#merlin 2x11

[autumnrory]

"and you, uther, you will go to hell" go off queen

[two-sheep-in-one-wolfs-clothing]

2x11 of merlin went from a glimpse of s4-5 merlin with "why should I [trust you]?" "bc you don't have a choice" to this shot

[merlin-gifs]

Live Uther Reaction

MERLIN | 2x11 "The Witch's Quickening"

[adhd-merlin]

scenes that live rent-free in my head

[arcanespillo]

bradley james really was the perfect match for a character like arthur, in the series he always looks so beautiful.. he's truly looking like a real life prince, big smile golden hair and all, i really wish he did more medieval and fantasy themed movies, like dev patel with the green knight because look at him

and also because there aren't much good arthurian themed movies i'm starved if i was rich i would spend all my money on movie founds and on making-people-make things i like, retellings and movies based on EVERY single book i've ever liked ever

[godmerlin]

Merlin 2x11 The Witch's Quickening

[sexy-sapphic-sorcerer]

Adam raised a Cain

BBC Merlin, The Beginning of the End (1x08) /// Cut by Catherine Lacey /// BBC Merlin, To Kill the King (1x12) /// Comfort Me With Apples by Catherynne M. Valente /// BBC Merlin, The Crystal Cave (3x05) /// Someday I'll Love by Ocean Vuong /// BBC Merlin, The Witch's Quickening (2x11) /// Cassandra, Florence and the Machine /// BBC Merlin, The Coming of Arthur: Part 1 (3x12) /// The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde /// BBC Merlin, The Coming of Arthur: Part 2 (3x13) /// Adam Raised a Cain, Bruce Springsteen /// BBC Merlin, The Sword in the Stone: Part 2 (4x13)

[sneakyboymerlin]

Can I ask for you to talk more about what you said in the tags of this post? Morgana went evil because she was classist and not because she was hurt? Can you go more into depth on that? I feel like Morgana's arc and her motivations are really hard to decipher because of the way she was written. Like one episode it seems like she just wants Uther dead, and then the next she wants Arthur dead too and she wants the crown and she's going after Emrys and that shift always confused me a little.

I always thought the interpretation that Merlin could have helped her more was valid. Like, yes I am completely in agreement that the entire point of 2x03 is that Merlin helped her when no one else would. But he also took back that help as the season went on, and betrayed her when he poisoned her. There WAS more he could have done, I think. He could have been honest about himself, but he wasn't. He could have simply told her that he suspected that maybe she was the center of the sleeping spell in the Fires of Idirsholas, but he didn't. He could have tried convincing Gauis to help her on his own, without bringing Merlin into it, but he didn't. (Even Katie McGrath said that she blamed Merlin for what became of Morgana.)

And yes, I know why these things didn't happen. Because the dragon told him not to and Gauis told him not to. But in the end these WERE Merlin's choices. And maybe if he had chosen differently, so would have Morgana.

Like, yes I agree that Morgana's choices were her own. But I don't think she made those choices in a vacuum.

As to the bit of her being classist, I think I understand what you mean? But I'm still confused because I wouldn't exactly call Morgana from season 1-2 or even season 3 a classist person. She was good back then, shared values with Arthur about what a better world would look like.

I'm just so intrigued by what you might mean, and I'm always looking for new ways to look at this story. It's lovely that after all this time there's still more to discuss.

Lot to unpack here.

For one thing, Morgana feeling hurt didn’t encourage her to kill or allow the killing of random uninvolved people, but especially the Druids + their sympathizers who were arrested in 2x03. She ignored her kin’s plight in favor of her own comfort, even though she is granted protections that those people couldn’t dream of. She’s very much a class traitor from the start, because she tends to be thinking more about how she feels than how others do. She’s more blatant in her self-loyalty later on, but it’s always been a theme with her.

As for Merlin, 2x12 was a mutual betrayal between him and Morgana. Morgana betrays him first in this episode by endorsing the fever spell that Morgause casts on Camelot. While she’s not fully informed at first, 1) Merlin has no way of knowing that (especially since she has formed similar alliances in 1x12 and 2x11), and 2) Morgana embraces Morgause’s plan after the fact (explicitly so in 3x01/2). Merlin then poisons Morgana in order to end the fever spell on Camelot, choosing the greater good over her as an individual. To clarify point 2 here, Morgana is aware long before 3x01 that Merlin poisoned her because everyone in Camelot was slowly dying, but she makes it clear that she understands this in 3x01.

I also fail to see how Merlin revealing his own magic would have changed anything. Morgana already knows that Merlin is pro-magic (also discussed in 3x01), they simply have different methods by which they aim to achieve that goal. Both are flawed, as Merlin’s relies on tyrants like Uther changing their minds, and he places blame on the oppressed group (even if he’s a part of it) for not demonstrating that magic can be good, when it doesn’t matter how well this is demonstrated, since magic is not banned for any logical reason.

Morgana’s plan is also flawed because she prioritizes herself over anyone else, meeting Uther’s tyranny with more tyranny. This is where the classism comes in. Morgana’s sense of entitlement is rooted in her status as a noblewoman. As 2x03 demonstrates, she values her own safety above the safety of her people, and when her descent is portrayed more openly, the first changes we see are in her mistreatment of Gwen, her maidservant. In 3x01/2, she also finds the townspeople to be disposable (including the Druids & sympathizers she knows live among them) and blackmails Merlin using her status as a noble. She also tries to kill Gwen because she can’t stand the thought of a “mere servant” taking the throne. She’s good to Gwen as long as Gwen functions as her underling, but as soon as Gwen is set to outrank her, everything that makes her appear distinctly better than other nobles disappears.

But ultimately, it’s Morgana’s actions that tell us this. These actions aren’t bad because she was hurt, or because she has magic. Every bad thing she does is bad because she is classist. The harm she does comes from a place of entitlement and inflated self-importance. While she may justify these actions with the hurt she’s suffered, being hurt did not make her do those things. Classism is the reason she becomes a tyrant, and it’s the reason she mistreats the “commoner” class. Again, her dismissing random civilians, especially the Druids & sympathizers, as disposable to preserve her own comfort? Comes from a place of classism. Her getting Gwen arrested on false charges and blackmailing Merlin using her power as a noble? Acts that are motivated by classism.

But back to what Merlin could or didn’t do. Morgana knew that Merlin was pro-magic, but she would never have agreed to his methods, as we see in 3x02, because she did not have faith in Uther or Arthur changing for the better (understandably so, and she’s proven correct). Whether Merlin is just pro-magic or has magic himself does not change this outcome, because it is about methods, not identity. Even when she finds out that Merlin is a sorcerer in 5x12, this does not change her mind.

And again, as far as Merlin knew in 2x12, Morgana was very much in on the plan with Morgause. He even tests this by asking Morgana why she reacted the way she did about Morgause and catches her in a lie. If he tells Morgana that he suspects her involvement, with the information he has (that she is allied with Morgause), then what? It makes no sense to bring it up. He never tells Agravaine that he suspects the man’s involvement with Morgana, either, because he doesn’t suspect that Agravaine could somehow be innocently/unwittingly doing these things. One could argue that Morgana could have confided in Merlin about her earlier interaction with Morgause (when the curse was cast) since she trusted him so much, but alas, she did not. And that’s understandable, too. Also, if you’ll recall, Merlin did try to get Gaius to help Morgana. They had a whole argument about it. Gaius concluded that gaslighting her about her powers was helping her. Merlin had to give up and go to Kilgharrah, and then when Kilgharrah wouldn’t help, either, he searched out the location of the Druids on his own and sent Morgana to their encampment. What Katie McGrath thinks about it means very little since she is just one (1) opinion against the visible canon facts. Merlin too blames himself for what Morgana became, but that doesn’t make him right.

The fact is that Morgana is her own person and her mind isn’t going to be passively changed. She’s always been fiercely independent, opinionated, and actionable. The desire to blame everyone but Morgana for her own actions also has a lot to do with her being a rich white woman. People assign a ~delicate, passive~ demeanor onto her, even when she shows her ruthlessness (whether that is simply standing up for her beliefs or torturing people). Morgana did not just get passed around and manipulated by everyone. If anything, 2x12 seeks to establish that it is Morgana herself who can make these decisions and change the future, rather than sitting around passively watching it happen. And by choosing to join with Morgause, she changes everything. The rest of the series is a chain reaction to this one crucial moment when she makes up her mind.

[nerdtamin]

Why Didn't Merlin Kill Morded?

Okay! This is kind of dark for my 2nd post but honestly, this is something that has bothered me about the TV series Merlin. Obviously, there was some hesitation when he was a child but that still doesn't explain why he didn't act once Mordred became a young adult? Well, I think I have come to a reasonable conclusion and the answer may surprise you.

Merlin seems to adopt the "I won't kill you... but I don't have to save you," mantra when it comes to Mordred. He PASSIVELY allows situations to claim Mordred life rather than take it himself. This can be seen when he almost lets Arthur and Mordred get captured (1x08- The beginning of the end), The guards almost kill Mordred (2x08- The Nightmare begins) Mordred is injured from saving Arthur's life (5x05- The Disir), and leaving him behind to deal with Morgana (5x09- With all my heart). However, it is notable to mention that there is one time in the entire show when Merlin ACTIVELY uses his powers against Mordred.

In the Episode, The Witch's Quickening (2x11), Merlin uses his powers against Mordred to make him trip over a branch so the Knights of Camelot would kill him. Sure, he still allows other guards to do his dirty work for him, but it is still worth pointing out that this is the only time Merlin uses his magic in an attempt to kill Mordred. Why? What made this moment different from the other times when he stood by and did nothing?

This was the first time that Mordred acted against Camelot by recruiting Morgana to Steal the crystal of Neahtid. An artifact that could be wielded against Uther and therefore put Arthur at risk. That was all Merlin needed to act. Any harm to Camelot was harm against Arthur and the future of Albion so he did what he felt needed to be done (something that he would regret but that's a topic for another day).

So the Answer to Why Merlin doesn't just kill Mordred? Merlin has no reason to kill Mordred. I know, I know! Before you all come for me, Yes, Mordred is Destined to Kill Arthur. However, the key word in that is Destined, as in it hasn't happened yet. Therefore, Merlin has no actual reason to kill Mordred for something that has yet to occur. That's why throughout season 5 he's weary of Mordred and just waiting for him to slip up like he did all those years ago when he schemed against Camelot with the crystal. Merlin was probably even hoping that Mordred would give him a reason to act. This is shown when he confronts him about letting a saxon go. He almost seems happy too, like "AHA, caught yah!"

Ultimately, it turns out to be Mordred just helping an old flame of his and not a plot against Arthur.

That's the tragedy in all this. Mordred wasn't a villain from the start who Merlin could just take care of like he's done in the past. In the end, Merlin couldn't bring himself to ACTIVELY kill someone innocent despite their destiny. Not again.

[toshsato]

MERLIN Rewatch: 2x11 THE WITCH'S QUICKENING

You will go to your chambers!

[vreenak]

JOSEPH MAWLE FILMOGRAPHY ➢

Merlin (TV): 2x11 - The Witch's Quickening (2009) 2 / 2

[aceofwhump]

No. 23 AT THE END OF THEIR ROPE: Forced to Kneel

American Horror Story 5x10 | Albion the Enchanted Stallion | Shadow and Bone 1x02 | Merlin 4x05 | House of the Dragon 1x04 | The Mentalist 6x15 | Stargate Atlantis 2x11 | Hawaii Five-0 4x01 | Stargate SG-1 2x05 | The Eagle | Outlander 3x03 | Hudson & Rex 1x03 | Stargate Atlantis 3x18 | Superman & Lois 2x07 | Supernatural 8x16

@whumptober @whumptober-archive

[eddiediaaz]

rules: link your favourite and/or most popular post from each month this year & tag some ccs you love! thank you so much @khaotunqs @tthrawn @cabbageheadss @moirainesedai @matlillard for the tag loves

— January — most popular: merlin & arthur scene in 2x12 favourite: morgana & merlin + would've, could've, should've

— February — most popular: merlin & arthur scene in 2x08 favourite: buck/eddie for pscentral's anniversary event

— March — most popular: buck & eddie parallel 5x13 vs 6x11 favourite: evan buckley + jesus of suburbia, and buck/eddie + all the girls you've loved before

— April — most popular: merlin & arthur scene in 3x11 favourite: hen/karen + purple, and evan buckley + seventeen going under

— May — most popular: buck & eddie parallel 2x02 vs 6x17 favourite: buck/eddie for pscentral's event 15: favorite ship

— June — most popular: merlin & arthur scene in 2x11 favourite: karen wilson + lesbian colors, and merlin + the prophecy of arthur's death

— July — most popular: charmed 2x03 scene favourite: maddie buckley + growing sideway, and 9-1-1 + speak now part 1

— August — most popular: arthur quotes about knowing merlin favourite: red, white and royal blue + the great war

— September — most popular: bbc merlin's 15th birthday episode posters favourite: buck/eddie + a little bit happy, and eddie diaz profile character

— October — most popular: morgana & uther scene in 1x12 favourite: bbc merlin + double exposure, and buck/eddie + the loneliest

— November — most popular: eddie diaz in 6x12 favourite: buck/eddie + homoerotic love languages

— December — most popular: merlin & arthur scene in 4x12 favourite: 9-1-1 + bullets, and merlin/arthur + blue blending

tagging (no pressure!!): @maygrantgf @zerokinkade @jdeanmorgan @laurabenanti @singularities @craintheodora @tawaifeddiediaz @disasterdiaz @thebookluvrr1816 @captain-hen and anyone that sees this and wants to do it!

[adhd-merlin]

sorry I was rewatching part of ep 5x05 — at 3.30 am, as one does — and it reminded me about my ramblings about ep 1x08, specifically this bit:

Arthur returns Mordred to Iseldir. The next time we see young Mordred is in ep 2x03 (The Nightmare Begins) and then again in episode 2x11 (The Witch’s Quickening) — in neither of them he is with Iseldir anymore, though Iseldir is still alive, given he reappears in S3. WHAT HAPPENED. Mordred’s childhood is a compelling mystery. I like the idea of there being different Druid clans with different beliefs about Emrys and Arthur’s destiny – and possibly Mordred’s, too.

and I was thinking that if Arthur had made a different choice — embracing the Old Religion for Mordred's sake — then Mordred would have played a key part in returning magic to Camelot (regardless of the outcome for him afterwards, which I guess is debatable — though personally I like the idea of him surviving and not turning against Arthur later; it makes sense to me because if he died after Arthur accepted magic, Arthur would feel scammed by the Disir).

anyway Mordred is a complete wild card in regards to Arthur's fate and I'm compelled by the idea of the Druids having different prophecies about him. and what if they all hinged on this precise moment. Mordred could have been instrumental in the liberation of magic people, with Emrys's help (if Merlin had persuaded Arthur to accept the Disir's deal). what if two different sets of prophecies about Mordred's role existed among the Druids and that's why he got passed around from one group of people to the other as a child. because to some he is an aid to salvation and to others he's a bearer of doom. hello is anyone listening

[bbcmerlinbracket]

Episode descriptions under the cut (contains spoilers).

4x04 Aithusa

A mysterious stranger arrives with the location of the last dragon egg and an intrigued Merlin promises to help him get it.

1x05 Lancelot

Lancelot saves Merlin and later all of Camelot from a griffon, but his lack of noble blood means he’s still denied a knighthood.

5x02 Arthur’s Bane Part 2

Mordred makes his reappearance and Merlin doesn’t trust him. Merlin and Arthur disguise themselves as Saxons to get close to Morgana’s tower in Ismere, but Arthur gets discovered and Mordred ends up saving him, which Arthur knights him for.

4x06 A Servant Of Two Masters

Morgana uses a magical creature to mind-control Merlin into trying to kill Arthur. After multiple failed assassination attempts, Gaius and Gwen get Merlin under control and he goes to confront Morgana as his elderly alter-ego Dragoon.

2x11 The Witch’s Quickening

A Druid rebel convinces Morgana to steal a magical crystal, when Uther condemns the rebel, Morgana disowns Uther and helps him escape. The crystal shows Merlin a terrifying vision of the future.

[mothmage]

1x04 The Poisoned Chalice / 2x08 Sins of the Father / 2x11 The Witch’s Quickening / Goya, The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters / Radcliffe Hall, The Well of Loneliness / 5x01 Arthur’s Bane / Rachel Yoder, Nightbitch / BBC Merlin promo / Rachel Yoder, Nightbitch