Hm.

[selenak]

I.) Last night I was at the opera. This year, the Munich opera did the entire Ring and last night they showed the final part, the Götterdämmerung. Unfortunately, after the three previous productions were all well sung and imaginatively staged (the first production in which bringing masses of people who aren't in the script on stage actually worked

Comments

[selenak]

Yes, I'm spoiler free, and hope to remain so.

Arguments: yes, I've seen them. I also think Arthur was wrong to banish Gwen but don't think the narrative approves - note that the knights (who all, like everyone including Gwen herself, believe she acted of her own volition) when discussing Elyan in "Herald of a New Age" believe it would be understandable if he turned against Arthur because of Gwen's banishment - none of them says "ah, but she deserved it/it was the right thing to do because..." Re: Merlin not making the link between Shade!Lancelot and Gwen's behavior, well, Morgana's spell is far subtler than the show's previous love spells or possessions. Gwen doesn't walk around acting differently from the way she normally does in her interactions with others during the episode (whereas in the cases of Uther and Katrina, Arthur and Sophia and Arthur and Vivian there was definite ooc behaviour involved, plus they were incapable of thinking of anyone but the person the love spell was for. (Which makes sense since in all these cases,

[zahrawithaz]

Which is absolutely baffling. Merlin spoke up for Gwen in 4x09, was apparantly the only one to see her off, kept speaking up for her and in 4x11 after realising what must have happened went looking for her and saved her life.Jumping in to say, yes! This! Consider me equally baffled. (I am also fairly sure sending Gwen to Hunith was Merlin's idea, which is both politically astute--it gets her out of Camelot, but not out of reach, for one--and compassionate

[selenak]

there's the larger context of 1) the deep Merlin/Gwen friendship, which you have to willfully ignore to read his treatment of Gwen in 4x09 as malicious

Yes indeed. Even before the next episodes with Merlin repeatedly bringing Gwen up etc. confirmed this, it never occured to me to read his presence at her house when she leaves as anything other than supportive (especially given in combination with his "Gwen is a good person" conversation with Arthur in the very same episode), so I was well and truly stunned when I saw people interpret it as "slut shamming". What the hell? thought I. You really have to ignore every scene between Merlin and Gwen ever, and every scene relating to Gwen which Merlin is in ever, until that point, to make that assumption.

Morgana's victory in 4x09 fits into a larger pattern of Merlin not being effective.s3 and s4 having declared that Morgana and Merlin are sides of a coin and each other's destinies as well, it occurs to me that they both share a prophecy-and-person related flaw. After getting the Emrys

[zahrawithaz]

I was well and truly stunned when I saw people interpret it as "slut shamming". What the hell? thought I. You really have to ignore every scene between Merlin and Gwen ever, and every scene relating to Gwen which Merlin is in ever, until that point, to make that assumption.Yes! Exactly! I was really shocked as well. (Especially when it led to "Gwen should dump both boys & hook up with Morgana," who has actively been trying to kill Gwen for over a series now.) You also have to ignore everything we've ever learned, ever, about Gwen's intense sense of privacy and disinclination to show her vulnerabilities, even to people she's close to, to read Merlin's farewell as antagonistic instead of respectful

[selenak]

By Jove, I think I've got it. Thanks to you mentioning Annis.

How does this work for you: shortly after Gwen's coronation, Camelot receives a message that Annis is marrying her daughter to Prince X., and invites various Albion royalty for the festivities. The invitation to Arthur and his new wife is a gesture of politeness; while Arthur gained her respect, he did kill her husband and the bride's groom, and so he's supposed to decline. However, someone has a brainwave. If Gwen goes instead of Arthur who is detained by plot device X in Camelot anyway (or simply needs to supervise rebuilding after the most recent war), it will allow her to strengthen relationships with Annis' kingdom, perhaps even build up a genuine friendship with the Queen, her daughter and Prince X the likely next king (Gwen didn't do anything to any of them, is good at making friends, and Arthur knows Annis is an honorable woman who will judge Gwen on her own merits), and this will introduce her to various Albion royalty as Camelot's new queen under Annis'

[zahrawithaz]

I am smiling with glee at this description!

Love the brainwave about sending Gwen to the wedding (something I can imagine the OT3 coming up with in combination); the massive potential for Gwen showing her queenliness, and of course the divide between how she feels and her duty, which is so Gwen, in many ways; Gwen being a detective on two counts; the prospect of Merlin & Gwen, the last people to have seen Morgana, encountering her again; Morgana continuing to plot; the potential for Gwen/Merlin friendship; and of course Gwen finally getting the resolution she so richly deserves. Plus, Queen Annis + Queen Guinevere = A+!

I really hope you write this!