#and with what she knows about arthur and merlin and how he's managed to thwart her plans

[arthurslesbian]

thankfully morgana didn't look too closely at that sword 🙃

[a-small-batch-of-dragons]

Rest, Now

Prompt: I absolutely love your protective knights/protective Arthur works. Would you write your take on the aftermath of the Lamia episode? I'd love to see Arthur's reaction once he finds out what happened to Merlin. Bonus points for protective Gwen as well, and them knowing about Merlin's magic.

Ah yes, love this prompt. Protecc™ the Merlin pls

Read on Ao3

Warnings: none, just a sad Merlin

Pairings: gwen/merlin/arthur

Word Count: 2096

The second he sees the walls of Camelot, Merlin slumps in the saddle. Cara nickers in warning and he just manages to right himself before Arthur looks over.

“Are you sure you don’t need to be cured too?”

Merlin suppresses a shudder and shakes his head. Arthur gives him a once-over before turning back around. Gaius gives him a look.

“I’m fine,” he mutters, “just ready to get back home.”

“You and me both, Merlin.”

“Merlin?” Gwen reaches over to touch his arm, stopping when he flinches. “Whoa, Merlin, are you alright?”

“Yes, fine, just—“ he shakes his head— “little jumpy.”

He sees Gwen’s mouth harden a little as she shoots a glance at Elyan. She nods. Camelot’s door can’t close behind them soon enough.

The knights dismount first, each patting their horse as they lead them to the stables. Gwaine looks over his shoulder and reaches for Merlin. Merlin manages to hold still as Gwaine takes his arm.

“Are you sure you’re alright,” he asks in the soft voice normally reserved for dark nights when Gaius is out and Arthur is crueler, “do you need anything?”

Merlin shakes his head.

“Will you tell me if you do?”

He nods. It seems to satisfy Gwaine but not Elyan, who narrows his eyes.

“When was the last time you got looked at? Did Gaius check you out too?”

“Yes, yes, I’m fine.”

“You don’t look fine.” Is that Percival too? “You look like you’re about to fall over.”

There are too many of them. Too many. They could be hurt. They could still be susceptible to magical influences. Merlin’s magic could—he could—they’re still vulnerable.

They could still hurt him. He could—she could still have some hold on them. It wouldn’t be the first time Gaius’s magical knowledge has failed them.

“Enough!”

Gwen? Is that Gwen?

“You’re hounding him,” she scolds, pushing through the tangle of knights to put her arm protectively around Merlin’s shoulders, “knock it off. You’ve all had a rough go of it recently so go rest and let Merlin do the same.”

As Merlin watches the knights shuffle like scolded puppies, despite everything a corner of his mouth tugs up in a slight smile. Never let it be said that Gwen can’t make people do what she likes.

The only one standing in between him, Gwen, and getting as far away from here as possible is Leon. He looks at Merlin, splits him in two, peers into the very being of his soul. Then his eyes soften almost imperceptibly and he bows.

“My Lady,” he says, “Merlin. May you rest well.”

Thank you, Leon.

By the time Merlin’s shepherded away from the knights under Gwen’s wing, he looks up to realize that Arthur’s gone. A rush of worry slaps him in the chest.

“Shh,” Gwen whispers as she guides him through the halls, “we’re almost there. It’s alright.”

Arthur turns when they push open the door to the massive chambers, already out of his armor—how long was Merlin down there?—and coming around the table to take Gwen into a hug. Right. Merlin gives himself a shake and starts moving to get their food, do his chores.

Only to be thwarted by a strong arm wrapping around his waist and pulling him into a shoulder that smells light sunlight and metal.

“Where are you going,” Arthur mumbles, absentmindedly nuzzling into Merlin’s hair, “I’ve not had the chance to see you properly since this mess started.”

At the mention of what just happened, Merlin tenses. No. Arthur was never hurt by the Lamia. Arthur was never caught. Arthur is fine. Arthur is safe. Arthur isn’t hurt.

“Merlin? Merlin!”

He blinks, only for Arthur’s concerned face to swim into view in front of him. Next to him, Gwen wraps her hand around his, squeezing gently.

“Hey,” Arthur murmurs, tilting his head, “what’s the matter? You went somewhere for a moment.”

Merlin can’t do anything but blink.

“Come on,” Arthur teases gently, “surely it takes more than a hug to daze you?”

Something cold settles in the pit of Merlin’s stomach.

“They—they were—all she had to do was kiss them.”

“What?”

“All she had to do was talk to them, touch them, kiss them,” Merlin mumbles, “and they were hers. They changed, they didn’t care, they were—it was just a kiss.”

“Hey, hey—“ Arthur starts to hustle him toward the bed— “sit, Merlin, you look like you’re about to fall over.”

Gwen fetches a goblet and wraps his hand around it. “Drink, Merlin.”

“What is it?”

“Pear juice, your favorite.”

“Oh.” Merlin raises it to his lips. What’s wrong with him? Why is he acting like this? He’s fine.

“You just watched some of your closest friends succumb to powerful magic,” Gwen points out when he voices that, “you watched their minds change, that’s enough to shake anyone.”

“But they’re alright now, Merlin,” Arthur promises, “you’re all safe now. It’s dead, I killed it. You, and the knights, and Gwen, and Gaius, you’re all back here now, you’re safe.”

But was Merlin ever in any significant danger? He has his magic, there’s no way he would’ve been as easy a target as the others. Did he—did he draw attention to them by being himself and being there? Did she take the others because of him?

“Whatever you’re thinking,” comes Gwen’s stern voice, “stop it. Stop blaming yourself for things you can’t control.”

She gives him a pointed look and gestures to their entwined hands.

“Even you can’t fix everything, Merlin.”

“But I should’ve been able to fix this,” Merlin argues, his face contorting, “I should’ve—I—“

“And what would you have done, Merlin,” Arthur asks softly, “what could you do?”

Merlin’s blood runs cold. Next to him, even Gwen makes a little noise.

“No,” Arthur says firmly, “what could you have done? If you’re so intent on blaming yourself, what could you have done to make a difference?”

“Arthur!”

“Come on, Gwen, don’t tell me it doesn’t hurt you to see Merlin try and carry the whole world on his shoulders!” Arthur folds his arms and leans against the poster of the bed. “Tell us, Merlin, why should you be held accountable?”

“Arthur enough.” Gwen’s voice rings in the chamber as Merlin hides his head shamefully. “He’s already upset, he doesn’t need you to make it worse.”

“Don’t—“ he swallows heavily— “don’t fight, please. Don’t fight, not now.”

“We’re not fighting, Merlin,” comes Arthur’s soft voice again, followed by a warm hand cupping his cheek, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“Why don’t you go get dinner then,” Gwen says, only a little less frosty, “as part of your apology.”

Arthur only sighs and does as bid. As soon as the door closes, Gwen leans forward and wraps him in a tight hug, letting him gasp heavily into her shoulder.

“Shh, shh,” she whispers, carding a soothing hand through his hair, “shh, Merlin, it’s alright, I’d never give up your secret, I wouldn’t do that to you.”

“He—he asked, Gwen, I—I can’t—what if he knew?”

“I would never let anyone hurt you,” she promises fiercely, “you know I wouldn’t. That includes Arthur.”

“I won’t be able to keep from telling him someday, Gwen!”

“And when that day comes, I will be by your side and he will get down on his knees and thank you for all that you’ve done.”

“He won’t, Gwen. He’ll be so angry.”

Gwen pulls back enough to take his face in her hand. “He may be. For an instant. And then he will thank you. And you know he cares for you far too much to truly be angry at you.”

Merlin’s lip wobbles.

“Oh, Merlin—“ she pulls him back into her embrace— “I’ve got you, honey, it’s alright.”

“Alright, so I’ve got dinner, how are we—Merlin?”

There’s the sound of plates clattering to the table and rapid footsteps before another strong set of arms surround him.

“Oh, sweetheart,” comes Arthur’s warm concern, “what’s so bad? I’m sorry if I pushed too hard, I worry, shh, it’s alright, don’t cry.”

Gwen presses a kiss to his forehead as Arthur’s arms slip lower to wrap around his waist.

“We’re right here, Merlin, we won’t leave you.”

“You’re safe, sweetheart, I’ll look after you, we both will.”

“Shh, shh, honey, it’s okay.”

Merlin buries his head in the crook of Arthur’s neck and sobs. Arthur lets out a comforting noise and his hand comes up to cup the back of his head. He strokes gently, finding the soft spot that makes all of Merlin’s muscles relax on cue. Arthur moves the boneless pile of Merlin to the bed proper, scooping the man into his lap and letting Gwen shift close enough to lay her head between both of them.

“We’re not going anywhere,” Gwen promises, her hand wiping away one of Merlin’s tears, “you can cry, we’ll be right here.”

Arthur’s chin comes to rest on top of Merlin’s head, creating a little bubble of intimacy here, in his arms, sheltered in the lea of him. Merlin is taller than him—a fact he never lets Arthur forget—but the way he’s curled in on himself lets Arthur wrap protectively around him.

There is nowhere safer in Camelot.

After a long while, Gwen pulls away, murmuring something about making sure the food doesn’t spoil. As she vanishes behind the curtain, Arthur slowly shifts to sit Merlin on the end of the bed, sliding off to stand in front of him.

“Shh,” he hushes when Merlin whines in protest, “I’m just grabbing the handkerchief. I need to wipe your face off.”

Gentle fingers tip his chin up and the cloth is soft against his face. Arthur is patient, patting and dabbing up the mess and leaning down so Merlin can wrap his fingers in his tunic.

“There,” he murmurs eventually, setting the handkerchief aside and cupping Merlin’s face in his hands, “a little redder than normal, but other than that…”

Merlin swats halfheartedly at him. Arthur chuckles before he pulls away. Merlin opens his mouth to ask where he’s going when—

His mouth hangs when Arthur lowers himself carefully to his knees in front of him.

“I truly didn’t mean to scare you,” Arthur says in a hushed voice, taking Merlin’s hands in his, “earlier. I just wanted you to see that you—you don’t have to blame yourself for everything that goes wrong. You’re still human, Merlin.”

“Arthur—what—what are you doing?”

“What I should’ve done long ago.” Arthur’s mouth tugs up. “You and Gwen aren’t quite as quiet as you think you are, you know that?”

Merlin’s eyes widen. “You—you heard?”

In response, Arthur takes Merlin’s hands and presses them to his chest, squeezing lightly. His smile softens.

“Thank you, Merlin,” he whispers and the words sink deep into Merlin’s chest, “and no, this wasn’t your fault either.”

“How—how long have you known?”

“I’ve suspected since the troll,” Arthur murmurs, standing and pulling Merlin back into a cuddle, “and I’ve never been angry since the Cup of Life.”

He squeezes Merlin gently.

“So don’t be so hard on yourself, sweetheart,” he whispers, “or else.”

Merlin sobs out a laugh, clutching desperately at Arthur, not angry Arthur, not upset Arthur, warm Arthur, caring Arthur, safe Arthur. “Or else what?”

“Or else I’ll have to make you take care of yourself.” Arthur scrubs his knuckles lightly over Merlin’s head. “So go sit with Gwen and we’ll eat or I’ll carry you there.”

He pulls back, just enough that he can see Merlin’s face and pat his cheek.

Merlin swallows. “Is that a threat?”

Arthur raises an eyebrow. “You asked for it.”

Gwen looks up when Arthur carries a Merlin to their dinner table and sits him down, reaching to take his hand and place it in hers. She giggles, pulling Merlin close enough to kiss his forehead, looking at his smile.

“That’s much better,” she notes, “now eat. You’ve had a long day.”

He’s had a long few days, honestly.

But as he starts to eat, as he and Arthur trade quips across the table, as Gwen’s hand stays warm in his, he may be able to rest tonight.

[disregardcanon]

i’m not going to write it because i already have too many projects going, but a merlin inspired au with rapunzel as arthur, kinda. she still has a similar backstory to in her OWN canon, but because gothel stole rapunzel for The Magic TM and arianna died in childbirth (in keeping with the merlin au). whether or not that was gothel’s doing is up to your interpretation.

eugene is merlin narratively, but complete with eugene backstory (edmond wasn’t king of the dark kingdom but Last of The Dragon Lords and gave him up for similar reasons and eugene’s just like. i cannot even with you right now) he finds rapunzel, they have the tangled adventure (but with eugene doing subtle magic when he needs to because he is very good at the stealth thing and the only one that knows that he has magic is lance)

eugene, really, would prefer to just like. run off with rapunzel and never look back because, hey. corona is a very bad place where he’s seen people burned at the stake for Being Like Him and he’d prefer to not live here forever, but rapunzel wants to meet her dad and go back to him, which is all fine and good except for king frederic is the king of burning people like him alive and rapunzel doesn’t know about the magic so she doesn’t know why that would specifically not appeal to eugene. yay.

so rapunzel rolls up to the palace with boyfriend in tow and eugene’s like. hi. and king fred looks at him and is like. ugh. him? really?

eugene is not a famous thief in this one because he would prefer Not To Die, Thank You, but he’s still obviously Not A Prince Or Anything and king fred is very much not impressed. can he please go away, rapunzel? and rapunzel’s like no, he’s staying, i love him. and fred’s like. okay then. you need a servant.

and eugene’s like. well that’s a way to not be noticed, i suppose. he’s not super thrilled about thing, but it works, right? he can handle that. it ends up being a lot of getting to hang out with rapunzel (a major perk) saving rapunzel’s life in broad daylight (less of a perk, but someone’s got to do it, right?) and telling a dragon to fuck off (how did this castle even GET a dragon anyway?)

the dragon’s like “destiny!” and he’s like “uh, no. i just love rapunzel, destiny doesn’t have anything to do with it.” and the dragon’s just. shrieking in the background because D E S T I N Y and eugene’s just. sighing. because he doesn’t need a Destiny to love this girl, okay? it’s just love.

cassandra is morgana-ish. she’s not the king’s ward, exactly. i’m foreseeing more of what merlin’s original job was going to be where she’s a physician’s apprentice and bitter that her dad would not let her be a guard. she was going to end up as the princess’s maidservant, but for better or for worse, she got out of that one because eugene showed up. 

rapunzel seeks HER out all the time to be friends and eugene’s like? really? the dragon lady? and cassandra hits him over the head with a headpiece thingy and it is Good TM

she finds out about her magic about the same time that morgana did in canon, due partially to dreams, partially due to her performing accidental magic in situations to save rapunzel. and she’s like, over in the corner, hyperventilating because OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD MAAAGIC OH GOD OH GOD EXECUTION OH GOD

and he’s like. what the fuck, dragon. is this what you were talking about “cassandra will betray her?” and the dragon’s like “she has magic it’s written on teh wall” and eugene is just like. fuck off she’s scared and lonely and i’m not going to take your advice on anything, later large aligator

eugene, for all his faults... has different faults than merlin, bbc. so he is immediately on his way to Talk This Out because cassandra is his friend and if she has the magic, she shouldn’t think that she’s the only one in the world or that it makes her evil or whatever. cassandra’s main worries at this point are trying to keep the magic secret (which, judging from the fact that EUGENE does it can’t be that hard) and having to hide things from her dad and rapunzel because she’s. not entirely sure that either of them will side with her on this.

minor conflicts include rapunzel arranged marriage subplots where they both have to thwart the suitors because, uh, balancing rapunzel dating the TWO of them is hard enough they could not manage with a third rapunzel partner, thank you very much, and rapunzel adopting random criminals who all want to kill her All The God Damn Time. varian is mordred. i know they didn’t do anything valuable or interesting with mordred but i’ll still keep that.

lance comes back and eugene is like, seventy five shades of terrified because lance KNOWS about the magic and also is prone to stealing stuff and he loves him but he trusts him about as far as he can throw him

the main conflict is the two of them waffling about when they should tell rapunzel, beause the longer it goes the more terrified they are that what if she’ll decide to take her dad’s side and hate them. and like, they’re two of the most powerful mages in the world so they could get out of the kingdom just fine if they needed to, but. they sure don’t want to.

and then there’s the worries about what that would do, even if rapunzel sided with them, with her relationship with the king and how things would go there. i don’t have those things worked out but they would sure be points of interest

[thegeminisage]

alright im about to watch 5.03 of merlin for the 2nd time ever

because if i dont do it now i may NEVER GET ANOTHER CHANCE

but first i wanna get out of the way that i thought merlin convincing arthur to keep the ban on magic in 5.05 because he was trying to thwart ~*~destiny~*~ or whatever is the laziest writing ever, it’s unsatisfying for the audience, it renders the rest of the last season utterly pointless, it’s unfair to merlin and arthur, and the tonal shift of the show from farting trolls in season 2 to full greek tragedy in season 5 was completely unwarranted and i feel TRICKED as a human person because i expected the end to be bittersweet and make me sad, not table-flipping angry, and i do not at all have high hopes for the finale

but i can ignore something having a “bad last five minutes” i did it for life is strange and final fantasy 13-2 i will do it for merlin but honestly 

speaking on 5.03, after it was over the first time i was like “i can never write my fanfic now because nothing i ever do will be as good as that” but i’m really relieved in that way that that was apparently the last good episode of merlin because now i can continue my work in peace and maybe hopefully even actually finish it

okay commence the liveblog:

love that arthur and merlin are down to just jump off their horses whenever random women start screaming in the distance. season 5 could have been so good, they’re so much more grown up and in sync with one another, i absolutely LOVE their #vibe

it was interesting to me also that arthur DEMANDED a fair trial for this woman despite her being accused of sorcery. god, he was SO CLOSE?? that hatred of magic just can’t really take root in him especially with uther gone...arthur may be an asshole in the early seasons, and he may be quick to anger and quick to lash out in that anger, but it’s just not in him to be cruel, especially needlessly

EVEN THIS LADY IS LIKE “u showed kindness and compassion” arthur is a Good Boy deep down he is he IS he didn’t care a bit about that horn she gave him but still politely said it was beautiful

although lmao the way his face changed when she said it was magic...that’s the STUFF

lowkey losing it at athony head in the credits. i was looking to see if he’d be in the s5 ones since he’s dead and didn’t see him in 5.01 or 5.02 so when i DID see him in 5.03 i was like haha no way did they pay to put him in here i guess i just missed him the first couple of times BUT I WAS WRONG

like, in buffy, they spend an entire episode trying to decide whether or not to necromance their mom or whatever and she doesnt actually APPEAR IN THE EP they never SEE her i thought this would be an episode ABOUT uther i didn’t think uther would be IN it

love that from the get-go arthur’s face screams “i am thinking about making a terrible mistake” and merlin’s face is like “he is thinking about making a terrible mistake”

i’m quite proud of merlin in s5 actually. bad writing aside he uses multiple braincells many times per episode. it’s a vast improvement. same energy as clary from shadowhunters right down to getting shafted in his final season

ive said it before and ill say it again gwen looks SOOO GOOOOD as queen

if this is the anniversary of uther’s death then (if you go by 1 season = 1 year) arthur just turned 30...it’s been nine years and change since merlin met him, and by the end of season 5 it will have been an entire decade

in an otherwise increddibly heavy episode arthur panicking and throwing all the apples out of the bowl so he could cover the horn with it is absolutely priceless. season 5 if nothing else has really hammered home for me what a TERRIBLE liar arthur is - merlin got good at it fast out of necessity but arthur can’t hold a poker face to save his LIFE. “leave it.” “why??” “because i’m telling you to and i’m the king of camelot” buddy......

we were ROBBED. if there had ever been a day where arthur came to accept merlin’s magic but still had to help merlin hide it there could have been an entire episode of arthur nearly blowing merlin’s cover because he’s a nervous nelly and at the end he goes “i cant believe you have had to do this 24/7 for YEARS without a single friend to help you” and merlin goes “well now i have you” anyway.

i love also that repeatedly when arthur goes to do something scary by himself he also brings merlin. they LITERALLY are two halves of a whole

“you’re threatening me with a spoon??” i can’t tell you about the unfortunate fanfics i have seen involving The Spoon. i shall also not mention the ones involving The Glove. we will not speak of it

I CANNOT BELIEVE STONEHENGE IS IIN MERLIN. i got so agitated i did not pay one bit of attention to the conversation following its reveal and me and cathy and had to rewind so i could listen properly

my hate-on for stonehenge goes thusly: stonehenge apocalypse, starring misha collins, is @callowyn‘s favorite movie. i have seen it 45 times. i hate it nearly as much as she loves it. it’s an age-old battle

merlin is so intense when he looks for signs in arthur that he DOESN’T totally hate magic...arthur using magic to see his dad again is one of those signs. he’s willing to turn to it in desperation - maybe he’d be willing in less desperate times too

“my father was taken from me before his time” i mean...he was practically in a coma. so like. he wasn’t

love that when arthur mentions merlins dad ONCE he immediately looks like he’s about to cry. mood. i also want to cry every time i think about merlins dad

up until the moment i laid eyes on uther i was SURE they werent actually gonna do it. i came into this thinking it was a FLASHBACK EP

for the record (and believe me i NEVER thought i’d say this) even though i waited and waited for his demise and cheered when he was gona for good...i really missed uther in season 4. at least with uther you know what you’re getting. agravaine (his replacement as “evil guy who keeps us from being able to solve our problems too easily”) was a slimy cowardly CREEP. and in season 5 i WISH things were as simple as “work around uther’s pigheaded unreasonableness”

for a hot second i really thought uther and arthur would have a nice conversation where they reconciled or said something heartwarming. i was worried about an uther redemption arc - this guy is responsible for the genocide of magic users, he doesn’t deserve redemption - but this show said NOT TODAY and they said it QUICK

WE

ARE

SO

BLESSED

i have A LOT of issues with season 5 but JESUS FUCKING CHRIST THIS WAS DADDY ISSUES 2.0 BROUGHT BACK FROM THE DEAD

repressed trauma returns: harder better faster stronger!! that’s the STUFF

was i not just speaking the other day on my fanfic ask meme about how i love emotionally intense stuff? this is IT babey

uther’s such a bad father! he’s with his only child again for the last time in ever and all he does is tear him a new one! this is why arthur’s such a fucked-up human being (morgana too) 

i’m THRILLED we got to revisit this. his eyes get bigger and bigger and he starts fucking stammering and by the time uther’s done calling him weak and a failure he looks ready to CRY. i was HOLLERING. i still couldnt believe uther was even HERE and not only is he HERE he’s a WRECKING BALL

“this CAN’T be the last time i’ll ever see you” oh buddy you’re gonna wish it was

and he looks back, as he leaves. of COURSE he does. just like lot’s wife. so it goes.

you know how at the end of every supernatural episode sam and dean debrief and talk about their feelings in the car? for merlin and arthur it’s almost always done around a campfire at night - sometimes in arthur’s chambers or other places, but usually out here in the wilderness where it’s just the two of them. i’m...really going to miss it, when it’s gone.

“my father doesn’t approve of the way i’ve chosen to rule his kingdom” “you mean YOUR kingdom”

you know i don’t think i really got...like, fundamentally, on a deep level...that merlin fucking HATES uther

i’ve seen him save uther’s miserable life so many fucking times that i thought for merlin it was kind of the way it was with gwen - he feels nothing for him, but he looks after him for arthur’s sake (or as i came to understand later because he’s professor x about the whole thing)

but the way his expression got SO UGLY when arthur revealed that uther just shit-talked him the entire time...holy fuck

between that & some other stuff that happens later it really paints a clearer picture of like...uther’s dead so merlin doesn't have to hold back anymore and he FUCKING HATES HIM?? like obviously he SHOULD bu i just never SAW it before this. merlin LOATHES him. it’s INCREDIBLE to witness when he bore it so silently for so long. maybe even merlin didn’t realize just how much he hated him until now

and not to get too real here but if youve ever been friends with someone who had an abusive/toxic parent or was in an abusive/toxic relationship and you watch them feeling like shit after and they start making excuses for that asshole like “oh yeah he’s right about x” and you just want to find this horrible person and THROTTLE THEM that emotion is like ALL OVER merlin’s face rn. i didn’t actually seriously "”ship”” merlin and arthur until late season 4/early season 5 (i didnt like dislike it i just wasnt actively bothered by a lack of it) and what changed was this vibe. merlin wants to kill uther all over again just because he made arthur feel this way. he’s so fuckijng PROTECTIVE

and he still almost manages to drag a smile out of him via roasting, god bless these 2

ok so i didnt believe this show would actually DO THAT re: putting uther himself in this ep but i was doubly shocked by the fact that he HITCHED A RIDE AND GOT OUT

me shrieking during this entire poltergeist sequence: OH MY GOD OH MY GOD IT’S REALLY HIM?? HOLY FUCK HE IS LITERALLY HAUNTING ARTHUR I CAN’T BELIEVE THEY’RE DOING THIS I CAN’T BELIEVE THEY’RE GIVING US THIS etc etc etc

actually most of that was probably muffled nonsense because i was yelling with both hands over my mouth

percival’s the realest motherfucker on this whole show. dude survives a murder attempt in which he got an AXE lobbed at him by the fucking GHOST of a power-mad genocidal king and he’s like: yeah idk i guess it fell

there was thunder in the bg for this WHOLE ep and i’m Big into it

absolutely CACKLING at the bit where merlin has to ask arthur if he looked back at uther’s spirit. it’s one of those nice big heavy questions - so heavy, in fact, that arthur can’t answer, can’t even LOOK at merlin, either because he’s ashamed or because he’s bugging out or both. you thought this shit was over? it’s never over! daddy issues are a lifelong ride, pal! arthur’s just get to haunt him literally this time. god it’s so fucking good

can i just say? merlin reads that damning silence reeeal well. and it’s a big, heavy thing to know about arthur - but then again he knows all the big heavy things about arthur

the score for this episode is really good too...very suspenseful and good, adds a lot to the atmosphere, keeps it from getting too slow

there’s a hint of merlin’s absolute HATRED of uther in this conversation again - the way his face tightens when he says “uther would do anything to protect his legacy and that makes him dangerous, who knows what he’s capable of now”

and arthur dismisses him because he can’t hear this but merlin almost refuses to leave - and when he DOES leave, he doesn’t take his eyes off arthur for one fucking second. he stares him down all the way out of the room. i don’t think it’s because he’s angry with arthur, per se - he’s angry with uther, and he knows uther in a way arthur never can or will, as someone ruthless who will kill without warning or remorse. he’s afraid of uther and he’s trying to get arthur to be afraid of uther too before it’s too late and LSDKFJGHSLDFJH

if you’re thinking “thats a lot to interpret from one look” yes it is but i’m right. IT’S A BIG, HEAVY LOOK. NICE AND LOADED. love unpacking all of that

i cant believe this dude tried to KILL GWEN like he really is coming after everything that makes arthur happy. im so glad it was merlin that saved her. i really do think merlin is her best friend

multiple times in this serious arthur fidgets when he’s nervous or thinking, usually with his hands near his mouth. i am endeared to him. my poor boy

“i always knew my father could be cruel but why would he do this to gwen when he knows i love her” BECAUSE HE’S CRUEL

merlin knows. merlin knows his cruelty much better than arthur. boy does he know. i’m dying. it’s fine

love that at this part of the ep we slide seamlessly into the “merlin and arthur are both scared shitless” section which was truly one of my favorite things about the s4 opener. they’re both so fucking jumpy and giving each other shit about being frightened and continuing to be frightened anyway. the DELICIOUS IRONY of arthur finally being scared of uther in the way merlin has been scared of uther for Y E A R S oh my god it’s so GOOD

do also love the entire silent conversation they have when deciding what to do about the door. this is what i mean by their upgraded vibe.l in the early seasons merlin wouldn’t have understood and his lack of understanding would have been played for laughs. now they’re totally in sync

here’s the thing, gaius could have made this magic “able to see uther’s ghost” potion for just arthur and he didn’t. he made it for both of them. everything arthur does merlin does. they’re partners in all things. they’re COMPANIONS. and this is why i finally now Ship It. tragic.

you know this is a kind of weird comparison but late seasons arthur reminds me JUST a bit of gwaine. he complains so much less that he sort of has that same “roll with whatever” vibe to him. pretend to faint so you can steal some guy’s dagger? why not. take this foul potion that may kill us? sure, let’s do it. come what may he’s not really fussed. much more unflappable

until he starts getting spooked again LMFAO 

we do love a good pair of spooked dumbasses. this is charming and entertaining.

leon HAD to know they were lying about poetry. he probably thought they were having.......a tryst,

love also that even in this very dire moment merlin does NOT miss the chance to have some fun at arthur’s expense. that’s true friendship

i got jumpscared three separate times during this ep and one of them was when uther was glaring down merlin and arthur in the hallway after leon left

arthur didn’t jump but he did go hunting after him and to his credit he does not look scared. he looks like a man who is trying to deal with his business and get his shit together

merlin made that FACE again when arthur expressed sadness at hunting his own father because all he ever wanted to DO was make him proud

honestly it’s like since he can’t shit-talk uther he just sings arthur’s praises instead like this here is a guy who is just barely holding his tongue about how fuckin pissed he is. i cant believe it

splitting up was the WORST idea. have they not seen scooby doo??

love that when merlin gets cornered by uther’s ghost and gets scared he yells for arthur and when arthur gets scared because his torch blows out he yells for merlin. you fools, why did you SPLIT UP

uther locks arthur in the room with him, which is already some top tier content, but doubly good? it’s the same room in which arthur nearly ran him through in 2.08. don’t think i didn’t notice. i did notice. i was shrieking into my hands.

seriously this is a pretty calm liveblog but the first time i watched this ep my face was like this the whole time: O O

just kept going “HOLY FUCK HOLY FUCK OH MY GOD” over and over. it was greeat

“arthur your fatal flaw is that you put too much trust in other people” do you think arthur, who now has a complex about people betraying him, ever forgot that for one second in his entire life afterward? me neither

speaking of 2.08 arthur dropped some FACTS “your hatred comes from fear” i'm sure they didn’t do it on purpose but #throwbacks

i’m fully experiencing human emotion. “i’m not you, i can’t rule like you did” he’s trying SO HARD to fight his way out of that bullshit

also lmao arthur like “then you’ll have to kill me” and uther like “yeah okay” arthur didn’t KNOW how this man was this could have been SUCH a good awakening

AND NOW IT’S TIME

FOR MY FAVORITE PART OF THIS EPISODE

when i say merlin hates uther. WHEN I SAY MERLIN H A T E S UTHER

HIS LINE HERE. ok. “get away from him, uther. you’ve caused enough harm” he’s furious! he’s GROWLING! 

“you are just a serving boy” “i am much more than that” listen. human words cannot express the emotion that ran through me. when they said “we’re gonna bring back anthony head as uther” i doubted. when they said “he’s gonna be the bad guy and reopen all of arthur’s old wounds” i doubted. when they said “he’s still here LITERALLY haunting arthur who now has to HUNT HIM” I DOUBTED. i didn’t believe they’d do any of it until it was happening on my screen. but ONE LOOK at merlins face made a MOTHERFUCKING BELIEVER out of me. i knew exactly what he was about to do. pretty sure i gasped “NO” in astonishment

AND HE DID THAT

HE👏

DID👏

THAT👏

NOT ONLY. DID I SHRIEK ALOUD. FULL SCREAM. WHEN IT HAPPENED THE FIRST TIME. BUT JUST NOW. WHEN I WATCHED HIM DO IT AGAIN. MORE SCREAMING.

how LONG do you think merlin had ACHED to do that

to show himself to uther for what he was, what he REALLY WAS, someone to be reckoned with instead of someone to be overlookedd, without fear of consequences

i can’t even like

like just imagine the triple rush of 1. satisfaction 2. rage 3. lingering habitual terror

i think at this moment merlin was closer to and more like morgana than he had ever been and maybe ever will be again. because the two of them have so much in common but one thing i didn’t really clock until now is how much they both hate uther

it’s so good. uther is SHOCKED and DISMAYED and this is like merlin’s old fear come back from death too (getting found out by uther) while at the same time being a dream come true (getting to tell uther what he really thinks, who he really is - “i was BORN with it!”) he’s so ANGRY! he is LIVID!)

he’s also really SATISFIED like “even while you were king there was magic at the heart of camelot” GOD how long has he been WAITING for this and not even realized it

and like then uther starts spewing his hateful bullshit and stalking forward with the intent to kill and my guy merlin who should be terrified STANDS HIS MOTHERFUCKING GROUND and says right over him “you’re wrong, you’re wrong” for thirty beautiful seconds merlin really got to be free. i know i will keep comparing things to 2.08 until i die but it’s just like when arthur was almost ready to kill uther in cold blood because for one perfect, brilliant moment he really and truly saw clearly the world as it was. i really love these moments...the strength of their respective convictions is so gratifying

merlin yeeting uther through a door is also gratifying although i have no idea what he hoped to accomplish by following without waking arthur first

i. LOVE. that the camera lingered a little on the spears or whatever after merlin walked by them. nice little foreshadowing moment

THOSE SPEARS GOT AWFULLY CLOSE BUT IM PRETTY SURE UTHER MISSED ON PURPOSE BECAUSE HE WANTED TO TAKE HIS TIME. HIS MISTAKE

okay merlin spent the better part of a lifetime dreading uther’s death sentence and here’s uther stalking down a hallway sword pointed at his chest and certain death is IMMINENT and what does merlin’s face look like?

arthur comes in with the rescue and INSTANTLY his expression changes to?

IT’S BETTER IN MOTION BUT HE LOOKS READY TO CRY

my immediate thought: oh jesus what if uther outs him

i knew he wouldnt bc of spoilers but i would bet a benjamin that that was merlin’s first thought too

tbh. i wish he had.

i kind of wonder if merlin doesn’t wish the same thing. like yes being outed like that is terribly violating and he’s terrified of telling arthur obviously or he would have already but at the same time there would be so much relief once it was finally out. no more secret-keeping. no more burden

i mean, if you go back and watch it, dude’s straight up shaking. he’s trembling all over. he’s losing it. that last teary glance they exchanged.......

uther was two SYLLABLES away from blowing the whole thing

and in a better happier canon where arthur knows and was waiting for merlin to tell him this is like double angst because uther wouldve ben blowing something for them both

i like arthurs followup of realizing that he’ll never be able to please uther (step 1 of breaking away from the cycle of abuse) but for the LIFE OF ME

i will NEVER be able to understand why they segued into this GLOVE THING

i’m not talking about the glove thing

i will say however that by the end of this episode i was so hysterical i had to get up and get water and pace around my kitchen for ten minutes fanning my own face

and that’s it. that’s the second-best episode of merlin and the last good episode there ever was

[donotleavemeagain]

In His Defense Part 1

Merlin held his head high as he walked through the market clad in iron shackles. He knew this day would come. Of course he knew. It was only a matter of time before he slipped up and someone found out about his magic. It was only a matter of time before it was reported to the king and he was arrested. It was only a matter of time before Uther Pendragon sentenced him for the pyre. He used magic too often for it not to happen. But he held his head high even as the townsfolk threw rotten food at him. He was caught using magic in defense of Prince Arthur. One who he would never have hesitated to call his king. He was proud of that.

The funny thing is: Merlin's not even sure how the king found out about his magic. The last time he had used it had been when an assassin somehow managed to find his way into the prince's room while Arthur was training the knights and Merlin was cleaning his room. He never actually figured out what the assassin had planned because he immediately sent the man through the window, but either way he never would have let it happen. Although Arthur had seen the man fall even he never once suspected that Merlin used magic. In fact, he spent the next several hours berating Merlin and telling him how lucky he was that he wasn't killed by the probably highly trained murderer. Someone else must have seen him. A servant or something must have come into the room while he did his magic and fled before he noticed them.

It was the next morning as Merlin was out picking herbs for Gaius that the knights surrounded him and told him that he was under arrest for practicing magic within the castle walls. He could have put them all to sleep and run away, hidden in the shadows until old age claimed Uther Pendragon, but he was so tired of hiding. Instead he held out his hands and let the knights of Camelot, though none that he recognized, fasten iron shackles to his arms and legs. At least they weren't unkind to him. They didn't roughly pull him any faster than his hampered feet could walk and they didn't say any cruel words to him. They only fastened the chains around him and escorted him back to Camelot where his fate would be decided.

As the castle grew ever closer, Merlin felt tears in his eyes. What would happen to this place once he was gone? Would Arthur survive to become king without Merlin there to thwart all the assassination attempts? Would Albion fall before it ever began and Camelot come to ruin? Would Arthur miss him?

Probably not. Merlin smiled wryly. Arthur was probably just as mad at him for this as the king was. Even if he did somehow accept the fact that Merlin had magic, which was unlikely, he would never forgive his friend for all the lies that he had told over the years. He only hoped that Arthur would deign to be at his execution. If only to see the man that he had fallen in love with one last time before the fire overtook him. Because it would be fire, he knew. Uther had to make an example of him for practicing magic in such a close proximity to his son.

Merlin sighed.

If Arthur was there he would bow to him and name him the Once and Future King of Albion. Then anyone in the audience who practiced magic would pass that knowledge to others and all would know that he would bring about peace between magic and Camelot. Then, hopefully, they would stop trying to kill the prince and they too would attempt to protect him. It would be the last thing that Merlin could do for Arthur and he only hoped it would work.

If Arthur was even there. If not, he would just proclaim that he would always remain loyal to Arthur as the Once and Future King. It probably wouldn't have as big of an impact as if Arthur was there, but hopefully it would still be enough.

Suddenly, the attack of the rotten vegetables stopped and the bright light of the sun dimmed. Merlin looked up, not even realizing that he had bowed his head in thought of the prince, and saw a knight of Camelot holding his cloak up to shield Merlin from the townspeople and wrapping another arm around his waist comfortingly. Yet, this wasn't a normal knight of Camelot. He wore more armor than they did, as though he were going to a duel instead of Merlin's execution, including a metal helmet that kept his face from view, and it was only his rich red cloak that marked him as what he was.

"Don't worry," said the knight, "I'm going to protect you." The voice sounded familiar, but it was too dulled by the metal helmet to truly recognize.

"There's nothing you can do," Merlin muttered. "Please go before someone accuses you of aiding me."

"Never," said the knight. "I'm going to protect you."

Despite himself, Merlin felt utterly happy. Someone was actually trying to help him. Even in his last moments when everyone wanted him dead there was still at least one who would stand beside him. Someone actually accepted him for what he was instead of what he always pretended to be or what he needed to be for destiny's sake. Just him, a boy who was born with magic. The only thing that would make it better would be if it was Arthur standing next to him, but Merlin knew not to expect that. "Thank you," he whispered because he knew that no matter what this knight did he would not save Merlin from the fire, but at least he gave Merlin the only thing that he had ever truly wanted.

Arthur did not stand by his father when they arrived in the courtyard. Nor did he stand with Morgana where she cried for Merlin on her balcony. He did not even stand looking through his window to watch the fate of his manservant. He was nowhere to be seen and Merlin had to conclude once and for all as his heart broke that Arthur hated him now that he knew about his magic. He had known that this would happen, but some part of him had hoped that Arthur would somehow defy all odds and come to his aid at the end of most need. That small part of him was now crushed and it was only now that he realized it had been his heart.

"You have been accused of practicing magic," the king was saying. "What have you to say?"

"In defense of Prince Arthur and the people of Camelot I have used magic," Merlin said. No matter how much his heart hurt, he would not betray the loyalty he had always had to his king. "And I would gladly continue to do so in order to protect the Once and Future King Arthur of Camelot." To announce someone other than the current king as the king, even if it was the prince, was nothing short of treason, but Merlin would already have the death sentence bestowed upon him so he didn't really care. Word would spread of this and all would know that Arthur would be the one to unite Camelot with magic as it was foretold even without Merlin's help.

"You dare speak his name!" the king yelled. "You who have bewitched my son." Merlin was shocked by those words. The only reason that the king would think his son was bewitched is if Arthur had tried to stand up for him. Was it possible that Arthur did actually still care about him despite all his crimes? "You will burn in the pyre for your crimes."

The pyre already stood tall beside him and Merlin wasn't at all surprised that it had been set up before they even captured him. Normally one who practiced magic would have at least the night before facing the fire, but Merlin was too close to the royal family and he needed to be eliminated as quickly as possible.

"No," said the knight who had followed Merlin through the town and into the courtyard as he threw down his gauntlet before the king. All other knights pulled their sword, but no one dared move closer. A challenge was clearly given. There was no way that they would make their king seem like a coward in front of his people by taking it for him. "I challenge you for his life."

Merlin's eyes widened. Was that even possible? He had never really paid much attention to the knight's code as that was more Arthur's thing than his, but he did know a little and he had never once heard of someone throwing down a gauntlet in order to save another's life.

The king did not move. "You dare to challenge me boy?" he scowled, but it was clear that he didn't know what to do either. If he did not accept the challenge it would be like saying he was a coward, but if he did accept the challenge than the people would think it a possible way to save everyone on death's row. "You would sacrifice your life for a sorcerer?"

"I would," said the knight.

"Than you will be charged with aiding him. I will accept your challenge and I will kill you for the crime that you have committed."

"And if I win you will release him without harming him."

The king scowled again, but said nothing. "The battle will be tomorrow at dawn," he said.

"And Merlin, as the prize of this battle, has to remain unharmed until then."

"Take him to the dungeons," the king waved him away. "You have a stay of execution for now, but by tomorrow evening you will burn."

Merlin stared wide-eyed at the knight who saved his life for a night as the others took him into the castle. He was honestly not expecting that to work at all. He knew that Uther had his pride as an undefeated knight, but he didn't think that would ever overcome his lust for a sorcerer's head. He had actually thought that Uther would sentence the knight to death for attempting to aid him and damn the consequences until a later time, but the chance of having the people think him a coward was apparently enough incentive for the king. That was probably also the only reason that the knight was not currently joining him in the dungeon. It would be seen as unfair and therefore cowardly if the knight was not given the chance to ready himself for the coming battle.

Merlin did not sleep well that night and it had nothing to do with the uncomfortable sleeping arrangements. Nor did it have to do with the worry of the coming battle, though that did cross his mind. He did not sleep because he hoped all through the night that Arthur would find a way to come and visit him despite Uther's command that no one see him. He had stayed up all night hoping to see him slip quietly up to the cell door as he had done to others he believed wrongly accused, but he never came. It could be that he did not have Merlin to help him escape his room, George would certainly not help him against the King's orders, but it made Merlin doubt that Arthur truly did believe in him. Maybe he had stood up to him at first because he didn't believe that Merlin could be a sorcerer, but after thinking about it he would have put the pieces together.

When the dawn arrived, Merlin had bags under his eyes and he would barely be able to keep his eyes open if it weren't for the fact that the guards were pulling him out of his cell. "Where are we going?" Merlin asked, not really expecting an answer.

"The prize is always present during a duel," one of the guards said.

"You're the prize," said the other.

Shocked that he actually received an answer, Merlin remained silent. He had heard many stories of sorcerer's treated unkindly by both the knights and the guards of Camelot. It was one of the things that he hoped Arthur would fix in his people, but not something that he thought would ever change when Uther still reigned. Yet, as they walked, the guards and knights that he was passed onto held him gently and slowed whenever he so much as slipped.

And then there was a chair for him as they reached the arena. It wasn't in the king's box like Morgana's, who was the normal prize for such events, but it was still a relatively nice chair. Merlin honestly couldn't tell if Uther was trying to make a mockery of him or if someone had been kind enough to set it out for him. The look on Uther's face when he sat rather awkwardly on the chair told him that it most certainly wasn't supposed to be there for him.

"How are you?" asked Gwen once Merlin got as comfortable as he was going to be in his chair. It startled him because he hadn't see her there.

"I'm fine," he said, "but what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be with Morgana? You could get in trouble with Uther."

"Morgana asked me to be here for you," she said. "If Uther has anything to say about it, she'll defend me. We both wanted to be here for you, but you know she can't be seen to be cohorting with someone who the King claims to be a criminal. This is as much defiance as she is able to outwardly show." She patted the chair with a grin. "Don't worry. We're going to get you out of here."

"Gwen please," Merlin said. "Even if the knight wins this, I don't think Uther will let me go free. He won't let any sorcerers free under his reign."

"He has to," Gwen said. "It would be against the knight's code to do anything else."

"Whatever you say Gwen," Merlin said with only a slightly forced smile. Of course Gwen would know more about the knight's code than he. "Do you think that Arthur will come?" he asked. He knew he shouldn't have. It wasn't his place anymore, but he just wanted to see the prince one last time. "I don't see him here yet."

"You don't know?" Gwen asked. "Arthur tried to fight for you. He said that you've been using your magic to save Camelot for some time now and that that alone was sign that you weren't evil."

"He knew?" Merlin gasped.

Gwen nodded. "He tried to attack Uther when he said that he wouldn't pardon you. That's when the king said that he had been bewitched by you and locked him in his room. No one's seen him since."

Merlin honestly didn't know what to say to that. All this time Arthur had known and he had never said anything about it.

Suddenly silence overcame the crowd as the knight came onto the field. He was still wearing his helmet and Merlin thought that was a little disrespectful to the king, but he understood. Even though this knight was willing to help him, he couldn't risk everyone know who he was. That would be damaging to not only himself but also his family name. Besides, if he did lose there was still a chance that he might escape since no one knew his face. Merlin could feel a bit of his magic even behind the iron shackles and he was perfectly willing to use it to help in the escape.

"Well," Uther said, a brow raised, "you are the challenger. You decide to what end this duel will go."

"Until someone yields," said the knight. Those were the normal rules for dueling and Merlin sighed with relief. He had for a short moment feared that this duel would be to the death. Arthur would never forgive him if his father died because someone was saving his life. He wasn't worth that.

"Very well," Uther shrugged. "You will die at the end of it either way."

"Not if I defeat you," said the knight.

"You are very confident boy," Uther sneered. "I will show you your true place." Then he put his helmet on and crouched into a fighting position, not even bothering with the normal respectful before battle rituals. Merlin cringed. Uther truly did not like what this knight was doing, which meant that he would be particularly cruel in this battle.

The fight started slow, each knight trying to gauge to what lengths the other would go, and then suddenly Merlin couldn't keep track of it anymore. He was never good on a battlefield and didn't pay much attention to the parries and thrusts Arthur tried to teach him, but he could usually at least tell who had the upper hand in the fight. This time, however, it was going back and forth between the two that he just couldn't keep track.

Merlin's knight was the first to come to a disadvantage when he lost his shield, but it did not last for long as Uther's shield was knocked away soon after. A blow to the leg had Merlin's knight limping, but he one-upped Uther by knocking his helmet off.

Merlin watched in fascination. Other than Arthur he had never seen anyone hold themselves so well against the King.

"Oh my god!" Gwen gasped.

"What?" Merlin asked, eyes straying from the battle to look at her. She was staring with wide eyes at the two combatants with her hands clasped over her face. Perhaps she recognized the knight. Or maybe at least his fighting style. Merlin didn't care enough to recognize people by their fighting styles, but he wouldn't doubt if Gwen could. "What's wrong?"

Before Gwen could answer, the clattering of a knight falling brought Merlin's attention back to the field. The King was on his back, his shield long since missing and his sword just barely out of reach. "Yield," said Merlin's knight.

"Never!" the King yelled.

The knight lifted his sword high and Merlin suddenly realized how this would go. If the King would not yield than the knight would have to kill him. Merlin couldn't let that happen. Arthur would hate him. He didn't want that. He had to protect the king.

"Wait!" he yelled lifting his iron clad hand up to grab the sword if need be. He hadn't even realized that he had used his magic to transport all this way, but the fading golden light in his eyes told all. "Please wait," he said.

"What-" the knight gasped, his arms shaking with the effort of stopping his own sword.

"Please don't kill him," Merlin said. "Arthur will be upset if you kill him."

The sword through his chest was completely unexpected, but Merlin thought that he should have expected it. King Uther held no qualms against killing sorcerers and Merlin had just gotten in his way. Not only that, but Merlin had practically dishonored him by running onto the field to protect him. And not even for his own sake. "Out of my way sorcerer!" the king yelled, tossing Merlin to the side.

"Merlin!" the knight yelled and suddenly Merlin felt really stupid. How had he not recognized him before now? Above all else, though, he would always recognize the way Arthur called his name. He should have known the only knight who would be willing to protect him even against the wishes of the king was Arthur himself. What an idiot he was.

"Arthur," he whispered before the pain overtook him and his world went black.

As an introduction to this blog, I thought I would post a fic that I posted on my archive account. Hope you guys enjoy. 

Part 2 here

[sc-reviews]

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017) Review

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword joins the list of many filmed interpretations of King Arthur’s story that came before it. The source material for these films and television shows like the BBC’s Merlin are derived from collections of stories about Arthurian Legends. Arthurian Literature is full of a rich palette of characters from Merlin to Tristan to Morgan Le Fay, but I’ve never been very invested in the iconic character of King Arthur himself. He always seemed too noble, idealistic, and more vague than any of the minor characters that surrounded him. I could not, no matter how much I tried, find a way to relate to this guy no less actually see him as a realistic person. His character was simply overwhelmed by the scale of his mission, the power of his weapon Excalibur and the importance of his destiny and heritage.

So honestly, when I first saw a snippet of the trailer for this film, I did roll my eyes because here there would be another film version of a story that I felt had been told enough times already. How many times can Hollywood recycle ideas with all its remakes and sequels and generally the inability to let something original stay original? However, I did watch the trailer and what I saw was something vastly different from the King Arthur versions I had seen and read before. The tone of the movie was hardly dull or set up an ambiguous character. This Arthur had drive, had passion and humor and overall seemed like a realistic, complex character that I could believe in. So, I decided to go see the film despite all the horrible reviews that I had read because it seemed like something special or at the very least I knew I had to find out for myself what this movie felt like.

The opening sequence immediately inserts you into the film. It’s the middle of an intense battle with giant elephants and armies and dark magic. The King, Uther Pendragon, is hardly the type of guy who sits on his horse and gives commands to his soldiers. No, he’s heavily engaged in the action and in this visually stunning sequence, Excalibur makes its first appearance and Uther uses it to defeat his enemy. Therefore, magic and the crown (the Pendragon line) are tied together and fighting with that sword, believing in it, is what helps this king rule. However, the tension certainly does not end with that battle sequence. Danger lies not only in magic but in blood, which creates an interesting dynamic for the story as it proceeds into Arthur’s timeline as a young man growing up. The entire movie creates this very dangerous, yet realistic world for young Arthur to grow up in and makes the point that we are products of the world we live in and vice versa (the world is a product of the people in it).

Due to the betrayal toward his family and awful massacre, young Arthur becomes an orphan and barely manages to escape. He grows up in a brothel and is raised by the women that work there, which certainly shapes his views of women and the way he respects them later on in the film. This future king has nothing and from nothing he finds his strength. It turns him into this epic warrior who isn’t polished with graceful moves or formal manners or fine clothes and weapons. His fighting is rough like the life he grew up in and he becomes a sort of wise con man, navigating deals and earning money. It also seems a big reason for him learning to fight was to protect the women of the brothel that raised him, who were being beaten by their customers. In that respect, Arthur is noble and chivalrous in one of the best ways possible because he values women and does not appear to treat them as his inferiors at any point in the movie.

The way that this film is shot with the cutting back and forth is a signature thing for Guy Ritchie and he’s used it in many of his films before. I think it works really well in this film because Arthur is the same way. He’s very physical sure, but he’s also an intelligent, fast talking guy and it’s almost as if the way the movie is shot is representative of Arthur’s personality. His language is notably different from that of Vortigen and the people in the castle. I don’t see that as a clumsy mistake, but a careful detail included in order to ensure the separation of classes and emphasize Arthur’s place as an outsider.

Another element that I really want to focus on is the music in this film because it felt like a whole other brilliant character. The soundtrack was done by Daniel Pemberton, whose other credits include: Steve Jobs and The Man From U.N.C.L.E. I think his music was a beautiful addition to the film and that it has tremendous presence in scenes without dialogue. Particularly the scene where Arthur is riding into the castle after he is bitten by the snake, Pemberton’s song The Devil and the Huntsman featuring artist Sam Lee is playing and it transported me so vividly into that world with all its magical realism and brutality. A face moving in a tree and a giant snake could’ve easily become silly, but the film kept a nice tone of gravity in dealing with the magical elements of the Arthurian world. It set up the stage for something epic to occur. Even the shot with the famous Lady of the Lake was breathtaking and the shot right after with Arthur rising out of mud and holding up Excalibur was such a powerful image. I think it captivated the struggle of rising out of poverty and essentially thwarting all the dangerous obstacles his uncle put in his way. I suppose that’s also one of the reasons I love fantasy films because they key in on images and how powerful they can still be without words. Some people might see that as a weakness in saying that there isn’t enough dialogue in the film, but I disagree. I see it as a strength and there is certainly enough fast talking banter between Arthur and the other characters to add a wonderful layer of comedy to this film.

I also enjoyed Arthur’s teamwork with all his friends. It felt like a very different Knights of the Roundtable because it seemed like a bunch of good mates that were hardly knights. Yet, they had the qualities of knighthood and would each sacrifice their lives for each other. Also, the character of the mage was fantastic and my favorite thing was that she was not made into a love interest. She was an important part of the narrative and showed how magic helped Arthur regain his throne, but she didn’t have to become his Guinevere.

Overall, I was impressed over the attention to detail that this movie had and it really disappointed me that so many reviews were writing it off as unoriginal and accusing it of plagiarism. There was a mention of the elephant scene being too similar to Lord of The Rings. I’m a huge LOTR fan and the scene in Pelennor Fields where those massive creatures show up is totally different in my opinion to the scene in King Arthur. I just feel that scene in LOTR:ROTK is so iconic and the shots feel different, especially the way that the elephants become obstacles for people on the battlefield in LOTR is different. In King Arthur it’s really short and the elephants just don’t feel like they have as much presence. They’re just there being controlled by magic and represent the power and danger of magic in that world whereas in LOTR they were enslaved creatures trained for war. The scenes are different also because of the scale and the focus. In LOTR it’s much more of a collaboration of all these warriors and the focus is constantly switching from Eowyn and Peregrin to the other Rohirrim and then Aragorn and Legolas and Gimli. It’s the battle before the final battle. In King Arthur, this battle is just the beginning and it sets up the war setting that Arthur grows up into. The focus is on Uther solely and everything else around him is just there so he can prove himself as a capable king. Now, could other animals been used at the beginning so as not to cause such a controversy? Of course and I do see how people could easily call it plagiarism. Perhaps the director was paying tribute to other fantasy movies in his film by having creatures like the elephants, giant snakes, big rodents, bats…etc. However, I’m an English major and I want to point out that there is a serious difference between plagiarism and paying tribute to other films. Also, I’d like to point out that Arthurian Literature is much older than a lot of the fantasy stories we know well like Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter…etc. All modern fantasy stories draw upon centuries of folklore and Arthurian literature is medieval. So, a lot of stories that include these strange beasts are actually not as original as we’d like to think. J.K Rowling did not create giant snakes (basilisk) just as Tolkien does not own the myth of dragons or elves. They did what great fantasy writers do and they did their research and brought new interpretations to old myths. I would say that King Arthur has also done that because it is relying upon characters that have been around for a very long time and it uses magical beasts, but why is that such a bad thing when it creates something pretty awesome and unique in the process? I recommend this movie for anyone that wants to go on an exciting, adrenaline pumping action ride and also feel like what they’re watching is witty and funny and worthy of their time. Feel free to ask me questions if you’ve seen the film ad want to discuss it!