I have the utmost respect for the original poster, but I do want to put my two cents in on this:

It’s not so much that Gwen’s flawless, it’s that she’s unrealistic. There’s no conflict in her character, when there should be, especially considering her story line with Arthur. Furtermore, she had flaws in season 1 and that’s what made her sympathetic. Now, even though she’s not flawless, her flaws aren’t even acknowledged. If she’d started out the way she is now I, personally, wouldn’t have a problem. I also would never have liked her as a character, but by now I’d be used to it. However, she started out as a three dimensional character and they’ve stripped her of that and placed her on some pedestal like she’s the best thing since sliced bread. That’s unfair to the character and to her humanity. No one should be held up to a standard like that and, furthermore, expected to achieve it. I am hoping that it breeds the conflict for season five though, provided they allow her to pursue her feelings for Lancelot.

Lastly, being a good person in TV land isn’t a bad thing.  But at the same time, being good doesn’t equal flawless. For instance, Merlin’s a good person and he’s not hated on and he’s also not flawless. That’s what makes him interesting and that’s what causes conflict. It’s not that being a good person in TV land is a bad thing, it’s that being boring in TV is a bad thing, and Gwen’s boring. When she’s outside of her relationship with Arthur, she’s awesome, but when her and Arthur are being super special lovey, she’s boring. But so is Arthur, so he should get just as much hate.

My own Merlin Confession - I’m sick of seeing the fanbase put Gwen to death because of her relationship with Arthur when he’s just as boring and cardboard-like as Gwen. Seriously, either boo both of the characters or place the blame where it really belongs - the writers.

merlinconfessions:

I don’t get why people hate Gwen because she doesn’t have flaws. Since when are flaws considered something that makes you like a person. I know genuinely nice, pretty much flawless, people in real life. And you know what? Everyone likes them, because they’re just genuinely nice people. But for some reason in crazy TV land being a good person is a terrible thing and should be hated on.

Are Arthur and Merlin in love?

I thought I’d throw my hat into the ring on the Arthur and Merlin relationship. It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while now and, though it may offend some, I really felt the urge to post it.

1. Why is this even a question?

Before I talk about any other aspect of their relationship, I want to discuss why this is even a debate in the fandom and where that comes from. Quite simply, it comes from the fact the type of story that Arthur and Merlin are involved in.

Let’s just take a moment to pretend that we don’t know who these characters are. Instead, you have Character A and Character B. A is a mysterious stranger, just arriving in town and taking a job at a local establishment. A has a big secret, but not a bad one.

B is the offspring of the establishment’s owner. A and B, upon meeting, hate each other almost immediately. They don’t get along, but through a series of circumstances, they’re forced to be around each other constantly. Slowly, they grow to appreciate each other and care for each other deeply.

The main complication in this storyline derives from the fact that A wants to tell B his/her secret, but A can’t, because of what it might mean for their relationship and A’s future. And when/if B finally finds out about what A’s been keeping from him/her, then both will have to go through drama and a mild separation before B finally realizes how important A is to him/her, and then they’ll finally be together again (because Arthur will have to be the one to go after Merlin. From a narrative standpoint, Merlin’s gone through too much and sacrificed too much for Arthur to have to prove himself to him.)

You know what that sounds like to me - a romantic comedy. And that’s just it, isn’t it? Merlin has all the archetypes of a romantic comedy. Throw in the complication of the Gwen/Arthur storyline and it takes on the role of a Korean Drama. Frankly, it reminds me of Coffee Prince and I’m just waiting for Arthur to kiss Merlin and say “I don’t care if you’re a man or alien, I love you.”

2. But they’re not gay!

A small response to that statement, which I see used a lot: There are a bunch of different sexualities (more than I thought possible.) Also, just because 1 in 10 people are gay doesn’t mean that 9 in 10 people are straight. Lastly, you can’t do that to fictional characters. Good fictional characters are people as well with ideas, habits, and personality traits that it takes a ridiculous amount of writing to reach, so you can’t bog them down with labels and then act like they’re not allowed to change because of some preconceived notion. But, back to my point.

In Merlin’s case, the show has made it clear that Merlin does like women and you know what, I believe it. Though, this doesn’t mean he doesn’t like men. He could be bi.  Honestly, all of Merlin’s relationships have erotic subtext, so it’s hard to say for certain whom he does and doesn’t like. Colin Morgan just emits a lot of pheromones, I guess.

In Arthur’s case, the show’s only made it clear that he “loves” Gwen and, though it’s convinced itself of that, the show’s only managed to convince me that Arthur’s deep in the closet and scared of his homosexuality. I only say this because Gwen’s the only woman he’s ever paid any attention to and I strongly doubt his motives.

I said before that I think Arthur loves Gwen but, in all honesty, I think he more or less loves the idea of Gwen. Because, let’s face it, he doesn’t actually know her.  And his image of her has been heavily romanticized.

Gwen’s innocent and wise. That’s really all I think Arthur sees, is Gwen’s motherly side (Oedipus complex!) But, from the audience perspective, Gwen’s clumsy, sweet, inexperienced, easy to fall in love, easy to express herself, and a little bit sexy. And that’s the sad thing, is she’s been sanitized because Arthur sees her as perfect. And that’s why, when she kissed Lancelot, Arthur was so mad. Regardless of her being enchanted or not, it broke Arthur’s ideal image of her and he had to face the fact that she’s actually human. And I think that’s why he showed so much disdain for her later on, even after she apologized and pretty much begged for mercy, because she wasn’t his ideal queen anymore and he had no use for her. And yeah, that reflects badly on Arthur, but it’s not out of character.

Arthur’s conflicted. Throughout the last three seasons he’s been switching from raging asshole to noble sweetheart and you don’t do that unless there’s something deep down that’s actually troubling you. And I don’t mean his struggle with becoming king, I mean the kind of deep down personal struggle the strikes at the very heart of who you are. And, as far as I can see, that didn’t really start until his relationship with Merlin deepened. Merlin sparked change in Camelot, for everyone, but namely for Arthur. And if Arthur doesn’t know about Merlin’s magic, you have to wonder what he’s been struggling with for the last several seasons.

This struggle combined with his lack of interest in women (dating, sexual, romantic) and his lack of interest in almost anyone outside of his knights and Merlin, makes me think that Arthur’s gay.

3. So, what’s the verdict? Are they in love?

When it comes to Arthur and Merlin’s relationship, I kind of think, from Merlin’s perspective, it’s sort of like an arranged marriage. Merlin’s with Arthur because he has to be. Later, he finds a way to begrudgingly handle the situation and then, around the end of season 1, he starts to like Arthur, at least a little bit. But that doesn’t change the fact that he still feels obligated to Arthur (much the way I believe Gwen does.) Arthur, on the other hand, was attracted to Merlin right away.

“There’s something about you, Merlin…”

From the first episode, Arthur was drawn in by Merlin. By the fourth episode, he’s sacrificing himself for Merlin. However, unlike Merlin, he’s not doing it because a dragon told him to. And that’s where it kind of gets tragic for me.

Arthur sacrifices himself because he likes Merlin. As a viewer that’s privy to Merlin’s toils, it’s easy to forget the fact that Arthur doesn’t know about Merlin and, furthermore, it’s easy to forget the fact that Merlin’s taking Arthur for granted. Merlin’s so busy saving Arthur, hiding his magic, and feeling bad about the fact that Arthur doesn’t realize how much he does for him, that he forgets the fact that Arthur doesn’t actually realize how much he does for him. Arthur doesn’t keep him around because he’s useful, he keeps him around, sacrifices himself for him, and treats him as equal as he can, not because Merlin’s of any use to him, but because Arthur genuinely likes Merlin. For some inexplicable reason he cares for Merlin.  

Because, let’s face it, from Arthur’s perspective, Merlin really is a shitty servant. He’s always off in the taverns, he’s unorganized, he’s bossy, he’s a smart aleck, he shows nearly no respect for Arthur, he’s clumsy, and he’s constantly getting into trouble. So what does Arthur see in him, what does Arthur like about him?

Arthur, initially, saw a bumbling servant who happened to save his life. And later, I think he sees someone who looks out for him, cares about him, treats him like he’s an equal, and tries to protect him every chance he gets. And the sad thing is that behind all this, despite the fact that Merlin really does care for Arthur, Merlin’s main motivation is Albion, destiny, and making sure Arthur becomes “The Once and Future King.” That’s Merlin’s motive for nearly everything, even rooting so hard for Gwen and Arthur’s relationship.  

So you know what, I don’t think they’re in love with each other. I think, as much as he can be without knowing about Merlin’s magic, that Arthur is in love with Merlin.  

Warning: This is an opinion piece which I’m sure will offend/disconcert a lot of people. So, fair warning. 

I’ve been mulling over something for a while now. While I’ve discussed the Gwen/Arthur relationship in two posts already, there’s something about it that’s still been bugging me. Not about the relationship in general, not about Gwen, but something I couldn’t touch on, and that is: Arthur. Arthur’s been bugging me and I finally figured out why:

I don’t think Arthur’s straight.

Now, some of you probably think that means I automatically think he’s gay. But that’s not quite it either. Honestly, I’m not sure what Arthur is. I’ve always been conflicted about him sexually but one thing’s for sure – I don’t think he likes girls. There’s a part of me that’s always thought Arthur’s gay and in love with Merlin, and I’ll write about that later. But there’s another part of me that has the distinct impression that Arthur’s asexual. Or, possibly, aromantic.

Asexuality essentially means that you don’t feel sexual attraction towards other people. It doesn’t mean that you don’t find them attractive or can’t feel feelings for them, it just means that you don’t have the desire to lick whipped cream off their chest while they spank you.

Aromanticism means that you may find people sexually attractive or have feelings for them, but you, in no circumstances, have the desire to date, hold hands, or stay in a committed romantic relationship. Friends? Great. Sex? Sure. Marriage? Fuck off.

Someone can be both asexual and aromantic, one of each, or neither. So, what about Arthur? Honestly, I have no freaking clue. Maybe he’s both, maybe he’s one, and, quite possibly, maybe he’s neither.

The thing that gets me is how Arthur’s been represented so far. The only times I can think of in which he actually found someone attractive was when he’d been enchanted. There is that moment at the ball with Morgana, of course, but I always got the impression that he was surprised and admiring of her appearance, not explicitly attracted to it. Arthur’s never shot passing looks at females; he’s never seemed to pay any mind to anyone else, and the only times he looks like he’s checking someone out is when he’s in front of a mirror. This isn’t reflective of Bradley James’ acting, which is phenomenal, it’s reflective of the writing and the universe created. Arthur’s never been given a chance to be attracted to anyone and, at his age, that’s telling.

Now, this could just be because the writing on the show’s a bit shoddy and no one probably considered this, but it seems like there might be more to it. After all, when Gwen or Lancelot or any other character shows interest, romantic or sexual (at least sexual to the extent a family show will allow,) it’s never seemed out of place to me. Even Morgana, if she showed interest in someone else, wouldn’t surprise me. But with Arthur, whenever it seemed like he was heading towards any sort of relationship (chosen or arranged) it was out of place. 

One could say this is due to the fact that Arthur’s immature, selfish, and just not emotionally ready for a relationship, of course. But, frankly, even just plain sex is, well, weird. This isn’t because I’m squeamish about sex or anything like that, but if Arthur just wanted to fool around with a servant, even if it’s just kissing, it seems out of character. Not because he’s supposed to be “noble.” Nobility doesn’t discount physical desire or mean that you can’t have sex because, one thing straight, sex isn’t dirty. Sex isn’t wrong or ugly and doesn’t leave a moral stain, because it’s perfectly natural and okay. As long as it’s consensual and between mature parties, it’s fine. So I, personally, see no reason why Merlin or Gwen or any other character couldn’t have a casual fling. And, frankly, I wouldn’t be surprised if any of them did, it wasn’t entirely uncommon in that era – if you read the legends, all the characters were fairly sexual and/or romantic. Except in Merlin, and I can’t say why, Arthur just doesn’t seem like he’d be interested in that.

To start with, Arthur doesn’t notice people. Arthur only notices people who are either a) family/like family, b) knights, c) Merlin, or d) in distress. Unless Arthur’s in love with Merlin, this isn’t the average behavior of a sexual person. And it wouldn’t be such a big deal if the show didn’t have to enchant him in order to get him to notice/be attracted to someone else. That’s the element that makes me suspect that he’s asexual. I’m tempted to explain his behavior by saying it’s because he’s selfish, but looking at his character, that’s just not true.

Arthur’s been shown to have compassion and he wants to help people, so he’s not completely selfish. It’s not that he’s too self-involved to be attracted to anybody else (Narcissus complex.) He just simply doesn’t seem to be attracted to anyone. Merlin’s been given his moments of attraction through Nimueh, Freya, and Morgana. In fact, Merlin even has a type – brunettes. Arthur, on the other hand? Merlin hasn’t allowed Arthur to develop in the relationship/sexuality spectrum. And the fact that Arthur couldn’t even develop a relationship with Gwen and still be in character indicates to me that the character the show was writing was asexual and/or aromantic.

Another possibility is that he’s supposed to be royal and noble and there’s no room for sexuality in that. But, Uther’s royalty. Yeah, he’s an ass, but he’s not evil. Uther’s been shown repeatedly to be sympathetic and as royal and deserving of respect as anyone. And, frankly, I’d buy him in a relationship – I can see him falling in love sans enchantment and being sexual. Lancelot, too, is just as, if not more, noble than Arthur and I can definitely see him in a relationship/having sex. There’s just something about the character of Arthur.

From what I can see of him, Arthur’s sort of like Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory, but normal. He’s got his hobbies and interests and he’s good at what he does, none of this just happens to correspond with sex or dating. He already seems pretty fulfilled without sexual/romantic companionship.

None if this is to say that Arthur is asexual or aromantic, and it’s certainly not an “If he isn’t in love with Merlin than he’s asexual or aromantic” situation. It’s just to say that, in my opinion, there’s something decidedly wrong with Arthur being in a relationship. Maybe this is because of bad writing/development or maybe I’m just missing something, but Arthur being with anyone just doesn’t make sense to me. Well, part of me. The rest of me wants Arthur to lick whipped cream off of Merlin’s chest while Merlin spanks him. But that’s for a different post.

Before I discuss how Gwen and Arthur’s relationship affects Merlin, I want to go into a little discussion about their relationship itself.

As I’ve already covered in another post, I hate their relationship. I think it’s boring and decidedly unromantic. And, frankly, I’m kind of sick of it. I just wanted to get that out in the open, because, me being so down on their relationship is going to seriously affect how I see them and their role in the show. I’m a complete Gwen/Lancelot fan.

The sad thing is I can’t feel any justice for Gwen. When she finally becomes Queen, I don’t feel like she’s earned it. This is mostly due to the lack of tension in her and Arthur’s relationship and due to the fact that I never felt particularly inclined towards their supposed ‘obstacles,’ which means that by the time she becomes Queen, I don’t feel like she’s actually gone through anything. It hasn’t been an arduous journey for me; I haven’t ever been worried for her. It’s not just because I knew she’d become Queen (the show already told us it would happen,) but because every struggle they faced felt so superficial and forced that I couldn’t even begin to worry what sort of damage would happen. The last time I actually feared for Gwen or her relationship with Arthur was Season 2, episode 4 (“Lancelot and Guinevere”) and even then, it was more ambivalence – I was excited for her and Lancelot, but feared the potential heartbreak Arthur would suffer. But now she’s Queen and married to Arthur and I’m afraid for Merlin. I’m afraid what their relationship means for Merlin and the direction of the show.

To begin with, the thing that gets me the most is the way Merlin reacts to Arthur and Gwen. Whenever they’re together, especially publicly, he gets this creepy-ass smile on his face. Now, don’t get me wrong, it’s good to be happy for your friends, but Merlin’s always a little too happy. In fact, he’s happier than Gwen and Arthur seem to be, and when your friend cares more about your relationship than you do, you have a problem. And that brings me to a very important question: Why does Merlin have to be so happy for Gwen and Arthur?

Yeah, his two best friends are happy, but that’s allowed to remind Merlin that he’s not. Merlin is not happy. I can’t stress that enough. Merlin keeps a very key part of who he is hidden away, he’s constantly afraid for his life, he never gets credit for any of his achievements, and he’s lost nearly everyone he cares about and isn’t allowed to actually mourn for them. Merlin’s lonely. And he’s allowed to be sad about that. Yeah, he has some nice moments, but they don’t make up for the fact that he’s isolated. And I would have thought that if anything would have reminded him of that, it’s Gwen and Arthur getting the happy ending that he knows he never could. I don’t know why the show keeps shying away from that.

When Gwen and Arthur finally get together, it should be a bittersweet moment for Merlin -especially if it’s the true, epic love the show keeps making it out to be. Merlin’s probably relieved, because he’ll now be playing a smaller role in Arthur’s life and, while that comes with some sorrow, I think it’s something he’s been secretly longing for. The pressure of hiding his magic, taking care of Arthur, and making sure Arthur becomes a good king, while getting no recognition for it, is creating a lot of problems for Merlin, which, combined with the fact that he’s now juggling with secretly fighting magical beings on the side, has pushed him to his wits end. I think that’s part of what drove his desperation for Arthur and Gwen to get together, not to mention the implications of what that means for Albion.

If Arthur marries Gwen, it means he’s overcome the class difference prejudice and is on his way to becoming a fair and just king. That’s a good thing and I think Merlin gets a lot out of it. Sadly, though, this has come at the expense of Merlin. As I’ve said, I think he’s relieved about that, but there’s also a lot of sorrow at the fact that he’s losing a lot of his hold on his friend and, more so, he still hasn’t gotten anywhere. Merlin hasn’t been promoted or acknowledged, he’s been pushed to the side throughout this whole process. At the end of it all, not only is he still an underappreciated servant, he’s been pushed even further into the background, which, unfortunately, may mean that by the time Albion is united, there may be no place for Merlin in it.

When Gwen gets crowned Queen, signifying her and Arthur’s relationship, Merlin shouldn’t be beaming. There shouldn’t be this look of pure happiness on his face, because he’s going to be experiencing so many emotions – happiness for his friends, relief that there’s someone there to share the burden of Arthur, pride at how far Arthur’s come, satisfaction that he’s responsible for a lot of this moment, despondent that nobody realizes it, sorrow for what he’s losing, sadness at what he’s lost, and a small flicker of apprehension at what’s to come. Merlin should look conflicted, because, in this moment, he is conflicted. Gwen and Arthur being together doesn’t just mean Gwen and Arthur being together, it has a whole host of implications for Merlin and it’s always irritated me that the show hasn’t acknowledged it. Apart from what I’ve listed already, a major implication for Merlin is how the writers are going to treat him now.

In this last season/series or two, the show switched gears and started going the route of Cinderella. Except, not the version we’re familiar with. In this version, Cinderella became the Prince’s personal servant, and they didn’t live happily ever after, because the Prince married Mary Sue, the blacksmith’s daughter from down the way, and they lived happily ever after while Cinderella hid inside the closet and ironed the Prince’s underwear. And, sadly, the writers are treating Prince and Mary Sue like it’s some epic romance, which I would be fine with, but can Cinderella come out of the closet already. And in this over-the-top metaphor, I mean, give Merlin something else to do besides changing Arthur’s diaper every time he soils himself. Let him come out of the closet, profess his magic, and either be named as Arthur’s advisor or be exiled to Narnia.

Essentially, what I’m getting at, is the show cares more about Arthur and Gwen than it does about Merlin. That much was evidenced in the season 4 finale, where, instead of taking out the big guns and revealing Merlin’s magic (which they really, really, really need to do) they had Arthur and Gwen get married. Finale’s are for things that people care about. A finale is to finally bring to light the things the show’s been building to all series/season. And in season 4, that was revealing Merlin’s magic, but instead they had Arthur and Gwen finally tie the knot. I get why they may have needed the marriage to happen before Merlin’s reveal, but Arthur and Gwen could have gotten married in 4x09 and there wouldn’t have been any harm in it. Hell, they could have started wedding preparations in 4x09, had the ceremony in 4x11, and, if they really wanted Gwen/Arthur drama, had the honeymoon interrupted by Morgana. Then voila, Sword in the stone, Magic reveal, everyone’s happy. But no, it was long, it was slow, it was painful, and nobody cared (that may be a slight exaggeration.) Even Gwen/Arthur fans were a bit upset because of the way the relationship’s been depicted (the Lancelot enchantment and all.) Most people would agree that that was a BAD move. But so far, the show’s cared more about Gwen/Arthur than actually advancing Merlin as a character.

In this Gwen/Arthur romance plot, there’s been no room for Merlin unless he’s in Steroid Fairy Godmother mode. All that Merlin can do, when it comes to Gwen and Arthur, is whip out his pompoms and cheer for all he’s worth, because that’s all the writers have allowed him to do. So, my big question is, now that Arthur and Gwen are married, where does Merlin fit in?  And the answer? He doesn’t. Merlin doesn’t fit anymore. Maybe the writers have found a way to work him in, maybe I’m wrong, but I can’t logically see how this new plot is going to involve Merlin at all. Because Merlin’s been treated unfairly by Merlin (weirdest sentence ever) for a long time now and he no longer fits into the plot. A perfect example of this is how Gwen and Arthur have been treated in comparison to Merlin.

For instance, Gwen and Arthur are allowed to wax-poetic episode after episode about the trials and tribulations of being servant and prince (something that’s not a big deal in the first place,) but Merlin only gets one episode to find, protect, lose, and mourn for the love of his life. Yes, Freya does come back later, but as a plot device. And it was clever and I liked it, but we don’t hear from her since and, more importantly, none of the pain carries over for Merlin. After that episode, that was it. Oh, but the look on Merlin’s face when Freya returns, even briefly, was so powerful – Merlin can write love stories, it really can. Unfortunately, much like the original legends, it’s better at tragic love stories (Merlin/Freya, Gwen/Lancelot, and Hunith/Balinor.)

Gwen and Arthur get to go on dates, get married, and be happy. Merlin, on the other hand, gets to do things in secret. The closest thing he had to a date with Freya was when he snuck her some food. Outside of that, he hasn’t been allowed any romance or dates outdoors (unless you count camping with Gwaine) or any type of comfortable companionship. The closest thing he had to a real friend, Lancelot, died within two episodes after he came back. The Knights of Camelot are mean to Merlin and, even though it’s supposed to be playful, that just serves to highlight the complete divide between Merlin and everyone around him. And, that just reminds me that Merlin doesn’t fit into Camelot. Arthur’s already been crowned king, Arthur’s gotten married, which would be fine, except Arthur’s already, in essence, replaced Merlin.

The thing that struck me the most throughout series 4 is how cruel and antagonistic Arthur was to Merlin. Arthur prefers Gwen’s company, thinks Merlin’s an idiot, and, frankly, can be quite cruel to Merlin in the way he (not so) jokingly insults him. It’s crossed the barrier from playful fun to thinly veiled distaste.

On top of that, the show has established this divide between Arthur/Gwen and Merlin, meaning that they haven’t all three reached a comfortable level of companionship. Arthur and Merlin are great, Merlin and Gwen are great, Arthur and Gwen are, but if you combine them all together, it’s either a questing experience (frequently with a fourth companion) or Arthur’s shooting looks at Merlin to leave him and Gwen alone. So I can’t help but wonder what this means for Merlin.

Lastly, the main reason I think none of this bodes well for Merlin, is because, so far, on the show, Merlin’s not allowed to be happy. The people who know about Merlin’s sorcery (barring Gaius) often die. The people he can be open and honest with – dead or somewhere far away. The people Merlin loves – dead or oblivious to him. In the end, Merlin’s carrying the brunt of the responsibility and he’s banned from enjoying himself. So far, only Gwen and Arthur get a happy ending.

And that’s the thing, if Merlin is going to do the crappy, sappy, happy Disney story, then I don’t want it to be about Gwen and Arthur. Do you know what I want a crappy, sappy, happy story about? Merlin. I want a story where everyone’s nice to Merlin. Merlin’s already done everyone’s-mean-to-Merlin stories; it’s done everyone’s-not-mean-but-also-not-nice-to-Merlin stories – now it’s time for a story in which everyone actually treats Merlin well. Give him a surprise birthday party or something. We’ve seen Camelot celebrate Arthur’s birthday, how about Gaius, Gwen, Gwaine, Lancelot back from the dead, and maybe Arthur (if he can stop being a butt for three seconds,) gather around Merlin and celebrate his birthday. That is, quite literally, all I want from Merlin right now. I just want a story where Merlin finally gets to be happy for a change, however that has to happen. I don’t care if that means the show ending with Merlin abandoning Camelot in search for a better life, if it means he gets to be happy, I’m okay with it.

Warning: This post is an opinion piece and, though it isn’t intended to offend anyone, it may offend Gwen/Arthur fans or Merlin fans in general. And don’t let the opening paragraph fool you, it’s pretty much all about Gwen/Arthur. And why I don’t like them as a couple.  

Before I start, I just want to say that I’m not saying this because I like Arthur/Merlin, which I do. I love Arthur/Merlin – aesthetically and in theory. Separate from the Merlin universe, it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. However, if I were to pair Merlin with anyone and have it be on the show, it would be Gwaine.

Gwaine and Merlin have this excellent chemistry - they’re fun, they respect each other, they help each other out, they’re open about their emotions, they joke with each other, and they look out for each other. And, as far as their relationship is concerned, they have a good prognosis. There’s nothing to get in the way of Gwaine and Merlin being so deeply and awesomely in love that it washes over everyone in a wave of glitter and happiness. Gwaine and Merlin are my bread and butter. If Gwaine and Merlin actually got together, I would be completely fulfilled. 

If Arthur and Merlin got together on the other hand? Drama, drama, drama, drama, angst, drama. It would be this whole “We have to keep it a secret because I’m the king and you’re my servant and not one of the mash up of historical time periods this show represents actually condones and accepts homosexuality as natural, nor does it allow it to be shown as anything more than subtext.” I realize that the last of that could still apply to Gwaine and Merlin, but I feel like it would be more exaggerated with Arthur since he’s supposed to be the epitome of what makes a man a man (I say this because of the way he’s masculanized on the show based on traditional/cultural views of masculinity.) Arthur flinches away from any form of intimacy from most people, but particularly other men. We see this with Merlin in the way he reacts to Merlin trying to hug him, Merlin touching him in general, and the way he reacts to Merlin showing vulnerability – this is more along the lines of emotional intimacy, not physical. When Merlin cries, Arthur tells him that ‘no man is worth your tears.’ Personally, I didn’t understand this and felt it was a bad ideal to enforce, but it certainly demonstrates Arthur’s traditionalist ideals and “manliness.” And that’s why I don’t want Arthur and Merlin to get together, because no matter how happily it works out in fanfiction-fantasy-land, this attitude would still pervade the show and make their relationship depressing as all hell. Like Brokeback Mountain with knights instead of cowboys. And my fragile heart/psyche couldn’t handle it. I saw Brokeback Mountain 2.5 times and if I ever have to see anything like that again, I’m pretty sure all my faith in happy endings will be completely shattered.

So, despite the myriad of Merthur stuff I’ve posted, I’m not saying this because I want Merlin and Arthur to get together. Bearing that in mind, I’ll finally say what I want to say: I hate Arthur and Gwen together. I know, it’s an unpopular opinion, but I really don’t care for their relationship.

Part of that has to do with the fact that Gwen never seemed like she was supposed to end up with Arthur. She flirted with Merlin and she seemed interested in Merlin. I enjoyed that, it was a twist that I could back up. That’s not to say it would completely discount a relationship with Arthur if the show hadn’t spent so much time emphasizing that she wasn’t interested in the prince and he’s not, at all, her type. That didn’t make their sudden relationship development an interesting, clever twist, but instead I just found it confusing. I know that characters change and develop, so it’s entirely possible for her to fall for Arthur at some point, but I’m not satisfied that she has.

I think that Arthur genuinely loves Gwen, but I don’t buy that Gwen loves Arthur, at least not romantically and certainly not completely. It could be because they didn’t seem like they were intended to be romantic interests, but I find their relationship lacks chemistry and seems one-sided. I feel like Arthur’s really pushing himself into the relationship and giving it his all while Gwen is holding back. It makes sense, since Gwen is the one at risk here, not Arthur. At least, up until Uther’s death. But even after that, I still can’t enjoy their relationship. That has a lot to do with Lancelot.

Every moment Gwen had with Lancelot is filled with romantic tension. They have more romantic chemistry in a single glance then Arthur and Gwen have in even their most heartfelt kisses. For instance, in the episode where Arthur was going to sacrifice himself to save the town from the death-ghosts, Arthur and Gwen have this really sweet moment. Arthur tells her to smile and, when she refuses, he reminds her of their first kiss, at which her face lights up. He says that that’s the image of her he wants to leave with. This moment was romantic and I definitely liked it. The only thing the ruined it for me, though, was the following scene with Lancelot and Gwen.

Gwen begs Lancelot to make sure Arthur comes back alive and he says he’ll protect her with his life. That scene was so full of romantic chemistry that it completely overshadowed her moment with Arthur. And maybe that was fitting since that was their last scene together. Even the funeral scene, though, with Gwen being the last one standing and staring at Lancelot’s burning pyre (really, who didn’t see that coming?) was so solemnly romantic that I just can’t care about Gwen and Arthur, because, to me, Lancelot is Gwen’s soul mate and long-lost love. Admittedly, that’s pretty much tainted Arthur and Gwen’s relationship for me, so no matter how great their relationship is/becomes, I’m going to have a hard time enjoying it.

Another thing that gets me is…well, it can best be explained via the following quote:

“You shouldn’t need to be told to think of someone other than yourself, you’re not a child.” – Gwen, “The Once and Future Queen.”

But he is, Gwen, he is. Arthur is a big old baby wrapped in a man-blanket. Yeah, amongst the hard muscles, the strong jaw, the toned physique, the deep voice, and the drool worthy-ness, it can be a little hard to tell, but Arthur’s basically a child. At least, he has the emotional stability/mind set of a child. Out on the field, he’s a fierce and noble warrior, but at home base, he’s just a lost little boy crying out for affection. Really, when I think about it, before Merlin, he had no deep connections, no real friends, and was perfectly happy to bully people like a kid on a playground. Even now, he’s significantly lacking in maturity and that affects Gwen and Arthur’s relationship.  

I mean, Gwen’s basically like a sub-in for Arthur’s mother. Gwen is the caring, nurturing mother figure that Arthur’s been looking for to fill the void that his mother’s loss left. For Pete’s sake, Arthur begins to fall for Gwen after she scolds him for being rude about the dinner he was served (In Ealdor in the last episode of season 1.) And when Arthur enters a tournament and has to disguise himself (“The Once and Future Queen”) he ends up at Gwen’s house. I know this was supposed to set the scene for them to come together romantically and also to mirror married life – she cooks for him, she takes care of him, and she frets over his safety, but I honestly didn’t see it that way. The way it appeared to me, she’s his babysitter.   

Really, that’s what gets me about these two. Combined with everything else, this is just the creepy icing on the fruit-cake that is their love life. And by fruit-cake, I mean it tastes bad, is dry, is boring, and the minute you try to force-feed it to me, you’re banned from my house forever. However, ignoring the specifics of their dynamic and whether or not they have chemistry, I’m also irritated with how the show’s tried to create tension/development with their relationship.

The major way in which the shows tried to demonstrate Gwen and Arthur’s connection is by sticking one or both of them in perilous situations. Gwen is constantly getting thrown in the dungeons and sentenced to execution and Arthur’s constantly going off on dangerous quests or about to die. These events are followed by the other character showing that they care. That’s not romantic.

I don’t care how I feel about someone personally, if I knew they were about to kill themselves or be killed, I would care. Even if they were my sworn enemy, I would show them concern. Arthur and Gwen generally giving a rat’s ass that the other one is in danger doesn’t tell me they’re in love. If that were the case, Merlin and Arthur would have been married in season 1. That’s not development for them. If you can’t show me the small things – general conversations, looks, normal activities- that show me how great they are together, they’re not in a good relationship.

Merlin and Arthur have the small things. Merlin and Arthur have developed through a lot of series of events, not just dangerous ones, and have created a bond that’s significant. If I can’t get that with Gwen and Arthur then I’m not inclined to believe them as a couple. Obviously some people have gotten that to their satisfaction and that’s fine, but I haven’t. That could, of course, have to do with the fact that Gwen and Arthur’s relationship has already happened on this show with Arthur and Merlin.

That doesn’t mean that Arthur and Merlin belong together, of course, or that they’re even in love with each other. But, that being the case, logic would follow that if these actions don’t show a romantic relationship between Arthur and Merlin, repeating the same thing with Gwen and Arthur doesn’t prove a romantic relationship between them either, no matter how many times they say they’re in love. Because if that’s the case, the show’s basically saying that the only thing unique with Arthur and Gwen is that Arthur canhave a relationship with her because she’s a woman and that’s family friendly. And I don’t buy it.

Now, I know the show’s tried to give Arthur and Gwen they’re own unique story line, but they haven’t. Essentially, everything Arthur and Gwen have done, Arthur and Merlin have already covered (barring kissing and dates.)

1)      Supporting Arthur – Merlin’s done it

2)      Save Arthur’s life – Merlin’s done it

3)      Take care of Arthur – Merlin again

4)      Long speech about how great a king/prince/knight/guy Arthur is – I bet you can’t guess…oh yeah, Merlin!

5)      Yelling at Arthur for being a…hmmm, what’s the right word? Ah, Clot pole  – Merlin

6)      Risk life for Arthur – Crap, what’s that character’s name again? Oh right, Merlin

7)      Has been used to get to Arthur – Merlin

8)      Stay by Arthur’s side no matter what – Merlin

9)      Protect/take care of Uther because they care for Arthur – Merlin

10)   Feels that position as a servant gets in the way of relationship with Arthur – I think it starts with an M….mmmmmerlin? Yeah, Merlin.

11)   Lost people they care about because of Uther, but stay by Arthur’s side because they have faith in him – Actually, I think Gwen may have been here first…

12)   Wrongfully imprisoned and had to get saved by Arthur – Merlin

13)   Underappreciated/degraded by Arthur – Merlin

14)   Uther disapproves of relationship with Arthur – Merlin

15)   Arthur’s risked his position as a prince for them – Merlin

16)   Worked their way into Arthur’s heart and now has a significant relationship with Arthur – Merlin

17)   There’s something special about them that first attracted Arthur’s attention – Merlin

Really, Arthur and Gwen’s relationship keeps covering the same ground as Merlin and Arthur’s. Even their main (only) obstacle is reflective of Merlin and Arthur’s.

Gwen and Arthur’s love story is about them bridging the gap between Servant and Royalty and forming a lasting relationship. But, Merlin’s done all the groundwork on that. Arthur and Merlin have already bridged that gap and we’ve already seen that Arthur doesn’t care about class difference, which means that by the time Arthur and Gwen have to be around one another, there’s no tension. When Gwen speaks freely to Arthur, I don’t feel drawn in by her brazenness because she’s not making any great strides towards closing the class difference barrier, Arthur doesn’t care about that. This is evidenced by the fact that when she tries to recant her statements, Arthur tells her not to apologize. I don’t think that’s romantic because I know that Arthur doesn’t care about his being a prince and her being a servant and I know this because of Merlin, which automatically takes away from the uniqueness of the moment. The only tension that the hierarchy creates isn’t between each other, it’s between them and Uther, and even then that’s superficial because we already know they’re going to be together, Uther dies shortly after their relationship is revealed, and, most of all, Merlin’s already covered that.  

Honestly, if they were going to have an obstacle in Gwen and Arthur’s relationship, I’d have hoped that it had to do with Gwen knowing Merlin’s secret, because, frankly, if Arthur and Gwen’s relationship is going to mirror Arthur and Merlin’s, at least this has an impact. We know Arthur doesn’t care about class difference, but his view on magic and how he’d react to Merlin being a wizard (and Gwen keeping it from him) are completely unknown. This, I think, would have affectively intertwined Gwen and Merlin’s plots, revealed a lot about Gwen’s character, and created a lot of actual tension.  

Essentially, in the end, what it all amounts to is me not caring about their relationship. That’s not to say it’s invalid or no one should like it, it’s just to say that I don’t like it. Actually, that’s not true. It’s not even that I don’t like it - It’s that I’m bored. I find them completely and utterly boring. And I’d hesitate to blame Gwen or say Angel Coulby needs to be recast because of it (which I’ve seen a lot of,) I just think its unfortunate writing. I like Gwen and I really would like it if she was happy, but I just don’t see that with Arthur. Also, I’d hesitate to say Arthur is even ready for a romantic relationship. Dude’s got issues.