#merlin meets the woman who will become the lady of the lake but it turns out she's an assault victim afflicted with a curse

[july-19th-club]

god sweet dreams is such a fun episode. bradley james leaning all the way into it with good humor and enthusiasm. plot that revolves around all the characters having completely different conversations whenever they talk to each other in a classic comedy of errors. the equally classic 'somebody comes to camelot to destabilize the realm through Silly Magic Tricks And Schemes'. slapstick. chicken. romance. misbegotten declarations of love. gwen pushes arthur up against a tent pole and kisses him dizzy. georgia tennant is there

[albentelisa]

Hi. So you remember the Lady of the Lake, right? Well, what if she had managed to disguise herself as a mortal woman?

That human form she took on is non other Barabra Lake, thus already making Jim half human.

When he gets the amulet in this AU, he knows his mom hates Merlin, so he doesn't tell her at first.

Oh, in this AU Bular is definitely not the only one sent flying. Merlin will get that honor for sure as well. James Lake Sr. too, I guess. And maybe even Strickler (if he ever tries something dumb, LOL).

Jokes aside, I'll say that James Lake Sr is the one responsible for Barbara's disguise. My headcanon is that Nimue can grant wishes, but she chooses to grant those only if someone voices their deepest desires (as she hates hypocrites). So, one day James amid his travel to Britain, somehow wandered into the Nimue's current abode and voiced his wish to meet his perfect woman (he was just fooling around and had no idea that it would be granted). Nimue assumed a mortal woman's form of Barbara appearing right before him. Just to say, their relationship didn't work because there never was any true love between the two of them.

Nimue would prefer to return to her old life after the breakup, but she stays with humans because it's something Jim genuinely desires. And honestly, his wish is the one she is actually happy to grant.

As for Jim in this AU, he knows a bit about his mom, but definitely not everything. Like, he's aware that Barbara is inhuman and even caught a glimpse of her monstrous form once (it's an experience he'd rather forget) and that she dislikes Merlin for some reason (Barbara never told her son about her imprisonment, so Jim is entirely unaware how serious that hatred is).

Jim inherited his mom's abilities but cannot use those as he was traumatized after seeing Barbara's inhuman form and is scared to turn into something similar so he subconsciously seals those.

Why Barbara never learns about Jim finding the amulet despite being able to read souls? Well, she refuses to read Jim's soul, respecting his privacy, and because she knows that Jim doesn't lie or hide things from her (well, he DID before the amulet).

However, Barbara read Strickler's soul. She knows he's inhuman, but well, he has no ill intent towards Jim. And Jim's plan to keep things secret from his mom flies out of the window because she also learns about Strickler's desire to get the amulet from her son.

Barbara is pissed (to put it mildly) that Merlin's amulet chose her son. For her, it's like the hateful wizard's trying to control Jim (like he did with her). However, soon she realizes that Jim wants to be a hero himself and vows to support him. She tinkers with the amulet though as she believes that her son should fight for his own ideals, not her former tormentor's glory.

Barbara becomes a team member, but her abilities are limited (because it's either keeping her human form or regaining her full powers). She isn't ready to drop her human disguise though because of Jim (as she is scared he won't be able to see her as his mother anymore).

Strickler changes the sides pretty fast because Barbara sees that his true desire is the liberating changelings and encounters him about it. The same goes for Nomura. Strickler tries to recruit Otto too, but he is too scared to betray Gunmar. Otto is also the one who frees Angor Rot here, hoping to use him as a bodyguard from both Jim's team and Bular (who is pretty much enraged after the two changelings desert).

NotEnrique gets planted into Claire's family (as well as some other changelings are transferred as the Janus Order has a shortage of manpower now).

Jim still encounters a stalking, and to defeat it he unwittingly goes full monster form which terrifies him to his core. He starts questioning whether he has any right to be with his friends. Toby tells him that it doesn't matter.

Much like in the canon, Claire snoops around and learns Jim's secret about the trollhunting. She joins the team before they learn about NotEnrique, so the eventual reveal hits her the most. Claire tries to find the Killahead alone to travel to the Darklands, and she locates it but gets kidnapped by Angor Rot. Otto uses her as a hostage to get the amulet from Jim.

During the Battle of Two Bridges, Claire manages to wrestle the shadow staff from Angor, Otto and Angor escape, and Bular is sucked into the Darklands (getting his wish to reunite with his father).

Now the only thing remaining is to save Enrique, but it meets more opposition at the Trollmarket as there is a risk to unseal both Gunmar and Bular. Even Strickler thinks it's unreasonable.

Meanwhile, Otto tries to get the bridge back. He still hopes to get Gunmar's trust back. He exploits Angor for that and sends assassins from the Order after different members of Jim's team.

Angor makes a deal with Jim and gets free eventually.

However, Jim goes to the Darklands alone in this AU as he feels guilty because many of his teammates have some injuries after the Janus Order's non-stop attacks.

In the Darklands, Jim notices that something is wrong with him. Apparently, the constant sense of danger makes his inhuman half resurface. So far those are partial transformations that he can reverse but those might get worse. At some point, he stumbles upon Bular who is exiled after his failure. They fight initially but make a truce as Bular is lost and has no idea what to do now.

Together they locate the nursery and save Enrique. Jim plans to bring Bular along with him to the surface and give him a second chance, but they only manage to get Enrique as the bridge is destroyed (and it's only partially Usurna's fault as the guards see Bular walking along with Jim and misunderstand everything).

Barbara is enraged, especially after reading Usurna's true intentions in her soul. Alas, most of the Tribunal doesn't believe her accusations (Vendel and Blinky are the only ones aware of her true identity), and both Vendel and Blinky are accused of treachery and conspiring with Gunmar. The rest of the team escapes and then they are divided into two teams to jailbreak Blinky and Vendel and to recover the Bridge.

Barbara manages to force open the passway to the Darklands (as she had altered the amulet before so she has some control over its abilities now) and the team goes to the Darklands searching for Jim. The fight against Gunmar happens there and Jim defeats him with the help of his team. Bular decides to stay in the Darklands and rebuild the Gumm-Gumm kingdom, but this time make it a better place for other trolls.

However, the victory is soured by the fact that the entire team is considered criminals at the Trollmarket now as Usurna has seized control. She also makes a pact with Otto, who wants to liberate Morgana. Otto steals the amulet from Jim and destroys it to get a map to Merlin's tomb. Initially, Trollhunters have no idea why Otto did it, deciding it was just a revenge plan.

Otto wakes up Merlin by accident but still gets his staff and escapes. Merlin gets out and after some misfortunes finds Douxie and they go to contact Trollhunters. Obviously, Barbara isn't happy. She isn't going to help Merlin but begrudgingly agrees when Douxie and Jim ask her.

Meanwhile, Usurna and Otto free Morgana and get some powers from her. Morgana feels that those two are better for her plans than Gunmar as neither of them would risk opposing her. She also unites forces with Morando.

Jim's team learns about Aja and Krel's secret and all of them realize that their enemies work as the united forces now. The decisive clash happens and the good guys come victorious. The Trollmarket finally is free and Jim's team can go there without any complications.

Merlin isn't happy though as it seems that he anticipates something bad to happen. Not that anyone is interested in listening to his thoughts, especially Barbara who would rather send him flying somewhere.

Some time passes, and Barbara has a visit from Bellroc who proposes a truce to eradicate humanity (as the Arcane Order is sure that Nimue is as pissed about magical creatures' oppression as they are). They are surprised when she refuses.

The Arcane Order still needs Nimue's power so the Green Knight kidnaps Jim, and the Order tries to force his latent abilities out. They also attack the flying castle in the hope of capturing Nari too. Douxie, Claire, Steve, and Toby end in the past. Claire is the one who gets in prison, though as she carelessly uses her magic before Arthur and his knights. Morgana breaks her out together with all the trolls.

While visiting Nimue in the past, the team finally gets why Barbara hates Merlin that much in the present. Nimue also sees that Claire's hidden desire is to liberate Jim from the Arcane Order's control (even though she has no idea who Jim is) and during the parting she gives her a hint that Jim should snap out of it himself.

When the team is back to the present, they are forced to face the Arcane Order, Green Knight, and Jim who lost his human form entirely and pretty much berserk at the moment as he isn't familiar with his new form and all new sensations attached.

Merlin (being Merlin) suggests capturing and sealing Jim somewhere. Luckily for him, Barbara hasn't heard that. Claire is pissed though. She tries to get to Jim and reach his mind, and nearly succeeds but is forced to retreat as the Arcane Order interrupts her.

Meanwhile, Green Knight finds and kills Merlin while seizing his staff (as Jim has learned where the seals are hidden and told the Order about those). Now Bellroc and Skrael only need to capture Nari.

Claire makes an attempt to reach Jim through the Shadow realm. She meets Morgana there (Morgana was sealed there after her defeat and still isn't liberated) and tries to reason with her (Claire wasn't possessed by Morgana in this AU, so she is more open-minded about it). They both try to find Jim's soul and see that he is scared, confused, and lost. This time Claire manages to reach him and ensure that no one is scared of his monstrous form. It helps Jim to regain control and turn human once again.

[gellavonhamster]

Actually, thinking about King Arthur: Legend of the Sword just makes me want an Arthuriana heist/action movie about Arthur becoming the king that is sliiightly more accurate in terms of not just slapping names on characters at random but using characters that could've realistically been Arthur's peers when he was young. The approximate cast could include:

Arthur himself

Kay, obviously

Bedivere (he and Kay are dating btw)

Morgan (I'd want her to be helping Arthur but possibly with hints in the end that she would go against him at some point later)

Gawain (he's like ten years old and staying with his aunt for some reason, he's the Gavroche to their Les Amis and very eager to participate in the heist. The rest of them try to keep him out of it at first because he's A Child, which is funny because they're all about 17-20 at that point, so not much of adults themselves either)

Griflet

Lucan

Guinevere (the main romantic line is her and Arthur falling in love with each other, yadda yadda)

Merlin as the world's most cryptic mentor figure

the Lady of the Lake, either Nimue or a separate figure

I feel like Ector should be here but such movies usually have father figures die eventually, so :(

potentially, though I don't imagine your average action movie would go there: that one woman who has a one-night stand with Arthur and then, at the very end of the movie, when everyone's arriving to Camelot (?) to meet the new king, turns out to be Morgause

(no, I don't have any kind of plot in mind)

[devotedwaywardangel1]

BBC Merlin Preferences: How You Met

Merlin - You met Merlin early on in your stay in Camelot, you were King Arthur’s new adviser taking the place of your ageing father, so you’ve seen Merlin around. By some random twist of fate run into each other, knocking you both over. He kept stuttering out apologies, you laughed and helped him up. You had to admit that you found him attractive and have witnessed his kindness second hand. But actually looking at him your heart fluttered in your chest. “Hi, I’m Merlin.” He smiled and held his hand out. You took it. “I’m (Y/n), nice to meet you.” He smiled. “I would love to stop and chat, his royal prattishness needs me.” He rushed off and you laughed. “See you around Merlin.”

Arthur - You had been looking the King after Morgana betrayed Camelot, after being a senior servant of the royal household despite being younger than the crown prince himself. You were a good servant done what was needed and left without a word, but looking after Uther in this state meant you saw Arthur a lot more than usually. So it was only a matter of time until you and Arthur actually met. He stopped you down the hallway after you left to go home that night. “Hey!” You stopped letting him catch up to you nodding your head. “Sire.” He smiled down at you causing you to blush. “I wanted to thank you for taking care of my father.” You smiled. “It’s my duty to look after him.” Arthur started to get flustered then regained his composure. “Please allow me to escort you home.” You didn’t decline.

Gwen - You were foraging in the forest when you heard a scream so naturally you dropped everything and ran towards the sound and unsheathed your xiphos upon seeing a woman surrounded by bandits. “Back off.” You yelled, grabbed the bandits attention and leaped into a fight thankfully it wasn’t a large group so dispatching them wasn’t too hard. After all of them are gone you help her up. “Are you okay, miss?” You ask to check her over. “I’m okay but your arm!” She gasped seeing a cut across your arm that you had failed to notice. Grabbing your hand dragging you to Camelot, once she noticed that she still had your hand she pulled away stuttering. You smiled and continued to follow her.

Morgana - You were the youngest of your noble household and was desperate to become a knight of Camelot but Uther wouldn’t allow this seeing as you were a woman. Unfortunately for him you were cunning and stubborn and eventually proved yourself but not enough to be a knight, instead he made you Lady Morgana’s protector. Sometimes compromises had to be made, you thought bitterly. Until Morgana entered the room and you were speechless. “Let’s go Lady (Y/n).” You nodded and followed speechless.

Lancelot - You were an orphan and had been wandering around the woods alone for two years and had become good at hunting and hiding. So when a boy about your age was running away from shouting heading in your direction. Thinking quickly you grab his arm and run to a small crevice for the pair of you to hide. After the men ran past not noticing you he thanked you by sharing half of the bread he had stolen. “I’m (Y/n).” “Lancelot.” You smile taking another bite of bread. “Do you think we could stick together, for um survival I’m new to this you see and…” You cut off his ramblings. “Good idea.”

Leon - You had found Leon in the forest mortally injured and teleported him to your druid camp where he drank from the cup of life, bringing him back from the brink of death. After he gained consciousness your camp left but you insisted to at least get him close to the citadel, as close as a druid would dare. “Can you make it from here?” You ask, he was quiet the whole journey and you could see the castle so it was time to part. “Yes, thank you.” He nodded, still not moving. “Are you sure sir.” You look up at him with concern in your eyes. “It’s just that my people have killed so many of your kind and yet you still help people like me.” You shrugged. “One can’t dwell on the past, new times are coming, times where we can all live in harmony… now go to your people they’ll need you.” You teleported away leaving a stunned Leon.

Gwaine - It started in your tavern when you noticed a roguish man come in and take a seat near the back and one of your waitress asked what he would like and came back to you asked for a tankard of mead of which you poured out for the man. An hour went by before trouble started one man decided it would be a good idea to slap one of the waitress’ ass. She turned around to slap him but he caught her hand, which made both you and the mystery man leap into action. Luckily the man was too drunk to fight back as it took both of you to kick him out of the tavern and you went to comfort your friend and let her stay in a spare room for the night. You turned round to thank the man. “The name’s Gwaine, princess.” “I ain’t no princess, rouge.” He grinned. “Of course not, princess.” You smirked. “How long are you here for?” “Until I’m chased off.” “How’d you like a job in the meantime?”  

Freya - You were being chased by Camelot’s nights after transforming into your wolf form on a full moon. The sound of hoofbeats were getting louder and louder as you were tiring and then an arrow embedded itself in your back but you kept running, another and another hit you. It took eleven arrows to bring you down, as you collapsed and a man came over he looked you in the eye full of guilt and remorse and all went dark. You wake up and all is light, you get up and nothing hurts anymore. “Oh shit I’m dead.” You whisper. “It appears so my friend.” You look down at your hands in wonder. “Who are you?” She smiled softly. “I’m the Lady of the Lake but you call me Freya.”

Elyan - You were looking around the outer parts of town for a blacksmith willing to fix your armour and it was getting increasingly frustrating as many refused service. Being the only commoner knight in your kingdom had some downsides. It was the last shop in the lower town and you hoped that who ever owned the shop would be willing to fix your armour. “Excuse me.” There was a crash and you kicked the door open and unsheathed your sword, scanning for danger. “Sorry, I tripped.” A man mumbled embarrassed. “No worries.” You help him up. “Uhh what can I help you with?” He brushed himself off. “I was wondering if you’d be willing to fix my armour.” “Of course.” You stumble taken aback “what really… thanks!” “I’m Elyan.” “(Y/n) Knight of Nemeth.”

Percival - To be honest walking through the forest wasn’t the best idea on your part, so when a couple of bandits surrounded you, you only blamed your own stupidity. Mentally preparing for the blow, but it never came, instead a thud sound after the bandit fell to the floor yelling in pain. You saw a man in chainmail sporting a knight of Camelot cape quickly dispatching the other bandit. He turned around to look at you. “Are you okay?” You look up at him a little fluster, taking a few moments to find your words. “Yes, thank you.” You nodded and looked down at the ground missing his small smile. “Would you like me to escort you home?” Tilting his head trying to catch your gaze. “I would like that very much Sir…” “Percival.” “(Y/n).”

Mithian - You first came across Lady Mithian, in the dining hall of the castle, she appears to be concerned,becoming lost within her own thoughts. You therefore approach her and ask her why she is concerned, trying to comfort her. She tells you that she is concerned about taking on the royale requirements of becoming the queen, a queen in which she does not what to be. Hearing this you decide to grab Mithian by the hand and take her out to see the world. A world where she has no title to her name. She screams with excitement and feels free to be herself when she's around you. After exiting the dining hall you come across some guards on patrol, you decide to hide behind some statues in the hallway trying not to get caught by the guards, as soon as they have left you both emerge from your hiding place, and run to the nearest exit hoping not to get caught. 

Mordred - It started when you were abandoned at a druid camp by your parents after you made fire come out of your bare hands. The druids gladly accepted you and Iseldir saw your talent and made you his apprentice, it wasn’t until you settled in that you were introduced to the other children in the camp. They were nice enough but you felt bombarded by the attention, so when it didn’t seem rude to leave you did, opting to sit by a stream. “You like the water too?” A voice came from behind. You whip your head to see a darked haired boy approach you. “Yeah it's unpredictable but calming is nice.” You admit. “I’m Mordred, by the way.” “(Y/n).” He sits next to you and you both just watch the water together.

[magic-and-moonlit-wings]

Reaction to ‘Wizards’

There were some elements of Wizards that I was quite pleased with and others I found disappointing.

Here are some notes I took while watching it: 

“I was busy,” says the guy who was ASLEEP.

Cuckoo clock in bookstore looks like Bular’s head.

Green Knight can teleport, confirming potential parallel character to Angor Rot and Tronos Madu, both yellow-eyed assassins with teleportation and tragic backstories (later confirmed, yes, there are parallels between this character and those two besides the visual one)

Jim always tips at the cafe; yup, that sounds like Jim 

Gunmar saving Jim: irony. Is Jim going to go to the Gumm-Gumm camp now? 

Confirmation that portrait was Arthur and Guinevere and she is “gone”, presumably by magic or killed by a troll - is she dead or did she just leave? (Later confirmed, dead)

Morgana’s name is carved on the tree under Arthur’s and Guinevere’s - was she in love with Guinevere too? 

Is that Nari with Morgana and Guinevere? (Later confirmed, yes)

Stone doll Callista finds looks like Angor’s totems - same village? He said it was “Gunmar’s war” that destroyed it, and she says it was a human attack, but Angor might’ve seen it as a retaliatory attack by the humans which Gunmar’s actions had provoked?

Arthur being the one to cut off Morgana’s hand makes Merlin SLIGHTLY less of an asshole for using it in the Amulet, but a lot of this still could’ve been avoided if Merlin had been willing to shut up and listen. 

Oh, except it wasn’t Arthur who cut off Morgana’s hand the first time anyway? 

Episode 3 ends without Steve getting knocked on his back, so that scene must’ve been his sparring match with Lancelot in Episode 2 instead of keeping it an Episode 3 tradition (like how Zuko and Iroh hug in Episode 18 of each season of Avatar the Last Airbender)

Why would Douxie be grossed out at the idea of swimming naked? Swimsuits have only been around for, what, 80 years? Presumably it was a specific lack of desire to see Steve naked.

Neat take on the Lady of the Lake. 

AAARRRGGHH used to have a triple set of horns - what happened to the other two? Receded, amputated, knocked off? Also, Gunmar says AAARRRGGHH is ‘holding back’ when they spar and has yet to win against him - if AAARRRGGHH was doing that on purpose, this supports my theory that he was debating how safe it was to stay on Gunmar’s side for some time before deserting. 

Morgana possessed? 

Angor Rot saved Morgana/recovers her body and gives a funerary-sounding blessing, showing he was sympathetic to humans before losing his soul  

Oh, and Nari gave her the new hand 

Wait, so who steals Angor’s soul in this timeline? 

Called it on that servant guy being a Changeling - he appears in the background of, like, every scene that episode where they’re talking about Morgana using unexpected strategies to sneak into Camelot. 

Wait, except his human form is an adult - so is he a polymorph? Or Familiars can be taken as adults but babies are easier to contain and have less ‘established personality’ to match after replacing them? Or has Morgana already been creating Changelings? AAARRRGGHH calls Jim “impure” when they meet in Dwoza, suggesting Gumm-Gumms already know what Changelings are, except Morgana wasn’t working with them yet

Is Callista going to be Deya? (Later confirmed, yes)

Show seems to be matching up with old theories about Deya being the first Trollhunter, confirming that the show, comics, and novels are all separate continuities (since comics and novels show pre-Deya Trollhunters). 

Gumm-Gumm berserkers - mind-controlled or grit-shaka’d (talisman of “no fear”), to throw themselves into sunlight like that?

Steve seems ready to refer to any half-decent older man as his dad, like when he refers to Merlin as ‘Wizard-Dad’. Maybe it’s because I was watching Brooklyn 99 recently but I’m reminded of Jake Peralta.

Big Jim’s crystal neck protrusions look like Strickler’s knife collar back when I thought that was part of his body. Glowy lines look like Gunmar; tie-in to Gunmar born of a “corrupted Heartstone” since Jim is “corrupted” now?

Aw, Krel called Ricky his dad. 

How did AAARRRGGHH fit through the HexTech door to the backroom?

“Cat and mouse” line cuts to a shot of Archie obviously imitating Nari (confirmed a few minutes later)

Toby has obviously seen Ghostbusters. “When someone asks you if you are a god, you say YES!”

Decoration in bookshop looks like Angor’s head.

Was that lightshow of Nari searching the world for Jim’s soul just a visual metaphor for her powers or did literally everyone on Earth see that?

“There’s a force neither of us can escape - gravity!” says the woman who can fly.

Morgana’s occasional echo-y voice in Trollhunters matches Bellroc and Skael - possession/magical-influence related?

So did Merlin have that book on him or did his body turn into the book?

Are all dragons fluffy and/or shapeshifters in this universe? 

Might’ve been smarter to keep Merlin’s staff intact and destroy the Grimoire so the Arcane Order never knows where to find the Genesis Seals, just saying.

If Morgana didn’t become “the Eldritch Queen” until, like, IMMEDIATELY before Angor approached her (therefore days earlier at most in the unaltered timeline), how had he heard of her to seek her aid? Was he actually reaching out to the Arcane Order? At least this explains why he didn’t go to the Trollhunter for help - there was no Trollhunter to approach yet.

Big Jim ‘dies’ in the same pose as AAARRRGGHH in Trollhunters Season 1 and Draal in Unbecoming, both false death scenes, for five-second foreshadowing Jim was alive. 

Mixed feelings about him being human again - like I’ve said, I didn’t think the Troll Jim subplot was well-executed but I also felt like, now that it’s been established, the show needs to stick with it. Since everything’s over I’m going to headcanon Jim having shapeshifting powers now and being able to switch between human and troll at will, he just didn’t think to try to do so on-camera.

Also, I feel like Jim’s relationship with Claire is once again completely overshadowing his relationship with Toby, instead of them being different kinds of relationships with equal weight. 

Barbara is going to be pretty shocked when her human son shows up again. She and Strickler don’t appear at all in this series, even in cameo. 

Maybe Jim’s not a troll anymore because, with Merlin and Morgana both dead, their magic is “broken” and that’s what was holding his transformation in place? Merlin’s through the potion, Morgana’s through the Changeling femur, both through the Amulet.

Is Jim still going back to New Jersey? Blinky’s got to, unless the trolls there have elected a new leader or they’re bringing the New Jersey Heartstone back to Arcadia.

Series ending scene also would work as the final scene of a movie, setting up a sequel hook even though it’s supposed to be over now. 

Seems like wizards are long-lived and age really slowly? Possibly a “will not die but can be killed” situation, like vampires, or unicorns (at least in The Last Unicorn) 

Additional thoughts after finishing the show and thinking for a while: 

I don’t get how Morgana could end up with such a reputation among trolls - enough to have superstitions about her, seen when Dictatious objects to Usurna saying her name - when they only interacted with her for like a few days at most. I guess she made a pretty strong impression on Gunmar, who passed that on to everyone else? Or maybe she cultivated that reputation over time via the Changelings?

Speaking of the Changelings, does this mean that, while Morgana designed the process to create them, she doesn’t make each individual one? Otherwise she would’ve had to pre-make a bunch in the time between getting her new hand and being trapped in the Heartstone. Although, if she can steal Angor’s soul remotely (with the idea she was already trapped in the Heartstone when that happened), she can probably also make Changelings remotely. 

I’m kind of sorry the Changelings got invented so quickly; I figured there would be some trial-and-error to that process.

How I think the Original Timeline went: 

Morgana would’ve turned to the Arcane Order seeking magic allies, later in the day that gets changed when the time-travelers arrive. Possibly she seeks out Nari, specifically, remembering her from childhood. 

Merlin then sees Morgana as the Future Threat and he or one of the knights (not Arthur) cut off her hand in the resulting fight. 

Merlin makes the Amulet. It chooses Callista, who is still in Camelot’s dungeon at the time, and she agrees to fight Gunmar in exchange for her freedom. 

She fully intending to go back on the deal and run for it, but then something-something-something and she learns her original name and saves the world anyway. Probably she’s the one who took down and imprisoned AAARRRGGHH in Dwoza, which inspired the other trolls there to follow her. 

Morgana finds out about the Trollhunter shortly before Angor arrives to ask her for magic, which is why she orders him to hunt the Trollhunters down.

Arthur thinks Merlin killed Morgana and wants to avenge her, leading him to the Arcane Order for the original not-time-loop-prompted attack.  

Show did a good job establishing and developing Douxie’s relationship with Merlin

Also, how did that bookshop end up a center of Merlin’s power? He’s only been in the modern world for a few months. Did he set a shop up off-camera while the trolls were travelling to New Jersey and the Akiridions were discovering Earth? 

How did Ricky Blank lose his head, anyway? Can Hex Tech fix him? Krel says magic and Akiridion tech combine harmoniously. 

[the-lady-bryan]

Untitled HP Arthurian Legend AU idea

This is mostly so I have my idea compiled somewhere that isn’t Google Docs or Evernote. I may or may not write on this idea, but it’s a good idea so if I never get around to actually writing it, then at least I put it out there for people to enjoy in some form or another anyway.

Each reblog is a different part stage of the AU that would be told as "tales" of a sort. And because each one is really fucking long, each one will have a “read more”. If this doesn’t work for mobile users, i’m sorry. But hey, at least i tried!

Anyway, on with the thing!

So basically it's this...

Part 1 “The Fall of Camelot”

Camelot was real. Of course it was because modern witches and wizards know about the great Merlin, a revered historical figure. BUT no one really knows what happened during that time because when Camelot fell around 280 years after the death of King Arthur at Camlaan, all records and such were lost, and in the two centuries after his death the magical population was hunted to near extinction.

The battle of Camlaan had nothing to do with a fight between Mordred and Arthur and in fact father and son fought on the same side against invaders who had already conquered the surrounding kingdoms. Morgana wasn't evil she just didn't agree with Merlin and the crown but didn't go out of her way to cause trouble until her eldest son was killed years after surviving Camlaan.

Anyway, so what really went down is forgotten and all records were destroyed, resulting in a lot of gaps that were filled in with myth and legends and made up rumours.

Okay, so. In this version, Merlin taught Mordred magic after he was brought to Camelot by Arthur to be groomed as heir apparent until Guinevere had their children at which point he would become Lord Protector I the event Arthur died before his children had grown up. Mordred was totes cool with this because he doesn't want to rule and wants the freedom he has as the king's nephew rather than his son. So nobody but Arthur, Morgana, her husband Lord Peverell, Merlin, and eventually Mordred himself know the truth and it stays that way for many years.

So, Arthur has this prophecy hanging over his head about this whole once and future king thing. And Merlin is this mysterious wizard with powers that are far beyond any other living being. He's fucking revered by the druids and various mystic orders. And it turns out he is cursed with immortality and has been roaming the earth for a thousand years because he gave into temptation and used a forbidden piece of knowledge given to him by the gods. The only way he can escape this date is to pass on that knowledge to another who is worthy of having the power, but also one Merlin believes will not use it as he had. He of course, ends up choosing Mordred, believing in his inherent goodness and nobility.

He teaches Mordred the powerful Charm of Making, which can give the user his hearts desire for a price. Merlin finds he cannot speak what that price is, so instead cautions Mordred never to use this power unless there is absolutely no other option.

The knowledge now passed on to another, Merlin is made mortal again. He is assassinated before Camlaan.

Mordred and Arthur go to battle. Mordred and Arthur are both mortally wounded. Mordred tries to save his king's life but none of the healing magic he knows is working. So he does the unthinkable and uses the Charm of Making, trying to will Arthur to live. Instead it heals himself and not Arthur.

Arthur's body is taken by Mordred himself back to Camelot. They get a priestess in to do the final rites and are informed that the gods have another date in store for the king. His body is to be committed to Avalon where his soul will reside with the gods and await the day of his return. Guinevere is not happy about this because this isn't the way things are done. Mordred insists that the do as the gods command. This causes a split and Mordred decides fuck it, I'll make sure it happens and the knights loyal to him accompany him. The queen brands him a traitor and Arthur's cousin through his father's family seizes the throne in Mordred's absence, branding him a criminal and wanted for treason.

Mordred does not return to Camelot after sending Arthur's body to Avalon and he goes on many adventures, befriending all manner of creatures and beings, going by another name - “Antioch” and taking the name Peverell from his mother's husband who had raised him as his own blooded son. One of the beings he befriends and has adventures with is Gringott the Goblin, who was kicked out of his clan for swearing an oath of brotherhood to a human after their many (profitable) adventures. Gringott ended up starting a band of outcasts who had been banished from other goblin clans and they continued their adventures before eventually forming Clan Gringott, which over the following 1300 years or so became the biggest and most powerful of the goblin clans in all of Europe.

Anyway, so Mordred eventually settles down after meeting a young Baron and falling madly in love with him, and the Baron in love with Mordred. Problem, the Baron is already married to a daughter of another Lord. A magic hating muggle Lord. After she births a couple of children for the Baron, he releases her from the marriage so that she may find love for herself because he never did and married her out of duty. He is also really chill and is like "I don't want our children to not know their mother. In fact, stay and I'll happily pay for your upkeep and anything you desire because you are my best friend and I do care about you. Hell, fall in love and remarry and you can have the castle. Me and .ordered will happily live in a mud but in the back yard." And Mordred's like "if you want I can even get like, servants and stuff for you. And you can live like a queen." But the woman's super pissed about it, rightfully to be honest, and plots with her brother to kill Mordred because he has magic. When she finds out the Baron also has magic, she plots to kill him, too.

Hell's fury and women scorned and all that.

So she hires someone to kill Mordred, and it seemingly works! Mordred is killed in a tavern on his way back home from visiting his mother and younger brothers Cadmus and Ignotus.

When word reaches the Baron, he kills himself in his grief, not able to bear life without his love.

When Morgana, old and bitter about Mordred's reputation in the kingdom after Arthur's death, learns her eldest son has been killed, she uses all of her magic to curse the entire kingdom of Camelot and the king's and queens to follow, with her curse gaining power with time and each generation until eventually 280 years later Camelot finally falls. The curse is so strong it takes her life as the price for such magic, and in the process her bitterness and malice transforms the Ruby stone she uses as her focal point into a stone of pitch black. This becomes known in later centuries as the resurrection stone.

So, Mordred used the charm of making and is actually immortal, having made the same mistake as Merlin and given into the temptation to use the knowledge without knowing what price he would ultimately pay. He is pulled into Avalon, regressed to the physical age of a newborn baby but still has all of his memories and mind intact. Normally if one with there curse is killed, they may take time to heal but they will return to life a little worse for wear. This did not happen to Mordred because of a protection spell cast on him by Gringott during their adventures. The goblin magic interacted badly with the curse and oops! Baby Mordred!

Mordred is found in Avalon by his father Arthur, who not knowing what to do takes him to the Lady of the Lake. The lady in turn calls up a council of the gods, to which the spirit of Merlin is summoned. Merlin is tasked with "fixing this monumental fuck up because ultimately it's your fault for teaching the boy the charm before he was ready to understand the power and the consequences of it".

So Merlin comes up with a plan to send Mordred back, but the cost of doing so is forcing Arthur's destiny onto him. Arthur was destined to return at Albion's greatest need and it's darkest hour, but Mordred cannot remain in Albion. And Arthur MUST return because you do NOT fuck with prophecy more than necessary.

And so ends part 1, “The Fall of Camelot”.

[felicismagic18873]

Beyond the Blaze (2)

Summary: 4 Years old, Alyssa Potter finds her life taking a magical turn as she steps into a world of cute green giants, talking robots and misunderstood aliens. All of it is almost enough to make her forget the probable destruction of her own world.

Word Count:2.7k

As sunshine filled the sky chasing away the darkness, a lady with breathtaking beauty was seen standing at the edge of a dazzling lake.

Her white-gold hair flowed around her porcelain-like face as the wind blew through them. Her lips resembling red of an autumn leaf lifted up into a small smile as the soft wind caressed her face. Her beauty seemed ageless and impossible, like crafted out of pure magic. That should be the case since this was one of the 12 witches that Hecate chose as her daughters, Melina.

Melina looked at the lake and soon got lost deep in her thoughts. She hoped to overcome her nervousness and lose herself in the beauty of the lake. Even after centuries, the lake held the same glory as the day she saw it as a child of mere 40 moons.

The flashes of blues and greens from the lake were reflecting on her light breeze whispered stories of past and future, made her hair move. This was the Lake of time, the start and end of time began from here.

The water was clear and pure with millions of crystals shinning at its bottom. Melina absently noticed that the dates and events written on the crystals were changing.

The Lake had an allure that drew anyone to it and Melina standing there just added to its beauty.

Melina turned as she heard the crunch of leaves and saw the one she desired to meet coming towards her. She knelt down,

"Mother."

"Stand my daughter." Hecates' gown seemed to ripple as if the cloth was ink spilling off, her silver-gold hair was set in an Ancient Greek style high-set ponytail. As usual, her sea-green aura seemed to outshine everything. Her face pale, beautiful, and ageless face was set in stone. "I know of which you desire and the answer is no."

"Mother please, do not do this. They-I know what they have done-" Melina said trying to hide the desperation she felt.

"Then you must know why this is necessary." Hecate interrupted with a knowing glance.

"They don't even know what they have done. Most of them are innocent, Mother."

"Oh of course," Hecate voice was colder than plains of Jotunheim. "This is not about them, is it? This is about the girl. Alyssa was it?"

Melina didn't back down."She is my descendant, mother."

"So were others, but you would destroy the order of things for her?"

"Mo-"

"No Melina." Melina looked down, her Mother's power forcing her submission." For centuries they have misused the gift I have granted them. Contaminating powers bestowed upon them. Killing my beloved creations! Now I shall take back what is rightly mine. If it destroys them so be it." Hecate's eyes flashed like lightning as she disappeared.

"I'm sorry mother." She stood up," but I cannot let this happen."

She hoped Fate would help her since she could not do this without her. It was time to set her plan to save Alyssa Potter into motion.

"Where are we going Mel?" Alyssa asked softly tugging on Melina's maroon robes.

"You shall see, child." She knelt down, her eyes roaming on Alyssa's face before settling on her scar. " We'll have to cover that of course. Hmm maybe... "

"Pfff!" Alyssa huffs as the hood of the heavy cloak fell on her face."Oooooo I can be a dwarf!" She pushed off the hood smiling at Mel.

"And what a pretty dwarf you shall be!" Melina ruffled her hair making her laugh. "Though," she held her chin and pretended to be in deep thought." goblins are more commonly seen here "

"Goblins, Goblins!" Alyssa hopped on her tiptoes, " Help the poor and needy ones that cluster all about, or the goblins will get ya if ya don't watch out!" She laughed reciting the poem looking up at Melina with a smile.

Mel smiled back looking thoughtful as if just remembering something. Then she sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

"Maybe I am getting old. I could have just-" She straightened her red robe and twirled her finger.

Alyssa's forehead tingled and the scar, whose significance Alyssa still didn't know, disappeared as if it were never there.

"Oh no!" Ally cried touching her head.

"It's only temporary my darling it'll come back."

Ally looked incredulous, "I like my scar but I wanna be a goblin!"

Melina's laughter made several people turn around, " Then a goblin you shall be.", she pulled the hood of the robe over Alyssa's face.

Perhaps if curiosity hadn't taken over mind, Alyssa might have wondered why she needed to hide.

As they walked into a dirty old shop Alyssa looked around. She wondered if Mel had made a mistake. The place looked creepy and dirty and not magical at all.

"This is bloody awful!" A small boy, though he was probably taller than her, spat out his drink.

"Ronald Billius Weasley! Who taught you that!" Alyssa giggled with surprise as a woman sitting next to him waved a stick? (Maybe it was a magic wand! Like-Like Merlin! )and soap bubbles came out of the little boy's mouth.

"Goblins don't giggle," Melina whispered to her teasingly.

"Oops sorry." Alyssa gave a sheepish smile that Mel couldn't see.

Melina stepped into a door in the back and in front of Alyssa's eyes, the dead-end turned into an archway.

Alyssa tried to say something but the only thing that came out was,"Woah!"

Her eyed widened taking in the sudden onslaught of noise and the magical mess of buildings that was Diagon Ally.

Melina smiled softly, "Shall we go in?" Ally nodded with excitement. So Mel held her hand and together they walked into the world of if her child couldn't have the whole experience Mel wanted her to have a piece of it that she could hold on to for, hopefully, the rest of her life

"Goblins," Alyssa whispered in awe, "They won't eat me will they?" She took off the hood of the cloak looking around with wide eyes.

"Oh, I sure hope not. It will prove to be quite an inconvenience." Alyssa looked at Melina with horror-filled eyes before her shoulders relaxed seeing the teasing smile.

"Don't do that!" Alyssa glared at her looking as menacing as a wet kitten.

Ally didn't really understand what happened next. One moment everything was normal then the goblin at the desk seemed to twitch as he looked at them.

She looked on with wonder as his face seemed to lose all color.

"Your Majesty!" He whispered in a rough voice.

Mel must have done something because the goblin just nodded before another goblin came to them, this one had one eye missing.

"Come."

Ally had to fight herself all the way to the cart. Don't ask what happened to his eye. Don't ask what happened to his eye. Don't-

"What happened to your eye?" Ally blurted before clamping her hand on her mouth. That was so rude! She was so much trouble. She glanced at Melina from the corner of her seemed to be holding back a smile.

The goblin gave a sharp smile showing all his teeth but Ally felt that this was a good smile as opposed to earlier.

"Taming the dragon." His deep voice made Ally shiver she leaned forward with interest.

"There are dragons here!? Like the Hornback?"

"Horn-tail." The corner of Melina's lips twitched. The goblin was about to face, for the first time, something he couldn't tackle. A little girl's questions.

Sharptooth was one of the senior goblins of Gringotts. He had actually been a guard of the royal family. After retiring from the job, he was given the second-highest honor. The keeper of the vaults. The keeper was required to be fast, sharp and vigilant.

He was sure nothing could truly shock him.

"We'll take all of it."

Except a daughter of magic walking in with the child-who-lived, demanding to take out the whole Potter fortune.

"A-All of it?"

"Yes Sharptooth all of it. Excluding the artifacts, what is the current balance of the Potter account?"

"About 1 b-billion 24 thousand galleons, 5 million 40 thousand Sickles and 1 million 78 thousand knuts."

Sharptooth felt a shiver down his spine, a sensation he had quite forgotten, as a gleam entered the lady's eyes.

"That will do."

"Mel! Could you come and look at this?" The curious childling called from where she was tinkering with a chest. And Hecate! What a curious childling she was. Sharptooth was amazed that she didn't fall from the cart, leaning over to see the dragon or over the edge of the vault, amazed at the golden glow of galleons.

The Lady reached out a hand, Sharptooth had to restrain himself from stepping back, and pulled something from thin air, " Put everything in here."

The pendant seemed to out glow all the galleons in the world. Platinum chain with a lily flower, the petals curling in, the material wa-

"Taaffeite."

The Lady smiled at his amazement, "I'll pick it up in a week." She walked gracefully to the child and whispered something to her. The child nodded looking longingly at the dagger in her hand before putting it back.

"Buh-Bye Sharptooth!", she laughed, waving at him as they walked out hand in hand. Leaving him with the pendant in his hand. The pendant made out of Taaffeite. An extinct gem.

Apparently, he could be shocked. Shocked enough to stand frozen outside a vault until break time.

---------------------

"Up", Alyssa giggled, her hair bouncing as she was carried into the air." and down"

Using her gift in her room had become one of her most favorite past times. The books called it magic but Melina called it a gift so that is what Alyssa thought of it as. She smiled as her feet touched the ground.

"What are you doing!" Her eyes widened as she saw her Aunt standing at the door," You...YOU FREAK!"

Alyssa took a step back, "A-Aunt?"

Petunia was taking deep breaths, her face was red and she was muttering something before she strode forward and grabbed Alyssa's arm.

"I will not have this-this freakishness in my home! You are just like her, that witch. I knew your mother's blood would show itself someday! Oh, I bet you put that money in Dudley's room didn't you, you little thief! You put his favorite toy over it to frame my son!" She was screaming as she pulled Alyssa towards the door.

"Aunt, you're hurting me," Alyssa said through her tears. She struggled to get her arm out of her Aunt's bruising grip.

"I am hurting you am I?"" Petunia looked at her with a smile that sent shivers down her spine. Alyssa struggled against her aunt, gasping as a sharp pain went through her arm.

"Petunia, what are you doing!" Alyssa saw her Uncle wretched her aunt's hand away from her arm. It was like she was frozen, she couldn't understand what was going on. It was too much. She took a few steps back, panting. Her back made contact with the wall.

"She will bring ruin to us!," Her Aunt was screaming." They will come after us to kill her! It is all her fault, she killed them and now she will kill us."

"PETUNIA!" Her uncle shouted Petunia froze. Her husband had never shouted at her before.

"Go to our room."

"I-"

"Go," Vernon told her firmly. He ran a hand over his face as Petunia walked out. Her cold eyes bore into her with hatred.

Alyssa wrapped her arms around her knees.

"U-Uncle?"

"Just...Just stay here okay." Her uncle said before walking out of the room.

She kept starring at the closed door, she didn't know if it was minutes or hours before her uncle came back into the room. He was carrying an aged envelope in his hand.

He extended it towards her and she grabbed it unconsciously.

"This will-It will explain the..the things we should have told you about. You can...You can read it when you learn how to read in your class okay?" He left without waiting for her answer.

Mrs.P Dursley.

4 Privet Drive,

Little Whining,

Surrey.

Alyssa took out the letter that was addressed to her Aunt, her eyes frantic as they moved across the page.

31 October,1981

Dear Mrs. Dursley,

It is with great sorry that I write this letter for it brings you the heartbreaking news about the passing of your sister Lily Potter,née Evans.

As you may know Lord Voldemort-

-------

Melina looked on sadly as she saw her child sleeping on the floor, her features stressed. A letter was clutched in her hand. Sitting next to her she started running her fingers through her hair.

Emerald eyes opened slowly and Alyssa held out her hand.

She looked doomed, disoriented, and her usually bright eyes looked blank, absolutely blank mirroring nothing but fright and sadness that seemed to be seeping through her body. Melina sat next to her pulling the girl close to her, hugging her.

''Alyssa, my child. Speak to me'' She whispered.

Something seemed to snap inside her, Alyssa clutched her robe burrowing her head into her embrace ''They…They...I never.." , her broken voice was strained in pain

Melina could feel by the trembling of the child's body and the wetness on her robe showed that her beloved child was crying. So she did the only thing she could, She held her close, whispering words of comfort. Alyssa was too engrossed in her own torment to recognize the pain Melina was feeling as was not how she had wanted Alyssa to find out.

They sat like that for a very long time, each in their own thoughts.

Finally, Melina pulled away and looked at her cheeks that were wet and flushed. Alyssa raised a hand to rub her eyes that were red and swollen from crying.

''Dear heart, say something." She held Alyssa's hands and rubbed them soothingly.

Aly drew her hands away from her and looked away in an effort to control her tears as she didn't know where to start. Melina didn't let go of her. She wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to a side hug, sensing her vulnerable state. Her other hand rubbed her arm soothingly, comforting her.

'' Aunt said..She always said that they died in a car accident Mel. I-I always thought, why them? B-But she lied, she always lies.'', she said sniffling as she wiped away the last tears.

"It was all a lie. My parents didn't die in c-car crash. H-He killed them Mel. He-he.."

Melina listened to her grasping her each word, emotion, her thumb drawing circles on the back of Alyssa's forearm on its to soothe her state of turbulence. She knew that Alyssa needed to get it out or the wound will never heal.

Slowly Alyssa started recounting everything the letter told her. Who her parents were, about her status as the girl who lived. She hiccuped as a new gush of tears flowed from her reddened eyes remembering the words about her parents' death.

''H-He was a b-bad man, Mel. He w-wanted me and…and It's all my fault…Its all my fault"

Melina wrapped her both arms around her and in no time she scooped her up from the ground into her lap hugging her as close as possible.

"Shhh...It's not your fault. Its not your fault love. They-I always said that your parents loved you, remember? They loved you so much that they couldn't imagine living in a world without you." Cupping her face, She said." You are not responsible for someone else's thoughts, decisions, as matter of fact their fates. They-They just chose to live forever with you. In here." She touched pointed to her heart.

Alyssa looked down, "C-Can you tell me about them, Melina?"

Melina looked up for a second, remembering all the time she had spent looking over her descendant's life. Even if she hadn't interfered with it.

"Lily Potter (née Evans). Lily Potter was one of my brightest children-"

Alyssa relaxed in her lap, as her sadness dimmed a little making place for the feeling love.

So Melina took a deep breath willing this phase of the storm to pass away and wondering how come everything got even more complicated.

[rosiewitchescottage]

Yes, fine. If this theory works for you, then go for it.

But. I can't help but think that it's saying that they've been pushed into villany. And I'm not agreeing. It takes away from their power and the responsibility that comes with it.

Morgana Pendragon - (And yes. in Merlin, played by Katie McGrath. I definitely have a girl crush going on.)

Uther messes things up for her and all magical practitioners. Yes, yes. Absolutely no question.

And he does it cruelly, mercilessly, without regard for motive.

But. He does likewise to Merlin, The Druids, the sweet girl who becomes The Lady of The Lake and all too briefly Merlin's sweetheart.

They, like Morgana have free choice as to how to react to this demonization of their craft.

Will they keep patiently practicing magic, for the benefit of all, in secret. Waiting for the time when Arthur's wisdom lets him see the truth. That magic is only as good or evil as the purpose for which it is used?

Or will they let hate and anger have their way. And turn them into the very thing that Uther and Arthur fear magic to be?

Part of Morgana's tragic story is that the man supposed to be her guardian ends up mistreating her. Alongside all who possess the same gift.

But another part is that she chooses the path of vengeance that not only threatens the kingdom that she has always loved and worked to help. But also friends who love and accept her as she is.

We see her eaten up from the inside. And the tragedy is that it didn't need to go that way for this lovely young woman. Not even after all that Uther did.

Bellatrix Lestrange - She's been 'pushed over the edge'? Really? Come on, please!

Bella was probably performing the cruciatus curse on bugs, birds and little furry creatures as a small child. She knows who she is and what she is and she revels in her own darkness.

I agree that HBC playing her in the movies does make her very sexy. But it's her confidence, the fact that she's totally comfortable in her own skin and she's so passionate about the power of the dark arts.

She adores that power. And when she meets Voldemort, he's her twin flame, her demon lover.

Yes, it's a Master/slave dynamic. But it's 100% consensual and mutual. And they accomplish more together than apart.

Bella cares for her family. But I don't think it's with anything like the intensity of her love for her Dark Lord.

And if Voldemort is capable of love at all, then I think Bellatrix and Nagini are the only beings he possesses it for, besides himself.

Bellatrix is no one's victim. And it would do the brilliance of her character a disservice to say otherwise.

Maleficent - I was absolutely 'gobsmacked' when they decided to do a backstory for The Mistress of Evil. A reason why she turned to The Dark Side. Why? For Crying Out Loud!

Animated Maleficent is absolutely, terrifyingly magnificent.

Fine, she's 2D. But this is a fairy tale. Her purpose is to be a challenge to the protagonists. And boy does she deliver on that.

She appears and disappears with attention grabbing style. Her movements are stately and regal, her voice slow, almost gentle and so very calm. She looms ominously but with infinite patience.

You know that her being there bodes no good. But the blow will fall when she's ready. You just have time to get more nervous.

Her scene luring Aurora to prick her finger. I'll happily admit to still being scared when watching it. And her wicked pleasure when it succeeds. Zoinks and Jinkies!!

When she's aiming to stop Philip from getting to Aurora's castle. All the brakes come off.

She's Mistress of Evil with All The Powers of Hell at her disposal. And she uses them all!

If Philip didn't have the 3 good fairies as back up. Our boy and his noble steed would be less than toast.

I don't need a back story for her. Thank You. She's evil, she loves being evil, she's very good at being evil. This is a fairy tale. We don't need more from her than that.

Female villains reign supreme

[aion-rsa]

Cursed Season 2: What to Expect

https://ift.tt/32rw8Vi

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.

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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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From Mesopotamia to Mesoamerica: The Real History Behind Fate/Grand Order: Babylonia’s Heroic Spirits

Out of all the Fate anime, Fate/Grand Order has far and away the most servants. Babylonia alone has a massive cast of historical and mythological figures from around the world, many from some of humanity’s oldest myths. From Latin America to the Middle East, Babylonia features Servants from every walk of life you can imagine and quite a few you might not have heard of! With so many names to keep track of, it can be tough to remember what legends all of these Servants came from, so we’ve put together a handy guide to who these heroes are and what legends they come from.

  Read on to find out where each of these Servants hails from historically and how their Fate personalities stack up to the real legends that inspired them! 

  **Watch out for spoilers ahead!**

Gilgamesh

    First up is a character you might be familiar with from other Fate anime: the King of Heroes himself, Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh (also known as Bilgamesh) is an interesting one since he’s the only Servant here who’s both historical and mythological. There very likely was a man named Gilgamesh who ruled the city of Uruk about 4,500 years ago (he’s really that ancient), although most of what we know about the details of his reign comes from The Epic of Gilgamesh, a collection of stories from about 1,000 years later. The Gilgamesh of the epic is a powerful but tyrannical king who the gods decide to humble by creating Enkidu to act as his opponent. Instead, the two become close friends and go on many adventures together until Gilgamesh insults the goddess Ishtar and kills the divine bull the gods send as retribution, driving them to kill Enkidu as punishment.

  Mourning Enkidu’s death and struggling with the thought of his own, Gilgamesh goes to the underworld to seek out the herb of immortality, only to have it eaten by a snake right after he retrieves it. The Gilgamesh we see in Babylonia is him as he was after his journey to the underworld: cocky and arrogant, but tempered by a sense of duty to the people of Uruk. Now that’s someone who deserves the title of “King of Heroes!”

  Enkidu/Kingu

    Next we have Enkidu, an integral part of every Gilgamesh legend. Enkidu is described in the epic as a powerful, hairy man, radically different from the genderless shapeshifter in Babylonia. What remains the same throughout, however, is their close friendship with Gilgamesh. Though they were initially meant to be enemies, Enkidu and Gilgamesh quickly became inseparable, going on all sorts of adventures until Gilgamesh’s ill-fated encounter with Ishtar ultimately led to Enkidu’s death.

  Kingu, the person in Babylonia who uses Enkidu’s likeness, is completely different; they’re cruel, violent, and completely loyal to Gorgon. The mythological Kingu was a child of the primordial goddess Tiamat who was killed alongside her by the god Marduk and used to create humanity. This explains Kingu’s rage, although they seem to have something of Enkidu still hanging around…

  Ishtar

    Ishtar (also known as Inanna) is the goddess of love, sex, war, political power, and a whole host of related concepts, as well as the patron deity of Uruk. Her worship even predates The Epic of Gilgamesh by over a thousand years and continued until at least the 19th century! For such an enduring goddess, Ishtar wasn’t always the nicest of gods. She destroyed a mountain for challenging her, tried entering the underworld to prove her strength, and indirectly brought about Enkidu’s death after Gilgamesh rejected her advances. Even so, as a goddess of both love and war, she was widely revered in ancient Sumer, as well as the numerous civilizations that succeeded it over the centuries.

Babylonia’s version of Ishtar is actually pretty faithful to the myth: she watches over Uruk as a guardian deity, but is also self-centered and capricious, although that’s tempered by Rin’s good nature shining through. Without that keeping her grounded, it’s easy to see how this same person could cause so much destruction, especially with the power she’s displayed as a war goddess. There aren’t any stories about her hair color changing at night, though…

  Gorgon

    If you know anything about Greek mythology, you’ve probably heard of the Gorgon Medusa. (Content warning for mention of sexual assault.) Medusa was a snake-haired demigoddess who, after being raped in Athena’s temple, was cursed to turn anyone who looked at her to stone. Having become a monster, she was later killed by the Greek hero Perseus. Medusa can very easily be read as a tragic character, a victim of circumstance and capricious gods. Her myth gives her every reason to hate humans, which perfectly explains her portrayal in Babylonia. Her class, Avenger, is reserved for Servants who are defined by a grudge they can’t let go of, a source of hatred that drives their every action. Who would fit this better than a demigoddess who was repeatedly wronged and turned into a monster?

  What’s more, Gorgon the Servant has borrowed power from the Sumerian goddess Tiamat, a primordial goddess of saltwater and chaos who gave birth to many of the other gods, only for them to later usurp her husband and kill her, creating the world from her body. As a combination of two deities with grudges against humanity, it’s no wonder that Gorgon poses such a threat to Uruk.

  Jaguar Warrior

    Unlike the other gods here, Jaguar Warrior isn’t based on one specific god as much as a general representation of the Maya jaguar deities. The Maya (as well as many other cultures from the region) had numerous myths and gods associated with the jaguar, the most prominent being Kinich Ahau, the sun god who also rules over the underworld at night. Kinich Ahau was also a god of war, which explains Jaguar Warrior’s fighting skills.

  Of course, the Servant we meet in Babylonia takes most of her personality from Taiga Fujimura, Shirou’s teacher in Fate/Stay Night, so she doesn’t act particularly divine here.

  Quetzalcoatl

    Though he’s fairly obscure now, Quetzalcoatl is a name that few ancient Mesoamericans wouldn’t have heard of. Quetzalcoatl (known as Kukulcán to the Maya) was worshipped by many civilizations throughout the region, although the Aztecs’ beliefs are the best documented now. To them, he was the god of dawn, dusk, air, and learning, and was heavily associated with Venus, which was known as the evening star. Some stories even present him as the creator of humanity. The prominence of his myths explains why Babylonia’s version is so strong, even compared to other gods like Ishtar. Aside from that and her flying snakes (Quetzalcoatl literally means “feathered serpent”), Fate’s interpretation is pretty different from the myth.

  Aside from her gender being different, her personality largely comes from her fondness for Mexican wrestling, known as lucha libre. From her wrestling moves to her love of going all out in battle, Quetzalcoatl has fully embraced the lucha spirit that developed in the land that once worshipped her. Her portrayal here may not be particularly accurate, but that doesn’t detract in the slightest from her charm!

  Merlin

    Merlin is the sort of Servant whose fame precedes him. Whenever you have a tale about King Arthur, Merlin's going to inevitably show up. Ironically enough, Merlin's legends originally had nothing to do with King Arthur. His earliest stories come from Medieval Welsh folktales about Myrddin Wyllt (Myrddin the Wild), a mad prophet who was said to live in the wilds with animals. The writer Geoffrey of Monmouth borrowed from this legend when he was creating some of the earliest Arthurian stories and turned Myrddin into the prophet Merlin. As more people added to the legend, this version of Merlin evolved into the wizard we see in today's Arthurian legends.

  In the later legends, Merlin is the child of an incubus and a human woman, endowing him with supernatural powers and the ability to see the future. He uses his abilities to guide and sometimes manipulate Arthur along his path to become king, which is the portrayal that Fate emphasizes. This Merlin embodies the fae trickster side of the character, generally helping out but keeping certain secrets of his own. Even his downfall, brought about by his angering the Lady of the Lake, is pretty close to the actual legends. Tricks aside, Merlin has already proven to be an invaluable ally, and no doubt will again soon enough.

  Ushiwakamaru

    One of only two Japanese Servants in Babylonia, Ushiwakamaru is also one of the most famous warriors in Japanese history. Ushiwakamaru was the childhood name of Minamoto no Yoshitsune, a famous general from 12th century Japan who helped establish his (Yoshitsune was actually a man) older brother Yoritomo as Shogun, only to be killed by Yoritomo’s forces after the latter grew jealous of Yoshitsune’s fame. Yoshitsune was a military genius, winning battle after battle in Yoritomo’s name, including the famous Battle of Dan-no-ura, which was also the inspiration for one of Ushiwakamaru’s Noble Phantasms.

  Even today, Yoshitsune is an integral part of Japanese pop culture, appearing in numerous films, plays, novels, and anime over the years. With such an enduring legend, it’s no wonder Fujimaru admired her so much. Her gender may not be historically accurate, but her fighting skills certainly live up to her legend.

  Musashibou Benkei

    Benkei is as integral to the story of Yoshitsune as Enkidu is to The Epic of Gilgamesh. Benkei was a famous warrior monk who swore loyalty to a young Minamoto no Yoshitsune after losing to him in a duel. From then on, Benkei accompanied Yoshitsune through thick and thin, even staying loyal when both were on the run from Yoritomo. If anyone doubted his loyalty, Benkei’s death put that to rest. Trapped in a castle and surrounded by enemy forces, Benkei chose to defend the bridge into the castle while Yoshitsune went inside to commit ritual suicide.

  Benkei ultimately killed over 300 enemy troops by himself before dying to arrow wounds. What’s more, the survivors didn’t even know he was dead until they got in close because he straight up died standing! Of course, this Benkei is a little different, being another one of Yoshitsune’s retainers who took on the name after the original Benkei’s death. Even so, he may yet share some of the original Benkei's valor.

  Leonidas

    Last but certainly not least is Leonidas I. He was the king of ancient Sparta who led the Greek forces against the Persian army at the Battle of Thermopylae, and later stayed behind with a rear guard of 300 Spartans and about 1000 other Greek troops to allow the remaining Greek forces to retreat. Though Leonidas and his men were ultimately killed, it came at the cost of 20,000 Persians and allowed the other Greeks to successfully retreat and regroup.

Babylonia’s Leonidas lives up to that spirit, holding the line against Gorgon and her demonic beasts even at the cost of his life. His Noble Phantasm, Thermopylae Enomotia, even summons forth the Spartans who fought with him, which proved to be a powerful weapon against Gorgon. Though he’s gone now, Leonidas’ valor once again proves why his story is still remembered after over 2000 years.

  Who’s your favorite Servant? Let us know in the comments below and don’t forget to watch the latest Babylonia every Saturday!

Watch Fate/Grand Order Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia!

    ---

  Skyler loves writing and chatting about anime, and is always ready to gush about the latest One Piece chapter. Read more of his work at his blog apieceofanime.com and follow him on Twitter at Videogamep3.

    Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features!

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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.

Read more

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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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