TW FOR VIOLENCE, DEATH AND SUICIDE.
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I can't believe I'm finally done! I had a blast making this video, it's been my baby for ages. It's my take on a more darkish continuation of canon. I'll go into more detail after the video specifics!
There are manual (English) subtitles available!
►Song: Through the Valley by Shawn James
►Fandom: Merlin
►Programs: Sony Vegas 17, After Effects and Photoshop
►Colouring: mine
#fanvidfeed #Merlin #Emrys #arthurpendragon #merthur
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Here's a thorough explanation of everything in the vid:
Basically, I kept canon the same here, except for a couple of things. Merlin doesn't age physically (unlike what we see in the show's ending) and Kilgharrah gets replaced with a GoT dragon (what can I say the VFX are much cooler).
Whenever you see bearded merlin, that's an older post-Arthur merlin. And the video jumps back and forward a bit.
It starts with an older post-Camelot Merlin (00:05) (during the witch burnings), and then there's a clip that's takes place earlier on when Gwen is still alive and queen (00:15) (after Arthur's death). It's a battle/invasion that I'll leave open for interpretation because I didn't think through it a lot, but it can't be in Camelot (the city) itself, because of the sea. I'm thinking they went to a coastal fortress to defend themselves against the invading Saxons. Then we have more battles (00:23) (I'm thinking the one in season 4, where Merlin calls on Kilgharrah, since he's supposed to die in season 5).
Then we have some visuals for the great purge (00:33).
I leant on a couple of fan theories: that Merlin is magic itself made flesh and bone, and that his birth was a direct result of the great purge (because such a great amount of magic was snuffed out suddenly, it concentrated and poured itself back into the world all at once -- into merlin -- basically balance, and magic being this immutable force that can't be created or destroyed, only transformed and passed on).
Then we get to see Merlin through the ages, until the present day (01:10), struggling with his immortality.
There's a callback to Camelot and the witch hunts (01:25), and then we get Camlann! Where he called on Kilgarrah this time! (01:36) It is intercut with a later post-canon scene, where Guinevere has been captured by some warlord or another. (01:45) Leon goes to Merlin for help and rescues her (this is not long after Arthur's death, which is why Merlin still looks like he does in canon). I like to think that he didn't go back to Camelot immediately after Arthur's death, taking some time to mourn where he disappeared and isolated himself (kind of like his father). So that could have been the trigger for him to go back to Camelot and help Gwen in her queendom (and now we have a much darker Merlin that's more ruthless and less willing to take risks, thus him blowing up the saxons right out of the sea).
At (01:56) we get Camlann again.
Then we have Merlin losing Gwen and Leon to the years (02:01), and we see the impact of being alone throughout eternity on his psyche. We get some nightmares (02:19), mostly centred on Arthur (because they'd absolutely be -- #merthurforlife).
There's Merlin talking down some soldiers going after him during the witch hunts (02:36).
In (02:43) we see Merlin in Avalon lake (I'll be honest here, my intention wasn't to put Merlin on the isle, I'm not sure if it's even supposed to be accessible, but I couldn't find a way to put him on the other margin).
We get Merlin in present-day (02:44), still chasing breadcrumbs (and maybe even starting to doubt his sanity a little bit? -- "Was King Arthur a real person?").
And then,,,, the attempted suicides (02:49). Because you can't tell me a person with Merlin's behemoth amount of trauma wouldn't develop a major depression after lifetimes of being alone -- not knowing quite what he's waiting for or if it'll ever happen).
Aaaand (03:06) Merlin has maybe lost it a little bit. I think he tries to venture into necromancy and some,,,, not-great stuff (magic-wise). But we catch a glimpse of Arthur at (03:19) so either it worked or... well, you decide.
Also at (03:11), we have a painting of Gwen in the background of Buckingham palace. It was commissioned by Merlin sometime during the renaissance period (does not mean that the painting itself is renaissance style). He made sure it found its way into the royal treasuries and it is displayed to this day, so it would probably have been the work of a famous artist. (In reality, it is a very beautiful portrait by Thérèse Schwartze that I have edited to feature Angel Coulby).
I've also used audio and footage from various shows and movies, including: King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, Humans, Corsage, The Living and the Dead, Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon, The Witcher, Cursed, Sherlock, Avalon High, Medici: The Magnificent, Doctor Stange in the Multiverse of Madness and The Crown.
6 сен 2024
