merlin - the drawing of the dark
Tomorrow night, I am determined to log in to LJ and play comment catch-up. But until then, here, have a recap.
In a land of myth and a time of I don’t know what the hell what because my fucking power went out and I missed half the episode so some girl is suddenly threatening to murder Arthur and his entire kingdom of innocent people and everyone is inexplicably cranky at Arthur for wanting to stop her. Yeah, I’m gonna need to start at the beginning because this isn’t making any sense...
Ah, thanks, Internet. The boys are returning from a productive hunting trip in which everyone caught something. Even Merlin, according to Gwaine. “What did he catch?” Arthur asks, and before Gwaine can answer with, “My heart,” or, “Herpes, my bad,” Merlin informs us all (while trying to ride his horse, balance a crossbow on one shoulder and keep a blanket draped around him) that he did in fact catch a cold. Nobody has much sympathy, and Leon tells Merlin that if he learned to track he’d enjoy it more. “I’m the best tracker here,” Merlin says. Somebody, and I’m assuming it wasn’t one of the horses, snorts.
But before anyone can remind the others of all those times they’ve been impressed by Merlin’s funny feelings and that time he got them out of the awful Sleeping Beauty forest of vines after they’d blundered about all day getting their swords blunt, Percival spots something ahead. It’s an arrow in the ground. Everyone dismounts and creeps ahead in unison, Merlin scurrying ahead to Arthur so he can ask what they’re stalking this time. “A deer? A boar?” Nope, nothing quite so delightful or tasty. “Saxons,” Merlin concludes after standing tall to peek over Percival’s shoulder, which is basically adorable. It’s so sweet that I can’t find it in myself to really care about the carnage and dead knights of Camelot and stuff.
The dead knights had a precious cargo of weapons bound for Camelot, so it’s a pretty safe bet that Morgana is behind it. Gwaine is concerned about her being this close to the city walls, like they were last week, and I still wonder where everyone thought Gwen was meeting her for weeks. Anyway, as Arthur instructs them to check for survivors, Mordred spots a robed figure in the trees and runs off in pursuit. Arthur gives a whistle and a hand signal and everyone else fans out. I love it when the knights are all knightly.
Mordred runs down his prey, who is revealed to be a very pretty girl. “Kara,” Mordred says in surprise, and then tells her to run. She flees just as the others catch up, and Merlin appears to be the only one who notices her. Mordred makes up some excuse about probably seeing a deer and jumping the gun a bit, and it’s not like Merlin can call him out on his lie when the kid knows all of his, so he’s just left to gape as the opening credits roll.
Once he has returned to Camelot, Merlin is extra petulant and a bit annoying and Gaius has just about had enough of the Mordred hate. If it wasn’t for Merlin’s adorable dimples in this scene, I’d be a bit fed up as well. He’s just so…BRATTY.
Gaius tries to defend Mordred but Merlin is having none of it. “He’s beguiled you, he’s beguiled you all.” Yep, he has beguiled me as well. He is very beguiling. He has the soulful eyes of a puppy and the soft curls of an angel and, yeah, that whole destiny in which he kills Arthur, but everyone has their faults and I’m willing to overlook one or two.
When Gaius and Merlin head out on their rounds, Mordred is lurking around the corner and sneaks into Gaius’ chambers to steal some vials of medicine. Then he dons a cloak of invisibility (or just a regular cloak of mysteriousness, but nobody seems to notice him so it’s hard to tell either way) and sneaks out of Camelot to heal his cute friend. It’s pretty easy to find her with his magical mind meld, though I’m not sure how you can know what direction a voice is coming from if it’s bypassing your ears and being fed directly into your head. Oh, and we are pointedly shown that Mordred snaps a twig and leaves a footprint in the mud as he goes.
Back in Camelot, Leon and Arthur lean over the map of their kingdom and work out a strategy to strengthen protection of their supply routes. Leon is reminded that they are at war, in that way in which someone says they need not remind you but really mean THIS IS IMPORTANT PLEASE REMEMBER IT, and then he leaves so Gwen can pop up out of nowhere and give Arthur a pep talk about how the strength and love of his people is totes better than Morgana’s sorcery. He has the most powerful weapon of them all:
Speaking of love, Mordred and Kara reunite at last and there is much adorable hugging and smiles. As Mordred administers first aid to Kara’s injured leg, she’s all, ‘what are you doing hanging with those losers when you used to be part of the cool crowd?’ and doesn’t quite believe that he and Arthur could be friends. “I believe in Arthur,” Mordred tells her. “You’ll see. One day it will change.” Oh, that look of hope and trust and innocence, how I have missed it since it faded from Merlin’s eyes. We leave the pair to it as they press their foreheads together and hold each other’s faces in their hands and generally be as cute as a box of puppies.
Mordred returns to Camelot the next morning and is immediately confronted by Merlin, who is just fake-casually leaning against the door like a parent who has been waiting up all night while his kid stayed out past curfew. Mordred initially tries the bratty ‘What right do you have to question me? YOU’RE NOT MY REAL DAD’ approach, but Merlin shrugs it off with a particularly pillow-lipped pout. “Why are you doing this?” Mordred asks. “Everything I do, you think the worst,” and OH GOD the little tremble in his voice, the way you can SEE his heart breaking and how he really does care about what Merlin thinks of him. I refuse to believe he is inherently evil.
Merlin gets all up in Mordred’s grill and tells him he saw Mordred let a Saxon go and threatens to tell Arthur. Mordred comes clean and explains that she’s not a Saxon, but a cute Druid girl he knows and he couldn’t let her die. He stops short of revealing how much he cares about her but tells Merlin she needs a few days to heal and then she’ll be on her innocent way. “Please Merlin, I beg you. She’s one of us.”
Merlin agrees to keep Mordred’s secret and even goes as far as to give Mordred his word before Arthur calls out for his manservant and Mordred scurries away. Arthur finds Merlin standing in the doorway looking blankly out into the empty corridor and is obviously curious as to what he’s up to. “I’m like a swan!” Merlin says, randomly. It’s hilarious. Is he feeling feelings for Mordred and has to remind himself that he mates for life (like a swan) and Arthur is the only one for him? Are he and Mordred in some kind of Black Swan AU (which, actually, I can now SEE)? Is he joining my beloved football team? Arthur waits for an explanation, as do we all. “It seems that I’m not doing anything but there’s a lot of work going on underneath.” Hee! Also, AHAHAHAHAHAHA.
Arthur finds all this interesting but sees Merlin more as a head louse - useless and irritating. Wikipedia tells me they also have a mouth highly adapted for sucking, so I think Arthur may make a very valid point here. (Seriously, my search history on Merlin recap days must tell a very fascinating story.) And even though he finds him useless and irritating, Arthur takes his loyal head louse out on patrol.
In the woods alone together, which doesn’t seem like a very safe patrol given that people are being killed so close to the citadel, Arthur decides Merlin needs an education in tracking as per Leon’s advice. He kneels down in the mud and calls Merlin over, asking what he sees. “I see a pair of breeches that need cleaning,” Merlin says in his most put-upon manner. Heh. I love that when Merlin is all pouty and cranky, Arthur just merely sighs and thinks manhandling him for a bit will do the trick. He stands, pulls Merlin over to him and puts a hand on his back to push him down into the mud. Once Merlin is kneeling before him, Arthur asks what he sees now. “Two pairs of breeches that need cleaning,” Merlin says, wiping the mud off his knees. To be fair, I’m pretty sure there are ALWAYS two pairs of breeches that need cleaning when Merlin kneels in front of Arthur like that in the middle of the forest.
Arthur tries to get Merlin to stop focussing on laundry for a second and points out the branch we saw Mordred snap, and teaching Merlin tracking skills is like pulling teeth. After trying to teach an office full of co-workers how to update their own operating systems this week (IT WILL ASK YOU AND YOU CLICK OKAY FOR FUCK’S SAKE IT’S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE) I truly feel Arthur’s pain and admire his saintly patience. Continuing the lesson, Arthur notes that the trail is recent. Merlin looks ahead while Arthur‘s eyes are fixed on his beautiful face.
Merlin: “An animal.”
Arthur: “You think so?”
Merlin: “A deer.”
Arthur: “It’d have to be a big one.”
Merlin: “With very big antlers.”
Arthur: “What makes you say that?”
Merlin: “Because it’s looking at us.”
Big Deer With Very Big Antlers Which Is Obviously In A Different Location To Them: Hey dude. ‘Sup. *chew chew chew* BTW, I’m not Gwen this time.
Merlin gloats for a bit and then nudges Arthur, wanting him to go, but Arthur notices something else - a footprint in the mud which is most decidedly not the hungry deer’s. They follow the trail until some time when things are much darker and wetter. I wish my hair looked that perfect after walking in the rain. I suspect sorcery. Arthur finds fresh prints near the scene of the weapons cargo ambush and shuts down any of Merlin’s attempt to convince him that they’re old tracks from the day before. Well, at least he TRIED to keep Mordred’s secret, but sometimes, surprisingly, Arthur can be rather smart. They eventually reach a pretty spectacular cliffside cave obscured by a veil of vines. Arthur pushes his way through.
Kara’s cute little face pops up from behind a rock and she asks that they don’t hurt her as she limps out toward them. Merlin tells Arthur to be careful but as Kara tells them she means no harm, Arthur sheaths his sword and offers a manly shoulder for her to lean on…so she promptly pulls out a dagger and aims it at his chest. Luckily, Merlin being on full alert means that he’s quick enough to flash his eyes and fling the dagger away from Arthur’s heart without anyone noticing, Arthur just attributing it to his own quick reflexes as he grabs the girl and holds her still. He’s a bit astonished that she would have killed him. “I’m only sorry I failed,” she tells Arthur, and Merlin doesn’t like her very much at all. I tend to agree.
Camelot sits beautifully under the full moon as Kara is escorted to the dungeons. I’m really going to miss this castle and I wonder how long it will take before it pops up in a show again, like how the Luthor mansion from Smallville is now the Queen mansion in Arrow. Mordred watches his beloved get locked up, hangs his head in sadness, and then ambushes Merlin in a corridor, throwing him up against a pillar. Merlin tries to convince Mordred that he didn’t tell Arthur but Mordred is too angry to listen. “You did it because you hate me. This time you’ve gone too far. You’ll pay, Merlin.” And then just when it’s getting good and I’m waiting for Merlin to turn the tables and push MORDRED against the wall and result in passionate hatesex, two knights in shining armour arrive to break things up. Leon is a bit more serious about what they encounter than Gwaine, who is mostly all WHAT THE FUCK? at the sight of the two puppiest members of the gang getting all growly at each other. Leon asks what’s going on and Mordred tells him it’s nothing and storms off, shouldering them both on his way through.
But once Mordred has gone and Merlin is adjusting his collar and smoothing down his jacket, Gwaine gets all concerned and moves close to him, having a non-verbal conversation with his face which is basically ‘are you okay? You’re okay, right? Do you need me to go beat him up? Because I know he’s a knight and we’re supposed to be brothers but if he hurt you I will WRECK him. Seriously, what the fuck is going on?’ It’s beautiful. But Merlin tells him it’s nothing and walks off in the other direction, leaving two very confused and bewildered knights behind.
Kara is brought before the court and Arthur questions her. She admits to being part of the group of Saxons who attacked the shipment bound for Camelot and when asked if she was acting under Morgna’s orders says she did it for herself, her people, and their right to be free. Arthur says, quite rightly, that he has no quarrel with the Druids and does admit to that one lapse that we’d all like to forget but is adamant that he is not his father.
“You don’t kill those with magic?” she snarks, and Merlin raises his head because she does have a point there. She says it’s not she who has to pay for their crimes, but Arthur. “It is you who has turned a peaceful people to war. And it is you, and Camelot, that shall pay the price.” Arthur still refuses to take the bait. He hears Morgana in her words and explains that people like Morgana who have abused their powers of magic are the ones who have caused the rift between their people and forced them to outlaw the practice. See, this is where I initially came in to the episode and he is making so much sense and she is coming off as some silly girl who has been force fed propaganda and sent out to war without really knowing what she’s fighting for. And regardless of what Arthur may think about magic, he reminds her that she’s actually there to be brought to trial for murder.
“They were casualties of war,” she snaps back, and Arthur’s eyes widen like he can’t quite believe how stupid this girl is being. “And I would do the same again, for I will not rest until you are dead and your kingdom is no more.” Seriously, this girl is no Freya. She’s not like any of the other magic users we’ve seen prosecuted and sympathised with. She’s ridiculously stupid and I can’t get any kind of grasp on her motivation because I find it hard to believe that the Druids feel this way about Arthur, especially after the years of peace during his reign. I’m just going to believe that Morgana brainwashed her in order to get Mordred back, because at least that makes sense.
Arthur tries to get her to name the person who helped her, because he knows this person is in Camelot, but she refuses. Eventually, after giving her so many chances, he has no choice but to declare her an enemy of Camelot and sentence her to hang the next morning. As she’s taken back to the dungeons she keeps up the act, telling Arthur that his doom is near. “My only sadness is that I won’t be there to see it.” Oh, Kara, our only sadness is that we WILL be. At CHRISTMAS. *sigh* Mordred looks worried for his girlfriend. Merlin looks worried for his boyfriend because Mordred is worried for his girlfriend.
Once Kara is locked up again, she allows herself to cry. Mordred pays her a visit but they have to kind of talk in code because of the guards. She tells him that she couldn’t betray the person who helped her because that person is very dear to her, and they get their own love theme as his hands cover hers on the bars of her cell. I don’t know, the music is said and the guitars are tugging at my heartstrings a little, but are we supposed to feel sympathy for such an over-the-top character? She murdered people. She feels no remorse. She has admitted and proved that she will murder Arthur if given the chance, despite his reasonable and logical arguments during her trial. Even without knowing who she is, Arthur gave her the opportunity to redeem herself and she threw it back in his face. Why should we even care? And why should this ridiculousness be the reason Mordred turns evil and everything goes to hell? She’s just a stupid plot device that’s been thrown in at the eleventh hour so they can destroy everything we’ve loved for the past five years. And I can’t help but hate her for it.
After she plays the helpless card (“He’ll never show mercy to someone like me.” YES THAT’S BECAUSE YOU’RE A KILLER WITH ABSOLUTELY NO REMORSE AND IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOUR RELIGION AND COME ON, MORDRED, YOU’RE BETTER THAN THIS.) Mordred promises to not let her die, gathers himself and knocks on Arthur’s door. Merlin is in the process of removing Arthur’s clothes, but Arthur makes time for Mordred, because that’s the generous kind of king he is. Mordred drops to one knee in front of Arthur and Arthur looks at Merlin like, WTF? and it’s hilarious.
Mordred flat out admits that he was the one who took the herbs to the Druid girl and asks that Arthur reappeal his sentence. He thinks she is being used by Morgana and is otherwise innocent and Arthur can see that she and Mordred know each other. “Since I was a child, she has always lived inside my heart.” Aw. Arthur gets Mordred to stand up and there is much shoulder-squeezing as he explains that he loves Mordred very, very much and he would do anything for love but he won’t do that. Mordred begs. He actually says, “I beg you, Arthur,” but Arthur cannot risk the lives of the innocent people in his kingdom and besides, the girl has been a bit of a dick about everything and really gave him no choice. Mordred leaves them, brokenhearted.
Merlin doesn’t like Mordred and he doesn’t like this girl who very nearly turned Arthur’s heart into her own personal pincushion, but it’s time for him to go into damage control after seeing how close Mordred is to the edge. Merlin tells Arthur that he will lose his trust, but Arthur knows that the law is paramount and he has no choice but to uphold it. He thinks that, in time, Mordred will understand and forgive him. Merlin fears Arthur is wrong about this.
Mordred returns to tell Kara that Arthur wouldn’t listen. OH COME ON, he DID listen. He listened and he sympathised and he was a hell of a lot more understanding and flexible than she’s been so far. But she feeds Mordred lies like Arthur doesn’t care and that he’s just like his father and he’s not Mordred’s friend, and Mordred swallows it all down like a gullible fool.
As the stage is set in the courtyard for Kara’s hanging, Mordred thinks thinky thoughts. He heads back in to see Arthur and apologise, asking for forgiveness. I love that Merlin is instantly on alert and walks closer to just in case this is his moment to save Arthur from destiny. Arthur, wearing his open-necked white tunic and revealing quite an expanse of hairy chest (GUH) tells Mordred that he would never let something like this ruin their friendship. Bros before foes and all that. Mordred thanks Arthur for taking him in and everything he’s done for him and he’s all steely-eyed and not the sweet puppy we know and love. He shoots Merlin a bitchface on his way out. While Merlin stresses, Arthur sits back all smug and satisfied like, yeah, job done. “I knew he’d come ‘round,” Arthur murmurs to himself. Merlin, who isn’t quite so beguiled, runs out in pursuit of Mordred.
He knows Mordred is planning to free Kara so they can run away together and Mordred doesn’t deny it. “Tell me you wouldn’t do the same for the woman you love.” Ouch, Mordred. Arthur killed the woman Merlin loved. Granted she was a giant cat at the time and Arthur didn’t know Merlin loved her, but still. That’s gotta sting a little. And honestly, with the exception of Gaius, Gwaine and Arthur, everyone Merlin has ever loved is dead (and his mum, but Hunith is basically dead to the writers at this point so who knows) and I hold very grave fears for two, if not all three, of those people in the remaining two episodes. So, yeah, Merlin can’t tell him that he wouldn’t do exactly what Mordred is doing because we all know Merlin is willing to do absolutely anything for the MAN he loves, so all he can do now is beg Mordred not to go through with it. Mordred says he knows Merlin didn’t betray him earlier and tells him not to do so now.
Merlin explains everything to Gaius so we understand his motivations a little more because, let’s face it, Merlin has busted quite a few people out of those dungeons in his time. He can’t let Mordred free Kara because then Mordred will leave with her and they’ll probably run straight to Morgana and there will be doom for Arthur. Plus, if Mordred remains in Camelot, Merlin has more time to get them back together, or there will be doom for Arthur. “You cannot want Kara to die,” Gaius says and, again, WHY DOES EVERYONE CARE ABOUT THIS GIRL? It has nothing to do with the fact that she’s a Druid and everything to do with the fact that she has admitted to killing people and shown no remorse and admits that she will kill Arthur and destroy his entire kingdom. We’ve been told and shown that every other person like this has been the Bad Guy and suddenly people are walking around thinking this one should be freed because, what? She’s cute? Fuck that. Ugh. Merlin says he doesn’t want Arthur to die, either, and refuses to cower in the face of Gaius’ judgey eyes. I kind of hope that Gaius’ stupidity, especially of late, DOES cause his death next week, even if it will break Merlin’s heart. I’m just really angry at him right now.
Gwen and Arthur are enjoying a boozy dinner when Merlin busts in and interrupts their laughter. Gwen’s indignant, “Merlin!” cracks me the hell up, especially because Merlin gives her a handwavey apology and heads straight to Arthur with important news. After much deliberation and stammering, which has Arthur giving him his full attention (and could have been a ploy on Merlin’s behalf), Merlin tells him of Mordred’s plans. They run out together, leaving poor Gwen behind to choke in their dust. I guess that’s her contribution to the episode out of the way for the week, writers. How DO you do it?
The cells are already empty by the time they arrive, and Mordred and Kara are sneaking through the halls of the castle. They happen upon a guard and, while Mordred jumps back and hides, Kara strides right past him, takes his dagger and promptly slices her way through the guard’s neck. “He’s a Camelot soldier,” Kara tries to reason when she sees that Mordred is shocked at her violent outburst. Unfortunately, the warning bells sound before Mordred has time to actually process this so he just grabs Kara and they continue on their way.
Merlin and Arthur meet up with Leon and Gwaine and Arthur tells them to start searching the forest. Leon wants clarification as to whether to take them alive, because Leon is, again, COMPETENT, and Arthur pauses before telling them to treat them like any other fugitive, “All personal feelings aside.”
The fugitives head out into the forest on foot, accompanied by the urgent music of urgency. Soon after, the A-Team of knights (and Merlin) ride out, accompanied by the urgent drums of urgency. After Percival is again the one to start tracking, they continue on foot, managing to catch up pretty quickly, given that Kara’s injured leg slows her down. While Kara hides, Mordred draws his sword and faces Arthur and Merlin. Gwaine and Leon look on from either side and there’s a tense standoff. Kara uses her magic mind meld to tell Mordred to use his magic and kill them, and how is Mordred not seeing what a bloodthirsty and callous person she really is? “They are my friends,” Mordred tells her and, okay, maybe he IS seeing it a little bit.
It’s basically killing Arthur to refuse Mordred’s pleas to let them go (his FACE) and when Mordred tries the puppy eyes on Gwaine and Leon, they’re not at all comfortable with their options, either. Everyone stands around looking heartbroken except for maybe Merlin who just stands at Arthur’s back with his magical guns loaded and cocked in case of emergency. Kara again tells Mordred to use his magic and Merlin readies his stance as Mordred gathers his power. And just as there’s about to be a magical showdown of epic proportions with Arthur standing in the middle, Percival’s fist comes out of nowhere and knocks Mordred out cold. NICE!
The fugitives are led into adjoining cells and Mordred asks what Arthur is going to do to him. “I wish I knew,” Arthur says sadly, and leaves. Merlin takes a moment longer to glare at Mordred, and then turns to leave as well. Mordred uses the magic mind meld to ask, “Why couldn’t you just let things be?” in his most pissiest, angriest voice. I want my puppy back.
Merlin is man enough to admit that he may have cocked everything up and Gaius claims that some things can’t be changed. Merlin, however, refuses to give up and decides to make one more attempt. If he can convince Arthur to pardon Kara, Mordred will be indebted to the king and won’t kill him. Gaius can’t see Arthur agreeing to this but Merlin thinks it’s worth a shot.
Arthur is broodily looking out his window and wearing that open necked white tunic again, be still my rapidly beating heart. And even though he knows what Merlin is going to say, he turns and gives Merlin his full attention. He says the girl’s fate is sealed, but he is unsure of what to do with Mordred. Merlin advises him to free them both. “The girl’s murdered innocent men in cold blood. We’re at war; I must be resolute.” Merlin asks how one more death will bring about the peace they long for and thinks she can still be redeemed via the power of love. He asks Arthur to give her a chance, to the point of saying please, but Arthur says it’s his decision, and his alone, and goes back to brooding. BECAUSE HE DOESN’T WANT MERLIN TO BEAR THE BURDEN, RIGHT? THAT’S WHY HE REFUSED MERLIN JUST THEN. HE THINKS HE SHOULD BE THE ONLY ONE WHO HAS TO ANGST OVER THIS. JUST LOOK AT THE WAY HE TURNS AND WATCHES MERLIN LEAVE WITHOUT MERLIN NOTICING. HE’S TOTALLY TAKING MERLIN’S ADVICE INTO ACCOUNT. *nodnodnod*
Oh, hey, look who grew a bit of a conscience. When Mordred tries to blame himself for Kara’s predicament, she tells him that she has no one to blame but herself. She says she has just one regret, and they hold hands through the bars and stay like that until morning when Leon wakes them to take Kara to the king. And at least Leon allows them a final moment before leading her away.
Kara is again brought before the court, while Merlin watches on behind Gwaine and crosses his fingers that Arthur will come through for him. And, of course, Arthur does. He knows that Kara is guilty but is willing to offer her a chance. I bet Gwaine totally felt Merlin’s relieved exhale on the back of his neck. “I know that the Druids are a peaceful people. You are young and impressionable, an easy target for the likes of Morgana. If you repent your crimes, I will spare your life.” Merlin nods proudly, and I swear he was mouthing Arthur’s lines along with him. He’s just so happy.
“I cannot repent a crime I have not committed,” Kara answers. Yeah, I’m sick of listening to this shit now. As Merlin sees everything slipping away before him, Arthur’s face is a picture of disappointment and it urges her to think about what she’s doing. “It is not a crime to fight for your freedom. It is not a crime to fight for the right to be who you are.” And she’s right. It’s not a crime to do those things. It makes me extremely uncomfortable about disliking her so much because of this. But it IS a crime to kill innocent people who are NOT infringing on those rights. And if who you are is a Druid, a peaceful people who are connected to the land and use magic as a force of good, is slaughtering an entire kingdom of innocent people really going to give that right back to you? All it does is take away everything you are. I’m not saying Merlin has been any better at helping Arthur see that magic has a place in his kingdom, but this is just like those old crones a few weeks back in that episode I still can’t bring myself to finish recapping because it pisses me off so much. Stop using threats and intimidation and maybe let Arthur see the GOOD it could bring instead. THAT’S why I’m so frustrated with this show - all anyone ever had to do was have enough faith in Arthur to say, hey, here’s this good thing that magic can do for your people, here’s what happens if you use it for love instead of hate, here are people who have a place in your kingdom, here’s how great it could be. And instead, everyone has been all DANGER, NEGATIVITY, FEAR, SECRECY and why did we ever think it WOULDN’T end this way?
Yes, I want Arthur to believe in Merlin and his power. But at this point, five series and however many skipped years later, it’s about time Merlin believed in Arthur. Not in their destiny, not in keeping Arthur alive until things just work themselves out, but in ARTHUR PENDRAGON, the man.
AAAARRRRGH. MUST. STOP. RANTING.
So, yeah, Kara tells Arthur he deserves everything that’s coming to him. I hope it’s cake and rainbows! Can it be cake and rainbows and puppy kisses? That would be neat. Let’s think about that while Kara is hanged, huh? Try not to focus on Mordred sobbing in his cell because that will only lead to further heartbreak.
As the noose is put around Kara’s neck (this would be part of that ‘darker’ world they keep telling us about), Mordred switches from tears to anger and everything around him starts rattling. And as Kara dies, Mordred’s “Noooooooooooo!” blasts his cell door off its hinges. Merlin feels it.
The establishing shot of Camelot is deceptively sunny and bright as Merlin tells Arthur that there is no sign of Mordred. “I let him in,” Arthur says, reclining back in his chair in despair. Merlin tells Arthur not to blame himself for having a good heart. Aw, bless. Arthur sits up and holds his head in his hands. “I shouldn’t have trusted him. I’ve made a terrible mistake, haven’t I?” Arthur says. Merlin hopes not.
Right. Before we go any further and see what Mordred is up to after leaving Camelot, I just want to think about him and what could have been for a second, and just leave this here:
(BRB, crying Disney tears)
In a forest somewhere, Mordred takes a deep, fortifying breath and approaches Morgana’s evil lair of evil. She is waiting for him on her throne and her men push him down to kneel before her. “My old friend. Last time we met, you tried to kill me.” Mordred doesn’t apologise or simper, but tells her that he came with a purpose - to bring her the news she has longed for. Morgana tries to contain her excitement. “Arthur’s death?” Heh.
“The key to it,” Mordred answers, and Morgana nearly comes in her pants. “I was wrong to ever question your wisdom, my lady, and I wish to make amends.” AHAHAHAHA, seriously, I know this is supposed to be dramatic and whatever, but Morgana’s excitement is hilarious for some reason. I have no idea why. She demands Mordred get to the good part, but Mordred takes his time because he knows how to treat a lady right.
Mordred: “There is someone you have been searching for. Someone who has always eluded you.”
Morgana: “Emrys.”
Mordred: “I know where he is.”
Morgana: “Where?”
Mordred: “Camelot.”
Morgana: NO FUCKING WAY.
Mordred: “And I have his true name… … … … … … …
Morgana: I SWEAR TO GOD, MORDRED…
Mordred: “… … It is Merlin.”
Morgana: SEVEN SEVEN SEVEN SEVEN SEVEN
So, yes, Merlin has finally been outed to someone. And while I’m disappointed that the reveal didn’t happen during a magical showdown so we could see the look on Morgana’s face when Merlin pwned her, all I can think right now is that if Morgana is the one to out him to Arthur, I WILL NEVER FORGIVE THEM.
Next Week: Merlin still doesn’t have a seat at the round table, even though Elyan and now Mordred have surely left vacancies and Gwen is filling one of them, for fucks sake. Merlin is in a cave looking very beat up. Morgana and Mordred reform Team!Evil. Arthur draws his sword. “Arthur is nothing without Emrys and Emrys is nothing without magic.” I TOTALLY THOUGHT MORGANA WAS GOING TO SAY HE WAS NOTHING WITHOUT ARTHUR AND GOT UNACCOUNTABLY EXCITED. Pyrotechnics in the lower town. Merlin caves in the cave WHILE HE’S STILL INSIDE. Arthur runs out of a tent while DRESSING HIMSELF WTF? Gwen strides along. Gwaine protects Merlin (SEVEN SEVEN SEVEN SEVEN SEVEN). I see Mordred took his amour as a souvenir. Men march. Lady rides. GO LEON YOU MAGNIFICENT HUNK OF A KNIGHT, OH GOD PLEASE DON’T DIE. Arthur fights a slow-mo battle. Merlin, still in the cave, pounds against the rock and screams out the most heartbreaking Noooooooooo! you will ever hear in your entire life. Seriously, that is going to HAUNT ME for the rest of the week. *rocking back and forth and sobbing into my keyboard right now*
Oh boy, this one’s gonna hurt.
In a land of myth and a time of I don’t know what the hell what because my fucking power went out and I missed half the episode so some girl is suddenly threatening to murder Arthur and his entire kingdom of innocent people and everyone is inexplicably cranky at Arthur for wanting to stop her. Yeah, I’m gonna need to start at the beginning because this isn’t making any sense...
Ah, thanks, Internet. The boys are returning from a productive hunting trip in which everyone caught something. Even Merlin, according to Gwaine. “What did he catch?” Arthur asks, and before Gwaine can answer with, “My heart,” or, “Herpes, my bad,” Merlin informs us all (while trying to ride his horse, balance a crossbow on one shoulder and keep a blanket draped around him) that he did in fact catch a cold. Nobody has much sympathy, and Leon tells Merlin that if he learned to track he’d enjoy it more. “I’m the best tracker here,” Merlin says. Somebody, and I’m assuming it wasn’t one of the horses, snorts.
But before anyone can remind the others of all those times they’ve been impressed by Merlin’s funny feelings and that time he got them out of the awful Sleeping Beauty forest of vines after they’d blundered about all day getting their swords blunt, Percival spots something ahead. It’s an arrow in the ground. Everyone dismounts and creeps ahead in unison, Merlin scurrying ahead to Arthur so he can ask what they’re stalking this time. “A deer? A boar?” Nope, nothing quite so delightful or tasty. “Saxons,” Merlin concludes after standing tall to peek over Percival’s shoulder, which is basically adorable. It’s so sweet that I can’t find it in myself to really care about the carnage and dead knights of Camelot and stuff.
The dead knights had a precious cargo of weapons bound for Camelot, so it’s a pretty safe bet that Morgana is behind it. Gwaine is concerned about her being this close to the city walls, like they were last week, and I still wonder where everyone thought Gwen was meeting her for weeks. Anyway, as Arthur instructs them to check for survivors, Mordred spots a robed figure in the trees and runs off in pursuit. Arthur gives a whistle and a hand signal and everyone else fans out. I love it when the knights are all knightly.
Mordred runs down his prey, who is revealed to be a very pretty girl. “Kara,” Mordred says in surprise, and then tells her to run. She flees just as the others catch up, and Merlin appears to be the only one who notices her. Mordred makes up some excuse about probably seeing a deer and jumping the gun a bit, and it’s not like Merlin can call him out on his lie when the kid knows all of his, so he’s just left to gape as the opening credits roll.
Once he has returned to Camelot, Merlin is extra petulant and a bit annoying and Gaius has just about had enough of the Mordred hate. If it wasn’t for Merlin’s adorable dimples in this scene, I’d be a bit fed up as well. He’s just so…BRATTY.
Click to viewGaius tries to defend Mordred but Merlin is having none of it. “He’s beguiled you, he’s beguiled you all.” Yep, he has beguiled me as well. He is very beguiling. He has the soulful eyes of a puppy and the soft curls of an angel and, yeah, that whole destiny in which he kills Arthur, but everyone has their faults and I’m willing to overlook one or two.
When Gaius and Merlin head out on their rounds, Mordred is lurking around the corner and sneaks into Gaius’ chambers to steal some vials of medicine. Then he dons a cloak of invisibility (or just a regular cloak of mysteriousness, but nobody seems to notice him so it’s hard to tell either way) and sneaks out of Camelot to heal his cute friend. It’s pretty easy to find her with his magical mind meld, though I’m not sure how you can know what direction a voice is coming from if it’s bypassing your ears and being fed directly into your head. Oh, and we are pointedly shown that Mordred snaps a twig and leaves a footprint in the mud as he goes.
Back in Camelot, Leon and Arthur lean over the map of their kingdom and work out a strategy to strengthen protection of their supply routes. Leon is reminded that they are at war, in that way in which someone says they need not remind you but really mean THIS IS IMPORTANT PLEASE REMEMBER IT, and then he leaves so Gwen can pop up out of nowhere and give Arthur a pep talk about how the strength and love of his people is totes better than Morgana’s sorcery. He has the most powerful weapon of them all:
Speaking of love, Mordred and Kara reunite at last and there is much adorable hugging and smiles. As Mordred administers first aid to Kara’s injured leg, she’s all, ‘what are you doing hanging with those losers when you used to be part of the cool crowd?’ and doesn’t quite believe that he and Arthur could be friends. “I believe in Arthur,” Mordred tells her. “You’ll see. One day it will change.” Oh, that look of hope and trust and innocence, how I have missed it since it faded from Merlin’s eyes. We leave the pair to it as they press their foreheads together and hold each other’s faces in their hands and generally be as cute as a box of puppies.
Mordred returns to Camelot the next morning and is immediately confronted by Merlin, who is just fake-casually leaning against the door like a parent who has been waiting up all night while his kid stayed out past curfew. Mordred initially tries the bratty ‘What right do you have to question me? YOU’RE NOT MY REAL DAD’ approach, but Merlin shrugs it off with a particularly pillow-lipped pout. “Why are you doing this?” Mordred asks. “Everything I do, you think the worst,” and OH GOD the little tremble in his voice, the way you can SEE his heart breaking and how he really does care about what Merlin thinks of him. I refuse to believe he is inherently evil.
Merlin gets all up in Mordred’s grill and tells him he saw Mordred let a Saxon go and threatens to tell Arthur. Mordred comes clean and explains that she’s not a Saxon, but a cute Druid girl he knows and he couldn’t let her die. He stops short of revealing how much he cares about her but tells Merlin she needs a few days to heal and then she’ll be on her innocent way. “Please Merlin, I beg you. She’s one of us.”
Merlin agrees to keep Mordred’s secret and even goes as far as to give Mordred his word before Arthur calls out for his manservant and Mordred scurries away. Arthur finds Merlin standing in the doorway looking blankly out into the empty corridor and is obviously curious as to what he’s up to. “I’m like a swan!” Merlin says, randomly. It’s hilarious. Is he feeling feelings for Mordred and has to remind himself that he mates for life (like a swan) and Arthur is the only one for him? Are he and Mordred in some kind of Black Swan AU (which, actually, I can now SEE)? Is he joining my beloved football team? Arthur waits for an explanation, as do we all. “It seems that I’m not doing anything but there’s a lot of work going on underneath.” Hee! Also, AHAHAHAHAHAHA.
Arthur finds all this interesting but sees Merlin more as a head louse - useless and irritating. Wikipedia tells me they also have a mouth highly adapted for sucking, so I think Arthur may make a very valid point here. (Seriously, my search history on Merlin recap days must tell a very fascinating story.) And even though he finds him useless and irritating, Arthur takes his loyal head louse out on patrol.
In the woods alone together, which doesn’t seem like a very safe patrol given that people are being killed so close to the citadel, Arthur decides Merlin needs an education in tracking as per Leon’s advice. He kneels down in the mud and calls Merlin over, asking what he sees. “I see a pair of breeches that need cleaning,” Merlin says in his most put-upon manner. Heh. I love that when Merlin is all pouty and cranky, Arthur just merely sighs and thinks manhandling him for a bit will do the trick. He stands, pulls Merlin over to him and puts a hand on his back to push him down into the mud. Once Merlin is kneeling before him, Arthur asks what he sees now. “Two pairs of breeches that need cleaning,” Merlin says, wiping the mud off his knees. To be fair, I’m pretty sure there are ALWAYS two pairs of breeches that need cleaning when Merlin kneels in front of Arthur like that in the middle of the forest.
Arthur tries to get Merlin to stop focussing on laundry for a second and points out the branch we saw Mordred snap, and teaching Merlin tracking skills is like pulling teeth. After trying to teach an office full of co-workers how to update their own operating systems this week (IT WILL ASK YOU AND YOU CLICK OKAY FOR FUCK’S SAKE IT’S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE) I truly feel Arthur’s pain and admire his saintly patience. Continuing the lesson, Arthur notes that the trail is recent. Merlin looks ahead while Arthur‘s eyes are fixed on his beautiful face.
Merlin: “An animal.”
Arthur: “You think so?”
Merlin: “A deer.”
Arthur: “It’d have to be a big one.”
Merlin: “With very big antlers.”
Arthur: “What makes you say that?”
Merlin: “Because it’s looking at us.”
Big Deer With Very Big Antlers Which Is Obviously In A Different Location To Them: Hey dude. ‘Sup. *chew chew chew* BTW, I’m not Gwen this time.
Merlin gloats for a bit and then nudges Arthur, wanting him to go, but Arthur notices something else - a footprint in the mud which is most decidedly not the hungry deer’s. They follow the trail until some time when things are much darker and wetter. I wish my hair looked that perfect after walking in the rain. I suspect sorcery. Arthur finds fresh prints near the scene of the weapons cargo ambush and shuts down any of Merlin’s attempt to convince him that they’re old tracks from the day before. Well, at least he TRIED to keep Mordred’s secret, but sometimes, surprisingly, Arthur can be rather smart. They eventually reach a pretty spectacular cliffside cave obscured by a veil of vines. Arthur pushes his way through.
Kara’s cute little face pops up from behind a rock and she asks that they don’t hurt her as she limps out toward them. Merlin tells Arthur to be careful but as Kara tells them she means no harm, Arthur sheaths his sword and offers a manly shoulder for her to lean on…so she promptly pulls out a dagger and aims it at his chest. Luckily, Merlin being on full alert means that he’s quick enough to flash his eyes and fling the dagger away from Arthur’s heart without anyone noticing, Arthur just attributing it to his own quick reflexes as he grabs the girl and holds her still. He’s a bit astonished that she would have killed him. “I’m only sorry I failed,” she tells Arthur, and Merlin doesn’t like her very much at all. I tend to agree.
Camelot sits beautifully under the full moon as Kara is escorted to the dungeons. I’m really going to miss this castle and I wonder how long it will take before it pops up in a show again, like how the Luthor mansion from Smallville is now the Queen mansion in Arrow. Mordred watches his beloved get locked up, hangs his head in sadness, and then ambushes Merlin in a corridor, throwing him up against a pillar. Merlin tries to convince Mordred that he didn’t tell Arthur but Mordred is too angry to listen. “You did it because you hate me. This time you’ve gone too far. You’ll pay, Merlin.” And then just when it’s getting good and I’m waiting for Merlin to turn the tables and push MORDRED against the wall and result in passionate hatesex, two knights in shining armour arrive to break things up. Leon is a bit more serious about what they encounter than Gwaine, who is mostly all WHAT THE FUCK? at the sight of the two puppiest members of the gang getting all growly at each other. Leon asks what’s going on and Mordred tells him it’s nothing and storms off, shouldering them both on his way through.
But once Mordred has gone and Merlin is adjusting his collar and smoothing down his jacket, Gwaine gets all concerned and moves close to him, having a non-verbal conversation with his face which is basically ‘are you okay? You’re okay, right? Do you need me to go beat him up? Because I know he’s a knight and we’re supposed to be brothers but if he hurt you I will WRECK him. Seriously, what the fuck is going on?’ It’s beautiful. But Merlin tells him it’s nothing and walks off in the other direction, leaving two very confused and bewildered knights behind.
Kara is brought before the court and Arthur questions her. She admits to being part of the group of Saxons who attacked the shipment bound for Camelot and when asked if she was acting under Morgna’s orders says she did it for herself, her people, and their right to be free. Arthur says, quite rightly, that he has no quarrel with the Druids and does admit to that one lapse that we’d all like to forget but is adamant that he is not his father.
“You don’t kill those with magic?” she snarks, and Merlin raises his head because she does have a point there. She says it’s not she who has to pay for their crimes, but Arthur. “It is you who has turned a peaceful people to war. And it is you, and Camelot, that shall pay the price.” Arthur still refuses to take the bait. He hears Morgana in her words and explains that people like Morgana who have abused their powers of magic are the ones who have caused the rift between their people and forced them to outlaw the practice. See, this is where I initially came in to the episode and he is making so much sense and she is coming off as some silly girl who has been force fed propaganda and sent out to war without really knowing what she’s fighting for. And regardless of what Arthur may think about magic, he reminds her that she’s actually there to be brought to trial for murder.
“They were casualties of war,” she snaps back, and Arthur’s eyes widen like he can’t quite believe how stupid this girl is being. “And I would do the same again, for I will not rest until you are dead and your kingdom is no more.” Seriously, this girl is no Freya. She’s not like any of the other magic users we’ve seen prosecuted and sympathised with. She’s ridiculously stupid and I can’t get any kind of grasp on her motivation because I find it hard to believe that the Druids feel this way about Arthur, especially after the years of peace during his reign. I’m just going to believe that Morgana brainwashed her in order to get Mordred back, because at least that makes sense.
Arthur tries to get her to name the person who helped her, because he knows this person is in Camelot, but she refuses. Eventually, after giving her so many chances, he has no choice but to declare her an enemy of Camelot and sentence her to hang the next morning. As she’s taken back to the dungeons she keeps up the act, telling Arthur that his doom is near. “My only sadness is that I won’t be there to see it.” Oh, Kara, our only sadness is that we WILL be. At CHRISTMAS. *sigh* Mordred looks worried for his girlfriend. Merlin looks worried for his boyfriend because Mordred is worried for his girlfriend.
Once Kara is locked up again, she allows herself to cry. Mordred pays her a visit but they have to kind of talk in code because of the guards. She tells him that she couldn’t betray the person who helped her because that person is very dear to her, and they get their own love theme as his hands cover hers on the bars of her cell. I don’t know, the music is said and the guitars are tugging at my heartstrings a little, but are we supposed to feel sympathy for such an over-the-top character? She murdered people. She feels no remorse. She has admitted and proved that she will murder Arthur if given the chance, despite his reasonable and logical arguments during her trial. Even without knowing who she is, Arthur gave her the opportunity to redeem herself and she threw it back in his face. Why should we even care? And why should this ridiculousness be the reason Mordred turns evil and everything goes to hell? She’s just a stupid plot device that’s been thrown in at the eleventh hour so they can destroy everything we’ve loved for the past five years. And I can’t help but hate her for it.
After she plays the helpless card (“He’ll never show mercy to someone like me.” YES THAT’S BECAUSE YOU’RE A KILLER WITH ABSOLUTELY NO REMORSE AND IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOUR RELIGION AND COME ON, MORDRED, YOU’RE BETTER THAN THIS.) Mordred promises to not let her die, gathers himself and knocks on Arthur’s door. Merlin is in the process of removing Arthur’s clothes, but Arthur makes time for Mordred, because that’s the generous kind of king he is. Mordred drops to one knee in front of Arthur and Arthur looks at Merlin like, WTF? and it’s hilarious.
Mordred flat out admits that he was the one who took the herbs to the Druid girl and asks that Arthur reappeal his sentence. He thinks she is being used by Morgana and is otherwise innocent and Arthur can see that she and Mordred know each other. “Since I was a child, she has always lived inside my heart.” Aw. Arthur gets Mordred to stand up and there is much shoulder-squeezing as he explains that he loves Mordred very, very much and he would do anything for love but he won’t do that. Mordred begs. He actually says, “I beg you, Arthur,” but Arthur cannot risk the lives of the innocent people in his kingdom and besides, the girl has been a bit of a dick about everything and really gave him no choice. Mordred leaves them, brokenhearted.
Merlin doesn’t like Mordred and he doesn’t like this girl who very nearly turned Arthur’s heart into her own personal pincushion, but it’s time for him to go into damage control after seeing how close Mordred is to the edge. Merlin tells Arthur that he will lose his trust, but Arthur knows that the law is paramount and he has no choice but to uphold it. He thinks that, in time, Mordred will understand and forgive him. Merlin fears Arthur is wrong about this.
Mordred returns to tell Kara that Arthur wouldn’t listen. OH COME ON, he DID listen. He listened and he sympathised and he was a hell of a lot more understanding and flexible than she’s been so far. But she feeds Mordred lies like Arthur doesn’t care and that he’s just like his father and he’s not Mordred’s friend, and Mordred swallows it all down like a gullible fool.
As the stage is set in the courtyard for Kara’s hanging, Mordred thinks thinky thoughts. He heads back in to see Arthur and apologise, asking for forgiveness. I love that Merlin is instantly on alert and walks closer to just in case this is his moment to save Arthur from destiny. Arthur, wearing his open-necked white tunic and revealing quite an expanse of hairy chest (GUH) tells Mordred that he would never let something like this ruin their friendship. Bros before foes and all that. Mordred thanks Arthur for taking him in and everything he’s done for him and he’s all steely-eyed and not the sweet puppy we know and love. He shoots Merlin a bitchface on his way out. While Merlin stresses, Arthur sits back all smug and satisfied like, yeah, job done. “I knew he’d come ‘round,” Arthur murmurs to himself. Merlin, who isn’t quite so beguiled, runs out in pursuit of Mordred.
He knows Mordred is planning to free Kara so they can run away together and Mordred doesn’t deny it. “Tell me you wouldn’t do the same for the woman you love.” Ouch, Mordred. Arthur killed the woman Merlin loved. Granted she was a giant cat at the time and Arthur didn’t know Merlin loved her, but still. That’s gotta sting a little. And honestly, with the exception of Gaius, Gwaine and Arthur, everyone Merlin has ever loved is dead (and his mum, but Hunith is basically dead to the writers at this point so who knows) and I hold very grave fears for two, if not all three, of those people in the remaining two episodes. So, yeah, Merlin can’t tell him that he wouldn’t do exactly what Mordred is doing because we all know Merlin is willing to do absolutely anything for the MAN he loves, so all he can do now is beg Mordred not to go through with it. Mordred says he knows Merlin didn’t betray him earlier and tells him not to do so now.
Merlin explains everything to Gaius so we understand his motivations a little more because, let’s face it, Merlin has busted quite a few people out of those dungeons in his time. He can’t let Mordred free Kara because then Mordred will leave with her and they’ll probably run straight to Morgana and there will be doom for Arthur. Plus, if Mordred remains in Camelot, Merlin has more time to get them back together, or there will be doom for Arthur. “You cannot want Kara to die,” Gaius says and, again, WHY DOES EVERYONE CARE ABOUT THIS GIRL? It has nothing to do with the fact that she’s a Druid and everything to do with the fact that she has admitted to killing people and shown no remorse and admits that she will kill Arthur and destroy his entire kingdom. We’ve been told and shown that every other person like this has been the Bad Guy and suddenly people are walking around thinking this one should be freed because, what? She’s cute? Fuck that. Ugh. Merlin says he doesn’t want Arthur to die, either, and refuses to cower in the face of Gaius’ judgey eyes. I kind of hope that Gaius’ stupidity, especially of late, DOES cause his death next week, even if it will break Merlin’s heart. I’m just really angry at him right now.
Gwen and Arthur are enjoying a boozy dinner when Merlin busts in and interrupts their laughter. Gwen’s indignant, “Merlin!” cracks me the hell up, especially because Merlin gives her a handwavey apology and heads straight to Arthur with important news. After much deliberation and stammering, which has Arthur giving him his full attention (and could have been a ploy on Merlin’s behalf), Merlin tells him of Mordred’s plans. They run out together, leaving poor Gwen behind to choke in their dust. I guess that’s her contribution to the episode out of the way for the week, writers. How DO you do it?
The cells are already empty by the time they arrive, and Mordred and Kara are sneaking through the halls of the castle. They happen upon a guard and, while Mordred jumps back and hides, Kara strides right past him, takes his dagger and promptly slices her way through the guard’s neck. “He’s a Camelot soldier,” Kara tries to reason when she sees that Mordred is shocked at her violent outburst. Unfortunately, the warning bells sound before Mordred has time to actually process this so he just grabs Kara and they continue on their way.
Merlin and Arthur meet up with Leon and Gwaine and Arthur tells them to start searching the forest. Leon wants clarification as to whether to take them alive, because Leon is, again, COMPETENT, and Arthur pauses before telling them to treat them like any other fugitive, “All personal feelings aside.”
The fugitives head out into the forest on foot, accompanied by the urgent music of urgency. Soon after, the A-Team of knights (and Merlin) ride out, accompanied by the urgent drums of urgency. After Percival is again the one to start tracking, they continue on foot, managing to catch up pretty quickly, given that Kara’s injured leg slows her down. While Kara hides, Mordred draws his sword and faces Arthur and Merlin. Gwaine and Leon look on from either side and there’s a tense standoff. Kara uses her magic mind meld to tell Mordred to use his magic and kill them, and how is Mordred not seeing what a bloodthirsty and callous person she really is? “They are my friends,” Mordred tells her and, okay, maybe he IS seeing it a little bit.
It’s basically killing Arthur to refuse Mordred’s pleas to let them go (his FACE) and when Mordred tries the puppy eyes on Gwaine and Leon, they’re not at all comfortable with their options, either. Everyone stands around looking heartbroken except for maybe Merlin who just stands at Arthur’s back with his magical guns loaded and cocked in case of emergency. Kara again tells Mordred to use his magic and Merlin readies his stance as Mordred gathers his power. And just as there’s about to be a magical showdown of epic proportions with Arthur standing in the middle, Percival’s fist comes out of nowhere and knocks Mordred out cold. NICE!
The fugitives are led into adjoining cells and Mordred asks what Arthur is going to do to him. “I wish I knew,” Arthur says sadly, and leaves. Merlin takes a moment longer to glare at Mordred, and then turns to leave as well. Mordred uses the magic mind meld to ask, “Why couldn’t you just let things be?” in his most pissiest, angriest voice. I want my puppy back.
Merlin is man enough to admit that he may have cocked everything up and Gaius claims that some things can’t be changed. Merlin, however, refuses to give up and decides to make one more attempt. If he can convince Arthur to pardon Kara, Mordred will be indebted to the king and won’t kill him. Gaius can’t see Arthur agreeing to this but Merlin thinks it’s worth a shot.
Arthur is broodily looking out his window and wearing that open necked white tunic again, be still my rapidly beating heart. And even though he knows what Merlin is going to say, he turns and gives Merlin his full attention. He says the girl’s fate is sealed, but he is unsure of what to do with Mordred. Merlin advises him to free them both. “The girl’s murdered innocent men in cold blood. We’re at war; I must be resolute.” Merlin asks how one more death will bring about the peace they long for and thinks she can still be redeemed via the power of love. He asks Arthur to give her a chance, to the point of saying please, but Arthur says it’s his decision, and his alone, and goes back to brooding. BECAUSE HE DOESN’T WANT MERLIN TO BEAR THE BURDEN, RIGHT? THAT’S WHY HE REFUSED MERLIN JUST THEN. HE THINKS HE SHOULD BE THE ONLY ONE WHO HAS TO ANGST OVER THIS. JUST LOOK AT THE WAY HE TURNS AND WATCHES MERLIN LEAVE WITHOUT MERLIN NOTICING. HE’S TOTALLY TAKING MERLIN’S ADVICE INTO ACCOUNT. *nodnodnod*
Oh, hey, look who grew a bit of a conscience. When Mordred tries to blame himself for Kara’s predicament, she tells him that she has no one to blame but herself. She says she has just one regret, and they hold hands through the bars and stay like that until morning when Leon wakes them to take Kara to the king. And at least Leon allows them a final moment before leading her away.
Kara is again brought before the court, while Merlin watches on behind Gwaine and crosses his fingers that Arthur will come through for him. And, of course, Arthur does. He knows that Kara is guilty but is willing to offer her a chance. I bet Gwaine totally felt Merlin’s relieved exhale on the back of his neck. “I know that the Druids are a peaceful people. You are young and impressionable, an easy target for the likes of Morgana. If you repent your crimes, I will spare your life.” Merlin nods proudly, and I swear he was mouthing Arthur’s lines along with him. He’s just so happy.
“I cannot repent a crime I have not committed,” Kara answers. Yeah, I’m sick of listening to this shit now. As Merlin sees everything slipping away before him, Arthur’s face is a picture of disappointment and it urges her to think about what she’s doing. “It is not a crime to fight for your freedom. It is not a crime to fight for the right to be who you are.” And she’s right. It’s not a crime to do those things. It makes me extremely uncomfortable about disliking her so much because of this. But it IS a crime to kill innocent people who are NOT infringing on those rights. And if who you are is a Druid, a peaceful people who are connected to the land and use magic as a force of good, is slaughtering an entire kingdom of innocent people really going to give that right back to you? All it does is take away everything you are. I’m not saying Merlin has been any better at helping Arthur see that magic has a place in his kingdom, but this is just like those old crones a few weeks back in that episode I still can’t bring myself to finish recapping because it pisses me off so much. Stop using threats and intimidation and maybe let Arthur see the GOOD it could bring instead. THAT’S why I’m so frustrated with this show - all anyone ever had to do was have enough faith in Arthur to say, hey, here’s this good thing that magic can do for your people, here’s what happens if you use it for love instead of hate, here are people who have a place in your kingdom, here’s how great it could be. And instead, everyone has been all DANGER, NEGATIVITY, FEAR, SECRECY and why did we ever think it WOULDN’T end this way?
Yes, I want Arthur to believe in Merlin and his power. But at this point, five series and however many skipped years later, it’s about time Merlin believed in Arthur. Not in their destiny, not in keeping Arthur alive until things just work themselves out, but in ARTHUR PENDRAGON, the man.
AAAARRRRGH. MUST. STOP. RANTING.
So, yeah, Kara tells Arthur he deserves everything that’s coming to him. I hope it’s cake and rainbows! Can it be cake and rainbows and puppy kisses? That would be neat. Let’s think about that while Kara is hanged, huh? Try not to focus on Mordred sobbing in his cell because that will only lead to further heartbreak.
As the noose is put around Kara’s neck (this would be part of that ‘darker’ world they keep telling us about), Mordred switches from tears to anger and everything around him starts rattling. And as Kara dies, Mordred’s “Noooooooooooo!” blasts his cell door off its hinges. Merlin feels it.
The establishing shot of Camelot is deceptively sunny and bright as Merlin tells Arthur that there is no sign of Mordred. “I let him in,” Arthur says, reclining back in his chair in despair. Merlin tells Arthur not to blame himself for having a good heart. Aw, bless. Arthur sits up and holds his head in his hands. “I shouldn’t have trusted him. I’ve made a terrible mistake, haven’t I?” Arthur says. Merlin hopes not.
Right. Before we go any further and see what Mordred is up to after leaving Camelot, I just want to think about him and what could have been for a second, and just leave this here:
(BRB, crying Disney tears)
In a forest somewhere, Mordred takes a deep, fortifying breath and approaches Morgana’s evil lair of evil. She is waiting for him on her throne and her men push him down to kneel before her. “My old friend. Last time we met, you tried to kill me.” Mordred doesn’t apologise or simper, but tells her that he came with a purpose - to bring her the news she has longed for. Morgana tries to contain her excitement. “Arthur’s death?” Heh.
“The key to it,” Mordred answers, and Morgana nearly comes in her pants. “I was wrong to ever question your wisdom, my lady, and I wish to make amends.” AHAHAHAHA, seriously, I know this is supposed to be dramatic and whatever, but Morgana’s excitement is hilarious for some reason. I have no idea why. She demands Mordred get to the good part, but Mordred takes his time because he knows how to treat a lady right.
Mordred: “There is someone you have been searching for. Someone who has always eluded you.”
Morgana: “Emrys.”
Mordred: “I know where he is.”
Morgana: “Where?”
Mordred: “Camelot.”
Morgana: NO FUCKING WAY.
Mordred: “And I have his true name… … … … … … …
Morgana: I SWEAR TO GOD, MORDRED…
Mordred: “… … It is Merlin.”
Morgana: SEVEN SEVEN SEVEN SEVEN SEVEN
So, yes, Merlin has finally been outed to someone. And while I’m disappointed that the reveal didn’t happen during a magical showdown so we could see the look on Morgana’s face when Merlin pwned her, all I can think right now is that if Morgana is the one to out him to Arthur, I WILL NEVER FORGIVE THEM.
Next Week: Merlin still doesn’t have a seat at the round table, even though Elyan and now Mordred have surely left vacancies and Gwen is filling one of them, for fucks sake. Merlin is in a cave looking very beat up. Morgana and Mordred reform Team!Evil. Arthur draws his sword. “Arthur is nothing without Emrys and Emrys is nothing without magic.” I TOTALLY THOUGHT MORGANA WAS GOING TO SAY HE WAS NOTHING WITHOUT ARTHUR AND GOT UNACCOUNTABLY EXCITED. Pyrotechnics in the lower town. Merlin caves in the cave WHILE HE’S STILL INSIDE. Arthur runs out of a tent while DRESSING HIMSELF WTF? Gwen strides along. Gwaine protects Merlin (SEVEN SEVEN SEVEN SEVEN SEVEN). I see Mordred took his amour as a souvenir. Men march. Lady rides. GO LEON YOU MAGNIFICENT HUNK OF A KNIGHT, OH GOD PLEASE DON’T DIE. Arthur fights a slow-mo battle. Merlin, still in the cave, pounds against the rock and screams out the most heartbreaking Noooooooooo! you will ever hear in your entire life. Seriously, that is going to HAUNT ME for the rest of the week. *rocking back and forth and sobbing into my keyboard right now*
Oh boy, this one’s gonna hurt.