Merlin 3x05

[such_heights]

HOLY CRAP PEOPLE. Oh wow oh wow, okay.

+ To me the opening scenes added yet further fodder to the fanon that Arthur totally knows Merlin's magical, he's just messing with him. Oh man, how I wish I thought there was any chance the writers would actually do that.

+ Is there anything sadder than Gwen crying? NO THERE IS NOT. ;____; And hey, Morgana was actually nice to her in this episode! My ship liiiives, um, kind of.

+ So, the Uther is Morgana's father thing is something a fair few of us saw coming. But I am so relieved that Morgana knows rather than it being another thing for Merlin to hold over here. Also, I thought it was fantastic characterisation for her, that knowledge being the thing that drives her to try and kill Uther finally. We know Morgana tends to lose it as soon as it gets personal - it was stupid, and Morgause knew it was stupid, and yet completely believable.

+ Dear Dragon, with your 'witch must die' bullshit: kindly shut up, approximately yesterday.

+ Okay, so I felt like this episode at least hinted at a bit of moral dubiousness at Merlin's choices, aside from the whole self-fulfilling prophecy thing (which, INDEED, Merlin, if only you'd thought about that sooner we wouldn't be in this mess!). For me the key thing was him saying that he couldn't let Morgana kill Uther because it would tear Camelot apart. That, at least, is a concrete reason that I can understand, even though his lack of ambivalence about it remains confusing to me.

+ HOLY GENEALOGY BATMAN. So, it seems to me that the current canon suggests that Arthur is Uther and Ygraine's child, Morgana is Uther and Vivian's child, and Morgause is Gorlois and Vivian's child. Which does make some other previous canon things kind of confusing, but eh. This is a good post in merlin_multis.

+ I repeat, Gwen crying and clutching Arthur/crying over Morgana: SADDEST THING IN THE WORLD. My heart, it broke. GWENNNNN.

Comments

[fly_to_dawn]

Is there anything sadder than Gwen crying? NO THERE IS NOT. ;____;

WHEN GWEN CRIES WE ALL CRY WITH HER.

And, yeah, the family trees are so confusing. I think you've probably summed up everything there - so, um, Vivian and Gorlois had an affair earlier but ended up married anyway? My head, it spins.

[such_heights]

SERIOUSLY. A sad Gwen is like all the sunshine leaving the world or something.

Yeah, I have no idea how we explain Morgause getting smuggled out in this case - I think that the writers sometimes forget their own timelines, namely that magic was okay pre-Arthur's birth.

[kel_reiley]

+ To me the opening scenes added yet further fodder to the fanon that Arthur totally knows Merlin's magical, he's just messing with him. Oh man, how I wish I thought there was any chance the writers would actually do that.

YES YES YES

also, you were totes right about uther being morgana's father - i bow to you :)

the whole 'whose child is whose' business is extra confusing, especially when you (me) only know scraps of the legends

[such_heights]

Well, I'm not sure the legends always help! They've messed with them enough as it is.

I will be happy if the show confirms some things, but it's kind of fun speculating in the meantime.

[kel_reiley]

yeah, it would be easier to guess if they were just tossing the legends out completely (as i had first thought they were doing with morgana's parentage) but now they keep throwing curveballs!

[trelkez]

Last season I thought the subtext with Morgause knowing Igraine well was that Igraine was somehow Morgause's mother; at the very least, S2 canon was that Morgause and Morgana were half-sisters through Gorlois, no mother in common, so if Gorlois isn't Morgana's father, then Morgana and Morgause aren't siblings at all. (Which Morgause seemed kind of stoked about. Not going to lie, I ship it.)

[such_heights]

I would really love if that were the case! I ship it related or not, I'm not going to lie, but I do like reading that scene this week as Morgause being all 'SWEET, now I don't have to feel terrible about seducing my sister any more', hahaha.

[lefaym]

I really hoped that Morgana would learn that Merlin had saved her, to introduce a bit of complexity into their relationship. Not that I want her to suddenly start loving Merlin after all he's done (or not done, as it may be), but it just really frustrates me that they aren't allowing Morgana any complexity at all now.

EXCEPT the moment with Gwen -- that gives me hope! It strikes me that Gwen is the only person that Morgana might still truly care for in Camelot. (SHIP IS ALIVE.)

[such_heights]

I WILL GO DOWN WITH THIS SHIP, NEVER SURRENDER.

Ahem. I have a few feelings on the subject. *g*

[lorannah]

Hee! This felt like a series 1 sort of episode, which was lovely. Gwen! Merlin being uncertain and torn and with some sort of moral compass (not necessarily one that points North, but there you go). And you're completely right about Morgana's character feeling just right.

My personal pet theory of the family tree is this one:

Morgause = Ygraine and Gorlois
Morgana = Uther and Vivian
Arthur = Ygraine and Uther

My fanon is that Ygraine was newly wed to Gorlois when his friend Prince Uther came to town and they were instantly stricken down with irreconcilable love. Given that this left the three of them with a miserable future, Gorlois stepped back, had the marriage annulled (or whatever the equivalent of the time was) and got married to Vivian.

Uther and Ygraine ride merrily to Camelot where no one knows she's already been married. And they live happily ever after except for the fact that Ygraine is already pregnant by Gorlois. The pregnancy is hushed up and the baby, Morgause, is smuggled away and they live happily ever after...

Except that now the relationship between Uther and Ygraine is somewhat strained what with him stealing her child (who she totally visits secretly) and her not getting pregnant. So Uther, being a prat, has an affair with Vivian and gets her pregnant.

Then the whole Nimue, Ygraine, Uther stuff happens...

I have serious doubts that the show would actually go this route as it seems a little overcomplicated and this is supposed to be a family show. But I'm keeping it as my fanon, because it would mean that Morgana and Morgause aren't actually related (but still lovers obviously) and Morgana gets to feel all betrayed when she finds out the truth.

Also - just in case it actually comes true - want to put down my theory that Morgause is using the bracelet to have some control/sway over Morgana and has been since she gave it to her.

[such_heights]

Merlin being uncertain and torn and with some sort of moral compass (not necessarily one that points North, but there you go).

Hahaha, yes, exactly!

And I really like that fanon and would love it if the show decided to go that way. I too wonder about Morgana's bracelet, so we shall have to see!

[kaydeefalls]

To me the opening scenes added yet further fodder to the fanon that Arthur totally knows Merlin's magical.

This. Yes. Actually, what had me convinced was Arthur's arrest of Merlin in 3x03 - his whole demeanor there was screaming you fucking idiot, how did you let yourself get caught.