Reveal

Jun 30, 2010 19:16

We've established that we all want the reveal, but what we haven't discussed? Ideal scenarios! Do you want Merlin to tell Arthur or do you want Arthur to find out? How do you imagine Arthur's reaction? Are there any scenarios that you absolutely do NOT want to see unfold?

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actor: bradley james, character: merlin, merlin: series 3, discussion: merlin, media: articles, actor: colin morgan, ! discussion, character: arthur, ! spoilers, media: interviews

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siduri July 1 2010, 11:54:47 UTC
I would like to see the reveal happen and be stretched out over some episodes, too. I think an interesting context would be Arthur coming to the realization that most of the people that he loves and trusts have been lying to him-at some point, I would like to see Arthur really grasp that magic is not evil, and quite a few people have died because as a result of his birth. I would like to see him realize this first and then as a climax find out that Merlin is a sorcerer. And he does need to stew about this and all the other things people have been hiding-his father and Gaius have clearly been less then straightforward, he realizes Morgana has gone over to the other side entirely, and he is not sure about where he stands with Gwen because of Lancelot. The one person he can depend on is Merlin and one day, there is a reveal and that trust is shattered.

I can see Arthur the prat sitting in his room stewing over all these things and the realization that he probably did not do as many of the heroic things he thought he has-and maybe then we can have some pivotal event where he has to do something totally heroic on his own, perhaps even save Merlin this time- and finally we will see Arthur the prat back away and Arthur the King begin to really emerge.

What it boils down to for me, is that the reveal could be the beginning of the processing Arthur needs to do to be come King.

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kathyh July 1 2010, 12:09:08 UTC
he has to do something totally heroic on his own, perhaps even save Merlin this time- and finally we will see Arthur the prat back away and Arthur the King begin to really emerge.

Yes, absolutely. I think I want this more than anything.

Everyone lies to Arthur and if I was him I'd be seriously pissed off once I discovered that. It will be a mark of how he's grown as to how he deals with it.

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siduri July 1 2010, 18:34:52 UTC
I don't necessarily need the reveal to happen right away in this season, it could even go into the next season, if there is one. I feel like I would like to see the reveal to be a slow thing, like he starts to wonder about Merlin...and a lot of things that may not add up for him.

For me, the most revealing scene about Arthur's character was in S1 in the Labyrinth episode was Arthur standing in his room and waving his finger in Merlin's face proclaiming that "MY FATHER SAYS...and goes on to lecture Merlin about evil sorcerers. This is his foundation, his entire paradigm. What happens when that foundation collapses around from beneath him? He reacted like a heavily armed two year old in Sins of the Father and that reaction was totally understandable for that one moment in time. The idea of everyone around him having lied to him about something, though...now that is quite another thing. He certainly has inherited his father's anger management issues, and it is through his friends and family that boundaries were set -Morgana, Merlin, Gwen, If those boundaries are not there for him, he will indeed be one pissed off prat.

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kathyh July 2 2010, 09:05:01 UTC
I feel like I would like to see the reveal to be a slow thing, like he starts to wonder about Merlin...and a lot of things that may not add up for him.

Yes, that's what I'd like too. I was firmly convinced that I wanted the reveal this season but I have since changed my mind as I want to see more growth from Arthur before it happens. I want to see him get to a point where he can accept that his father's attitude to magic was at least partially mistaken (I don't think Uther's entirely wrong all the time) and that Merlin had good reason for lying to him.

For me, the most revealing scene about Arthur's character was in S1 in the Labyrinth episode was Arthur standing in his room and waving his finger in Merlin's face proclaiming that "MY FATHER SAYS...and goes on to lecture Merlin about evil sorcerers. This is his foundation, his entire paradigm.

Yes, but I don't think his attitude to magic is nearly as fixed as Uther's, despite having it drilled into him his whole life. He was prepared to look at the intent behind the action when Gwen was accused of using sorcery in 1.3 and he helped rescue Mordred because he didn't think executing a child was the right thing to do. Arthur's battle is in deciding for himself what he knows to be right versus what Uther tells him is right.

If those boundaries are not there for him, he will indeed be one pissed off prat.

That's why I think he needs to build his own boundaries.

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siduri July 2 2010, 15:57:14 UTC
He does need to build his own boundaries through experience. Which is all going to be part of the process of becoming a King.

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faorism July 1 2010, 15:08:42 UTC
Although I do not totally agree with Arthur's reaction, I think that your entire first paragraph is spot-on. Everything is... well, sooooo right. I would love to see the look of horror/anger/pain on Arthur's face when Merlin, the one who he trusted when everyone else failed him, reveals himself to be a liar as well. :)

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siduri July 1 2010, 21:56:25 UTC
How would you want to see his reaction?

Your last sentence-oh yeah.

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faorism July 1 2010, 22:25:42 UTC
OH YEAH.

@his reaction: That... I'm not too sure about, to be honest. As I said earlier in this post, I am of the camp that wants to delay the reveal until Arthur is ready for it. (That's me be optimistic, though.) I know what I want for the bookends of the reveal, but as to what happens just afterward? That's hazy for me.

From off the top of my head, I don't think Arthur would rage so openly. If the reveal is the result of something so sudden, then I think the bitterness of the thing will keep him not only withdrawn, but colder than we have ever seen him (and that's including the time he was possessed by Sophia). Not to be non sequitur, but I adore passionate scenes that are powerful and heartbreaking and, most importantly, quiet. There's an elegance to a burning, seething rage that I feel an open, violent one often doesn't have. And I want that from Arthur. I want the spurn of being lied to; I want Merlin to be ignored and worry honestly that he may have done more harm by not telling Arthur than if he had; and I want the simple regret from Arthur at just not knowing what the hell was going on with the man who he loves so much. I want the emotional sting of the reveal to be drawn out, and I fear that a violent display of action followed by a revelation and acceptance will not be enough.

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zafra July 1 2010, 23:42:03 UTC
Yes. This. He would storm-off, close Merlin out of his life. We'd all be crying in our fanfics about the good 'ol days of "Curse of Cornelius Seegan". :D Because he does trust Merlin, and as he says in 2x13, if he wasn't a prince he fancies he and Merlin would 'get on'. Oh, can I just say how much I love slang in that moment. ;-) Ahem. Anyway I will take the reveal any way I can get it, but the one thing that absolutely would make me angry would be a one-episode wrap-up of everybody's issues. The show just isn't formatted that way right now (that days/weeks go by with action besides perhaps riding around the countryside to battle) and it would be jarring to assume they'd all had their time to deal with it for what amounts to 45 minutes for us.

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faorism July 2 2010, 01:50:29 UTC
@the current format of the show: Yes. Well... I think this is one of the biggest failings of the show (the one thing that might complete is the ooc-prat!Arthur that mysteriously rears its very pretty head every once in awhile). We have extremely fleshed, wonderful characters but the 45-minute "WE NEED TO WRAP UP NOW" shows are hurting more than they help. I mean, it worked for Star Trek (TOS) because the characters were so unmovable: Kirk is Kirk, Spock is Spock, McCoy is McCoy; but Merlin is too modern in its constant need to develop characters for that to be (for lack of a better word) acceptable.

The last episode we see with Morgana is truly the best example of how the format is hampering the characters. Sure, we knew about Morgana's discontent but... really? Really? I was heartbroken. In a perfect world, Morgana's growing resentment would have slowly-slowly-slowly grown and we would have seen it more clearly.

SIGH. I think the best option for Merlin is if it went for a more Doctor Who approach. So, instead of a mental/emotional period at the end of an episode, there is a semicolon. The week's Big Bad can be dealt with in 45 minutes, but they can mull over their thoughts beyond an episode's tight frame.

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siduri July 2 2010, 16:03:23 UTC
No, he won't rage so openly this time. Arthur tends to hold things in until he gets out in the woods and Merlin draws out whatever is eating him. Merlin tends to be the one to really clam up and not reveal too much to Arthur despite Arthur's best efforts. I agree that he might spurn and reject Merlin for a time while Merlin has to figure out what the next move it. But, Arthur won't reveal Merlin's secret. I think that might be the "afterward." In other words, Arthur keeps the secret while being angry. Something could happen to bring them back together again and for Arthur to actually process his position on magic-and come to a more realistic view of it by the end of the thread.

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