Merlin - The Hollow Queen
The Hollow Queen (Season 5, Episode 8)
What are Gwen and Leon doing together? This seems unusual.
And Gwen… seems like Gwen. Hmm. Really wondering if Gwen’s actually enchanted. We’ll see how I feel by the end of this episode.
“Frogs?”
“It’s a full moon, Leon. We used to do it.”
SQUEE!!!! Totally shipping Gwen/Leon now. Gwen’s mother used to be a servant for Leon’s family, didn’t she? That means Gwen and Leon probably used to play together. That’s so cute!
What the fuck. Are they celebrating their anniversary this episode instead of last episode? This is so not necessary for the show. And of course, Merlin’s lighting the candles and setting everything up. They’re so desperate to push Arwen on us that apparently they have to all but slap us in the face with the fact that Arthur and Gwen are having sex. Great.
Wow, Merlin practically fled the room. That is probably the most awkward situation he could possibly be put in. Is it just me, or does Merlin seem less and less enthusiastic about Arthur and Gwen’s relationship? He used to be the ultimate Arwen cheerleader. Now… all that’s gone.
“I’d love a hot bath.”
What. What. WHAT. Doesn’t Gwen have her own fucking servant? She does NOT get to order Merlin around. And what happened to her humble roots? It’s obvious Merlin doesn’t want to be there and it’s obvious what Arthur and Gwen are about to do. So Gwen orders Merlin to get her a bath and come back up? Interrupting whatever Arthur and Gwen are in the middle of? What? It’s almost as if Gwen’s taunting Merlin, waving in his face the fact that she has Arthur wrapped around her little finger. (Except she doesn’t. Not until this plot arc started.)
This entire Arwen scene just seemed so forced. It made me wince both times watching it. Angel and Bradley don’t have the chemistry to carry their romantic scenes. So they have to smack us upside the head with romantic settings and sappy over the top dialogue. This entire scene was completely pointless.
Although I have to say, the fact that Gwen wants to kill Arthur adds a whole new dimension to the scene. Too bad Arthur’s still being played for a fool.
At first, I thought Gwen was just teasing about the hot bath. Then I saw Merlin boiling water for the bath. What. The. Fuck.
God, Colin, is there a single person you don’t have chemistry with?
Did Gaius’ chambers always look like this? I don’t recall that screen ever being there. And wasn’t Gaius’ bed closer to the middle of the room? And why is Gaius in bed anyway? The room is well lit. It’s clearly past dawn, and it’s not night. Isn’t Gaius usually up before Merlin?
“I’m sure you’ll think of something!”
Liiiike… the tavern?
Okay. One thing I don’t get. Gaius’ chambers are in a tower, right? And Merlin lives with Gaius. Arthur’s chambers are not in that tower. Merlin does not sleep in Arthur’s antechamber. So why does Arthur call for Merlin from his room and expect him to come running? Why was it that one time in season two, Arthur called for Merlin in the middle of the night, and Merlin DID come running? How could he possibly have heard?
Oh my god. Did Arthur seriously push the comb into his bangs? Oh you adorable puppy. Just too cute. And he just looks so fluffy in that white tunic.
“But I need him. Now.”
I am just jumping up and down for joy. You have no idea how happy these little lines make me.
Whenever Gaius told Uther about cures and potions, I feel like he would just give big scientific words and hope Uther gets bored enough that he just accepts it. Now, Gaius trying to do the same thing to Arthur and Arthur actually asks questions! Le gasp! Gaius certainly seemed thrown off to actually need to prepare a better explanation than a string of scientific words.
“He’s in the tavern, isn’t he?”
The one time Gaius doesn’t give that excuse. The ONE TIME. Poor Merlin. Arthur thinks he’s an alcoholic, has bladder issues, and likes to crossdress. But he loves him anyway! That’s love.
“How am I meant to get dressed?”
“Well, surely that’s not too difficult, sire.”
“Really. You think you can do it.” *Arthur takes off shirt. “Right, come on then, Gaius.”
Um… Arthur. Sweetie. I think Gaius meant he can dress HIMSELF. Not you. Most people can, you know?
“It’s Guinevere’s night dress.”
I did think it looked a little too flimsy.
But seriously. At first, the scene was funny. Then it just became pathetic. Halfway through, I started thinking, “Oh God, Bradley, I’m so sorry you had to go through that.” The implication that Arthur can’t dress himself is funny. Even seeing that when he dresses himself, he does it badly is funny. But actually showing us that Arthur can’t dress himself? Actually showing ON SCREEN that Arthur is incapable of even pulling on pants and a shirt on his own? That’s pathetic. THIS is the Once and Future king? I know Arthur’s pampered and privileged. I know he has a manservant to do pretty much everything for him. But I never once really believed he was incapable of getting himself dressed. There’s that one deleted scene (1:31) from season four (I believe it was from episode seven) with Arthur running around the castle calling for Merlin in that white tunic and barefoot. And he runs into Agravaine. And he ends up saying, “Does he expect me to dress myself?” That was funny. Was I heartbroken that it was cut? Certainly not.
Since this show is so determined to be anachronistic, they should realize that, to us, seeing a man unable to even dress himself is funny, sure. But it’s funny in how pathetic it is. There are so many other ways of creating comic relief. They could’ve achieved the same lightheartedness by cutting the scene off right after, “Really. You think you can do it.” I know they love having Bradley take off his shirt, but seeing Arthur bent over (I shall refrain from making any comments about that) and waiting for Gaius to pull a shirt over his head was just demeaning. From the sheer number of times Arthur’s had someone else pull a shirt over his head (every day of his life), you’d think he would at least know what to do. Well enough to get the shirt on in some way or another. If not, he could’ve called for another servant. Called for Gwen. Is Merlin the only one allowed to dress him now?
I am thoroughly convinced that every person who meets Merlin falls madly in love with him.
“You are becoming a true statesman, Arthur.”
Great. Now how about you show us this instead of just saying it.
Merlin can speak telepathically too? I didn’t know he could do that. Well, it’s some evidence for Merlin getting stronger. The fact that Daegal couldn’t hear Merlin in his mind probably should have tipped me off that Daegal isn’t actually a druid.
One of these days, Morgana needs to just learn to kill someone properly. She’s a sorceress for god’s sake. Just snap their neck. Forget the agony. Just kill them. How has she not learned after so many times that if you give someone time to die, they DON’T DIE. Because someone saves them.
“How did you capture her? She’s a sorcerer, a high priestess.”
Are we finally going to find out how Uther succeeded in his purge against magic? I’ve never been able to figure out how Uther managed to kill that many sorcerers without magic on his side.
So Aithusa’s Morgana’s weakness? Why? When did their relationship develop? At least we know what happened to Morgana during the time skip. And why Aithusa’s so screwed up. That’s one question answered.
The distressed look on Arthur’s face as Sarrum was talking about Morgana’s imprisonment was a nice touch. So Arthur does still care for Morgana, despite everything that’s happened. Despite everything, she’s still family to him. And he still wants to save her if he can. I like this a lot better than Gwen completely abandoning any affection she had for Morgana. She was Morgana’s maid for years, yet she turned on her without a thought. Gwen’s never morally divided. She’s never torn between doing the right thing and the morally dubious thing. She unfailingly chooses the right choice unless she’s enchanted.
The close ups on Gwen while Sarrum was talking was lovely. And the way she had tears in her eyes after leaving the feast. It was a nice little glimpse into what Gwen thought about this. Showed us that she’s sympathetic to Morgana and couldn’t bear to hear she’d been hurt in such a way.
Seeing Merlin lying on the ground was heartbreaking. The way he was shaking and his eyes flickering gold were horrible to watch. In the best way. Colin can convey so little without words.
I love that Arthur says, “You’re much better at this than Gaius,” to Gwen, and not “You’re much better at this than Merlin.” So I guess Merlin’s not the worst servant ever, is he, Arthur?
When they started this fight, I realized I didn’t have to be worried about that scene from the preview where someone had a sword to the back of Arthur’s neck. I really wish they would stop using moments like that out of context. It had me worried at first, but I realized quickly enough that Arthur wouldn’t be in real danger. Seriously, just present the episode well, but don’t oversell it. That just sets you up for disappointment.
And why is Arthur so incompetent against this fighter? He’s the best knight in Camelot. Why did he look like he was half falling over through the entire fight? Where did all his skill go? When was the last time he wasn’t bested in a fight?
Oh lovely. I see Gwen’s taken over Morgana’s evil smirks. Can we stop? Please. I’m beginning to think not all those smirks were Katie’s fault.
The amount of emotion Colin can convey with his eyes.
Okay, Gaius, why did you tell Gwen about Merlin being missing? Just talk to Arthur! Gaius knows that Gwen isn’t herself and knows she’s trying to kill Arthur. That means don’t trust her. Don’t tell her what’s going on! Lie, for god’s sake! Don’t give Gwen the chance to stop Arthur!
After Daegal tells Merlin Morgana wants to kill Arthur, Merlin looked like he was thinking, “Again? Just a typical day, I guess.”
When Arthur’s not around, Merlin becomes totally BAMF. It’s completely unfair that Merlin has to play dumb and pretend he’s less than he is around Arthur. He deserves better, and Arthur deserves to know that he’s better than that.
I wish Merlin had gotten to actually fight all the bandits. He needs more opportunities to show off his powers.
“And if he ever found out he’d probably hang me.”
How can Merlin still think that Arthur will hang him? It’s been years. How can the writers possibly still believe that Arthur would sentence Merlin to death for having magic? Merlin’s been keeping his secret for so long he doesn’t even know how to tell Arthur anymore. He still believes Arthur can never know. Has he forgotten that the dragon told him that he and Arthur would build Albion together? Not Arthur and Gwen. Arthur and Merlin. Maybe the reason Albion hasn’t been built yet is because Arthur is only one side of a coin. He needs the other side to fulfill his destiny. At this point, I feel like Merlin’s just terrified what revealing his magic will do to his relationship with Arthur. Arthur is the center of Merlin’s world. If Arthur pushed him away, Merlin might actually fall apart. He doesn’t know what to do with himself without Arthur. And knowing this, he’s terrified of breaking the relationship they have.
It seems that Merlin’s abandoned his goal of bringing magic back to Camelot. He constantly tells people (and himself) that Arthur will bring about the golden age of Camelot. That soon, people with magic won’t have to hide. But what’s he doing to make that happen? He made the ultimate sacrifice in The Disir by telling Arthur that there can be no place for magic in Camelot. But what has that achieved? He needs to tell Arthur because the longer he drags it on for, the harder it will be to rebuild Arthur’s trust in him. It’s already going to be damn difficult.
Does Arthur actually believe that Merlin confided in Gwen instead of him or even Gaius? Does he seriously still believe that Merlin and Gwen are best friends? Because that hasn’t been the case in years. But of course, Arthur believes every sweet little word that comes out of Gwen’s mouth.
They’ve completely screwed up Arthur’s characterization in this plot arc. Are the writers only capable of giving one character depth at a time? Gwen gets the spotlight, so everyone else has to be an idiot.
I was hoping for Merlin to burst into the council chambers and either jump in front of the arrow or use magic to stop it. But no, he notices that the door is unlocked and covertly kills the enemy. As per usual. Wouldn’t the best plan be to find Arthur as quickly as possible and protect him? Rather than searching random corridors that should be locked on the off chance that the assassin is there. What if he were wrong? Arthur would be dead. Merlin, come on, you’re better than that.
The second that assassin threw the knife I knew Daegal was dead. Because, you know, anyone who finds out about Merlin’s magic dies. Except Gaius. And Hunith. Because there’s no reason to kill Hunith and Merlin needs to discuss magic stuff with someone so the audience can hear it.
I’m no expert, but that crossbow bolt should’ve hit the other side of the room. There’s no way that as this guy was dying and his arm swung out, his aim only shifted about a foot to the right. Just enough to kill the enemy king but miss Arthur. Considering how much the guy’s arm moved and how far Arthur and Sarrum were from him, the tiniest movement should’ve changed the angle of the shot enough that it either hit a knight or bounced off the wall harmlessly.
Daegal dying was heartbreaking. But so unnecessary. I really wanted him to stay as a regular. Or even, get this, just not DIE. What does his death even achieve? Absolutely nothing.
I wanted Merlin to tell Arthur that he was the one who stopped the assassin. But I can understand why he told Arthur Daegal did it. Daegal’s last words were “did I save Arthur?” and “did I do something good?” after all. Merlin’s the kind of person who probably thought Daegal deserved this recognition. Even if Merlin deserves it more.
When Arthur said “so you can go visit that girl again,” Gwen’s face made me laugh. It looked like she was thinking, “crap. I didn’t think this through. Arthur wasn’t supposed to tell Merlin that.”
“Don’t have one.”
The tone Merlin said this in… oh my god, I almost started crying. He sounded so tired, so defeated, and just a little bitter. He’s devoted his entire life to a man who basically sees him as comic relief. There to spout a couple lines of wisdom every once in a while. A man who will never see him for what he is and trusts the lies of nearly everyone else in the kingdom over his honesty. I’m surprised Merlin hasn’t just up and left Camelot already. At this rate, the day Arthur becomes the king he’s prophesied to be will be the day he drops dead.
We started the series with Merlin and Arthur risking their lives for each other. For god’s sake, in the second episode, Arthur rode out against his father’s wishes on what was basically a suicide mission to get Merlin the Morteaus flower. Throughout the series, Merlin and Arthur have continued to do stupidly crazy heroic things like that for each other. But now, Arthur lets Gwen talk him out of even checking if Merlin’s okay when he’s gone missing. Does Arthur honestly believe that Merlin’s the kind of person who would just leave Camelot to visit a girl? Without asking Arthur or even letting him know? I don’t know who this Arthur is anymore and I hate that the writers have made me feel this way.
“And why you’re walking with a limp.”
Why is it that the most important relationship in this show has been relegated to comic relief? Why? Please. Someone tell me why. The producers seem to know the Merlin and Arthur’s relationship is the core of the show. But time and again they don’t treat it as such. They forsake it for over the top romances like Arwen and Arthur’s puppy dog like adoration for traitors. If they really knew who carried the show (Colin and Bradley and their chemistry), they should be doing everything they can to develop Merlin and Arthur’s relationship. Finally give us a magic reveal.
So, this episode’s over, and still no evidence of Gwen being enchanted. Will we only find out that she’s been enchanted when they lift the spell? Or has she actually been broken? Because usually, when someone’s enchanted, they change around everyone. When Merlin was enchanted, he wasn’t an assassin around Arthur and completely normal around everyone else. He was rude to Gaius, snapped at Gwaine, and seemed to have lost what made him Merlin (besides the clumsiness). But Gwen was kind to Daegal and she had the presence of mind to pretend to be herself. That doesn’t sound like an enchantment. It sounds like… she’s loyal to Morgana now. I really hope this storyline ends next week and we either get the old Gwen back or we find out she’s actually become evil. At this point, I don’t even care which. I just want to stop these constant assassination attempts so we can have an actual story that might possibly progress the plot. To placate Gwen fans, must we dedicate a quarter of a season to giving Gwen something to do? We’re running out of time. And the magic reveal seems nowhere in sight.
Best lines in this entire episode:
"I want Merlin back."
"I don't NEED one."
What are Gwen and Leon doing together? This seems unusual.
And Gwen… seems like Gwen. Hmm. Really wondering if Gwen’s actually enchanted. We’ll see how I feel by the end of this episode.
“Frogs?”
“It’s a full moon, Leon. We used to do it.”
SQUEE!!!! Totally shipping Gwen/Leon now. Gwen’s mother used to be a servant for Leon’s family, didn’t she? That means Gwen and Leon probably used to play together. That’s so cute!
What the fuck. Are they celebrating their anniversary this episode instead of last episode? This is so not necessary for the show. And of course, Merlin’s lighting the candles and setting everything up. They’re so desperate to push Arwen on us that apparently they have to all but slap us in the face with the fact that Arthur and Gwen are having sex. Great.
Wow, Merlin practically fled the room. That is probably the most awkward situation he could possibly be put in. Is it just me, or does Merlin seem less and less enthusiastic about Arthur and Gwen’s relationship? He used to be the ultimate Arwen cheerleader. Now… all that’s gone.
“I’d love a hot bath.”
What. What. WHAT. Doesn’t Gwen have her own fucking servant? She does NOT get to order Merlin around. And what happened to her humble roots? It’s obvious Merlin doesn’t want to be there and it’s obvious what Arthur and Gwen are about to do. So Gwen orders Merlin to get her a bath and come back up? Interrupting whatever Arthur and Gwen are in the middle of? What? It’s almost as if Gwen’s taunting Merlin, waving in his face the fact that she has Arthur wrapped around her little finger. (Except she doesn’t. Not until this plot arc started.)
This entire Arwen scene just seemed so forced. It made me wince both times watching it. Angel and Bradley don’t have the chemistry to carry their romantic scenes. So they have to smack us upside the head with romantic settings and sappy over the top dialogue. This entire scene was completely pointless.
Although I have to say, the fact that Gwen wants to kill Arthur adds a whole new dimension to the scene. Too bad Arthur’s still being played for a fool.
At first, I thought Gwen was just teasing about the hot bath. Then I saw Merlin boiling water for the bath. What. The. Fuck.
God, Colin, is there a single person you don’t have chemistry with?
Did Gaius’ chambers always look like this? I don’t recall that screen ever being there. And wasn’t Gaius’ bed closer to the middle of the room? And why is Gaius in bed anyway? The room is well lit. It’s clearly past dawn, and it’s not night. Isn’t Gaius usually up before Merlin?
“I’m sure you’ll think of something!”
Liiiike… the tavern?
Okay. One thing I don’t get. Gaius’ chambers are in a tower, right? And Merlin lives with Gaius. Arthur’s chambers are not in that tower. Merlin does not sleep in Arthur’s antechamber. So why does Arthur call for Merlin from his room and expect him to come running? Why was it that one time in season two, Arthur called for Merlin in the middle of the night, and Merlin DID come running? How could he possibly have heard?
Oh my god. Did Arthur seriously push the comb into his bangs? Oh you adorable puppy. Just too cute. And he just looks so fluffy in that white tunic.
“But I need him. Now.”
I am just jumping up and down for joy. You have no idea how happy these little lines make me.
Whenever Gaius told Uther about cures and potions, I feel like he would just give big scientific words and hope Uther gets bored enough that he just accepts it. Now, Gaius trying to do the same thing to Arthur and Arthur actually asks questions! Le gasp! Gaius certainly seemed thrown off to actually need to prepare a better explanation than a string of scientific words.
“He’s in the tavern, isn’t he?”
The one time Gaius doesn’t give that excuse. The ONE TIME. Poor Merlin. Arthur thinks he’s an alcoholic, has bladder issues, and likes to crossdress. But he loves him anyway! That’s love.
“How am I meant to get dressed?”
“Well, surely that’s not too difficult, sire.”
“Really. You think you can do it.” *Arthur takes off shirt. “Right, come on then, Gaius.”
Um… Arthur. Sweetie. I think Gaius meant he can dress HIMSELF. Not you. Most people can, you know?
“It’s Guinevere’s night dress.”
I did think it looked a little too flimsy.
But seriously. At first, the scene was funny. Then it just became pathetic. Halfway through, I started thinking, “Oh God, Bradley, I’m so sorry you had to go through that.” The implication that Arthur can’t dress himself is funny. Even seeing that when he dresses himself, he does it badly is funny. But actually showing us that Arthur can’t dress himself? Actually showing ON SCREEN that Arthur is incapable of even pulling on pants and a shirt on his own? That’s pathetic. THIS is the Once and Future king? I know Arthur’s pampered and privileged. I know he has a manservant to do pretty much everything for him. But I never once really believed he was incapable of getting himself dressed. There’s that one deleted scene (1:31) from season four (I believe it was from episode seven) with Arthur running around the castle calling for Merlin in that white tunic and barefoot. And he runs into Agravaine. And he ends up saying, “Does he expect me to dress myself?” That was funny. Was I heartbroken that it was cut? Certainly not.
Since this show is so determined to be anachronistic, they should realize that, to us, seeing a man unable to even dress himself is funny, sure. But it’s funny in how pathetic it is. There are so many other ways of creating comic relief. They could’ve achieved the same lightheartedness by cutting the scene off right after, “Really. You think you can do it.” I know they love having Bradley take off his shirt, but seeing Arthur bent over (I shall refrain from making any comments about that) and waiting for Gaius to pull a shirt over his head was just demeaning. From the sheer number of times Arthur’s had someone else pull a shirt over his head (every day of his life), you’d think he would at least know what to do. Well enough to get the shirt on in some way or another. If not, he could’ve called for another servant. Called for Gwen. Is Merlin the only one allowed to dress him now?
I am thoroughly convinced that every person who meets Merlin falls madly in love with him.
“You are becoming a true statesman, Arthur.”
Great. Now how about you show us this instead of just saying it.
Merlin can speak telepathically too? I didn’t know he could do that. Well, it’s some evidence for Merlin getting stronger. The fact that Daegal couldn’t hear Merlin in his mind probably should have tipped me off that Daegal isn’t actually a druid.
One of these days, Morgana needs to just learn to kill someone properly. She’s a sorceress for god’s sake. Just snap their neck. Forget the agony. Just kill them. How has she not learned after so many times that if you give someone time to die, they DON’T DIE. Because someone saves them.
“How did you capture her? She’s a sorcerer, a high priestess.”
Are we finally going to find out how Uther succeeded in his purge against magic? I’ve never been able to figure out how Uther managed to kill that many sorcerers without magic on his side.
So Aithusa’s Morgana’s weakness? Why? When did their relationship develop? At least we know what happened to Morgana during the time skip. And why Aithusa’s so screwed up. That’s one question answered.
The distressed look on Arthur’s face as Sarrum was talking about Morgana’s imprisonment was a nice touch. So Arthur does still care for Morgana, despite everything that’s happened. Despite everything, she’s still family to him. And he still wants to save her if he can. I like this a lot better than Gwen completely abandoning any affection she had for Morgana. She was Morgana’s maid for years, yet she turned on her without a thought. Gwen’s never morally divided. She’s never torn between doing the right thing and the morally dubious thing. She unfailingly chooses the right choice unless she’s enchanted.
The close ups on Gwen while Sarrum was talking was lovely. And the way she had tears in her eyes after leaving the feast. It was a nice little glimpse into what Gwen thought about this. Showed us that she’s sympathetic to Morgana and couldn’t bear to hear she’d been hurt in such a way.
Seeing Merlin lying on the ground was heartbreaking. The way he was shaking and his eyes flickering gold were horrible to watch. In the best way. Colin can convey so little without words.
I love that Arthur says, “You’re much better at this than Gaius,” to Gwen, and not “You’re much better at this than Merlin.” So I guess Merlin’s not the worst servant ever, is he, Arthur?
When they started this fight, I realized I didn’t have to be worried about that scene from the preview where someone had a sword to the back of Arthur’s neck. I really wish they would stop using moments like that out of context. It had me worried at first, but I realized quickly enough that Arthur wouldn’t be in real danger. Seriously, just present the episode well, but don’t oversell it. That just sets you up for disappointment.
And why is Arthur so incompetent against this fighter? He’s the best knight in Camelot. Why did he look like he was half falling over through the entire fight? Where did all his skill go? When was the last time he wasn’t bested in a fight?
Oh lovely. I see Gwen’s taken over Morgana’s evil smirks. Can we stop? Please. I’m beginning to think not all those smirks were Katie’s fault.
The amount of emotion Colin can convey with his eyes.
Okay, Gaius, why did you tell Gwen about Merlin being missing? Just talk to Arthur! Gaius knows that Gwen isn’t herself and knows she’s trying to kill Arthur. That means don’t trust her. Don’t tell her what’s going on! Lie, for god’s sake! Don’t give Gwen the chance to stop Arthur!
After Daegal tells Merlin Morgana wants to kill Arthur, Merlin looked like he was thinking, “Again? Just a typical day, I guess.”
When Arthur’s not around, Merlin becomes totally BAMF. It’s completely unfair that Merlin has to play dumb and pretend he’s less than he is around Arthur. He deserves better, and Arthur deserves to know that he’s better than that.
I wish Merlin had gotten to actually fight all the bandits. He needs more opportunities to show off his powers.
“And if he ever found out he’d probably hang me.”
How can Merlin still think that Arthur will hang him? It’s been years. How can the writers possibly still believe that Arthur would sentence Merlin to death for having magic? Merlin’s been keeping his secret for so long he doesn’t even know how to tell Arthur anymore. He still believes Arthur can never know. Has he forgotten that the dragon told him that he and Arthur would build Albion together? Not Arthur and Gwen. Arthur and Merlin. Maybe the reason Albion hasn’t been built yet is because Arthur is only one side of a coin. He needs the other side to fulfill his destiny. At this point, I feel like Merlin’s just terrified what revealing his magic will do to his relationship with Arthur. Arthur is the center of Merlin’s world. If Arthur pushed him away, Merlin might actually fall apart. He doesn’t know what to do with himself without Arthur. And knowing this, he’s terrified of breaking the relationship they have.
It seems that Merlin’s abandoned his goal of bringing magic back to Camelot. He constantly tells people (and himself) that Arthur will bring about the golden age of Camelot. That soon, people with magic won’t have to hide. But what’s he doing to make that happen? He made the ultimate sacrifice in The Disir by telling Arthur that there can be no place for magic in Camelot. But what has that achieved? He needs to tell Arthur because the longer he drags it on for, the harder it will be to rebuild Arthur’s trust in him. It’s already going to be damn difficult.
Does Arthur actually believe that Merlin confided in Gwen instead of him or even Gaius? Does he seriously still believe that Merlin and Gwen are best friends? Because that hasn’t been the case in years. But of course, Arthur believes every sweet little word that comes out of Gwen’s mouth.
They’ve completely screwed up Arthur’s characterization in this plot arc. Are the writers only capable of giving one character depth at a time? Gwen gets the spotlight, so everyone else has to be an idiot.
I was hoping for Merlin to burst into the council chambers and either jump in front of the arrow or use magic to stop it. But no, he notices that the door is unlocked and covertly kills the enemy. As per usual. Wouldn’t the best plan be to find Arthur as quickly as possible and protect him? Rather than searching random corridors that should be locked on the off chance that the assassin is there. What if he were wrong? Arthur would be dead. Merlin, come on, you’re better than that.
The second that assassin threw the knife I knew Daegal was dead. Because, you know, anyone who finds out about Merlin’s magic dies. Except Gaius. And Hunith. Because there’s no reason to kill Hunith and Merlin needs to discuss magic stuff with someone so the audience can hear it.
I’m no expert, but that crossbow bolt should’ve hit the other side of the room. There’s no way that as this guy was dying and his arm swung out, his aim only shifted about a foot to the right. Just enough to kill the enemy king but miss Arthur. Considering how much the guy’s arm moved and how far Arthur and Sarrum were from him, the tiniest movement should’ve changed the angle of the shot enough that it either hit a knight or bounced off the wall harmlessly.
Daegal dying was heartbreaking. But so unnecessary. I really wanted him to stay as a regular. Or even, get this, just not DIE. What does his death even achieve? Absolutely nothing.
I wanted Merlin to tell Arthur that he was the one who stopped the assassin. But I can understand why he told Arthur Daegal did it. Daegal’s last words were “did I save Arthur?” and “did I do something good?” after all. Merlin’s the kind of person who probably thought Daegal deserved this recognition. Even if Merlin deserves it more.
When Arthur said “so you can go visit that girl again,” Gwen’s face made me laugh. It looked like she was thinking, “crap. I didn’t think this through. Arthur wasn’t supposed to tell Merlin that.”
“Don’t have one.”
The tone Merlin said this in… oh my god, I almost started crying. He sounded so tired, so defeated, and just a little bitter. He’s devoted his entire life to a man who basically sees him as comic relief. There to spout a couple lines of wisdom every once in a while. A man who will never see him for what he is and trusts the lies of nearly everyone else in the kingdom over his honesty. I’m surprised Merlin hasn’t just up and left Camelot already. At this rate, the day Arthur becomes the king he’s prophesied to be will be the day he drops dead.
We started the series with Merlin and Arthur risking their lives for each other. For god’s sake, in the second episode, Arthur rode out against his father’s wishes on what was basically a suicide mission to get Merlin the Morteaus flower. Throughout the series, Merlin and Arthur have continued to do stupidly crazy heroic things like that for each other. But now, Arthur lets Gwen talk him out of even checking if Merlin’s okay when he’s gone missing. Does Arthur honestly believe that Merlin’s the kind of person who would just leave Camelot to visit a girl? Without asking Arthur or even letting him know? I don’t know who this Arthur is anymore and I hate that the writers have made me feel this way.
“And why you’re walking with a limp.”
Why is it that the most important relationship in this show has been relegated to comic relief? Why? Please. Someone tell me why. The producers seem to know the Merlin and Arthur’s relationship is the core of the show. But time and again they don’t treat it as such. They forsake it for over the top romances like Arwen and Arthur’s puppy dog like adoration for traitors. If they really knew who carried the show (Colin and Bradley and their chemistry), they should be doing everything they can to develop Merlin and Arthur’s relationship. Finally give us a magic reveal.
So, this episode’s over, and still no evidence of Gwen being enchanted. Will we only find out that she’s been enchanted when they lift the spell? Or has she actually been broken? Because usually, when someone’s enchanted, they change around everyone. When Merlin was enchanted, he wasn’t an assassin around Arthur and completely normal around everyone else. He was rude to Gaius, snapped at Gwaine, and seemed to have lost what made him Merlin (besides the clumsiness). But Gwen was kind to Daegal and she had the presence of mind to pretend to be herself. That doesn’t sound like an enchantment. It sounds like… she’s loyal to Morgana now. I really hope this storyline ends next week and we either get the old Gwen back or we find out she’s actually become evil. At this point, I don’t even care which. I just want to stop these constant assassination attempts so we can have an actual story that might possibly progress the plot. To placate Gwen fans, must we dedicate a quarter of a season to giving Gwen something to do? We’re running out of time. And the magic reveal seems nowhere in sight.
Best lines in this entire episode:
"I want Merlin back."
"I don't NEED one."