Ah, true love. It’s a subject that has been debated since the beginning of time. In this Shakespearean-inspired instillation of Merlin conversation, Ruby and I once again get our hands dirty debating Arthur’s — is it Gwen? Is it Merlin? What is true love, anyway?
And why do I now have Haddaway stuck in my head?
Ruby: Do I detect echoes of A Midsummer Night’s Dream? Trickler the Jester comes off like a classic Shakespearean fool, while also playing the role of Puck in this episode — although he kind of shares that role with Merlin. They’re both responsible for the romantic mayhem in the castle.
Julia: Definitely, definitely Shakespearean. Though I think Trickler’s much more like Puck — Merlin would be Oberon, perhaps? It’s not really a perfect metaphor. Though Arthur acted like an ass this entire episode. But perhaps not the head of an ass. If Arthur had the head of an ass, we’d miss out on all his amazing elastic face. His pretty, pretty face.
Ruby: We’ve spoken before of Bradley James’s epically hilarious facial expressions. Well, tonight was a bonanza. When Olaf growled, “Unhand her or suffer the consequences!” and Arthur grabbed Vivian’s hand to his chest, he made the most adorably ridiculous frown of indignation I’ve ever seen. And all the goofy grins, the pouts, the scowls… I was trying not to break a rib from laughing so hard. Bradley did good. His delivery was perfect — like when Gwen said she wasn’t there to wish him luck and he remarked, “Well, honestly, that’s rather rude.” Spot-on delivery.
Julia: Bradley James really surprises me with his range. Whenever you read interviews, he’s really self-deprecating, downplays his own intelligence and talent. He doesn’t act like a Very Serious Actor, but he’s pretty phenomenal. Not just a lovely face, ladies!
Ruby: The only thing that got in the way of my complete happiness during all the cute Merlin and Arthur banter was that pesky dressing screen.
Julia: I agree. All Merlin and Arthur scenes should be played shirtless from here on out. What? So many shows have fanservice in the form of hot ladies with heaving bosoms. Time for us girls to have our day. Though, I suppose, if they were shirtless, we couldn’t have had the cute little old-married-couple clothes fussing while make faces at each other and trying to discuss girls.
Ruby: Arthur is hilarious when he’s enchanted — it’s like he’s drunk. Not to mention clueless (he and Merlin trying to figure out how to woo a girl — that was priceless). On his way to Viv’s room, Arthur skipped the Fannie May counter and stopped by the rotisserie instead. “It is destiny, my love! Destiny and chicken!” Now if that pick-up line doesn’t work for you, I don’t know what will.
Julia: I think that’s Arthur’s big move, if you remember from episode two when he has his whole looking-between-the-chicken-legs moment. Bring a girl chicken and she’ll be yours! Forever! Unless they’re vegetarians. Worked on Gwen, didn’t it?
Ruby: After minimal Arthur-Gwen interaction in the past few episodes, we finally hit the mother lode. Right from the beginning, that little laugh that they shared behind Vivian’s back was precious. Then there were all those misunderstood conversations, which I half-cringed, half-laughed through. (I was sad for Gwen, but Arthur was such a riot — I couldn’t help myself.) And then poor Gwen, waiting by candlelight with her prettiest shawl on, just broke my heart. But that kiss in the tent made it all better. I think it was far more romantic than their first kiss — he even leaned her back like a real hero’s supposed to. Lads, that’s how you kiss a lady.
Julia: See, to me, this episode epitomizes everything that is totally wrong with the Arthur/Gwen romance. They still have almost no interaction and yet somehow we’re suppose to believe they’re totally in clandestine love? Or that Gwen is Arthur’s true love? Really? How many times have they actually talked to each other? Sure, when you’re a teenager you can be totally in love with someone after two conversations and it’s infatuation and that’s great, but to break the spell it had to be true love’s kiss, but puppy love is not true love. Sorry, guys.
The only time I have ever bought that Arthur and Gwen would be cute together was the initial conversation when Vivian first came and they were laughing together. They should take note on this show — you build up believable romance by having your characters actually interact with each other.
Plus, since when is Gwen totally in love with Arthur? Because right now all they’re achieving by her going “I love Merlin! No Lancelot! No Arthur! No Lancelot! No Arthur!” makes her look like a total flake. And obviously, she’s not, or she’s not supposed to be, but instead of giving her character development so you can buy her as a queen, they just trot her out whenever they need a romantic interlude. Not to mention that pretty much everything she’s ever found endearing about Arthur has been a gesture that was actually Merlin’s. The note? Merlin wrote it. The flowers? Merlin’s idea. It seems to me like Arthur is just infatuated with Gwen and Gwen loves Lancelot, but since he’s not around she’s transferred her feelings to Arthur thinking he’s like Lancelot when really he’s not. The Merlin/Arthur hybrid might be, but Arthur on his own? Is not.
I’m still huffy over the whole true love thing so far as the kiss goes (though it was a very, very good, pretty kiss, I agree there). I suppose that if we’re talking about who Arthur loves the most, Gwen makes the most sense to kiss him. If we’re talking about Arthur’s true love in the sense of who loves him for everything he is? I still say it’s Merlin. Gwen and Arthur wouldn’t even know each other existed if Merlin wasn’t playing Cupid and nudging them together. That’s not true love, guys. I just don’t buy it.
Ruby: Merlin tells Gwen, “Anyone who spends five minutes with you two knows how you feel about each other.” Apparently that doesn’t include Morgana; she dropped that huge bomb on Gwen and didn’t even figure out Gwen’s reaction. My dear Morgana, I love you, but … are you blind?
Julia: See, I took that to mean a few different things. One, I took that to mean that Morgana’s kind of in her own place dealing with her growing magic and, unlike series one Morgana who would have been all up in the budding Gwen/Arthur whatever it is, she’s completely removed and has no idea what’s going on.
Second, I took it to mean that when Merlin says it’s totally obvious that Gwen and Arthur have hearts in their eyes for each other, he’s lying his little butt off. Unless by “how you feel about each other” he means “you two are in love with the idea of the other person but if you ever got around to spending a little time together, you’d be able to realize that the person you’ve made up totally doesn’t exist and we could get over this whole debacle.”
Though I suppose it’s a good argument for Gwen’s eventual infidelity with Lancelot, if she marries Arthur thinking he’s one person only to realize that he’s not the guy she thought he was at all. In modern times? That spells divorce. In medieval times I suppose your options were a little more limited.
Ruby: Something I don’t get — hasn’t Olaf ever heard of a shotgun wedding? Okay, so they didn’t have shotguns in Camelot, but “broadsword wedding” doesn’t have the same ring to it. My point is, Olaf’s an idiot. Your daughter, a princess, falls in love with a prince, who happens to be the son of your buddy, a.k.a. the king with whom you’re about to sign a peace treaty. A less moronic king would get those kids hitched while they’re still enchanted and then say, “Aha — too late!” once the love wears off.
Julia: Clearly, Olaf never played Risk as a kid.
Clacked by Julia Hass 
on Jun 11, 2010 @ 23:00 EST5EDT
This actually made my day…I have to say. You two should seriously go into stand on comedy… it’s great.
LMAO…Merlin is definitely Arthur’s true love. (Even though I love Arthur/Gwen as do I love Gwen/Lancelot) But Merlin is definitely the Arthur’s other half (I mean really…who else talks to you about wooing girlsxD)
But what was most epic in the whole episode was definitely Arthur’s line deliveries and the facial expressions to go with it. I died…it was hysterical.
You two are a riot. Loved your take on this episode. Had to LOL about Arthur’s true love – which is Merlin, btw, since he’s the only one who really knows Arthur well enough. Loved the wooing girls bit and if you didn’t know it, Colin and Bradley came up with all the gestures, etc for that scene and the director didn’t change anything.
I’ve stated before that I proudly ship both Merlin/Arthur and Gwen/Arthur, but I’ve never been blind of the flaws of both canon relationships. With Merlin and Arthur, there’s the dragon in the room — Merlin’s magic. With that between them, they can never be fully honest and open with each other. With Gwen and Arthur, well, you pointed it out quite well — they hardly spend any time together and appear infatuated with the idea of each other. Clearly, in the canon sense, Gwen and Arthur are better off as friends.
Bradley James was hysterical in this episode, with his face acting and what-not. *snorts* I absolutely loved him acting like he was freaking drunk out of his mind. About the only thing that made me flail a bit was when Arthur smacked Merlin for making a smart-ass comment about what a brat Vivian was. The look on Merlin’s face — the ‘WTF?!’-ness, and even the little bit of hurt (since Arthur’s never really done anything like that to Merlin before) — was priceless. I even heard later that Bradley was very uncomfortable with the idea of slapping Colin like that and asked the director if he could do something else (like grab Merlin by the shoulders and push him roughly against the wall and growl at him really up close in his face), but still had to go through with it.
Poor, poor Gwen. I did feel sorry for her, getting let down and all that. :( Plus, the fact that Morgana seems perfectly oblivious to Gwen’s feelings about the whole thing was rather off-putting. In the first series, Morgana would have known almost immediately that something was different about Gwen these days and would have demanded to know what was happening. The fact that Morgana’s so deep in her own problems that she doesn’t notice Gwen’s really shows how things have changed.
I could kill the dragon for his whole ‘true love’ comment. Because ultimately, I think Arthur loves both Merlin and Gwen, albeit in completely different ways. Merlin is his other half, the other side of the coin, and such. Gwen is the grand idea that he aspires to (which ultimately is not enough for a happy and lasting marriage, but he doesn’t know that). I think there is room in Arthur’s heart for both of them. But then, this is all very complex and television is hardly the avenue for trying to show this.
Great discussion for the episode!
Hey Kim! I totally agree with you about Arthur loving Merlin and Gwen in different ways. I see his feeling for Merlin as brotherly love (as in the sense of the Greek word philia), while his “love” for Gwen is at this point more of an infatuation or crush (as in the sense of eros, more about passion and longing).