#insanity!!!

okay you. you're my problem -> watching him leave until he can't see the car anymore (black tank top cinematic universe)

every episode of merlin is truly unhinged but like i always forget how fucking insane season 1 episode 10 the moment of truth is. like i just cannot wrap my head around it. at all. the prince's (terrible, just truly useless and insolent) manservant's mother comes to the kingdom asking for help for a tiny village in a neighbouring kingdom because its being attacked by bandits stealing their harvest and the prince gets said manservant's mother an audience with his father, the king even though he knows that to send men into the neighbouring kingdom could be considered an act of war. the king says as much and refuses to help, but the manservant makes the decision to go back and help anyway (he has magic that he'll be able to use somewhat freely without any camelot knights there) and he attempts to resign in telling his prince that he's going home to help, but the prince refuses to accept his resignation and seems truly terrified at the prospect of the manservant not returning whether its by choice or because he is killed in the fight, but the prince lets him go because its his mother and, in an attempt to cover up the genuine emotion he just showed, proceeds to insult his manservant in the most loving way possible. said manservant only smiles adoringly and thanks him for the insults with some intense, lingering eye contact before the prince wishes him luck. the manservant, his mother, the king's ward and her maid make camp in the woods, and whilst everyone else is asleep, the manservant goes to investigate a troublesome noise only to find the prince disobeying his father's direct orders! once again, the prince insults him to distract him from the act of genuine kindness and care. then they make it to the village and the prince, used to all the luxuries of a castle, sleeps on the floor beside his manservant and asks his manservant questions about his childhood and they have real conversations away from the stifling hierarchy of the castle. "he must care for you a great deal," the manservant's mother says about the prince. "arthur would do the same for any village, that's just the way he is" to which she replies "its more than that, he's here for you". that night the king's ward, who grew up with the prince says that merlin is the reason arthur came, "arthur may act like he doesn't care, but he wouldn't be here if he didn't". and, where the manservant would normally dress the prince in his armour, the prince helps the manservant with his. then THEN the manservant's mother says "i see how much he needs you, how much you need him, you're like two sides of the same coin". tell me that's not insane.