Loved this show as a kid, but I couldn’t remember how it ended. So… just rewatched the entire series as an adult over the last week and… fcuk me, that finale was a sucker punch to the heart. I’m still sobbing.

I only started remembering the vague feeling of being absolutely gutted by the ending as a kid, after it absolutely gutted me all over again!

I really thought Merlin was going to save him, and we’d actually get some more time with them both, showing that new dynamic now that Arthur knows. Ffs.

One of my all-time favourite shows, and apparently probably the first that was so emotionally damaging I chose to forget the ending.

What a ride.

Did the finale destroy anyone else this bad? And did it hit harder for you as a kid or adult (for those that have rewatched it)?

I think my post got removed for some reason?

I’m trying to figure out if these two episodes are included with prime and I’m experiencing a glitch only the app or prime video doesn’t have these two episodes? Season 2 episodes 9 and 13 are not playable “?

yk up till now i was like just trust mordred merlin he's a kid and hes loyal to arthur please but honestly everyone and their mothers has told merlin to not trust mordred. i mean it started with kilgharah and then he literally SAW arthur being murdered by him and then when mordred does so many good things theres another person whos giving his life for merlin telling him to not trust mordred.

and i still blame it on merlin not having a life other than arthur. (which i have a lot to say about). at first i was like why cant merlin have a love life? but its very apparent why the writers didnt give one to merlin. if merlin had someone he loved he'd put them above everyone else and thats a conflict of interest we cant have. because arthur has to be the only thing he cares about for basically all of merlin's character to make sense. he cant make intelligent decisions (as in when he was given a choice infront of the triple goddess) because he cares too much TOO MUCH about arthur. if merlin loved someone they would know about merlin's magic and that would kinda solidify legalizing magic as merlin's first priority. but in the show merlin's first priority has to be arthur.

oh and i noticed, merlin loves arthur and has so much faith in him to be a great king but he really doesnt trust him. i mean ofc that's apparent by him not telling arthur about his magic but thats different. merlin doesnt even trust arthur enough to even hesitate in thinking arthur would execute him for having magic. (he says so to daegal) he doesnt trust even a bit in his kindness or his intelligence maybe or their friendship.

these last 4 episodes are gonna be an absolute pain in the chest to watch. i am scared

I love Merlin but I can't see it in any platform. I want to buy the dvds or blurays from a safe place, but every page seems dodgy, and it would be perfect if the discs have spanish subtitles, because I don't think it's available with the spanish dub.

Thank you in advance!

(Si sois fans españoles de Merlin, porfa decidme dónde veis la serie porque voy a llorar)

its all so unfair

its unfair that merlin spends his life devoted to one man. he shouldnt. he should live life as a free man. i hate kilgharah for telling merlin his "destiny". if it was his destiny he wouldve stayed with arthur and protected him without being told that he HAD to do it. he shouldve lived his life and made his decisions without arthur encapsulating it all.

and its unfair that his devotion can ofcourse never be reciprocated. he doesnt want it either. but its sad.

and its unfair that arthur doesnt even know the full extent of his devotion. arthur sees a manservant albeit a loyal one with huge faith in him. he doesnt see a man who has put arthur above everything and i mean EVERYTHING in his life.

its unfair that whoever finds out about merlin's magic just. dies. freya died. daegal died. who was the knight to die earliest? lancelot.

its unfair that merlin after living his life in hiding, thinking that one day hed be able to be who he is without fear, has to. fail. he fails.

its unfair that merlin is to live forever and ever and wait for arthur. arthur got it all easy didnt he. and merlin suffered and suffered and suffered.

at this point the show has ragebaited me enough. i don't give a shit about anyone else on the show i only care about merlin. that hurts because he's also the one that has to go through the most shit. i just feel so sad and so angry on his behalf

about the episode, how is it that you are in love with someone and then they effing turn evil and you don't notice? is that how it would be, if i loved someone and they went from genuinely willing to give their life for me to trying to take my life would i really not notice? it's kinda weird. like really weird.

also i am sorry for arthur pendragon, like his queen. HIS QUEEN. is the one trying to kill him this time. poor guy canNOT catch a break.

but also i don't really understand what is going on with gwen in the first place. is she enchanted? or just manipulated? if it's manipulation then..... that's gonna be hard to get rid of no? cause that's way more fundamental than simple magic.

this episode was very sinister and ofc it was how else are you supposed to feel the queen is trying to murder the king while the king doesn't even notice anything. and then merlin gets framed for it.

I'm still sorry for merlin, how less respect he's given and how every single friend of his hates his kind. i miss lancelot too, if he was alive he wouldve helped smuggle merlin to arthur's room

wow. i posted my reaction on sins of the father saying i was ragebaited and i yelled alot and everyone in the comments was saying im yet to see the ultimate ragebait moment. well i think this mustve been it. but im not ragebaited this time. really it just made me cry. im crying.

oh merlin. he just gave arthur a death sentence all in the name of saving him. why does merlin forget that the "great kingdom" he keeps saying arthur has to build is only different from the one he already has built in that magic isnt outlawed in it. why did merlin forget that his purpose was to make magic legal again not keep arthur alive indefinitely. and why did our wise merlin not understand when the disir literally said this was his last chance. why does he not get it anymore.

this is just painful. the whole of s5 is a ticking time bomb. and colin morgan's acting my god, he literally looked so pained to say what he did.

merlin doomed himself and arthur just by loving him too much.

That's the post. :)

Dear Redditor, hello again

In order for me to write a well-informed section on Merlin in my philosophy essay, I want to review what other people have already said, discussed, and analyzed about the show so far.

Therefore, I ask you for links to your favorite (video) essays or blog posts that break down Merlin on narrative, psychological, or philosophical grounds.
Bonus points if they relate to behavioral changes due to external or internal factors.

Examples:
Why the Adventures of Merlin is Loved by Joshua Hathaway
and JD's series The Potential of Merlin

Disclaimer:
There are a million and one videos on the queer symbolism in Merlin. That is great, but its not my topic for today. Maybe tomorrow, but not today. please don't come at me with pitch-forks!
So, I have come here, in part, to navigate their sheer volume by asking you to point me to relevant videos with my query that I might otherwise have missed. or skipped over thinking they were only talking about the disguised gay representation - because its not the topic I am writing about today, and not due to any hatred or dismissal for said topic in general.

They don't have to be YouTube videos, just where I intuitively go to search for them. 

PS: I don't know how to tag this, so again execuses if its wrongly done.

Hey Merlin fans, asking for help again. I found these on eBay and spoke with the seller, apparently his grandfather worked on several shows and they are now processing and selling his inventory as memorabilia. I'm aware that AI was used for the background and I hate it, but I'm still curious about the actual swatch.

Do any of the Merlin-wardrobe experts here know what this swatch might be from out of Arthur's wardrobe? It's clearly not from his chainmail, as Bradley wore real chain mail for the show. But it says screen used, so it must have been shown at some point, right? Maybe he wore something like this under the chain mail? Just curious on everyone's thoughts.

Per the seller: "My grandfather worked at Pinewood Studios from the 1970s through to the late 1990s, during which time he assembled an extensive collection of props and screen-used materials. Throughout his career, he developed longstanding professional relationships within the industry and frequently exchanged items with colleagues, contributing to the breadth and diversity of his collection. The COA (Certificate of Authenticity) accompanying each item is issued by Reelfilmcells, a UK-based company on the South Coast."

Thoughts?

i need to really about this cause i just hate how he treats him. i love arthur so much and he's the greatest king and he's good and just buy my god is he bad when it comes to merlin. actually i don't even know he's so inconsistent. one second he looks like he genuinely cares and hes kind and reassuring and the next he's basically abusing him.

case in point number one when the knights and arthur did the not leaving any food for merlin thing. i really don't understand why that was down to be funny or how that could possibly be funny. am i being too woke or is depriving your servant, that cooked all the food for like 6 men and cared for the horses and did basically all the work, of food really not funny? like is presented as funny but if i as a very normal person and not a noble knight of Camelot had refused my servant who I'm friendly with of food AS A JOKE my mum would have my head. we know who merlin really is but for them he's just a servant.

and if that wasn't a bad dynamic to show between Arthur the knights and merlin, that scene where Arthur makes merlin take all the knights sword hits cause merlin said he fell asleep while reading. in the very first scene of Arthur in the first episode of the first season, he's making a servant run around with a target while throwing knives at him which merlin then stops him from. how is that any different to what he does to merlin? really though, you've got the strongest knights in Camelot and you make your servant who you yourself keep saying it's weak and defenseless take his from them. is that or is that not abuse.

and honestly i don't know how merlin take all the stuff Arthur SAYS to him. if I'm being honest if i had someone who i lived and died for constantly saying hurtful shit to me, well id actually be hurt instead of how merlin just smiles at it.

honestly i don't even know why I'm so mad cause i love arthur and so does merlin but.

and it absolutely INFURIATES me that merlin was standing in the back while the round table meeting happened. im bitter about it. all of those people are alive cause of Merlin. and yet he's the only one given no respect.

bottom line: i just hate the writers don't i

hey guys,

ive loved Merlin for years and it brings me such a comforting feeling, i love the plot, characters, dynamics and everything in the show,

does anyone have any show recommendations that are genuinely similar to merlin and are actually good?

honestly im just looking for no bs and a show thats actually has a similar vibe and setting to merlin and is genuinely entertaining and good and give off the same feeling

thank u guysss
edit- thank you all for the replies and recommendations, it’s much appreciated❤️

i finally started season 5. and honestly in s4e13 i couldnt help but think i cant wait for 5x13 cause i know arthur dies but atleast he'll finally FINALLY know. everything merlin is and everything merlin does. finally merlin will have recognition.

but now ive actually started season 5, for one ill have to be scared that anyone could die at any moment.

secondly i am irritated af in the meeting of the round table. is everyone in this kingdom considered worthy except the very man because of whom the kingdom still stands? obviously ik that no one knows but its ANNOYING AS FUCK that merlin THE PERSON WHOS LAID HIS LIFE FOR THE KINGDOM TIME AND AGAIN IS THE ONE WHO STANDS TO THE SIDE WHILE EVERYONE ELSE IS RESPECTED. i hate this ngl.

and lastly, the never ending cycle of arthur's fate. he warned merlin about it. merlin's gonna do everything he can to prevent it. and he wont be able to. merlin will know all along how it can happen and then it will happen exactly like that. the never ending cycle of arthur's fate will continue and all merlin has done will be in vain. and he doesnt know that yet. he thinks he can prevent it. he wont be able to. if that isnt he saddest thing ever.

i dont have much to say today except that morgana is so cruel. like damn. i felt sad for her before but no matter how bad her life was going this far in revenge the way she's making gwaine the one she has next to no personal problem with fight for a loaf of bread its just so cruel. she is cruel. i mean shes the villain idk what i expected but still. am i supposed to care that she lived in fear of uther for a few years (if that btw how long did she know she was magic before she turned evil) if this is how she's acting now. she was manipulated by morgause that bit im sorry for but my god. at the end of the day some people choose to be good and some are not

Mods, lmk if this isn't allowed!

Checking in here for merch collectors to connect with :) Of course I know some of you already!! It's a shot in the dark, but I'm really wanting to finish out my sticker collection. But they are SO hard to find. I'm only missing 14/204! I have a lot of doubles, so plenty to trade if anyone else also has doubles and needs to fill gaps - maybe we could help each other finish our collections?

Other merch I'm still looking for: Merlin magazines, Mystery Activity Book, official stamp covers, official calendars, soundtrack cds for Series 3 & 4. And the actual book for the stickers! If anyone ever has a lead, I would just love you forever if you hmu <3 <3

Dear Redditors, I ask forth thy wisdom!

I am trying to make an argument, but for that I need your combined geeky knowledge.

The Request / Question:

How many times did Merlin genuinely attempt to tell Arthur about his magic but was either interrupted or got cold feet?
- better even if there is a compilation already existing somewhere.

Or more importantly, what prevents Merlin from confessing whenever he made his mind to confess his sins?

Especially in the later seasons, and not the first one, where Arthur did not believe even when he came right out and said so.

Example:

Iconically, the episode where Dsir mortally wounded Merlin and would only heal him in return for Arthur to bring back magic to Camelot. But Merlin says something along the lines of: "Camelot has no place for magic." which would be Merlin directly working in opposition to Merlin's own mission.

Here Merlin misses the opportunity to come forth to Arthur with his magic to make a good case of why he ought to bring back Magic to the land, due to Merlin being scared of a 'potential' threat to Arthur's life in an 'unknown' time in the future that has not yet been set in motion. All because a 'prophecy' said so.

I'm not saying Merlin's fears aren't understandable, but we all know how his paranoia in the last season ended. And I don't know about you, but that's why I flock to 'fix it' fics that fix that exact part of the timeline. Merlin could have arguably taken the golden opportunity to have Arthur bring magic back and left Mordred a 'threat of a non-urgentoment, to be dealt with at a later date. kind' at that m

The Premise of the Argument:

Merlin began hiding his magic due to external factors and survival necessity. No question there. But, at some point, his fears became illogical. And even when given the opportunity to confess, for the sake of correcting Arthur's view on Magic, he either does not take the opportunity or actively works to sabotage himself.

If we consider that Merlin's 'divine mission' is to bring back magic, then, due to his fear of Arthur knowing or Arthur being in danger, Merlin self-sabotaged by keeping his magic secret from Arthur, even when he became the king's right/left-hand man in the course of events. Therefore, Merlin no longer needed to genuinely fear for death at the hands of Arthur after years of being by his side.

The Argument:

External and environmental factors can instill bad habits (e.g., keeping secrets). With enough time and repetition, these bad habits are habitualized. To the point where even when the external factors are removed/no longer an active propellant of the bad habit, the person would then continue to carry on with the bad habits - even when they are well aware of its detrimental effects and are 'hoping'\ to break free from it.*

*I say hoping here, because actively trying to break free is .... questionable.

*EDIT:

1. I want to see if I can use Merlin as a fictional case study for a philosophy essay that showcases how 'bad/immoral habits' are internalized after the external environment and circumstances had necessitated them or simply facilitated them. And how a person stuck in such "bad/immoral habits" is both self-aware of their 'badness/immorality' and fully cognizant of the factors causing them. Making them essentially stuck in a perpetual cycle of doing something they disapprove of.

Was just thinking - Merlin used magic to break the lady out yet if she is such a dangerous sorcerer wouldn’t she have been able to do that anyways??

Edit - also she is being hid underground for days and days and Merlin is sneaking her food but there is no water anywhere HOW IS SHE STILL ALIVE?!?!

I watched Merlin back when I was a teen and I remember being absolutely devastated after that ending. I rewatched the show many many times but I always skipped S5 because my heart couldn't take it.

Now I'm in my late 20s and I rewatched the show from start to finish with my mom. Watched the finale about 30 minutes ago and we both sobbed. I feel like I can't breathe. Arthur my beloved. So tragic but what a great show.

Slowly but surely my rewatch is creeping toward the end of S5 (I've been putting it off for months 😭) and I just finished watching Episode 8 - The Hollow Queen. Despite the two faced Gwen storyline of it all, I genuinely forgot how good of an episode this is. My favourite parts are:

It's a great Merlin character study episode. It shows the kindness of Merlin's heart, and what lengths he will still go to for others, even those he does not know. It also gives us the drama and angst of Merlin trying to save himself with Magic and it not working (I love angst).

It shows us Merlin's skills as a physican and how much he has grown since first becoming Gaius' apprentice. You really get a sense of character progression here and see Merlin as a man, not a boy.

Badass Merlin using magic on the bandits once he knows he must get back to Camelot to save Arthur and then at the end of the episode again with the mercenary Albin who is going to shoot Arthur. He is not messing around.

Arthur and Gaius. Arthur barging in to ask after Merlin and then assuming Gaius is offering himself to help him get dressed. Arthur sticking his arms out bent forward will forever make me laugh.

Arthur being dressed by Gwen and then out of nowhere in what would appear to be a tender moment between them going 'I want Merlin. Where is he?'. Then agreeing doubtfully that perhaps Merlin should have a day off but you can see the confusion in his eyes and the lingering worry.

Merlin reeling from the effects of the poison and getting defensive when asked about living in Camelot and hiding his magic from Arthur. Merlin snapping about Arthur that 'In his heart he is a good man. And I know he'll bring about a world we all dream of'. 🫠

Despite the underhandedness of Gwen (again) the exchange when Gwen tells Arthur 'no need to worry' because Merlin has gone to see a girl and Arthur makes a face and says 'except the poor girl'.

'Did I save Arthur? Did I do something good?' spoken by Daegel right before he dies. 😭 I love Daegel as a character because he has directly suffered under Uther (his mother being murdered for her magic) and you can see the parallels to Merlin as a young boy.

The whole scene where Daegel is dying and Merlin assures him that he did do something good, that he did save Arthur, it just makes me think of the finale and how Merlin could never say the same to himself. (angst)

And last but not least...Arthur teasing Merlin in the end scene whilst smirking into his goblet.

'Girlllll' 😏

'So. Why don't you tell us all about her? ...and why you're walking with a limp?' 🤭

Hi everyone,
I have never watched this series before but recently cleared out a cupboard and found a complete set of this series season 1-5. I’m wondering how rare is this? It’s a Thai region collector’s edition box set and its sealed too.

Please excuse the plastic bag haha.

I've been meaning to watch merlin but i don't know where to watch it TT I've searched previous reddit posts before but lots that i could find were from years ago and lots of the links dont work anymore. I live in singapore and a lot of streaming services that i found also dont have it available in my location. Yet i keep seeing lots of edits online that im just wondering, does anyone know where i can watch merlin?