Episode IV.V – His Father’s Son
We discuss Episode 5 of Season 4 of Merlin, His Father’s Son, which fulfills all of our fandom dreams, in unexpected and sometimes unexplainable ways.
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15th May 2021 @ 12:08 am
I adored Queen Annis. She was an amazing character and the actor did such a good job of making her both hard and understanding. They could have done a whole second show about her and I’d have been happy.
I did like the opening scene with Merlin running away and was quite happy to see him in Camelot colors. Plus that tent scene and all that eye contact between Merlin and Arthur was just amazingly beautiful.
Wasn’t happy at all about killing off Caerleon. What Arthur should have done is taken him back to Camelot and then negotiated with Annis for ransom. Even if it fell apart and they still had the war, it would have been more in keeping with Arthur’s character.
15th May 2021 @ 11:10 am
there’s most definitely a hundred different ways they could have achieved the same end result (face off between annis and arthur) without having arthur do something as out of character and straight up stupid as killing Caerleon in the woods where he stood.
but yes, the tent scene makes up for SO MANY IMPERFECTIONS, it’s GLORIOUS!
28th March 2021 @ 11:07 pm
I really love this episode and perhaps the most obvious reason for this is Queen Annis – Anais? For once, apart from ever-absent Hunith, we see a woman who is not cast in the deceitful, sorcerous female mould. In fact, when Morgana first approaches her, Annis clearly rejects her evil and treacherous magic, calling her witch. I also like that Annis isn’t perfect or perfectly wise: she is misled by a desire for revenge and she looks away and does not ask how Morgana will stop Arthur from winning. In this way, she tries to keep ignorant and not implicate herself. But this imperfection also makes her more relatable, human and able to learn. Which is why, at the end, her realisation of what Arthur is and stands for and her conscious decision to ally herself with it are really meaningful and reflective of how the people of Albion could change and the united kingdom (no pun intended) would slowly come about. Annis, gives me ‘hope for us all’, so to say.
I also really like how perceptive and clear-sighted she is about Morgana. In their final scene, her comment about Morgana’s similarity to Uther really cuts to the quick and I really love how quietly-perturbed Morgana exits the tent, unable to respond to such insight into her character and motives. I wish Annis had taken Morgana under her wing: with some sound female counsel, she might yet have been saved and may have actually listened to Annis. After all, Morgause, another female, was the only other person Morgana ever really listened to. In fact, I think if Arthur, Merlin, everyone in the show, had access to some sound female counsel, the entire outcome of the show would have been very, very different! (I have more to say on this, but I am keeping my notes for the final, final round-up!)
I wanted to add a short note about the wonderful use of music in this episode:
1. When Morgana first comes to Annis, the queen calls her witch and immediately we hear a short little theme that has been present in the show from the very first episode. It is taken from the witch’s song (Mary Collins) that was used to sleeping-beauty-enchant Camelot. I think it is significant that Morgana, formerly a victim, is now associated with casting an enchantment over those she ‘visits’ and, like Mary Collins, putting on a different face (including all that green eye shadow) to deceive.
2. When Arthur watches the knights and Merlin around the campfire, it is underlaid with the exact same theme as when Merlin came back from Freya’s boat funeral. He had isolated himself, trying to deal with his grief and is then found and comforted by Gaius. It is also the same theme as when he was speaking to Freya in the waters of Avalon. I am not so sure what it means here: perhaps it shows that Merlin has found comfort and a replacement for his romantic attachment to Freya in the companionship of the knights. But it could also show Arthur’s isolation in the scene which is very unusual as we normally portray Merlin as the outsider, not Arthur. It’s beautiful in any case.
3. The music after Arthur has defeated the giant is the very same as when Arthur allowed Uther to win the fight in ‘The Sorcerer’s Shadow’. I think this is really cool as both fights and their outcome ultimately showed Arthur as the better, more humble man who does not seek personal victory but peace. This is then seconded by his words to Annis.
The way Merlin and Agravaine are set up as opposing counsellors is very interestingly handled in this episode. Of course, I simply LOVE Merlin in chainmail and Camelot red and it is a sign of intimacy and being part of the team. Merlin, for a while at least, literally wears the knights’ uniform! (It had a similar effect when Merlin and Arthur were both wearing – and helping each other put on – armour and chainmail in ‘The Moment of Truth’.)
But Merlin isn’t the only one seen for the first time in knightly garb: as far as I can remember, Agravaine also has never worn armour before. He stood out from the beginning of season 4 as an outsider, a newcomer to Camelot. He wore black clothing and that traitorous dark, hooded cloak whenever he went to see Morgana. (Interestingly, when he steals Arthur’s sword, he wears both armour and the cloak – quite literally looking like a double-agent?) His appearance in armour now shows that he has now advanced to a fully accepted member of the Camelot defenders and upholders of law and justice. The armour all the knights wear mirrors that of Arthur: it mirrors him, his values and his representative of the knights’ code. It is a sign of being trusted not only for being Arthur’s relation but also for his supposed righteousness and prowess. It represents trust, respect and status and throughout the episode, Agravaine uses this new closeness with Arthur to influence him. And Arthur, seeing Agravaine now as one of the people he implicitly and unquestionably trusts, his knights, listens to him. Interestingly, we hardly ever saw Uther wear armour which may explain why Arthur’s relationship with his father always seemed more formal or distant than that with the knights who wore the same uniform as he.
In contrast to Agravaine, Merlin discards the chainmail for his normal servant clothes after the first scene and I believe this and other actions of Merlin’s in the first part of the episode actually distances Arthur, making him less ready to listen to Merlin’s advice. Before Arthur decides to kill Carleon, Merlin brings him water, calls him Sire and, even when Arthur indicates for him to sit down on the log next to him, Merlin opts to build up the fire instead, occupying himself with proper servant duties and delivering his advice almost in passing. I think Merlin’s insistence on their social difference is an indication that he does not want to be a manipulator. He wants Arthur to listen to him because he chooses to, not because he must. But this actually complicates things later when Merlin tries a more direct approach: then Arthur puts him in his place and tells him to ‘stick’ with what he knows. In the end, though, Merlin’s more humble and gentle approach to advice-giving is what ultimately wins the day, as it gives Arthur the freedom of choice and believes in his capability to choose the right path. Agravaine’s manipulation, on the other hand, focused on making Arthur feel as small and as incompetent as possible.
29th March 2021 @ 3:20 am
All your points this week are just so spot-on! I’m speechless, as I definitely rather went for emotions rather than critical analysis here 😀
29th March 2021 @ 8:07 pm
Thank you so much for saying that. I do actually feel really emotional about this episode. Hm, must be the sensible Annis-influence this episode. 🙂
29th March 2021 @ 4:53 pm
I love your comment on Agravaine’s mixture of chainmail- I think the double agent thing is a great spot, and his role is definitely to act as a counter-counsellor while Merlin is the real one. That’s where his character kind of struggles too, because why would Arthur listen to Uncle A over his loyal and trusted Merlin. Is it down to his position? Arthur has a great respect for rank, and of course Agravaine appeals to the part of Arthur that misses his mother 🙁
Also I agree that this was an opportunity for Morgana to receive some help from an older female character, and this kind of adds to the tragic fall-from-grace of her character, as now she is so extreme in her magic and views, everybody steers clear of her. I wouldn’t want to push Annis into a mothering role, but of course her denouncing Morgana as an evil witch only serves to make Morgana more bitter and twisted.
29th March 2021 @ 8:14 pm
why would Arthur listen to Uncle A over his loyal and trusted Merlin –
Well, that’s actually a really good question. You know, I have been thinking: if Arthur really believed what he said at the round table, that he believed in equality, why did he make the other men knights? If a peasant or simple blacksmith is worth as much as a noble or knight (synonomous up to that point), then why raise them to be knights? Sure, it is an honour and makes them part of Arthur’s team. But that also, somehow, implies that they were lacking beforehand.
I think that whatever Arthur spouts about believing in equality (and he has really come a long way putting this into practice as well), there is still his inbred bias towards listening to his nobility, council, knights, those with status, more so than a servant like Merlin. It is this conflict between what Arthur believes and what Arthur practises, unwittingly or not, that causes him to waver and doubt so much. It is portrayed in his oscillation between his two advisors, Merlin and Arthur. For this episode, at least, he has come out on the right side.
I wish Annis could have been the new adult influence in Arthur’s life. Wouldn’t that have been cool? Instead of Uncle A, he gets loyal and wise Queen Annis.
30th March 2021 @ 1:07 am
I would have LOVED to see Queen Annis as a mentor to Arthur!
30th March 2021 @ 7:19 pm
I know. So much better than Agravaine. Morgana could still have someone else as traitor but just give us a woman with wisdom and backbone!
30th March 2021 @ 6:46 pm
such good observations! I especially agree with you about Annis – I really love basically everything about her.
30th March 2021 @ 7:21 pm
Naturally, I know that Lindsay Duncan is acting but I get the impression that she isn’t too dissimilar to that character. She should have become a regular. I love the knights but there is sometimes just too much testosterone going around. The stew jokes are the inglorious proof.
28th March 2021 @ 11:07 pm
All of your well-reasoned points make perfect sense and there are definitely problems and your points COMPLETELY outsmart my own, which is basically that I just love this episode – I’m sorry! I totally agree that it should have been stretched out over several episodes, as it does feel quite compressed and imagine a Merlin where there was no Lamia and more of this…wishful thinking😔.
I suppose I take the title of the episode quite literally – I try to make sense of the fuzziness by seeing Arthur’s decisions and behaviour stemming from a desire to be “His Father’s Son” and do Uther proud. He kills a man in cold blood, because Uther would have done so and would not waver in that, and Aggravaine saying so only pushes him to it. Maybe a potential explanation for Arthur’s incompetency would be that he is so determined to rule like Uther, that he acts rashly and harshly, just as Uther did in the purge (though to be honest, it doesn’t feel that justified in the episode – we could have had him say that he was blinded by trying to do what his father would do). But Arthur also isolates himself in the episode, from both Merlin and Gwen, trusting someone only of “blood loyalty”: Aggravaine (No, Arthur, no!) just as Uther would only allow the nobility to become Knights. But at the end, he has realised that he must be true to himself, as he says: value those around him, trust his heart, and seek peace over glory. He recognises that Uther’s way was not it, and he must follow himself, not his father. On the other hand, I think Morgana provides a really nice contrast. While Arthur is trying to be Uther, she is trying not to be – she denounces him at the first meeting with Annis and instead tries to use Gorlois’ name. But, as Annis points out, Arthur eventually lets Uther go and Morgana is shown to be more like him than she accepts, with her vengeful and brutal ways. Although she’s inconsistent in the episode, I do love THIS Morgana – she’s consumed by her hatred for her father and yet simply cannot let go of him. Even though she believes that by killing him and despising him and seeking revenge on him, it allows her to, it ultimately means he will always walk in her shadow. I like that there’s a sense of Uther hanging over both his children, even beyond death, and just how much harm he caused them despite his love for them. Okay, this all feels really headcannony and to be honest I can’t quite work out how much of it is actually in the episode and how much I’ve gone on a complete tangent to it and completely forgotten how it actually went haha.
Merlin and Arthur’s scene in the tent is one of my favourites of theirs: it’s so simple yet nuanced, and the way Arthur introduces the vulnerability himself with his “don’t want to kill me before I’ve even started!” is so beautiful. It all feels so gentle and true to them and I want to say all my favourite bits but then I’d literally be quoting the script word for word so I shall just say that I love it, in case you couldn’t tell!
Also love love love the sense we get of Merlin being a bridge for Arthur to his people in that glorious campfire scene – they share this tiny moment of eye contact before everyone else turns around, and then Merlin is the one to explain how Arthur feels with such assurance that the knights don’t even question him speaking for Arthur. It’s interesting though that previously, we’ve had a sense of Merlin literally assembling team Arthur with Gwaine and Lancelot etc, but actually it’s Arthur who does the uniting in this episode. He does, however, look at Merlin before he makes the pivotal choice on the battlefield and aside from the fact that it shatters my heart, it also suggests that somewhere along the way, Merlin has imparted this…skill (?) to Arthur, though we still get a sense of them functioning where they do best: Merlin making, or rather nurturing, friendships and relationships and Arthur showing diplomacy and mercy in battle.
Annis is next level, of course. I particularly adore the way she says “Something that gives me hope for us all” as though she is partially optimistic and simultaneously partially disgusted at said optimism haha…LOVE her.
Thank you for an amazing episode, as always, and especially for crystallising the Merlin and Arthur arc in the story, as I think that really carries the episode. It’s something I knew was really clean and beautiful in the episode but I couldn’t really organise why in my head, so thanks for that!
29th March 2021 @ 12:31 am
I think a big fault of this episode is to not clearly establish why Arthur acted the way he does. When I was watching, it was clear to me that he was being manipulated by Agravaine. You, on the other hand, used an overarching theme in the episode, Uther hanging over his children’s heads and generally Arthur wanting to live up to his father, as the main explanation for his decision. The different takes I have read in the comments here all make sense which just proves how much room this episode leaves to let the viewers fill the gaps.
Usually I wouldn’t be too bothered with the show leaving enough space to allow different theories but when it comes to such an important character moment I don’t feel like that is something you should do. It’s one of the most important moments of the episode after all.
29th March 2021 @ 8:24 pm
I totally agree that it should have been stretched out over several episodes –
You know, I have been thinking: what if this had been stretched out over half a season, with some extra legend bit sprinkled in, and then formed the end of the show with Arthur not just reuniting with Gwen but proposing to her. That, as the end of the entire show, would have made me so happy. Just think of that scene where Merlin, Arthur and the knights ride into Camelot and everyone is so smiling and happy. And then Merlin calls Arthur cabbagehead! How perfect would that have been!
But, as Annis points out, Arthur eventually lets Uther go and Morgana is shown to be more like him than she accepts, with her vengeful and brutal ways. –
I have never realised this. That’s so clever!
28th March 2021 @ 10:15 pm
OK, in isolation I really liked this episode, though I fully agree that Arthur’s decisions are incongruous with the usually sensible guy we know him to be. On its own though, I like that it feels like a return to the season 1 format. I adore that the knights check in with Merlin about Arthur – the familiarity and trust it suggests exists between all of them, the differing levels of intimacy between Arthur and Merlin vs Arthur and the knights that is just accepted and respected – Arthur is different around his knights vs around Merlin, not better or worse but different, and they all know this and understand their respective positions because what they all have in common is respect and admiration for Arthur and care for each other.
Regarding Merlin being the one who acts as bait – I can only justify it by headcanoning that it was Merlin’s idea, and Arthur was like “uhh I am NOT letting any of my knights do something so reckless” and Merlin was like “but what if I…” Arthur: “no. you’ll die.” Merlin, somehow already in chainmail: “too late, I’m gonna be a hero!”
The comment you made about Agravaine being to Arthur what Gaius was to Uther made me wonder: why isn’t Gaius advisor to Arthur like he was to Uther? I mean, Gaius is still around, and Arthur seemed to trust him before, so what’s changed? Why hasn’t Gaius interacted with Arthur much (at all?) this season? It would be interesting to see how the aspects of Gaius’s character affected by his experiences during the purge would interact with Arthur, given that I think I remember Gaius saying Arthur would be different from his father and might make magic legal.
Why doesn’t Arthur say to Gwen, “yes, Agravaine, whom I trust a great deal, pointed out to me that I was being foolish in thinking I could stay with you”? It feels so odd that he just lies. I get that he wants to appear strong and certain and stoic, but he also doesn’t want her to think it’s her fault.
I really wish Merlin and Gwen could have talked. Even if they didn’t do anything per se, I wish they had interacted so that we could have solidified their parallel relationships to Arthur. I get that we need Merlin to be alone for the whole tragedy thing, but it just feels like the show forgot about their friendship instead of intentionally separating them.
Why doesn’t Arthur go “hey something weird happened to my sword back then?!” Like, in the moment he was caught up in the fight and immediately after he had diplomacy stuff to do, but on the way back to Camelot he could have said something, or later… It just seems ridiculous that he would just forget about it.
Finally, I was talking about Merlin/D&C with my parents over dinner, and this happened:
My mum: Was Uther such a bad king?
Me: HE COMMITTED A GENOCIDE
So whenever I feel annoyed with myself for how little I remember about this show that I used to know practically everything about (however many years ago), at least I didn’t forget THAT.
29th March 2021 @ 12:05 am
I agree with wanting Gwen and Merlin to talk about how Arthur is not himself. It does make me sad the show forgot that Merlin and Gwen use to be great friends….
29th March 2021 @ 8:39 pm
Arthur was like “uhh I am NOT letting any of my knights do something so reckless” and Merlin was like “but what if I…” Arthur: “no. you’ll die.” Merlin, somehow already in chainmail: “too late, I’m gonna be a hero!” –
I really wish that was a deleted scene somewhere. 😀
28th March 2021 @ 4:09 pm
I’m surprised by how much I liked this episode. I forgot most of the episode, just remembered that it was based on Agravaine’s manipulation and Arthur doubting his abilities, which is something I absolutely despise about this season. Arthur is so clever and we see it shining through all the doubt. We see how much greater he would be if he allowed himself to trust himself and his instincts. I just desperately want to pull him out of Agravain’s grasp.
However, I realised how that this episode deals beautifully with Arthur coming from that weak manipulated state and growing into the king he can and should be, trusting his decision and being kind and compassionate. Seeing how he deals with that and overcomes Agravaine’s manipulation is what makes me really like this episode.
It makes sense to me that it was Merlin who was sent off to run away and lead them into the trap. The show has established before that Merlin is a great runner. When he sneaks off, he is unbelievably fast. Somehow I can keep up with everyone without a horse.
I tried to make sense of the whole putting Merlin in knight’s armour thing and I have to say that I disagree with you. Looking past the fact that he just looks unbelievably cute (I’m sure Arthur also enjoyed the sight) it does make sense to me.
Merlin is a knight at heart. There was the discussion before that Merlin should have been knighted in the coming of Arthur. This is one of the few times that Merlin can show his protection of Arthur to the outside. Usually he hides his actions in battles and ruses.
Even if it’s just subconsciously, Arthur and the knights know that Merlin helps them on missions. They give Merlin that trust here by actively involving him. Merlin is just as much part of the knights as the others and we’re shown that in this episode. (I’m also thinking of the scene at the campfire where Merlin sits among the knights as a part of them.)
The scene hints at what Arthur will learn at the end of the episode: Merlin is part of him and the knights. He shouldn’t be pushed away, instead he should be involved.
On the placement in the episode:
Merlin is part of the knights and Arthur until Agravaine pushes them apart. Arthur would let Merlin in if it wasn’t for Agravaine’s manipulation. We establish a bond in the beginning which is pulled apart again for more contrast to really show the impact Agravaine’s influence has.
It’s important to establish Merlin as a close part of the knights in the beginning for that to work, because he was pushed away so much in the last episode. We as viewers need to be told again how close they really are and how close their bond is.
Agravaine’s goal of making Arthur a bad king makes sense to me because if he has a bad reputation with his people, they’re more likely to accept Morgana as their queen (That has been a problem before).
Agravaine must have known that Arthur’s army is strong enough to win the war (which Leon confirms), but many people would have lost loved ones. That certainly doesn’t help with popularity, even if you win the war.
It would have been nice if that was more clearly established though.
It’s ironic how Agravaine says Uther knew that a king should rule with his head instead of his heart. Uther wasn’t good at that as well. His whole policy on magic is based on his heartbreak and grief from Igraine’s death. As soon as anything regarding magic came up Uther’s passion took over and he started making decision based on emotions. If anyone, Arthur should be the one to realise that being taken over by passion and hatred leads to wrong decisions. Uther certainly doesn’t learn that. The comment “You don’t rule with your heart. Your father knew that.” just isn’t precise enough. It would have made more sense if he said “You don’t rule with compassion. Your father knew that.”
There’s a lot wrong with Arthur breaking up with Gwen in this episode. Why does Arthur follow up on Agravaine’s advice? Doesn’t he somewhat realise that Agravaine had bad advice for him at this point? He just got a war at his hands because of Agravaine. This talk would have made a lot more sense before Arthur had been messaged that there will be a war. Then it wouldn’t have made Arthur look like a fool for not realising how bad Agravaine’s advice really is. If it was earlier Arthur could still believe that he did the right thing and that Agravaine had been in the right and therefore he would be right regarding this issue as well. I do believe that Agravaine’s manipulation is strong enough to have Arthur make his fateful decision in the beginning but in this instance at this point in the episode that doesn’t work for me anymore. The scene needed to be earlier.
It also would have been good to space out Gwen’s scene watching the knights ride away to go to war, so there was a bit of space between her pain after the break-up and her still caring for them.
The moment after Arthur struck the deal with Queen Annis with Merlin and Arthur is odd to me. Why doesn’t Merlin give him some kind of positive feedback after he just showcased just what Merlin expected of him from the beginning? He wanted him so show compassion and that’s what Arthur did. Their banter and insults feel out of place because of that and it hurts me to say because I love their banter 99% of the time. It just doesn’t work here and feels more insensitive than it is meant to be. The banter would have been fine if there was any sense that Merlin communicates that as stupid as it was for Arthur to sneak off alone, the deal itself was an honorable thing to do. I think Arthur would have needed that.
A random thought I had in the middle of watching the episode: Morgana is mostly opportunistic and doesn’t really plan anything which you criticised on the podcast a lot but I like to imagine that Morgana just sits in her cottage and studies. She has learned so much in such a short time, she has to invest time and effort in that. You don’t learn all of these rituals over night. However, if there’s a good opportunity to further their big plan, she doesn’t back off to use that chance.
Still doesn’t explain everything and isn’t established by the show itself but it’s something.
Has Merlin’s magic eye glow become more red? I don’t remember if it was before in this season but it certainly doesn’t look as gold as it used to. It looks more evil and almost demonic…
The fandom has probably talked about this before but I need to know: do we ever see Merlin give Arthur his ring back?
28th March 2021 @ 6:28 pm
Your justification for Merlin wearing armor makes total sense to me! I also do agree about the breakup scene with Gwen. It’s oddly placed
within the episode.
As to the ring: I was curious and I skimmed through photos from the next episode (on Far Far Away site), and Arthur doesn’t seem to wear the ring in the beginning, but does in the final scene! Which is… interesting. Not really sure what to make out of it. Unless it’s some other ring? I don’t keep track 😀
28th March 2021 @ 10:02 pm
I kept going back and forth trying to figure out whether they are the same and I think they are. They definitely look similar and are about the same size. However, he also wears it earlier in the episode (also went through the photos, thanks for the tip!) so I assume Merlin just gave it back after the events of this episode and it wasn’t commented on anymore.
It would have been interesting to think about what it could have meant if it wasn’t the case and Arthur did indeed not have it until the end. But apparently it wasn’t given any further thought and therefore doesn’t have any more meaning.
28th March 2021 @ 4:09 am
I like this episode a million times better than Aithusa; however, I don’t particularly like the scene of Merlin in the knight’s uniform. I just keep thinking how can this scrawny guy out run all those men wearing that heavy chainmail?! Maybe this is an unknown magical ability Merlin has?
Even though I really like this episode, I have a huge issue with Arthur not using critical thinking skills. What was he thinking about all night long if he wasn’t thinking about every single possible consequence to his decision? He knows if he draws up this insult of a treaty, Caerleon (spell?) will chose to die instead. Did he not realize this would piss off Caerleon’s queen and kingdom? I think at several different times in this show, Arthur himself says something to the effect that “If you kill me, you have have to answer to all of Camelot.” Does he not think that goes both ways?? Even if he did want to “show his strength” and go through with this, he shouldn’t have been surprised (He actually says later in the episode “An army? Whose army?” REALLY ARTHUR??) when he got the report that this huge army is basically knocking on his front door. I appreciate that Arthur may be insecure in his new role, especially since his decision to use magic backfired when saving his father, but he can’t possibly have such low self esteem that he loses all critical thinking skills?
It makes me sad when Arthur tells Merlin to stick to what he knows right after Merlin says, “You always showed mercy in battle and never sought to humiliate your enemy in this way. This isn’t like you.” Knowing Arthur IS his job…. even if it wasn’t his destiny to protect Arthur, he is the manservant. That is like rule one of Arthur’s manservant’s job: know thy Arthur. Merlin said way in the beginning of this show that he knows Arthur better than himself!
I absolutely LOVE Caerleon! I love how much older he is portrayed than Arthur and how he is absolutely the one with the power even though he is about to get his head chopped off. The way he delivers “Then make it quick,” all cocky like is just spot on! It is interesting that Caerleon says that Arthur is not Uther when this is literally the most “Uther” thing Arthur has ever done. It is perfect that Caerleon is commanding Arthur to “get on with it.” He owns the situation all the way until his death.
The contrast between Queen Annis and Morgana being similar to the contrast between Caerleon and Arthur is well done. Experienced and wise vs young and untested/naive.
I have to roll my eyes when Arthur makes the joke that he wouldn’t share a bed with Merlin when (SPOILER) he literally cuddles with him in the woods in season 5. I guess this just really shows he isn’t himself lately…. (I don’t always ship them, but sometimes I do.) Also, I am SHOCKED Merlin doesn’t follow Arthur when Merlin sees him in his sneaking out cloak. Perhaps Arthur frequently visits Gwen at night? She doesn’t seem too surprised….
The scene of Arthur looking down at the enemy army is so powerful. It really does look like something from GOT. Do you think this might be the moment when he realizes he made a mistake?
Queen Annis is absolutely perfect. I love the slap and her anger on her face. She is amazing…. Katie is also amazing, but I really hate that she keeps saying the throne is rightfully hers. There is something that I have been wondering about, but haven’t mentioned. How does everyone else know she is a Pendragon? I know when she took the throne that one time, she said it was rightfully hers, but anyone could say that, right? Surely there needs to be some kind of proof?? Did Uther ever actually admit to being her father in public?
I am super annoyed that Arthur doesn’t hear Agravaine steal his sword. Where are his warrior like reflexes? Is this suppose to show that he is truly at peace with himself now? In the beginning of this episode, he was acting like Uther and couldn’t sleep all night, but now that he is himself, he gets the best sleep of his life?
My favorite line of this episode is “Thank you, old friend.” It literally melts my heart! We all know Arthur doesn’t like to say he is sorry, so I think this is his apology to Merlin before going out to his fight to the death.
I completely agree with thinking Queen Annis’s champion is ridiculous and insulting. It would have been way more entertaining with a Gwaine like champion, as someone else had suggested. I really like that idea! Or at least have the man talk. I mean he isn’t a monster or zombie… I do; however, enjoy Arthur’s face when the man growls at him. Makes me laugh.
Did anyone else notice Merlin’s facial expression when Morgana activates her spell. Was this him sensing the magic? (I can’t remember if you mentioned it in the podcast)
Overall, great episode! I am REALLY looking forward to next week’s episode even though I could tell by your voices that neither of you are….. So SAD! I know it’s kind of a silly episode, but I just love it! Can’t wait to discuss it and I really hope neither of you ruin it for me…. BE KIND!
Side notes:
– I love how dirty Merlin and Arthur’s faces are when out in the woods. Very realistic.
– I actually love the bit where Arthur jumps off the ledge onto one of the enemy basically pancaking him. It looks badass even though in reality it was probably a bad decision…. haha
– I love the punching bag scene…. “You seem tense” Makes me laugh. Poor Merlin tries so hard so many times to get back into Arthur’s circle of trust.
– Angel Coulby looks just gorgeous all through the break up scene.
– If there is one thing I have learned from this episode…. Serious Bradley = Most Handsome Bradley 😍
– I had no idea Arthur was such a rock climber! And to rock climb down that cliff in all that armor! Wow!
– The droopy flower is adorable. Who could turn down that? I mean seriously?!
28th March 2021 @ 4:12 am
Wow! That was a super long comment and I apologize…. I started taking notes during the episode, which might be a mistake!
28th March 2021 @ 3:44 pm
After reading the others’ comments, I think the amount of credulity we have for Arthur sitting by the campfire all night really depends on how much anxiety we allow Arthur to have. I’m a very anxious person in general, and it’s totally believable to me to be awake for the whole night basically fretting about the decision you have to make, and yet not thinking through all the rational options you have! That’s what anxiety does to you 🙁 So I guess I might be extrapolating my experience on Arthur. There is probably no good answer to the question of what was really happening in his head throughout this night, I guess, since it’s not a novel and we can’t observe his thinking process.
I agree about Carleon! I forgot to mention him in my original comment, but he’s absolutely amazing and really owns the situation!
I back you up when it comes to next week – I love The Servant of Two Masters, too, so PLEASE PLEASE BE KIND! 😉 It’s probably the only “fun” episode of Merlin which REALLY makes me laugh throughout, unlike the trolls and goblins and farts and warts!
28th March 2021 @ 10:24 pm
“It makes me sad when Arthur tells Merlin to stick to what he knows right after Merlin says, “You always showed mercy in battle and never sought to humiliate your enemy in this way. This isn’t like you.” Knowing Arthur IS his job…. even if it wasn’t his destiny to protect Arthur, he is the manservant. That is like rule one of Arthur’s manservant’s job: know thy Arthur. Merlin said way in the beginning of this show that he knows Arthur better than himself! ”
Oh gosh, this has put a different spin on this for me – the literal meaning is Arthur saying “stop trying to get involved in king stuff, stick to being a servant” but your comment has made me realise that Arthur is also saying “you don’t know me. You think you know me, but you don’t.” which is heartbreaking for Merlin but also implies that Arthur thinks Merlin wouldn’t say he was merciful if Merlin actually knew him…
29th March 2021 @ 12:32 am
I just rewatched this scene and I think Arthur snaps at Merlin about “sticking to what he knows” because Merlin DOES know Arthur and when he said that truth, it hit a nerve…. He doesn’t want to be reminded of who he is because he has decided to be like Uther. The fact that he snaps so quickly from talking with Merlin and listening to basically telling Merlin to shut up shows he knew deep down he was making the wrong decision before he even made it. Oh…Arthur….
27th March 2021 @ 3:33 pm
When watching this episode way back when, I remember thinking the very start was gonna turn out to be a dream sequence, and Merlin being a cornered knight in his own dream would lead to some great insight for us into how he perceived himself. Or on the other hand, it could turn into a nightmare, like we have seen with Morgana.
On another note, what has happened to the allies of Camelot? Godwin, Olaf, the 5 kingdoms, etc. Isn’t the whole point of having allies is that they would have your back in a war? Even a few lines thrown in before they set off about why each kingdom said they couldn’t get involved, or Arthur saying he wouldn’t drag others into his mess, surely would have been better than pretending suddenly they don’t exist.
The fight with the giant seems a little off to me, I’m not sure what it is, but it doesn’t appear as cleanly choreographed as others. Its more obviously staged and slow. there’s so much hesitation that I was half expecting the giant man to surprise Arthur whilst it was looking up at Merlin on the cliffs.
27th March 2021 @ 4:29 pm
Another add on point is that I never got worried for my knights in this episode. We see them joke and are happy and obviously this is about Arthur, but we could of gotten glimpses into their characters a bit more. This is for some of them the first major war like battle they are about to fight and possibly die in, and I didn’t get that vibe from them. Gwaine could have been shown to be the heavy drinker to cover up his nerves, Percival the quiet calm one, Leon the realist, etc.
28th March 2021 @ 2:06 am
That is an excellent point! I think that would have made Arthur’s guilt and anxiety feel more real!
28th March 2021 @ 10:26 pm
I definitely agree – the knights are waiting to see what King Arthur is like vs Prince Arthur, and what that means for them in this clearly massive battle, and it would have been so good to see more them as individuals like you said.
27th March 2021 @ 2:40 pm
I have so many feelings about this episode. First I kind of went on a deep dive on the identity of the neighboring king in this episode. I remember distinctly thinking that it was Odin who he had killed (and I saw that someone else who wrote in that this too!), which made the episode resonates with me much more. This is because Odin is the reason that Uther is dead (he sent an assassin to kill Arthur but killed Uther instead in the Wicked Day) and Arthur has spared Odin when he first tried to kill him to avenge his son (in the Once and Future Queen) and apparently that was the wrong choice. Starting out the episode with his acts of mercy as a prince called into question and now that this “Odin’s” knights are coming into Camelot’s land and killing people is not only disrespectful to Arthur but flaunting what can happen if there is not consequences for actions.
Anyway, I went through the episode and only found them address the other king as Carleon and I looked it up and Agravaine did mention Odin in this episode (but I missed it in my watch through because they show Merlin being irritated with Agravaine and I feel that constantly through this episode and season). So obviously the writers remember that Odin exists and chose not to use him here.
So I guess if a lesson was learned from this episode it’s that the Merlin writing team do not care about making an episode the best it can be, but merely save a named character if they want to use them later- “just in case” they want to use them later in the series. Which they do in Odin’s case, (he appears in season 5, which I found out through my research but I do not remember at all) but utilizing him in this episode would have been a much better end for the character and build the storylines from the earlier seasons and show how Arthur could have realistically faltered. Throughout the whole series we have seen that Arthur seemed like he was ready to be king since mid-season one it would be interesting to have it affirmed to Arthur by the end of this episode that his judgement has been sound from the beginning instead of making him foolish for just listening to Agravaine about some b.s. that everyone else knows is a bad idea. I think that is what the Merlin team tried to do but did not land it all the way… Sorry for a bit of rambling!
-I will also submit this lesson, but I felt that it tied in nicely here-
SPOLIER ALERT FOR THE SECOND HALF OF SEASON 4
Side note, it would have given Arthur much more motivation to propose to Gwen at the end of this episode when they had their romantic scene; or possibly at the beginning of next episode if they wanted to give that moment more time. This is because now Arthur is confident in his instincts and his love for Gwen is something that he develops in the same episode (The Once and Future Queen) and now he is ready to accept that his way of ruling is different from Uther but still respected by other kingdoms (shown by Queen Anais in this episode).
28th March 2021 @ 2:11 am
Every time I watch this episode, I expect Arthur to propose, but it doesn’t happen! You are right! It would have fit in so well here.
28th March 2021 @ 10:28 pm
You’re totally right – using Odin here would make SO MUCH SENSE.
27th March 2021 @ 2:46 am
I agree that this episode has some really outstanding moments. Once again, Colin and Bradley pull it off with so much style. It’s impressive, really, and the reason why I watched all five seasons instead of giving up at the end of season 3 😅
The one thing that really struck me is how well Nathaniel Parker performed his insinuating, cunning and manipulative role. I really believed it this time, despite, yes, the way it undermined what we’ve seen from Arthur’s character before. But I have to give props to the man! I love a good manipulative character and he really gave me that in this episode.
28th March 2021 @ 2:48 am
Nathaniel Parker does a fantastic job, but I still want Agravaine to mention SOMETHING that might suggest to us why Arthur should trust him. I am not sure if he was younger or older than Uther, but I think it would be powerful if Agravaine was an advisor to Uther in his younger years. Maybe he could mention to Arthur that neighboring kingdoms tested the borders when Uther took the throne and this was how he advised Uther in a similar situation? I know he mentions that Uther was a strong king and this is what Uther would do, but it would help me understand why Arthur listens to him if I know Agravaine advised Uther or maybe Agravaine was an advisor for another king. I just keep thinking “What are your credentials?! (other than being an Uncle)”
30th March 2021 @ 7:06 pm
Lol @ the idea of Arthur asking Agravaine for his CV 😂
You’re absolutely right, not even his great performance can change the fact that the development of his character – and thus his interaction with Arthur in this episode – is shoddy at best. It seems like Arthur only listens to him in this case to move the plot, which, as Ruth pointed out so well, is a kind of lazy way to tell the story!
26th March 2021 @ 4:30 pm
This episode was so cool- some of the scenes looked like they could be from Game of Thrones (but nicer…), it’s cool to delve into the wider world of Merlin.
I agree with Danuta that I do kind of see why Arthur buys into Agravaine’s suggestions, I just wish it had been better shown? If Arthur was clearly really beaten down by killing Queen Annis’ husband then it follows that Agravaine says “yea get Gwen gone now” and Arthur just goes with it because he’s so out of himself. Though, like you said, if this were the case it doesn’t make sense for him to have thought long and hard about it. Also it bothers me so much that Gwen gets put through so much this episode, this storyline has been done before and this time she is given no space or time to feel it, it’s disrespectful to her character and makes her and Arthur’s relationship come off as quite toxic.
As it is though, you just have to take it as Gwen having enough faith in Arthur that she knows he’ll come around again. I just wish Gwen was allowed space to be young and silly, she’s been pushed into this sort of matronly, big-sister kind of position which is not quite right.
About Arthur’s lack of kingliness this episode, it kind of bothered me. I get that he is a young King and clearly struggling, but I wish at least he was more visually different from the knights. They do a better job of characterising Percival’s chainmail than Arthurs, and actually I think Arthur really needs to stand out from the knights more than he does, even if he doesn’t look much older. Maybe if he wore his cape more or something, some bold colour so he’s not grey like the rest of them.
On the other hand, Queen Annis looked amazing! Omg the power she held with all that fur and dark, earthy colours. Morgana is a great representation of the LGBT community’s attraction to her middle-aged-woman power. Oh poor Morgana, I agree I wish they played up how sad and lonely she was a bit more, but Katie does a good job of portraying how desperate and kind of pretentious she is- when she insults Queen Annis is is just so childish and weak, her power is kind of debunked. Another reason we needed her arc more clearly done, because this moment could have really added to her resentment and evil- having been rejected by yet another party- but she’s already at that point, so m=how much evil-er can she really get?
27th March 2021 @ 3:51 pm
I absolutely agree with you. Annis is such a badass and it’s like she was the real power behind the throne whilst her husband went off on silly impulsive raids. Since we are getting introduced to more and more women in other kingdoms (Elena is heir, Vivian is heir, spoilers: Mithian is heir, queen Annis, etc) I remember thinking at this rate the show was going to take an interesting turn on how it started out with all these kings, and by the end the powerful women would be left. Arthur seems like such a rarity, no wonder he is sought after by many lands to marry their daughters coz he’s the only suitor around.
And yes his armour should have more stand out style. In battle the king would wear a helmet with a crown so his own side would not kill him but it meant he would be a target for the enemy. No need really, when every other army that isnt Camelot look like barbarians haha.
27th March 2021 @ 11:28 pm
I can’t wait to meet Mithian! I love all my ladies of Merlin really, it’s a big shame they aren’t used so much and we don’t really get them recurring- even Mithian could do with more time but she’s still great.
And absolutely no need to worry which side is which in terms of armies- Merlin’s slightly culturally-insesitive costuming team is on it! Arthur’s look is ok really, I just wish there was more development. I’ve done some little watercolour paintings of the main four from the first season, and I thought it would be fun to do another set of portraits of them at the end of the show, but Merlin and Arthur do not change one bit! Gwen has this noble glamorous transformation, while Morgana goes from that to bog witch, but Merlin and Arthur have the same look. I see the show would want to keep the core two consistent- they are what the show is all about and their relationship is what remains relatively constant, but it would be nice to have some degree of change. I love Merlin’s look to, but really it would be nice to have some variation later on as sometimes he still looks a little too peasant-ish to be manservant to the king… him in chainmail was quite the breath of fresh air!
4th April 2021 @ 5:51 pm
I know right! Their look is iconic, we get it, but for 4 seasons they’ve looked the same and we will forever know who a cosplayer is trying to be because of those seasons, but going forward it wouldn’t have hurt to put our two main lads in different costume or hair lengths for the last season and a bit. It’s not like kids would look at them and no longer recognise them.
Gwen got hellalot more dresses in the last 4 seasons than I expected, she clearly is getting the perks of a rich boyfriend, but poor Merlin needs to be given a promotion, not just in position, but also in look. He’s getting towards 8 years older by s5, he should look it. Arthur too…
26th March 2021 @ 4:05 pm
Another aspect of how compressed the time frame and story arc of this episode is shows up in Queen Annis’ interactions with Arthur. She’s remarkably civil with him considering that he killed her husband about a week ago. Yes, there is the slap, but even that seems a little tame in light of what Arthur has done, and then about a day later there’s the post-combat reconciliation with the warrior handshake and the “there’s something about you” line. If Arthur just killed Odin, shouldn’t Annis be angrier and more deeply sad? I do really like the interactions between Annis and Arthur–the script and its portrayal by Lindsay Duncan and Bradley work really well, I find. But I totally agree with you guys that this story arc should have taken much more time, which would make Annis’ actions make more sense if she’d had time to work through her grief and anger, as well as allow more time for Arthur’s character growth.
27th March 2021 @ 7:48 pm
Sorry, Arthur had just killed Carleon, not Odin!
26th March 2021 @ 11:03 am
Thanks for saying everything I’ve been thinking about Season 4 ever since I watched it a decade ago. Also, Queen Annis is the best. The slap said everything Arthur needed to hear: you silly, insecure boy. Which, unfortunately seems to be his direction, now that he’s king. It’s a valid storyline that I think could have been handled much better.
It was very cute when Arthur is apologising to Gwen with some flimsy flowers -I like the angle that he’s seen as a hero in Camelot but doesn’t actually know how to woo girls and do big, romantic gestures. But that apology was nowhere near enough. Instead of going with that reset button, this could have started a rift between Arthur and Gwen, leading up to certain romantic tensions in a future episode. ‘Things will be different when I’m king’ was his big promise to her, and he breaks it because of something Agrevaine mildly suggests? She should have dumped *him!* What would have been interesting is if Agrevaine did something like spread rumours about Gwen in the kingdom. Like everyone starts talking about her being a serving girl who is fooling Arthur just to get the throne. And to defend her honour Arthur sees no other way but to break up. Otherwise it just wasn’t a desperate enough situation for him to do that.
On a lighter note, would love to know what that guard did with his discovery: saw the young king last night, visiting some place in the lower town, hiding under a hood…
27th March 2021 @ 4:03 pm
I can’t help but think if they hadn’t killed off Lancelot so early that this ‘break up’ Arthur and Gwen have would lead more into the legendary love triangle. How Arthur could say sorry and try to make up but Gwen tells him they both need time apart since Arthur needs to sort out his priorities and she would begin to bond more with Lancelot again, creating tension.
The relationship needs pressure proofing but not in a ‘from one extreme to the other’ way. Gwen needed to get Arthur thinking about who he listens to and what he could lose but not intend to start getting drawn back to Lancelot, whom she also likes and would not have to wait for. Alas Lancelot is not here…
26th March 2021 @ 2:08 am
Hi! I recently discovered this podcast, and obviously I’m way behind. (Started II.X today, so I apologize if I’m way off topic.) I don’t know if I’ll catch up before the end of the series. I got to listen to several episodes yesterday as I was gardening, and something occurred to me about Merlin. (Disclaimer: I haven’t been watching along with the podcast. I watched Merlin when I was growing up, although I finished it at a later date.)
I think it’s interesting that the dragon’s pronouncement of destiny is never, as far as I remember, thrown into any doubt. Arthur and Merlin are sometimes in mortal danger, but I mean that the show, and Merlin, never hold any doubt about the dragon being honest about the great destiny as he foresees it. I don’t know if it’s the family-friendly nature of the show, or if 2021-me is just cynical, but the dragon has been trapped for decades underground, something dragons might have considered cruel and unusual punishment, after surviving a genocide. We never establish what, if anything, he’s being fed, and we almost never see him get visitors, but he has some knowledge of Uther’s rule. He’s probably incredibly bored, if not struggling with his mental health. It would be totally believable if the show, as the story progressed, wanted to question if maybe the whole destiny line was a cruel joke invented by a bored and bitter dragon hoping for a better future or trying to create a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Some random kid with a whole lot of magic wandered into Camelot under Uther’s nose. If you’re a dragon, and you’re bored, or you just want to try and throw a wrench in Uther’s legacy, you tell the kid his destiny is to help the prince create a great and just kingdom. Why not?
What if there was no destiny for Merlin, and his magic was just random? What if Arthur was just another prince, better than his father, maybe, but not more special than that? It might have at least been something to play with. I think the show somewhat questions predestination in some of the Mordred and Morgana-centric episodes (I love your criticisms of Gaius, by the way. Morgana totally could have had a better arc if not for his behavior.), but it always felt to me more like the characters were hoping that the dragon’s predictions of predestination would prove wrong—“Can we defy destiny and keep our friends from becoming our enemies?”—instead of asking, “Are you sure there’s a destiny here? This seems pretty random for destiny.”
Merlin questions how the dragon can be right and what if he’s not, but never asks (far as I remember) “Did he lie to me about all of this? Does destiny even exist? If destiny is real, do our actions matter that much? A lot of terrible things are happening. Are those destined too? Who made this destiny? Was it Gwen’s father’s destiny to be executed like that? I don’t like this destiny, and I’d like to give a piece of my mind to the person who laid it down.”
I get that Merlin-just-arrived-in-Camelot wants/needs to believe that he and his magic have a purpose, and I suppose that if he’s unable to question destiny because it gives him purpose, the show can’t question it too much either (as you say, he is the narrator). There is the fact that the dragon, if I remember right, knows Merlin’s name before they meet, but maybe he’s just telepathic. I wonder about Merlin’s ability to take at face value a declaration that he and Arthur have destiny. Maybe that was too existential for the show’s target audience? Maybe I overthink things.
Anyway, I really appreciate the podcast. I love the way you critique the show while your love for it still shines clearly throughout.
In an episode I listened to recently, you said you like to know what people do while they listen to the podcast. Yesterday, I planted a gazillion daffodils in the yard.
26th March 2021 @ 12:33 pm
Welcome Morgan! 😊
Ah, the destiny plagues us all here, I think. 😉 Personally, it’s difficult for me to imagine the dragon inventing it alone, since the druids seem to know at least some parts of it – but of course, it doesn’t mean that the dragon didn’t just use the story he already knew for his own purpose. The show seems to repeatedly show that Merlin is better when he overcomes the destiny (like when he doesn’t kill little Mordred), or when the change comes because of who Merlin and Arthur are and what they share, not because a lizard said so. But you’re right, it’s never explicit, which probably comes down to Merlin being a family show. It would be a difficult lesson for a family show to tell people that there is no higher order to the universe and we only have each other!
I think a certain scene from the s4 finale shows really well how the only truth that Merlin and Arthur have is their relationship, not any destiny – but I guess I’ll talk about it when we get there, to avoid spoilers. 😉
25th March 2021 @ 2:47 pm
The only thing I regret about this episode is Agravaine and his motives. I wish we at least didn’t know yet that he’s in league with Morgana, and believed that he really thinks he’s giving good advice. Then, he would be more of an Uther figure, with entirely different worldview, but still trying to do good for Camelot, in his confused way.
Otherwise, I love the episode, and I feel a strong need to pour that love into my comment 😉
I TOTALLY buy Arthur’s confusion and why he chooses to listen to Agravaine. You said it would be more believable if Arthur already made some decision following his heart and it backfired, so he turns to Agravaine now. But that’s exactly what happened in The Wicked Day! He decided to go against his father’s views on magic, and in his mind, it backfired horribly. He wasn’t a king officially back then, but effectively, he already was. So it doesn’t surprise me at all that the first thing he does here is to listen to Agravaine, after all, he also told him not to use magic to cure Uther.
Additionally, as you said, being king is actually really different than thinking about being a king, and I buy Arthur kind of “losing his mind” temporarily. Agravaine and Morgana succeeded, if only for a moment: they made Arthur more vulnerable than he would have been if his becoming king happened in a different way.
I love so much about this episode. All the Arthur/Merlin bits, the running theme of Merlin being Arthur’s friend; the way Arthur looks longingly at the knights and Merlin sitting by the campfire, like he wants so much to be with them. I love how he asks Merlin when Agravaine asks him if he’s ready before the single combat. And, of course, the combat itself, the way that the camera frames it as if Arthur was looking straight into Merlin’s eyes when he spares Annis’ champion.
LOVE Queen Annis. The moment when they get the message about her invading and they have a near “oh sh*t” realization of how much they underestimated her. All her bits with Morgana and Arthur. She’s just perfect.
Katie is also shining in this episode. The way she goes for false humility in the beginning, and her silent fury in the end. I love that she didn’t go for full blown anger, but rather this set jaw look – it looks almost childish and fits well within the theme of the episode.
As you can see, this episode is somewhere in the top 5 of all Merlin for me, and I’m really passionate about stating it for the record 😂
26th March 2021 @ 11:33 am
I totally agree with you on Arthur’s decision this episode. By giving us this episode in which we can see Arthur’s insecurity of his own judgement we are also shown how vulnerable he is to Agravaine’s manipulation. Agravaine is actually quite witty when it comes to pressing just the right buttons so he has full control on Arthur and his emotions. Arthur isn’t stupid, which we see by him overthinking his words over night, however, Agravaine’s manipulation is stronger in the end.
Like you said, Arthur doesn’t trust himself fully because of previous bad decisions, which makes it believable that Agravaine can have that effect on him. He has no reason to distrust Agravaine and therefore sees his word as wiser than his own.
26th March 2021 @ 12:23 pm
Totally! Agravaine might be an infuriating character as a concept, but he’s quite cunning when it comes to playing Arthur. He hits similar notes to Uther, especially when he talks about the inappropriateness of Gwen, or a king needing to be strong. That Arthur had strength enough to defy Uther doesn’t mean he’s immune to this type of manipulation. Although people often say that Arthur doesn’t progress enough in the show, I actually really like that it goes so slow for him, that he has better and worse moments. It’s realistic. We became used to movies showing us great, pivotal moments for characters, after which everything is different. But it’s a time saving shortcut. In real life, change is a process, and gaining security and self-worth can take years, especially if it’s been undermined since you were little.
27th March 2021 @ 11:10 pm
Yes I totally agree with you! This episode is also one of my absolute favourites, there’s so much in it that I just love and I do really believe the circumstances/decisions that Arthur faces and makes.
I always loved the journey that Arthur is brought on here as he reverts back to an almost child-like state in his new kingship, even though we know full well what he is capable of because it has been shown many times in the past. But I do think that the numerous wobbles and doubts about what he thinks is right that he experiences throughout this episode is a pretty realistic portrayal of how we cope with new responsibilities and these failings are all part of eventually being able to stand firm in your beliefs. So yeah I totally get why he listens to Agravaine here and leans on his council because he is probably lacking in confidence a bit which is also helped by the fact that his decision to heal Uther a few episodes ago backfired on him.
As much as I hate Agravaine (or ‘Aggravating Agravaine’ as I always called him when the series first aired!), I think Nathaniel Parker does a stellar job in playing him and the deceit he portrays in this episode is spot on. Particularly in the scene where he talks to Arthur about Gwen, it’s master manipulation because of the way he claims that he doesn’t have a problem with it but the people will, and all his “oh what a shame” glances down at the table I think really send a strong message to Arthur that it is an uncomfortable truth which he needs to address. Urgggggh I hate him but that was a good job! And the break-up scene between Arthur and Gwen is sooooo beautiful and breaks my heart every time, no matter how many times I’ve seen it!
Queen Annis is such a brilliant character, I think she’s brilliant and (spoiler!) I’m so glad this is not the last we see of her. Also love the relationship that forms between her and Arthur here too, great to see Arthur respond positively to a warrior-like female character.
Everything between Merlin and Arthur in this episode is also just the best….so yeahhhh I am also so in love with this episode and willing to brush all of its flaws under the carpet…😂😉