, well, but remember Moment of Truth? Gwen handled a sword rather awesomely there, I'd say. And Morgana left her the sword when she escaped in this episode, and judging by the scream we heard I'd say Gwen almost took a bandit's legs of with it.
But the show didn't have Arthur going half-hysterical with emotion over Merlin, having Gaius lead him away and treat it as completely normal. That's what it did with Morgana. I think my real trouble with that scene isn't that Morgana isn't able to convince Uther, it's the way she tries to. She comes of as emotional and unstable in a way I find troubling as it's a setting where she's supposed to hold some power.
Maybe I was unclear - I didn't mean to say that it's necessarily a bad thing showing women using persuasion as their only means of power. It's realistic in a lot of settings and I'm well aware of that. But there are and have always been exceptions! Female warriers, powerful queens, women who take charge, and I don't think writing historical is an excuse to not give any of the women that kind agency. It's interesting to think about the magic in this perspective, too. The women in Merlin with the most political and physical power are sorceresses, and so far most of them are shown as evil. I don't really want to say the show says powerful women = evil and/or hysterical, but sometimes I do feel it leans that way. :/
Anyway, yeah, I agree that it was good they escaped by themselves at first. I loved the beginning of the episode.
Yes Gwen can handle a sword when she needs to, but I still think as a character, it is more natural that she would fall in behind Arthur who is her superior, whereas Morgana probably wouldn't.
No, but Arthur didn't have the relationship with Merlin that Morgana has with Gwen, they'd only known each other a few months at most when Gwen and Morgana have been friends for years. Also Arthur is the master of repression especially around his father, where Morgana has been much more commonly depicted as emotional and in this situation she was distraught at the idea of Gwen dying for her and that no-one would help. I at least think it's in-character.
The magic thing is an interesting point, have we yet seen anyone other than Merlin that is a 'good' sorceror, except possibly Morgana and the druids? (Who aren't evil yet, though canonically it will go that way) My memory is sometimes faulty so correct me if I'm wrong lol.
I didn't think it was so bad that Gwen didn't fight, she wasn't shown as fighting when she was with Morgana either, as Morgana is obviously the much better swordswoman, so leaving the sword fighting to Arthur and Lancelot I think would be pretty normal, Merlin didn't fight either, I suppose because as servants they would only have minimal if any sword training.
I also didn't think it was unusual that at least in this episode, Morgana couldn't convince Uther to save Gwen, it's almost exactly the same situation that Arthur and Merlin were in last series and Arthur couldn't persuade Uther to save Merlin either. It's just to do with how he sees servants.
Finally, I know the show isn't known for it's authenticity, but at a time like this women generally didn't have a lot of political or physical power, so they are left with the power of persuasion, unless they have magic like Nimueh. But I liked that Gwen and Morgana were able to escape by themselves, without needing to wait for the boys to get there.
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But the show didn't have Arthur going half-hysterical with emotion over Merlin, having Gaius lead him away and treat it as completely normal. That's what it did with Morgana. I think my real trouble with that scene isn't that Morgana isn't able to convince Uther, it's the way she tries to. She comes of as emotional and unstable in a way I find troubling as it's a setting where she's supposed to hold some power.
Maybe I was unclear - I didn't mean to say that it's necessarily a bad thing showing women using persuasion as their only means of power. It's realistic in a lot of settings and I'm well aware of that. But there are and have always been exceptions! Female warriers, powerful queens, women who take charge, and I don't think writing historical is an excuse to not give any of the women that kind agency.
It's interesting to think about the magic in this perspective, too. The women in Merlin with the most political and physical power are sorceresses, and so far most of them are shown as evil. I don't really want to say the show says powerful women = evil and/or hysterical, but sometimes I do feel it leans that way. :/
Anyway, yeah, I agree that it was good they escaped by themselves at first. I loved the beginning of the episode.
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No, but Arthur didn't have the relationship with Merlin that Morgana has with Gwen, they'd only known each other a few months at most when Gwen and Morgana have been friends for years. Also Arthur is the master of repression especially around his father, where Morgana has been much more commonly depicted as emotional and in this situation she was distraught at the idea of Gwen dying for her and that no-one would help. I at least think it's in-character.
The magic thing is an interesting point, have we yet seen anyone other than Merlin that is a 'good' sorceror, except possibly Morgana and the druids? (Who aren't evil yet, though canonically it will go that way) My memory is sometimes faulty so correct me if I'm wrong lol.
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