There are certain things in my life that, while I know they are untrue and/or unlikely, I believe anyways, because they make my life either easier or just a better place to be. I know I’m not the only person who does this, because people continue to do things like go to Vegas or buy lottery tickets, but I do think I am the only person to have these elaborate scenarios involve television shows. For example, my current belief that I am operating under is that the entire Merlin writing staff has found every sentence I have ever written about the show and where I want it to go and what I want to see from certain characters and taken it to heart. Merlin staff meetings now all start with people going, “What would Julia do?” and then humming to themselves in a very thoughtful and British manner. I am, of course, aware this is untrue, but I believe it in the same manner I believed throughout my adolescence that those crappy top 40 love songs were really written all about me and my personal romantic anguish.
This is not just because Merlin and Arthur’s relationship this season has been the thing all my daydreams have ever been made of. And, per the vow I made at the beginning of this season, I will not continue to re-write the same column over and over about how perfect the two of them are together, or about how their facial nuances give me a lot of feelings. I will not do that even though it has occupied about 85% of my brain processes for the last 24 hours. Nor will I discuss in any detail that I have reached a point that I now believe you can’t watch this show and not come away convinced that Merlin and Arthur are in love with each other. I mean, correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m pretty sure that once you have made it explicitly clear that two dudes consider each other the most important thing in the world that they would unquestioningly die for, the moniker of “bromance” seems somehow insignificant. But if that were really all I was basing my theory that the Merlin writers are now firmly committed to giving me everything I ever wanted, it would be a pretty weak theory, because at least a third of the people who are watching this show are rooting for the same thing.
No, what has me convinced, more than ever, that the writers are listening to me, is where they’re going with Gwen this season. Because it is amazing. It is everything I didn’t even think to hope for because I thought they were about as likely as Morgana having plot coherency. (Which remains one of an increasingly small number of plot holes they can’t quite seem to plug up.) I’ve made absolutely no secret that while I loved the idea behind the character Gwen, I loathed with a burning, fiery passion what the writers had reduced her (and, by extension, Arthur and their relationship) to. It wasn’t that I objected to the idea that they could love each other, but I strongly objected to entire episodes being devoted to their plotline which was essentially a drawn-out Taylor Swift music video.
I longed for Lancelot to come back. Not just because Lancelot is really easy on the eyes, but because I was ready to get the whole love triangle thing kicked off so I wouldn’t have to endure whatever contrived drama Arthur and Gwen were going through, and we could get to the actual meat of their relationship. And, if I may allow myself a moment of smugness, I was totally and completely right that Lancelot was the missing ingredient for having all three of their characters finally mature into something worth watching. Gwen is no longer a silly, love-struck girl living a fantasy romance with Arthur, she’s a mature woman with a strong heart and a good head on her shoulders who is firmly committed to doing what is best for every citizen of Camelot, even at the cost of her own happiness. And, pretty frankly, she finally kicks ass again. I don’t mean in the traditional sword-wielding sense, because there’s more than one way to kick ass. Gwen’s way is less physical and more emotionally steadfast, and when paired with Arthur’s stab-first-question-later approach, I don’t doubt for a second that they’ll make an amazing royal couple. Come on, did anyone not cheer when Gwen stood up to Agravaine? That’s the girl I’ve been waiting two seasons to see again.
“But wait!” a lot of you are probably yelling at me right now, “Lancelot is dead! Gwen essentially killed him by telling him to protect Arthur and breaking his heart!” To which I say, oh, my naive little cupcakes, have you forgotten the rules of Merlin? They are as follows:
So first of all, I don’t believe it’s Gwen’s fault that Lancelot is dead because, quite frankly, I don’t believe he’s dead. (And not just because the teaser trailers at the end of the episode told me so or because Sirius Black dying in an extremely similar manner has given me a minor case of fannish PTSD.) Second of all, if we’re all going to go about blaming Gwen, I don’t see why we’re not also blaming the dragon for essentially having a conversation with Merlin that boiled down to, “Gee, Merlin, it’s so sad you have to die. If only there was someone who could die for you. Someone whose name starts with an L and rhymes with ‘ancelot’. It’s sure sad that person doesn’t exist and isn’t standing right next to you, eh, Merlin?” And third of all, let’s be honest — Lancelot had to die (or appear dead) for the sake of the plot. Gwen needed to be that shaken to question her relationship with Arthur. If she wasn’t, she’d have kept on her path of playing dutiful consort to Arthur and ignoring Lancelot’s feelings until it was convenient, because he’d abandoned her twice and it was just too painful to think otherwise. Gwen and Arthur’s relationship needs to break, not just because it’s how the legend goes, but because it’s how any relationship between those two people would go.
They do, as the pyre scene showed, care for each other. I have never doubted that they care for each other deeply. But if this episode had a thesis, it was that every person has someone they love above everyone else, someone they would, without hesitation, lay down their life for. (Even if, in Lancelot’s case, that devotion was not reciprocated.) And Gwen and Arthur never can and never will work because they are not that person for each other. Which, I’d like to add, I totally called at least two seasons ago. And it is as if finally — finally — the writers of this show decided to go, “Yes, Julia, you were totally right when you called it. Also, here’s kickass Gwen back, we’re really sorry we took her away from you.”
So thank you, writers. I appreciate your validation. And if you ever need more ideas of how to keep making this show awesome? Call me. I’ve got tons.
Clacked by Julia Hass 
on Oct 09, 2011 @ 21:25 EST5EDT
I always love your comments.
I do agree that TBTP has improved their way of handling Arthur and Merlin’s relationship in S4. I hope they are brave enough and pure at heart to really write Arthur and Merlin’s EPIC Bromance. That’s what outstanding this show from all other shows, basically. They have Bradley and Colin. If they don’t write good stuff about Arthur and Merlin, then I would say it is a total waste of these two incredible good actors and their EPIC chemistry. You can seldom get something like they two.
Your opinion on the Arthur, Lancelot and Gwen relationship is totally in tune with Bradley’s. See, great minds think alike. And I fully agree with you both on this. LOL.
I am not sure about the Gwen character so far. The writer or TBTP want to make her some kind of “role model” too much. She was always talking “great king, people and democracy etc.”. I cant’t help but feel it is way too “designed” and, to be frankly, quite artificial. They have wasted 2 whole seasons which they had got the chance to develop her character, whatsoever. But I agree, the relationshi with Lancelot is what makes Gwen mature. And that’s how important that relationship is to this show and to Gwen/Lancelot and even to Arthur (and Merlin).
I love this part:
‘“Gee, Merlin, it’s so sad you have to die. If only there was someone who could die for you. Someone whose name starts with an L and rhymes with ‘ancelot’. It’s sure sad that person doesn’t exist and isn’t standing right next to you, eh, Merlin?”’
So true.
Merlin is incredibly frustrating in the writing department, and yet I always go back to it for some reason. I agree with pretty much all your points in this review. I’m glad to see the Merlin-Arthur relationship being handled more maturely than in the silly S3, and even Morgana is more bearable now. I also liked Gwen’s scene with the court, but her latter interaction with Agravaine was also interesting. What did you make of his strange behaviour around her? (Standing behind her, reaching for her then suddenly drawing back, and the troubled expression when she left.)
Lance is usually so ‘perfect’ that he’s bland and boring, but his unrequited love situation has made him more endearing. That being said, I only want to see him back if his return doesn’t feel like a cheat…which will be difficult to accomplish, given his exit. (And frankly, I don’t trust the writers — they’ll probably try to pull off something dumb.)
“I now believe you can’t watch this show and not come away convinced that Merlin and Arthur are in love with each other.”
Um…I can. They’re not in love.
“But if this episode had a thesis, it was that every person has someone they love above everyone else, someone they would, without hesitation, lay down their life for. And Gwen and Arthur never can and never will work because they are not that person for each other.”
Huh? The relationship is doomed because they haven’t tried to sacrifice themselves for the other yet?
I realize that you’re watching this show from a slash perspective, which is valid enough, but if you really think that this show is going to end with Gwen running off with Lancelot and Arthur hooking up with Merlin…I’m pretty sure you’re going to be disappointed.
Slash or not, that’s not a problem here. No one will expect there will be a kiss between Arthur and Merlin as we are fully aware that this is a kid/family show. Homosexual can’t be allowed (whatsoever).
But about Love, what’s the definition of that? Only heterosexual relationship is allowed to be called “Love”? That’s a humuliation to use this word if that is the case.
Sometimes, (I actually don’t want to mention it here though), but I can’t help but to say I am very offended by most A/G shippers. As far as my experiences ever talking with them, most of them are very radical and immature, or otherwise addicted in very chidlish daydream. What a shame. Anway.
But about Love, what’s the definition of that? Only heterosexual relationship is allowed to be called “Love”?
Of course not. But within the definition of “Love” there are sub-groups. C.S.Lewis wrote of “The Four Loves” – Storge (familial love), Phileo (the love of friendship) Eros, (romantic love) and Agape (sacrificial love). All of these are present on the show, but no type of love is inherently “superior” to the other (and obviously, Eros can pertain to both heterosexual and homosexual relationships).
In this case, Merlin and Arthur would be Storge, born out of their familiarity and trust with one another. It is the crux of the show, and the fact that each man has relationships with other characters that involve other types of love: Eros (Guinevere and Freya), Storge (with Gaius and Uther) or Phileo (with the knights) doesn’t compromise their own bond.
If viewers want to interpret their love as Eros, then…hey, go for it. I have my non-canon, same-sex pairings too. My beef is this odd “competition” mentality that exists in fandom (any fandom): that by shipping one particular couple, all other “threats” to that ship must be bashed or ridiculed.
Sometimes, (I actually don’t want to mention it here though), but I can’t help but to say I am very offended by most A/G shippers. As far as my experiences ever talking with them, most of them are very radical and immature, or otherwise addicted in very chidlish daydream. What a shame. Anway.
I’m sure shippers of any particular pairing could be described as such. Personally, I love all the relationships on the show. I see affection and chemistry between everyone, whether it be Arthur/Merlin, Arthur/Gwen, Merlin/Gwen, Morgana/Morgause, Lancelot/Gwen, Arthur/Lancelot – the works.
But the relationship between Merlin and Gwen is my favourite. They have such a sweet, platonic bond with one another, both are devoted to Arthur, and I think Angel Coulby does wonders with what little the writers give her.
The squabbling in fandom over the A/G versus A/M ship baffles me when it’s clear that Merlin and Gwen themselves have absolutely no sense of competition over Arthur whatsoever.
Okay, I’ll get off my soapbox now…
Hey, your feedback is a good read. I LIKE you and I like your comment, really. I am quite happy to talk with other fans like you, I mean, to really exchange thoughts, communicate and make connection.
You know I’ve come across some A/G fans’ comments before, like stating that the Merlin fandom is the most gross and disgusting one. You can imagine my anger on those comments. So, sorry, forgive my overall negative opinions to them. But you are really a good guy and it is definitely pleasant to talk with you.
Wow. I just found all your posts, and all I can say is “Where have you been these last three years?!” I spent so much time watching Merlin and obsessing over every look, every half hug, every name-being-moaned-in-sleep scene. I have also spent it absolutely hating Gwen and Arthur together, despite loving them separately, bemoaning their lack of chemistry, and hoping against hope that the writers don’t wimp out and have Gwen running off with Lancelot be some spell-forced fake love and elopement. And of course, let’s not forget Morgana’s bizarre character flip. Sorry if I’m somewhat incoherent; it’s four thirty in the morning and I’ve spent the last two hours reading your posts.
Regardless, I absolutely love your posts, and I wish you would spend time talking about the perfection that is Merlin/Arthur. So, erm, e-mail me? Maybe? You probably have a lot to do, but I would love to be able to discuss this show with someone who actually feels the same way I do. But if not, thanks for writing these! You made my night(erm…morning).