Ponderings about episode 2x10 'Sweet dreams'

[rodneyscat]

After rewatching this episode I was making my weekly capspam and I thought I'd bring a bit of my musings from my journal to a post over here. See what you lot have to say about this:

1) This episode is all about Arthur's real love for Gwen, his false love for Vivian, and how the one he truly loves should kiss him to break the spell, but when I see

Comments

[magog_83]

but when I see the following scene I can't help but feel like the wrong person kissed Arthur better.

As you can probably guess, I think this anyway ;) The idea of a love that is conditional is not all that attractive to me, and I think I will always see Gwen's feelings for Arthur in that light. Which, ok, you could say "why shouldn't she expect him to be better?" and that's perfectly true, but somehow that isn't a fraction as attractive to me as Merlin caring about Arthur in all his prattish but still honourable glory. And more than that, I feel Arthur is himself with Merlin. Because he is a bit of a prat, and that's alright, because we, and Merlin, can see that when it comes down to it he always does the right thing. I don't want an Arthur who is Nobility Personified, I can't think of anything more dull. I sometimes wonder what on earth the producers are doing, because they've given the M/A friendship all the foibles, depth and affection that you would expect from a real-life relationship, and made their canon relationship the stuff of fairytales where neither participant seems to be behaving like themselves.

[rodneyscat]

Oh, when the dragon had said that Arthur had to be kissed by the person who truly loved him then it would have been obvious to me! Merlin. Hands down.

The dragon however said that he had to be kissed by the person Arthur truly loved, and I think in Arthur's head at least that's Gwen. I think it's even in his heart, but I'm in denial...

Merlin even asks Gwen to search her heart to know that Arthur loves her. He doesn't ask her to search her heart if she loves him. In that way the writers are surprisingly consistent.

I also noticed for myself that however much I do feel sorry for Gwen when she's waiting for Arthur in vain, it doesn't really touch me all that much. In episode 2x4 though it moves me every time when Gwen has to swallow her tears when she hears Lancelot has left.

[magog_83]

Oh yes, I think within the show Arthur is clearly in love with Gwen, or thinks he is anyway. I would like to think the producers really are going for ambiguity with Gwen's feelings, but the Sweet Dreams episode threw me rather, because it seemed to be suggesting her feelings had moved on to Arthur now - when I had assumed until that point that she was still in love with Lancelot. And then there is all the "Romeo and Juliet!" stuff on Secrets and Magic, which just confuses me more as to what we're supposed to be taking away from the episodes. And the bit where Merlin is convincing Gwen and says something like "anyone who's spent five minutes with you can see how you feel about each other!"... my reaction was to just look utterly flabbergasted and think "Really Merlin???"

I'm just not convinced the producers are being as subtle as we all hope they are :(

[magog_83]

Also, I should add that I agree about Gwen in the Lancelot episode. My heart just broke for her! And I wanted to slap Lancelot. I was just irritated by the whole of Sweet Dreams so I will admit my sympathy level was not high in that one (except for Vivian, and Arthur who just gets messed around by everyone, poor guy).

[magog_83]

:) :) It's why I ship M/A, because they're not perfect, but they're perfect for each other I think, and they can spend the rest of their lives happily bickering and insulting each other, no grand gestures and cheesy speeches necessary. Whereas I'm starting to wonder if the producers learned how to write romance from a Harlequin novel ;)

[kathyh]

they're not perfect, but they're perfect for each other I think

Yup. They just work together. I think it's why AUs work so well in fic. No matter the unlikely circumstances Arthur and Merlin always gravitate towards each other.

[mrs_rochester11]

*nods head in agreement* exactly

[copperiisulfate]

I sometimes wonder what on earth the producers are doing, because they've given the M/A friendship all the foibles, depth and affection that you would expect from a real-life relationship, and made their canon relationship the stuff of fairytales where neither participant seems to be behaving like themselves.

ah! i agree with this so much and could not have said it better! i was actually rewatching the pilot the other day with some friends and the ~first meeting~ and even people who knew nothing about this show and fandom picked up on that epic chemistry and the push-pull of A/M from the get-go. and i can swear that even if i wasn't a shipper i would still have noticed that from all the relationships on this show, that one continues to be the one that has this enormous hold on the viewer and maintains the depth and plants the seeds for emotional investment the way the central romantic pairings on most shows generally tend to do.

[a8c_sock]

And more than that, I feel Arthur is himself with Merlin. Because he is a bit of a prat, and that's alright, because we, and Merlin, can see that when it comes down to it he always does the right thing.

That's exactly it. He's always been 'just Arthur' to Merlin. Yes he's also been 'Arthur once and future king' but that's never chaned how Merlin treats him.

they've given the M/A friendship all the foibles, depth and affection that you would expect from a real-life relationship,

Which is why I can see it lasting the distance. Whereas the canon relationship seems ot be rooted in fairytale land and likely to crack in the harsh light of reality.

[amazonbard88]

Completely agree with this!