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[western-river]

[western-river]

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.

[western-river]

There's something about you, Merlin. I can't quite put my finger on it.

I want you to swear to me, what you're telling me is true.

I swear it's true. [X]

There's no way Merlin is a sorcerer. [X]

I'm only dropping by to make sure you're alright.

Thank you.

You too. [X]

The worst servant I've ever had.

Thank you sire. [X]

It's been an honour. [X]

I'm glad you're here Merlin. [X]

I'm happy to be your servant, till the day I die. [X]

[Merlin & Arthur S1]

[western-river]

bbc merlin - 03x13 The Coming of Arthur, Part II

men will........yeah. men will.

[western-river]

COLIN MORGAN as MERLIN MERLIN — 2.09 • The Lady of the Lake

[western-river]

Magical orb that puts a crime count on everyone's head (while Arthur is king), counting the crimes based on the established laws. (Crime count in brackets)

Gwaine (127): this is an outrage

Arthur(3): I am as distraught as you

Gwaine (127): no, no. You don't get to say that! I've worked my whole life on this crime count and I've got less than THEM?

Merlin (847): *crosses arms* protecting Arthur comes with a cost. What I don't get.... Is THIS!!!!

Lancelot (1084): I can explain

[western-river]

Your story matters. You matter. In times like now, we need fiction, original and fandom, written with genuine heart and sincere effort. Stories written by people who care about what they're writing will change the world, whether it's by sending a message or giving the reader a break from reality. Stories written by people who care satisfy some part of us, deep in the soul, that can't be reached any other way. And that goes for both readers and writers.

That's the power of art.

Just remember: You are an artist. And your art matters, even if no one but you ever sees it.

[western-river]

No joke I was the only one who noticed that the lake of Avalon is a grassland in the modern day and I didn’t say anything because so many people in this fandom are emotionally dependent on the imagery of Arthur rising from a lake.

The idea that I expressed to @fishoutofcamelot and @witchcraft–and–wizardry last night is that Arthur sits up from his grave and immediately goes rolling down this hill at full momentum. It’s Merlin’s first genuine laugh in decades.

[western-river]

the merlin ending is so heartbreaking. arthur is discovering for the first time exactly who merlin is. morgana is tightly holding on to her last shred of hope, realising all of her efforts were in vain. gwen waits for a husband who will never come home, and camelot waits with her. gwaine dies for nothing, in percivals arms, and percival watches. arthur feels he's been lied to for ten years, and merlin thinks he hates him. morgana dies alone, unloved. we as the viewers are given the last shred of hope, the miniscule belief that he might just lives, but it is in vain. merlins efforts, his life, his destiny, is in vain. he has failed. Arthur dies anyway. gwen and Leon and percival and merlin are the only originals left. merlin spends the rest of his life and many more waiting for arthur, and that is how it ends. on a positive so faint it can barely be heard. it ends with a broken queen and a grieving kingdom and a failed sorcerer and a dead king. it ends, centuries later, with arthur gone and merlin waiting

[western-river]

I can’t believe Arthur had his entire perception of Merlin shattered before him and still managed to fall in love with him all over again in a day

[western-river]

Sometimes, I think about how Merlin purposefully turned Arthur against magic twice—the first time to save his soul and the second to save his life—so when he finally told Arthur he was a sorcerer, it was the ultimate bamboozle.

“How could the bumbling idiot I’ve known all these years have been my greatest protector the whole time?” Yeah, sure. But also: “How could a sorcerer have chosen me over magic? Over his own freedom and the freedom of those like him? Over the gods who created him and the religion that saves him?” It’s one thing to die for someone and another thing entirely to give up who you are for them.

Obviously, Merlin was wrong, and that’s why playing God had an effect opposite to what he’d intended. But I think it’s so interesting to consider how Arthur might have viewed this confession. He was betrayed by Morgana because she loved herself more than her own brother and betrayed by Uther because he loved himself more than his own son. And all of this while Merlin, at first, fell in love with the cause and, then, even more with the man behind it. His loyalty to and love for Arthur was so pure it turned sinful, and I don’t think Arthur would have ever gotten over that. If he hadn’t died.

[western-river]

i call bbc merlin a comfort show as if it weren't frustrating and traumatizing on like ten different levels, didn't kill off almost every single character, and didn't have the most disappointing, devastating, unforgivable series finale i've ever seen.

[western-river]

Ao3 is actually massively culturally important and very very good at being what it is. I’m so serious when I say that ao3 needs to be protected as the anti censorship, by fans for fans, nonprofit, volunteer run, expertly designed archival site that it is. You don’t have to read or like fanfiction to understand that on principle, ao3 is a site that should be defended.

[western-river]

Someone on twt said you can see how red Merlin’s eyes are and that he’s probably been crying all night.

And I’m thinking how he obviously never left Arthur’s side after the magic reveal, so he probably would’ve been a few feet away and Arthur definitely would’ve heard him sobbing quietly through the night but he felt too betrayed to even look at him, let alone comfort him.

[western-river]

omg omg omg

arthur gives merlin his mothers sigil thinking that hes going to die and wants to finally tell merlin how he feels and what better way of conveying the intensity of his emotions and how serious he is other than marriage? merlin accepts the sigil which means theyre married!! yay!! only. they both survive and arthur QUICKLY realizes that merlin has no idea the significance of the sigil. he has no idea theyre married. and arthur has no idea how to tell him bc then hell have to explain WHY he gave him the sigil aka WHY HE PROPOSED and now that hes not staring death in the face. he just. cant.

blah blah blah time skip to happy ending

the druids invite arthur and merlin to a celebration of the unification of emrys and the once and future king and the fruition of their destinies. merlin and arthur are excited bc finally peace is here and magic is returning and this can be the next big show of trust and reconciliation between camelot and the druids and so theyre there in the druid camp having fun when theyre approached and asked to participate in the ceremony. theres a huge buzzing crowd watching as the elder druid ties their hands together and goes on and on about the magnificence of two men standing before them and their great destinies and how the two sides of the same coin are joined finally as the prophecy said all those years ago. merlin doesnt realize it was a handfasting ceremony until hes talking to a few of the druids later on

anyway. merthur accidental wedding(s). now they both know theyre married but they dont know the other knows theyre married bc different ceremonies and traditions and all that. arthur is all awkward about it bc hes emotionally constipated. merlin is convincing himself he doesnt have to bring it up to arthur bc its not like the DRUID marriage ceremony is legally binding in camelot. they didnt sign any papers or anything. theyre not really married in camelot so arthur doesnt have to know. and then merlin can selfishly keep this truth close to his heart. even if its not reciprocated.

married life shenanigans ensue. merlin and arthur both have to physically stop themselves from calling the other their husband. jealous spats when out in the tavern or when visiting royals/nobles stop on by. leon knows all and is this close to snapping. extra protective idiots. and idk someone catches merlin holding the sigil and explains the significance of it or a druid asks arthur where his husband emrys is and my boy is STRESSED about being caught but then the druid brings up the handfasting ceremony. stupid idiot x stupid idiot.

you see my vision, right?

[western-river]

bbc merlin - 03x01 The Tears of Uther Pendragon I

sometimes we all need a reminder of: thank god this kid does actually have magic, because this survival method would get him nowhere fast