#meta merlin

[quotidian-oblivion]

Reasons I Believe Gaius is the Real Emrys

In S3 EP9, Gaius talks about how Alice had given him a book for his fiftieth birthday. Gaius thought that the book had been given to him when he was made Court Physician. Since according to the MerlinWiki, it states that Gaius and Alice were engaged for 20 years just after he became court physician, we can assume that Gaius was around 50 when he became a court physician. And since they were engaged for 20 years: 50+20=70. He was 70 years old when the Purge happened.

The Purge lasted 20 years when Merlin finally arrived to Camelot as evidenced when Uther holds a feast in the first episode declaring that the Purge has successfully driven out sorcerers for 20 years. So 70+20=90 years old.

THIS MAN WAS NINTEY FUCKING YEARS OLD WHEN MERLIN ARRIVED IN CAMELOT.

AND THEN WE ADD THE ADDITIONAL YEARS:

Season 1 - 1 year Season 2 - 1 year Season 3 - 1 year gap before the happenings bc Morgana was missing + 1 year Season 4 - 1 year as Arthur as regent with the Knights of the Round Table + 1 year Season 5 - 3 years time jump as Arthur declares in the first episode that Camelot has had 3 years of peace + 1 year altogether If we add it all up then it's 11 years altogether. 90+11= 101

IN CONCLUSION:

GAIUS WAS ONE HUNDRED AND ONE FUCKING YEARS OLD BY THE END OF THE SHOW

BUT WHAT REALLY MADE ME OBSTINATELY GRIP THE HEADCANON THAT GAIUS IS THE REAL EMRYS "THE IMMORTAL ONE" IS THIS:

THIS IS GAIUS FALLING ON THE BED IN S1 EP1 WHEN MERLIN SAVES HIM FROM THE FALL DO YOU SEE? DO YOU SEE HOW FUCKING HARD HE FELL?? THE BED NEARLY FUCKING BROKE THAT'S HOW HARD EVEN WITH MERLIN'S MAGIC. THIS MAN IS NINETY, HE CANNOT HAVE FUCKING SURVIVED THAT

THIS IS HIM BEING THROWN BACK BY EDWIN'S MAGIC AND HITTING THE FUCKING PILLAR IN S1 EP6. REMEMBER, THIS MAN IS STILL 90 FUCKING DAMN YEARS OLD AND HE HAS JUST BEEN PUSHED BY MAGIC AND HIT A FUCKING PILLAR HIS BACK SHOULD BE FUCKING BROKEN. THIS MAN SHOULD BE DEAD.

THIS MAN NEARLY FUCKING DIED IN S1 EP13. HE IS NINETY FUCKING YEARS OLD AND HE NEARLY DIED. HE SHOULD BE RENDERED WEAK FOR-FUCKING-EVER BUT YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENS INSTEAD?

HE GETS TORTURED INSTEAD THATS WHAT FUCKING HAPPENS IN S2 EP7.

AND THEN HE DRINKS A FUCKTON OF ALCOHOL IN THE TAVERN IN S3 EP3. YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENS TO NINETY-THREE YEAR OLDS WHEN THEY DRINK ALCOHOL?

[x]

THEY FUCKING DIE. THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS. AND YET, HE LIVES COMFORTABLY UNTIL A 101.

THEN YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENS IN S4 EP7 WHEN HE'S 94-95? DO YOU? DO YOU??????

HE GETS KNOCKED OUT

FLUNG LIKE A SACK OF POTATOES ON A CART (14:55)

TORTURED PHYSICALLY AND MOSTLY PSYCHOLOGICALLY

AND THEN CARRIED LIKE A SACK OF POTATOES AGAIN AND THAT TOO ON FUCKING HORSEBACK LIKE THAT AT A GALLOPING SPEED WHERE EVEN A HEALTHY PERSON WILL HALF-DIE LET ALONE A NINETY-FIVE YEAR OLD MAN.

AND THATS NOT ALL

HE THEN GETS STARVED AND DEHYDRATED WITHIN AN INCH OF HIS LIFE IN S4 EP13

AND HE'S STILL UP AND KICKING

EVEN WHEN HE GETS KNOCKED OUT WITH A FUCKING ROCK IN S5 EP12

IN FUCKING CONCLUSION:

GAIUS IS THE REAL FUCKING EMRYS BECAUSE BY THIS POINT IN THE SHOW HE IS A HUNDRED AND FUCKING ONE AND HE CAN STILL WITHSTAND TORTURE, STARVATION, BEING TOSSED AROUND LIKE A SACK OF POTATOES, KNOCKED OUT MULTIPLE TIMES, AND NOT TO MENTION- WORKING IN A HIGH-STRESS ENVIRONMENT EVERY SINGLE DAY OF HIS LIFE- HE IS STILL

FUCKING

ALIVE.

FUCK.

[longlivechips]

My favorite Merlin head cannon is that Arthur knew Merlin had a secret that they didn't talk about because it would get him in trouble with the law

but he always just assumed the secret was Merlin that preferred men.

feat: this scene

[regulusrules]

I was minding my own goddamn business only to suddenly remember this scene exists

I don't know how to explain it, but it's addressing something so visceral in me.

Like. Did anyone ever expand on how Arthur literally didn't even blink before getting up to save Merlin from the onslaught he would have faced for his outrage? He just got up immediately and took Merlin away, held and handled his anger, and even gave him the respite (visiting Gaius) that he needed.

Wtf. Like boy no you're not supposed to be this fucking in sync with your manservant's reactions. But it's as if he predicted it even, because he saw in Merlin the exact same reaction he wanted to do, but had the tact not to because he grew up with boundaries. So he goes on to save his boy instead.

Sick of how much these two loved each other

(recs)

[thefabledpheasant]

During this sequence that’s supposed to feel victorious and like, “yeah things aren’t perfect, but the good guys won today!” Merlin watches Guinevere and Arthur hug intimately and you know what? He looks sad.

He looks like he wishes he could touch Arthur so freely and affectionately. He looks like he’s desperate to be seen for everything he is and everything he’s done for him. He looks like he’s accepting he’ll never be with Arthur like that and it’s breaking his heart.

That man is deeply in love and he can’t do anything about it. He is happy for them because he just wants them to be happy, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t feel like a dagger in his heart.

It reminds me of that quote from Sherlock, “you look sad when you think he can’t see you”

[queerofthedagger]

the point is that arthur starts out as very potentially similar to uther even though there is already kindness in his heart, and then develops to grow further and further away from him, while morgana starts out as very potentially different from uther even though there is already ruthlessness in her heart, and then develops to grow more and more like him. in this essay i will --

[ohmerricat]

big fan of this shot. merlin lying face down at the centre of a spiral — the spiral of all his responsibilities swirling around him. magic tomes on one side, chores on the other, arthur somewhere in the distance. he’s doing it all. trapped in the labyrinth of fate because the prophecy decreed it. and someday he’ll be Great but it feels so far away

[that-nerd-who-writes-fanfiction]

Merlin and Arthur must’ve sounded insane to anyone who didn’t know them.

Can you imagine a newly hired servant overhearing the king say “I haven’t seen you smile these past three days” and thinking he’s having a moment with his wife only to turn the corner and see his man servant.

Like. The king actually taking notice and genuinely, sincerely caring about a servant.

Servants were literally unseen and unheard, supposed to only be there when needed or called upon. They weren’t ever noticed, let alone noticed in such a considerate way by someone at the highest end of the status hierarchy.

I don’t know where I’m going with this, I just think it’s amazing that Arthur cares so much about Merlin and that Merlin trusts Arthur enough to not be completely subservient (which easily could’ve landed him in an early grave for acting out) and that they let each other exist without any of the duties or responsibilities their respective roles put onto them.

[thesorcerersshadow]

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.

[itbelikethatsmetimes]

I'll never forgive BBC Merlin for the dragon going "For everything you've worked towards has come to pass" in the last episode. Because it hasn't! Magic is still illegal! The kingdoms are far from united! The glorious age of Albion or whatever was like, a blip in time at most!

I would have vastly preferred it if they'd just leaned into the tragedy of it all. When Merlin asks: "I failed?", I wish the answer was "Yes", because he chose Arthur over magic time and time again, because he was so desperate to keep him alive he brought about his death, because love lead them to ruin!! Give me that sweet sweet tragedy!!

[marcskywalker]

I just feel like we don't talk enough about how much arthur just genuinely loved merlin and how much he did for him

there is no big destiny, no alternative motives. Arthur was genuinely just.... willing to sacrifice his life, go to war, give his mother's sigil away JUST BECAUSE. He just really liked his lil guy.

He loved Merlin's company, trusted him, has open conversations with him and he put Merlin's opinions above a lot of other things.

He's so fucking committed to Merlin and he doesn't even know 68% of the things that Merlin does to deserve it????!!!!!!??!?!?!?!

It blows my mind EVERYTIME I realize that homeboi just loved cause HE WAS PURE OF HEART. Arthur didn't need to know all the things merlin did for him to love him HIS LOVE WAS UNCONDITIONAL

if you wanna make things sadder then think about how big and full of love arthur heart was but meeting merlin was the only chance he got to pour all that love into someone and not have it thrown away

[whenyouhearthedoorcreak]

*merlin walking out of the council chambers while the knights are having a meeting*

mordred aka #1 merthur shipper telepathically: arthur is looking at your ass

[quotidian-oblivion]

May I just say... Colin Morgan's background stage business is impeccable. There are so many actors who just stand there watching or aimlessly shuffle around, but I've noticed that when Colin Morgan is in-character, he is in-character.

I haven't watched him in anything other than Merlin, but when he's not the focus of the camera, he's still doing things just as Merlin does. Like, trying not to laugh during the feast when Elena was visiting and displaying poor table manners, actually looking deep in-thought and mouthing the name 'Alice' when Gaius was talking to him about her, glaring at Gwen from the bedpost when she was enchanted and was monologuing about who could have possibly poisoned Arthur, polishing or doing a chore or keeping his head down when Uther's talking to Arthur but still watching them with a keen eye-

and so many more instances! His background stage business is just amazing.

[longlivechips]

Obsessed with Merlin's reputation in Camelot.

This guy just shows up one day and gets handed one of the most sought after jobs in the castle and then proceeds to be absolutely terrible at it for 10 years.

He goes missing for hours and days at a time, he even has a whole ass nother job.

Arthur takes this guy EVERYWHERE and he doesn't even fight anyone. Doesn't even have a helmet on poor sap.

They are marching off to war and the only two people riding horseback besides Arthur are Merlin and Leon!!

We say it a lot but. Merlin gets mistress treatment AF.

[regulusrules]

Welcome to my usual metas where we hyperfixate over Arthur Pendragon’s love for Merlin. Today’s episode features this scene right here:

To remind you of the context, it was s03e12 when Camelot was besieged and Arthur just ordered Gaius, Gwaine, and Elyan to go find shelter in the woods. A second later, he looks at Merlin, diverts his eyes, and tells him, “Merlin, you should go with them.”

Which btw translates, in Arthur Pendragon's dictionary, to: Merlin, I want you safe, I want you away from harm’s way, but Merlin, Oh Merlin, don’t leave me. I really don’t want you to leave me. I sustain my strength from you. You’re the bravest man I have ever met. I keep going because I know you’re there. Don’t go and leave me. I am urging you to go, but please don’t believe me.

I really just can’t. Because you guys, Arthur isn’t scared to go fight an entire army of the dead. He’s not scared that he is limping and injured and definitely won’t make it. He’s just scared to do it without Merlin.

And when Merlin looks at him and says, “Nah, I’ve seen the woods already”, Arthur knows Merlin had heard it all, and chose the kindest response possible that doesn’t spot on his worry and fear.

Those fucking two.

[thefabledpheasant]

These are the tiny moments I love. It’s the way Arthur’s eyes don’t leave Merlin after he looks away. Not only do they not leave him, but you can literally see his eyes flick around Merlin’s face.

It’s a moment just for Arthur. To observe and appreciate his friend up close. He even does a little gulp as he’s taking in his side profile, his cheekbones, his chin. His Merlin.

Arthur loves Merlin. He was destined to.

[queerofthedagger]

the thing i feel people don't really take enough into account when it comes to arthur's supposed obliviousness regarding merlin's magic is that merlin is the absolute opposite of what arthur has been raised to believe sorcerers to be. merlin is clumsy and kind and - in the earlier seasons - like walking sunshine. he so obviously has negative desire for actual power, nor any respect for it, and while arthur absolutely knows that merlin isn't stupid, he 100% is an idiot.

and it's not stupid or ignorant on his part! people just do this, whenever they are taught someone who does or believes a certain thing is inherently evil! it's never the friendly guy next door who snacks half of your breakfast and then just grins when you complain, obviously not! arthur trusts merlin even early on, and beyond belief later on. of course merlin can basically do magic in front of him, because there is no part of arthur that actually thinks someone like merlin could have magic. you don't see what you're 100% convinced can't be there. if he ever got there, his already brittle construct of indoctrination and supposed repeated confirmation of said construct would crumble immediately! as it does in dotd after like, a day. it only doesn't in regards to morgana because as far as arthur is concerned, the moment she started using magic she became the cold and ruthless enemy he still couldn't bring himself to actually pursue! like.

it's very easy to think it's startingly oblivious, but one thing i really wish people would keep in mind a little more is that the viewer watches from a different point of view, and operates with a whole other set of information. that arthur operates under a certain worldview in an environment that does not teach to question it at all, and gives little opportunity to do so. it's actually wild arthur questions uther's teachings as often as he does, and considering that every time he does, they, to his knowledge, just get confirmed again (nimueh, morgause, morgana, uther's death, and so on and so forth), it's even wilder that he keeps doing it