#merlinwatch

[iknownowmerlin]

merlin rewatch - 1x01: the dragon’s call

a series of posts in which i record my thoughts and reactions as i properly watch the entirety of bbc’s merlin for the very first time 😊

and so it begins

merlin is baby

~ exposition ~

lmao merlin literally gets discovered on his first hour in camelot before he even says a word to gaius this boy did not keep his magic secret for another ten years

merlin’s so smiley and adorable :(( as opposed to how broken down he is by the end of the show i am SAD

this morgana is so great and also completely and explicitly against uther’s war on magic? WHAT HAPPENS

gaius: obvs i don’t need to tell you that you gotta keep it lowkey or you will get killed. right? good

merlin, like five minutes later: *tries to fistfight the prince of camelot*

wow arthur really is a jerk. that character development tho

this scene already feels different in context adfhsksk

it takes arthur like 0.5 seconds to realize he’s never met anyone like merlin before

lmao at gaius laughing so hard at merlin in the stocks

gwen is so sweet and gentle and lovely 🥰  + i love that little music for her

i love merlin and gwen so!! much!! their dynamic is great and i am forever craving more of them together

“did you ever study magic?” “uther banned all such work 20 years ago” gaius that is evading the question!!

arthur’s really desperate for merlin’s attention huh

arthur’s “friends” not reacting to merlin’s SICK burn is unrealistic

i can’t believe how hard they’re flirting boys you’re in public

also merlin stop trying to fight the prince of freaking camelot!! i know he’s hot but his father WILL kill you

there it is, possibly one of the best lines of the entire show. merlin’s “my lord” kills me dead every fucking time god i love him

aaand now he’s using magic in front of arthur and also a huge crowd. no survival instincts i’m telling you

“how could you be so FOOlish”

now there’s something really interesting, merlin already sees magic as a truly fundamental part of himself

also merlin’s immaturity really comes through here and is a good reminder that arthur isn’t the only one to go through major character development 

every single time kilgharrah whispers merlin i see the title screen in my head

bruh are these guards not scared of these fucking haunted dice

ah yes the beginning of kilgharrah being utterly unhelpful

uhh i’m also a very big fan of merlin and morgana and honestly we were robbed of their relationship too

also they dropped the whole arthur and morgana thing so hard after season 1 i totally forgot about it

morgana and gwen :((( i love them

boys i agree morgana is STUNNING

flustered gwen is adorable and merlin is a tragically lovable idiot

mary collins really lives for the drama and i respect that

“FATHER” arthur’s such a pissbaby i love him. also this is the best decision uther ever made

those LOOKS they give each other. you two have absolutely no idea everything that’s to come 😭

wait gaius is actually encouraging merlin to use magic

wait wait wait i know merlin keeps it from gaius at first but gaius finds out about kilgharrah and his destiny and all that eventually right? how much does gaius know about merlin’s destiny later on?

“prince arthur wants you right away” mhmM

#merlin #bbc merlin #merlinwatch #watchs1 #1x01 #here we gooo #i don't know how often i'll post these #but man does it feel good to finally. be watching. this show.

[feelslikelalala]

i keep thinking “hmm while i’m sorry to disappoint the fans i think merlinwatch will be a private dance from now on” and then i watch it and just have to be like “hey guys me again! can you believe”

#merlin

[themerlin]

meandloki answered: sadly no. Myrddin is a stealth show that lulls you into a false sense of security with awkward cuteness and scarves then WHAM ANGST AND TEARS

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

..... It's like ninja angst. Now I'll be on guard every minute just waiting for it to spring from the shadows and douse me in despair. OH WHY MYRDDIN WHY??

#Merlinwatch #ninja angst #at least with supernatural I Knew what I was getting myself into #sighs. #meandloki

[iknownowmerlin]

merlin rewatch - 1x11: the labyrinth of gedref

a series of posts in which i record my thoughts and reactions as i properly watch all of bbc’s merlin for the very first time 😊

another great episode, one where i learn that i apparently have a lot of feelings about the beach scene. like, more than i would have thought

merlin looks so scared hunting im love him

merlin’s face looking at the unicorn is my face every time i look at him

not the last time we’ll see merlin trying to save a magical creature

merlin apologizes to the unicorn 😢

“it was the most beautiful creature i’d ever seen” toxic masculinity whom

i love that merlin’s disappointed in arthur for taking pleasure in killing the unicorn, that he expects better from him

i need to make a gif compilation of people walking in on merlin and arthur being far closer to each other than they need to be

of course it’s magic gaius

“it would be embarrassing to have to lock up my own servant for breaking the curfew” arthur doesn’t suspect merlin for a goddamn second

merlin not understanding hand signals is hilarious

digging anhora’s vibe

the gall on merlin. no one else can talk to arthur like that

this episode highlights the fact that merlin really is quite rubbish as a servant and i’m living for it 

merlin really does spend the vast majority of his time with arthur huh

“then it’s probably best you don’t tell him” merlin spurring arthur to sneak around his father’s back,, there’s just something about it

when you think for a second that gwen and morgana are sneaking food away for themselves but actually they’re trying to feed the people who need it most 😭

likewise, arthur not wanting to eat while his people are starving is just 🥺

because you KNOW uther is out there eating more than his share because he’s the king or whatever bs

merlin’s little nod when arthur asks if he’s eating rat 😂

arthur there is no need to stand so close to him!!

morgana walking in, one more for that gif set

you can tell evan’s hitting home by taunting arthur with uther’s disappointment in him 😢

still think anhora’s total unphazedness is wicked cool

to be fair to arthur, this test doesn’t feel on par with the first. mostly bc i’d argue that the dude deserved some punishment. but like yeah arthur sorta loses it

his complete anguish however at his people being punished because of him is touching and heartbreaking

merlin recognizes this love for his people in arthur

“i would rather starve than beg my enemies for help” yeah but you’re not the one starving huh uther

“you’ll have to give that order yourself” hell yeah arthur!!

is uther seriously trying to blame this on arthur for not catching the sorcerer?? catch him yourself you fuckwad

i like that anhora’s willing to talk to merlin in a way he isn’t willing to talk to arthur

“i trust him with my life” and you’re right to :’’)

anhora’s literally giving arthur another chance bc he knows he’s witnessing true love

arthur and merlin being protective of each other,, my weakness 

why do i like anhora so much is this a popular opinion

oh dear that vine cgi was cringe

the entire beach scene is so much i’m gonna cry in anticipation

arthur already trying to save merlin from the get go

arthur literally does not hesitate at all about him having to be the one to die

“i had no idea you were so keen to die for me” 😭😭😭

^^ that fucking line though because listEN arthur says it in an almost jokey tone but he means it. we already know that merlin would 100% die for arthur but arthur doesn’t, not yet. the closest thing he saw was in the poisoned chalice but even then merlin was drinking that poison under orders of the king. this time merlin is completely going out of his way to make sure that if it comes down to a death, it’s his and not arthur’s, and arthur has never witnessed this before

AND that line/this entire situation means so much especially in this episode where their relationship has been shown to be insults and quips and complaining about each other and this just proves that underneath all that they care about each other

I’M GLAD YOU’RE HERE MERLIN

ARthur says this not because merlin’s helping, not because he wants him to take his place, not because he thinks merlin can save him, but because he’s probably going to die and he’s glad merlin will be there with him when it happens fucK me

i have more to say about the rest of this scene but i don’t have time to make my thoughts coherent and type them all out, just know that i’m crying

only with these two would it be even remotely relevant for a goddamn prince to say to his servant ‘oh you know me, i never listen to you’

the similarities between this scene of arthur “dying” and the one in 5x13 are striking (oh what’s that? i made a handy dandy gif set demonstrating this? 😇)

fucking anhora, we stan

“he has proven what is truly in his heart” what did i tell you camelot will be saved because these two idiots are in love

also i’m obsessed with merlin looking down at arthur and slowly and softly smiling, if there hadn’t been a fade out that moment would have been so heavily giffed

hey here’s a missing scene i’d love to see. what went on between that and merlin and arthur arriving to camelot. how did arthur react when he woke up? how did he pick up from ‘i just willingly drank poison to save your life’ give me that fic

holy shit i just realized. arthur just willingly drank poison to save merlin’s life. sound familiar anyone?

i was so caught up in the merthur i literally forgot about the unicorn for a second

well today i learned that apparently i have a lot of feelings about this episode and the beach scene in particular so that’s good to know

#merlin #bbc merlin #merlinwatch #watchs1 #1x11 #like i did not have that clocked as one of my all time favourite merthur scenes #but it's one of my all time favourite merthur scenes

[iknownowmerlin]

merlin rewatch - 1x13: le morte d’arthur

a series of posts in which i record my thoughts and reactions as i properly watch all of bbc’s merlin for the very first time 😊

great end to a great season

season finale baby let’s do this

love that even now the knights just quietly stand behind merlin and arthur like yup,, there they go again 

uther you are going to get you, your son and all of camelot killed

gwen comforting morgana when she has nightmares 🥺

morgana really is losing it and it’s quite heartbreaking

arthur’s first instinct upon seeing the beast is to push merlin out of harm’s way

did merlin just defeat the questing beast just like that? he barely lifted a finger damn alright emrys

“we haven’t done all the things we’re meant to do” wanted to make some kind of shippy comment before i remembered that arthur eventually does die before they do all the things they were meant to do and now i’m crying

tbh despite it all it’s always nice to see the more human side of uther, the one that truly cares for arthur

HARRY POTTER IS DEAD vibes

kilgharrah my dude you’re really starting to get on my nerves

merlin has clearly felt bound to his destiny from day one but we’ve never seen him quite so desperate for arthur to live

i think it’s really interesting how his reasoning for being willing to do anything to save arthur keeps going back and forth between ‘it’s my destiny’ and ‘he’s my friend and i don’t want him to die’

hm bashful/nervous gaius, that’s a new one

arthur calming down under his father’s touch :( he’s just a boy

also hi merlin looks gorgeous

gwen’s talk to arthur is just lovely, as is she

arthur is already loved and respected, the people are preparing to mourn

“i don’t believe in miracles” >> immediate cut to merlin. i dig it

iiiit’s nimueh

“i willingly give my life for arthur’s” “his life is worth 100 of mine” 😢

merlin!! ily but at NO point did she explain or did you ask for the exact terms of this bargain you have already agreed to

everything’s going to be alright?? i can’t tell what merlin’s thinking. maybe arthur living is all that matters to him but everything certainly won’t be alright for a whole lot of people if merlin dies

merlin holding arthur i

morgana jumpscare

“i think there’s someone watching over me, keeping me from harm” the closest merlin will get to actual recognition from arthur until… well you know

what’s this? the first proper arwen scene and it actually really works for me?? holy shit why had i never seen this???? it’s super arthur and it’s super gwen and they’re adorable af?????? MORE OF THIS PLEASE

who tf is it??

HUNITH D:

this part with kilgharrah just makes me mad because it was merlin’s fucking destiny to help arthur bring magic back to the land so WHY didn’t that happen

merlin’s betrayal. i felt that

hey uh kilgharrah… wtf?

this is a good time to point out that we have never seen merlin do so much magic or be so in control of it

i know it sucks but your mother wouldn’t want you to die for her merlin

i don’t know how true everything merlin’s saying to gaius rn is but it’s sweet

this,,,,,, scene,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

merlin calls him a royal prat right to his face and all arthur does is laugh with overwhelming levels of fondness

“are you ever going to change merlin?” you KNOW what future line i’m thinking about 😭

arthur’s face when merlin says he’s happy to be his servant until the day he dies, i’m telling you shit’s going on there

arthur’s last words to merlin: “everything you’ve done, i know now. for me, for camelot. for the kingdom you helped me build. thank you” vs. merlin’s last words to arthur: “just… don’t be a prat”

merlin saying goodbye to gwen too 😢

gaius DID that

“you did not like the outcome” and you did??? was the outcome not the genocide of your people? isn’t revenge the whole point of all this?

well i say that, to this day i still cannot for the life of me figure out what any of nimueh’s actual goals are

yo this confrontation is pretty epic. worthy of a series finale

powerful merlin is my shit!!!! he just brought LIGHTNING down. amazing

LMAO “what did you do?”

yo that ending was cute

oh shit spoke to soon. ~drama~

#merlin #bbc merlin #merlinwatch #watchs1 #1x13 #ahh one down four to go

[iknownowmerlin]

merlin rewatch - 1x12: to kill the king

a series of posts in which i record my thoughts and reactions as i properly watch all of bbc’s merlin for the very first time 😊

a real turning point for morgana and probably the most intense episode so far

just like in 1x03 tom and gwen are too happy for it to last 

these uther, arthur and morgana scenes are always so interesting because they’re very clearly on three different points on the opinion on magic spectrum

oh tom :( he didn’t know. and the money was for his family, for gwen

i do like the idea of merlin being able to sense powerful magic

this is shaping up to be a good morgwen episode, morgana’s defending tom with everything she’s got because she feels it’s the right thing to do but also because it’s gwen’s father

oop my mergana feels are stirring too, they’re standing so close

again i will say that it’s really nice to see how close the four of them have become, it’s really easy to forget going into the later seasons

ooh morgana what are you up to

“i cannot see the future” think again morgana

tom didn’t deserve this but gwen really didn’t 😢

this scene with uther is really giving us that first glimpse of future morgana

damn she’s really fully turned on him

arthur is fantastic in this scene with gwen, i think it’s the most sincere i’ve ever heard him

“the mage stone” didn’t want to call it the philosopher’s stone?

“you’re a better man than your father. you always were.” this arthur and morgana scene makes me so sad knowing what their relationship becomes :((

“if anything happened to you i couldn’t bear it” gwen saying this to morgana 🥺

major props to katie because there really is a manic glint in morgana’s eyes now that wasn’t there before

i will say though that morgana’s shift in this episode is justified but a little too abrupt for my taste

pause to comment on how gorgeous merlin looks because he looks gorgeous

i’m laughing i just had to rewind this scene with gaius because i was too busy staring at colin to hear anything they were saying 😂

remember when there were guards at the dragon’s cave? yeah me neither

kilgharrah’s going a lot harder on the whole ‘kill uther’ thing than just a few episodes ago in 1x06

shit this episode’s pretty intense huh

as terrible as uther is, i kinda agree with gaius that i don’t think arthur’s ready to be king yet

this gwen and merlin scene,, i want mo r e

once again gwen’s strong sense of morality setting merlin straight ❤️

WOAH. merlin just has a magical staff than can immediately knock people out?? where does this thing go??

the way morgana’s face changes when uther admits he was wrong for killing tom and the ensuing conflict and panic in her eyes is just amazing

say what you want about gaius but it always warms my heart to see him give merlin the recognition that he doesn’t get anywhere else 

#merlin #bbc merlin #merlinwatch #watchs1 #1x12 #and next up is the season finaleeee

[iknownowmerlin]

merlin rewatch - 1x02: valiant

a series of posts in which i record my thoughts and reactions as i properly watch the entirety of bbc’s merlin for the very first time 😊

i can’t believe it’s episode 2 and they’re already this close

lmao unfortunately for poor merlin, arthur really doesn’t know how to deal with his emotions

gaius is funnier than i’ve been giving him credit for

hmm merlin’s interest in girls seriously wanes as the show goes along. it’s just interesting isn’t it

hi i still love gwen

arthur,, please calm down sweetie you’re being pretty dickish

merlin already cheering arthur on i’m

gwen and morgana are so cute and look so happy plS

the way arthur immediately switches gears the second he realizes merlin’s made him smile is just brilliant

arthur really can’t help liking merlin and i get that

gaius is like ‘is it me or are you totally starting to crush on arthur’

okay this is besides the point but arthur is so gentle when he’s taking the snake head from merlin i can’t stop watching that little moment

merlin’s been arthur’s servant for like 5 seconds and arthur is already trusting his word over a knight’s i cry

THOSE LOOKS THOUGH

my guys could you not wait just a teeny tiny bit for ewan to wake and be able to provide proof before calling an audience with the king

uther this is your son and you can’t even spare him the benefit of the doubt? fuck off

“then what am i to make of these allegations?” that he’s telling the truth?? or at the very least that he thought he was??? you know arthur is anything but a coward

i get you’re humiliated arthur but this is so not merlin’s fault

tbh though i’m surprised uther didn’t sack him

kilgharrah: the og merthur shipper

“just give me a straight answer” yeah don’t think that’s going to happen merlin

and trust me there’s nothing straight going on here

did i mention i love gwen?

again, i like the subtle introduction to morgana’s nightmares

arthur still believes merlin even though he doesn’t actually have any more evidence or reason to do so than uther does

our (and merlin’s) very first glimpse into arthur’s strong sense of duty

man they’re really pushing the arthur and morgana this episode and it’s lowkey creeping me out

DOGGO

again, merlin’s just out there doing magic right in the open

nice arthur, gotta end him with a dramatic one-liner

the contrast between arthur saying that uther will never apologize and then him immediately going to apologize to merlin is 👌🏽👌🏽

god this show’s potential

“buy me a drink and we’ll call it even” SO are we just going to ignore the fact that merlin basically just straight up hit on arthur? yes? mm probably best for my sanity

#merlin #bbc merlin #merlinwatch #watchs1 #1x02

[iknownowmerlin]

merlin rewatch - 1x07: the gates of avalon

a series of posts in which i record my thoughts and reactions as i properly watch the entirety of bbc’s merlin for the very first time 😊

an episode that reminds me that this show really is quite funny sometimes

merlin really is a buffoon i love him

woah there arthur going straight for the kill, i mean he doesn’t even really know what’s going on

arthur looks v good here

merlin be like ‘that’s right you better run!! he’s my boyfriend and he’s crazy!!’

these boys are just absolute suckers for a pretty face smh

as much as i ship them, merlin teasing arthur about girls and trying to set him up will forever be amusing to me. there’s just something about it

it just implies such a closeness between them and, like, knocks arthur down a peg? also it’s hilarious

that being said, it is definitely weird how intent he is on getting arthur and sophia together later on in the ep

morgana grabbing merlin’s hand. okay so yeah lowkey i ship them

this gaius comforting morgana scene would be really sweet if gaius wasn’t actively trying to keep her from finding out about her magic

“rotten to-mah-toes”

merlin really is a terrible liar and i have no idea how he keeps his damn magic secret for so long

merlin hears arthur say “friend” and just caves. he’s so eager i just

morgana is completely confiding in gwen here, even though there’s an implication of magic. where does this trust go later on

merlin speaking out of turn with the king while he’s angry at him. i just can’t with this boy

shy arthur is CUTE okay

well that officially confirms morgana’s magic

arthur is so smug and i just want to smack him. morgana!! is trying!! to communicate!!

why is merlin so invested in arthur’s love life?? babe stop he’s not worth it

“she’s incredible” alright arthur y’all said what like ten words to each other

listen this show is fucking funny sometimes

did merlin just motherfucking slow down time

“mortals are only supposed to glimpse it the moment before death” immortal merlin foreshadowing?? this early on?? wOWza

a rare moment of sympathy for uther who has to deal with his 20-year-old son, the heir to his kingdom, wanting to marry some random girl he’s known for like two days because he thinks he’s in love

aaand there goes the moment of sympathy. you were doing alright until you brought up the executioner

morgana very nearly tells uther and it makes me sad because, as much as he cares for her, she definitely made the right call in not doing so

woaH so apparently they’re friends now

“no merlin you’re my servant” merlin looks genuinely hurt 🥺

merlin lying to gaius so he can go save arthur :(((( we having feelings

they do manage to almost make me feel for sophia

merlin dragging arthur out of the lake of avalon. reincarnation AUs anyone

damn arthur’s hair is longer than you’d think

this whole scene with arthur in bed talking to merlin and gaius is hilarious. pure gold

and one more of merlin in the stocks. it’s the rule of three

fascinating the implication that arthur told morgana the very embarrassing truth of trying to elope with sophia and only being saved by merlin knocking him out. shows that they’re close

merlin and morgana exchanging looks,,

“is she like me? can she use magic?” the concern and commiseration with a hint of hope all in merlin’s voice. a m a z i n g

#merlin #bbc merlin #merlinwatch #watchs1 #1x07 #i laughed a lot

[iknownowmerlin]

merlin rewatch - 1x05: lancelot

a series of posts in which i record my thoughts and reactions as i properly watch the entirety of bbc’s merlin for the very first time 😊

i just really love lancelot

merlin is so peaceful and pretty at the beginning here

hm an early point at which merlin doesn’t have enough control of his magic to properly use it as self-defense?

oof those special effects could use some work

did i wait long enough to swoon over lancelot because god he’s gorgeous

immediately love and merlin and lance’s friendship 

merlin’s “oh yes” after lance asks him if he knows arthur lol

what all these arthur training the knights scenes are showing me is that arthur 100% could have decimated merlin with the mace in episode 1 and very intentionally didn’t

lance bby :(

i reiterate lance is gorgeous

this scene between gwen and lance is just absolutely fantastic

lance is clearly already just gone for gwen and even with gwen still talking about merlin the chemistry between the two is palpable

listen they’re both so soft and kind and perfect for each other and i just 😭

lance, gwen and merlin all together,,, i just love them so much

i’m dying arthur that slap was so unnecessary

merlin’s like ‘you’re doing great sweetie!! that means he likes you!!😃’

arthur and lance’s fight scene... yes you’re both ridiculously attractive we get it

oi @ merlin and gwen stop being so cute

the transition from lance’s test to him being knighted is just beautiful

arthur and lancelot the friendship we deserved

merlin you oblivious dolt

okay merlin jokingly trying to make gwen choose between arthur and lancelot is pretty funny

can’t anyone on this show be happy for like one day

it’s uther being unreasonable about magic time. again.

why does he suddenly refuse to believe magic is the cause? he usually jumps at the opportunity to blame magic

“because lancelot you fight like a knight” oof i really like this scene

arthur’s ambiguous/undecided stance on magic continues and i dig it

lance and gwen deserved each other!!!!!!!

happy merlin :(((((

these “you did it” parallel scenes have me feeling things

arthur still out here trying to fight for what is right

i love the fact that lancelot, the most noble and righteous person you will ever meet, does not blink an eye at merlin having magic 

“the law is the law” shadowhunters anyone?

lance is too good for y’all and for his own good

i just realized merlin calls him “sir lancelot” at the end :’’)

#merlin #bbc merlin #merlinwatch #watchs1 #and gwen and merlin and arthur

[iknownowmerlin]

merlin rewatch - 1x04: the poisoned chalice

a series of posts in which i record my thoughts and reactions as i properly watch the entirety of bbc’s merlin for the very first time 😊

so much merthur,, and it’s only episode 4

lmao gaius is judging merlin so hard rn, man merlin’s a sucker for a pretty face

nimueh is indeed quite pretty

merlin and arthur are already so comfortable with each other it’s ridiculous

merlin looks adorable arthur fight me

arthur turning back to smile at merlin while his father puts an end to a war sure

also can’t help but enjoy seeing merlin wearing the pendragon seal

they’re really going all out with the red and blue this episode

oh gwen :(( ignore merlin he doesn’t deserve you

i get that nimueh doesn’t have much to lose here but this is such a convoluted way to go about… whatever it is she’s trying to achieve 

i want to be mad at merlin for just believing her but honestly what else is he supposed to think, certainly not the truth

arthur immediately looks so concerned for merlin bc he just knows there’s no way this ends well for him

nimueh could not have possibly known that this is how things would play out

namely because uther is once again being utterly unreasonable, making merlin drink from the chalice makes absolutely no sense whatsoever

“then you should have schooled him better” like what????

arthur trying to take the goblet from merlin,,, gwen stepping towards merlin,,,,, merlin drinking knowing full well he’s going to die,,,,,, arthur rushing over to him the second he collapses,,,,,,,, 😭😭😭😭

arthur does not hesitate a single moment i m

okay i gotta point out that gaius doesn’t seem particularly distressed that merlin is dying an apparently slow and painful death

morgana and gwen are both such sweethearts :((

okay this uther and arthur scene is so fucking good, the contrast between the two of them is beautifully shown and in a situation where neither of them is wrong

nimueh smiling like arthur going to save merlin is exactly what she wanted. you!! did not know!! this was going to happen!!

also what the hell is your plan!!

again, we see a highly perceptive gwen

aaaand now merlin is moaning and groaning arthur’s name in his sleep. not much to add here 

“i know this place” bitch didn’t you just say you were lost

arthur will just not give up on merlin

our very first ‘why do you care so much about your servant?’ moment

every time uther crushes that flower i gasp

arthur reaching for the flower 🥺

RUN GWEN RUN

holy shit gaius doing magic!! i’d never seen this before!!

honestly gaius you’re as bas as merlin, gwen could have walked back in at any moment

stop blaming yourselves 😢

gwen kissing merlin in the moment is sweet and gwen is sweet

would have loved to see arthur’s reaction in the future to somehow finding out that gwen and merlin had once kissed

“the truth about nimueh” ooooh ~secrets~

the entirety of this last scene is just so much i can’t

arthur checking up on merlin, smiling when he sees he’s okay, wiping off his smile before beginning to speak to him, generally trying to act like he doesn’t care when he so clearly does, merlin calling back for arthur, the fucking loaded looks when they’re thanking in each other in what is probably their first completely genuine moment in which arthur for just a second drops all pretenses

yeah so i’m literally tearing up anYWAY

there goes the fourth wall

#merlin #bbc merlin #merlinwatch #watchs1 #1x04 #this episode is so good #truly iconic

[iknownowmerlin]

merlin rewatch - 1x10: the moment of truth

a series of posts in which i record my thoughts and reactions as i properly watch all of bbc’s merlin for the very first time 😊

i mean truly just a fantastic episode, the ot4 at their peak

oh this motherfucker that just slapped hunith needs to go down

look at that face that’s merlin’s mother alright

merlin being protective over hunith :((

so obviously uther sucks but like i see his point

arthur’s sincere apology + him being the one who got hunith that audience with the king 🥺

“you’ll be coming back” it’s not even a question

i think this is the first of one of my absolute favourite things which is merlin smiling after arthur insults him in some way because he knows that it’s actually a sign of affection

also this scene is lovely because it’s very them but you can also tell they’re in the early stages of their relationship

merlin doesn’t have a clue what to do with a sword but he’s adorable so it’s okay

gwen’s little eyebrow raise just says ‘god it’s a good thing we’re going with him’

morgana and gwen!!! going with merlin!!! i love them so fucking much!!!!!

hmm drunk merlin? intriguing

it hadn’t really occurred to me but yeah it’s actually super impressive that merlin’s been in camelot for so little time and has gotten three people including the king’s ward and the crown freaking prince to risk their lives for his sake

“they never do” boi at least two people (and more if we’re counting dead ones) have found about your magic… and that’s just so far

merlin making a dragon in the fire like when he reveals his magic to arthur :’(

arthur coming back for merlin is just fantastic and merlin’s so excited

merlin really is useless with a sword and arthur really isn’t and i love it

he really didn’t have to come 😭 i wonder when he actually decided to go after merlin. was he already thinking about it when he was saying goodbye? did it only occur to him afterwards? did he notice morgana and gwen had gone? was he sitting alone at the castle thinking about his idiotic and clumsy servant trying to fight off a small army and surely getting hurt???

morgana sword fighting,, gorgeous

thinking about the fact that merlin had an entire life before camelot is so strange

it’s so nice to know that he had at least one friend who knew the truth about him, that he wasn’t completely alone

i don’t know what it is but i really can see merlin and will being childhood friends, it works really well for me

this bedtime chat on the floor is one of my all time favourite merthur scenes

arthur trying to understand merlin, find out more about him and his past, wanting to know if he feels he’s found a home in camelot, with him 😭

and like that fitting in line gets me because clearly merlin didn’t fit in in ealdor. he was an outcast as was his temperamental best friend. but then he ends up in camelot, where he is loved, with gwen, gaius, morgana for now, eventually all of the knights and arthur

merlin, listen to your mother!! he likes you!!

merlin casually comfortably talking about his magic 😢 WE DESERVED THIS WITH ARTHUR

gwen’s “men aren’t the only ones who can fight” i am g a y

“the same reason we did. merlin.” i can’t with this episode 😭

matthew :(

will is saying such a mix of things i agree and disagree with, listening to him talk is a rollercoaster

all of the women stepping forward HELL YES

merlin and hunith are just lovely together

love finally getting to see this side of gwen who is not here for arthur’s snobbery and i just adore arthur’s reaction

god i love gwen

merlin in chainmail and arthur helping him put it on. back to crying

can you believe merlin almost told him right there and then. oh how different the show would have been. to be fair i do think this would have been to early, they’re getting closer but they’re not quite there yet

*bradley voice* “woah sorry technicians, could you put merlin back on? we just slipped into the matrix there”

the ot4 kicking ass 👊

hell yeah will!!

hey merlin looks good with a quiff

oh sure, now arthur thinks merlin could be a sorcerer

will is such a good friend :’’( quick thinking too

HEY NOW crazy idea but here on out what if we didn’t kill all the people merlin cares most about in the world? no? anyone?

“he still is” 😭

hunith continuing to be wise af + ~ two sides of the same coin p.2~ 

and there they go, riding off into the distance :’)

#merlin #bbc merlin #merlinwatch #watchs1 #1x10 #asfdsk this episode was so good #i already knew it would be but like #so good

[iknownowmerlin]

iknownowmerlin’s merlin rewatch

~ a little intro to this series of posts ~

sooo i completely fell in love with the show merlin over a year ago now. and yet, i’ve never actually properly watched the entire thing. how this happened isn’t entirely clear but here we are! basically i’ve seen every remotely important merthur scene and merely skimmed over the rest to varying degrees. and so i present my first ever proper merlin watch, in which i record my thoughts and reactions as i actually go through the show for the very first time. ultimately these are meant for myself so they won’t necessarily make sense if the episode isn’t right in front of you but i figured i might as well post them here! so join me as i gush over merthur, repeatedly express my love for various characters, ship merlin with every other person he meets, get frustrated with the plot and probably cry a lot

also please feel free to comment on anything i’ve said, reply/reblog with your own thoughts, come talk to me directly or anything really! i’m just excited to talk a bunch about merlin

tldr: i’m properly watching the entirety of merlin for the very first time. these are my thoughts and reactions 😊

(this post will serve as a masterlist. i’ll be keeping links down here)

season 1

season 2

season 3

season 4

season 5

#merlin #bbc merlin #merlinwatch #episode one will be going up later today #i can't believe i'm finally doing this #i can't believe it took this long #btw the rest of these posts will always be under a 'read more' #so hopefully they shouldn't be a bother #but 'merlinwatch' is what you can block if you don't want to see them

[iknownowmerlin]

merlin rewatch - 1x06: a remedy to cure all ills

a series of posts in which i record my thoughts and reactions as i properly watch the entirety of bbc’s merlin for the very first time 😊

i do get why this episode doesn’t have the best rep but i really quite enjoyed it

gwen and morgana still domestic and cute

damn they really keep hitting gaius with illnesses caused by magic. give the man a break

merlin pretty

well edwin’s a creepy motherfucker huh

anxious boyfriends

i love how merlin clearly isn’t working in this scene. why is he in arthur’s room? and this late at night? is he literally just.. keeping arthur company

all together now! ~ cure-alls cure nothing ~

oh man i hate this guy

WHY is merlin randomly bringing up love

“ah so you are in love?” “no haha. i mean…” WHAT

i get that he’s their last chance but still, leaving a total stranger alone with the king’s ward seems like an odd choice

aaah all the blame falling on gaius i hate this so much

hmm that history between gaius and geoffrey

merlin is just the biggest snoop, he just cannot stay out of peoples stuff

edwin is telling merlin everything he wants to hear and it makes me really sad because even that tiniest bit of magic looks to be so liberating for merlin

he’s lonely and afraid and just desperately wants to use his magic freely and for a second edwin makes him feel like maybe he doesn’t have to be and maybe he can but it turns out he’s just another person using his magic for evil 😢

“they practiced magic. and so did a lot of people back then, gaius” ouch that hit somewhere

edwin really is very clever. and his backstory gives us a glimpse into the horrors caused by uther. still hate him though

him making gaius look worst and worst,, i can’t stand this

interesting that both morgana and arthur seem uncomfortable with what’s being done to gaius. i wonder how close they feel to him

merlin sleeping :((

oh shit gaius and kilgharrah??

ah good to see he’s not any more helpful with him

“then turn a blind eye. that is after all your talent” OH SHIT

uther genuinely looks very awkward and sheepish and it’s a side of him we have most definitely never seen 

uther’s face when gaius says goodbye. anthony head is doing a hell of a job here

“my gifts mean nothing without you to guide me” is a BIG shift from episode one’s “if i can’t use magic then i might as well die” i cry

CURE-ALLS CURE NOTHING

ily gwen but why did you wait so long to say anything

“in life you always have a choice. sometimes it’s easier to think that you don’t” gwen my love

props to this episode for all the different things it’s making me feel. both one after the other and all at once. pointing at the scene where edwin paralyzes uther

the first time i really get a good sense of/insight into the relationship between uther and gaius

linking a character we’re supposed to like with one we’re not in this way does a really nice job of adding complexity to both of them

it’s also been nice to see the development in gaius and merlin’s relationship

#merlin #bbc merlin #merlinwatch #watchs1 #1x06 #that being said i am trying to rank the episodes #and this is going to the bottom for now #but also god i'm having a good time watching this show

[iknownowmerlin]

merlin rewatch - 1x03: the mark of nimueh

a series of posts in which i record my thoughts and reactions as i properly watch the entirety of bbc’s merlin for the very first time 😊

an episode about a plague hitting camelot that really hits different given the current global situation

“aren’t you scared you might catch whatever it is” it occurs to me that this episode might feel extra relevant in these times

v nice to see gwen just casually happy with her father, enjoying it while it lasts

purple really does suit him 💜

gwen and morgana,, i MISS them

merlin and arthur already forming a routine i see

okay merlin genuinely looks adorable wearing those flowers, arthur is shook

sassmaster gaius giving merlin a run for his money

“merlin? but-” already don’t want to let him go i see

it’s so weird to hear them talk about finding a cure for a contagious disease that could otherwise wipe out the city. too real

gaius: “if we don’t know what the disease is, how can we cure him?

merlin, right in the middle of goddamn town: “WITH MAGIC!”

“depends on how many interruptions i get” gaius does not give a fuck 😂

baby merlin just wants recognition so bad, to get on with it and become this great and admired warlock. oh how the times change

imposing a curfew? isolating the lower town to stop the disease from spreading? is this 2020?

lmao gaius is really going for it this episode

“please gaius he’s all i have” 😢💔

gwen is already being shown to be highly perceptive at this point in the show and 100% would have eventually figured out merlin’s magic on her own

listen,, i am just a total sucker for merlin and gwen and this scene is unbearably cute asfjfgsksk

see at the beginning of the episode uther was making questionable but understandable decisions, but as soon as magic is involved he just loses all reason 

hey asshole!! morgana is making excellent points!!

“i know witchcraft is an evil, father. so is injustice” i love arthur 🥺

morgana leaving gwen’s cell crying, god i can just imagine what they must have said to each other. heartbreaking

“remember me” GWEN 😭

“there’s no way MERlin is a sorcerer” okay but real talk arthur picking at absolutely anything to save merlin’s life even though they’ve known each other for almost no time at all and arthur really has no reason to not believe him is ju s t

“there’s no way he’s a sorcerer” the way arthur says this and looks at merlin while he does!! what is he trying to say!!

gwen just lying there :((((((

kilgharrah,,,, pls

~ two sides of the same coin ~

merlin’s like ‘how do i save everyone!’ and kilgharrah’s like ‘lol you and arthur gay’

merlin’s sarcasm i love him

morgana and merlin teaming up amazing

okay this arthur and morgana scene is really great

merlin + the pendragon siblings all fighting to save gwen we stan

oooh first proper glimpse into uther and gaius past

merlin looks so happy when he thinks morgana knows about his magic and is okay with it 😢

“one day people won’t believe what an idiot you were” cheers to that

welp i’m glad they ended their plague. now hopefully merlin can show up and end ours 🤞🏽

#merlin #bbc merlin #merlinwatch #watchs1 #1x03 #i now have a separate document for all the gif ideas i'm getting #bc wow there are oh so many

[iknownowmerlin]

merlin rewatch - 1x09: excalibur

a series of posts in which i record my thoughts and reactions as i properly watch all of bbc’s merlin for the very first time 😊

adkjshdfs this episode was really good for a whole bunch of reasons but notably gwen and merlin are my everything

oh hey it’s our girl nimueh

i still don’t understand what nimueh’s goals are

merlin’s so proud of his boyfriend i want to cry

gwen’s smug little grin at merlin watching arthur SHE KNOWS

“even though you complain about him constantly” i like to imagine gwen and merlin hanging out on their time off and gwen rolling her eyes at how merlin won’t shut up about arthur

sir owain you will be missed

mm sounds sketchy gaius

i know morgana insisting that arthur fight instead is probably supposed to be a testament to her faith in his skills but like,, do you want arthur to die

ooh why is uther so nervous/jumpy? ooooooh he’s scared

aw oh no i like owain

wow okay i’ve never been so invested in a fight scene on this show. very well done

sir pelinor my dude no!! this mf is going to wipe out the knights of camelot

oh shit tristan de bois is ygraine’s brother? uther’s reaction makes sense now

“no mortal weapon can kill it” this is no mortal blade 😢

ARTHUR!! NO!! goddamn it you boys and your pride

okay but everybody saw this guy get stabbed and then walk away uninjured. does nobody suspect magic?? and does nobody care that he hasn’t shown his face???

“it was magic that killed her, not i” + “the secret of arthur’s birth” 👀

“merlin you know that conversation we had about knocking” lmao how often does merlin do this

the sincerity of merlin’s “i know that!” after arthur says he’s not a coward 🥺

nimueh revealing uther’s secret 😮😮😮

“i wish you hadn’t” i’m gonna fucking cry on behalf of arthur. i can’t believe uther said that

hey now merlin finally solving a problem with the truth

geoffrey has no time for these youngsters always in a rush

merlin there was no need to interrupt him he was like two words away from the part you wanted to hear

the return of flustered gwen i love her 🥰

morgana begging arthur to drop out but also saying she understands that it’s his duty hits me right in the feels because she does understand, more than merlin does

and a modicum of respect for uther for at the very least being willing to sacrifice himself for his son. finally he shows me he actually gives a damn about arthur

that look merlin gives gwen when she says she knew he was proud of arthur really asdfjdkf

huh excalibur was made by gwen’s father, i like that

kilgharrah forging excalibur looked pretty freaking cool

uther has totally noticed merlin’s devotion to arthur

omfg merlin literally out here like ‘we share a profound bond’

merlin getting that parental approval

also uther telling merlin to look after arthur after he dies :(( what is happening

this is what i’m saying!! no one thought to reveal his face before??

excalibur’s markings mean so much more now that i’ve linked it to arthur and merlin actually taking it up and casting it away 

arthur’s anger/bravado just drops the second uther tell him that he’s precious to him it’s heartbreak time

“i always thought that- that i was a big disappointment to you” 😭💔 fuck uther

arthur being playful with uther, being like a normal father and son for just a second god i’m crying

“you know why i’m looking at you” LMAO

the cut to gaius and merlin showing a much more caring father-son relationship

the dragon’s working better for me than it has in previous episodes. kilgahrrah’s reaction to merlin telling him that uther used the sword genuinely freaked me out a bit

you know i didn’t realize the lake of avalon had been an important thing since season one

merlin throwing excalibur into the lake here vs. in the diamond of the day brb gonna go make that gifset

#merlin #bbc merlin #merlinwatch #watchs1 #1x09 #these are slowly getting longer #and knowing what the next two eps are #that trend will probably continue