fic: Season 5 episode codas
And I realise once more that I haven't been posting here about my episode codas... the last one of which I wrote last night after watching the final episode.
You can find the full series of fics here on AO3. To misappropriate a song, 'it is complete now, two ends of time are neatly tied'.
Reflecting on the process of writing these codas each week, I have to say it's been way way easier than I'd anticipated! As when I did the same thing in the second season, I took it on thinking it would be a challenge. Oddly (or not), the most difficult episodes to write for were when Guinevere was Evil!Gwen under Morgana's spell. Why it seemed more wrong then for her husband to be having an affair with his man servant while still honestly loving Guinevere, I have no idea, but there it was. I got through, in any case!
Another thing that surprised me - given that I like me a bit of porn - was that many of these stories just naturally did not include sex, and were more about the deepening emotional commitment between the two men. Perhaps this was a reflection of how much more mature the characters are in the fifth season - and much kudos to Colin and Bradley for making them so. I think someone should write a dissertation on Colin's evolving body language throughout this show! Another reason, relating to the first, might be that intense sex was perhaps the only way they could really understand or convey their feelings for each other in the second season. They were so much younger back then, after all.
I wanted to say something here about how much I loved the final episode for returning the focus to the heart of the show, and the loving bond between Merlin and Arthur. But even as I typed that sentence I immediately started weeping again! Perhaps I will leave that thought here, and come back again some later time. Anyway, they really did our OTP proud, and we are free now to imagine their shared destiny on Arthur's return just as we wish. I have to thank them all for that. I didn't have faith that they would do that so very well.
Crying now. But then I always cry at the end of the Arthurian tales. Even movies such as 'Excalibur' and 'Camelot', which I've seen umpteen dozen times, still make me cry. And at least, with our glimpse of the future in 'Merlin', we ended with hope and faith.
I don't think it's a bad thing that we cry. We are meant to. For better or worse, that is part of the Arthurian tales - that they tried so very hard, and they lived their dreams for a while, but ultimately it ended. I grieve because the dreams were so very beautiful, and it hurts so very much that they all come crashing down. That doesn't mean that we shouldn't strive to live our dreams as bravely as they did.
But that is all very much my own opinion, to be taken with a pinch of salt or ignored, as you wish.
Thank you all for sharing this magical journey. Here's to it all long continuing. For the love of Camelot!
♥
P.S. The song is 'Tomorrow, Wendy' performed by Concrete Blonde, written by Andy Prieboy.
You can find the full series of fics here on AO3. To misappropriate a song, 'it is complete now, two ends of time are neatly tied'.
Reflecting on the process of writing these codas each week, I have to say it's been way way easier than I'd anticipated! As when I did the same thing in the second season, I took it on thinking it would be a challenge. Oddly (or not), the most difficult episodes to write for were when Guinevere was Evil!Gwen under Morgana's spell. Why it seemed more wrong then for her husband to be having an affair with his man servant while still honestly loving Guinevere, I have no idea, but there it was. I got through, in any case!
Another thing that surprised me - given that I like me a bit of porn - was that many of these stories just naturally did not include sex, and were more about the deepening emotional commitment between the two men. Perhaps this was a reflection of how much more mature the characters are in the fifth season - and much kudos to Colin and Bradley for making them so. I think someone should write a dissertation on Colin's evolving body language throughout this show! Another reason, relating to the first, might be that intense sex was perhaps the only way they could really understand or convey their feelings for each other in the second season. They were so much younger back then, after all.
I wanted to say something here about how much I loved the final episode for returning the focus to the heart of the show, and the loving bond between Merlin and Arthur. But even as I typed that sentence I immediately started weeping again! Perhaps I will leave that thought here, and come back again some later time. Anyway, they really did our OTP proud, and we are free now to imagine their shared destiny on Arthur's return just as we wish. I have to thank them all for that. I didn't have faith that they would do that so very well.
Crying now. But then I always cry at the end of the Arthurian tales. Even movies such as 'Excalibur' and 'Camelot', which I've seen umpteen dozen times, still make me cry. And at least, with our glimpse of the future in 'Merlin', we ended with hope and faith.
I don't think it's a bad thing that we cry. We are meant to. For better or worse, that is part of the Arthurian tales - that they tried so very hard, and they lived their dreams for a while, but ultimately it ended. I grieve because the dreams were so very beautiful, and it hurts so very much that they all come crashing down. That doesn't mean that we shouldn't strive to live our dreams as bravely as they did.
But that is all very much my own opinion, to be taken with a pinch of salt or ignored, as you wish.
Thank you all for sharing this magical journey. Here's to it all long continuing. For the love of Camelot!
♥
P.S. The song is 'Tomorrow, Wendy' performed by Concrete Blonde, written by Andy Prieboy.