selenak

Aw, show. You do cheesy and adorable the way few can.

Gorgeous emotional visuals are gorgeous: the round table, of course, Gwen and the knights returning to Camelot, Gwen being her blacksmith's daughter self and forging a key, Morgana's grief and rage blowing the windows to smithereens, Merlin putting Excalibur in the stone... loved it all.

This episode had arguably two of the best Morgana character scenes in them: firstly, her scene with Uther (complete with BadWrongSubtext, btw) wherein she says "you'll see what it feels like to be alone, being disgusted with what you are", because that really underlines something which I think a lot of fandom missed. Morgana, for all that the druid in 2.03 told her magic isn't inherently evil or good but depending on the wielder, really and truly has internalized Uther's magic = evil doctrine as much as Arthur has. That she turned it around in her head so that nobody who doesn't have magic really counts doesn't change that somewhere in her heart, she still believes it, and of course every action she undertakes validates it more. Being as self-centred as she is at the best of times, she also has no way of turning that estimation around by focusing on others; in the end, all leads back to herself.

Which brings me to the other scene, the one with Gwen. Even though they're both pretending, I think Morgana is actually telling nothing but the truth when she says, after Gwen brought up her father, "I forgot that you, too, have suffered" (because of Uther). Because that's Morgana for you, and that's why I really see To Kill the King in season 1, not a later episode, as the start of her journey to the dark side. Not because she comes close to killing Uther there, absolutely not. Because this the first time when she loses sight of another human being (and one she's close to) in favour of dwelling on her own feelings. What Morgana remembers about that event isn't "Gwen lost her father", or "Uther killed Gwen's father", or "an innocent man died". And of course it's not "a rebellion against Uther failed because I changed my mind and literally stabbed the leader in the back in the last minute". It's "Uther dared to put me in chains for a night and then he made me think he loves me so I didn't kill him after all". Just repeat that sentence and there you have Morgana in a non-comic book villainous fashion, in a way far more devastating than any evil smirk (tm) could be - "I forgot that, you, too, have suffered". Because nearly getting executed as a witch twice and losing your father on Uther's direct order is nothing compared to Morgana's hurt feelings.

And of course, she wants to see Gwen dead after observing her with Leon. (BTW, good twist as it emphasized Morgause's intelligence and forsight.) Gwen betrayed her and has done since not putting her first. Morgana is so Uther's daughter. Including the fact she bothers to try and blackmail the knights into swearing loyalty to her at all instead of executing them at once and solely relying on Morgause's army. Just as Uther wants to be told he was right whenever he did something particularly dastardly, so does Morgana, and it's not enough Morgause tells her. It has to be someone from Camelot as well, hence Leon. And hence the randomly executed bystanders. It's the principle that already made both her and Morgause kill guards in order to make a point, or because they were in the way, and it's the lesson she learned from Uther and his executions when he felt like making a point (again, great scene with Morgana and Uther).

As mentioned last week, I could have done with a year-long arc of Morgana and Morgause ruling Camelot, Gwen as a spy and the boys on the road, but didn't really expect it. As it was, I loved that Gwen's method of breaking Sir Leon out of prison included her blacksmith background and dressing him up as a woman, that she came up with a plausible reason for Morgana to let her talk to Leon (Morgause being on to her doesn't change that), that she took place next to Arthur at the round table, and the way the show kept positioning her with the knights as part of the future Camelot. Speaking of the knights, random Percival is random, but I suppose will be needed next season? Other than that, loved Arthur knighting Lancelot, Gwaine and Elyan unprompted by either Merlin and Gwen. He still has a far way to go on the road to kingship (worthy kingship, that is), but it's not surprising the first of Uther's commandments he breaks not on impulse or when faced with an immediate injustice (such as the taxed Camelotians in the Katrina episodes, or saving Merlin all the way back in 1.4) but in the full awareness of that that means for the future is the one applying to who gets and doesn't get to be a knight.

I wish we'd been given a scene between Morgana and Arthur - this really could have been a three parter for all that could have fitted in - but at least we did get to see the impact of her betrayal on him, not just in terms of what that means to Uther but what it means to him, and that simple "we grew up together" said quite a lot. Unfortunately Merlin's reply to the "why?" question - that he has no idea - means Arthur still doesn't know about Morgana's magic which would help a lot with the whole "why?"

There was some neat parallel/reverse to earlier episodes through the last three seasons. Morgana and Morgause near the end, obviously, mirroring Morgana's near demise in s2 and Morgause saving her. This, btw, is why I think Morgause like Morgana then is only Mostly Dead and will return once Emilia Fox' baby and general availability allow that; one reason why I'm glad for the uncertain status is that that we did get to see Morgana caring unquestioningly about another person this way, which was necessary given this past season. Then there was Merlin at the start using their banter to get Arthur out of his brooding, which is what Arthur tried with Merlin early in 2.13 when they were at the inn; Merlin telling Arthur near the end, as Gaius does in the season opener, that he'll have to be ruler given Uther's state, only this time Arthur accepts it; Excalibur, of course, from the episode of that name. And Colin Morgan finally getting his wish of being given significant sword-wielding action. It fits thematically, too, since Merlin isn't s1 Merlin anymore and knows that if a magical creature warns you repeatedly about what something like this can do "in the wrong hands" (see also: cup of life), you have to use the bloody thing yourself. Merlin putting it in the stone is a great way to tie to the legend, and also signal that Arthur still needs to work on the whole being worthy thing. Lastly, Freya and the tie to the Lady-in-the-Lake episode: actually, I thought not letting her and Merlin physically reunite but let Merlin speak to her through water in the cave was the right choice. It kept her current state of being mysterious and the loss of her intact (if Freya could just leave the lake, there would be in theory nothing to stop her and Merlin running off together) while also changing its meaning to something more hopeful. Freya was a creature of magic who was also, through no fault of her own, a monster, full of self loathing, on the run yet doomed to kill or be killed; now she is still a magical being but transformed, free of prosecution or the need to kill and able to help. Given how Merlin identified with Freya and saw himself in her in s2, that's quite significant.

I had idly wished back in s2 Gwen would have the chance to slap Lancelot once she saw him again, you know, for the stunt he pulled in 2.04, but can understand why she doesn't here. He does his life saving thing quite splendidly, and is being a thoughtful friend to Merlin to boot. Lance, you're forgiven. Though I still like Gwaine better.

Merlin and Arthur did not have much interaction but what there was was gold, from the aforementioned scene to Arthur calling Merlin wise in his Arthur way to their old married couple routine on the steps near the end. I can't help but note how comfortable they've grown with each other. Like

andraste_oz, I could see them twenty years into the future in that scene, full of short hands and in-jokes the rest doesn't really get.

Gaius: still alive, and saving Merlin magically from Morgause, no less. That was unexpected though again a neat mirroring to Merlin saving him from Edwin all the way back when.

Uther: also still alive, but broken. I found it interesting that when Morgana entered the cell he did not try what he tried with Arthur in 2.08, i.e. restore the previous status quo with a child set against him by blaming the outsider (in both cases Morgause). He didn't say "Morgause must have poisoned your mind" or "who turned you against me?" etc; probably both even Uther can see they're far beyond that, and because he is aware that Morgana's hate for him was not caused by anyone external but comes from within, and starts with himself. I can't make up my mind whether the show is more likely to actually go through with the Regent storyline for Arthur or whether it will let Uther rebound and be more tyrannical than ever in the wake of Morgana's loss.

All in all: epic, with lots of missing scene opportunity for fanfiction. I'm just saying.