Merlin finale feels
I just want to put this down here before I forget. You don't have to read if you don't want to.
I think I tried too hard to be emotional in the beginning, because I started the episode feeling pretty chill whereas everyone seemed tense.
The first feels I got without anticipating too much was for Gwaine -- that's in spite of the fact that Eoin Macken himself spoiled the death for me because of a retweet.
Man, I scrolled through Twitter as fast as I could, and the one I chanced upon long enough to read just had to be a spoiler
However, the action soon loosened me up and had me shedding sincere, unforced tears.
But come the last couple of minutes, I stopped crying. WHAT WAS THAT?!
I felt so let down (and I still do). Like the last five years of Merlin just came down to nothing.
Most of my disappointment concerns Rantsy Thought #4 (see below).
What I love:
1. Arthur's hesitation on killing Mordred. He was so fond of the young knight, and it was never like Arthur to take a person's life so easily.
2. the whole magic reveal. Simple, quiet, intimate. Merlin choking on his words.
3. how Arthur processed this knowledge. From laughing it off, to denial, to outright not wanting Merlin to be in his presence, to seeing Merlin use his magic and thinking of all the instances the magic might've been used in the past, to reflecting on who Merlin is as he knows him and Merlin as the friend and warlock he's been missing out on all these years.
4. how Gaius handled the whole situation. "I will have your favorite meal waiting for you."
5. how Gwen accepted the truth about Merlin=Emrys. It even seems like she had a feeling all along. Love how she said, "I am pleased." For me it reaffirms her trust and friendship with Merlin, which has kind of taken the back burner for a while.
Rantsy Thoughts:
1. Merlin knew that it was Mordred that he had to seek out. Why didn't he focus on the druid boy? The last episodes have seen Merlin so bent on stopping Mordred; it's strange that there was next to nothing of that except in Merlin's regret.
2. Gwaine dying -- just because I love Gwaine and killing him would make too many fallen knights. I got spoiled on this because of Eoin Macken's retweet, but seeing what happened, I understoodthat another knight of Camelot would probably have to do something sacrificial. The Perwaine moment was beautiful, though.
3. I had wanted Mordred's and Morgana's death to be more poignant. After all the hate they harbored, I expected their deaths to somehow leave a mark. But it felt more like, "Okay, moving on...".
Is that the writers' way of telling us that in the end, hate and evil will twist you and render you an insignificant death? Really now.
Also, it didn't have to be a spectacular one, but I was expecting a little Morgana-Merlin showdown. I like that Morgana died by the Excalibur though.
4. As omgkayten @ tumblr said:
"There’s something very disappointing about watching five full seasons and all they talk about is the united land of Albion Arthur and Merlin will create, and then never seeing it."
Just a couple of cut-scenes would've done it for me. I mean, I know that Arthur died in the legends (or at least some versions of it) and that he supposedly will come back one day, but isn't this show the "tampered-with version" of the story, as Bradley James once said? Sure, they show us that Merlin still waits for Arthur, but I just can't see the significance of building a new world without Gwen and the knights with them too. And I feel like there isn't even a Camelot and four other kingdoms to unite if ever Arthur comes back in the modern day.
5. Also, does Merlin return to Camelot? They didn't even give a hint. I'd like to think he didn't spend all his time camping out on the shores of Lake Avalon, but went to Camelot to be at Gwen's side just as he was for Arthur.
6. It just really saddens me that Gwen didn't have a chance to see Arthur or properly mourn his death. Not only Gwen, but the whole of Camelot, for that matter. Can you bear the look on the Queen and Leon's faces?
Overall, I think the episode accomplished two of the things on the general Merlin fan checklist:
[x] magic reveal
[x] Merthur (however platonic or romantic you see it)
* I don't ship Merthur romantically, but after the whole carrying and dragging ordeal, I swear I thought Arthur was actually going to say, "I love you" instead of just "Thank you".
But for me, it just doesn't cut it without glimpses of the free, new world where Arthur is king and Merlin is his wise adviser.
All of that is just from the top of my head. I haven't rewatched the episode yet. Just because it hurts too much.
I actually made a whole new Tumblr dedicated to just fandom (read: Merlin) and have cried while listening to Peony's I Will Follow You Into The Dark and Of Monster and Men's King and Lionheart (duh). Why do I do this to myself?
I don't think I've been this invested in a television series before...
I think I tried too hard to be emotional in the beginning, because I started the episode feeling pretty chill whereas everyone seemed tense.
The first feels I got without anticipating too much was for Gwaine -- that's in spite of the fact that Eoin Macken himself spoiled the death for me because of a retweet.
Man, I scrolled through Twitter as fast as I could, and the one I chanced upon long enough to read just had to be a spoiler
However, the action soon loosened me up and had me shedding sincere, unforced tears.
But come the last couple of minutes, I stopped crying. WHAT WAS THAT?!
I felt so let down (and I still do). Like the last five years of Merlin just came down to nothing.
Most of my disappointment concerns Rantsy Thought #4 (see below).
What I love:
1. Arthur's hesitation on killing Mordred. He was so fond of the young knight, and it was never like Arthur to take a person's life so easily.
2. the whole magic reveal. Simple, quiet, intimate. Merlin choking on his words.
3. how Arthur processed this knowledge. From laughing it off, to denial, to outright not wanting Merlin to be in his presence, to seeing Merlin use his magic and thinking of all the instances the magic might've been used in the past, to reflecting on who Merlin is as he knows him and Merlin as the friend and warlock he's been missing out on all these years.
4. how Gaius handled the whole situation. "I will have your favorite meal waiting for you."
5. how Gwen accepted the truth about Merlin=Emrys. It even seems like she had a feeling all along. Love how she said, "I am pleased." For me it reaffirms her trust and friendship with Merlin, which has kind of taken the back burner for a while.
Rantsy Thoughts:
1. Merlin knew that it was Mordred that he had to seek out. Why didn't he focus on the druid boy? The last episodes have seen Merlin so bent on stopping Mordred; it's strange that there was next to nothing of that except in Merlin's regret.
2. Gwaine dying -- just because I love Gwaine and killing him would make too many fallen knights. I got spoiled on this because of Eoin Macken's retweet, but seeing what happened, I understoodthat another knight of Camelot would probably have to do something sacrificial. The Perwaine moment was beautiful, though.
3. I had wanted Mordred's and Morgana's death to be more poignant. After all the hate they harbored, I expected their deaths to somehow leave a mark. But it felt more like, "Okay, moving on...".
Is that the writers' way of telling us that in the end, hate and evil will twist you and render you an insignificant death? Really now.
Also, it didn't have to be a spectacular one, but I was expecting a little Morgana-Merlin showdown. I like that Morgana died by the Excalibur though.
4. As omgkayten @ tumblr said:
"There’s something very disappointing about watching five full seasons and all they talk about is the united land of Albion Arthur and Merlin will create, and then never seeing it."
Just a couple of cut-scenes would've done it for me. I mean, I know that Arthur died in the legends (or at least some versions of it) and that he supposedly will come back one day, but isn't this show the "tampered-with version" of the story, as Bradley James once said? Sure, they show us that Merlin still waits for Arthur, but I just can't see the significance of building a new world without Gwen and the knights with them too. And I feel like there isn't even a Camelot and four other kingdoms to unite if ever Arthur comes back in the modern day.
5. Also, does Merlin return to Camelot? They didn't even give a hint. I'd like to think he didn't spend all his time camping out on the shores of Lake Avalon, but went to Camelot to be at Gwen's side just as he was for Arthur.
6. It just really saddens me that Gwen didn't have a chance to see Arthur or properly mourn his death. Not only Gwen, but the whole of Camelot, for that matter. Can you bear the look on the Queen and Leon's faces?
Overall, I think the episode accomplished two of the things on the general Merlin fan checklist:
[x] magic reveal
[x] Merthur (however platonic or romantic you see it)
* I don't ship Merthur romantically, but after the whole carrying and dragging ordeal, I swear I thought Arthur was actually going to say, "I love you" instead of just "Thank you".
But for me, it just doesn't cut it without glimpses of the free, new world where Arthur is king and Merlin is his wise adviser.
All of that is just from the top of my head. I haven't rewatched the episode yet. Just because it hurts too much.
I actually made a whole new Tumblr dedicated to just fandom (read: Merlin) and have cried while listening to Peony's I Will Follow You Into The Dark and Of Monster and Men's King and Lionheart (duh). Why do I do this to myself?
I don't think I've been this invested in a television series before...