InsaneJournal

In defense of Gwen/Lancelot
I've been reading the reactions to Merlin 2x04 "Lancelot and Guinevere." Some squee, some criticism, which is normal and as it should be. But I thought I'd respond to some of the criticism that I don't find fair. I don't expect this to turn anyone into OMG GWEN/LANCE FOREVER!!, just to offer evidence that the relationship makes sense. (Well, as much as anything in this show makes sense.)



People have been commenting that the relationship between Gwen and Lancelot is rushed and came out of nowhere. The word I would use is "sudden." The background for their relationship is sparse but there. When they first meet, Lancelot treats Gwen like a lady, like she's special just for being her. Morgana's used to that kind of treatment, but Gwen's not. It's not surprising that it would get her attention. Plus, they share a moment before Lancelot goes off to fight the griffin. (Hm, I'm detecting a pattern here, Lancelot, and I'm not liking it.) I've seen people say that Gwen's too practical to ever think of Lancelot after he left. I don't think that one follows the other. Gwen is too practical to mope around the castle after he left. But it's hardly unreasonable to imagine that Gwen occasionally thought about the attractive man who was very nice to her, and whom she felt a connection with.

The second time they meet they share much more than a touching moment. Lancelot adores Gwen, and Gwen feels very strongly for Lancelot. They kiss. Too much? I don't think so. Lancelot is exactly that type of person. He became attracted to Gwen when he first met, and he's had time to dwell on that. Putting her on pedestal to the point where he's head over heels with his image of her seems in character for Lancelot. (Note that I didn't say healthy, I said in character.)

Now, Gwen is an extremely stressful and emotional situation. She knows that Uther isn't going to pay the ransom. She doesn't think that there's any hope for her. Hengist doesn't help by playing up the "no one's coming for you" thing. But wait! Here's Lancelot! Lancelot who acted like she was worth something to him before, Lancelot who sees the sun and the moon in her now, Lancelot who promises to rescue her. Is it any wonder that she'd become strongly attached? And there's no forgetting that tense, life or death situations can cause people to bond very quickly. So, while I would have preferred something more slow and gradual, how it happened didn't feel particularly wrong to me.

However, if you think that I'm going to defend the way that Lancelot abandoned Gwen, you're very wrong. That was an incredibly stupid and unkind thing to do, and it pisses me off that no one is considering Gwen's feelings. That said, I blame the writers for writing themselves in a corner. What would have happened if Gwen and Lancelot actually talked?

Lancelot: I won't come between you and Arthur!

Gwen: He said that nothing can ever happen between us. His dad won't allow it.

Lancelot: But he has feelings for you!

Gwen: He dumped me. What about my feelings for you?

Lancelot: ...Let's get married!

Gwen: Let's date first.

Lancelot: Also good.

It kind of screws up the Arthur/Gwen thing that is clearly being planned.

And on the subject of Arthur/Gwen, there's been some dissatisfaction from that camp, which is largely manifesting itself by bashing Gwen and Lancelot. There's a lot of talk that Gwen is a slut for kissing Lancelot, and that she was completely forgetting Arthur. This upsets me, and I'll tell you why.

Arthur cut off their budding relationship. He kissed Gwen, then told her it wouldn't work out. What should Gwen do? Should she hopelessly pine over a man who's dumped her? Let's remember the history of the Arthur/Gwen relationship. For the first ten episodes, he ignored her except for that time her arrested her for a crime she didn't commit. He first really pays attention to her in 1x10 (one of the best scenes in the whole show) and then in 1x13. In 2x01, she saves his life and he babbles at her. (Poor guy was probably suffering from a head injury and can be forgiven for not being entirely coherent.) Their first extended interaction comes in 2x02, and he spends most of that time being an entitled jerk. He kisses her, then tells her they can't be together. Now, I'm not bashing Arthur/Gwen, and I'm not saying that their end relationship will be bad. The writers are obviously going to give them a lot more to work with as the show progresses. However, as of 2x04 Gwen is single. Arthur dumped her. And to see Arthur/Gwen fans bashing Gwen for daring to look at another man (who clearly thinks the world of her and who doesn't hide his feelings behind arrogance and insults) reeks of a very upsetting double standard. (Because if there's one thing that Arthurian legend teaches us, it's that it's always the woman's fault. Grrr.)

Unfortunately, I've been seeing seeds of Arthur/Gwen versus Gwen/Lancelot ship wars. I have two main reactions. One is to be sad, because ship wars suck and make nobody happy. The other is to be amused. Because, seriously folks, what we have here is a centuries old ship war. Nobody's going to win today.

And besides, won't somebody please think of the threesomes?

Also, an unspoilery complaint: The smushed paring names must stop. First there was Merthur and Arwen, one of which sounds moronic, while the other is a Lord of the Rings character. That was bad enough, but now we have Gwencelot. It has to end, people. I can't take the madness.