Merlin – The very best of season 2

Best Merlin Scenes

Third Place: Merlin Snaps at Gaius (From episode 202 – “The Once and Future Queen”)

Ruby: You know what I really love about this scene? Gaius acting all bossy instead of being a kindly, indulgent mentor. He’s like, “Get your ass off the floor, Merlin, and clean my goddamn leech tank, you lazy bum!” Oh man, that’s so awesome.

Julia: This scene was such a long time coming. I almost wish Merlin had burst out later in the season and we’d seen more follow-through, but it’s nice to know that in between all the crap he puts up with, he has feelings about it, and sometimes he’s just not okay with smiling and taking it. You go, Merlin! I feel like it’s time for an empowering montage set to “I’m Every Woman,” or something.

Second Place: Merlin Loses Freya (From episode 209 – “The Lady of the Lake”)

Julia: Okay, Ruby’s going to have to take this one, because I can’t even watch this clip without bursting into tears.

Ruby: Stunning scene befitting a fantasy series, with the gorgeous green forest, the rippling lake, the mountains, and the epic farewell between Merlin and Freya. Plus, the music really gets to me. At the fade-to-black you have to just sit back in silence and take this moment in.

Julia: Um, what she said. Dammit, I need tissues.

First Place: Merlin and his Father (From episode 213 – “The Last Dragonlord”)

Ruby: It’s both sweet and painful to see Merlin staring up at Balinor with those puppy eyes, so hopeful, and yet about to be crushed by disappointment. I want to slap Balinor over the head and say, “This is your son! Give him a hug already!” And every time I watch the death scene, my heart jumps into my throat when Merlin puts his hand over his mouth to keep from falling apart in front of Arthur and revealing the true depth of his grief over Balinor’s death.

Julia: I don’t even care, I’m too busy being in awe of Colin Morgan. Dear sir, you win everything. You win all the cookies. You just … you win.

Best Scenes of Merlin and Arthur Together

Honorable mention: The cut scene from episode 213 – “The Last Dragonlord”

Julia: I don’t think we can count this, since it never aired in the US, which still, by the way, quite possibly ranks as the number one greatest television tragedy of all time.

Ruby: No man is worth your tears — but this scene is. And Merlin/Arthur fans across the country wept when it was cut.

Julia: Not just Merlin/Arthur fans. Fans of awesome scenes also wept.

Third Place: Arthur “comforts” Merlin (From episode 209 – “The Lady of the Lake”)

Julia: You know, sometimes with all the antagonizing and bickering, you forget Merlin and Arthur are total BFF, and then….

Ruby: Perfect example of Arthur being remarkably sweet and caring — this absolves him of all his self-absorbed prat moments.

Julia: Arthur Pendragon, you are my favorite emotionally constipated little clotpole ever.

Second Place: The Post-Wildren Heart-to-Heart (From episode 204 – “Lancelot and Guinevere”)

Ruby: “Oh, what’s that Wildren eating? It’s all right — it’s just Merlin!” Colin Morgan is hilarious without ever going over the top, and I love how naturally this conversation moves between humor and pathos.

Julia: It’s such a boy way of sharing feelings, too. I love how this scene demonstrates not only what amazing comedic chemistry Bradley and Colin have, but how they have an amazing chemistry that goes so much deeper. You really buy that one day, when they grow out of smashing food in each other’s faces, they’re going to be the figures of legend.

First Place: Merlin and Arthur’s Campfire Chat (From episode 208 – “Sins of the Father”)

Ruby: This scene shows how far Merlin and Arthur have come — I mean, can you imagine them being this vulnerable with each other back in season 1?

Julia: This scene is just so beautiful and perfect and amazing on so many levels, I could write entire essays dedicated to it, and how Merlin and Arthur are meant for each other because no one else understands their loneliness, or the weight of their impeding destiny, and how they have more chemistry in one second of this scene than Gwen and Arthur have the entire season, blah blah blah. But I’m going to leave you guys with this tidbit from the episode commentary: Colin Morgan and Bradley James did this scene in one take. One take. That is how good they are together.

Please note how awesome this is, show. I’d like more of this. For always and forever.