#a servant of two masters

[kissme-withyour-cherrylipstick]

What if in A Servant of Two Masters, the terribleness of the assassination attempts was actually Merlin? He couldn't overcome the fomorroh's magic, couldn't not try to kill Arthur, but what he could do was control how poorly he pulled off the attempts. By sheer force of will, he managed to make every attempt fail because his magic just would not let it happen. Even though he wasn't conscious of his actions, his magic was. Even though Morgana's magic was strong, his was stronger. Even though the fomorroh was controlling his mind, it was still his mind. No matter what Morgana did, no matter what the nathair did, Merlin was never going to kill Arthur. That's how strong his love was.

[cabbageheadss]

BBC MERLIN | 4x06: A Servant of Two Masters

[earthshine-moon]

Merlin Parallels

(happy/funny ones as an apology for the sad ones)

“Not that I’d want to be her. Who’d want to marry Arthur?” (1x01)

(4x13)

“In this circle, we are all equals.” (1x10)

“A round table afforded no one man more importance than any other.” (3x13)

“I was fearful I might injure you, sire.” (2x02)

“To kill Arthur.”

“Driving you mad is he?”

“Not for much longer.”

*wheezes* (4x06)

In which Arthur’s reaction to someone saying that Merlin is a sorcerer is exactly the same (2x07) and (5x13)

[marlinspirkhall]

hemlo

whats a scene from a piece of media that forever altered your brain chemistry?

I wish I could say I had to think about this, but I not only did I immediately know which scene to use, I knew exactly when to press play on my screen recorder despite the fact that I haven't watched the episode in 11 years. Anyway,

[nerdtamin]

MORGANA'S THOUGHTS: What did Arthur do that I didn't? I was just as loyal to you, if not more, than he is . So why him and not me?

[thefabledpheasant]

Bro, the fact that they had Gwaine and Arthur alone together looking for a missing Merlin and then had Gwaine try to initiate a conversation about their favorite things about Merlin only to be cut off, drives me NUTS.

WRITERS, LET ARTHUR SPEAK.

LET ME HEAR HIS FAVORITE THING ABOUT MERLIN.

LET ME HEAR WHAT BREAKS HIS HEART MOST WHEN HE THINKS MERLIN MIGHT NOT COME BACK.

[dont-let-me-eat-pears]

wouldn't have minded a whole season of incompetent assassin!merlin hilariously trying to kill arthur, gaius and gwen running around trying to stop him, and gwen repeatedly knocking him out with various objects.

[hitchell-mope]

If the writing in this show was actually good. Then Gwaine and Gwen would have been the first one’s to realise that Merlin isn’t acting like himself.

[two-sheep-in-one-wolfs-clothing]

arthur scolding merlin and immediately afterwards taking a moment to gossip with him he’s so they’re so ugh

[ladyofthelake]

I could gush about a servant of two masters until the day I die because its literally perfect but also I love how Arthur says " I have to go" when he goes to search for Merlin. He can't fathom he is actually gone and also perhaps being born of magic he senses his spirit still and I dunno man but I just fucking love this ep and how open and worried Arthur was he was so sickeningly in love this ep and it makes me die dkjvwdfvwekhvfqe

[were-wolverine]

merlin: *complains about his daily tasks as a servant*

also merlin: *gets pissed if anyone else does it in his stead*

[hisnamesdylan]

Arthur becomes so desperate when Merlin’s hurt.

Like, this is just from one episode.

[photo ID: In the first photo Arthur looks devastated and fearful after seeing Merlin get hurt. In the second photo he is calling out and reaching out to Merlin as rocks fall between them.

/End ID]

[iconuk01]

Icon_UK watches Merlin "Servant of Two Masters" (Season 4, episode 6)

This show is on early evening reruns at the moment and is still a lot of fun, but somehow I had skipped this episode first time around as I'm sure I don't remember it.

In it, Merlin is briefly captured by Morgana who puts a small creature under his skin, which makes him Morgana's willing servant in her plans to murder Arthur, but doesn't change his basic personality.

So whilst Arthur goes apeshit looking for Merlin (To an extent some might consider suspicious, given the only other person he's reacted to danger too that way is Gwen) Morgana basically reprograms him and then let's him go.

So, much of the rest of episode is an incredible chipper and upbeat Merlin channelling his inner Wile E Coyote as he plots elaborate and ridiculous ways to murder his boss; Setting up crossbows with tripwires, adding acid to Arthur's bathwater, that sort of thing.

None of them work, but that's mostly thanks to Gauis and Gwen intercepting him (and hitting him on the head with anything handy) because they know something is up.

Plus, everyone else in the castle helping Merlin unawares, because he's Merlin and... Merlin is such a sweetheart... little weird perhaps, but such a sweetheart. The whole thing is ridiculous and hilarious!

Plus, there's a B-plot about another, much more polite, efficient and traditional servant is trying to supplant Merlin's job as "Servant to King Arthur"

Which is not what he's become used to with Merlin.

And Arthur realises, much to his own surprise, that he perhaps prefers Merlin's... non traditional approach (To the extent of gleeful contempt even when he's NOT being mind controlled) as he will NEVER get respect, but he WILL get loyalty and, though he'd bever admit it, friendship and honest opinions (Wel, except about magic, but that's a whole other post).

And as ever, the effortless domesticity (and UST of course) of Colin Morgan's Merlin and Bradley James' Arthur is a delight.

[merthurians-prat-and-idiot]

I just rewatched A Servant of Two Masters and can we talk about how brilliant Colin Morgan is at acting!! I mean when isn't he but- in this episode he plays three different versions of himself!! Merlin, Assassin Merlin & Dragoon! And they're all so different and layered & amazing.

The way he switches between them in one moment and the next or how one comes through in another. When he's Dragoon you still ofc get the emotions of Merlin (because he's Merlin putting on a role). And with Assassin Merlin he's almost like a more extreme version of Dragoon (plus murder obviously).

[poisonedfate]

not to be that person, but the tension between dying merlin and 'about to lose it' arthur is actually crazy. forgot what show i was watching for a second there.

[groundbreakingdot872]

I wonder how many times Leon heard the ‘GOD I could just kill Arthur today’ spiel from servants enough for it to be normalized to him before ‘A Servant of Two Masters’…

Alternatively, it sounded like the first time he had heard Merlin say anything along those lines (the guy being near obsessively intent on Arthur’s well-being that he would never dare jinx it 🥲) and that filled Leon with so much glee it had to be shared immediately! Lol