• “Eru” or “Sneaky” • They/Them (TME) • • I often like/reblog from @eruthiawenluin • • Strictly BBC Merlin sideblog • • Visit my Ao3. Or ✨ don't ✨ • • Merwaine Extraordinaire • • Gwen is the love of Arthur’s life • FAQ: Yes, I am romantically and sexually involved with multiple of my mutuals. For further details, look up the word “lesbian.”
Ahmed and his family have been verified by @90-ghost for a long time now. Still, in the face of inflated prices in Gaza, he struggles to collect enough money to purchase the simplest of things like milk and flour, which are now as much as $1,000 and $750 respectively.
Ahmed and his family are only trying to survive against the starvation that has taken all of Gaza by storm. Ahmed’s sister needs milk to feed her two small children, and Ahmed himself has even fainted from the hunger. Ahmed’s beloved cat has now died of hunger.
There is not enough food to go around. Those with food sell it at prices too steep for people in need to afford. Ahmed does not have much time. He and his family are already in critical condition from starvation and lack of shelter. He has already lost his cat, he cannot lose his family. He cannot lose his life.
Ahmed is able to accept donations at both of the below accounts. PayPal is more direct and will take fewer fees altogether, but if PayPal is not available to you we ask that you please donate to the GFM. It will get to him regardless of payment method. For other options, you can DM me or send an ask and I will make sure that the money gets to him.
My name is Tiffany, and though I live in the U.S. thousands of miles from Gaza, … Tiffany Dickenson needs your support for Help Ahmed Rebuil
Go to paypal.me/AhmedResh and type in the amount. Since it’s PayPal, it's easy and secure. Don’t have a PayPal account? No worries.
We are currently looking for around $2,000 as a short-term goal. We are already partway to this goal at $271. It is urgent that Ahmed gets this money as soon as possible.
Ahmed urgently needs $500 for his mother’s surgery on April 25th (in under 48 hours). I do not have the money myself. Anyone who can chip in, please send money directly to the PayPal linked above, as he will get the money sooner with fewer fees.
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Gwaine: Thanks for everything that you did for Eira.
Merlin: There’s no need to thank me, it was the least I could do. And you seem to care for her.
Gwaine: I could hardly leave her for the Saxons, now, could I?
Merlin: [teasing] Was that your only reason for rescuing her?
Gwaine: [lying] Of course.
[Saxons attack. Gwaine fights them off, but one knocks Merlin to the ground. He curls up and shields his face, completely helpless.]
Merlin: [screaming] Gwaine!
[Gwaine turns his back on the man he’s fighting and saves Merlin. He finishes off the last Saxon without even looking, eyes still on Merlin. He helps Merlin off the ground.]
Gwaine: Are you okay?
Merlin: Yeah, I- I think so. Thank you.
Gwaine: There’s no need to thank me, Merlin. It was the least I could do.
aaaaaaand END SCENE!
To start off with, we have a self-aware parallel in Merlin and Gwaine’s dialogue. We’re going to be examining the subtext of this conversation.
Subtext is simply what can be inferred without direct statement or revelation. It is not, as fandom is wont to believe, inserting any meaning you want between the lines; nor is it synonymous with an explanation for a scene that is unproven due to plausible deniability.
It is a cohesive message expressed by indirect means. Here’s an example:
A student goes to turn in his paper. After looking through two pages, his teacher asks, “Are you sure you want to turn this in?” The subtext of this question is the intended clue to the student that the paper is not ready yet to be turned in and he should edit through it again.
There is an intended takeaway which, while framed politely, lacks an alternate explanation. There is no plausible deniability in this case, though the message remains subtext, because subtext is not another way to say, “not canon, but could be interpreted that way.” It is a subtle form of “show-don’t-tell” expression.
Moving forward… The repetition of, “There’s no need to thank me, it was the least I could do,” is a deliberate allusion to a core theme of Merlin and Gwaine’s relationship through the years: helping another soul—soon to be friend—in need, with no expectation of a reward.
The subtextual reading of this parallel, of course, is that Merlin does not owe Gwaine, and vice versa, because that is not why they help each other. They do it because they care about one another. As a result, they’ve both helped each other innumerably. Gwaine alludes to the help Merlin’s given him as a way of saying that there is no need to return the favor, because 1) he didn’t do it expecting a favor in exchange, and 2) Merlin has more than repaid the favor already.
Another instance where we see this kind of exchange between them is in this deleted scene from 4x07 The Secret Sharer (scene 47 at 15:10).
Transcript:
Gwaine: We’ll find him.
Merlin: I won’t forget this.
Gwaine: I haven’t done anything.
Merlin: One day I’ll repay the favor.
Gwaine: Considering the trouble I get into, that may prove to be a rash promise.
[Gwaine offers Merlin some food]
Merlin: I’m full.
Another deleted scene (they really did just delete every meaningful Gwaine scene in s4 huh) which we have only a script for (though it’s possible it was recorded and the audio edited out) is when Gwaine and Arthur ride out to find Merlin in 4x06 after he’s been captured by bandits. Although this scene did not make the final cut, it is referenced again when Gwaine calls Merlin “Bog Man,” so it clearly has a place amidst the canon material.
(Find the transcription here.)
I think it speaks for itself here, but, “And finding him will be reward enough?” truly captures the selfless devotion that Gwaine feels for Merlin.
Fandom generally accepts the idea that Gwaine would do anything for Merlin, but that Merlin never seems to do the same in return. However, this is likely a misconception of what counts towards a returned favor. Merlin is a physician, not a warrior. Or, as Morgana puts it, “a lover” (not a fighter). We cannot expect Merlin to help Gwaine in the same area of expertise that Gwaine helps him in. He applies himself in other ways.
When they meet in 3x04, Gwaine offers Merlin and Arthur aid in a tavern brawl where they’re clearly outnumbered. Gwaine is injured when his opponent pulls out a knife in a fistfight, and Merlin rushes to tend to his wound. Already, a favor is given and returned between the two.
And, while Gwaine does intend to help both Merlin and Arthur, not to mention the tavern employees, he takes a special interest in Merlin. Merlin is the only one who Gwaine takes the time to introduce himself to mid-fight, even as Merlin shouts for him to watch out as he is being actively attacked. And then, of course, Gwaine does fall to an attack. Merlin treats his injuries both on the spot and back in his own chambers.
One could argue that the introduction of Gwaine to Eira follows a similar format, with Gwaine coming to her rescue, only for her to save him when their attacker knocks him to the ground. Perhaps Gwaine even takes on Merlin’s role as caretaker from 3x04 when he brings Merlin in to treat Eira in 5x12, as opposed to receiving the treatment himself. Then again, it might be more similar to the scene in 4x07 where Gwaine jumps in to battle against Alator’s guard. Like Eira, Merlin also rescues Gwaine when he’s knocked to the ground (though Gwaine doesn’t know it).
As we can see, though, Merlin is not lying when he tells Gwaine, “I’d do the same for you,” in 3x08, nor when he tells Gwaine, “One day I’ll repay the favor,” in the deleted scene from 4x07. Merlin and Gwaine have different services to offer, but they offer to help all the same.
The next portion of the aforementioned 5x12 scene on our to-dissect list is the actual subject matter of the conversation, followed by a visual representation of the very same act.
After Gwaine thanks Merlin for helping Eira, Merlin mentions that Gwaine “seem[s] to care for her.” Gwaine, in an effort to avoid the sexual and romantic implications, diverts to the chivalrous explanation: “I could hardly leave her to the Saxons, now, could I?” Merlin teases him with no relent, though, and asks, “Was that your only reason for rescuing her?” Gwaine responds with a curt, “Of course.”
The subtext of this conversation is that Gwaine’s hurried involvement to protect/take care of Eira stems from a crush on her. This is true, as there were many enemies around, but Gwaine chose the one attacking the pretty “damsel in distress” to fight. He then takes one long look at her and decides to forgo the battle to take her to safety.
Merlin can’t help but notice Gwaine’s feelings for her. She is, after all, staying in his bed even after her wound has been treated, so there is a connection between them… much like Gwaine stayed with Merlin for the remainder of 3x04 until he had no choice but to fulfill the demands of his banishment. This is especially interesting, since the wound that Merlin treats Eira for is on her leg, which is the same spot where Gwaine was stabbed when they first met. Merlin similarly wrapped his wound at the time.
But the main point is the fact that Gwaine rescued Eira from the Saxons with a single-minded fervency, in part because he was attracted to her, and then quickly grew attached.
Gwaine then proceeds to rescue Merlin from Saxons a matter of seconds after this is established.
Allow me to remind you of Gwaine’s sudden change of course in saving Eira.
Now compare this to his rescue of Merlin.
Let’s take a closer look at their dialogue:
Merlin: You seem to care for her.
Gwaine: I could hardly leave her for the Saxons, now, could I?
Merlin: [teasing] Was that your only reason for rescuing her?
Gwaine: [lying] Of course.
When applied to Gwaine’s rescue of Merlin, the conversation about Gwaine rescuing Eira takes on a more powerful meaning. After all, Eira is a virtual stranger who ends up being the traitor in the court. Gwaine sends her to her execution on Merlin’s word (via Gaius as the messenger), whereas Merlin is someone Gwaine has known for nearly a decade. There is a consistent history of Gwaine acting as Merlin’s body guard, which is being enacted again now as Gwaine escorts Merlin through the Valley of the Fallen Kings.
This is also one of the last ever scenes between Merlin and Gwaine. In truth, we are being shown a brief summary of their relationship as it comes to its narrative end—one last hurrah, if you will. And what they choose to show us is Gwaine protecting Merlin in an act of unconditional love.
Eira, like any character, is a plot device. Her interference leads to Merlin being trapped in the Crystal Cave, and Gwaine being tortured for information on Merlin and Arthur’s location. However, her presence as a person Gwaine wants to protect is meant to evoke the memory of every time Gwaine has protected Merlin. The chosen method to imply this was by creating a parallel between Gwaine’s protectiveness over the woman he’s currently sleeping with to his protectiveness over Merlin. Take that as you will.
I think there is a lot of common ground between “subtext” and “possible interpretation” because of the indirect nature of subtext — it often lends multiple possible interpretations — but when unintentional or merely possible messages are automatically classified as “subtext,” you get the common fandom phenomenon in shipper circles where fans believe they are being deliberately “led on” because they were simply able to see something they wanted to see.
It diminishes the credibility of actual analyses of subtext because of the sheer volume of misuse (a “boy who cried wolf” effect). It also diminishes the meaning of subtext itself until it is conflated with “a non-canon interpretation,” even though subtext often relays canon material without denial. Of course, fans then make demands to be *baited (often because they weren’t being baited, and they want their interpretation to be validated) and then follow these with demands for baiting to be followed through on (i.e. making a fanon ship canon).
*Baiting exists, to be clear, but if you have to ask to be baited, then you aren’t being baited. Even if they do bait you after you ask them to, it is not baiting in the true sense of the term. You begged for it, and they compromised. Baiting is specifically a cash grab aimed at luring in LGBTQ+ fans, but a lot of the famous examples of “baiting” are simple fan service.
For example, fans can interpret Merlin’s feelings for Arthur as romantic, but this is not an undeniable message of the text itself, whether stated directly or indirectly. It is not deliberately hinted at, especially not by writers who lean towards homophobic conservatism. There are no deliberate implications that are only overlooked due to plausible deniability.
However, because fans can interpret it this way, it is considered “subtext” when it would more accurately be described as a possible interpretation. Fans then conflate this “subtext” with deliberate baiting, for which they believe they are entitled to a ship canonization. Show writers often respond to this by heavily focusing on the two characters’ dynamic — not wholly unreasonable, as supply then meets demand — at the expense of organic storytelling. Now, other wider-reaching stories that may have been told are sacrificed to make room for more of this popular pair.
In regards to the Merlin & Arthur fan service, we see a narrow focus on this dynamic as per the popular (read: loudest) demand, despite an extensive unexplored cast in waiting. There are hardly any episodes that delve into the Knights of the Round Table or Gwen and Morgana’s stories, despite a strong character presence. While the writers of course have no intention of canonizing the pair that fans ask them to center, they do give as much as they feel is reasonable: many scenes, oftentimes in an empty or exaggerated repetitive formula, of the characters together, deep but platonic.
For those of the gay persuasion (me), this is annoying. Fandom effectively queerbaited me on merthur, when there wasn’t real subtext :/ Many such cases.
That said, when there is indeed gay subtext between two characters, especially without fan demand out of confirmation bias, I find myself quite pleased. Quite pleased, indeed. This is the case for Merlin and Gwaine in 5x12.
Parallels are not often the proof people claim them to be, as again there are usually many ways for them to be interpreted (e.g. love comes in many forms, themes like grief may be the main topic as opposed to romance, there is individual character juxtaposition, etc.). In 5x12, however, the significance of Gwaine saving Eira is implicitly stated to be his romantic/sexual motivation. He was interested in her and so chose to abandon the battle to get her to safety first. Our attention is deliberately drawn to the romantic/sexual implications of Gwaine saving her from the Saxons and taking her in — they are established as one and the same meaning.
Only after having firmly established this meaning, Merlin is attacked by none other than Saxons, from which Gwaine steps in to save him. The meaning is established seconds before the rescue scene it is meant to be reapplied to. We are led by subtext to one obvious conclusion here. It may be stated in the silence, but it is no less canon for that.
What makes this wild is that there was no extraordinary fan demand for Merlin/Gwaine to go canon — in fact, it’s in direct opposition to the popular demand for Merlin/Arthur — but the writers chose to imply this because they felt it was an effective and fitting end to Merlin and Gwaine’s story (as far as it’s relevant to the plot). This was included not because it was asked for, but because they felt it was right.
The point is, subtext and possible interpretations are different things. Subtext can lead to possible interpretations, or it might have just one solid meaning. What it can imply may be canon or may be up for interpretation. “Subtext” is not a substitute for “possible.” The way these words are used is, in gentler terms, a bad miscommunication that has a negative effect on critical analysis by fans. But when properly applied, that distinction can reveal interesting and meaningful patterns. This particular pattern is gay. Happy pride.
But never ever saying goodbye, only see you soon, and never ever expecting the other to wait, even while you hang to the limited memories you have together like it’s the only grip on a cliffs edge.
Almost got into a fight with someone, took a scroll through their blog, saw they are a massive Agravaine fan/defender, realized I cannot fix everyone #selfcare
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A notion I've seen repeated many times in fandom spaces is that "Merlin betrayed his kind for Arthur" or " Merlin chose Arthur over his people and that's why died" and tbh I've always found that to be a very.... dishonest reading of Merlin's motivations , intentions and actions pushed by merthur shippers and/or "Merlin was actually the villain of the story and Morgana was the true hero" truthers.
First of all,why are we acting like "saving Arthur" and "fighting for the freedom of magic users" are two mutually exclusive things?
Merlin doesn't choose Arthur's safety over the freedom of magic users. He fully believes that Saving Arthur is 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 to their freedom.
Why? Because the prophecy - the prophecy that the entire show is 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭 𝐨𝐧 - dictates as much.
Merlin is loyal to Arthur in big part 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 he believes he will bring about the golden age, returning peace 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜 to the land of Albion, ending all wars,𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 the one on magic. I don't understand why that gets lost in translation.
Boiling down 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 Merlin does to "he just loves Arthur so much" is not only wrong. It is 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘧𝘶𝘭. It minimises his fear,his motivations,his actions,every heartbreaking choice and every loss.It minimises the fact the weight of 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 of lives on his shoulders. It paints Merlin as merely an extention of Arthur and not his own person. Merlin is someone with autonomy and he exists outside of Arthur and not everything he does is a reflection of his love for Arthur. It's so much larger than that.
Merlin was given exactly one instruction on how to make this golden age happen (saving Arthur) and he threw himself into that at his own detriment because he wanted to help his people. He wanted not to live in hiding and fear anymore.
And for the record, Merlin isn't wrong,nor irrational,nor stupid for believing in this prophecy. Like,I know we joke that it was all some mad dragon's rambling to end the Pendragon line(which is admittedly kind of funny) ...but it is not true.
A good chunk of the magical world clearly seems to do so as well. From the druids to the fisher king to the Catha. There is nothing( besides that dogshit ending) that suggests that prophecy is anything but genuine.
And I would like to discuss Merlin's treatment of Mordred. Contrary to popular belief, Merlin 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦 Mordred. He says as much himself. And everything he does isn't just because he believes Mordred will kill Arthur( and more than kilgarrah have warned him about this as well) it's because he believes that by doing so he dooms the golden age. He dooms the 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵 of their kind.
All of that brings me to the disir,the episode that most people point at to say that Merlin betrayed his kind,which is not true.
Merlin's decision here - saying that magic shouldn't be allowed in Camelot - is essentially the trolley problem,one of many he's faced with throughout the story( I think the entire show is one big trolley problem from Merlin's perspective actually,but I digress). 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺.
If Mordred dies here —> he cannot kill Arthur —> the imminent threat to Arthur and Albion is gone—>Arthur is alive to bring about the golden age(which includes freedom of sorcerers) —> Merlin has time to backtrack on this statement. Plus,if Arthur had allowed magic to return here, there's a good chance of it being conditional at best, easily revoked at worst,since he may very well believe he was coerced into it(he's dumb like that).
Is it somewhat stupid? YES. but you can see the train of thought behind it and it definitely was NOT Merlin Loving Arthur more than he wanted his freedom and turning his back on the magical community. Can we 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 put the shipping goggles down for a minute I'm begging you.
And of course, Merlin does love Arthur outside of the prophecy. I'm not saying he doesn't. But even if he didn't,even if Merlin didn't have an ounce of genuine for Arthur,I firmly believe he would have made the same choice because it's NOT ABOUT ARTHUR. It's not even about Mordred. It's certainly not about Merlin's love for arthur. It's about the greater good. It's about playing the long game instead of the easy(but likely not great) solution. It's about Merlin giving himself over completely to destiny.That's it's own tragedy,but it wasn't a betrayal not to all of his kind,to Mordred yes,but not the rest.
Merlin here doesn't put Arthur above the greater good. He believes Arthur IS the greater good,and he has good reason for doing so.and I will repeat that as many times as it takes for people to get it.
Genuinely the only way I would have come out of the disir with the conclusion that Merlin betrayed his entire kind is if I 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 watched this episode and have no context for everything prior. But I do.
And another thing,why are you people so certain that if Merlin had said "yes I think magic should be allowed" Arthur would have changed his choice? It's not like he's ignored Merlin's -usually sound- advice countless times beforehand right?🙄
And just watch this scene again. Merlin is teary eyed. His face is ashen. He looks in literal physical pain getting those words out( absolutely devestating acting by Collin Morgans btw) and that doesn't even earn him a sideway glance from Arthur. Which it 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥, considering how long they've known each other at this point. Merlin was being very obvious,it should be abundantly clear that something is wrong,but of course Arthur doesn't notice. Or my guess, 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘴 not to notice,Likely because he's already made up his mind.
But frankly,even if Merlin would have had any bearing on Arthur's decision.....it was 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐮𝐫'𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧. Merlin didn't hold a gun to his head to force him to do that. Arthur is the king and -as previously stated- has ignored Merlin's advice often enough before,this one time he decided to take it because it aligned with what 𝘩𝘦 wanted. That was his choice.
Like as another post on here so aptly put it, Arthur is confronted with the trolley problem and his response was to let the train run over the one person(one of his favourite knights mind you) so 𝘩𝘦 can go personally stab the five people on the other train track. Who exactly should we be judging in this situation?( I'm sorry I can't find that post and I don't remember the blog name).
Arthur is a grown adult. He shouldn't need to have his hand held through figuring out that genocide is bad.
And this is why all those "Arthur's death was Merlin's punishment for putting him above Destiny " or "Merlin was actually Arthur's bane" never work for me. (Don't even get me Started on the people that day that Merlin didn't try hard enough to convince Arthur that magic wasn't evil)
For one, it's very antithetical to a theme the show sets up in the 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘦𝘱𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘥𝘦 . "Someone shouldn't be punished for another person's actions". Grief is not punishment. Grief 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘣𝘦 punishment.
And I'm sorry but it sends such a terrible message. Was Lancelot's death also Merlin's punishment? Was Freya's? Balinor's? Like if you come on here and imply that Merlin somehow 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘥 his losses for trying to help as many people as possible I will fight you.
Secondly,it paints Arthur as this innocent who did nothing wrong and was only collateral damage and,again, that's simply not true.
Arthur was infact his own bane. His death was 𝘩𝘪𝘴 punishment. Delivered by Mordred. For holding on to his prejudices. For oppressing a group of his people. For ordering Kara's execution.
Please stop blaming Merlin for Arthur's choices thank you.
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irritating as fuck when people get mad at Black people existing in premodern historical fiction/fantasy media. like first of all, you're racist. and second of all, you are acting as though Black people didn't exist in premodern Europe which is simply false. especially when we're talking about the Mediterranean, like what the fuck do you people think is along the southern half of the Mediterranean Ocean?? everyone's on boats, there are GOING to be interactions with Black people in Northern Africa, and there are GOING to be Black people in Mediterranean Europe. stop being stupid. your imagined homogeneous white European past is not historical reality, get over it you massive losers
the thing about misogyny is that nothing makes apparent how prevalent it is faster than just pointing out misogyny, which will have people scuttering out of the damn sewers like ninja turtles to accuse you of being an overly sensitive shit-stirring know-nothing who's making up things to be offended about. which is actually also pretty misogynistic, but if you point it out people will come scuttering out of the damn sewers—
Finally, a gifset that demonstrates just how much the writers really did not care and forgot about Gwaine’s backstory. Not to mention the overbearing monarchism propaganda that Arthur (every character, really) becomes nothing but a representation of in s5.
“Enough! You speak of the king!”
These are not the words of Gwaine: they’re the words of unnamed background knight #4. It would’ve been more fitting and respectful to give these lines to Leon, a man who is functionally Gwaine’s polar opposite foil.
Anyone who knows anything about Gwaine knows this: Gwaine would never use “this person is a noble” as a reason for someone to respect said noble. Gwaine respects Arthur despite the fact that he is a noble, not because of it. Gwaine famously hates nobles by default and only makes exceptions for Arthur, Gwen, and maybe Leon (lol). In fact, the quote in this set, “Maybe that one’s worth dying for,” fully contradicts Gwaine’s 5x05 line.
It’s no coincidence that this mischaracterization comes at a time when Gwaine’s presence is not only granted less significance by the narrative (i.e. the fact that Gwaine, a non-believer type, respects Arthur to any degree is taken for granted), and when Gwaine’s character has been dimmed down to something just short of comic relief with only surface level critical thinking abilities. He interrupts a tense moment by apparently being incapable of any seriousness, until they need him to be angry and a skilled attacker. It’s only in private scenes between him and Merlin that he recovers any depth.
The Gwaine we were introduced to in s3 is a troubled young man who cares deeply about any perceived injustice and takes notice of the overlooked. He has fun, he has his reckless alcoholic persona that he wears like a mask, but he is a serious man who stands for and shows dignity in the presence of Arthur and Uther. In fact, in 3x08 it’s Merlin who ends up deflecting Gwaine’s intensity with a joke.
The inconsistencies don’t end with the characterization. The knights never saw Dragoon in the first place, so they wouldn’t know what he looks like. There would be no reason for a group of knights like this to menacingly apprehend a random old man in the woods (not shown in the gifset). Given the kindness they’ve shown to others, you would expect them to offer him a hand with no evidence to confirm any suspicions. The lead-up to this moment has very little basis and only succeeds in making the knights look cruel. (Maybe it is cruel to be a knight.)
For any fan of Gwaine, these are some of the most insulting moments to play out onscreen.
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