Merlin 5, 6, and 7
I actually have very little to say about 5 & 6, as they didn't do any egregiously terrible things. Other than having Uther eat with his gloves on. Come to think of it, I don't think we've ever seen his hands.
Humorous Witchfinder observation: Perhaps, Gaius, if Merlin's magic is such a great secret, and could get him killed, you should refrain from ranting about it at the top of your voice. Just a thought.
Now, I'm going to go all srs bzns and complain about Uther's hatred of magic. It bothers me really a lot. Because there's no *reason* for it. He doesn't hate magic because of Jesus, and no religious framework is given for the show (other than Gaius' references to "the old religion"). Uther simultaneously denounces magic and sorcery as ridiculous superstition (framing his denunciation within a ridiculously anachronistic scientific mindset, including actual use of such terms as "scientific pursuits"), and calls them evil and treasonous, being legitimately fearful of the things people can achieve with magic, like attacking and kidnapping Morgana. Look, Uther, make up your mind. Either magic exists, or it doesn't. If you're pretending that you're somehow part of a world where science exists, magic is superstitious nonsense. If it exists, there has to be some reason it's an abomination. But if you're not going to be in any way Christian, then sorcery doesn't exist in opposition to anything.
I know, I know, I should just accept it, the way I should deal with the fact that potatoes exist in Europe in this world (Tolkien can do it because he is in all other ways awesome). But the anti-magic sentiment in the court is a major plot point, and in fact the underpinning of the entire show. And it doesn't make any sense. I've read medieval anti-sorcery writings, and Merlin isn't willing to go to an ideological place that makes those writings make any sense. You need either science or Satan, and half-assing the first one isn't going to work.
Humorous Witchfinder observation: Perhaps, Gaius, if Merlin's magic is such a great secret, and could get him killed, you should refrain from ranting about it at the top of your voice. Just a thought.
Now, I'm going to go all srs bzns and complain about Uther's hatred of magic. It bothers me really a lot. Because there's no *reason* for it. He doesn't hate magic because of Jesus, and no religious framework is given for the show (other than Gaius' references to "the old religion"). Uther simultaneously denounces magic and sorcery as ridiculous superstition (framing his denunciation within a ridiculously anachronistic scientific mindset, including actual use of such terms as "scientific pursuits"), and calls them evil and treasonous, being legitimately fearful of the things people can achieve with magic, like attacking and kidnapping Morgana. Look, Uther, make up your mind. Either magic exists, or it doesn't. If you're pretending that you're somehow part of a world where science exists, magic is superstitious nonsense. If it exists, there has to be some reason it's an abomination. But if you're not going to be in any way Christian, then sorcery doesn't exist in opposition to anything.
I know, I know, I should just accept it, the way I should deal with the fact that potatoes exist in Europe in this world (Tolkien can do it because he is in all other ways awesome). But the anti-magic sentiment in the court is a major plot point, and in fact the underpinning of the entire show. And it doesn't make any sense. I've read medieval anti-sorcery writings, and Merlin isn't willing to go to an ideological place that makes those writings make any sense. You need either science or Satan, and half-assing the first one isn't going to work.