it's just a lot

@pscentral event 13: tropes ↳ arthur pendragon

BONUS:

"No matter what adversity we face, we stand for what is right. To betray our beliefs, Merlin, that...is what will destroy everything we've strived for."

I just noticed on my rewatch that here Arthur is literally predicting 'Arthur's Bane.' The reason Arthur dies is because Merlin betrays his own beliefs. He stops standing for what is right and is driven by desperation and fear to keep Arthur alive, which is ultimately what kills him.

This is especially what happens in the 'Disir' episode. Merlin betrays himself by saying "Magic has no place in Camelot" to ensure Morded dies, but in a twist of fate Mordred miraculously survives and magic is still condemned. And when Merlin alerts Arthur when Mordred's girlfriend escapes from the cells, leading to her death, that is also when he betrays himself and 'what is right,' and that is exactly what leads Mordred to seek revenge on Arthur.

This is Merlin's problem. He has been burdened with too much knowledge about the future that he inadvertently brings about that future the more he tries to intervene. In comparison with Arthur, who makes decisions based on what is right, not about what will happen. He puts his values first and handles the consequences later because he has no knowledge of any prophecies.

BBC MERLIN

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE (1995)

Costume appreciation series: Ever After: A Cinderella Story (1998) dir Andy Tennant

Costume Design by Jenny Beavan

+bonus

Sister no fucks given Michael