Ponderings about episode 2x10 'Sweet dreams'

[rodneyscat]

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

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

Comments

[kathyh]

I don't think I'd ever noticed that either. Even without slash goggles on that's very interesting as it does show how much he's starting to value Merlin's opinion. Something else I really like is that after he's regained his senses and is going back to a fight there's a real chance he might lose he asks Merlin to look after Gwen if anything happens to him. Even in an episode focusing on Arthur's relationship with Gwen things happen to underline how close he and Merlin are.

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

And Colin and Bradley rehearsed that scene all by themselves according to the episode commentary :)

Guh! I'd actually forgotten how pretty that first scene is. Need to rewatch *g*.

[rodneyscat]

I know! I was all asquee when I heard they came to the set all prepared; stuff for fic that is &hearts

[mrs_rochester11]

<3<3<3<3

[magog_83]

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

As you can probably guess, I think this anyway ;) The idea of a love that is conditional is not all that attractive to me, and I think I will always see Gwen's feelings for Arthur in that light. Which, ok, you could say "why shouldn't she expect him to be better?" and that's perfectly true, but somehow that isn't a fraction as attractive to me as Merlin caring about Arthur in all his prattish but still honourable glory. And more than that, I feel Arthur is himself with Merlin. Because he is a bit of a prat, and that's alright, because we, and Merlin, can see that when it comes down to it he always does the right thing. I don't want an Arthur who is Nobility Personified, I can't think of anything more dull. I sometimes wonder what on earth the producers are doing, because they've given the M/A friendship all the foibles, depth and affection that you would expect from a real-life relationship, and made their canon relationship the

[rodneyscat]

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

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

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

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

[magog_83]

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

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

[magog_83]

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

[giecast]

so the script tells us that Gwen is arthur's true love, but Arthur is showing us that the person whose opinion he values is Merlin. - I love you for saying this. Oh yes I do!

[magog_83]

Agreed! :D I think the actors know their characters better than the script does ;)

[kabal42]

Ohyes indeed! Agreed to the nth power.

[archaeologist_d]

It could very well be that what the script says and what Colin and Bradley do are two very different things. Would the script say for Merlin to fuss with Arthur's clothes so much (and how I loved that they practiced it ahead of time, so sweet!) or for Arthur to look over his shoulder at Merlin when if it's Arthur's true love he should be looking at Gwen

[marvelpku]

Well, I don't think the Great dragon told the lie. Yes, Great dragon had his own purpose. But what the Great dragon had been saying was not but the truth. He already confirm Giaus on that too.
For the kiss, the producers won't have the dare to show Arthur and Merlin kissing. However, if Merlin was to kiss Arthur, I thought the spell would be broken as well.

[archaeologist_d]

I think that destiny may not be a lie but the way the dragon manipulated Merlin was lying, imo. He played Merlin, telling him that he had some great destiny just when Merlin was so confused about his powers and his place in the world. No wonder the kid latched onto it. Dragon would have done just about anything to get free (not that I blame him).

[kathyh]

So do I, but as you said it's who he *thinks* he loves who has to break the spell. I don't think Arthur's at the point yet to really recognise that he actually loves Merlin (which I doubt we'll get on TV).

Gwen seems more to love the idea of Arthur rather than Arthur himself

Yes, I agree. I don't think she really knows Arthur himself. What they do share is a love of Camelot and the fact that she doesn't lie to him. Where I think that her relationship with Arthur may founder is not just the fact that she thinks she's in love with Lance (and I don't think she really knows him either), but the fact that Arthur knows that. Even if she swears she really loves Arthur, and actually means it, there's always going to be a small part of him that doesn't believe it. Not a good foundation for a lasting relationship.

I don't actually dislike Arthur/Gwen but I think the writers accidentally or purposefully created some huge potential problems that aren't just related to Gwen's lack of status. Arthur and Merlin just know each other so much better

[marvelpku]

OMG, look at the first 3 pictures. Whenever I rewatched that scene, I just get the feel that Arthur and Merlin are already married. They are JUST WAY TOO MARRIED, seriously. I am not kidding.
However, I can understand the producers. This is a kid show, I don't think they have the gut to go GAY. To tell the truth, seldom does any TV series dare to do that.