How the other half lives...
If you're written fanfiction for some time, you're bound to encounter, sooner or later, feedback along the lines of "usually I don't care about character X, but you've made me think about him/her" or "your story really made X work for me". Actually, that's the best version. Sometimes the feedback sounds more like "X is scum/ I've always hated that
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*clutches you madly*
I agree--strongly!--with everything you say. Morgana has ALWAYS been a less-than-idealized character on the show (and from what I hear, the actress has consciously played her that way). A lot of the fanon!Morgana you're talking about strikes me as using Morgana as a Mary Sue.
I'm personally bemused by people who complain about the show writing Morgana inconsistently, because while I have many, many beefs with the way she's written, she's probably the most consistent character on the show, writing-wise. I don't like her tendency to tremble, wring her hands, and go weak and passive--but those are the same mannerisms we see her use in her very first appearance, when Collins is executed in 1x01.
And she's always been a morally problematic character--which for me is a lot of what makes her interesting. She's always been enormously entitled and manipulative, and even when she's been doing wholeheartedly good things, she personalizes conflicts rather than viewing them as matters of general principle (in contrast to Arthur and Gwen). And don't get me started on her relationship to Gwen--yes, I think there's a bond, and I'm very interested in that, but it is not by any means an unproblematic relationship, and the power differential between them has always skewed it. (Look at their interactions in 1x05 "Lancelot," for instance, including the high-handed way Morgana tells Gwen to get back to work.)
I particularly like this bit (I agree with every word):
"Plus, you know, I actually like Merlin better than Morgana and I'd still completely understand if the next time they meet she'd give him no chance to explain but try to kill him right away."
And the bit about Merlin (I liked your point about him taking responsibility, which had not occurred to me before--it's dead-on) and the Dragon is dead-on. I think the blame-the-Dragon reflex comes from people who like Merlin but don't like what he's doing, so use the Dragon as a scapegoat. I can understand that, but it ignores the problem that the Dragon is (in canon) always right (if not always completely honest).
I feel like I should apologize for my own back-handed comments re your portrayals of Gaius. This is a character I too have mixed feelings toward, and on some level I know I judge him much more harshly than I have other characters in his same situation. So what I mean to say is, the way you write him has prodded my thinking, and gotten me closer to understanding why I judge him as harshly as I do.
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Re: Morgana: I'm personally bemused by people who complain about the show writing Morgana inconsistently, because while I have many, many beefs with the way she's written, she's probably the most consistent character on the show, writing-wise.
Yes, as the kids today say, this. I, too, wish Morgana had been written differently (my golden standard for "sympathetic character goes darkside - and back!" arc remains Londo Mollari on Babylon 5, and I tend to compare all other attempts with this, especially on the "does this character get to make active choices which in addition to circumstances contribute to his/her downfall, does the story shy away from showing us the consequences, does the character then get a chance to face those consequences and make more choices" front), but the fact of the matter is that we did get characterisation to work with.
And she's always been a morally problematic character--which for me is a lot of what makes her interesting.
True, and hence my fanfic frustration, because I would love to read exploration for this. (Especially with the lack of screentime.) For example, did really all of Toran's people die in To kill a King? What if one of them survived, made it into the druid's camp later and confronts Morgana during her time there about her killing Toran? It's all very well for her to be overcome by her affection for Uther, but not so well for the people she promised she'd help, and how reliable an ally is she now, how do they know she won't change her mind again, etc. And see Morgana react to this.
And don't get me started on her relationship to Gwen--yes, I think there's a bond, and I'm very interested in that, but it is not by any means an unproblematic relationship, and the power differential between them has always skewed it. (Look at their interactions in 1x05 "Lancelot," for instance, including the high-handed way Morgana tells Gwen to get back to work.)
*nods* I think someone said that in 2.11 - when Morgana dismisses Gwen - that this is the first time Morgana pulled rank on her, on screen at least. And it really isn't. In the scene in Lancelot she does it in a nicer manner, but she does it nonetheless. Conversely, it never seems to occur to Gwen to either make Morgana a participant in the "let's get Lancelot his knighthood" scheme, or to tell her at the end she's developed feelings for him, and this is before Tom's death, with Gwen at her most open. Another memorable description of Morgana's and Gwen's relationship that I've read was that it was the non-dysfunctional version of Arthur's and Merlin's, and well, yes and no. They certainly have no problem showing each other affection, but they also hide their disagreements from each other, and the status difference is an issue in either case.
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This is such an interesting post; I’m so glad I’m reading it <3
she's probably the most consistent character on the show, writing-wise.
I thought that title would’ve gone to Merlin *looks at you quizzically* Granted, they did push the ‘reset’ button on Arthur. He went back to his jerk-y ways (at the beginning of Season 2)… It would seem like Morgana would fare better in the ‘consistency’ department, in comparison.
she personalizes conflicts rather than viewing them as matters of general principle (in contrast to Arthur and Gwen).
How are the two different (Morgana, and Arthur and Gwen)? I’m confused, I don’t see the distinction you’re making between Morgana, and Arthur and Gwen. Here’s me, hoping that you’d shed some light on what you’d said =S
~Eva
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