Only just found your journal, really like the look of these commentaries. I always feel there's a lot I miss in Merlin episodes, or at least things I don't give enough thought to when I'm actually watching and have then forgotten about by afterwards. It's nice to have something written up so comprehensively.
I just wanted to ask about your definition of "domestic violence", in that at what point does something become beyond..."physical communication", I suppose? (If you addressed this at some point in other posts, apologies, I will go and read them.) Because, I wouldn't really see Arthur threatening Merlin with his sword (alright, I'll admit it doesn't sound exactly friendly) as much more than a physical gesture, by someone who just happens to be holding a sword. I mean it doesn't feel like a legitimate threat to me, perhaps because of Merlin's reaction to it being annoyance rather than fear or disbelief. Or maybe I'm just thinking too many Arthur/Merlin thoughts and it's influencing me to naively think that Arthur wouldn't have actually hurt Merlin at that juncture, no matter how pissed off he got. Only to me, comparing that with the Uther/Morgana throat grabbing and his (fairly convincing) death threats feels like comparing my brother punching me in the arm when I get in the way of Guitar Hero with someone punching someone else in the face and breaking their nose. And that seems something of a faulty analogy.
That is to say, I would struggle to see at the end of episode 9 how anyone could describe the on-screen Arthur/Merlin relationship as physically abusive. (Given Merlin is Arthur's servant - perhaps surprisingly so.)
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Only just found your journal, really like the look of these commentaries. I always feel there's a lot I miss in Merlin episodes, or at least things I don't give enough thought to when I'm actually watching and have then forgotten about by afterwards. It's nice to have something written up so comprehensively.
I just wanted to ask about your definition of "domestic violence", in that at what point does something become beyond..."physical communication", I suppose? (If you addressed this at some point in other posts, apologies, I will go and read them.) Because, I wouldn't really see Arthur threatening Merlin with his sword (alright, I'll admit it doesn't sound exactly friendly) as much more than a physical gesture, by someone who just happens to be holding a sword. I mean it doesn't feel like a legitimate threat to me, perhaps because of Merlin's reaction to it being annoyance rather than fear or disbelief. Or maybe I'm just thinking too many Arthur/Merlin thoughts and it's influencing me to naively think that Arthur wouldn't have actually hurt Merlin at that juncture, no matter how pissed off he got. Only to me, comparing that with the Uther/Morgana throat grabbing and his (fairly convincing) death threats feels like comparing my brother punching me in the arm when I get in the way of Guitar Hero with someone punching someone else in the face and breaking their nose. And that seems something of a faulty analogy.
That is to say, I would struggle to see at the end of episode 9 how anyone could describe the on-screen Arthur/Merlin relationship as physically abusive. (Given Merlin is Arthur's servant - perhaps surprisingly so.)
Is it alright if I friend you?