#merlin rewatch

[poisonedfate]

once again, i am thinking about how they're literally the funniest people alive:

in the face of serious situations, what do they have? JOKES

bbc merlin - 03x06 The Changeling

only just about a singular braincell between them and it's mostly used for comedy (not that i'm complaining)

#merlin rewatch #bbc merlin #03x06 #arthur #merlin #merthur

[thenerdyalien]

My headcanon about Arthur's mortality (or how I think he was able to survive before Merlin came to Camelot)

"(The griffin is a creature of magic.) It is born of magic, sire, and it can only be killed by magic." - Gaius, S1E5

Alright, since Merlin is trending again for no reason I'll share one of my lastest headcanons I came up with during my last Merlin rewatch.

There was something about this line from Gaius and the way the camera then directly pans out to Arthur that made me think of an interesting headcanon that would explain how Arthur managed to survive so long without Merlin.

You see, according to this logic, because he was born of magic, Arthur can only be killed by magic (or weapons forged by magic *winkwink*). So he could never really die from simple illnesses or battle wounds unless those were directly inflicted by magic. And, since Uther started the purge against magic right after Arthur was born, he probably wouldn't have had much contact with it in his early years (at least until he became a knight and started going out on quests, raids, etc).

That would explain why (much like Merlin) he seems able to endure so many injuries (broken ribs, poisoned arrows, etc) that other knights can't. (I mean, just the fact that this man didn't sustain some severe brain damage from all the times he's been knocked out is impressive lol)

What I'm saying is that being born of magic must have given him some sort of endurance that other mortals don't have, because by Gaius' logic the circumstances of his birth in itself made him a sort of creature of magic (just like Merlin).

It would also make for a good Canon divergence fic in which this was the reason that made Uther start the purge in the first place (to protect his son from the only thing that could kill him)...and it can get even more angsty if you add in the fact that Merlin is literally magic itself, but I digress.

Anyway, I'm probably reading way too much into this. I doubt the writers would've thought so far ahead as to put foreshadowing so early on in the series. But I just thought it was an interesting headcanon and just another fun parallel between Merlin and Arthur.

#bbc merlin #merlin #merthur #arthur pendragon #merlin rewatch #merlin headcanons #merlin prompt #fic inspo

[dont-let-me-eat-pears]

gaius smoothly lying to uther to protect a sorcerer, all like “magical remedy? pfft, no, it was just this and that herb,” or “magical scorch marks? please, those perfectly normal marks have been there forever.”

gaius lying to arthur to cover for merlin:

#bbc merlin #merlin #gaius #arthur #merlin x gaius #love in the time of dragons #the sorcerer's shadow #queen of hearts #the wicked day #tavern #merlin rewatch #text: merlin #screencaps #ck: merlin #my stuff #my text

[longlivechips]

Obsessed with Merlin's reputation in Camelot.

This guy just shows up one day and gets handed one of the most sought after jobs in the castle and then proceeds to be absolutely terrible at it for 10 years.

He goes missing for hours and days at a time, he even has a whole ass nother job.

Arthur takes this guy EVERYWHERE and he doesn't even fight anyone. Doesn't even have a helmet on poor sap.

They are marching off to war and the only two people riding horseback besides Arthur are Merlin and Leon!!

We say it a lot but. Merlin gets mistress treatment AF.

#merlin rewatch #merlin #bbc merlin #merlin meta #arthur pendragon

[atlasshrugd]

in the s1 finale, arthur asks: "are you ever going to change, Merlin?"

and then in the s5 finale, arthur tells merlin: "i don't want you to change. i want you to always be you."

#hello again im crying #these parallels are kicking my ass #merlin rewatch #bbc merlin #merthur #merlin #mine

[whenyouhearthedoorcreak]

*merlin walking out of the council chambers while the knights are having a meeting*

mordred aka #1 merthur shipper telepathically: arthur is looking at your ass

#merlin #bbc merlin #arthur pendragon #bbcm #bbcmerlin #camelot #merthur #merlin bbc #merlin rewatch #morgana pendragon #merlin meta #merlin emrys #gwen #king arthur #merlin/arthur #gwaine #morgana #mordred #mordred and merlin having telepathy is such a lost opportunity #that boy would be a menace #he can literally just interrupt merlin’s thoughts whenever he feels like it #“merlin gwaine is soliloquising about percival again #it would be so good #he would never leave him alone

[regulusrules]

Thinking about Merlin’s last shred of defeat while saying, “I thought I was in time.”

About the utter fear that consumed Arthur in “Don’t, just– you heard, just..”

About Gaius’s surety he’ll never see Merlin again while telling him, “I’ll have your favourite meal waiting for you.”

And about Gwaine’s last words to be, “I failed.”

Thinking about Morgana's pain in addressing Mordred’s grave and telling him, “We will have our revenge.”

About Arthur's broken “I thought I knew you” and Merlin's self-assured “I'm still the same person.”

About all the things Gwen said by saying “I'm pleased.”

And all the things Merlin said by saying “I wanted to.”

Thinking, forever thinking, about the peace in Arthur's, “Just.. just— hold me.”

About Merlin's desperate belief that “I can [save you].”

And above all, thinking how Arthur’s “Thank you” was not just for the causes he listed, but for the life that Merlin gave him.

#merlin #merlin anniversary #merlin rewatch #bbc merlin #merthur #diamond of the day #LJ metas #regulusrules metas

[pyjamacryptid]

DoTD II Interlude: Homoeroticism

BBC Merlin + live commentary by @macaritaville @1kitwonder and I from our Merlin watch party

first | prev | next | masterpost

#bbc merlin #merlin #bbc merlin live commentary #live commentary meme #text post meme #merlin emrys #arthur pendragon #merthur #ren and friends watch merlin #merlin memes #diamond of the day #diamond of the day part 2 #5x13 #merlin rewatch #macaritaville #1kitwonder #pyjamacryptid

[pendragonsclotpole]

help, i just got slapped in the face with the existence of WILL. be still my beating heart as i write an essay on this man, will of ealdor

firstly, i adore the silent and implicit trust hidden in the first joke that introduces will’s character. like merlin’s been aware his whole life that if his secret is ever found out, he will be hunted down and persecuted, but here comes will with a jab that they both inherently understand is a joke in the macabre style only true friends can lovingly master. the smile they share almost immediately gives me ned stark and robert baratheon meeting again in the courtyard of winterfell in season one of got. there’s also something so normal in their interaction that speaks of a familiarity borne from their equal status and years of friendship. i know merlin’s friends in camelot tend to skew to the non-royal/non-noble, but when you tally it up, those closest to merlin often hold some title that’s greater than merlin’s role as arthur’s servant. gwaine is a knight implied to be of noble blood; lancelot, percival, and elyan are also knighted and esteemed members of arthur’s court; gwen is the lady morgana’s maid and close companion long before she is ever queen; gaius is a physician and long time member of camelot’s court; morgana before her betrayal is literally uther’s ward. i feel like when placed among them all, merlin has a tendency to fade into the background offscreen. obviously the audience knows how important merlin is to the overall story given how much of the storyline focuses on him, and the characters regularly acknowledge merlin’s importance to them or arthur, but all of them still regard merlin as merlin the servant from camelot and few of them are privy to the plots we as the audience see firsthand. and even when they acknowledge him for his merits, his role as arthur’s close friend and confidante takes precedence. look at leon’s reaction in the later seasons when merlin is bewitched by morgana. merlin literally makes a comment about plotting to kill arthur and leon barely even blinks before quipping back, “driving you mad isn’t he?” or something along those lines. except for a few instances with even fewer characters, they never get a chance to know him as merlin the sorcerer from ealdor.

will does! and more than that, he got to know merlin as he is without arthur. we all hype up their status as magical soulmates but damn if i wasnt living for how jealous of arthur will seemed to be in this episode. call me crazy, but it makes me desperately headcanon a realistic past in ealdor for merlin, full of hardship and strife, but never without it’s moments of happiness. furthermore, will’s lone appearance in season one shines some real light on the unfairness of the fate that has been bestowed on meelin. the moment that will points out why he’s been so obstinate with arthur really strikes a deep chord. sure it could be just jealousy, but more compellingly, i choose to read it as a deep sense of care for merlin. everyone merlin has met within camelot, (or reunited with in the case of his own mother) has continually pushed him closer and closer to arthur. will presents a crucial exception. he knows exactly who merlin was before camelot, and who merlin is completely separate from arthur.

will is staunchly in merlin’s corner, and that position allows him to identify a key characteristic of merlin’s series’ long arc: his complete devotion to arthur. will even points it out himself: merlin could singlehandedly defend their home if he just used the full extent of his power. merlin doesn’t, and actively chooses not to because of his desire to stay close to arthur. it’s such a small moment, but i think it demonstrates how much of merlin’s decisions become motivated by his desire to stay close to arthur and to always put arthur first, even at a detrimental cost to himself. merlin understands and readily accepts arthur as his destiny, but this acceptance does not come about independently, instantly, or of merlin’s own volition. it does so eventually, but initially merlin sticks by arthur’s side because of the encouragement of everyone around him. “arthur needs you, merlin” or “arthur is your destiny, merlin” or “arthur is a good man, merlin. he has the potential to be a great king, he just needs the right people, merlin.” its codependent as hell.

sure, merlin originally does not tell arthur about his magic because they do not know each other and as far as merlin knows revealing his magic would lead to his death, but eventually the reasoning changes and becomes so focused on doing what’s best for arthur. merlin can’t tell arthur because then arthur would have to kill him and then who would look after arthur or ensure his fate? merlin can’t tell arthur because if arthur chooses to defy uther’s law, merlin is then forcing arthur to turn against his father and how could he look after arthur then? merlin can’t tell arthur because another betrayal from magic would ruin everything and truthfully, he wonders how would arthur react? merlin comes to fear what his magic might do to arthur and what it’s reveal might mean for his place in camelot more than the laws of camelot and their verdicts.

by this logic, merlin is a magical solar system orbiting entirely around the celestial body known as arthur pendragon. eventually merlin cared more about his relationship with arthur and what arthur thought about him than his own life. in retrospect, it’s so sad that will died so early on, because it strips merlin of a person solely in his corner. will’s death is the first in the series’ long pattern of loss that merlin endures and that eventually comes to define him because people either find out about his magic and their knowledge is directly tested against his loyalty to arthur, or he cannot allow them to know about his magic because it will unravel his relationship with arthur.

will, freya, balinor, morgana, mordred, arthur.

also the fact that will covered for merlin’s use of magic in his last moments just adds to the tragedy AND the growing pile of moments merlin could have told arthur about his magic but didnt. and also the fact that will literally died to save arthur. like tell me that just doesn’t prove my point. tell me. will never stood a chance. tell me every aspect of merlin’s life does not get consumed by arthur pendragon.

i’m all for merthur being soulmates, but god the original series is rife with the unbalanced mess of merlin being wholeheartedly aware of arthur’s great potential and destiny leading to some intense devotion and faith that yes, arthur earns and pays back in full measure but can never fully reciprocate because he just does not know anything. by the triple goddess, it can get so toxic. i wish will had lived if just for that. and like the jealousy arthur gets whenever merlin has other people. because i 100% live for possessive arthur and protective merlin dynamics.

#will of ealdor #merlin #bbc merlin #arthur pendragon #merlin bbc #merthur #king arthur #merlin emrys #bbc merthur #merlin deserves nice things #someone give merlin a friend pls #merlin deserves people solely devoted to him #where is the merlin defense gang #hmm #headcanon #show analysis #merlin season 1 #merlin rewatch #gendry waters played will and i unironically adore that no matter what merlin is surrounded by the sons of kings #arthur and merlin #arthur/merlin #prince arthur

[toshsato]

MERLIN Rewatch: 5x06 THE DARK TOWER

Sleep, milady.

#merlin #bbc merlin #morgana pendragon #katie mcgrath #merlinedit #merlingifs #userstream #usertelevision #cinematv #cinemapix #filmtvcentral #filmtvdaily #tvfilmsource #tvfilmgifs #perioddramaedit #perioddramasource #weloveperioddrama #tvcentric #smallscreensource #merlin rewatch #5x06 #one gifset per ep #the dark tower #katiemcgrathedit #mygifs #coloured text #colored text

[poisonedfate]

bbc merlin - 03x07 The Castle of Fyrien

they might not be the best at small lies. but elaborate, grand plan lies? oh, they've GOT it

#merlin rewatch #bbc merlin #03x07 #arthur #merlin #merthur

[dont-let-me-eat-pears]

Merlin is me whenever Gwaine pops up in an episode

#even when i know he's coming #bbc merlin #merlin #gwaine #merlin x gwaine #mergwaine #the coming of arthur #3x12 #merlin rewatch #screencaps #my stuff #r

[has-merlinofficial-posted-today]

messages from Merlin Official Poisoned Chalice:

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

the reactions:

He is

#bbc merlin #merlin #bbc merthur #camelotgate #merlin twitter #merthur #yes #stream #the poisoned chalice #merlin rewatch

[caffeinatedbisexual]

5 seasons and yet none of the events of Merlin are truly more traumatic than watching Uther Pendragon makeout with/very nearly shag a troll.

#merlin rewatch #bbc merlin #trauma #uther pendragon #merlin #arthur pendragon #morgana pendragon #gwen merlin

[counting-stars-gayly]

Thinking about how, for Merlin, the events of the show happened so long ago that he can’t possibly remember much, and the memories he does still have are probably vague. So when Arthur returns, with everything far more fresh in his mind, he probably keeps referencing events that Merlin has forgotten or is confused about, and it breaks both their hearts.

#queued #this rewatch is actually killing me #bbc merlin #merthur #bbc arthur #arthur pendragon #modern merthur #modern merlin #merlin rewatch #merlin headcanons #merthur angst #merthur hc

[storybookstr4nge]

Arthur saying "you'd better be right about this Merlin" as if merlin has been wrong even ONCE before. once and future king of being a little bitch is what you are

#I love Arthur pendragon so bad it makes me ill #merlin #Arthur pendragon #bbc merlin #merthur #merlin rewatch #they're so stupid they should kiss #merlin emrys