2. The season 1 callback: Arthur lives, but does Merlin?
While the show has told us that Mordred is destined to kill Arthur, the legends actually tell a different story: it is uncertain whether Mordred actually killed Arthur at the Battle of Camlann, or fatally wounded him. If the latter is the case here, it would leave room for Merlin to desperately try to save Arthur any way he could, which we know he’d try to do.
And let’s say that Merlin actually finds a way to save Arthur, but it’d be similar to what Nimueh offered him in the season 1 finale: Merlin can save Arthur’s life and allow him to live and finally fulfill his destiny of bringing peace to Albion, but only by sacrificing the life of another. Like when Uther brought Arthur into the world and Ygraine paid the price, and when Merlin saved Arthur by taking Nimueh’s life.
There are two ways this could play out, then, depending on how intent the writers are to leave us sobbing into our Christmas pudding:
The uplifting ending: Yes, this is is a way for Merlin to actually end on a high note, and for fans to be left somewhat satisfied! Merlin agrees to save Arthur’s life at any cost, willing to sacrifice everyone and anyone to do it, and even offers up his own life in return. But by a twist of fate, the person who ends up paying the ultimate price (either unwittingly, or maybe even by her own free will) is Morgana, who then gets to semi-redeem herself. This way, Emrys does end up bringing about her downfall as the prophecy said, and all the good guys get to live!
The devastating ending: Of course another way this could all turn out is that Merlin saves Arthur’s life, but ends up actually giving his own life in the process, dying before he ever gets to see any of the things Arthur will go on to do because of his sacrifice. Arthur would be left with the knowledge that Merlin had been a sorcerer and given his life for his king, and this would be what he ultimately needed to accept that sorcery isn’t an evil thing, and allow magic back into his kingdom.
The fact that Merlin would finally get all the honour and respect he deserved only after he died would only serve to further twist the knife in our turkey-filled bellies. This is probably the ending which would divert most drastically from the original legends, in which Merlin is always left alive after Arthur dies, but it would be a way for the show to put its own unique spin on the story.
Hmmm. Guess which of these two endings we prefer?
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