impala_chick: (Default)
impala_chick ([personal profile] impala_chick) wrote2019-03-03 03:42 pm

Merlin Season 3

Season three was not my favorite, at first. Merlin just seemed so sad all the time. And Arthur seemed to act with an edge of cruelty that wasn't there before. I literally cringed when he threw things at Merlin. Gwen showed a lot of growth this season, and Gwaine was a delight, but Merlin and Arthur were not in sync at all. And then, the two-part finale took my breath away. All that build-up was worth it for Merlin inspiring Arthur, and Arthur gathering his resolve, and for the Knights to be absolutely kick-ass. The round table scene had me crying.

At any rate, I've fallen down several fanfic rabbit holes. Since this fandom has been around since 2008, a lot of content is still on LiveJournal, and it's almost like I've stepped into a time machine. Some journals I came across have been deleted, but some journals still have their massive multi-chapter fics up with their own layouts and formatting. I am reminded of the early days of SPN, Smallville, or Jonas Brothers Fandom, where everything was posted on individual journals and linked on communities. Tagging is kind of a nightmare, and it would be impossible to find this stuff now if people hadn't posted recc lists. I am reminded of how much I love AO3, and how it's easy to forget how disorganized fic reading was before AO3 allowed for hosting and tagging and bookmarking.

Withadashofmilk's Recc List

Papered's Recc List

August - NSFW Merthur Circa s1, where Arthur goes back to Ealdor with Merlin for Hunith's birthday. Such a tender, witty, and detail-rich fic with all of the things I love about that Ealdor episode.