#and it is out of nimue's love for the legend that we know its true ending

[hanzajesthanza]

i tend to talk a lot about the realistic nature of the witcher, its "realistic fantasy," "brutal realism," its references to political realities and inspirations taken from history, and that is all very important to it.

but... i also want to take a moment to say that the witcher, as a tragedy, also fills me with a hope... that such love, such beautiful families and friendships can exist, even if they differ too much to survive in the end. the idea that the beauty and purity of that love even exists at all, in such a fucked up world, despite it and sometimes existing in the very middle of it, is also what makes it realistic. hope is realistic. love is realistic.

[frenchfriesoverguys]

my review of ‘cursed’ (spoilers)

i have a degree in film and visual culture with no use for it in the pandemic so

i’ve seen a lot of comparison to bbc merlin. it would truly be odd to compare the two shows as merlin is a light hearted fantasy action while cursed is more of a drama fantasy. they fit into two completely different genres within fantasy. in general, never judge a show based off of another. the intentions in making merlin and making cursed are obviously different. i’ve seen other people talk about the character arcs being flat and the characters being boring. again this is a drama. most of the conflict is within the characters instead of in the fighting. i will say that while i do like arthur and gawain, their characters are not truly explored. i enjoy gawain being fae as it does add to the character but he has no true arc and is more so there for a plot device. meanwhile, arthur fits into the lover dilemma of only being seen as the love interest. i admire the twist of the man being the flat, love interest character. however, with this being the first, that i’ve seen, depiction of arthur being a black man, it would have been nice to see more character development. 

pym was THE best development in my own opinion. the reason being, she is so shy, so scared, so complacent. she embodied everything women are taught they have to be. she is resigned to her own duty to be aaron the fisher’s wife. pym lovingly chastises nimue for wanting escape their destinies of their mundane village life. yet she escapes the raid of her village, hides with aaron’s nets, finds an opportunity to leave and does so. she sneaks onto a viking ship and begins stitching up the men and women there so she can survive. she survives being a red paladin prisoner, the same red paladins that raided her village. iris tried to manipulate her and she saw right through it. she ends up being incredibly powerful without ever welding any power. underrated character and need more of her.

now nimue. i really like her depiction in this series. she is shown as powerful but not overly so. she cant end the war with a summon of the hidden’s power, yet she can kick some major butt. she first comes across as the damsel and quickly proves the audience wrong. however, the talk of her from peasant to queen seemed to escalate out of nowhere. it was a little rushed and could have been paced out better. that being said, it was a welcome change. it helped show her power, a rarity for female characters. morgana was also an interesting character. her conflict and growth relied graciously on her own self. having her be attracted to women was the biggest game changer in terms of her character. she seems abrasive and cold until her love is discovered. that moment with nimue was beautiful and the definition of women supporting women. it was a moment that defined their entire relationship. a friendship, by the way, that was so powerful it became a driving conflict within morgana.

by far my favorite thing about this series is the names. people familiar with the arthurian legends know these names. each name carries weight and defines who that person is, was, or could be. waiting to reveal said names by cleverly misleading the audience is significantly more powerful. i’m looking at you morgana and lancelot.

okay lets talk about the red paladin. people are probably uncomfortable talking about religion but ‘cleansing’ sanctioned by the church is based off of real events. this stuff actually happened. so awkward but necessary conversation when bringing up the red paladin. the church is supposed to be operating with kingdoms but instead we see the church as its own power, its own army. they manipulate the kings in order to continue their raids and serve their own agenda. by definition, they represent the patriarchy. or at least they are one of the representations of the patriarchy, the kings being another. they belittle nimue by calling her ‘the fae peasant girl’ while she takes down most of their men. they exclude iris who truly seems to be the only one efficient enough to kill fae and her own sisters. their blatant abuse of said sisters. ect. in later seasons it would be nice to explore the kinder side of christianity. people use god’s name in vain to defend their own ideas of hatred, it would be nice to see a character that spread love instead. (arguably morgana does this but as she rejects god and the religion by throwing her cross away, i’m not quite sure she’s the best example)

everyone wants to talk about the weeping monk so lets get into that character. one of the best character arcs on the show. i love redemption arcs - especially well done ones. so lets be clear, this is not and cannot be the entirety of his arc. he has only just begun. i want to be surprised that he is fae kind but dude showed his magic throughout the series - still a nicely done reveal. this man has been heavily abused and manipulated. and to see that dynamic between cardon and him explained everything (gotta love daniel sharman playing an abuse survivor - dude kills it every time). especially why he doesn’t kill kids as that is a line characters just cant come back from. love him and squirrel but curious as to how he will continue to recover. i personally would love to see his mental health thoroughly explored.

stepping away from plot and characters for a minute, we need to talk about graphics. i cant tell if they got better over time or i got used to them but in the end they didnt seem so bad regardless. the transitions are based off of medieval manuscripts. this may seem like a strange comparison but monty python and the holy grail did a similar thing. that film took more of a comedic route but the idea is still the same. its interesting and different but i think they could have done a little better. they seemingly tried to mix art forms while keeping with the style of medieval art and in the end, they modernized it.

the flashes were incredibly well done. every character defining moment had a flash of green, which is incredibly detailed. the flash forwards were dramatic and jarring and i loved it. by allowing the music to shift and the actors expressions to shift before the flashes, it created a beautiful transition. elevates the series into a more cinematic piece. 

all in all, this series has great potential. the women on this show go from passive characters into decisive leaders. as for the next season, i hope to see more character development and exploration for arthur, kaze, and the red spear. all were underrated and need more screen tie. especially kaze.

[treatian]

The Chronicles of the Dark One:  Magical Loopholes

Chapter 65:  The Safest Place

In anticipation of their evening together and her "open door" invitation, he returned to the library the next morning with a couple of suits in hand. She seemed just as pleased as he was when he put his things in her closet. Small as it was, it still felt like an overwhelming achievement. They spent most of that day apart. He disliked it, but he was glad that she'd given him the time to prepare and grow confident that she would be safe as he carried out this plan. Belle was brave, but she was also smart enough to understand that bravery didn't mean going and looking for trouble. Terrified as she was of the Evil Queen, he knew that she wouldn't purposefully put herself in a situation that might endanger her. She'd stick to public places or the library. And if Regina did choose to hunt her down in that place, his spells meant that he'd be the first to know about it.

The day gave him time to make his final preparations, not only for the dagger but for her as well, for all the ways that he was about to let her into his world. The night before, he'd made another breakthrough, figuring out a combination that he believed would work best to get the magic he'd crafted well-hidden and over the town line. He'd gone with the weak magic theory, finding it to be the one that held up the best against his samples from the town line. All he really had left to do was test it, and he was free. He could be on his way to finding Baelfire as soon as he and Belle completed this task.

She arrived right on time, at the exact hour they'd agreed upon once the sun went down. It pleased him that she ignored the "closed" sign on the door and breezed right in without knocking, but it thrilled him when he heard her lock the door and pull the shades in the front as well before venturing into the back to find him. She acted as if this place were hers as well as his own. For all he was about to reveal, it may as well have been hers too.

"Thank you for coming," he whispered after he'd kissed her.

"Of course," she muttered before looking down at the objects he had out on the table in front of him, all ready and prepared for her. He hadn't seen the point in trying to hide them from her. "What, uh…what are we doing?"

He smiled at her curiosity and met it with his own genuine excitement. "Belle…I'm getting closer every day to my Baelfire. It could be any day now, and things in town being what they are at the moment, there is something that I must do before I go." With a hard, nervous swallow, he reached out to grab the hand she had resting on her hip. This was hard even at the same time it wasn't. But he knew enough to know that touching her would help.

"You already know, but I didn't want it to be a secret from you. I wanted you to know…everything."

She smiled as she tightened her grip on his hand and brought it to her mouth. She kissed his knuckles like she was the hero in some romance novel instead of the damsel…he liked that.

"You can tell me anything. Everything. Your secrets are safe with me."

"I know that," he smiled, holding in tears as he stroked her cheek. It was because he knew that they'd arrived here, in this place, together for this purpose. It was time. "Come with me."

He took her hand and led her into the main room. He heard her drift off to the other side of the counter as he went to the painting that hid his safe and swung it forward to reveal it to her.

"What is that?" she asked, sounding surprised. He tried not to hide his joy that there were still new things he could show her in this new world, new experiences they could have together just as they had at the house. It was the right question for her to ask.

"This is my safe," he muttered, palming the extra key he'd found just for this moment alone. "It's made of strong steel, and it is impenetrable. Unless…you have a key."

With that, he reached across the divide for her hand. Confused, she gave it to him, not to hold as he suspected she thought he wanted, but to slip the tiny piece of metal into her fingers. She jumped when she realized what he'd done and pulled her hand away to look at what he'd given her.

"You have the only copy," he confirmed before she could say anything. "Keep it safe, Belle. Can you do that?"

She looked at him, not with love or joy or even the look of someone who was impressed. Instead, she gazed back at him with utter seriousness in her eyes. It was a look that said she understood the gravity of their task even if she didn't yet know what it was.

"Y-yes," she stuttered out finally. "Yes, but…but why-"

He held up a hand to silence her. She need not ask the question. He knew the time had finally come. And he was so excited and nervous he was almost certain he was going to vomit because of it.

He turned back to the safe and angled his body so that he was certain she could watch him as he inserted his key in the lock, turned it, then pulled the handle and opened the door. He had several objects in here at the moment. Small vials of the potion he'd been perfecting, Bae's shawl, a few stacks of money, but most important of all…the dagger.

She knew about it, he knew that much, but in all her time at the castle, she'd never seen it, and he'd never been the one to tell her about it. That boy she'd brought to help, Samuel, he had come searching for her, he'd always assumed that he'd been the one to inform her of its existence, but when he'd spoken to him later, he'd been baffled as to how she knew about it. Where the information she carried came from was a mystery. How much of it she knew was questionable, but after tonight none of it would matter. After tonight she'd know it all straight from the greatest source there was…The Dark One.

"The Dark One's Dagger," he pronounced as he laid it gently upon the black scarf on the table between them. She was quiet, her mouth open just a bit as she stared down at it with the proper amount of respect and awe an object of power like this deserved. The voices in his head screamed at him. Nimue was calling him every name in the book, ordering him not to turn it over to her, not to let her touch it, to slay her and keep his secret hidden. One look into her eyes silenced their voices.

"This is the dagger that gave me my power," he began. "This is the only way the Dark One can be killed, the only way to acquire the powers."

"Is there any way to reverse it?" she questioned desperately, finally peeling her eyes off of it and looking at him. "The powers, I mean. Is there any way to reverse them or give them back or-"

"Not one that doesn't end in death," he finished for her. "Although we've seen True Love's Kiss is effective, but apparently not in this realm…"

A lie. Sometimes it astounded him how easily and quickly they could come out when he wasn't watching. This realm had nothing to do with why her kisses didn't work here. He'd bound the power to himself back in their own realm after she'd kissed him, and he'd realized that her very touch had healing abilities. He'd have to tell her that. He should probably admit that shortcoming.

"Why are you telling me all this?" she questioned suspiciously as if she could sense there was more behind this than him just wanting to be truthful with her. "Why now?"

"There are very few people who know about this dagger, and what they know is mostly myth and legend, but with the threat of Cora, I began to worry that it might not be safe and after what Regina did to Archie…" he explained, giving her a shorter answer for the sake of time alone. He was eager to do this, to get it out of the way. The rest could wait until after they were done.

"It needs a new hiding place. Somewhere no one can find it, where no one can use it against me."

"Use it against you? You mean use it to kill you."

"Yes and no," he sighed, tamping down the nervous buzz of the Dark Ones in his head. "The Dark One can be killed with the dagger, but whoever holds the dagger has power over the Dark One. Anyone who holds it could order me to do anything, and I'd have to do it whether I wanted to or not. I could kill you without a moment of hesitation if it was commanded of me, Belle, and I won't let that happen. It needs to be safe as much for your sake as it is mine."

"You could never hurt me," she insisted, shaking her head in a way that saddened him because he could tell that she believed that, and if she did, it was a problem. He didn't want to break such a beautiful spirit any more than he wanted to break her, but she needed to understand how serious this was, the gravity of it.

"I could, Belle. This dagger in the hands of the wrong person, and I assure you I could. I can't let that happen. I won't let that happen. It needs to be hidden away, protected."

"So why not the safe?"

"It's too obvious, too much of a target," he explained.

"So…where are you going to hide it?"

"Oh, not just me!" he teased, getting to the best part of this. "We. We are going to hide it."

Together. Because if she didn't know, then she would never be safe.

And with that, he wrapped the dagger carefully in the scarf it had been resting on and then slid it into his jacket. He checked the store, turned off the lights, made sure the doors were locked for the night, making it appear that the only thing special about this night was that he'd be spending it with Belle. When he finished closing up the shop, she looped her arm through his, and the pair of them crossed the street…carefully. He made sure to scan ahead of them, to be on the lookout for anyone that might spot them, for Regina, or for anyone who might want to make themselves a threat. But they encountered no one for the brief twenty seconds it took to cross the street. Once there, he took out the key that he kept to the library and unlocked it himself,

"Here?!" she hissed when he finally closed the door.

"Yes and no," he answered, ignoring the shocked expression on her face as she realized it was going here. He waited for her to object, waited for her to deny him access, to tell him to find another place, but she didn't. Surprised as she was, she allowed him into the library and followed after him as he walked back through the shelves. He didn't bother with lights; those might only assist anyone watching outside in tracking their movements through the library. In the dark, for all a villain knew, they'd run up to her apartment and fallen into bed, or hell, they were having a nighttime rendezvous on the library desk. Let them think anything other than be suspicious about the dagger.

Finally, he arrived at a bookshelf he deemed appropriate and hid a small piece of paper with a map on it, "X" marking the spot, behind the books. Then he looked at the call numbers on the spine. From his pocket, he took a pen and a piece of paper. This was the only thing he hadn't prepared for ahead of time, but it was her escape route, one of them at least. One of the best parts about hiding it in plain sight was that if someone captured her to take the dagger, then here she'd be surrounded by people, people who could see her, people who could hear her scream, people she could run to for help. And if she didn't attract attention on the way in, then he was giving her a second chance at doing it on the way out, though he would much prefer that she just turn over the breadcrumb for a false trail and not get into trouble, to begin with.

"Keep this with you at all times!" he ordered, handing her the paper. When she reached out to take it, he touched her shoulder and squeezed hard, hoping the pressure would impress upon her the importance of what she had to do next. In her desperation to be heroic, it was the one part of this he suspected she'd struggle with the most. "If anyone should come to you, if anyone demands the location of the dagger, give them that paper and tell them that is all you know about it."

She nodded, letting him know she understood.

"It'll lead them here, which will lead them into the forest. Runaway as fast as you can. You come to me. If I'm not here, then as soon as they're gone, get the dagger and go somewhere safe: Ruby, Mary Margaret, anywhere that you can be hidden and protected. Do you understand? Do you-"

"Yes! Yes, Rumpelstiltskin, I understand," she insisted, the use of his full name indicating that even if she hadn't before, she was beginning to understand the seriousness of all this. Good. Because there was one last thing.

"Belle…if it's not safe…if it is a choice between you and the dagger, promise me-"

"I won't promise what you're going to ask me to!" she stated before he could finish. "And we'll only waste time arguing."

He let out a heavy sigh. That, right there, that statement and determination was the one thing in all of this that scared the shit right out of him. The idea that if it wasn't safe, she would die defending that dagger for him or maybe even worse. It was the only part of this whole thing that made him want to rethink this, to hide the dagger from her for her own good. But she was right in more ways than she knew. They could argue about it and waste their time, but time was something he had so little of before he left. He didn't have a backup plan for the dagger if she insisted on something like that. So perhaps, for now, the safest course of action was to allow her to think that, take the bet that while he was away the dagger would be safe with her, and then once he returned take it back and think of a better plan; a safer plan for her. But for now, he had no choice but to go through with this.

He nodded with a dissatisfied sigh, then reached for her hand and led her back out of the main library and into the lobby. He moved quickly to the elevator doors he'd checked on yesterday, summoned the rattling cage, and let the doors open.

"This is an elevator," he explained before launching into an explanation on what they were in this world and how to summon it to her. "Never use it to go down, Belle. Always up. Why is unrelated and a story for another time, but please, never use it to go down."

Maleficent may be gone, but that didn't mean he wanted her down in those tunnels to discover what else was lurking there.

She nodded her understanding, and when he walked into it, she followed. It scared her. He couldn't blame her, not with the way it creaked and groaned and swayed with their weight, but his brave Belle followed him anyway, ignoring the hitch she had to feel in her own chest, and wrapping her arms around his own again. He explained the controls, explained how to close the doors and how to go up and down before telling her again not to go down. And then they moved upward. Her grip on his arm tightened as they moved slowly upward to his dagger's new home.

When they finally stopped at the clocktower, he let the darkness hide him and let his eyesight guide him. He pulled her forward with him to the clock face and removed one of the glass panels protecting the inner hands of the clock, then he took the dagger out of his jacket pocket, magnetized it magically, and cast a spell to make it weightless so that the hand wouldn't be slowed down by the extra weight and force someone up here to fix it. Then he set it to stick on the back of the minute hand, replaced the glass, and smiled at how perfectly concealed it was.

It was easy. Almost too easy. The fact that it was right in front of everyone and yet out of sight made him want to laugh hysterically at the same time he cried.

"Are you sure it'll be safe here?" Belle asked at his side.

"With you?" he asked. She hadn't figured out yet that she was his secret weapon, the Dagger's guardian, the one part of the puzzle that he hoped anyone who came for it would fail to take into consideration. If she wasn't here, he would never have done something as bold as this. With her here, knowing it was here…

"It's in the safest place in the world."

[1001galaxies]

Commentary on Netflix’s Cursed: Episode 2

Edited for language, because I have a few younger/more sensitive readers.

THE MONK SPEAKS. HOT DIGGITY DANG.

Well, DAYUM again. The monk meeting Squirrel is delicious. The LOOK in Daniel's eyes. The staging and lighting. A+

“Born in the dawn.” “To pass in the twilight.” I burst out laughing so hard. The cheesiness. But also. When it's DANIEL SHARMAN SAYING THE FIRST LINE, I mean. I M E A N.

Just watch, that’ll be the new 'may we meet again'.

Squirrel is a discount version of Blue from King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, but he's cute, so that makes up for a lot. And he does have some decent lines so far. “Do you hate them because they're so beautiful and you're so ugly.” “Even your horse is ugly.” “And I love horses.”

But, hang on, his line: “You're so ugly.” *looks at Daniel Sharman* *looks at Squirrel* *looks at Daniel* *blinks* Ah, kids.

Dang, they really do give Nimue every single flippin YA teen girl trope in the world, from both fanfic and traditional fic. Wow. That's impressive, even by my standards.

Joss: “Get up you murdering pig...tie him up...I think we've caught the big killer.” Me: You haven't caught anything, and if you think you have the upper hand with the MONK? Oh honey, you poor deluded fool.

Joss: “Ever been dragged by a horse with a hot coal up his bum?” Monk: “Not that I can recall.” Me: Dang, HIS VOICE. Me: Secondly, there are better ways to motivate horses than that, excuse you.

Monk: “I've got no interest in the boy. He's bait.” Joss: “Bait for what.” Me: Oh yeah, here we go, awriiiiiight. Monk: “For YOU.” *kicks Joss*

Who cares that Daniel is the bad guy, he's the only interesting one. Hot DANG, that roll over the horse. HE'S FIGHTING WITH HIS HANDS BOUND. Gives a new meaning to 'hands tied' Also dang. And WHAT DID I SAY, JOSS. You got owned.

Monk: *kills five or six people with //his hands bound//* Me: Now that's what I'm talkin’ about. Me: Wait, he just killed innocent people. Me: Eh, he’s still the best character so far.

How does Daniel manage to sound sexy saying “go.”

Every SINGLE time we come back to Nimue: Me: okay, booooooring.

Obviously, they’re going with the traditional representation of Bors as a brash lout. Eh. Why.

Can I have Bors played by Tom Hopper, please. He was a good Percival, but I'd like to see him play a surprisingly FUNNY and GENTLE and SMART Bors. Twist the traditional representation.

Ah yes. Cursed: LOOK AT US, WE'RE SO ENLIGHTENED AND SUBVERSIVE AND DIFFERENT that we're going to have the guy save the girl the same way 90% of all fantasy saves occur. Much impressed.

I mean, TELL her, Arthur, yes please. She didn't think, that's the problem. She just reacted with the sword. I get she’s a teen, but come ON, why must every single teenager ever—male or female—react with impulsive emotion. Not every single teen in the world always reacts with emotion first.

Well, this heroine rant is like every other YA fantasy heroine guilt-trip rant I’ve ever seen. I get being sad and emotional and being guilt-stricken because of how events have fallen out, but really on the wording? Really.

Arthur: “And I'm not a cutthroat.” And his head tilt. That's cute. Arthur is genuinely likeable so far, which is /good/. Also nice to see the guy taking care of the girl solicitously for once instead of the other way around. I do appreciate that.

And here we have the OH SO ORIGINAL trope where the heroine was bullied as a child and 'oh you made the village boys pay romantic attention to you with your magic' backstory. REALLY. REALLY NOW. I'm absolutely positive I've got YA fantasy heroine bingo at least twice over by now.

Nimue’s mum: “When you were five years old, you faced a dark god alone in the ironwood and survived.” Bingo again.

Let's play a game called: how many times can this show throw out a Game of Thrones reference/imitation?

IRONWOOD. REALLY? REALLY. Here's the thing. a) Game of Thrones did this already and called it the Godswood, and if you think people aren't going to see what you did there, you 100% have another think coming. and b) THE LAST TIME I CHECKED TRADITIONAL FAE LORE, iron KILLED and/or BURNED fae. But THAT is what you unironically* called your SACRED WOOD THAT PROTECTS YOU???? *Only being 2 episodes in, maybe I'll find out later that it was/is an ironic name, but it suuuuuuure doesn't seem like it so far.

Nimue’s mum: “You are not some fragile maid, you are a warrior..." Me: She's going to say 'and you are strong'. Nimue's mum: "And you are strong." Me: See, this isn't even fun. There's no challenge to this. Also, YA fantasy trope bingo again.

Arthur: "It's a rare blade, I'm not sure I've seen its like." AT LEAST THAT is a decent line. Normally, they say “I've never seen its like” with this awed tone, but he's just factually observing. Cool, cool.

ARTHUR WITH THE SWORD. I'm going to be an Arthurian geek for just a minute and revel in this. I know there's more to this story. Much of it is dead boring. But I'm just going to enjoy this minute because //Arthur with the sword//.

I really did not expect to like this Arthur. He's nothing extraordinary yet, but he's fun. Without being a copycat of BBC's Merlin or King Arthur: Legend of the Sword. He's just a young knight (possibly a prince somewhere along the line??) who is genuinely caring, not super arrogant, and just a DECENT AND FUN GUY. So far.

Arthur: “I've seen a lot of lives wasted fulfilling the dreams of the dead.” YES? FINALLY? SOMEONE SAID IT? I'm here for this. Call out that fantasy trope that is all well and good in some doses but is basically THE FOUNDATION OF EVERY SINGLE YA FANTASY ARC EVER, and it's so annoying. Give us some VARIETY now and then.

Nimue to Arthur: “Spoken like a true mercenary.” No, spoken like the only sensible person in the show so far, Nimue, you twit.

AW YEAH. YOU TELL HER, ARTHUR. She's shrugging off everything you say AFTER ASKING FOR YOUR HELP. Geeeeez. It’s so annoying when people do that.

Arthur: “Get an hour of sleep.” Implied: Everything looks better after sleep + you’ll need your strength. Me, who hates sleep: I feel so attacked right now. ...But he’s right.

Merlin is TOTALLY fantasy Haymitch.

Veiled Lady: “You told us the sword of the first kings was destroyed. You lied.” Okay, so MAYBE Merlin's getting mildly interesting...but are they going to do a good job with it? DOUBTFUL.

Veiled Lady: "This affects all of us, not just you. The fae are on the verge of extinction." Um, THEN WHY EXACTLY ARE YOU DOING NOTHING ABOUT IT? Is this another ‘we can’t bend the rules of heaven for mere earthlings’??

Veiled Lady: “If the church acquires the sword of power, then they will decide who wears the crown. Have you forgotten the words?” Merlin: “Forgotten them? I WROTE THEM.” Me: Okay, that's a good delivery. Merlin: “Whosoever wields the sword of power shall be the one true king.” Me: And a nice mocking accent on that, Oooh yeah, I like. Merlin: “But I'm wiser now. There IS no one true king.” Me: Huh. Now see, that's slightly interesting. Give me more of that.

Pretty sure they told Gustaf to model his Merlin on Starz Camelot's Merlin, “but make him fun and drunken.” He's got that whole Fiennes vibe going on, but also definitely fantasy Haymitch. (Someone else on tumblr said Jack Sparrow, and I could see that one too, thought not as much yet. Where I am, Merlin doesn’t seem super keen on adventuring for the sake of adventuring. He has the bitter past and cynicism of Haymitch right now. Maybe he’ll get more Jack Sparrow-y as this goes on.)

MERLIN HAS NO MAGIC BECAUSE HE GAVE IT TO THE SWORD, okay, that right there is a GOOD element, and chock full of potential. Especially his bitterness. And his insistence that he won't touch the sword again. Are they going to do a good job of using it? Dollars to donuts, NO. Ugh.

Veiled Lady: “I sense fear around the sword. But also great power.” And here we have our Galadriel imitator. Dang, I need TWO more bingo cards.

Veiled Lady: “The sword is finding its way to you, Merlin, but which end of the sword, the point or the pommel, is another question.” Me: *snorts* Cute.

Merlin: "The sword was forged in the fae fires, and to the fae fires it shall return. I shall melt it back to its origins."

Let's play another game called: how many times can this show imitate LOTR?

Veiled Lady: "You are aware the fae forges burned out a thousand years ago?" Yeah, cause Frodo and Sam destroyed Mount Doom, guys, go read your history.

Veiled Lady: “Oh dear.” Veiled Lady: “Tell me you're not planning to steal from him. Without your magic.” Merlin: “I still have my wits and my charm.” Veiled Lady: “I fear you overestimate both.” Ahem, the lady has a point.

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS:

- Arthur is still interesting. That could change super quickly, but so far, I like him.

- The Monk is beautiful, and I'm so here for upcoming stuff I won't talk about, but also for his arc period and more interactions with Squirrel.

- Squirrel is cute, but nothing above the average so far. Still, better than almost anyone else on the show.

- Merlin has the potential to be intriguing, if only they use it.

- Obviously, I'm going to keep watching.

Footnote:

I saw spoilers today about the Monk’s arc, and I'm HERE FOR IT, so here, so beyond here for it, GIVE ME THAT RIGHT THE HECK NOW. IT'S THE ONLY REASON I HAVE ANY EXCITEMENT FOR THIS SHOW RIGHT NOW.

THE WEEPING MONK AS *SPOILER* I. CAN'T. FREAKING. WAIT.

[mimir-anoshe]

💧&🔥

Just a bit of Cursed/Nimulot analysis… Cause I’m bored. And I might have found some interesting parallels/imagery watching it through for the 7 billionth time that I would love to share. If anyone enjoys writing meta… Which I mean I know some of y’all need your fix… Feel free to use anything/expand upon it. I would, but I’m a new fur-mumma and she’s taking up all my waking hours, so this little shit-post about this new hell hole of a ship I’ve dove headfirst into will have to do. The images are from a video and show produced by Netflix, I own nothing, so pls don’t be a bitch about it Tumblr.

***SPOILERS FOR THE SHOW!!! WATCH IT AND COME BACK!! OR DON’T? ANYHOO YOU’VE BEEN WARNED!!*** ⚠️  

- beware Tumblr app users, it may be your doom -

Where to begin, with the teaser? Or with…

THE SHOW! Here be just a wee few times the writers/director(s) through the writing/cinematography have mirrored these two ‘protect the kid - warriors till the end’ idiots. I’m sure others have picked up on them… Not in any particular order, here ya go anyway.

1x02 - 1x10

*Insert spiderman pointing at spiderman meme*

One scar made by an actual dark god tricking her when she was a child, the others by a very human evil tricking him when he was a child and the consequences for both lasting into adulthood.

1x02 - 1x10

Look at the years of trauma Anakin, look at it! They even use the same damn word! The phonetic tones of disgust! The outcast syndrome! Oof. (And it’s not like Nimue being called demon has to do with a general racial-slur from a human, that is a fey calling her that from her own village!) They both grew up viewing themselves as “demons”, the “abominations”. Even their expressions are the same, fear and sorrow and self-hatred. All they both want is to be accepted! (By their fathers especially). To be loved.

The two who are “cursed.”

1x02 - 1x01

*says nothing*

1x04 - 1x01

“Where to begin? With water or with fire?”

Where to begin? WHERE TO BEGIN??? *dies*

Water ☯ Fire

Sword up  ☯ Sword down

Light/Day  ☯  Dark/Shadow

Life & Death (Life around her, death in the water) ☯ Death & Life (forest fires make way for new growth)

Long bit: Both characters are associated to the elements of water and fire individually through the environment/cinematography/colour pallet/colour symbolism, and then water and fire is mirrored between them. She is overall water, he is overall fire; but they also have a bit of the other in each other.

For Nimue this symbolism is often done through her environment, showing her connection to nature as the fey queen and that she does not hide who she is if she can help it. She does not hide externally, so her elemental symbolism becomes EXTERNAL.

Whilst for Lancelot though he is often surrounded by fire, the idea of water/tears is either symbolised through the fairy tale style of the artwork or referenced for him through his name as “the weeping monk.” Hinted at in his characterisation of guilt and self-loathing, the way other characters respond to him (”the one who cries”/”you see it all through those weeping eyes”). His main conflict is an Internal fight between who he is and who he needs to become, so a lot of his main symbolism surrounding water (and even fire as pertaining to magic - ashfolk - and not killing fey) is INTERNALISED, hidden, cut off from the Hidden themselves. Symbolic of him hiding his connection to the fey and that other side of himself, the “human” (morally speaking) side, and therefore hiding who he truly is… Lancelot.

For Nimue, fire means life. Being chosen and her magic saving people. For Lancelot fire means Death, his deeds, “the fires of hell” and the destruction of the “ash” folk and his heritage. He believes hell fire is his fate, going by the “even if I am damned.”

For Nimue, water means death. In the water she takes revenge, where that Paladin almost drowned her. Into the water she falls, where they think her shot dead by arrows. The water is her fate as the Lady of the Lake. For Lancelot, water means life. Tears, emotions, taking responsibility, feeling the weight of his guilt and mourning for the things he has done/lost. For him, water - not ash -means a second chance to be better. To put out the fires and heal.

Though in the end, for both of them, water & fire most of all represent death and rebirth.

1x03

^If you don’t understand I can’t help you. ☯

1x01 - 1x07

Now this one I found quite interesting. Remember that even if Nimue directed the second one, it is still the Power/will of the Hidden at play. (Or should I say the will of the Writers/director) Chosen? Mirrors? Night and Day? Fire… Embers to Ashes? We shall see, but I think it was definitely on purpose.

^I’ll just leave that here, the fuckers kept missing each other for an entire season (WHICH WAS ON PURPOSE THE WRITERS DID THAT ON PURPOSE just as an fyi). The fact that there is this much sexual tension, anticipation, mirroring, fate, destiny and chemistry between two characters who have never even mET should be ILLEGAL! They affect each other immeasurably without ever even meeting, so imagine what will happen when they do...? *pterodactyl screech*

Whelp there ye go. Under the next gif I also did a bit on the Teaser trailer, as that just fucked me up a bit I have to tell you! Up to you whether you want to continue digesting my mad ramblings or not. *Shrug* Thanks for coming to my TED talk guys– 😂 Somebody fucking smite me down like the eldritch horror of writing I am dear god think of the children…

THE OFFICIAL TEASER TRAILER:

Arthur running for the Sword of Power, because you know, King Arthur.

“The Legend says…” The Legend of King Arthur and his Sword Excalibur/Caliburnus? The line is very meta, a reference to the in world legend that this story will create, but it’s also expecting the audience to be savvy of the actual legend of King Arthur and his knights. Both these ideas intertwined into one. Aka, the trailer expects us to have pre-decided expectations for the story we’re now being told, because we’ve already been told it before; this fairy tale of celtic myth/history. All the “spoilers” about Arthur, his lineage, Morgana, Guinevere, the Knights, even the lady of the Lake herself come with that knowledge. However…

Surprise surprise, the Weeping Monk (killer of fae)/ Lancelot (eventually Arthur’s most trusted KNIGHT) instead picks up the fae sword from it being embedded in the ground, subverting our expectation, it definitely fucking subverted mine, but not in a GOT way, in a ~good~ way. I was like, “Whosoever be this fine hooded fellow hath stole away both sword and my good sense!!! 👀”

Also harkening back to the legend of the sword in the stone (another expectation), which the action itself signifies that person be - as Merlin so eloquently puts - “The one true king.”

Ok… Symbolic wink wink nudge nudge towards his true nature (inside and out), saving Percival, potentially becoming the greatest warrior and protector of his people and eventually a Knight of the Round Table; and perhaps King of our Hearts??? Ok, sure thing “concept” trailer. I’ll bite.

Ok… *deep breath*

WHOMSt the fUCK decided to frame (fae “ashman”) ?Lancelot? with the ~SWORD OF KINGS~ (also of fae origin) A N D the line…‘the one true king’ ALL IN ONE… instead of Arthur?

‘BELONGS to the one true King?’ Belongs, hmm interesting word choice… This done in a worms eye view shot meant to make the viewer feel like the character is above/superior/basically we’re kneeling before them? (Which I mean sure? but…) Hmm??? HMMM??? I don’t understand CONCEPT Trailer what is the CONCEPT you’re trying to get across? One hand on his paladin sword and the other on “fae hope” Excalibur I get, he has to make an important decision, one that will either save his humanity (and his people) or destroy it (them), yeah yeah sure that’s F I N E…

…but what about the “KING” SHIT HMMM?? Is there something you would like to share with the rest of the class? *sips tea whilst staring straight into the camera*

it may mean nothing don’t quote me

…Anwaaaay… We all know in a fight Lancelot can kick Arthur’s ass so that’s not whats going on here. Arthur is P I S S E D. They’re not just bog standard enemies here. I mean WPM kicking him in the ribs was pretty “fuck you” and they were just enemies there. In this instance the sword is in play, Weeping Monk has taken something from Arthur that he feels “BELONGS” to him - in this case symbolised by WPM taking “his” sword - and that’s making it personal.

“You stole my sword ya bitch!” And what is the sword linked to? Power? Sure. The right of being a King? Yep. And also a certain Queen…  No no no, this is the Concept of rivalry. It shows that whatever relationship Arthur and his “Knight” will have in the future after all the “die die die” starts to sizzle down will - in its genesis - be a rivalry. Probably mirroring Gawain and Arthur when they first met to an extent. A rivalry for power? For something else? Who Knows!

*whistles innocently*

And down down down he goes. He’s FALLING. There are many metaphorical concepts associated to FALLING… Falling from ���grace” (in the eyes of the Church)… Falling because he has a sky full of guilt crashing down upon him… falling for h… falling in Lo… into the Water!!!! Until he is completely submerged. Water, the idea of cleansing, of washing away who you once were/trauma/sins of the past so you may be reborn a better version of yourself. His old ideals are defeated, he submits to his true heritage and allows it to wash around him so he may begin to heal.

Though if we’re talking metaphors, water is - for obvious reasons - always associated with the LADY OF THE LAKE… Nimue. He has fallen into her world. (pss he’s gonna fall for the Chick in the Lake - I think - there ye go). Water is associated to memory/reflections and mirrors. And he is CRASHING through this mirror… This idea of reflections/mirror images is even more ironic when you’ve watched the show.  

And as he falls beneath the water with the sword of a King, she rises out of it, with the sword of a Queen… Mirror mirror on the wall, who’s in the biggest shipping hell of them all? Either these two are going to be really good at relay, or there’s some conceptual significance here. The specifics? No fecking clue, will need to wait for a season 2! There is also some interesting use of Z~oo~m in this last bit, but I’m sure it’s pretty obvious to you all. Summary: just visually in a concept “teaser” trailer, the zoom in on them both, the reverse mirroring, the literal and symbolic visual of water and the Sword (of rulers) connecting them frames these two characters together, that’s just in the concept trailer. Links their legend together. TBH IT LITERALLY LOOKS LIKE LANCELOT FELL INTO THE WATER AND TURNED INTO NIMUE  WHAT IS THIS GREEK SOULMATE SHIT I’M–

*calms down* This trailer and the show also definitely said to the original Arthurian Legend “RIP but I’m different.” I mean, Nimue is definitely not Lancelot’s mother figure in this one, that’s all I’m saying.

I think this legend might be a wee bit different 😉*cackles*

[aion-rsa]

Cursed Season 2: What to Expect

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This Cursed feature contains spoilers for both the Netflix series and the illustrated novel of the same name. Read our spoiler-free review of the series here.

Netflix’s Cursed puts a feminist spin on the legend of King Arthur by centering its origins around a woman – Nimue, the future Lady of the Lake. Its first season contained a little bit of everything, from romance and action to politics and magic, with a finale that featured several big character revelations and ended on a major cliffhanger. While Netflix has yet to announce a season 2 renewal for the show, it certainly feels as though Cursed has plenty of stories left to tell. After all, no one’s even referred to Nimue as the Lady of the Lake yet!

Save for a few – admittedly, very intriguing – tidbits, the bulk of Netflix’s Cursed is fairly faithful to the novel upon which it is based. Therefore, we don’t have much to go on by way of a roadmap for what the second season could look like. (That, naturally, may change in the weeks and months ahead, since it seems like a pretty safe bet that the book series will continue, regardless of whether there’s a second season of the show.) But there are a few hints to be mined from the ending of the book, and from the bones of Arthurian legend itself, that might provide us some clues.

Here are our best educated guesses for what we can expect to see in Cursed Season 2.

Nimue Survives

There’s not much fun in the idea of a second season without our leading lady, is there?

Cursed Season 2 will have to sort out precisely what’s happened to Nimue, last seen plummeting toward what may well be her death – or potential eternal supernatural imprisonment – after being shot full of arrows. This is a fantasy series, though, so no one should be really surprised when she inevitably survives. The show is very careful to never show us a body, after all, and leaves us with a final image of Nimue drifting through blood-tinged water. It’s really the how of it all that will be the question.

Read more

TV

How Katherine Langford Shakes Up Arthurian Legend in Netflix’s Cursed

By Lacy Baugher

But we have a pretty good idea of what that will probably look like, too. The Cursed TV series ends a few moments before the novel upon which it is based does. The book not only confirms Nimue survives her fall but several other key factors as well, including what appears to be her assumption of the Lady of the Lake mantle. While in the water, Nimue can still sense the Sword of Power and vows to protect it until “a true king rises to claim it.” But instead of transforming into some sort of otherworldly being, an injured Nimue eventually washes up on the shores of the Minotaur Mountains, where she’s surrounded and taken off by a mob of the lepers that serve King Rugen. Whether he will help her or try to use her against Merlin is anyone’s guess at this point.

Merlin’s Magic Tips the Scales

Wild with grief after Nimue’s apparent death, Merlin regains the Sword of Power, reclaims his magic, and murders a bunch of Red Paladins. What’s next for the famous wizard? Probably not helping the Viking king that engineered his daughter’s murder.

Merlin originally allied with Cumber, promising him the sword in the hopes of both keeping Nimue alive and unseating King Uther. Cumber’s betrayal – joining forces with the Red Paladins and ambushing the escaping Fey – means Merlin’s now an enemy, and the only real question is whether he’ll use his newly returned magical abilities to just kill Cumber, or if he’ll decide that Uther should keep his crown as well. Whatever happens, Merlin seems set to claim his place as the real power behind the throne. And that could ultimately prove a boon to Arthur down the road.

We’ll Get to Know The Weeping Monk

The shocking revelation that the murderous Weeping Monk is Lancelot came in the first season’s final moments, leaving audiences little time to process this information. In the world of the original legends, Lancelot is kind of a big deal. He’s most widely remembered for his affair with Guinevere – which brings about the downfall of Camelot – but he’s also the greatest knight of the Round Table and a model of Christian chivalry. (The contradictions are what make it all so fun.)

One has to assume that any Cursed Season 2 would need to focus fairly heavily on turning this character – who spent most of his screen time brooding and executing complex fighting maneuvers – into an actual three-dimensional person. If the intention is that this Lancelot, who murdered a countless number of his Fey brothers and sisters, will one day become Arthur’s most trusted champion and a hero all can admire? Well. He’s certainly got a long way to go.

A Love Triangle – or Possibly Quartet? – on the Horizon

Things will probably get real messy on the relationship front pretty quickly in Season 2. While Arthur and Nimue’s love story feels like it’s barely gotten started, their connection is sweet, romantic, and seems to make them both better people. Arthur, at any rate, has certainly learned to be a leader by watching his girlfriend do it first. Yet, his last-minute meeting with a Viking woman known as the Red Spear means potentially more than a bit of trouble in paradise.

Because the Red Spear’s name is Guinevere. Yes, Cursed reimagines the most famous (and controversial) female character in Arthurian legend as a battle-hardened warrior who wants a crown for herself. Let me count the ways that I am here for this. Because although Guinevere is well known as a major player in this legend, her character is another that’s often not fleshed out terribly fully. Despite the fact that her decisions eventually bring down a kingdom, we’re given precious little idea why she makes them. So there’s something intensely appealing in an opportunity to see her get some real agency within her own story, as Nimue has.

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Netflix’s Cursed Reinvents the Traditional Once and Future King

By Lacy Baugher

Because much like Nimue, Guinevere also has a destiny, and it involves a future as Arthur’s wife and Lancelot’s mistress. Given that she spent approximately five minutes fighting alongside the former and hasn’t met the latter yet, we’re clearly a ways away from that future. But speculating about how that might come to pass – and how Nimue will react upon meeting Arthur’s new lady friend – is definitely entertaining. Largely because it feels as though Cursed could go in any direction with this group, even as they’re all fighting toward the same ends.

Could We Meet the Actual Green Knight?

Putting a stake in the ground now – there’s no way that Gawain is actually dead. Sure, we did see a body this time – sort of –but in a world that’s brimming with magic? Anything’s possible.

One of the most intriguing fusions in Cursed is the decision to merge the character of Gawain, one of the most famous Knights of the Round Table, and the Green Knight, a man sent to test and challenge Gawain’s chivalry, who also happens to be literally green. (And can also withstand being beheaded.) But it seems quite likely that Gawain’s himself may become a true version of the Green Knight in Cursed, resurrected by the magic of the Fey greenery in Season 2.

There’s Probably More to the Leper King

Out of all the predictions in this list, this one feels the most outlandish. But throughout Cursed it’s difficult not to draw parallels between Ruben, king of the lepers, and the Fisher King of Holy Grail legend. In the Grail story, the Fisher King – sometimes referred to as the Maimed King or the Wounded King – is the last surviving member of the bloodline charged with guarding the famous chalice. He’s always grievously injured in some way, and usually unable to stand. Sometimes the lands of his kingdom are as blighted as his body. Various knights journey to his castle to try and heal him, but everyone fails, except for Percival (and in later versions, Galahad.)

Leper King Ruben isn’t nearly as incapacitated as the Fisher King of legend, but he is physically suffering, and he keeps a horde of ancient, magical, and/or singularly valuable items in his castle vault. Don’t be surprised if one of them turns out to be a particularly powerful cup.

The post Cursed Season 2: What to Expect appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[treatian]

The Chronicles of the Dark One:  The Dark Curse

Chapter 117:  The Sword Not in the Stone

The first place he had to go when he arrived in Camelot seemed obvious. It was to the one spot he hadn't returned to in over a hundred years. It was a stone boulder that sat in the middle of a forest. He'd been to Camelot on a number of occasions since Nimue had first told him her story and tasked him to find a way into Merlin's lair. Because of her "task", almost every time he'd visited, he'd always been staring up at the Tower, never able to get inside. This place, however, he'd been to one time, the very time that Nimue had explained her origins to him. It looked almost identical now as it had back then. It was still the middle of a forest, the middle of nowhere, there was still a stream nearby, lots of foliage that had grown up over the years, and one boulder sitting inconspicuously in the midst of it all. The only difference between now and then, was that the last time he'd been here, the boulder had a sword driven into it. Now, there was a clean gapping portion where the stone had once slid into its rocky sheath.

"So, Camelot has found her King…" he muttered, looking the stone over.

The idea of Camelot finding it's King was a very interesting conundrum, considering he'd just had a vision of the Queen and the Knight, Lancelot, sitting on the throne, a cord of love binding them together. Now…how was that possible if Arthur was the true King? But, perhaps even more important, if the dagger controlled him, what could the rest of the sword do?

He hadn't planned on making a trip to the stone forge where Excalibur had been made and the Dark One born, but his questions made it a necessity, especially the question about the sword. The rest of the information he was happy to discover on his own time, but he couldn't go into this blind, not considering the history he shared with that sword. He needed help. He needed her help. Again.

Over the years, he prided himself on how little he'd had to call on her or the others for assistance. Going to that forge now, and forcing Nimue's name to appear on the dagger, was not a conversation he was overjoyed to have.

"Excalibur has been pulled from its stone," he informed the woman looking at him with contempt.

"I've seen." Her response was short, and irritated. Once upon a time, he might have cared about that. But now that he held the title of strongest Dark One, he wasn't particularly bothered by it. If she wanted to have a short one-sided conversation, he could do that. He'd been practicing on Belle.

"What was Merlin's prophecy concerning the sword."

"That it could only be pulled from the stone by the one true King of Camelot, a true hero."

"Those were his exact words?"

"No one knows."

"No one or you?"

Her eyes narrowed. "Watch your tone, boy."

"Answer the question, girl," he snapped back. Nimue was a woman who regarded herself with great pride. He expected attitude from her, and he was prepared to give it right back. He was the powerful one, he hadn't gotten here by playing games when the stakes were this high.

"The Apprentice might know," she finally sighed. "But seeing as how you left him alone in the cabin, alive, I might add-"

"And he's it, then?" he interrupted. He wasn't about to let her go off on a tangent concerning the Apprentice or any tasks she perceived as his. "The Apprentice is the only one who would know the prophecy?"

"He would. Merlin saw the future but very rarely explained it or spoke of it to anyone, including me. On the rare occasions he wrote them down, they stayed in the Tower. The only person who would have a copy is the Apprentice, unless of course, you've managed to get into his Tower, but we both know you haven't."

"I've more important things to do with my time."

"Ah yes…finding your son and eying that maid of yours in the cauldron."

He opened his mouth to respond, but caught himself. That was the problem with having a conversation with someone who shared one's mind. She knew exactly the kind of things to get him riled up. But he was the one that could choose not to let her do that. He chose not to comment on her attempt to regain control of the conversation and instead move on and send her back to the depths of his mind as fast as he could.

"I've had a vision of my own," he announced. "If the person who pulls the stone is the one true King of Camelot, then why did I see Arthur pull forth the blade but his wife sitting on the throne in the future?"

Nimue frowned and gave the closest thing to a shrug he'd ever seen her make. "I'd say the only one who can answer that is you…and time, of course, a concept you should be well familiar with by now."

Another snark that he wasn't going to break to. She served him, not the other way around.

"Merlin fashioned the dagger from the broken tip of Excalibur…the sword has no bearing on me?"

"Is that a question or a statement?"

He didn't respond. He didn't need to. He just had to stare her down and think about demanding her to respond. After that, it was only a matter of time until she sighed and though it was harder to see in the dark, he thought she might have rolled her eyes as well.

"I dare say if it did, you would have felt it by now."

Not exactly an answer like he wanted but close enough. In fact, she had spoken exactly what he himself had been thinking concerning that question, but it was nice to have confirmation. The relationship he had with the dagger was a mystical one, it was a connection he felt all the time whether it was safely in his possession or his son's or that wretched princess from Arendelle. If there was some kind of connection to the sword, he should have felt it in some way. And yet so far…nothing. Small favors, he supposed.

"Why did I see a copy of the dagger in your vault?"

"That's not a question I can answer for I wasn't the Dark One who placed it there," she was quick to answer. "Only that Dark One can answer your question, not I."

And since he didn't know the name of "that Dark One" he couldn't summon him here or now. He'd just have to hope that when he reached his final destination, he, or she, was willing to talk and put answers in his head. And as for Nimue…

"Then I've no further use for you," he growled, banishing her from his sight with little more than a thought.

Nimue was of no use to him. She hadn't told him anything that he hadn't already known or assumed himself. But that was the way of the Dark Ones he carried with him in his head. He shouldn't have been surprised. If he wanted answers, he should have gone right to the source. Merlin's Tower was as he'd always known it. Towering above everything in Camelot and heavily guarded with magic he wasn't even going to try and penetrate today. In truth, the only thing really different about the Tower now from the Tower then was the light that in the upstairs window. Someone had gained entrance, but it wasn't him. If he had to guess he'd wager it was the King and Queen. He'd seen them there in his vision, and in another the Queen had admitted she'd taken the Gauntlet from the Tower. He wasn't pleased with that development. Prior to this moment, the Tower had been shut off from the world and its secrets safe. Now that people could come and go, it meant so could the secrets. And while that certainly gave him a loophole to getting into the tower he didn't like that it meant that any of Merlin's things could be removed and scattered to the wind. If he couldn't have access, he would much prefer no one have access, and keep all his things right where he knew they'd be.

But, of course, imagining all that was silly at this point. Excalibur was no longer in the stone, and the Tower had been breached, whether he liked it or not. Now the only thing he could hope to do was gain access to anything that was brought out of the tower. Fortunately, he knew where one of those objects was going to be.

For once, he walked through the streets of Camelot wearing the glamour that Zoso had used when he'd first met him, it was the glamour that allowed him to appear as if he were a normal man. Normally he didn't bother with such things. But this was Camelot, the Dark One was born here and the war between Nimue and Merlin was a well-known tale. Getting spotted here would be more than a little slip-up, and if he wanted to get his hands on that Gauntlet and keep his own dagger safe, then he couldn't risk word getting out to the Queen and her Knight that the Dark One had been spotted roaming the forest. So he shed his scales for the time being, grabbed a stick from the ground, recalled the magic from his ankle and limped about, playing the role of peasant once more. It was frightening how easily his body recalled the actions of it all.

Belle had known of Camelot. Knowing her, she'd probably read about it in a book. Smart as she was, she'd probably reacted the way she had not because she'd been here or seen it for herself but rather because she was familiar with its legends. If she could see it now…

There was nothing wrong with it, not exactly. It was fine. A thriving young Kingdom under new rule. But it was hardly the stuff of legend at the moment. The town that now stood close to the base of Merlin's Tower was quaint. Adorable, even. It was little houses and businesses, shops and taverns, and of course a fine town square. It was late, but people were still out, dancing about, enjoying the last dregs of alcohol, sweeping something off the ground…white roses? No. Middlemist Flowers. Nimue would have known them anywhere. She was the reason they were in Camelot, after all. He walked the streets, keeping his head low, slowing as he found his way around groups of people so he could listen to their conversations. Some things never changed. Royals tried to keep things secret, but that only meant the entire town knew. Sometimes what they knew was truth, sometimes only guesses. He was pleased to hear no one seemed to know the truth of Excalibur, as far as they were concerned the sword was whole and complete. And that meant the dagger was safe. But what they knew also wasn't the full story. He gathered bits and pieces of information, placing them with the images his vision had given him until he had a full picture.

Tonight had been Guinevere's birthday. They'd had a wonderful celebration, the King had delivered her favorite flower, Middlemists, to her in heaping piles, and the pair had danced. But the talk of the town wasn't the King and Queen, but rather Lancelot and Guinevere. He'd been about to see the cord in his vision that bound them together, but it seemed that he wasn't the only one to sense their connection. Some saw the way they looked at each other and had suspicions, others thought it was quite the scandal, and still, others thought it was a very romantic thing indeed, while many felt sorry for the pair.

Still, one conversation proved to be more important than any of the others. A group of three women, discussing the Queen and her relationship with the Knight were arguing over it just as nearly everyone else was doing. The only difference was these women had information he could use.

"It's sad! It's her birthday, and the King showers her with flowers but shows up only for a single dance. I've got it on good authority it was Lancelot that arranged those flowers, just as he was the one to keep her company through tonight. It's the woman's birthday, and the King has retired early, summoning his Knights to leave early tomorrow for another quest! You know that means, he'll not be warming her bed tonight."

"Well, neither will she," one of the women snorted. "I've just come from the well and as I was coming back, don't you know it, I ran into Lancelot and Guinevere myself. They were talking about going out on a quest of their own tonight. You know what that means."

The women burst into laughter and he moved away. No, as a matter of fact, they didn't know what it meant. But he did. Some of what he'd seen in his vision was future and some was past. But at this moment, he knew the future was becoming the present, if not the past. In his vision Arthur had said he was going after the tip of Excalibur, and that was what had prompted Guinevere to steal the Gauntlet and take Lancelot to the place they thought it was…the Dark One Vault. He was falling behind and running out of time.

[aion-rsa]

Cursed Ending Explained

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The following contains spoilers for the entire season of Netflix’s CURSED as well as the novel of the same name. Read our spoiler-free review of the series here.

Netflix’s Cursed puts a feminist spin on the myth of King Arthur, centering this version of the story on one of its least-familiar female characters. The witch Nimue is better known to many as the mystical Lady of the Lake, keeper of the sword called Excalibur. But at this point in the story, she’s just a young Fey girl, struggling to survive in a world in which her kind is often hated and persecuted by others. Though by the time the series ends, she’ll be something else entirely: A leader and a legend in her own right.

Some viewers will inevitably feel dissatisfied with some of the twists in Cursed’s final episodes. But one of the best things about this series is how simultaneously familiar and wide open it feels, and this slew of narrative surprises provides plenty of opportunity for the show to go in many different directions. 

Here’s a rundown of how everything ended – or didn’t – and what we think it might all mean.

Nimue’s Destiny Comes Calling. Maybe.

The big question at the end of Cursed is, of course: What happens to Nimue? And the answer, quite frankly, is that we don’t know for sure. But things aren’t exactly looking great for our heroine at the moment.

While attempting to escape Uther’s camp with an injured Merlin, she’s tracked down and shot twice in the stomach and shoulder by the religiously obsessed and now slightly demented Sister Iris. She’s been promised she can become a true Red Paladin only if she kills the infamous Wolf-Blood Witch. Nimue, body riddled with arrows, conveniently falls from the rock bridge and into a whirling pool at the base of a waterfall, never to be seen again before the final credits roll.

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Good sign: We never see her dead body, just an image of an injured Nimue floating through water tinted with blood. Sure, that looks bad, but it also means there’s a half-decent chance that should the show return for a second season, Nimue will wash up unconscious on the shores of a river somewhere and continue her quest to save her people. Bad news: If the legend is anything to go by, Nimue is still fated to become the Lady of the Lake, who will ultimately entrust Arthur with a magical sword and the fate of a kingdom.

Which, unfortunately, will require her to at least become tied to a body of water and become something vaguely supernatural. Could Nimue’s powers – tied to nature as they are – be strong enough to save her life, but somehow imprison her at the same time? It certainly wouldn’t be the first time a figure in this tale met a bittersweet or tragic end.

Merlin Gets His Magic Back

We finally get to see Merlin truly use magic in the Cursed finale and it’s as impressive as has been advertised throughout the season. (Certainly, more so than that one time he blew up a rock in a flashback.)

Of course, the return of his magic coincides with Merlin regaining possession of the Sword of Power in the wake of Nimue’s apparent death. And given that we’ve already seen how negatively its proximity affects him, that certainly doesn’t promise anything good for the future. Particularly since he kills at least a half dozen Red Paladins using magical lightning within moments of having his abilities restored. 

Given  Merlin’s unique and unprecedented relationship with Nimue – in every other Arthurian retelling he’s her lover not her father – it’s difficult to predict what’s next for this character. Will he seek to avenge his daughter and bring down the Red Paladins? Destroy the sword now that it’s finally in his possession? Or use it to melt Uther’s face off with magical lightning? Could he even choose to become the Merlin of legend as a tribute to the daughter he lost? (It would explain his fondness for Arthur after all, if it was Nimue loved him first.)

Morgana Becomes Something Else

Following Morgana’s run-in with the supernatural Cailleach in the Celtic caves, her story takes a much darker and more confusing turn. The visions of her dead girlfriend that predict Morgana’s powerful future and the supernatural spiders crawling everywhere would be bad enough on their own, but it also appears as though Morgana may have become death itself.

There isn’t really an Arthurian antecedent for Cursed’s Widow character, who seems to be something of a magical grim reaper figure with a snarky attitude. But when Morgana somehow manages to kill her – perhaps bolstered by borrowed Cailleach power – she’s somehow forced to assume her identity and role afterward. (Or was it some sort of choice? We don’t know, because we didn’t actually see this transformation. But it certainly could be possible.)

However this change may have happened, Morgana certainly seems to have leveled up in the magical sweepstakes as a result. And that’s a fairly necessary upgrade for where her story is most likely headed. While it’s not clear which of the many, many versions of Morgana this one will ultimately become, Cursed does nail one particular aspect of her character, and that’s how morally fluid she appears to be. Though she clearly supports Nimue, she also clearly has her own agenda and Is more than willing to make selfish choices. And at this point, we wouldn’t be surprised if she ends up Arthur’s friend or his greatest enemy before all is said and done.

Arthur Becomes the Leader His People Need

For much of Cursed, this version of Arthur hardly feels like once and future king material. He’s a liar, a mercenary, and a thief, who has run away from his problem as often as he’s faced them. But by the end of the series, he’s a figure working relentlessly on the side of right. 

It’s Arthur who convinces the Tusks and other Fey groups to join together in order to reach the ships Nimue has procured for them. It’s Arthur who offers himself up as a sacrifice if that’s what’s necessary to save her – and now his – people. And it’s also Arthur who picks up a sword to defend them when he has to. The fact that he falls in love with Nimue and meets a butt-kicking Viking girl along the way is just the icing on the cake, really.

As much as Cursed is and should be Nimue’s story, she’s not the only character on a significant emotional journey. Arthur is as well. In order to eventually become the king of legend, he has to become a better man in the here and now, and his relationship with her plays a key part in that.

The Weeping Monk’s Identity Revealed

In the season’s final moments, we finally learn the identity of the brutal and emotionally tortured figure known as The Weeping Monk. He’s Lancelot. Yes, that one. The man who, according to the bulk of the stories out there, will one day become Arthur’s greatest knight.

Most viewers will likely be fairly shocked by this revelation. This is, after all, a very different sort of origin story for one of the characters that modern audiences will inevitably feel they know best. But it actually works on several levels. Lancelot himself is often depicted as something of a changeling – one of his names is Lancelot du Lac (of the Lake) – who was stolen away and raised by water fairies as an infant. Traditionally, he’s also very religious, and several of his adventures have the feel of Christian allegory. This is why his affair with his king’s wife is doubly a betrayal and the reason that later in life he’s only allowed a glimpse of the Holy Grail through a proverbial glass darkly.

The idea that, in a slightly different life, he might have become a church-obsessed flagellant trying to atone for the sin of his birth really isn’t that out of left field.

Sister Iris Achieves Her Dream

The devout and, let’s be honest, more than a little unstable nun called Sister Iris desperately wants to serve God by becoming a Red Paladin and helping to cleanse the world of the sin and demons she sees everywhere. But with the patriarchy being what it is, the Paladins laugh at her, because she’s a woman, and claim that they’ll only allow her to join their murder brotherhood if she kills the infamous Wolf-Blood Witch for them.

Which she does, shooting Nimue with arrows and watching her fall to her (presumed) death. As a reward, she gets more than she could have ever imagined – praised as an avenging angel by the Pope himself and officially inducted into his elite, gold faceplate-wearing Trinity Guard. (Pretty much the Red Paladins on steroids. Even Lancelot can barely best them.) The finale ends with Iris striding toward the camera, as the Pope promises that they’ll do miracles together. A threat which is probably the most frightening one yet.

Squirrel Has a Big Destiny

The Weeping Monk disavows the Red Paladins and risks his life to save a young Fey boy called Squirrel. But as the season closes, we learn one important fact. That boy’s name is actually Percival, and according to the traditional story of King Arthur, he has a fairly important future of his own waiting for him.

The real Percival is also known as the Grail Knight, and he’s the character who meets the crippled Fisher King and fails to ask the question that would have healed him. He’s also the knight who eventually finds the Grail castle again.

There’s a nice symmetry in the fact that it’s The Weeping Monk (a.k.a Lancelot) who saves the child. In later versions of the Arthurian legend, Percival isn’t the knight who finds the Grail. Lancelot’s son, Galahad, is. Perhaps in the world of Cursed, young Squirrel is meant to stand in for both of them. (Percival himself was still allowed to be part of Galahad’s Grail quest, so it makes a kind of sense.) Either way, it’s clear that his story is one that will matter more than we perhaps initially predicted.

One Big Revelation From the Book The Show Left Out

The Netflix series Cursed is based on an illustrated YA book of the same name, also written by Tom Wheeler. And, for the most part, the television version is a fairly faithful adaptation – except in one specific and very important regard.

At the end of the novel, another secret is revealed, one which the Netflix version hints at but never says outright. And that’s the identity of the female Viking warrior known as the Red Spear. Eagled-eyed viewers will likely have noticed that no one ever calls her by her actual name, and probably also realized that a fairly significant player in the Arthurian legend has yet to make an appearance in this version of the story. Well, the book Cursed holds the answer to both those questions for us, confirming that the Red Spear is, in fact, Guinevere.

This is a pretty big – and extremely exciting – twist for the Netflix show to leave out entirely. Perhaps the powers that be thought the one-two punch of Lancelot and Percival being named in the show’s final moments would be enough to leave viewers reeling, but the Guinevere reveal is another example of this story doing what it does best: Reinventing its female characters.

This is a Guinevere that can more than hold her own. She’s a fighter and a leader, with her own agenda and goals that have nothing to do with becoming anyone’s wife. And while she one day very well might end up married to Arthur and/or having an affair with Lancelot, it won’t be because she’s passively coerced into doing either. And that’s a tremendously exciting thought.

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