Merlin 2x02 "The Once and Future Queen" Highlights:
So there’s a king plotting to kill Arthur but I have no idea who this king is because they don't use his name in the opening scene
This show’s budget is finally big enough for them to afford jousting tournaments
This is the obligatory famous person undercover trope episode and I love it
It's so convenient that the week Arthur decides to go undercover is the same week there's an assassination plot against him
Merlin running to meet Arthur outside the city (tripping as he does) and then being too out of breath to explain to Arthur why he's late
The clothes Arthur puts on are actually Merlin’s which means that Merlin canonically owns a swishy blue cape and it's a tragedy that we never get to see him wear it
Ohhhhh the king trying to kill Arthur is Odin
(and now I lowkey want a crossover fic where it's the MCU Thor that Arthur 'murdered')
(but obviously he doesn't die because it's Thor and Thor isn't allowed to die)
(and then later he joins the knights of the round table)
(him and Percival could be long lost twins or something)
Neither Arthur nor Gwen really wanting Arthur to hide out at her place, but Merlin insisting that it’s the only way to make the plan work (because, again, Arthurian legend needs to Arthurian legend)
Arthur voicing concerns about whether or not their random farmer looks like a knight and then the smash cut to the most bedraggled looking dude in the world
The farmer pulling a face and attempting a bow or something (?) to make himself look more knightly but just looking slightly more weird
Like this dude was the funniest character in the episode. I'm upset we never see him again.
*Trying to train Sir William of farmland* Merlin: "Imagine you're really arrogant. Knights like to believe that they're so much better than everyone else." – Arthur: *to Merlin* "It's not arrogance!" *to William* "Ignore him." (they literally couldn't be any more married without actually being married)
"Glad to see you're resting, Merlin. I take it that means you've got the energy to clean my leech tank." (Why are parents like this?)
Arthur taking over Gwen's house and being an oblivious dick about it
All of the visor shots where you only see their eyes
Arthur: "I do the work and someone else gets all the praise." – Merlin: "I know the feeling."
Gwen's lavender dress is everything
"When I win this tournament - if I win this tournament..." he's cocky, but at least he's becoming self-aware.
Gwen being 900% done with Arthur by day 2
Merlin's teenage angst rant when Gaius confronts him about the leech tank
Arthur realising that he's been a bit of an arse and Gwen further expanding on that fact for him
Gwen exploding at Arthur but realising right at the end that she's still speaking to the crown prince and adding "my lord".
When Merlin bumps into Gwen and she tells him that Arthur's cooking her dinner, an extra walks past and he has literally the prettiest hair. It’s not important to the plot at all, I just thought you should know.
That shot of Arthur opening the chicken's legs.
"You're trying to impress her?" (Merlin frowns the entire time he says this because he knows that the HMS Gwencelot is about to potentially hit a giant iceberg.)
"Hope Gwen's impressed with your cooking." (Merlin grins as he says this because he knows that Gwen is going to flip her shit when she realises that the food comes from the palace kitchens and Arthur lied to her. The HMS Gwencelot is safe.)
Gwen's so nice. She doesn't seem surprised that Arthur's cooking is really good or go in with expectations that it's going to be bad because he's been cooked for literally his entire life and probably wouldn't have ever needed to learn how to. She gives him the complete benefit of the doubt. The only thing that tips her off is the branding on the plates.
Arthur being humble enough to ask for permission to stay at Gwen's house and insisting that he sleeps on the floor, but still insisting that Merlin goes to fetch his mattress (because let's not get ridiculous here)
Arthur's soft little face in the buildup to the Arwen kiss
The Arwen kiss y'all. Like even though it's not my favourite ship, anything that reminds me of the sunrise scene at the end of Pride and Prejudice (2005) gets a free pass
Myror's weapon of choice is a hand with a spike protruding from it where the middle finger would be if you were flipping someone off
The lances look kind of like corndogs covered in mustard and now I have a craving
Arthur learning a valuable lesson in humility and proving his noble Gryffindoryiness (shh it’s a real word)
The cute little forbidden glance between Gwen and Arthur in the court scene
Gaius, Merlin and Arthur being super amused when Uther talks about William being the new champion
Merlin having to clean out the leech tank in the end and Gaius laughing when they end up all over him
