On BBC Merlin's Guinevere and Why She Is Not a "Damsel in Distress"
~~Wikipedia
Now, I could be snarky and say one reason why BBC Merlin’s Guinevere does not fit the Damsel in Distress (hereafter DiD) mold is because, as plenty in fandom claim, she is not “a beautiful young woman”. But then I see pictures like
(Behind the Scenes Guinevere courtesy of Dale McCready)
and
and I call shenanigans and the next available ophthalmologist so folk can get their eyes checked. But apparently beauty is in the eye of the beholder yada yada; so for my purposes, Guinevere does, in fact, meet the “beautiful young woman” criteria of this definition. Therefore, I must shift my analysis the rest of it-namely “requires a hero to dash to her rescue”; “the helplessness”; “portrayed as foolish and ineffectual to the point of naïveté”; and “need for others (mostly men) to rescue her” (i.e., the entirety of the definition as given here).
Charges of Gwen as DiD didn’t start truly start to arise until she also became the focus of Arthur Pendgragon’s romantic affections in Series 2 (i.e., “love interest”). There are those who argue that particular relationship was rushed; and while this is not an argument or a rebuttal of the veracity of that claim; one could suppose that peril is an excellent way to accelerate any relationship and thus dovetails with the Gwen as DiD premise quite nicely. Indeed, one can point to a plethora of instances the two times when Arthur had to “rescue” Gwen in Series Two and once again in Series Three…sort of (thus far) as proof positive Gwen is only there to be rescued and provide romantic angst for the knight in not-quite-so-buff armor because Merlin’s other job is saving him almost on a weekly basis Arthur.
So, general consensus for the people who like(d) Gwen was that Series 1 she was awesome! You know, before she got mucked up by love ( not going there again right now).
Exhibits A
and B
are noted because this is usually how she displays her kickassery-subtly. There is no grand production; she stays in within the parameters of her station and makes shit happen. Yes, Arthur went through all of the traditional heroics in “The Poisoned Chalice” to get the flower; but for “want of the nail” (Gwen) going down to retrieve said flower after Arthur had been thrown in jail, mutual BFF Merlin would’ve been peaced out. But for those who require more overt examples, I give you “The Moment of Truth” (not even highlighting when she stands up to Arthur, her crown prince, twice without the benefit of his romantic affections or hers for that matter-something no damsel would ever do):
(She jumps a fence for Merlin's sake! She ain't got time to wait for a boost, JFC!)
(bonus Gwen/Morgana hug at the end because that affection is very much missed *RiP*)
See how versatile Gwen is? Villain has a weapon, she has a garden tool. Shovel>Sword. And with the extra benefit of defending the title character’s mama. Two points, Guinevere, two points.
Methinks many of us were spoiled by Gwen S1 because we saw obvious displays of non-damsel behavior…and because she hadn’t “threatened” the bromance that is Arthur and Merlin yet and she still very much doesn’t, nor will she ever *eyes writers*. As her esteem rose with Arthur in Series 2 (because, curiously, few that I noticed outright hated Gwen when she shared BFF scenes with Merlin; quite possibly because those scenes are the epitome of loff), it fell with a contingent of Gwen fans; particularly as we know once a woman becomes loved, she tends to be placed on a very rickety diamond-encrusted pedestal. As for me, I do not immediately dismiss a woman who needs to be rescued as a damsel; because, dammit, sometimes a sista needs some help! It really really is okay to a.) be distressed and b.) need help, I promise. I promise!
Exhibit C
and D
Exhibit D as gif, because Merlin’s face the epitome of “What tomfoolery is this?”
And also, Merlin fans, Merlin>>>>Arthur when it comes to fiercely protecting Guinevere from jump street. Merlin is “that dude” because you won’t even see him coming. He could kick your ass in his sleep! He asked her brother to look after Gwen! and the warlock ships the future Pendragons harder than probably Gwen and Arthur ship themselves, bless. #imjussayin However, just because one needs help does not, in fact, mean one is helpless. In “Lancelot and Guinevere”, which is one of the two times Arthur actually attempts to save Gwen in S2, we have this lovely scene:
Oh, yeah, that’s the very definition of helpless, isn’t it? Not to mention, Guinevere sacrifices herself (after she trips over a phantom branch, but bygones) so the king’s ward, the one the baddies had wanted in the first place, could escape. #truestory But this isn’t the last time Ms. Gwen places herself in danger for “the greater good”-
So yes, Arthur does swoop in and save her in “The Last Dragonlord” (Part 2/2 of Arthur Saves Gwen); but she’d already saved his life twice in one episode (“The Curse of Cornelius Sigan”).
And for those who skip the A/G ship, we certainly didn't forget about this Gwen saves Arthur moment:
(via Scarabaeus37 on YouTube)
To me, that’s balance; every man should want a ride-or-die chick, a woman who will have his back and his front and his side, even if she's not the happiest with him at a given moment as Gwen had been in that last clip. And just about every time Arthur does save her life, she’s “what are you doing?!” She knows her place; she is a servant; she is not supposed to warrant such care from the prince! But she’s such fire and he’s such a moth when it comes to her, and she’s just now realizing that *pats Gwen*.
So, even though we are now seeing the Arthur/Guinevere relationship bloom, the Gwen of S1 is still not gone nor forgotten. Series 3 brings the reintroduction of IDon’tNeedaSwordtoKickAss!Gwen, and it is awesome to see her again:
(Merlin 3x03)
(Last two from Merlin 3x07)
Granted in all three instances a sword/other pointy weaponry probably would’ve done her better in the end, nevertheless, she wasn’t just standing there screaming and wringing her hands about who was going to save her. She’s very proactive about protecting herself even if it may not end well for her. The last two examples especially are notable because it comes from the episode “Castle of Fyrien”, which is the episode Arthur saves Gwen…but not really, as they’re going to save Gwen’s brother (Arthur doesn’t even consider not bringing Gwen along, another point in the Gwen =/= DiD). Remember, too, Gwen had already been captured and returned home on her own by this juncture; and even during this harrowing ordeal, she’s still got enough subtle, quiet gumption for this:
She is completely at this man’s mercy, but her first question is “what have you taken Elyan?” She’s not even thinking about herself! When Cenred pulls out the Arthur card, poor girl is already at her wits’ end, but the only proof of that is the beautiful single tear down her cheek as she reiterates her social standing in Camelot, so why on earth would she be able to bring a prince to someone else’s kingdom. A damsel would’ve said “He’ll be here by tonight for me!” or something equally unwise because DiDs are, per the definition above, foolish & naive. Gwen is obviously neither. You can already see Gwen’s mind trying to figure out who dropped the dime on them; why would they even go through all this trouble just to trap Arthur; and I daresay she would even be thinking Morgana would definitely get Arthur there before her (because Gwen is still psyching herself out that Arthur and Merlin wouldn’t drag down the moon for her). Nevertheless, that doesn’t mean Gwen’s not above charging in to save the day, even if it goes against a direct order:
(I do so love the “Well, then!” look Arthur and Elyan share *pinches Elyan’s smiling cheek*)
Also, this:
totally supports my fanon theory Gwen really can kick your ass if she deigned you worth the whoopin’; that sibling glance tells me Elyan had been on the receiving end of it many a time, because Gwen’s the older sibling and that how we do…I mean and you’re not a blacksmith’s child without knowing how to handle weaponry. If Gwen can give Merlin pointers on how to put on suit of armor/which sword her father forged to be Excalibur/impress Arthur enough to joke (but probably not really) for her to look after Merlin and if she and Morgana had tagged along with Merlin and Gawain during his quest in 3x08, God help Camelot’s enemies when the one and future queen starts practicing with her brother again this shall be canon…hopefully.
In conclusion, Guinevere does not fit the definition of damsel in distress because she has shown on several occasions she does her best to not only look out for herself, but for others as well. She does not wait around for help, and is actually more surprised when she receives it than not; or, she even tries to solve her own problems until someone convinces her to accept assistance. Is she as practiced with a sword as Arthur/Morgana/Elyan? No. Does she have magical abilities like Merlin? As of right now, no but I wouldn’t be surprised if the writers decided to throw in that particular monkey wrench considering how often she’s accused of it; which by count is almost as much as Merlin, if not +1 for her. Gwen is steady, steadfast, and smart without the need to be a superlative; and it is because of that, she is exceptional. She will be the fulcrum for Merlin and Arthur to maintain balance in Camelot. That she is unapologetically and canonically precious to both of these men (as had Morgana been, until Merlin figured out she was on the slip-and-slide to “evil”) should not automatically give her the Damsel in Distress designation. She has not earned it; and hopefully, she will not, either.
Oh, and also-she’s still gorgeous.
That shan’t be changing.
*All gifs & clips created by bana05 unless otherwise noted.*
Now, I could be snarky and say one reason why BBC Merlin’s Guinevere does not fit the Damsel in Distress (hereafter DiD) mold is because, as plenty in fandom claim, she is not “a beautiful young woman”. But then I see pictures like
(Behind the Scenes Guinevere courtesy of Dale McCready)
and
and I call shenanigans and the next available ophthalmologist so folk can get their eyes checked. But apparently beauty is in the eye of the beholder yada yada; so for my purposes, Guinevere does, in fact, meet the “beautiful young woman” criteria of this definition. Therefore, I must shift my analysis the rest of it-namely “requires a hero to dash to her rescue”; “the helplessness”; “portrayed as foolish and ineffectual to the point of naïveté”; and “need for others (mostly men) to rescue her” (i.e., the entirety of the definition as given here).
Charges of Gwen as DiD didn’t start truly start to arise until she also became the focus of Arthur Pendgragon’s romantic affections in Series 2 (i.e., “love interest”). There are those who argue that particular relationship was rushed; and while this is not an argument or a rebuttal of the veracity of that claim; one could suppose that peril is an excellent way to accelerate any relationship and thus dovetails with the Gwen as DiD premise quite nicely. Indeed, one can point to a plethora of instances the two times when Arthur had to “rescue” Gwen in Series Two and once again in Series Three…sort of (thus far) as proof positive Gwen is only there to be rescued and provide romantic angst for the knight in not-quite-so-buff armor because Merlin’s other job is saving him almost on a weekly basis Arthur.
So, general consensus for the people who like(d) Gwen was that Series 1 she was awesome! You know, before she got mucked up by love ( not going there again right now).
Exhibits A
and B
are noted because this is usually how she displays her kickassery-subtly. There is no grand production; she stays in within the parameters of her station and makes shit happen. Yes, Arthur went through all of the traditional heroics in “The Poisoned Chalice” to get the flower; but for “want of the nail” (Gwen) going down to retrieve said flower after Arthur had been thrown in jail, mutual BFF Merlin would’ve been peaced out. But for those who require more overt examples, I give you “The Moment of Truth” (not even highlighting when she stands up to Arthur, her crown prince, twice without the benefit of his romantic affections or hers for that matter-something no damsel would ever do):
(She jumps a fence for Merlin's sake! She ain't got time to wait for a boost, JFC!)
(bonus Gwen/Morgana hug at the end because that affection is very much missed *RiP*)
See how versatile Gwen is? Villain has a weapon, she has a garden tool. Shovel>Sword. And with the extra benefit of defending the title character’s mama. Two points, Guinevere, two points.
Methinks many of us were spoiled by Gwen S1 because we saw obvious displays of non-damsel behavior…and because she hadn’t “threatened” the bromance that is Arthur and Merlin yet and she still very much doesn’t, nor will she ever *eyes writers*. As her esteem rose with Arthur in Series 2 (because, curiously, few that I noticed outright hated Gwen when she shared BFF scenes with Merlin; quite possibly because those scenes are the epitome of loff), it fell with a contingent of Gwen fans; particularly as we know once a woman becomes loved, she tends to be placed on a very rickety diamond-encrusted pedestal. As for me, I do not immediately dismiss a woman who needs to be rescued as a damsel; because, dammit, sometimes a sista needs some help! It really really is okay to a.) be distressed and b.) need help, I promise. I promise!
Exhibit C
and D
Exhibit D as gif, because Merlin’s face the epitome of “What tomfoolery is this?”
And also, Merlin fans, Merlin>>>>Arthur when it comes to fiercely protecting Guinevere from jump street. Merlin is “that dude” because you won’t even see him coming. He could kick your ass in his sleep! He asked her brother to look after Gwen! and the warlock ships the future Pendragons harder than probably Gwen and Arthur ship themselves, bless. #imjussayin However, just because one needs help does not, in fact, mean one is helpless. In “Lancelot and Guinevere”, which is one of the two times Arthur actually attempts to save Gwen in S2, we have this lovely scene:
Oh, yeah, that’s the very definition of helpless, isn’t it? Not to mention, Guinevere sacrifices herself (after she trips over a phantom branch, but bygones) so the king’s ward, the one the baddies had wanted in the first place, could escape. #truestory But this isn’t the last time Ms. Gwen places herself in danger for “the greater good”-
So yes, Arthur does swoop in and save her in “The Last Dragonlord” (Part 2/2 of Arthur Saves Gwen); but she’d already saved his life twice in one episode (“The Curse of Cornelius Sigan”).
And for those who skip the A/G ship, we certainly didn't forget about this Gwen saves Arthur moment:
Click to view(via Scarabaeus37 on YouTube)
To me, that’s balance; every man should want a ride-or-die chick, a woman who will have his back and his front and his side, even if she's not the happiest with him at a given moment as Gwen had been in that last clip. And just about every time Arthur does save her life, she’s “what are you doing?!” She knows her place; she is a servant; she is not supposed to warrant such care from the prince! But she’s such fire and he’s such a moth when it comes to her, and she’s just now realizing that *pats Gwen*.
So, even though we are now seeing the Arthur/Guinevere relationship bloom, the Gwen of S1 is still not gone nor forgotten. Series 3 brings the reintroduction of IDon’tNeedaSwordtoKickAss!Gwen, and it is awesome to see her again:
(Merlin 3x03)
(Last two from Merlin 3x07)
Granted in all three instances a sword/other pointy weaponry probably would’ve done her better in the end, nevertheless, she wasn’t just standing there screaming and wringing her hands about who was going to save her. She’s very proactive about protecting herself even if it may not end well for her. The last two examples especially are notable because it comes from the episode “Castle of Fyrien”, which is the episode Arthur saves Gwen…but not really, as they’re going to save Gwen’s brother (Arthur doesn’t even consider not bringing Gwen along, another point in the Gwen =/= DiD). Remember, too, Gwen had already been captured and returned home on her own by this juncture; and even during this harrowing ordeal, she’s still got enough subtle, quiet gumption for this:
She is completely at this man’s mercy, but her first question is “what have you taken Elyan?” She’s not even thinking about herself! When Cenred pulls out the Arthur card, poor girl is already at her wits’ end, but the only proof of that is the beautiful single tear down her cheek as she reiterates her social standing in Camelot, so why on earth would she be able to bring a prince to someone else’s kingdom. A damsel would’ve said “He’ll be here by tonight for me!” or something equally unwise because DiDs are, per the definition above, foolish & naive. Gwen is obviously neither. You can already see Gwen’s mind trying to figure out who dropped the dime on them; why would they even go through all this trouble just to trap Arthur; and I daresay she would even be thinking Morgana would definitely get Arthur there before her (because Gwen is still psyching herself out that Arthur and Merlin wouldn’t drag down the moon for her). Nevertheless, that doesn’t mean Gwen’s not above charging in to save the day, even if it goes against a direct order:
(I do so love the “Well, then!” look Arthur and Elyan share *pinches Elyan’s smiling cheek*)
Also, this:
totally supports my fanon theory Gwen really can kick your ass if she deigned you worth the whoopin’; that sibling glance tells me Elyan had been on the receiving end of it many a time, because Gwen’s the older sibling and that how we do…I mean and you’re not a blacksmith’s child without knowing how to handle weaponry. If Gwen can give Merlin pointers on how to put on suit of armor/which sword her father forged to be Excalibur/impress Arthur enough to joke (but probably not really) for her to look after Merlin and if she and Morgana had tagged along with Merlin and Gawain during his quest in 3x08, God help Camelot’s enemies when the one and future queen starts practicing with her brother again this shall be canon…hopefully.
In conclusion, Guinevere does not fit the definition of damsel in distress because she has shown on several occasions she does her best to not only look out for herself, but for others as well. She does not wait around for help, and is actually more surprised when she receives it than not; or, she even tries to solve her own problems until someone convinces her to accept assistance. Is she as practiced with a sword as Arthur/Morgana/Elyan? No. Does she have magical abilities like Merlin? As of right now, no but I wouldn’t be surprised if the writers decided to throw in that particular monkey wrench considering how often she’s accused of it; which by count is almost as much as Merlin, if not +1 for her. Gwen is steady, steadfast, and smart without the need to be a superlative; and it is because of that, she is exceptional. She will be the fulcrum for Merlin and Arthur to maintain balance in Camelot. That she is unapologetically and canonically precious to both of these men (as had Morgana been, until Merlin figured out she was on the slip-and-slide to “evil”) should not automatically give her the Damsel in Distress designation. She has not earned it; and hopefully, she will not, either.
Oh, and also-she’s still gorgeous.
That shan’t be changing.
*All gifs & clips created by bana05 unless otherwise noted.*