#ep 5x05

[adhd-merlin]

merlin is so funny, he's like "arthur can't find out I have magic", then he goes and says shit like "every leaf and every bug is full of life here. can't you feel the world's vibrating"

[eg515]

I love that they brought back the bullet from the pilot. Tim was shot when their story started, literally on Lucy's first day, right at the beginning. and now the bullet is not just back, but it's fully removed, when their story is starting over in a way, when they are entering a new chapter of their relationship.

[raayllum]

1x04 / 5x04 / 1x05 / 5x05

[anguishmacgyver]

[toshsato]

MERLIN Rewatch: 5x05 THE DISIR

As you say, I have many fine knights.

[karamazovim]

A personal pet peeve of mine is the take that Arthur’s mistake in 5x05 was trusting Merlin over his own better judgment, meanwhile Merlin was acting purely out of a desire to protect Arthur (as his friend) at the cost of any chance at magic going free.

Like, first of all, Arthur’s ‘better judgment’ was not telling him that magic should be free. That whole speech leading up to him asking Merlin what he should do was all about the harm magic has done and how it’s taken everything from him, and then at the end he tacks on “but idk maybe it’s not pure evil”. It’s a somewhat weak (from his perspective) rationalization for saving Mordred at the cost of “magic reigning in Camelot once again” - something he fears.

Could Merlin have convinced Arthur to accept the Disir’s deal? Maybe, maybe not. We’ve seen throughout the show- and even just in this episode- that Arthur takes Merlin’s advice to heart sometimes but also often dismisses it out of hand, or hears him out but still ultimately disagrees. Which is fine and normal, but it means that just saying “Merlin should have convinced him” ignores Arthur’s agency in making the decision.

I think it’s noteworthy that Merlin spends the majority of the episode before that point trying to get Arthur to take the Old Religion seriously. He warns him not to bring weapons into a sacred space. He points out that Osgar- a sorcerer- absolutely could have killed Arthur but chose not to. He smiles for the first time in three days when Arthur asks if he should take the Disir seriously and Merlin replies that he already is.

And speaking of Merlin’s goals: Obviously, his treatment of Mordred throughout this season is both deeply unfair and highly counterproductive; I’m not arguing that point. But I simply don’t understand the reading that it’s driven solely by his love for Arthur (whether romantic or platonic) and not at all his faith in their shared destiny. Because I don’t think that his feelings towards Arthur are extricable from Arthur’s prophesied role in bringing about the Golden Age and returning magic to the land.

I understand that “magic has no place in Camelot” is a very hard-line statement — one that undoubtedly sets back the pro-magic agenda. He didn’t have to do all that. But I still don’t necessarily believe this signals him “giving up” on ending magical oppression in the long term. He’s banking on the sequence of events the prophecies have supposedly laid out: [1] keep Arthur alive (by removing perceived threats), [2] show him tangible evidence that magic can be used for good (see: Dragoon, the Dolma, etc.), [3] Albion!!

Arguably the most significant part of that plan is that Arthur genuinely comes to believe in magic’s potential for good. Which is not what would be happening if he was forced to legalize it for Mordred’s sake. Doing it that way would provide very little security for magic users because [a] it could easily be undone (especially if Mordred did end up killing Arthur) and [b] it means Arthur would have very little incentive to actually enforce any new laws protecting sorcerers.

So, yeah, Merlin is a dick to Mordred. He loses out on chances to connect outside of a very few rare moments and repeatedly leaves him to fend for himself in dangerous situations. I hate that; I wish it didn’t have to be that way, even though it makes sense that the deeply traumatized and paranoid Merlin we see in S5 is making these calls.

But Merlin is not selfishly and single-handedly responsible for throwing away the lives of all his fellow oppressed magic-users out of blind love for Arthur Pendragon. He’s not innocent, and he’s certainly not without flaws, but he’s not That either.

[kitxvoss]

kitbell in every episode / 5x5

[sunaoteam]

screw 5x13 we all know that one is supposed to hurt but 5x05??? this bich is making me bawl.

[baddecisionsmakegoodstoriesinten]

It is so tempting to go back to The Handmaid's Tale trailer I didn't watch.

To see if there are scenes of Luke in the trailer we seen yet.

[gleepolls]

Glee Episode Bracket

all glee episode bracket polls

[adhd-merlin]

I can't even think of something funny to say just look at it

[saprophetic]

really hate that an episode called "bondage and beta male sexuality" is so fucking awful

[raayllum]

He loves his family!!

[wolfnight2012]

Can't stop thinking about the intense level of vulnerability displayed by Nandor in 5x05

He's not covering up his need for Guillermo at all.

He trusts Guillermo to protect him, to fix his mistakes, to save him, to make everything better.

He's panicking & keeps searching out/calling for/waiting on Guillermo to show up & makes no move to hide this from the cameras OR his vampire friends. His need is plain to see for everyone (not only the audience)

Everyone except Guillermo.

Once he shows up (just like Nandor had been wanting/waiting for him to) suddenly Nandor's walls go back up.

It's embarrassingly obvious what he's doing (except for Guillermo somehow???) not only given how we've seen him act all episode, but also from his small, shocked "Wait, what?" when Guillermo agrees with him

This season has really been hammering home that Nandor wants to spend time with Guillermo in his company, highlighting his emotional fragility when he:

inserts himself into Laszlo & Guillermo's experiments (and goes to space solely to impress him! And ADMITS This On Camera)

Dejectedly mentions he's invited Guillermo to go to the gym with him

is shown searching for Guillermo around the house

and (in the latest ep) is essentially shown to seek Guillermo out for reassurance/in order to feel safe.

Nandor wants & seeks out Guillermo's company/affection, but has been rejected too many times this season. That's why he closes himself off/claims to not need Guillermo once he does show up, he feels hurt/neglected/abandoned by Guillermo not being there for him in his time of need. Unfortunately for him aloofness doesnt reverse-psycology Guillermo back into his arms & he and Guillermo spend the rest of the episode apart too, only this time by choice. (The irony being that Guillermo WANTS to be here & Wants to help & if Nandor showed him a fraction of the vulnerability he'd shown everyone else the whole episode, Guillermo would have jumped to reassure him/given him everything he'd been seeking since his news "blunder")

We are absolutely being set up for a devastating reveal. Laszlo was right, Nandor's getting fucking destroyed.

[bronx-bomber87]

The Rookie Reviews Season's 1-5 Master List. Will be Pinned To Blog for Easy Access. S6 To Be Added This Summer.

Top Eps Listed Season's-1-4 Made a ranking list my fave eps for an ask. Wanted to include in this list.

Started: 5/13/23

Last Updated : 02/13/24

Works: 98

Season 1

1x01-Pilot

1x02-Crash Course

1x03-The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

1x04-The Switch

1x05-The Roundup

1x06-The Hawke

1x07-The Ride Along

1x08-Time Of Death

1x09-Standoff

1x10-Flesh and Blood

1x11-Redwood

1x12-Heartbreak

1x13-Caught Stealing

1x14-Plain Clothes Day

1x15-Manhunt

1x16-Greenlight

1x17-The Shakeup

1x18-Homefront

1x19-Checklist

1x20-Freefall

Season 2

2x01-Impact

2x02-The Night General

2x03-The Bet

2x04-Warriors and Guardians

2x05-Tough Love

2x06-Fallout

2x07-Safety

2x08-Clean Cut

2x09-Breaking Point

2x10-The Dark Side

2x11-Day Of Death

2x12 Now and Then

2x13-Follow Up Day

2x14-Casualties

2x15-Hand Off

2x16-The Overnight

2x17-Control

2x18-Under The Gun

2x19-The Q Word

2x20-The Hunt

Season 3

3x01-Consequences

3x02-In-Justice

3x03-La-Fiera

3x04-Sabotage

3x05-Lockdown

3x06-Revelations

3x07-True Crime

3x08-Bad Blood

3x09-Amber

3x10-Man Of Honor

3x11-New Blood

3x12-Brave Heart

3x13-Triple Duty

3x14-Threshold

Season 4

4x01-Life and Death

4x02-Five Minutes

4x03-In the Line Of Fire

4x04-Red Hot

4x05-A.C.H

4x06-Poetic Justice

4x07-Fire Fight

4x08-Hit and Run

4x09-Breakdown

4x10-Heart Beat

4x11-End Game

4x12-The Knock

4x13-Fight or Flight

4x14-Long Shot

4x15-Hit List

4x16-Real Crime

4x17-Coding

4x18-Backstabbers

4x19/4x20-Simone/Envervo

4x21-Mother's Day

4x22-Day In The Hole

Season 5

5x01-Double Down

5x02-Labor Day

5x03-Dye Hard

5x04-The Choice

5x05-The Fugitive

5x06-The Reckoning

5x07-Crossfire

5x08-The Collar

5x09-Take Back

5x10-The List

5x11-The Naked and The Dead

5x12-Death Notice

5x13-Daddy Cop

5x14-Death Sentence

5x15-The Con

5x16-Exposure

5x17-The Enemy Within

5x18-Double Trouble

5x19-A Hole in the World

5x20-S.T.R

5x21-Going Under

5x22-Under Siege

[horde-princess]

no one look at me i'm thinking about save the cat and how adora must have felt like she was looking into a mirror, with the way catra's behavior under prime's brainwashing was so much like her own when she was a cadet in the horde -- obedient soldier, blind to her friend's distress, faith in the horde (aka the church) above all else. how fighting catra that day must've felt like adora was wrestling with her younger self, trying desperately to save both of them from the horde's control and make amends in some way for how that young traumatized girl hurt her best friend before she ever could have known better. she was fighting catra but she was fighting with her own guilt and trauma and that's how you know catra's "you broke my heart" hit her like a ton of bricks. because she was seeing their relationship a bit through catra's eyes, almost like they had switched places and now adora was the heartbroken one unable to reach through her friend's indoctrination. you could even say that in being brainwashed catra also got a glimpse of adora's perspective and why she abandoned her.

LIKE HELLO ????? TELL ME how nd stevenson was able to convey this incredibly complex point of understanding they had reached with each other without the need for dialogue or ANYTHING are you kidding me? its just pure symbolism bro pure narrative. no "i forgive yous," no excessive apologies... just a promise to go home. ive been saying this forever but adora fell in love with catra because she inspired her to rebel against authority and 5x05 explores how saving her from the horde was always intrinsically tied to adora loving and saving herself.

rewatch the ep and think about it ok just think about-