Merlin - Cracked Reflections - An Uther/Morgana Ship Manifesto
Title: Cracked Reflections
Author: firthgal
Fandom: Merlin
Pairing: Uther/Morgana
Spoilers: All of series 1
Disclaimer: Merlin and it's characters do not belong to me.
Author's Note: The intro and character bios were heavily beta'd by the wonderful llivla. If not for her, this would have been a lost cause.
"Without you I cannot hope to be the king this land deserves."
When faced with the idea of Uther and Morgana being a valid Merlin pairing, one of two reactions is usually displayed:
1) OMG, that is so wrong! Ewwww.
2) OMG that is so wrong! Holy hell, that’s hot.
Naturally, I fall into crowd number 2. Uther/Morgana is intense both emotionally and physically, and much of their appeal comes from their deliciously complex angst. They serve not only as a check and balance for each other, but are also well foreshadowed to one day be each other's ultimate downfall. Whether you look at them as romantic partners or as surrogate father and daughter, they are inextricably linked together by the call of their inevitably tragic destiny. One could even go so far as to call them the "Anti-Arthur/Merlin," considering the fact that their mutual moral ambiguity, manipulation, and self-destructiveness is often juxtaposed with the purity and strengths of character found in Prince Arthur and his legendary counterpart.
The World of Merlin
Merlin is a BBC adaptation of the Arthurian legends. While following the basics of the legends, it also creates its own canon, making Merlin a young man and servant to a 21-year-old Arthur Pendragon and flushing out the series with their adventures, relationships, and evolution. What Smallville is to Superman, Merlin is to the Arthurian legends. It takes characters we already know and explores how they came to be. Merlin provides the catalysts with a vibrant medieval world of fey, knights, curses, summoned demons, alchemy, dragons, and powerful magic. In this setting, Uther Pendragon, the current king and father of Arthur, has forbidden magic in Camelot in order to prevent the chaos that magic had caused in years prior, therefore sorcerers like Merlin are forced to hide their abilities or else face execution by order of the king. While the tone of the first half of series one is generally comedic, the second half turns rather dark and really delves into the strengths and weaknesses of each character and the various relationships on the show.
The Utter Complexity that is Uther Pendragon
If you look at Uther purely as a king, he could easily be described as a mixture between Joseph Stalin and Adolf Hitler. He rose to power through his militaristic skills and restored order to a chaotic kingdom. While he lacks the oratory skills of Hitler, nor does he have any ambitions to take over the world, he does intend to wipe out Camelot’s entire magical race and anyone who collaborates with them. He carried out "The Great Purge" following the death of his wife, Ygraine, echoing Stalin's political career almost directly, and in more than several episodes Uther has shown that his punishment is swift and sometimes not completely justified by reason: Gwen is wrongly accused of being a witch, Arthur's chance to save Merlin's life is briefly thwarted by Uther's attempt to discipline Arthur for disobeying him, a druid child is obsessively hunted, and people in Uther's past often reappear for vengeance. Over the years Uther has become so paranoid that executions are often his answer for just about any kind of problem that might arise. Understandably, people are afraid to question his actions.
Uther is not entirely a tyrant and in fact he cares a great deal about his kingdom and its people. In the words of the court physician Gaius, "It is not Uther’s job to be liked, it is Uther’s job to protect the kingdom. Most of his methods are right, sometimes he may go too far… But despite Uther’s failings, he has brought peace and prosperity to this kingdom" (To Kill a King 1x12). In the very same episode, Uther reveals the pressure that he feels by the magnitude of his duties when he explains to Morgana, "You know nothing of what it means to be King. The fate of Camelot rests in my hands. It is my responsibility to protect the people of this land from its enemies." He struggles to be the best king that he can be. He wants to be fair and just, but he must always do what he believes is best for his kingdom, even if that means sacrificing his morals. The suffering of his people will always affect him, but often his paranoia and/or pride get in the way of Uther following the righteous path. He is king in the only way he knows how.
If you put aside all of Uther’s politics and simply look at him as a man, you will find someone who is very, undeniably human. He is broken, he is full of self-loathing, he is prideful, he is cautious, he is stubborn, and he feels his emotions a little too intensely. He blames himself for the loss of his wife, and he feels inadequate for his inability to express the profound love that he feels for his son. He had wanted an heir so badly that he ended up unintentionally sacrificing the love of his life, and it destroyed his soul. Torn by grief, Uther in part blamed the death of Ygraine on the magic that had been used in order to produce a son, and so Uther unleashed his rage on the entire magical race. Much of Uther's unstable temperament can be attributed to his pride, which also contributes to his stubborn nature. Aside from Gaius, Uther is cautious to let anyone into his confidence, let alone reveal his moments of doubt: he is withdrawn and isolated, and he is not inclined to change any of his behaviors. Feeling regret is one thing, but admitting and asking for forgiveness is something else entirely.
Except, that is, when it comes to the only person who ever truly blasts through his dangerous shell of power, and who treats him as the man that he is rather than a king-Morgana.
The Equally Mystifying Morgana
Morgana is the king’s ward, originally the daughter of Gorloris. Uther made a promise to take care of Morgana after Gorloris died, and so Morgana has been the first lady of Camelot from the time she was 10. Not much backstory is given here, only that she’s had a battle of wills with Uther during the entire time they’ve known each other. She blames him for her father’s death and has never really been able to bring herself to acknowledge Uther as a father figure. She disapproves of radical prejudice against the sorcerer race, and she has been shown on multiple occasions to be defending those who are outlawed even at the cost of her own life, most notably in episode 1x08 The Beginning of the End when she helps a druid boy escape from Camelot. She is a passionate, confident woman who is not afraid to speak her mind. While most of her battles are fought with words, she also more than knows her way around with a sword, and during 1x10 The Moment of Truth she even stepped in to assist Prince Arthur himself in the heat of battle, saving his life. She often feels the plight of oppressed parties and is quick to stand up for their rights and provide for them at any cost to herself or those who get in her way. Her passion for what is just is only rivaled by her passion for those who are closest to her. She often struggles to choose between fighting for the cause and doing what’s right in the eyes of the people that she cares about, but when Morgana sets her mind on something, absolutely nothing will get in her way. As she said in 1x04 The Poisoned Chalice, "Sometimes you’ve got to do what you think is right and damn the consequences."
Because of Morgana’s unflinching determination, she will readily do the wrong things for all the right reasons. If it shapes the world into a better place, then for her, the ends justify the means. This moral ambiguity of Morgana separates her from the rest of the core four (Merlin, Arthur, Gwen), all of whom refuse to sacrifice their morals while they steadfastly follow the righteous path.
As the series goes on, Morgana slides into the dangerous position of awakening her powers as a Seer. Known to her as nightmares, she receives graphic visions that accurately predict the future, usually something involving an attempt on Arthur’s life. While Gaius has told her from childhood that the visions are simply dreams, it is clear that Morgana suspects some kind of ingrained sorcery is involved. In a kingdom where supernatural of any kind is not tolerated, and where Uther has more than once threatened her life, she doesn’t know who she is able to trust, nor does she have anyone to guide her. In terms of her relationship with Uther, Morgana has no idea what this revelation of her character would do. She is both terrified of losing Uther’s love and ready to defy him at every turn.
This doesn't hinder the ship. If anything, the conflict actually provides more potential triggers whenever Morgana interacts with the one man to be her equal in terms of mind, manipulation, and grief.
The Practically Canon Subtextual Evidence of Their Love
There is certainly an element of father/daughter to Uther/Morgana. This is something that cannot be denied. Morgana came to live with Uther when she was ten years old and he feels responsible for her well-being. He at least in some part had a hand in shaping her teenage years. For all intents and purposes, she is his adopted daughter, and despite Morgana’s resentment of him, Uther is her adopted father. At times Morgana has Uther wrapped around her little finger just as a spoiled daughter would. At times Uther condescends to Morgana as if she were his spoiled little girl having a tantrum. That is all there on the surface, but if you look a little closer, you can see that not all of their relationship can be rationally written off as paternal. In fact, much can be seen as nothing other than domestic.
1x01 - The Dragon's Call
Very early on, the cinematography of this show is almost a character in itself. Uther is shown on his balcony carrying out an execution, and rather than being up there with him, the camera is below with the crowd. Right away he is shown as the ultimate power in Camelot, literally above everyone. But then the camera pans to Morgana, who is watching the execution from a window in a building across from him, and immediately we see that she is physically the only person on Uther’s level. It’s clear that she disapproves of Uther’s tactics, and just from these few shots we can tell that Morgana will be Uther’s main opposing force. Now, typically one would assume that the title character would be the main opposing force of this very ominous villain, but through the entire sequence Merlin is merely portrayed as an onlooker while all the tension is being built between Uther and Morgana.
The first scene where we are properly introduced to Morgana happens to be a one-on-one between her and Uther. Judging by the background noises, one can deduce that Uther has left his festivities in search of Morgana and he is visibly disgruntled that she chose not to be by his side for the occasion. When he questions her, she has no qualms about answering him with a sarcastic, “I just don’t think chopping someone’s head off is cause for celebration.” Uther sighs and has no retaliation, and in this moment he is a completely different man than the cold-blooded executioner that we had met on the balcony. His unbreakable ominous exterior is missing and instead we see a man who is desperate for approval, and when Morgana doesn’t give it to him, he ends up throwing a tantrum much like a 2-year-old would. When Uther finally does pull out his authoritative voice, he uses the phrase, "I’m your guardian..." as opposed to "I’m your king..." and by using this personal connection he seems to soften Morgana’s resolve for a moment. Of course, it doesn’t stop her from shouting out some unwanted political advice to him as he’s storming out of the room.
1x04 - The Poisoned Chalice
When Merlin drinks from a poisoned chalice, Arthur sets off on a journey to find the cure after Uther "...expressly ordered Arthur not to go." This is the first time that Arthur defies Uther, and it is no surprise that Morgana is the one who pressures Arthur into making the decision to do so. Uther is distressed after he finds out that Arthur is gone, and so comes a scene where Uther is venting to Morgana in her chambers. Because of the setting, one can determine that Uther specifically sought out Morgana in his time of frustration and complete fear. He is at a loss as to what to do with his newly rebellious son, and he’s looking to Morgana for the answers, much as a husband would his wife. Morgana is listening with disdainful amusement and she can’t resist teasing him, much as a wife would her husband if she thinks he’s being ridiculous. Even more interesting than this is the conversation they have about Arthur’s decision making capabilities:
MORGANA: He’s old enough to make decisions for himself.
UTHER: He’s just a boy.
MORGANA: Have you seen your son recently?
UTHER: *dangerous warning look that is slightly intuitive and downright sexy*
MORGANA: *gulps as she tries to resist Uther’s sexiness* You have to let him make his own mind up.
Uther is speaking to Morgana as if she is Arthur’s mother and Morgana easily plays the part, and this puts them on very equal footing. Even though Morgana is around Arthur’s age, Uther clearly views Arthur as a child and Morgana as an adult. This exchange between them throws him for a loop during his dangerous/intuitive/sexy look as he seems to realize that Morgana identifies with Arthur instead of himself. He's so used to Morgana being his worthy adversary in every way that the idea of her being so young had never even occurred to him.
1x06 - A Remedy to Cure All Ills
Rather than specific moments, this episode as a whole is a great example of just how deeply Uther cares for Morgana. She contracts an illness and basically goes into a coma, and Uther spends much of the episode at her bedside watching her sleep. When Uther is holding Morgana’s hand, he does so without his glove on, a rarity for Uther. He needs that human connection in order to convince himself that she is still there. Uther is so unlike himself in this episode in the sense that he is so blinded by his fear of losing Morgana that he can’t even make a simple decision. He can’t even look away from her long enough to pay attention to what’s happening around him, and so he lacks his usual paranoia that could have possibly clued him in to the fact that the physician named Edwin who mysteriously cures Morgana is actually a sorcerer (and the cause of Morgana’s illness). When Morgana is finally cured, Uther is uncharacteristically bursting with happiness as he kisses Morgana on the forehead, and for the rest of their shared scenes they are inseparable, even unconsciously leaning towards each other as they sit together on their thrones:
While the focus of this episode was really on the strength of the Uther/Gaius bond, it actually succeeded in showing that his love for Morgana is so strong that he was willing to give up Gaius (currently his oldest and most loyal friend) in a heartbeat if it meant that he’d never have to risk losing Morgana ever again. It also demonstrated the fact that Morgana is his greatest weakness. By taking her away from him (even for such a brief period), Edwin was successful in infiltrating the castle and causing Uther to lose his trust in a man who has served him without question for more than 20 years, and if not for Merlin, Edwin would have also been successful in killing Uther.
1x07 - The Gates of Avalon
This episode contains the scene that most shippers label as their moment of enlightenment, and even the Merlin fandom as a whole has a tendency to jokingly label Morgana as Uther’s wife in this episode. The Uther/Morgana domesticity actually starts in the scene where Arthur enters the throne room claiming that he wants to marry Sophia (the current baddie of the week). Uther’s first reaction is to glance over to Morgana and share a look with her, then he is reduced to a fit of giggles at the absurdity of it all and even jokes, “We had no idea that you were such a romantic, had we Morgana?” Once again Uther puts Morgana on his level and treats her as if she’s Arthur’s mother, and once again Morgana is acting the part, especially in the scene directly after this where Uther and Morgana are walking together in a hallway while she is voicing her concerns. This episode could have easily gone the “Morgana is jealous” route seeing as how Arthur/Morgana was set up as the canon romance in the first half of the series, but instead it went for a protective vibe, and this scene with Uther reinforces the idea of Morgana being a sort of mother figure to Arthur when she is in Uther’s presence. The scene itself is very domestic in nature, with Uther reading over papers as he absently listens to Morgana and condescendingly humors her. He sees her worries as being frivolous, but he does care enough to notice that she is more troubled than she should be and he gives her his full attention as he waits for her to tell him what’s really on her mind. Of course, Morgana doesn’t tell him about her prophetic visions of Sophia drowning Arthur, and so she backtracks and makes a flimsy excuse. Uther lovingly caresses her chin and tells her that everything will be okay, and he’s proud of himself because he thinks he’s done his job and that he was right all along about her being a silly woman with silly woman problems. What really emphasizes the domestic feel of this scene is the physical contact and the looks shared between them, and even the inflection in their voices. They really make it hard for us not to say, "Wow. They are so married."
It should also be noted that this is the episode that first poses the question, "Does Uther love Morgana more than he hates magic?" Morgana isn’t ready to find out.
1x08 - The Beginning of the End
This episode is a huge turning point for the ship, and if episode 7 didn’t bring the Uther/Morgana shippers out of the woodwork, then this one certainly did. The title of this episode signifies a number of things, but for Uther and Morgana, this is the beginning of the end of their relationship as they had previously known it.
Uther’s men capture a druid man and an eight year old druid boy who were simply shopping in the market place, and Uther orders them both to be executed. The young boy escapes and ends up in Morgana’s care, and she instantly feels fiercely protective of him. Through her experience with this young boy, Morgana is coming to terms with the fact that she has magic in her blood.
In the first scene between Uther and Morgana, they are eating dinner together, just the two of them, with Morgana sitting in the place where Uther’s queen would typically be seated. The scene leads us to believe that this is routine for them. Morgana is visibly troubled that she’s hiding something from Uther, and when he questions her about her unusual silence, she very pointedly gives him a flirtatious smile in order to distract him (and it works, naturally):
When Arthur bursts in and complains about not being able to find the druid boy, Uther has a quick moment of looking at Morgana as if she would share in his eye rolling frustration with Arthur, and she even ends up supporting Uther’s claims with an authoritative voice as if she actually is Arthur’s mother (of course, Arthur isn’t having any of that, no sir).
Later, Morgana makes a failed attempt at escaping Camelot with the boy. For Uther, the fact that Morgana had so easily been lying to his face is just as great a betrayal (if not more so) as Morgana being involved in the escape attempt of the druid boy:
UTHER: All this time you’ve been hiding the boy in my own palace. How could you betray me like this?
MORGANA: I would not see him executed.
UTHER: I’ve treated you like a daughter. Is this how you repay me?
MORGANA: I did what I thought was right.
UTHER: You think it’s right to conspire with my enemies against me?
MORGANA: How can this child be your enemy? He’s just a boy!
UTHER: He’s a druid.
MORGANA: Is that such a crime?
UTHER: His kind would see me dead and this kingdom returned to anarchy, and you would help them.
Once again, they are at odds in their political views, Uther viewing the boy as an enemy simply because he’s a druid, and Morgana viewing the boy as harmless simply because he’s a boy. It’s interesting that Uther comes across more hurt than angry in this scene. If Morgana had been anyone else (besides Arthur), Uther would have probably had her executed in an instant. Even when Morgana asks Uther to punish her instead of the boy, he backs away from her slightly and a look comes over his face that suggests he’d fall apart if he ever had to do such a thing. Morgana tries to take advantage of his brief moment of weakness by softening her voice and playing a sort of damsel in distress, but Uther immediately sees through her manipulation and this just spurs him on in his decision to kill the boy, and for Morgana, this is the cruelest thing he could ever do to her. He saw how much this mattered to her and he just completely disregarded her feelings on the issue. So Morgana throws caution to the wind and angrily questions him about the root of his hatred. When she grabs his wrist, Uther finally explodes with rage and grabs her by the neck as he shoves her into the table:
MORGANA: What have these people done to you? Why are you so full of hate?!
UTHER: Enough! I will not hear another word and do not speak to me until you are ready to apologize for what you’ve done. *gives her one last shove before he walks away*
This is the first time that Uther has ever been physical in his anger with her, and it seems to take her by surprise, yet she matches him glare for glare until he walks away and she processes what just happened. The shock on her face indicates that until that moment she had never actually thought that Uther was the brute she always claims him to be. Also, part of her shock probably comes from the fact that she really has no idea what actually set Uther off. She betrayed him, she mocked him, she tried to manipulate him, but he didn’t get truly angry until she had brought up the subject of a past that she had no clue about.
The next scene of note is between Arthur and Uther as they’re walking down a corridor and Arthur is trying to convince him not to kill the druid boy. He asks him to spare the boy for Morgana’s sake and Uther visibly becomes flustered. When Arthur brings up the fact that Morgana will never forgive Uther if he goes through with it, Uther explodes with:
UTHER: I do not seek her forgiveness! She has betrayed me!
ARTHUR: *eye roll* Yet you’re sparing her.
UTHER: *flustery pause* She has the promise I made to her father to thank for that. The boy enjoys no such privilege. He will be executed. At dawn! Is that clear? *walks away even more flustered than before*
ARTHUR: *eye roll sigh eye roll*
Now, I adore Arthur, I really do, but the boy is not known for his astuteness, and yet he easily sees through Uther’s bluster and knows that he cares deeply for Morgana and that the idea of her never forgiving him does in fact bother Uther to the core. He also seems to believe that Uther could never actually harm Morgana no matter how many wrongs she commits against him, and this could very well be foreshadowing a future where Uther can’t bring himself to execute Morgana once she becomes his enemy.
Eventually Morgana concocts a new escape plan for the boy with Arthur, Merlin, and Gwen, and Morgana’s role is to dine with Uther while the escape takes place and deceive him into thinking that she is properly contrite over her earlier actions.
Coincidence that Morgana decides to make her fake apology while wearing a dress that happens to have an epic amount of cleavage? I think not. This dress makes a reappearance in To Kill a King and has been fittingly dubbed by fandom as "the apology dress." Uther has clearly been waiting for her apology all day, and he is so desperate to be on good terms with her again that he is completely blind to the insincerity of her little speech. Also, when he says, "Dine with me," he says it in this low, inviting voice that is reminiscent of a tone used between lovers.
Now comes the scene that is perhaps the most intense scene in the entire series. When Uther is alerted that the druid boy has successfully escaped, Uther instantly suspects Morgana. When she feeds him a bogus line about respecting him too much to ever betray him like that, his face darkens and he leans over Morgana as he says very ominously:
UTHER: I made a promise to your father that I would protect you, but if you cross me again I will break that promise without a second thought.
Uther is essentially telling her that she is not his daughter, and if he has to, he will kill her. Morgana is momentarily shaken, but as he backs away from her the hard look on his face falters for an instant as if he doubts himself, and Morgana picks up on this and suddenly she has all the power again as she glares him down until he’s out of her sight. Then we catch a glimpse of the evil sorceress that Morgana will one day become. This scene is officially the end of their close bond. Not that their relationship wasn’t rocky before this, but the show had carefully shaped their background to appear as if Morgana was Uther’s closest confidant and quite possibly his favorite person to be around. He was always interested in her opinions even if he never actually asked for them. He always seemed to begrudgingly seek her approval, and whenever he didn’t get it, he would be hurt. As for Morgana, she had cherished her important status in his life. Although she isn’t quite sure as to the depth of his love for her, she had always enjoyed the power that she had over him because of that love. In this scene she feels as if he’s taken that away from her, and any affection that she had previously felt for Uther starts to become clouded with hate.
1x10 - The Moment of Truth
(The episode where the core four defend Merlin’s home village)
HUNITH: They shouldn’t be here, especially the Lady Morgana, isn’t she the king’s ward?
MERLIN: Not that you’d know it. She’s the only person I know who isn’t frightened of him.
This is canonical evidence straight from the main character’s mouth that Uther and Morgana do not act like father and daughter, and that Morgana is in fact Uther’s only equal.
1x12 - To Kill a King
This is by far THE most important episode for the Uther/Morgana ship. It confirms that Uther and Morgana need each other desperately, and for better or worse, they are forever linked together by their love whether they choose to accept it or not.
When Gwen’s father Tom is accused of treason for consorting with a known renegade sorcerer, Morgana confronts Uther. They are both steadfast in their arguments and ultimately Uther becomes more determined to execute Tom. Morgana threatens him with, "If you execute Gwen's father, I will never forgive you. Never!" A look of fear crosses Uther’s face at these words, and perhaps a bit of acceptance. Uther is tipsy through this entire scene, so it’s clear that he’s already regretting having to kill Tom, but in his mind there is no other way. It’s something he absolutely has to do in order to protect his kingdom, but he feels that he doesn’t deserve forgiveness.
By this point Morgana is so fed up with Uther that she takes matters into her own hands and provides Tom with the keys to his cell so that he can escape. Keep in mind that Uther was still deliberating over what to do with Tom and very well could have decided not to kill him, but when Tom’s escape failed, Uther was forced into killing him on the spot. In essence, Morgana had just as much hand in killing Tom as Uther did, but instead of taking responsibility for her actions, she places all of the blame on Uther, while Uther places all of the blame on sorcery. When Morgana bursts into Uther’s room in a blind rage after having seen Gwen crying over her father’s dead body, it could be argued that her own guilt over Tom’s death is her driving force in her verbal assault against Uther, just as Uther’s own guilt over Ygraine’s death is his driving force in his violent assault against sorcery.
MORGANA: You have blood on your hands, Uther Pendragon! Blood that will never wash off!
First of all, for some wacky reason it pleases us shippers greatly that Morgana is bold enough to reprimand the king of Camelot using his given name. It is rare for any of the characters on this show to call him anything to his face other than "Sire" or "My lord," but Morgana has repeatedly dropped the formal titles and simply called him Uther. This demonstrates a certain intimacy that he has with no other. In this scene, however, it was meant to be disrespectful, and Uther calls her out on it. They get into a heated argument that inappropriately turns into bondage kink:
UTHER: *super intense look* Take care child or I’ll have you restrained.
MORGANA: *lusty voice* You just try. *breathiness*
Notice that he only seems to think of her as a "child" when he’s trying to control her. So, she challenges him, and of course he can’t back down from a challenge like that, so the next scene is Uther very cockily having his men lock her up in chains in the dungeons, and he’s almost got a playful tone as he says, "And you will remain here until you’ve learned your lesson" (yet another piece of dialogue that is inappropriately kinky). I’m not entirely convinced that he would have actually left her there had this exchange not happened:
MORGANA: Then release me, because I’ve already learned my lesson! That you care not for me, or anyone but yourself! Because you’re driven mad with power, and you are a tyrant.
UTHER: *hurt/defiant look as he turns around and leaves her*
MORGANA: *complete shock that he actually went through with it*
Morgana’s reaction shot is actually quite surprising. After all the awful things she had said to him, after he had done exactly what she had challenged him to do, she has a look of complete fear that he really doesn’t love her anymore and perhaps never has, and for the very first time in the entire series, she looks like a very lost child. A lost child who wants to seek comfort in the very man who is driving her insane. The next time we see Morgana she is babbling like she really has gone insane, but her general comment to Arthur reveals that she is jealous of Uther’s love for him and that she now separates herself from the Pendragon family.
After Morgana is released, Gwen tells her that Tauren attacked her, and instead of getting back at Tauren, Morgana decides to use him as a tool in killing Uther. This is no longer about Morgana’s love for Gwen or a need to do what is right. This is about Morgana trying to hurt Uther just as badly as he had hurt her. She wanted to teach him the ultimate lesson, and by killing him she would prove that she didn’t feel an ounce of love for him. The thought of killing him had never even entered her mind through all of the unjust executions by his hand that she had witnessed throughout the years, but the second that she felt like he had rejected her, suddenly killing him was the answer. If he’s gone, she wouldn’t have to feel this pain anymore. The fact that the genocide of the magical race would stop is just an added bonus. So she makes her plan with Tauren, using herself as Uther’s bait. She already knows his weaknesses and how to exploit them.
Once again Morgana is insincerely apologizing to Uther with an ulterior motive, and the shot is very reminiscent of the one in The Beginning of the End. There are no overdramatics in this one, just a short-tempered apology from Morgana and an obnoxious "Good," from Uther. Their tempers are still running high and neither one is ready to forgive yet. The typical affection that is usually lying underneath their heated arguments is almost entirely missing. You can hear the hurt in Uther’s voice when he first speaks to her, and Morgana is obviously still disturbed by earlier events. Then she swoops in with her master manipulation skills when she says, "I only meant, I know what it’s like to lose a father." Uther is completely thrown off of his game, his face clouding with pain. While The Beginning of the End was Uther denouncing Morgana as his daughter, this scene is Morgana denouncing Uther as her father. Not only that, but she goes on to accuse him of being responsible for the death of her actual father, and though Uther denies it, the guilt is written in his face, and by the end of their conversation his voice is practically pleading for her forgiveness. She walks away with a satisfied smile on her face while Uther is left to stew in his own guilt, already trying to think of a way to make it up to her and erase the guilt from his conscience.
The next Uther scene has a very stalkerish vibe to it as he watches Morgana from the window, and it’s obvious he’s thought of nothing but her from the dinner scene to this one and all he wants to do is make up with her. He then catches her as she’s walking down a flight of stairs, and it appears as if Uther had been pacing in the hall waiting for her.
UTHER: I cannot tell you how much it pains me to be at odds with you.
MORGANA: And I with you.
Morgana is being sincere in this moment. She wants him to change her mind. She wants him to admit that he was wrong to kill Gwen’s father, that he was wrong to discount her opinion and lock her up in chains, but instead he gets the wrong message and apologizes to her for being insensitive about how the situation reawakened Morgana’s feelings about her own father’s death. Morgana is visibly disappointed and she makes her final decision to send him to his death. She acts as if she’s forgiven Uther and he gets excited, much like a pining lover who is finally getting his first date, and he talks about making arrangements to visit her father’s grave as if it’s the most romantic thing in the world. For Uther, everything is right again, and it was easy. He’s brimming with happiness. As for Morgana, the last shot of her displays determination mixed with a hint of regret.
As they are making their way to the gravesite, there’s a shot of Uther offering his hand to help Morgana across a line of rocks, and this is the visual metaphor for Uther pulling her across the point of no return. As oltha_heri once said, "This scene, Uther being kind to her, trying to do right by her, as she is setting him up, it is the epitome of their relationship."
The dialogue between Morgana and Uther on the grave pretty much speaks for itself. Uther admits to her his regrets (including Tom’s death), and he tells her that she is just as true a friend to him as her father was. He values her judgment and relies on her to balance him out. As Uther pours his heart out to her, he is unknowingly chipping away at her resolve to have him murdered, and it is ultimately Uther’s love that saves his own life and brings Morgana back from the point of no return.
It’s interesting that just before Tauren attacks Uther, his dialogue to Morgana sounds very much like he’s reciting his vows:
UTHER: I will strive to listen to you more and quarrel with you less. You’ve been a blessing to me, Morgana. You are the daughter I never had. Your counsel is invaluable as is your friendship and your love. Without you I cannot hope to be the king this land deserves.
In addition to that, the billowing capes scene was shot in a highly romantic light with highly romantic music and Merlin slips away as if he is witnessing something terribly intimate, and it’s arguably the most beautiful shot in the entire series:
The embrace between Uther and Morgana is a reaffirmation of their love and it signifies that no matter what they put each other through, their love will always remain.
Why do I Ship Them?
Put simply, I ship them because they complete each other in their own broken way. They are both very broken people who feel their emotions too intensely, and perhaps it’s this quality that causes both Uther and Morgana so much pain. In fact, this quality is the downfall of them both. They love too hard, they hurt too hard, and they hate too hard. This clouds their reasoning and isolates them from the others, and yet it somehow binds Uther and Morgana together. Morgana’s treatment of Uther as an equal is both infuriating and exhilarating for him, and it’s why he initially trusts her above all others. Throughout the series that trust comes crashing down, and yet he always desperately wants to believe in her love for him no matter what happens between them, almost as if it’s his salvation. Uther’s unfaltering love for Morgana gives her a certain power over him that exhilarates her and gives her a confidence that most of the other characters lack. Though they rarely acknowledge it, their love for each other is often what drives them both. Despite appearing to be polar opposites at first glance, they are in actuality a cracked reflection of each other. Two sides of a worn out coin. Two halves of a chipped goblet. Neither one will ever be complete, but they somehow find a semblance of completeness in each other.
The Fanwork
Fics
The Uther/Morgana fic that absolutely everyone should read at least once in their life is The Last Beautiful Thing by shantirosa. It’s actually an AU set in Merlinverse based on the movie Oldboy, and it is so beautifully plotted out that it blew my mind. I love this take on Uther/Morgana. It masterfully captures their angst and intensity, and yet it places them in this setting where they get to connect with each other on a whole new level and they actually get to experience happiness for a very brief time. This fic is epic and it will kick your gut in the crotch, but it is so worth it. Read it and your life will be complete. Also, this fic contains the greatest Uther POV that I have ever come across.
If you want something a little different (and fraking amazing) then check out In a Lonely Place also by shantirosa. Technically this is Uther/Gwen, but it’s all about the two people who loved Morgana most finding solace in each other after she’s left them. The fic is short and beautiful and, if I’m honest, my absolute favorite fic in the entire Merlin fandom.
Another personal favorite is The Mermaid is Singing by oltha_heri. This is ridiculously hot smut, but it is SO MUCH MORE than that. It's this wonderful exploration of the inexplicable hold that Uther and Morgana have on each other and their complicated power dynamic. READ IT. YOU WILL BE LEFT SATISFIED AND SMILING.
The Seeing Series by 4thderevko. This series beautifully interweaves a sexual Uther/Morgana relationship into canon, and the author seriously makes me believe that it all actually happened. It's really just add-ons for each episode, but the characterizations are magnificent and it's one of the first stories that really made me believe that the ship was fully possible in canon. And, I admit it, the porn was excellent. But it was so much more than just porn. It was intense emotionally, and it somehow captured that hateful tension between them while at the same time showing why they love each other despite all the hell that they put each other through. I love it.
For more top notch recs, check out the Recs List on kingandward. There aren’t a whole lot of fics out there for this pairing, but what’s out there is pretty darn good. And a word of warning, about 90 percent of Uther/Morgana fic contains porn of some kind. They are just a very physical ship and people like to explore that element of their interaction, but if you want some pornless fic, then I suggest:
Loathsome by otempora42, To See You Right by oltha_heri, and Hark She Rises by gnimaerd, all of which are absolutely excellent at capturing the more innocent side of Uther/Morgana.
Vids
Vermillion by bigmamag is currently my #1 favorite. I’m also quite fond of Open Your Eyes by cornishbluepixie. Also, only because there are so few vids out there for this pairing, I’ll go ahead and list my own: Viva la Vida, which is actually an Uther-centric vid with Uther/Morgana undertones, and Until We Bleed.
Fanart
There is a total of ONE fanart out there for Uther/Morgana, and it is absolutely adorable: http://community.livejournal.com/kingandward/9825.html
Resources
kingandward is the only Uther/Morgana centric comm on LJ, and you can pretty much find all existing fanworks over there.
merlin_rarepair might also be a good place to look.
bbc_merlin_news is a great newsletter for catching just about anything dealing with the Merlin fandom.
Author: firthgal
Fandom: Merlin
Pairing: Uther/Morgana
Spoilers: All of series 1
Disclaimer: Merlin and it's characters do not belong to me.
Author's Note: The intro and character bios were heavily beta'd by the wonderful llivla. If not for her, this would have been a lost cause.
"Without you I cannot hope to be the king this land deserves."
When faced with the idea of Uther and Morgana being a valid Merlin pairing, one of two reactions is usually displayed:
1) OMG, that is so wrong! Ewwww.
2) OMG that is so wrong! Holy hell, that’s hot.
Naturally, I fall into crowd number 2. Uther/Morgana is intense both emotionally and physically, and much of their appeal comes from their deliciously complex angst. They serve not only as a check and balance for each other, but are also well foreshadowed to one day be each other's ultimate downfall. Whether you look at them as romantic partners or as surrogate father and daughter, they are inextricably linked together by the call of their inevitably tragic destiny. One could even go so far as to call them the "Anti-Arthur/Merlin," considering the fact that their mutual moral ambiguity, manipulation, and self-destructiveness is often juxtaposed with the purity and strengths of character found in Prince Arthur and his legendary counterpart.
The World of Merlin
Merlin is a BBC adaptation of the Arthurian legends. While following the basics of the legends, it also creates its own canon, making Merlin a young man and servant to a 21-year-old Arthur Pendragon and flushing out the series with their adventures, relationships, and evolution. What Smallville is to Superman, Merlin is to the Arthurian legends. It takes characters we already know and explores how they came to be. Merlin provides the catalysts with a vibrant medieval world of fey, knights, curses, summoned demons, alchemy, dragons, and powerful magic. In this setting, Uther Pendragon, the current king and father of Arthur, has forbidden magic in Camelot in order to prevent the chaos that magic had caused in years prior, therefore sorcerers like Merlin are forced to hide their abilities or else face execution by order of the king. While the tone of the first half of series one is generally comedic, the second half turns rather dark and really delves into the strengths and weaknesses of each character and the various relationships on the show.
The Utter Complexity that is Uther Pendragon
If you look at Uther purely as a king, he could easily be described as a mixture between Joseph Stalin and Adolf Hitler. He rose to power through his militaristic skills and restored order to a chaotic kingdom. While he lacks the oratory skills of Hitler, nor does he have any ambitions to take over the world, he does intend to wipe out Camelot’s entire magical race and anyone who collaborates with them. He carried out "The Great Purge" following the death of his wife, Ygraine, echoing Stalin's political career almost directly, and in more than several episodes Uther has shown that his punishment is swift and sometimes not completely justified by reason: Gwen is wrongly accused of being a witch, Arthur's chance to save Merlin's life is briefly thwarted by Uther's attempt to discipline Arthur for disobeying him, a druid child is obsessively hunted, and people in Uther's past often reappear for vengeance. Over the years Uther has become so paranoid that executions are often his answer for just about any kind of problem that might arise. Understandably, people are afraid to question his actions.
Uther is not entirely a tyrant and in fact he cares a great deal about his kingdom and its people. In the words of the court physician Gaius, "It is not Uther’s job to be liked, it is Uther’s job to protect the kingdom. Most of his methods are right, sometimes he may go too far… But despite Uther’s failings, he has brought peace and prosperity to this kingdom" (To Kill a King 1x12). In the very same episode, Uther reveals the pressure that he feels by the magnitude of his duties when he explains to Morgana, "You know nothing of what it means to be King. The fate of Camelot rests in my hands. It is my responsibility to protect the people of this land from its enemies." He struggles to be the best king that he can be. He wants to be fair and just, but he must always do what he believes is best for his kingdom, even if that means sacrificing his morals. The suffering of his people will always affect him, but often his paranoia and/or pride get in the way of Uther following the righteous path. He is king in the only way he knows how.
If you put aside all of Uther’s politics and simply look at him as a man, you will find someone who is very, undeniably human. He is broken, he is full of self-loathing, he is prideful, he is cautious, he is stubborn, and he feels his emotions a little too intensely. He blames himself for the loss of his wife, and he feels inadequate for his inability to express the profound love that he feels for his son. He had wanted an heir so badly that he ended up unintentionally sacrificing the love of his life, and it destroyed his soul. Torn by grief, Uther in part blamed the death of Ygraine on the magic that had been used in order to produce a son, and so Uther unleashed his rage on the entire magical race. Much of Uther's unstable temperament can be attributed to his pride, which also contributes to his stubborn nature. Aside from Gaius, Uther is cautious to let anyone into his confidence, let alone reveal his moments of doubt: he is withdrawn and isolated, and he is not inclined to change any of his behaviors. Feeling regret is one thing, but admitting and asking for forgiveness is something else entirely.
Except, that is, when it comes to the only person who ever truly blasts through his dangerous shell of power, and who treats him as the man that he is rather than a king-Morgana.
The Equally Mystifying Morgana
Morgana is the king’s ward, originally the daughter of Gorloris. Uther made a promise to take care of Morgana after Gorloris died, and so Morgana has been the first lady of Camelot from the time she was 10. Not much backstory is given here, only that she’s had a battle of wills with Uther during the entire time they’ve known each other. She blames him for her father’s death and has never really been able to bring herself to acknowledge Uther as a father figure. She disapproves of radical prejudice against the sorcerer race, and she has been shown on multiple occasions to be defending those who are outlawed even at the cost of her own life, most notably in episode 1x08 The Beginning of the End when she helps a druid boy escape from Camelot. She is a passionate, confident woman who is not afraid to speak her mind. While most of her battles are fought with words, she also more than knows her way around with a sword, and during 1x10 The Moment of Truth she even stepped in to assist Prince Arthur himself in the heat of battle, saving his life. She often feels the plight of oppressed parties and is quick to stand up for their rights and provide for them at any cost to herself or those who get in her way. Her passion for what is just is only rivaled by her passion for those who are closest to her. She often struggles to choose between fighting for the cause and doing what’s right in the eyes of the people that she cares about, but when Morgana sets her mind on something, absolutely nothing will get in her way. As she said in 1x04 The Poisoned Chalice, "Sometimes you’ve got to do what you think is right and damn the consequences."
Because of Morgana’s unflinching determination, she will readily do the wrong things for all the right reasons. If it shapes the world into a better place, then for her, the ends justify the means. This moral ambiguity of Morgana separates her from the rest of the core four (Merlin, Arthur, Gwen), all of whom refuse to sacrifice their morals while they steadfastly follow the righteous path.
As the series goes on, Morgana slides into the dangerous position of awakening her powers as a Seer. Known to her as nightmares, she receives graphic visions that accurately predict the future, usually something involving an attempt on Arthur’s life. While Gaius has told her from childhood that the visions are simply dreams, it is clear that Morgana suspects some kind of ingrained sorcery is involved. In a kingdom where supernatural of any kind is not tolerated, and where Uther has more than once threatened her life, she doesn’t know who she is able to trust, nor does she have anyone to guide her. In terms of her relationship with Uther, Morgana has no idea what this revelation of her character would do. She is both terrified of losing Uther’s love and ready to defy him at every turn.
This doesn't hinder the ship. If anything, the conflict actually provides more potential triggers whenever Morgana interacts with the one man to be her equal in terms of mind, manipulation, and grief.
The Practically Canon Subtextual Evidence of Their Love
There is certainly an element of father/daughter to Uther/Morgana. This is something that cannot be denied. Morgana came to live with Uther when she was ten years old and he feels responsible for her well-being. He at least in some part had a hand in shaping her teenage years. For all intents and purposes, she is his adopted daughter, and despite Morgana’s resentment of him, Uther is her adopted father. At times Morgana has Uther wrapped around her little finger just as a spoiled daughter would. At times Uther condescends to Morgana as if she were his spoiled little girl having a tantrum. That is all there on the surface, but if you look a little closer, you can see that not all of their relationship can be rationally written off as paternal. In fact, much can be seen as nothing other than domestic.
1x01 - The Dragon's Call
Very early on, the cinematography of this show is almost a character in itself. Uther is shown on his balcony carrying out an execution, and rather than being up there with him, the camera is below with the crowd. Right away he is shown as the ultimate power in Camelot, literally above everyone. But then the camera pans to Morgana, who is watching the execution from a window in a building across from him, and immediately we see that she is physically the only person on Uther’s level. It’s clear that she disapproves of Uther’s tactics, and just from these few shots we can tell that Morgana will be Uther’s main opposing force. Now, typically one would assume that the title character would be the main opposing force of this very ominous villain, but through the entire sequence Merlin is merely portrayed as an onlooker while all the tension is being built between Uther and Morgana.
The first scene where we are properly introduced to Morgana happens to be a one-on-one between her and Uther. Judging by the background noises, one can deduce that Uther has left his festivities in search of Morgana and he is visibly disgruntled that she chose not to be by his side for the occasion. When he questions her, she has no qualms about answering him with a sarcastic, “I just don’t think chopping someone’s head off is cause for celebration.” Uther sighs and has no retaliation, and in this moment he is a completely different man than the cold-blooded executioner that we had met on the balcony. His unbreakable ominous exterior is missing and instead we see a man who is desperate for approval, and when Morgana doesn’t give it to him, he ends up throwing a tantrum much like a 2-year-old would. When Uther finally does pull out his authoritative voice, he uses the phrase, "I’m your guardian..." as opposed to "I’m your king..." and by using this personal connection he seems to soften Morgana’s resolve for a moment. Of course, it doesn’t stop her from shouting out some unwanted political advice to him as he’s storming out of the room.
1x04 - The Poisoned Chalice
When Merlin drinks from a poisoned chalice, Arthur sets off on a journey to find the cure after Uther "...expressly ordered Arthur not to go." This is the first time that Arthur defies Uther, and it is no surprise that Morgana is the one who pressures Arthur into making the decision to do so. Uther is distressed after he finds out that Arthur is gone, and so comes a scene where Uther is venting to Morgana in her chambers. Because of the setting, one can determine that Uther specifically sought out Morgana in his time of frustration and complete fear. He is at a loss as to what to do with his newly rebellious son, and he’s looking to Morgana for the answers, much as a husband would his wife. Morgana is listening with disdainful amusement and she can’t resist teasing him, much as a wife would her husband if she thinks he’s being ridiculous. Even more interesting than this is the conversation they have about Arthur’s decision making capabilities:
MORGANA: He’s old enough to make decisions for himself.
UTHER: He’s just a boy.
MORGANA: Have you seen your son recently?
UTHER: *dangerous warning look that is slightly intuitive and downright sexy*
MORGANA: *gulps as she tries to resist Uther’s sexiness* You have to let him make his own mind up.
Uther is speaking to Morgana as if she is Arthur’s mother and Morgana easily plays the part, and this puts them on very equal footing. Even though Morgana is around Arthur’s age, Uther clearly views Arthur as a child and Morgana as an adult. This exchange between them throws him for a loop during his dangerous/intuitive/sexy look as he seems to realize that Morgana identifies with Arthur instead of himself. He's so used to Morgana being his worthy adversary in every way that the idea of her being so young had never even occurred to him.
1x06 - A Remedy to Cure All Ills
Rather than specific moments, this episode as a whole is a great example of just how deeply Uther cares for Morgana. She contracts an illness and basically goes into a coma, and Uther spends much of the episode at her bedside watching her sleep. When Uther is holding Morgana’s hand, he does so without his glove on, a rarity for Uther. He needs that human connection in order to convince himself that she is still there. Uther is so unlike himself in this episode in the sense that he is so blinded by his fear of losing Morgana that he can’t even make a simple decision. He can’t even look away from her long enough to pay attention to what’s happening around him, and so he lacks his usual paranoia that could have possibly clued him in to the fact that the physician named Edwin who mysteriously cures Morgana is actually a sorcerer (and the cause of Morgana’s illness). When Morgana is finally cured, Uther is uncharacteristically bursting with happiness as he kisses Morgana on the forehead, and for the rest of their shared scenes they are inseparable, even unconsciously leaning towards each other as they sit together on their thrones:
While the focus of this episode was really on the strength of the Uther/Gaius bond, it actually succeeded in showing that his love for Morgana is so strong that he was willing to give up Gaius (currently his oldest and most loyal friend) in a heartbeat if it meant that he’d never have to risk losing Morgana ever again. It also demonstrated the fact that Morgana is his greatest weakness. By taking her away from him (even for such a brief period), Edwin was successful in infiltrating the castle and causing Uther to lose his trust in a man who has served him without question for more than 20 years, and if not for Merlin, Edwin would have also been successful in killing Uther.
1x07 - The Gates of Avalon
This episode contains the scene that most shippers label as their moment of enlightenment, and even the Merlin fandom as a whole has a tendency to jokingly label Morgana as Uther’s wife in this episode. The Uther/Morgana domesticity actually starts in the scene where Arthur enters the throne room claiming that he wants to marry Sophia (the current baddie of the week). Uther’s first reaction is to glance over to Morgana and share a look with her, then he is reduced to a fit of giggles at the absurdity of it all and even jokes, “We had no idea that you were such a romantic, had we Morgana?” Once again Uther puts Morgana on his level and treats her as if she’s Arthur’s mother, and once again Morgana is acting the part, especially in the scene directly after this where Uther and Morgana are walking together in a hallway while she is voicing her concerns. This episode could have easily gone the “Morgana is jealous” route seeing as how Arthur/Morgana was set up as the canon romance in the first half of the series, but instead it went for a protective vibe, and this scene with Uther reinforces the idea of Morgana being a sort of mother figure to Arthur when she is in Uther’s presence. The scene itself is very domestic in nature, with Uther reading over papers as he absently listens to Morgana and condescendingly humors her. He sees her worries as being frivolous, but he does care enough to notice that she is more troubled than she should be and he gives her his full attention as he waits for her to tell him what’s really on her mind. Of course, Morgana doesn’t tell him about her prophetic visions of Sophia drowning Arthur, and so she backtracks and makes a flimsy excuse. Uther lovingly caresses her chin and tells her that everything will be okay, and he’s proud of himself because he thinks he’s done his job and that he was right all along about her being a silly woman with silly woman problems. What really emphasizes the domestic feel of this scene is the physical contact and the looks shared between them, and even the inflection in their voices. They really make it hard for us not to say, "Wow. They are so married."
It should also be noted that this is the episode that first poses the question, "Does Uther love Morgana more than he hates magic?" Morgana isn’t ready to find out.
1x08 - The Beginning of the End
This episode is a huge turning point for the ship, and if episode 7 didn’t bring the Uther/Morgana shippers out of the woodwork, then this one certainly did. The title of this episode signifies a number of things, but for Uther and Morgana, this is the beginning of the end of their relationship as they had previously known it.
Uther’s men capture a druid man and an eight year old druid boy who were simply shopping in the market place, and Uther orders them both to be executed. The young boy escapes and ends up in Morgana’s care, and she instantly feels fiercely protective of him. Through her experience with this young boy, Morgana is coming to terms with the fact that she has magic in her blood.
In the first scene between Uther and Morgana, they are eating dinner together, just the two of them, with Morgana sitting in the place where Uther’s queen would typically be seated. The scene leads us to believe that this is routine for them. Morgana is visibly troubled that she’s hiding something from Uther, and when he questions her about her unusual silence, she very pointedly gives him a flirtatious smile in order to distract him (and it works, naturally):
When Arthur bursts in and complains about not being able to find the druid boy, Uther has a quick moment of looking at Morgana as if she would share in his eye rolling frustration with Arthur, and she even ends up supporting Uther’s claims with an authoritative voice as if she actually is Arthur’s mother (of course, Arthur isn’t having any of that, no sir).
Later, Morgana makes a failed attempt at escaping Camelot with the boy. For Uther, the fact that Morgana had so easily been lying to his face is just as great a betrayal (if not more so) as Morgana being involved in the escape attempt of the druid boy:
UTHER: All this time you’ve been hiding the boy in my own palace. How could you betray me like this?
MORGANA: I would not see him executed.
UTHER: I’ve treated you like a daughter. Is this how you repay me?
MORGANA: I did what I thought was right.
UTHER: You think it’s right to conspire with my enemies against me?
MORGANA: How can this child be your enemy? He’s just a boy!
UTHER: He’s a druid.
MORGANA: Is that such a crime?
UTHER: His kind would see me dead and this kingdom returned to anarchy, and you would help them.
Once again, they are at odds in their political views, Uther viewing the boy as an enemy simply because he’s a druid, and Morgana viewing the boy as harmless simply because he’s a boy. It’s interesting that Uther comes across more hurt than angry in this scene. If Morgana had been anyone else (besides Arthur), Uther would have probably had her executed in an instant. Even when Morgana asks Uther to punish her instead of the boy, he backs away from her slightly and a look comes over his face that suggests he’d fall apart if he ever had to do such a thing. Morgana tries to take advantage of his brief moment of weakness by softening her voice and playing a sort of damsel in distress, but Uther immediately sees through her manipulation and this just spurs him on in his decision to kill the boy, and for Morgana, this is the cruelest thing he could ever do to her. He saw how much this mattered to her and he just completely disregarded her feelings on the issue. So Morgana throws caution to the wind and angrily questions him about the root of his hatred. When she grabs his wrist, Uther finally explodes with rage and grabs her by the neck as he shoves her into the table:
MORGANA: What have these people done to you? Why are you so full of hate?!
UTHER: Enough! I will not hear another word and do not speak to me until you are ready to apologize for what you’ve done. *gives her one last shove before he walks away*
This is the first time that Uther has ever been physical in his anger with her, and it seems to take her by surprise, yet she matches him glare for glare until he walks away and she processes what just happened. The shock on her face indicates that until that moment she had never actually thought that Uther was the brute she always claims him to be. Also, part of her shock probably comes from the fact that she really has no idea what actually set Uther off. She betrayed him, she mocked him, she tried to manipulate him, but he didn’t get truly angry until she had brought up the subject of a past that she had no clue about.
The next scene of note is between Arthur and Uther as they’re walking down a corridor and Arthur is trying to convince him not to kill the druid boy. He asks him to spare the boy for Morgana’s sake and Uther visibly becomes flustered. When Arthur brings up the fact that Morgana will never forgive Uther if he goes through with it, Uther explodes with:
UTHER: I do not seek her forgiveness! She has betrayed me!
ARTHUR: *eye roll* Yet you’re sparing her.
UTHER: *flustery pause* She has the promise I made to her father to thank for that. The boy enjoys no such privilege. He will be executed. At dawn! Is that clear? *walks away even more flustered than before*
ARTHUR: *eye roll sigh eye roll*
Now, I adore Arthur, I really do, but the boy is not known for his astuteness, and yet he easily sees through Uther’s bluster and knows that he cares deeply for Morgana and that the idea of her never forgiving him does in fact bother Uther to the core. He also seems to believe that Uther could never actually harm Morgana no matter how many wrongs she commits against him, and this could very well be foreshadowing a future where Uther can’t bring himself to execute Morgana once she becomes his enemy.
Eventually Morgana concocts a new escape plan for the boy with Arthur, Merlin, and Gwen, and Morgana’s role is to dine with Uther while the escape takes place and deceive him into thinking that she is properly contrite over her earlier actions.
Coincidence that Morgana decides to make her fake apology while wearing a dress that happens to have an epic amount of cleavage? I think not. This dress makes a reappearance in To Kill a King and has been fittingly dubbed by fandom as "the apology dress." Uther has clearly been waiting for her apology all day, and he is so desperate to be on good terms with her again that he is completely blind to the insincerity of her little speech. Also, when he says, "Dine with me," he says it in this low, inviting voice that is reminiscent of a tone used between lovers.
Now comes the scene that is perhaps the most intense scene in the entire series. When Uther is alerted that the druid boy has successfully escaped, Uther instantly suspects Morgana. When she feeds him a bogus line about respecting him too much to ever betray him like that, his face darkens and he leans over Morgana as he says very ominously:
UTHER: I made a promise to your father that I would protect you, but if you cross me again I will break that promise without a second thought.
Uther is essentially telling her that she is not his daughter, and if he has to, he will kill her. Morgana is momentarily shaken, but as he backs away from her the hard look on his face falters for an instant as if he doubts himself, and Morgana picks up on this and suddenly she has all the power again as she glares him down until he’s out of her sight. Then we catch a glimpse of the evil sorceress that Morgana will one day become. This scene is officially the end of their close bond. Not that their relationship wasn’t rocky before this, but the show had carefully shaped their background to appear as if Morgana was Uther’s closest confidant and quite possibly his favorite person to be around. He was always interested in her opinions even if he never actually asked for them. He always seemed to begrudgingly seek her approval, and whenever he didn’t get it, he would be hurt. As for Morgana, she had cherished her important status in his life. Although she isn’t quite sure as to the depth of his love for her, she had always enjoyed the power that she had over him because of that love. In this scene she feels as if he’s taken that away from her, and any affection that she had previously felt for Uther starts to become clouded with hate.
1x10 - The Moment of Truth
(The episode where the core four defend Merlin’s home village)
HUNITH: They shouldn’t be here, especially the Lady Morgana, isn’t she the king’s ward?
MERLIN: Not that you’d know it. She’s the only person I know who isn’t frightened of him.
This is canonical evidence straight from the main character’s mouth that Uther and Morgana do not act like father and daughter, and that Morgana is in fact Uther’s only equal.
1x12 - To Kill a King
This is by far THE most important episode for the Uther/Morgana ship. It confirms that Uther and Morgana need each other desperately, and for better or worse, they are forever linked together by their love whether they choose to accept it or not.
When Gwen’s father Tom is accused of treason for consorting with a known renegade sorcerer, Morgana confronts Uther. They are both steadfast in their arguments and ultimately Uther becomes more determined to execute Tom. Morgana threatens him with, "If you execute Gwen's father, I will never forgive you. Never!" A look of fear crosses Uther’s face at these words, and perhaps a bit of acceptance. Uther is tipsy through this entire scene, so it’s clear that he’s already regretting having to kill Tom, but in his mind there is no other way. It’s something he absolutely has to do in order to protect his kingdom, but he feels that he doesn’t deserve forgiveness.
By this point Morgana is so fed up with Uther that she takes matters into her own hands and provides Tom with the keys to his cell so that he can escape. Keep in mind that Uther was still deliberating over what to do with Tom and very well could have decided not to kill him, but when Tom’s escape failed, Uther was forced into killing him on the spot. In essence, Morgana had just as much hand in killing Tom as Uther did, but instead of taking responsibility for her actions, she places all of the blame on Uther, while Uther places all of the blame on sorcery. When Morgana bursts into Uther’s room in a blind rage after having seen Gwen crying over her father’s dead body, it could be argued that her own guilt over Tom’s death is her driving force in her verbal assault against Uther, just as Uther’s own guilt over Ygraine’s death is his driving force in his violent assault against sorcery.
MORGANA: You have blood on your hands, Uther Pendragon! Blood that will never wash off!
First of all, for some wacky reason it pleases us shippers greatly that Morgana is bold enough to reprimand the king of Camelot using his given name. It is rare for any of the characters on this show to call him anything to his face other than "Sire" or "My lord," but Morgana has repeatedly dropped the formal titles and simply called him Uther. This demonstrates a certain intimacy that he has with no other. In this scene, however, it was meant to be disrespectful, and Uther calls her out on it. They get into a heated argument that inappropriately turns into bondage kink:
UTHER: *super intense look* Take care child or I’ll have you restrained.
MORGANA: *lusty voice* You just try. *breathiness*
Notice that he only seems to think of her as a "child" when he’s trying to control her. So, she challenges him, and of course he can’t back down from a challenge like that, so the next scene is Uther very cockily having his men lock her up in chains in the dungeons, and he’s almost got a playful tone as he says, "And you will remain here until you’ve learned your lesson" (yet another piece of dialogue that is inappropriately kinky). I’m not entirely convinced that he would have actually left her there had this exchange not happened:
MORGANA: Then release me, because I’ve already learned my lesson! That you care not for me, or anyone but yourself! Because you’re driven mad with power, and you are a tyrant.
UTHER: *hurt/defiant look as he turns around and leaves her*
MORGANA: *complete shock that he actually went through with it*
Morgana’s reaction shot is actually quite surprising. After all the awful things she had said to him, after he had done exactly what she had challenged him to do, she has a look of complete fear that he really doesn’t love her anymore and perhaps never has, and for the very first time in the entire series, she looks like a very lost child. A lost child who wants to seek comfort in the very man who is driving her insane. The next time we see Morgana she is babbling like she really has gone insane, but her general comment to Arthur reveals that she is jealous of Uther’s love for him and that she now separates herself from the Pendragon family.
After Morgana is released, Gwen tells her that Tauren attacked her, and instead of getting back at Tauren, Morgana decides to use him as a tool in killing Uther. This is no longer about Morgana’s love for Gwen or a need to do what is right. This is about Morgana trying to hurt Uther just as badly as he had hurt her. She wanted to teach him the ultimate lesson, and by killing him she would prove that she didn’t feel an ounce of love for him. The thought of killing him had never even entered her mind through all of the unjust executions by his hand that she had witnessed throughout the years, but the second that she felt like he had rejected her, suddenly killing him was the answer. If he’s gone, she wouldn’t have to feel this pain anymore. The fact that the genocide of the magical race would stop is just an added bonus. So she makes her plan with Tauren, using herself as Uther’s bait. She already knows his weaknesses and how to exploit them.
Once again Morgana is insincerely apologizing to Uther with an ulterior motive, and the shot is very reminiscent of the one in The Beginning of the End. There are no overdramatics in this one, just a short-tempered apology from Morgana and an obnoxious "Good," from Uther. Their tempers are still running high and neither one is ready to forgive yet. The typical affection that is usually lying underneath their heated arguments is almost entirely missing. You can hear the hurt in Uther’s voice when he first speaks to her, and Morgana is obviously still disturbed by earlier events. Then she swoops in with her master manipulation skills when she says, "I only meant, I know what it’s like to lose a father." Uther is completely thrown off of his game, his face clouding with pain. While The Beginning of the End was Uther denouncing Morgana as his daughter, this scene is Morgana denouncing Uther as her father. Not only that, but she goes on to accuse him of being responsible for the death of her actual father, and though Uther denies it, the guilt is written in his face, and by the end of their conversation his voice is practically pleading for her forgiveness. She walks away with a satisfied smile on her face while Uther is left to stew in his own guilt, already trying to think of a way to make it up to her and erase the guilt from his conscience.
The next Uther scene has a very stalkerish vibe to it as he watches Morgana from the window, and it’s obvious he’s thought of nothing but her from the dinner scene to this one and all he wants to do is make up with her. He then catches her as she’s walking down a flight of stairs, and it appears as if Uther had been pacing in the hall waiting for her.
UTHER: I cannot tell you how much it pains me to be at odds with you.
MORGANA: And I with you.
Morgana is being sincere in this moment. She wants him to change her mind. She wants him to admit that he was wrong to kill Gwen’s father, that he was wrong to discount her opinion and lock her up in chains, but instead he gets the wrong message and apologizes to her for being insensitive about how the situation reawakened Morgana’s feelings about her own father’s death. Morgana is visibly disappointed and she makes her final decision to send him to his death. She acts as if she’s forgiven Uther and he gets excited, much like a pining lover who is finally getting his first date, and he talks about making arrangements to visit her father’s grave as if it’s the most romantic thing in the world. For Uther, everything is right again, and it was easy. He’s brimming with happiness. As for Morgana, the last shot of her displays determination mixed with a hint of regret.
As they are making their way to the gravesite, there’s a shot of Uther offering his hand to help Morgana across a line of rocks, and this is the visual metaphor for Uther pulling her across the point of no return. As oltha_heri once said, "This scene, Uther being kind to her, trying to do right by her, as she is setting him up, it is the epitome of their relationship."
The dialogue between Morgana and Uther on the grave pretty much speaks for itself. Uther admits to her his regrets (including Tom’s death), and he tells her that she is just as true a friend to him as her father was. He values her judgment and relies on her to balance him out. As Uther pours his heart out to her, he is unknowingly chipping away at her resolve to have him murdered, and it is ultimately Uther’s love that saves his own life and brings Morgana back from the point of no return.
It’s interesting that just before Tauren attacks Uther, his dialogue to Morgana sounds very much like he’s reciting his vows:
UTHER: I will strive to listen to you more and quarrel with you less. You’ve been a blessing to me, Morgana. You are the daughter I never had. Your counsel is invaluable as is your friendship and your love. Without you I cannot hope to be the king this land deserves.
In addition to that, the billowing capes scene was shot in a highly romantic light with highly romantic music and Merlin slips away as if he is witnessing something terribly intimate, and it’s arguably the most beautiful shot in the entire series:
The embrace between Uther and Morgana is a reaffirmation of their love and it signifies that no matter what they put each other through, their love will always remain.
Why do I Ship Them?
Put simply, I ship them because they complete each other in their own broken way. They are both very broken people who feel their emotions too intensely, and perhaps it’s this quality that causes both Uther and Morgana so much pain. In fact, this quality is the downfall of them both. They love too hard, they hurt too hard, and they hate too hard. This clouds their reasoning and isolates them from the others, and yet it somehow binds Uther and Morgana together. Morgana’s treatment of Uther as an equal is both infuriating and exhilarating for him, and it’s why he initially trusts her above all others. Throughout the series that trust comes crashing down, and yet he always desperately wants to believe in her love for him no matter what happens between them, almost as if it’s his salvation. Uther’s unfaltering love for Morgana gives her a certain power over him that exhilarates her and gives her a confidence that most of the other characters lack. Though they rarely acknowledge it, their love for each other is often what drives them both. Despite appearing to be polar opposites at first glance, they are in actuality a cracked reflection of each other. Two sides of a worn out coin. Two halves of a chipped goblet. Neither one will ever be complete, but they somehow find a semblance of completeness in each other.
The Fanwork
Fics
The Uther/Morgana fic that absolutely everyone should read at least once in their life is The Last Beautiful Thing by shantirosa. It’s actually an AU set in Merlinverse based on the movie Oldboy, and it is so beautifully plotted out that it blew my mind. I love this take on Uther/Morgana. It masterfully captures their angst and intensity, and yet it places them in this setting where they get to connect with each other on a whole new level and they actually get to experience happiness for a very brief time. This fic is epic and it will kick your gut in the crotch, but it is so worth it. Read it and your life will be complete. Also, this fic contains the greatest Uther POV that I have ever come across.
If you want something a little different (and fraking amazing) then check out In a Lonely Place also by shantirosa. Technically this is Uther/Gwen, but it’s all about the two people who loved Morgana most finding solace in each other after she’s left them. The fic is short and beautiful and, if I’m honest, my absolute favorite fic in the entire Merlin fandom.
Another personal favorite is The Mermaid is Singing by oltha_heri. This is ridiculously hot smut, but it is SO MUCH MORE than that. It's this wonderful exploration of the inexplicable hold that Uther and Morgana have on each other and their complicated power dynamic. READ IT. YOU WILL BE LEFT SATISFIED AND SMILING.
The Seeing Series by 4thderevko. This series beautifully interweaves a sexual Uther/Morgana relationship into canon, and the author seriously makes me believe that it all actually happened. It's really just add-ons for each episode, but the characterizations are magnificent and it's one of the first stories that really made me believe that the ship was fully possible in canon. And, I admit it, the porn was excellent. But it was so much more than just porn. It was intense emotionally, and it somehow captured that hateful tension between them while at the same time showing why they love each other despite all the hell that they put each other through. I love it.
For more top notch recs, check out the Recs List on kingandward. There aren’t a whole lot of fics out there for this pairing, but what’s out there is pretty darn good. And a word of warning, about 90 percent of Uther/Morgana fic contains porn of some kind. They are just a very physical ship and people like to explore that element of their interaction, but if you want some pornless fic, then I suggest:
Loathsome by otempora42, To See You Right by oltha_heri, and Hark She Rises by gnimaerd, all of which are absolutely excellent at capturing the more innocent side of Uther/Morgana.
Vids
Vermillion by bigmamag is currently my #1 favorite. I’m also quite fond of Open Your Eyes by cornishbluepixie. Also, only because there are so few vids out there for this pairing, I’ll go ahead and list my own: Viva la Vida, which is actually an Uther-centric vid with Uther/Morgana undertones, and Until We Bleed.
Fanart
There is a total of ONE fanart out there for Uther/Morgana, and it is absolutely adorable: http://community.livejournal.com/kingandward/9825.html
Resources
kingandward is the only Uther/Morgana centric comm on LJ, and you can pretty much find all existing fanworks over there.
merlin_rarepair might also be a good place to look.
bbc_merlin_news is a great newsletter for catching just about anything dealing with the Merlin fandom.