#bite sized meta

merlin’s first instinct, after JUST watching a man get executed for magic, is still to help gaius & catch him with his magic—again! on instinct! it’s so obvious he doesn’t even think about it! and so many people attribute this (often jokingly, but still) to stupidity or carelessness. but i wish we could speak more to the fact that compassion is merlin’s first instinct, at his core—and it may get dulled over time & he may become more cynical, but it’s never entirely gone, either.

the way merlin is firm in trying to put an End to what he sees is a clear abuse of power / "hey, come on that's enough" & "you've had your fun my friend", the careful but decisive way he puts his foot on the shield... but still approaching the situation with an air of friendliness, of the goodhearted approach that this guy in heavy armor with pointy swords who's bullying a servant might not REALLY be that much of dick, he just got a bit carried away... his smile and gentle-but-assertive voice and easy offer of his hand in friendship... and it's only when arthur continues to be a dick and refuses to meet his goodwill with the same attitude that he's like "alright, fuck this guy" lmao. merlin is a good mediator is what i'm saying.

honestly, i doubt it was intentional, but i am fascinated by the fake name nimueh chooses being “kara” and how that bookends the actual kara we meet in series 5. nimueh’s the start of the story, kara’s the end of it. two women who are blamed (both in-narrative and by the fandom) for what are ultimately the actions of those in power: uther & arthur, respectively.

i want to make a longer post about this eventually, but i am fascinated by how often gwen is positioned as being affected by the plight of magic users despite not being one, particularly because she is merlin’s closest peer in camelot in terms of social station. something something, the oppression of magic in camelot being connected to the oppression of the working class in camelot.

the very present but unspoken tension the day after merlin & gaius’ argument, merlin having to contend with the fact that his word doesn’t count for much because of his station when it was never LIKE that in ealdor, gaius having to admit to merlin than for whatever fondness or tolerance or respect uther may seem to have for him, he 1000% wouldn’t take gaius’ word over a knight’s, either, arthur hearing merlin say he knows what he says doesn’t count for anything and looking upset, believing merlin when he swears he’s telling the truth… the politics of this episode are So Much i love it.