• “Eru” or “Sneaky” • They/Them (TME) • • I often like/reblog from @eruthiawenluin • • Strictly BBC Merlin sideblog • • Visit my Ao3. Or ✨ don't ✨ • • Merwaine Extraordinaire • • Gwen is the love of Arthur’s life • FAQ: Yes, I am romantically and sexually involved with multiple of my mutuals. For further details, look up the word “lesbian.”
Ahmed and his family have been verified by @90-ghost for a long time now. Still, in the face of inflated prices in Gaza, he struggles to collect enough money to purchase the simplest of things like milk and flour, which are now as much as $1,000 and $750 respectively.
Ahmed and his family are only trying to survive against the starvation that has taken all of Gaza by storm. Ahmed’s sister needs milk to feed her two small children, and Ahmed himself has even fainted from the hunger. Ahmed’s beloved cat has now died of hunger.
There is not enough food to go around. Those with food sell it at prices too steep for people in need to afford. Ahmed does not have much time. He and his family are already in critical condition from starvation and lack of shelter. He has already lost his cat, he cannot lose his family. He cannot lose his life.
Ahmed is able to accept donations at both of the below accounts. PayPal is more direct and will take fewer fees altogether, but if PayPal is not available to you we ask that you please donate to the GFM. It will get to him regardless of payment method. For other options, you can DM me or send an ask and I will make sure that the money gets to him.
My name is Tiffany, and though I live in the U.S. thousands of miles from Gaza, … Tiffany Dickenson needs your support for Help Ahmed Rebuil
Go to paypal.me/AhmedResh and type in the amount. Since it’s PayPal, it's easy and secure. Don’t have a PayPal account? No worries.
We are currently looking for around $2,000 as a short-term goal. We are already partway to this goal at $271. It is urgent that Ahmed gets this money as soon as possible.
Ahmed urgently needs $500 for his mother’s surgery on April 25th (in under 48 hours). I do not have the money myself. Anyone who can chip in, please send money directly to the PayPal linked above, as he will get the money sooner with fewer fees.
I am Ayman, a father from Gaza, trying to provide food for my children. 💔My children are hungry, and I am doing everything I can to keep food on our table. I need $300 to buy food and basic necessities for my family.Even a small donation can help feed my children. If you cannot donate, please share our story. 🙏🤍Thank you for standing with my family. 🇵🇸Donate or share👇
My name is Ayman, I am 32 years old, and I am from Gaza. I am a father doing my best to carry the responsibility of my family with love, but
✅ This campaign has been verified by https://one-palestine.org/
Please donate to this family if you have any means to. They're in an incredibly dire situation, and if this money doesn't get raised as soon as possible, that situation is only going to get worse. Don't feel bad if you can only give a small amount or don't have any spare money, everyone's situation is different, just do as much as you individually can and it will make a difference. Reblogging with tags and sharing this with others will make a good impact as well, the more people this reaches the more people there are helping.
I am honestly shocked by all the harassment I have been seeing on Merwaine shipping fan blogs or even just shippers. I had no idea how bad it's become. I have not been as active on tumblr for years now but I occasionally drop in here and there for a few minutes every few days. Merwaine holds a special place in my heart. I'm a multishipper. I love Merwaine, Merthur, Percival/Gwaine, Percival/Arthur, Gwaine/Arthur, Arthur/Gwen and more. I am so sad to see such immature cruelty. I really thought this was behind us as a fandom. I really thought we were more accepting. I remember when it first aired all the homophobia, racism, ship wars, you name it. It was bad. But the fandom grew, why now is this happening? I just saw a bullying happening on a Merwaine blog. I am so sad to see this and I am so sorry that this is happening. I hope it passes. I hope all the merwaine fan blogs/shippers here take care of themselves. <3
Thank you for the support! Honestly we’re able to recognize that the anon hate is not only morally wrong but also just factually incorrect on the analytical level, so it’s more-so left us baffled than upset. It’s all ridiculous, but as long as homophobia, racism, transphobia, and misogyny remain in society, there’s always going to be people like this on social media. When we have people like this making us into their enemy #1, at least we know we’re doing something right!
I think my fave part is when they pretend to be 2 separate people by using “u” instead of “you” and referring to “the other anon” as if it’s a different person but with identical diction and syntax.
lmao what are you still doing in my friends’ askboxes. go do something productive with all this extra time on your hands. like volunteer at a soup kitchen or an animal shelter. instead of hating on the only black woman character in the show. but then, why would someone who hates black women this much wanna help out the homeless? i guess that explains it!
Mind you, the person this one was sent to is a trans man who specifically draws Merlin and Gwaine as trans men. And anon is, again, a misogynistic shipper of a popular m/m ship (merthur) where they headcanon that Merlin (Arthur’s SERVANT) was born to be his live-in maid. So. Take that as you will.
Where are they finding the time to send all these asks today oh my god 💀💀💀 every time I’ve parked my car today and checked my phone there’s another one. Anon please do NOT start going outside, do NOT touch grass, do NOT collect $200. I’m starting a group for this.
I think my fave part is when they pretend to be 2 separate people by using “u” instead of “you” and referring to “the other anon” as if it’s a different person but with identical diction and syntax.
lmao what are you still doing in my friends’ askboxes. go do something productive with all this extra time on your hands. like volunteer at a soup kitchen or an animal shelter. instead of hating on the only black woman character in the show. but then, why would someone who hates black women this much wanna help out the homeless? i guess that explains it!
Mind you, the person this one was sent to is a trans man who specifically draws Merlin and Gwaine as trans men. And anon is, again, a misogynistic shipper of a popular m/m ship (merthur) where they headcanon that Merlin (Arthur’s SERVANT) was born to be his live-in maid. So. Take that as you will.
your blog means nothing its all just pity likes one day ppl will stop pretending to care about mergwaine to look cool and you’ll have to move on to smth else bc no one cares anymore
did you come on here just to call me a poser 😭😭😭 like aaaaaahhhhhhh!! noooo my one weakness. tf
I love the idea that merwaine is the cool kids’ group liiiike this REEKS of jealousy. If you think merwaine is so cool you could just come over and ship it with us. We’re not exactly gatekeeping it. But then again, it does stand in opposition to anon’s love of defending genocide and monarchism and their utter hatred and disregard for black women so maybe not.
I think my fave part is when they pretend to be 2 separate people by using “u” instead of “you” and referring to “the other anon” as if it’s a different person but with identical diction and syntax.
lmao what are you still doing in my friends’ askboxes. go do something productive with all this extra time on your hands. like volunteer at a soup kitchen or an animal shelter. instead of hating on the only black woman character in the show. but then, why would someone who hates black women this much wanna help out the homeless? i guess that explains it!
Are we shocked that someone who rampantly hates Gwen (the only black woman in the show) and believes that Merlin “belongs” to Arthur is now pushing outright genocide denialism rhetoric? No. We figured that one out from the start. Still, it’s wild to see our suspicions confirmed so vocally. You bring your real life beliefs to the media you engage with, so I had no doubt this person was both succumbing to and perpetuating imperialist indoctrination through their strange little harassment campaign.
I think my fave part is when they pretend to be 2 separate people by using “u” instead of “you” and referring to “the other anon” as if it’s a different person but with identical diction and syntax.
lmao what are you still doing in my friends’ askboxes. go do something productive with all this extra time on your hands. like volunteer at a soup kitchen or an animal shelter. instead of hating on the only black woman character in the show. but then, why would someone who hates black women this much wanna help out the homeless? i guess that explains it!
The divine monarchy is a pagan concept too, see Rome and Egypt. It's not just Christianity and Paganism, it's patriarchy and its entitlement. Also, that post is like Christians were some aliens from Mars or whatever. They were the same Welsh people(in the context of the post) who changed their ideology and rewrote their lore with new spice. They were not "appropriating" celebrations, legends or stuff, it's theirs. Talking about this we must remember that labels change people stay.
Yeah, divine monarchy exists in multiple cultures. In the show, though, and in Arthuriana as a general rule (aka, what the show is based upon), and in the culture which the creators of the show wished to reflect, it is the divine monarchy of a Christian-dominant society.
Idk how to explain this to you but since this ask was likely not sent in good faith, I’m not sure that matters much here, so I’ll just say it in a way that would require willful ignorance to misinterpret:
When Christianity was forced upon conquered peoples, the conquerors themselves were very much present practitioners who did in fact appropriate the practices of the conquered peoples as a means of forced assimilation. Erasing the meaning and purpose of a tradition to center Christianity is a legitimate method. History “repeats” itself, and we see this very same phenomenon across unrelated instances of conquering and colonization.
Note that Christianity almost universally uses traditions such as the Christmas tree despite its pagan origins, yet not all Christians who celebrate with a tree have pagan ancestry. We can infer that this tradition was indeed an appropriated one, or else it would remain specific to that particular pagan culture. It does not make sense that the conquered peoples would have been the ones to spread this tradition themselves. Rather, the conquerors appropriate the tradition and accredit it to their own culture/religion.
The original post this ask is about specifically comes from someone who missed the implicit Christian themes of the show due to the normalization of Christianity as default, and then chose to deflect critique of this by stating that the references to Christianity could have been about any God, angels, Heaven, and Hell from any religion, further revealing the norm of Christianity as default through their belief that apparently any and all religions share in these ideas, or are simply variations of Christian belief.
Case in point, the show canonically alludes to Christianity, especially in season 1, and maintains culturally Christian influences even when the show itself does not recognize the influence of Christianity (plague masks, haloed figures of saints, Christian wedding traditions, etc.) but most notably when it is deliberately referencing Christian beliefs (God, angels, Heaven, Hell, etc.). As it has been pointed out, even the selection of “Southrons” as a common enemy force has religious implications going back to the Crusades and modern Islamophobia.
Christianity is very much present in the show, and to deny it is to deny every problem that it relates to: namely those of monarchism, religious/cultural/ethnic persecution, and patriarchy, all of which are major, inseparable themes.
With the round table scene in The Coming of Arthur: Part Two being so intentional with its pauses and glances, I wanted to point out this moment in Lancelot’s mini-speech that seems to bring Elyan to a realization:
Right there, Lancelot’s gaze drops to Elyan, and it appears he’s seriously considering the idea as a new way forward.
So many of Elyan’s prior scenes were about old regrets, and wanting to take charge of all that he’s lost, now being back in Gwen’s company. And it seems to me that he makes that decision for himself, right then.
Merlin would easily sacrifice or kill Gwaine if Arthur was endangered or threatened. Arthur is the priority n.1
THE ANON HATER FINALLY FOUND ME. I thought they were avoiding me or something 😭😭😭 omg welcome to my blog 💗💗💗 and right when I got some free time opened up omgggg
So we’re gonna start with your critical misunderstanding of Merlin as a character! Trust that no trolley problem is easy on this boy 💔💔💔
Merlin actually couldn’t get himself to kill Morgana, even after she went evil-style on everyone! In fact, there is an entire episode dedicated to Merlin refusing to simply let Morgana die even though it would have prevented the prophecy of Arthur’s death! It’s called The Crystal Cave, precisely 5 episodes into season 3! I’d recommend giving it a watch since you haven’t seen it before! There are multiple other episodes where Merlin has the opportunity to kill Morgana but still avoids doing so, such as 4x06 and 4x07, where she is defeated and unable to defend against a killing blow!
It’s this key quality of Merlin’s character that fascinates fans: he cares deeply for everyone, even for his greatest enemies: he doesn’t want to see them hurt or dead, even if it would make his own life—or defending Arthur’s life—easier!
Now, when it comes to Gwaine in particular, Merlin actually cares about him completely outside the bubble of the destiny + Arthur package deal! It’s part of what makes their relationship so compelling to many fans of the show !!!!
In Gwaine’s introductory episode (3x04 Gwaine; you should watch it if you haven’t already!), Merlin commends Gwaine for his heroism in saving a stranger’s life. However, upon learning that this stranger was Arthur, Gwaine refuses the honor bestowed upon him and tells Merlin outright that he would have let Arthur die had he known it was him. Notably, this does nothing to deter Merlin’s interest in Gwaine; if anything, it only intrigues him further! He suggests that a rich reward is awaiting Gwaine for having saved Arthur’s life, but Gwaine refuses on principle! From this, Merlin infers that Gwaine has a strong moral backbone, though he struggles to understand why Gwaine uses such a generalist approach.
Despite Gwaine’s utter contempt for Arthur, Merlin is enamored and continues to enjoy his company. He attempts to investigate further into Gwaine’s reasoning; and, upon the drunken revelation, Merlin’s natural response is one of understanding.
Even after Gwaine knowingly saves Arthur’s life in the end, Merlin’s desire for Gwaine to stay in Camelot does not come from a sense of duty towards Arthur. In fact, Merlin expresses his desire for Gwaine to remain in Camelot (and his own regret at having “caused” Gwaine’s exile) before he ever learns of Gwaine’s exception towards Arthur among nobles.
From this, we know that:
Merlin does not make sacrifices for the prophecy with ease at all (internal conflict drives this particular story)
Despite Gwaine’s open opposition to Arthur, Merlin does not make any attempts on Gwaine’s life
Now, your homework for today will be to rewatch the following episodes:
1x01
1x03
1x05
1x06
1x08
1x10
2x03
2x07
2x09
2x12
3x01
3x02
3x03
3x04
3x05
3x10
3x11
4x03
4x04
4x06
4x07
4x08
4x09
4x10
5x05
5x10
5x11
5x12
Here is a list of transcripts you can follow as a useful source for citations.
Then, send another ask detailing:
Merlin’s internal conflict in each episode (often a central theme)
When present, the difference in his behavior towards Gwaine compared to others (4x08 is a great example!)
Each occasion on which Merlin spares, or expresses a desire to spare, either Morgana or Mordred, or another character who poses a mortal threat to Arthur (Does he do so at no expense to himself? Why or why not?)
I’m interested to see your analytical skills in practice!
Thinking about how utterly sinister it is that Merlin is robbed of nearly any semblance of 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 support system he could have had. Of any person that would have put 𝘩𝘪𝘮 above Destiny.any person who would have looked at Merlin in Camelot and said "you deserve better than this" .Any person he could truly be himself around with no fear of prosecution, people who loved all of Merlin instead of just the parts he could show them.Literally everyone who knew about his magic with the exception of Gaius and kilgarrah,who both certainly loved Merlin and meant well,but were kind of terrible for him(Gaius because he's maybe definitely a class traitor and was so occupied with keeping himself and Merlin 𝘱𝘩𝘺𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 safe that he neglected that mental ramifications of the crap he was spewing. And kilgarrah because he was so occupied with making sure the golden age arrived that he also failed to consider Merlin's health and feelings in the face of it).
And worse, not only is Merlin literally punished when he tried to step out of the bounds of destiny,when he agrees to run away with Freya in season 2,when he decides to leave his "destiny" and all that it entails behind.nearly all of his loses happen because or related to that destiny.
Freya? Is literally killed by Arthur's hand. Will? Dies taking an arrow for Arthur,not because he gave a shit about him or destiny but because he's a good person who saw someone in danger and acted. Balinor? Dies protecting Merlin in a chain of events started by Merlin releasing kilgarrah,which again due to Merlin needing help keeping Arthur alive. Lancelot? Dies in place of Merlin who was planning to die in place of Arthur.
Hell even daegal, someone who Merlin only knew for a day or so, someone who heard about Merlin having magic in Camelot and you know what he said? "That must be hard" just a simple sentence. Immediate acknowledgement. Thinking about the utter lack of 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 for Merlin's situation —both in universe and out. How this one kid who just found out had more sympathy for Merlin then like everyone else in the entire show. Puts it into words when everyone, including Merlin,dances around saying it. And Merlin cannot afford to think about that, cannot afford to acknowledge that—because it's for "the greater good" because one day this will all be worth it. because,once again, Arthur's life is at risk.
And deagal? Fucking dies protecting Arthur like all the others. One more person who knew about Merlin's magic ,one more person who would have done wonders for Merlin's increasingly dire mental health. One more burden that Merlin must bear alone,that he can't tell anyone about. One more reason why he 𝗰𝗮𝗻'𝘁 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘂𝗽. Why he has to see this through. Because surely,𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺 all this pain, would mean something in the end.
Like no wonder he ended up where he was in season 5. If 𝘐 kept losing everyone I cared about because they kept sacrificing themselves to preserve my boss's existence so he can one day become a decent human being and free my kind from tyranny—i would also drag that destiny kicking and screaming over the finish line ,would also do everything in my power to make sure he survives.
Because the only thing that would be worse than losing everyone I loved ? Would be for those losses to have been for nothing.
You merwains babyify Merlin and make Gwaine his nurse or something. Merlin desired great things and had a big heart, not a heart of a wifey in a flower cottage
Holy projection Batman!
Weren’t you just in my asks saying Merlin was born to serve Arthur? One plus one must equal three to you huh?
So was Merlin born to be Arthur’s tradwife or is he a free spirit. Which is it, anon. Also the misogyny is unsurprising but oh my god. Learn to respect women.
Gwaine: Thanks for everything that you did for Eira.
Merlin: There’s no need to thank me, it was the least I could do. And you seem to care for her.
Gwaine: I could hardly leave her for the Saxons, now, could I?
Merlin: [teasing] Was that your only reason for rescuing her?
Gwaine: [lying] Of course.
[Saxons attack. Gwaine fights them off, but one knocks Merlin to the ground. He curls up and shields his face, completely helpless.]
Merlin: [screaming] Gwaine!
[Gwaine turns his back on the man he’s fighting and saves Merlin. He finishes off the last Saxon without even looking, eyes still on Merlin. He helps Merlin off the ground.]
Gwaine: Are you okay?
Merlin: Yeah, I- I think so. Thank you.
Gwaine: There’s no need to thank me, Merlin. It was the least I could do.
aaaaaaand END SCENE!
To start off with, we have a self-aware parallel in Merlin and Gwaine’s dialogue. We’re going to be examining the subtext of this conversation.
Subtext is simply what can be inferred without direct statement or revelation. It is not, as fandom is wont to believe, inserting any meaning you want between the lines; nor is it synonymous with an explanation for a scene that is unproven due to plausible deniability.
It is a cohesive message expressed by indirect means. Here’s an example:
A student goes to turn in his paper. After looking through two pages, his teacher asks, “Are you sure you want to turn this in?” The subtext of this question is the intended clue to the student that the paper is not ready yet to be turned in and he should edit through it again.
There is an intended takeaway which, while framed politely, lacks an alternate explanation. There is no plausible deniability in this case, though the message remains subtext, because subtext is not another way to say, “not canon, but could be interpreted that way.” It is a subtle form of “show-don’t-tell” expression.
Moving forward… The repetition of, “There’s no need to thank me, it was the least I could do,” is a deliberate allusion to a core theme of Merlin and Gwaine’s relationship through the years: helping another soul—soon to be friend—in need, with no expectation of a reward.
The subtextual reading of this parallel, of course, is that Merlin does not owe Gwaine, and vice versa, because that is not why they help each other. They do it because they care about one another. As a result, they’ve both helped each other innumerably. Gwaine alludes to the help Merlin’s given him as a way of saying that there is no need to return the favor, because 1) he didn’t do it expecting a favor in exchange, and 2) Merlin has more than repaid the favor already.
Another instance where we see this kind of exchange between them is in this deleted scene from 4x07 The Secret Sharer (scene 47 at 15:10).
Transcript:
Gwaine: We’ll find him.
Merlin: I won’t forget this.
Gwaine: I haven’t done anything.
Merlin: One day I’ll repay the favor.
Gwaine: Considering the trouble I get into, that may prove to be a rash promise.
[Gwaine offers Merlin some food]
Merlin: I’m full.
Another deleted scene (they really did just delete every meaningful Gwaine scene in s4 huh) which we have only a script for (though it’s possible it was recorded and the audio edited out) is when Gwaine and Arthur ride out to find Merlin in 4x06 after he’s been captured by bandits. Although this scene did not make the final cut, it is referenced again when Gwaine calls Merlin “Bog Man,” so it clearly has a place amidst the canon material.
(Find the transcription here.)
I think it speaks for itself here, but, “And finding him will be reward enough?” truly captures the selfless devotion that Gwaine feels for Merlin.
Fandom generally accepts the idea that Gwaine would do anything for Merlin, but that Merlin never seems to do the same in return. However, this is likely a misconception of what counts towards a returned favor. Merlin is a physician, not a warrior. Or, as Morgana puts it, “a lover” (not a fighter). We cannot expect Merlin to help Gwaine in the same area of expertise that Gwaine helps him in. He applies himself in other ways.
When they meet in 3x04, Gwaine offers Merlin and Arthur aid in a tavern brawl where they’re clearly outnumbered. Gwaine is injured when his opponent pulls out a knife in a fistfight, and Merlin rushes to tend to his wound. Already, a favor is given and returned between the two.
And, while Gwaine does intend to help both Merlin and Arthur, not to mention the tavern employees, he takes a special interest in Merlin. Merlin is the only one who Gwaine takes the time to introduce himself to mid-fight, even as Merlin shouts for him to watch out as he is being actively attacked. And then, of course, Gwaine does fall to an attack. Merlin treats his injuries both on the spot and back in his own chambers.
One could argue that the introduction of Gwaine to Eira follows a similar format, with Gwaine coming to her rescue, only for her to save him when their attacker knocks him to the ground. Perhaps Gwaine even takes on Merlin’s role as caretaker from 3x04 when he brings Merlin in to treat Eira in 5x12, as opposed to receiving the treatment himself. Then again, it might be more similar to the scene in 4x07 where Gwaine jumps in to battle against Alator’s guard. Like Eira, Merlin also rescues Gwaine when he’s knocked to the ground (though Gwaine doesn’t know it).
As we can see, though, Merlin is not lying when he tells Gwaine, “I’d do the same for you,” in 3x08, nor when he tells Gwaine, “One day I’ll repay the favor,” in the deleted scene from 4x07. Merlin and Gwaine have different services to offer, but they offer to help all the same.
The next portion of the aforementioned 5x12 scene on our to-dissect list is the actual subject matter of the conversation, followed by a visual representation of the very same act.
After Gwaine thanks Merlin for helping Eira, Merlin mentions that Gwaine “seem[s] to care for her.” Gwaine, in an effort to avoid the sexual and romantic implications, diverts to the chivalrous explanation: “I could hardly leave her to the Saxons, now, could I?” Merlin teases him with no relent, though, and asks, “Was that your only reason for rescuing her?” Gwaine responds with a curt, “Of course.”
The subtext of this conversation is that Gwaine’s hurried involvement to protect/take care of Eira stems from a crush on her. This is true, as there were many enemies around, but Gwaine chose the one attacking the pretty “damsel in distress” to fight. He then takes one long look at her and decides to forgo the battle to take her to safety.
Merlin can’t help but notice Gwaine’s feelings for her. She is, after all, staying in his bed even after her wound has been treated, so there is a connection between them… much like Gwaine stayed with Merlin for the remainder of 3x04 until he had no choice but to fulfill the demands of his banishment. This is especially interesting, since the wound that Merlin treats Eira for is on her leg, which is the same spot where Gwaine was stabbed when they first met. Merlin similarly wrapped his wound at the time.
But the main point is the fact that Gwaine rescued Eira from the Saxons with a single-minded fervency, in part because he was attracted to her, and then quickly grew attached.
Gwaine then proceeds to rescue Merlin from Saxons a matter of seconds after this is established.
Allow me to remind you of Gwaine’s sudden change of course in saving Eira.
Now compare this to his rescue of Merlin.
Let’s take a closer look at their dialogue:
Merlin: You seem to care for her.
Gwaine: I could hardly leave her for the Saxons, now, could I?
Merlin: [teasing] Was that your only reason for rescuing her?
Gwaine: [lying] Of course.
When applied to Gwaine’s rescue of Merlin, the conversation about Gwaine rescuing Eira takes on a more powerful meaning. After all, Eira is a virtual stranger who ends up being the traitor in the court. Gwaine sends her to her execution on Merlin’s word (via Gaius as the messenger), whereas Merlin is someone Gwaine has known for nearly a decade. There is a consistent history of Gwaine acting as Merlin’s body guard, which is being enacted again now as Gwaine escorts Merlin through the Valley of the Fallen Kings.
This is also one of the last ever scenes between Merlin and Gwaine. In truth, we are being shown a brief summary of their relationship as it comes to its narrative end—one last hurrah, if you will. And what they choose to show us is Gwaine protecting Merlin in an act of unconditional love.
Eira, like any character, is a plot device. Her interference leads to Merlin being trapped in the Crystal Cave, and Gwaine being tortured for information on Merlin and Arthur’s location. However, her presence as a person Gwaine wants to protect is meant to evoke the memory of every time Gwaine has protected Merlin. The chosen method to imply this was by creating a parallel between Gwaine’s protectiveness over the woman he’s currently sleeping with to his protectiveness over Merlin. Take that as you will.
I think there is a lot of common ground between “subtext” and “possible interpretation” because of the indirect nature of subtext — it often lends multiple possible interpretations — but when unintentional or merely possible messages are automatically classified as “subtext,” you get the common fandom phenomenon in shipper circles where fans believe they are being deliberately “led on” because they were simply able to see something they wanted to see.
It diminishes the credibility of actual analyses of subtext because of the sheer volume of misuse (a “boy who cried wolf” effect). It also diminishes the meaning of subtext itself until it is conflated with “a non-canon interpretation,” even though subtext often relays canon material without denial. Of course, fans then make demands to be *baited (often because they weren’t being baited, and they want their interpretation to be validated) and then follow these with demands for baiting to be followed through on (i.e. making a fanon ship canon).
*Baiting exists, to be clear, but if you have to ask to be baited, then you aren’t being baited. Even if they do bait you after you ask them to, it is not baiting in the true sense of the term. You begged for it, and they compromised. Baiting is specifically a cash grab aimed at luring in LGBTQ+ fans, but a lot of the famous examples of “baiting” are simple fan service.
For example, fans can interpret Merlin’s feelings for Arthur as romantic, but this is not an undeniable message of the text itself, whether stated directly or indirectly. It is not deliberately hinted at, especially not by writers who lean towards homophobic conservatism. There are no deliberate implications that are only overlooked due to plausible deniability.
However, because fans can interpret it this way, it is considered “subtext” when it would more accurately be described as a possible interpretation. Fans then conflate this “subtext” with deliberate baiting, for which they believe they are entitled to a ship canonization. Show writers often respond to this by heavily focusing on the two characters’ dynamic — not wholly unreasonable, as supply then meets demand — at the expense of organic storytelling. Now, other wider-reaching stories that may have been told are sacrificed to make room for more of this popular pair.
In regards to the Merlin & Arthur fan service, we see a narrow focus on this dynamic as per the popular (read: loudest) demand, despite an extensive unexplored cast in waiting. There are hardly any episodes that delve into the Knights of the Round Table or Gwen and Morgana’s stories, despite a strong character presence. While the writers of course have no intention of canonizing the pair that fans ask them to center, they do give as much as they feel is reasonable: many scenes, oftentimes in an empty or exaggerated repetitive formula, of the characters together, deep but platonic.
For those of the gay persuasion (me), this is annoying. Fandom effectively queerbaited me on merthur, when there wasn’t real subtext :/ Many such cases.
That said, when there is indeed gay subtext between two characters, especially without fan demand out of confirmation bias, I find myself quite pleased. Quite pleased, indeed. This is the case for Merlin and Gwaine in 5x12.
Parallels are not often the proof people claim them to be, as again there are usually many ways for them to be interpreted (e.g. love comes in many forms, themes like grief may be the main topic as opposed to romance, there is individual character juxtaposition, etc.). In 5x12, however, the significance of Gwaine saving Eira is implicitly stated to be his romantic/sexual motivation. He was interested in her and so chose to abandon the battle to get her to safety first. Our attention is deliberately drawn to the romantic/sexual implications of Gwaine saving her from the Saxons and taking her in — they are established as one and the same meaning.
Only after having firmly established this meaning, Merlin is attacked by none other than Saxons, from which Gwaine steps in to save him. The meaning is established seconds before the rescue scene it is meant to be reapplied to. We are led by subtext to one obvious conclusion here. It may be stated in the silence, but it is no less canon for that.
What makes this wild is that there was no extraordinary fan demand for Merlin/Gwaine to go canon — in fact, it’s in direct opposition to the popular demand for Merlin/Arthur — but the writers chose to imply this because they felt it was an effective and fitting end to Merlin and Gwaine’s story (as far as it’s relevant to the plot). This was included not because it was asked for, but because they felt it was right.
The point is, subtext and possible interpretations are different things. Subtext can lead to possible interpretations, or it might have just one solid meaning. What it can imply may be canon or may be up for interpretation. “Subtext” is not a substitute for “possible.” The way these words are used is, in gentler terms, a bad miscommunication that has a negative effect on critical analysis by fans. But when properly applied, that distinction can reveal interesting and meaningful patterns. This particular pattern is gay. Happy pride.
