I think at the end of the day we as a fandom seriously need to discuss how in the TGC novel, Merlin was meta-forced into a relationship with Ginger but still was the one who:
Cried onscreen for the first and only time when Harry died; he didn’t even cry when HE HIMSELF was about to die. (Some fascinating implications about that.)
Canonically tried tirelessly to make Harry remember him, going through several trials that didn’t make it into the movie but were doomed to fail anyway because he would always stop too early/couldn’t tolerate seeing Harry in pain or distress
Stole a Statesman plane for Harry with absolutely zero context as to why a (as far as he was aware) TRAITOR asked him to (which, if you haven’t read the novel yet, Harry canonically went completely dark and rogue from Statesman & Kingsman after Whiskey died. He went to Singapore and beat the shit out of a druglord. Statesman had no idea what he was doing or where he was; Merlin had NO REASON to trust Harry.)
Going off of point 1, sacrificed his life for Eggsy and Harry without hesitation. I understand it’s a whole “duty” thing, but Merlin is so SO important to the Kingsman on his own and he KNOWS this as evidenced by his conversations with Ginger. There’s always other agents, but there’s only one Merlin. I’m incredibly glad Eggsy and Harry survived, but why in god’s name would he do that (or implicatively value himself as lesser)?
I dunno. Maybe I’m delusional about Merlahad. Maybe I just find these things too painfully funny. Maybe I just wish Merlin got a better situation than what he ended up with.
That is, of course, not even counting the weirdass pervy aspects the novel added to Merlin for no reason that were just downright out of character. But you get the point. I don’t like the novel much. Or TGC for that matter.
