doom

But I personally dont hold any contempt for him because I see him as a survivalist. We know that nimueh was once a friend of Uther, and he was also friends with Gauis who practiced magic and there were likely others.

But we see that Uther hunts all those who practice magic indiscriminately. It's not hard to understand why Gauis turned sides, not because he agreed with what Uther did but because he wanted to survive.

sickness @merthurmicrofic // animals @merlinbingo

doomed siblings am i right

I've been thinking about how this show is told by a biased narrator. Everything we experience is from Merlin's POV and it's a VERY narrow POV. We never know anything that Merlin doesn't find out in the same episode (and if we do, it's probably something that Merlin figures out or infers at some point).

We love Arthur cuz Merlin loves Arthur. We think magic is a beautiful thing because Merlin thinks so too. When a tragedy happens, we blame Merlin, because odds are, Merlin probably blames himself. Do we ever share an opinion separate from Merlin in the entire show?

I think this is most clear when you look at Arthur. He's our clotpole and our lovable prat! He's just... also objectively done some not-that-great-things. Merlin isn't blind to that, so yes, we are aware and we do understand why everyone keeps trying to kill him, but because it's told from Merlin's POV the show can't help but stuff you full of lovable moments. Yeah, a genocide is still happening, but... it's Arthur! Fuck the genocide, let's banter with Arthur a bit more!

Then we get to Morgana. Her whole backstory is literally just a YA protagonist. Sassy, badass, has special powers, is trying to topple an oppressive racist government? We've seen that before. If this story was told from her perspective---and not even that, from a more objective, overall ensemble perspective---she'd be definitely a lot more morally gray badass revolutionary YA protagonist rather than just straight up villain. Furthermore, she's only the villain once she starts threatening Merlin personally.

arthur pendragon is on a date/picnic with a drop dead gorgeous princess and all he can think of is pranking merlin. HE IS SUCH A GAY LOSER ISTG

also wtf is this look djsfhdkjg

For the record, Merlin is not eavesdropping. He just happens to be standing around the corner from where Arthur and Agravaine are arguing. It’s not his fault that Agravaine decided to accost Arthur in the middle of the corridor, after all.

“Sire,” Agravaine is saying imploringly, “you cannot be seen taking counsel from a servant. People will talk.”

It’s all Merlin can do to keep his magic from lashing out and making Agravaine fall flat on his smarmy face. Arthur and Merlin have been Arthur-and-Merlin to the people of the citadel for years; any talk that there ever was about them has long since died out. The fact the Agravaine knows this and is still using his silver tongue to try and drive the two of them apart makes something furious burn in Merlin’s chest– not just because it will make it even harder to make Arthur see sense about his uncle’s treachery, but because losing the intimate, human part of Arthur he’s been trusted with for all these years is unthinkable.

Merlin has given everything to stay by Arthur’s side. He won’t let anyone, much less Agravaine, strip that from him.

Before he can concoct some reason to interrupt, Arthur is responding.

“It surprised me as well, Uncle, but Merlin does give wise counsel,” he says. “He has yet to steer me wrong.”

The praise warms Merlin from the inside out. Agravaine, however, is adamant.

“Nonetheless, it’s hardly proper. What would the people say if they realized how dependent you are upon a farm boy from Cenred’s kingdom? What would Camelot’s enemies and allies think? It pains me to be so blunt, but it makes you look weak, My Lord.”

“Then who might I seek counsel from?” Arthur says, clearly impatient and annoyed.

Agravaine’s tone is horribly logical. “From your advisors, Sire, from your Queen, whenever you find her, and until then— and after, of course— myself.”

“I understand,” Arthur says, clearly considering, and a pit in Merlin’s stomach opens.

like. this is a BOY.

this is a teenager who shows up in camelot and within approximately five minutes is told by Gaius: “hey so you have world-ending levels of power :) also if anyone finds out you will be executed :) have fun!”

and then Kilgharrah is like: “your destiny is everything. your feelings are irrelevant.”

???????

so now we have merlin:

cannot tell anyone who he is

cannot be fully known by anyone

cannot even react honestly to the things happening to him

and THEN

Will dies protecting merlin’s secret → merlin learns: people die if they know me

Freya dies in his arms right after he allows himself to love someone → merlin learns: if i love someone, they die

Balinor (his father!!) dies basically immediately → merlin learns: i don’t get to keep family

Lancelot sacrifices himself → merlin learns: good people die for me

Gwaine is tortured and dies → merlin learns: i can’t save everyone, even when i try

and then. THEN.

Arthur Pendragon dies.

after YEARS of merlin:

saving his life in secret

sacrificing everything

shaping his entire existence around this ONE destiny

and what does merlin get?

arthur finding out the truth for like five minutes and then dying in his arms.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME.

and the show just— ends.

no processing. no support system. no “hey maybe this boy has severe survivor’s guilt and complex trauma”

because merlin can’t even GRIEVE properly.

he can’t tell anyone:

why will died

who freya was to him

that balinor was his father

what lancelot actually did

how many times he saved arthur

so all of that grief just sits there. unspoken. unacknowledged. unresolved.

like imagine carrying:

the weight of destiny

the responsibility for a kingdom

the knowledge that your loved ones died for or because of you

The fandom has raised again in the holy year of 2026 🙌🏻