Watching some of my favourite Merlin scenes before I end up crying over the finale. Listing them here for future reference, although they're pretty random and it's far from an exhaustive list. Please feel free to share some of your favourites, too, if you're up for it - I want to remember the good times. :D
"Merlin, meet George!"
Because it's the ep that proves that Merlin really is a rather terrible servant, and still Arthur would have no other, even though he doesn't even know about all the things Merlin does for him. Because polishing is Merlin's favourite, too (and Arthur is aware of this, by the looks of things). Because all three actors nail this scene and it never fails to crack me up.
*
Merlin and the search for Arthur's woodworm (or something)
Because of Arthur's soft, sleepy look in the first scene (he's clearly OK with letting his defences down around Merlin), because the councillors are barely even surprised in the second one (business as usual, clearly), and because Colin's comedy acting in the third nearly had me crying with laughter the first time I watched it.
*
"She is a troll!" Or, how Pendragons inevitably attract and are attracted to magical beings
Speaking of comedy acting, everyone's brilliant in this scene. Just, yeah. (Couldn't find a better quality clip, sorry.)
*
"I'm psychic!"
Or, back when Merlin and Gwen were completely adorable. OMG, look at their wee faces. ♥
*
"Oh, excuse me, Guinevere? My - fans - are waiting."
And since we're on the topic - remember when they were so much fun together? Yeeeah, me, too.
*
"Then I believe you."
[Source.]
(I couldn't find a clip of this??) Because it's the first time Arthur trusts Merlin even though he's probably been taught that he shouldn't. Because look at their faces, askdjdks. :D
*
"If I weren't a prince... we'd probably get on." // "I care a hell of a lot about that armour, I'm not going to let you mess it up."
Because. (Oh, God, watching this now makes me tear up all over again.)
*
"You're my only son, and I wouldn't wish for another."
Because Uther may be an evil bastard, but he loves Arthur more than anything. And this scene is just completely adorable. <3
*
"..."
Because Merlin suddenly goes grumpy and moody and clearly in that situation, Arthur has no idea what to do with himself. This makes me laugh far more than it should. :D
*
"I've always loved you."
Because, gaaah, such a powerful scene - the actors absolutely nailed it, and I'd actually forgotten that at the end of it all, Uther died protecting his son. <3
*
"Driving you mad, is he?" "Not for much longer!"
Because honestly, this scene cracks me up. every. time. Even Leon is apparently so used to Merlin's exasperation with Arthur and trusts him to the point where he just hands Merlin a deadly weapon and sends him on his merry way.
*
"My gooold."
Because I just want to squish Arthur's face something awful in this. Also Merlin's face when he smiles at the end.
*
"Sorry. How long have you been training to be a prat, My Lord?
Because no way is a list of some of my favourite scenes not going to include this. Because it set the tune of their relationship and it's the scene that drew me in. Because Merlin will always be cheeky, and Arthur will always love that about him, even when he thinks he shouldn't.
*
I really wanted to include a bantery Arthur/Morgana scene and a cute Gwen/Morgana one, but alas, my YT skills are lacking, apparently. D: There were other scenes I couldn't find, either, like the scene where Arthur retrieves the flower he plucked for Merlin through the bars of his prison. We've been given quite a bit of fan service over the years (I haven't included any S5 clips because they're still fresh in my memory), but man, back then, they weren't even trying. And these are just the scenes that popped into my head at the moment.
Also, it made me realise how much I miss, IDK, magic in the later series. In the first one, we had Sidhe and unicorns and labyrinths and whatnot, and although I know the troll eps aren't everyone's favourite, they did have that kind of magical quality that is, IMHO, lacking in later eps. Magic beings do still pop up from time to time, but they always seem so incidental - I had hoped to see more of them by now, to be honest. But that just makes me think I should really rewatch the early series again. :D
Unrelatedly (though I may need it after watching the finale), I've been obsessively replaying Let your heart hold fast by Fort Atlantis. It was featured in the latest HYMIM ep, and it somehow strikes me as such a winter song and as a message of hope in dark times. ♥
Because it's the ep that proves that Merlin really is a rather terrible servant, and still Arthur would have no other, even though he doesn't even know about all the things Merlin does for him. Because polishing is Merlin's favourite, too (and Arthur is aware of this, by the looks of things). Because all three actors nail this scene and it never fails to crack me up.
*
Merlin and the search for Arthur's woodworm (or something)
Because of Arthur's soft, sleepy look in the first scene (he's clearly OK with letting his defences down around Merlin), because the councillors are barely even surprised in the second one (business as usual, clearly), and because Colin's comedy acting in the third nearly had me crying with laughter the first time I watched it.
*
"She is a troll!" Or, how Pendragons inevitably attract and are attracted to magical beings
Speaking of comedy acting, everyone's brilliant in this scene. Just, yeah. (Couldn't find a better quality clip, sorry.)
*
"I'm psychic!"
Or, back when Merlin and Gwen were completely adorable. OMG, look at their wee faces. ♥
*
"Oh, excuse me, Guinevere? My - fans - are waiting."
And since we're on the topic - remember when they were so much fun together? Yeeeah, me, too.
*
"Then I believe you."
[Source.]
(I couldn't find a clip of this??) Because it's the first time Arthur trusts Merlin even though he's probably been taught that he shouldn't. Because look at their faces, askdjdks. :D
*
"If I weren't a prince... we'd probably get on." // "I care a hell of a lot about that armour, I'm not going to let you mess it up."
Because. (Oh, God, watching this now makes me tear up all over again.)
*
"You're my only son, and I wouldn't wish for another."
Because Uther may be an evil bastard, but he loves Arthur more than anything. And this scene is just completely adorable. <3
*
"..."
Because Merlin suddenly goes grumpy and moody and clearly in that situation, Arthur has no idea what to do with himself. This makes me laugh far more than it should. :D
*
"I've always loved you."
Because, gaaah, such a powerful scene - the actors absolutely nailed it, and I'd actually forgotten that at the end of it all, Uther died protecting his son. <3
*
"Driving you mad, is he?" "Not for much longer!"
Because honestly, this scene cracks me up. every. time. Even Leon is apparently so used to Merlin's exasperation with Arthur and trusts him to the point where he just hands Merlin a deadly weapon and sends him on his merry way.
*
"My gooold."
Because I just want to squish Arthur's face something awful in this. Also Merlin's face when he smiles at the end.
*
"Sorry. How long have you been training to be a prat, My Lord?
Because no way is a list of some of my favourite scenes not going to include this. Because it set the tune of their relationship and it's the scene that drew me in. Because Merlin will always be cheeky, and Arthur will always love that about him, even when he thinks he shouldn't.
*
I really wanted to include a bantery Arthur/Morgana scene and a cute Gwen/Morgana one, but alas, my YT skills are lacking, apparently. D: There were other scenes I couldn't find, either, like the scene where Arthur retrieves the flower he plucked for Merlin through the bars of his prison. We've been given quite a bit of fan service over the years (I haven't included any S5 clips because they're still fresh in my memory), but man, back then, they weren't even trying. And these are just the scenes that popped into my head at the moment.
Also, it made me realise how much I miss, IDK, magic in the later series. In the first one, we had Sidhe and unicorns and labyrinths and whatnot, and although I know the troll eps aren't everyone's favourite, they did have that kind of magical quality that is, IMHO, lacking in later eps. Magic beings do still pop up from time to time, but they always seem so incidental - I had hoped to see more of them by now, to be honest. But that just makes me think I should really rewatch the early series again. :D
Unrelatedly (though I may need it after watching the finale), I've been obsessively replaying Let your heart hold fast by Fort Atlantis. It was featured in the latest HYMIM ep, and it somehow strikes me as such a winter song and as a message of hope in dark times. ♥