Yesterday I finished my Merlin S4 rewatch, and dear god, there were so many fucking times when Merlin could've revealed his magic. I don't understand why the writers decided to extend that secret until the last episodes.
Like, imagine what the last season of the show could've been if it were a whole season of Arthur/Camelot adjusting to magic. Court Sorcerer Merlin, the whole Mordred plotline handled differently, maybe even a redemption arc for Morgana.
There have been a lot of times when Merlin could have revealed his magic to Arthur throughout the series. What better moment to do so than after Agravain's betrayal? Arthur would still be reluctant to trust in magic, and it doesn't solve everything right away, but why not use that as an opportunity to prove why he shouldn't dismiss Merlin every fucking time?
It bothered me so fuckig much that by season 4 Arthur is still thinking less of Merlin's opinions/advices just because he is a servant. Why does all the growth he has in respecting non-royals extend only to Gwen and the knights? Time and time again, Merlin has shown him that not only he has the best interest in Arthur's he is also a loyal friend.
It feels like a misopportunity not to use Agravain's betrayal as the final nail in the coffin and to show that magic can be trusted and has been protecting him even when he didn't believe all the times Merlin warned him.
