Comment on The Passions of Pendragons

  1. AndreKl on Chapter 8 Mon 20 Nov 2023 03:13PM UTC

    Great. For me Gwen was the biggest disappointment of season 5.

    About Arthur's birth: Merlin knew it and he made one of these decisions, where I wanted to kick his ass. Morgause showed the truth. Although her motivation was different, it was one of several chances for freeing magic peacefully, e.g. by arresting Uther. Arthur was never in danger. But Merlin was so obsessed with being Arthur's magic weapon and destiny, that he allowed the war against magic to continue. I believe one of the reasons for Morgana choosing Morgause is the truth about Arthur's birth and that Merlin and Arthur know it (not a lie). One might say that without Morgana, Merlin and Gaius would still talk about Arthur not being ready yet.
    Btw. in the first 3 seasons Merlin was more busy protecting Uther than Arthur.

    For Gwen and child: some nobles might question Gwen as queen if she can't conceive. Blaming Morgana might be risky, because it might reveal the truth about Arthur's birth and that some people knew it all the time. Could also be a challenge for Arthur's reputation as the perfect king, if some magic users tell that to the people of Camelot...

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    1. Doberler on Chapter 8 Mon 20 Nov 2023 04:42PM UTC

      Hi AndreKI.

      Yep, I'd forgotten about Morgause knowing the truth (but she wasn't a part of the court). Not sure if Morgana knew since she never really mentioned it after she turned. But if Morgause really wanted to bring down Uther and Arthur since her Ygraine tactic didn't work with Arthur, why didn't she just whisper Uther's deception in the towns, let those seeds take root and the people rise up against him/them (more than one way to skin a cat)? I don't think Uther could have defended his position against mobs because the knights and soldiers would probably have felt betrayed as well -- the Knight's Code and all that. I also believe the reason Morgana chose Morgause was more because of her birth father than Arthur's magical birth and that she believed she was the rightful heir to the throne.

      If the truth came out about Arthur's birth, the only thing I believe would taint Arthur's reputation is that he kept it hidden. Some truths -- like this one -- should remain concealed for good reason -- why disrupt the kingdom and possibly spur civil war. Uther is dead, Arthur had nothing to do with it, and he's freed magic. If the truth was exposed, it would be challenging for Arthur, but I think he would come out on top in the end.

      Oh! I forgot about Morgana's curse! (Man, it's been 5 years since I wrote that. I'd better go back and read Sorrows to shore up the plot threads I'd missed) But, since Morgana was already wearing the bracelet when she cursed Arthur, it was impotent IMO ... though .... if Gwen never gets pregnant or loses children, then they would certainly start believing that some traces of Morgana's power had been able to seep through the bracelet's bloody grip. We'll just have to see how the story unfolds. Right now, I can't decide.

      You're right about Merlin! It still burns how often he protected Uther and defended the war against magic. That made no sense. Wrong choices, writers of Merlin TV.

      Thank you for the clarification. Your feedback is appreciated.

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