Picspam > Challenge > 5 Times Merlin Cried (in Season 2)
I have a bunch of alternate titles for season 2 of Merlin, but one of them is "Torture Merlin Season". Because, seriously, anything they could do to make poor Merlin cry, they did. I mean, really. It killed me. KILLED ME. They had better give him a puppy and a sack of gold next season to make up for all the crap they put him through this year.
For challenge 17 over at picspammy, 5 Times Merlin Cried (in Season 2).
Quite obviously, spoilers for Merlin season 2.
5. Merlin lies to Arthur, "Sins of the Father" (2x08)
As long as Uther is on the throne, Merlin has to hide who he is, so him lying to Arthur about what happened with his mother's spirit is as much for Arthur as anything can be. He willingly and without a second thought puts Arthur's relationship with his father ahead of his own safety. It clearly kills him to have to lie to Arthur about this, but he does it anyway. Because he's OBVIOUSLY in love with him, but whatever. And coming on the heels of Arthur declaring that maybe all magic isn't bad, to have to go against his own nature and convince him otherwise, is probably one of the hardest things Merlin has ever done.
4. Gaius takes the blame, "The Witchfinder" (2x07)
Gaius has always been like a father to Merlin, taking him in and protecting him despite the fact that Merlin is...different. And Gaius has already proven that he's willing to give his life for Merlin ("Le Morte d'Arthur", 1x13), so it's of no surprise that, when faced with the choice, Gaius confesses to owning the magical artifact the Witchfinder has "discovered". Merlin coming home and finding that his home has been ransacked, then going to the dragon for assistance that the dragon refuses to give, breaks my heart every time. Merlin is not the type of person that will let someone else die for him - being forced to watch Gaius go through this while knowing it's really him has to be unbelievably painful.
3. Merlin poisons Morgana, "The Fires of Idirsholas" (2x12)
Merlin was faced with an extremely difficult choice: kill one of his best (and only) friends, or let everyone else in Camelot die. It was not a decision he made easily. He had to turn around so as not to watch it actually happen, but then he went and held her while she succumbed to the poison. He cares about Morgana and ultimately doesn't want to hurt her, even though he has to. Which is why he tells Morgause what poison he used, so that she can save Morgana. I teared up during this scene and only partly because my hopes for a Merlin/Morgana magical friendship were being dashed to pieces. No matter how many lives he's taken to save Arthur, he's not the kind of guy who kills someone in cold blood, and to have to do that to a friend? Poor Merlin shouldn't have to do that.
2. Freya dies, "The Lady of the Lake" (2x09)
Despite the fact that I really didn't like this entire storyline, Merlin is obviously going through a lot, because here he had found someone who was magic like him only to lose her tragically a few days later. Merlin often makes googly eyes at pretty girls, but this was the first time he was ever really given a "love" interest, and to have her die so violently, and then be unable to actually talk about it with anyone, was clearly very hard for him.
1. Balinor dies, "The Last Dragonlord" (2x13)
And to cap off Torture Merlin Season, let's kill the father he just met! I know it was necessary for the storyline, for Merlin to come into his magic or whatever, but honestly, did you have to go and off the poor boy's father a mere two days after they'd met for the first time? And this, THIS, this moment made me cry so hard. Which really isn't that difficult. What? Shut up. Even though he'd only known the man a few days, it was his FATHER. And what was so horrible was that he couldn't even talk about it, he couldn't tell Arthur why he was so upset, because it would reveal his secret. After everything else the boy has gone through, I'm surprised this didn't make him completely break.