[o52] merlin : arthur, guinevere & lancelot
Another "something different" for picspammy. Not only have I never picspammed the Merlin fandom before; but never have I ever been so torn on his classic love triangle. Prior to this series I was a Lancelot/Guinevere girl through and through, in almost all renditions of the King Arthur tale. Finally, for the first time, I'm seriously torn. Merlin's A&G have a subtle kind of passion I find lacking in other versions and while 99% of the time in those versions Lancelot is portrayed as the under-dog, in this situation I actually find Arthur to be. Though, that doesn't mean that Merlin's L&G are boring or expected. I love the fact that they fall in love because they understand where each other is coming from; they are both two people with the odds against them who are destined to someday rise to greatness. Also, the triangle as a whole has a compelling innocence about it. For once, the teenagers are actually acting very much like 'teenagers' rather than sophisticated 20-somethings about their relationships and it's totally endearing. Anyway; for a scene by scene break-down of this legendary triangle...
First of all, I love that the first time we see these two her hand is literally on his crotch. Seriously, it's right up in there. Damn, girl.
In addition, it's almost ironic that the triangle actually begins with Lancelot rather than Arthur. The fact that they introduce him and the L&G relationship so early into the show almost suggests that perhaps it is Arthur that 'intrudes' upon this relationship rather than the other way around.
If you ever questioned Merlin's sexuality before, this scene confirms all suspicions. I'm pretty sure I died when Merlin basically asked Guin, "So... if you had to... Arthur or Lancelot?" Ohhoho, I see what you did there, show.
After getting arrested on the count of pretending to be of noble blood and then jail-broken, Lancelot makes a pit stop at Guin's where they then engage in smoldering stares of sexual tension. Which, btw, is a lovely shot.
And then just like that, he splits! All humor aside though, I love both of these images and I think it's a gorgeous scene. Guin, who, bless her heart, gets to lead a pretty shit life, finally found someone to relate to, but because King Giles is a dick, she loses that person.
I wasn't kidding about King Giles being a dick. After her father is executed, Arthur comes to personally apologize to Guin. Major awkwardness ensues because it's Arthur and um, hello, Guin just lost her dad. Girl doesn't have much to say, for once.
So begins the A&G portion of our story. This is the scene that first piqued my interest that they weren't going to go the traditional route with these two. I love that Guinevere spoke up and was honest with Arthur. Sure, Morgana also tells it to him like it is but the difference is that Morgana feels entitled to do such because of her status. Coming from a servant, Guin's honesty takes balls and Arthur is continuously thrown by it.
While Arthur is presumably on his death-bed, Guin speaks openly and reassuringly about her confidence in him as a leader, and even goes in for a hand-grab while doing so. The amount of hand-holding on this show is so ridiculous and adorably PG. I love it. So scandalous!
Oh snap, Guin! You totally got caught because Arthur totally remembers all that cute stuff you said when you thought he was unconscious.
I'm a sucker for scenes where someone 'accidentally' falls on top of someone else and awkward tension ensues. That said, this scene is gorgeous. I love the lighting and the pose, particularly of the cap on the left side of the second row. It definitely has an air of mysticism and that fairy-tale quality.
LOL then Arthur stays at Guin's house and proves himself to be a total ass by taking her bed so she has to sleep on the floor. I love how appalled Guin is, and how she's totally showing it but Arthur's oblivious. Also, can I just say... I definitely thought Guin looked a little frumpy in S1 but damn, they're really playing up her features more this season and letting Angel Coulby's natural beauty come through.
OMGWTFCUTE. Guin calls Arthur out on his douche-baggery so in return he offers to make dinner in order to make it up to her! Proceed to amusing shot of Arthur looking up the chicken's no-no spot.
Can we talk about how adorable that first shot is? What girl doesn't want to come home to that? They're all cute and shit until Guin realizes "wtf you did NOT cook this" and being a girl, goes a little crazy over it. However, we get adorable (and kinda tense!) arm touching from Arthur who is probably thinking "oh shit, oh shit, oh shit".
Are you ready for this? Not only is there a hand shot, but Bradley James' face looks chiseled and gorgeous and so well lit (UNF!) and then there's the KISS with the BACK-LIGHTING. Kind of cheesy and yet it's so innocent that I don't care and I think the lighting is totally appropriate.
Back at the castle, Arthur gives Guin the "it could never work between us" line and she's just like... welllll fuck. As Guin walks away we get the obligatory "turn around" shot of win which clearly means that he's got it bad.
Tense glances! Bradley looks a tad bit too pouty here but I like little scenes like this nonetheless. It's continuity, people!
So long story short, Guin and Morgana get kidnapped by a bunch of mercenaries but Morgana (thanks to Guin's heroics) gets away so the mercenaries make Guin pretend that -she- is Uther's ward when they hand her over to their client. While Guin's trapped in god knows where; guess who should show up as part of the court entertainment? Lancey! Who appears to have cleaned up a bit.
Adorable scene where L&G talk through the bars of the cell they're holding her in. He promises to get her out and talks about how he's a failure of a knight and Guin, being her, reassures him and thus makes him fall even more crazy in love with her, obvs. Cue another hand-holding scene!
Cue Lancelot's rescue attempt! Guin thinks they're going to runaway together but Lancelot so chivalrously tells her to run so that he can hold off the guards. They talk about how they'd die like a billion times for each other and then have one of those "we might never see each other again / oh shit I might die" moments and kiss.
I love that their kiss is a direct contrast from the Arthur/Guin one. It's night and the scene is so dark you can barely make out their faces; it's almost secretive where as the Arthur/Guin kiss was clear and open. Possibly a reference to the fact that in the legends A&G is the relationship the world sees while in secret Guin and Lancelot have their own relationship. Also, there's just the connotation of day vs night (ah ha some one please vid this to kid cudi).
LOL so Operation Jail-Break totally failed and now L&G's fates are at the hands of a CGI monster! Luckily, this whole time Arthur's been on his way to save her (not JUST because Morgana begged him, FYI). He pretty much admits to Merlin that he likes Guin and can't stop thinking about her. Arthur and Merlin save them all but not before Arthur witnesses some serious hand-holding and instantly becomes his moody teenage self over it.
Guinevere and Arthur exchange tense stares, while Angel Coulby continues looking gorgeous with her long hair all up in her face. After a brief and odd exchange, the two part ways to go to sleep and Lancelot probes Merlin for some deets (there wasn't a Gossip Girl back then) and then realizing that the freaking heir to the throne wants the girl he likes, Lancelot can't help but do the noble thing and step away. This is one of the things that is pulling me to L&G in this scenario. Just like in versions past, their love is still in a sense forbidden, this time by their own ethics. It'll be interesting to see (if Merlin takes the adulterous route) when those morals break down and they give in. Anywayz, Guin is mighty pissed when she finds out that once again Lancelot has bailed on her.
Guin returns to Camelot with Arthur and while reuniting with Morgana the two exchange and odd look that obviously I can't read but I'm going to assume it means that there is more to come. I love drawn out romances so despite how fast both relationships started, I take this as a hint that it's not going to end any time soon...
FIN.