Merlin
TV Show • 2008 • Drama
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Yes
No
Your Triggers
Yes
0
No
28
Abandonment
Does someone leave without saying goodbye?
10 supporters
Yes
6
No
0
0
There were times where someone ran away, or tried to. Sometimes this was forced (having to leave in an emergency), other times voluntary. There was a time someone was thought to have been abducted but actually left without saying goodbye, and vice versa.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
1
No
6
Is a child abandoned by a parent?
0 supporters
Yes
12
No
1
0
Merlin is briefly reunited with his father who had to leave him behind with his mother while fleeing from danger.
3 comments | Add comment
Abuse
Yes
21
No
10
1
There is an episode in which a child is hunted by soldiers who intend to execute him.
4 comments | Add comment
Is a woman brutalized for spectacle?
146 supporters
Yes
2
No
6
-1
S1
E10
Sort of? Merlin’s mum is hit across the face when raiders try to steal her villages food, she tries to get it back and is hit and falls back not sure if this counts but might be slightly triggering
1 comment | Add comment
Does an abused person forgive their abuser?
53 supporters
Yes
6
No
2
0
Uther is pretty emotionally manipulative to Arthur ('expecting only the best', banning him from leaving when Arthur is contradictive), who usually makes some sort of conclusion that 'he just knows what's best' or 'he cares REALLY' by the end of the episode
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
8
Yes
11
No
1
1
SPOILERS - Morgan goes from being a super kind person, who is mentally abused by Uther, with pressure of courtly duties and also the fear of living in Camelot with magic and no one to help her. (She’s also physically abused later on when she’s captured) Then she turns on her friends and family killing and manipulating, most notably torturing Gwen (her ex best friend) taking over her mind and forcing her to hurt Arthur.
1 comment | Add comment
Is someone stalked?
30 supporters
Yes
15
No
3
4
Merlin follows other characters in secret on numerous occasions, and breaks into people's rooms on the regular. It's not presented in a threatening manner, and is done to gain information.
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
1
No
19
2
Arthur playfully hits Merlin a couple of times but it's played for humour and he's always shown to be fine afterwards
1 comment | Add comment
Are there abusive parents?
0 supporters
Yes
10
No
1
0
Uther puts a lot of pressure on Arthur, punishes him harshly for disobedience and keeps secrets from him that Arthur has a right to know.
2 comments | Add comment
Is someone gaslighted?
0 supporters
Yes
26
No
2
8
A character thinks (correctly) that she has developed magic powers, but is gaslighted repeatedly by the court physician, who repeatedly tries to convince her it's all in her head and gives her useless remedies. Merlin also lies constantly to others, especially Arthur, to hide his magic, and this sometimes involves intentionally making Arthur doubt his memories or his faculties.
1 comment | Add comment
Addiction
Yes
0
No
19
Does someone abuse alcohol?
25 supporters
Yes
20
No
6
2
Gwaine drinks a lot and could be interpreted as having a drinking problem.
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
3
No
19
4
There are no drugs, but there are potions which do various things, such as sleeping potions.
1 comment | Add comment
Animal
Does a cat die?
278 supporters
Yes
0
No
25
1
(Spoilers) In season 2, there is a woman who is cursed to turn into a giant cat with wings every night. She suffers a fatal wound while in this form. However, she is in her human form when she dies.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
1
No
9
Yes
0
No
29
Is there a dead animal?
192 supporters
Yes
30
No
0
1
There are several hunting scenes, though nothing too graphic. You see 'dead' animals though they tend to look fake
1 comment | Add comment
Are rabbits harmed?
123 supporters
Yes
5
No
2
1
S5
E1
Dead rabbits are shown onscreen (36:42 to 37:00 and briefly, 40:15).
1 comment | Add comment
Are there spiders?
74 supporters
Yes
31
No
1
3
In 1.04, Arthur gets chased by a swarm of giant spiders in a cave.
2 comments | Add comment
Does a dragon die?
54 supporters
Yes
7
No
18
3
Dragons die before canon. A dragon is believed to have died, but is later revealed to be alive. Wyverns (which are very similar to dragons) die on screen.
2 comments | Add comment
Are there bugs?
50 supporters
Yes
36
No
1
5
In S01E06, magic beetles are placed inside someone's ear to induce illness.
4 comments | Add comment
Are there snakes?
26 supporters
Yes
32
No
0
2
There are several snakes from snakes coming alive to kill people in 1x02 magical multiheaded snakes in 4x06 giant snake monsters in 4x08 and a snake used to torture people 4x12/13 and in 5x13
There are probably more I am forgetting there are a lot of snakes
There are probably more I am forgetting there are a lot of snakes
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
0
No
8
Does a horse die?
1 supporters
Yes
2
No
22
3
There are horses present in battle scenes, but their fate is never shown.
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
0
No
6
Yes
3
No
2
Yes
0
No
12
Are animals abused?
0 supporters
Yes
35
No
2
6
A baby dragon is confined to a tiny cell for three years and suffers body deformations because of it.
4 comments | Add comment
Yes
31
No
2
0
Season 1 episode 10 a Unicorn is killed. SPOILER: Arthur hunts and kills a unicorn which brings devastation across the land. Arthur must prove himself to cure the land and at the end of the episode the Unicorn is resurrected.
episode 11 a rat is killed and later fed to a character. Not seen but hear the rat sqeual.
episode 11 a rat is killed and later fed to a character. Not seen but hear the rat sqeual.
2 comments | Add comment
Assault
Yes
1
No
16
Yes
14
No
12
7
In 1.07, a female character uses magic to make Arthur fall in love with her, and they kiss while he is under the enchantment.
In 2.05 and 2.06, a character uses a magic spell to cause Uther to fall in love with her and marry her. They kiss on screen and it is heavily implied that they have sex off-screen while Uther is under the spell.
In 2.10, a love spell is performed on Arthur and another female character so that they both fall in love with each other. They kiss while under the enchantment.
In 2.05 and 2.06, a character uses a magic spell to cause Uther to fall in love with her and marry her. They kiss on screen and it is heavily implied that they have sex off-screen while Uther is under the spell.
In 2.10, a love spell is performed on Arthur and another female character so that they both fall in love with each other. They kiss while under the enchantment.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
13
Is rape mentioned?
125 supporters
Yes
0
No
13
0
not explicitly. there are times where it’s implied that a villain has sexual interest in a prisoner (says she’s valuable because she’s attractive, forces her to have a romantic dinner, says he’ll enjoy watching her bathe). i’m thinking here of S2 E4, and S4 E11.
1 comment | Add comment
Are there jokes about sexual assault on men?
73 supporters
Yes
3
No
9
2
Uther is put under a love spell and is implied to have sex when under it. This and his subsequent embarrassment are treated as a joke.
1 comment | Add comment
Is someone drugged?
42 supporters
Yes
14
No
0
1
S4 E3 (lacing of food - made drowsy - assassination attempt), S3 E7 (cloth over face - knocked out - abduction attempt) S1 E9 (fake medicine - knocked out - life saving attempt), could be more i’m forgetting. there are times when someone voluntarily takes a risky potion for plot reasons, or is tricked into taking an unrealistic magic potion (e.g. to cure them of possession!). also some spells have an effect that might resemble drugging - e.g. a spell to make someone obedient (someone is kissed while under one)
3 comments | Add comment
Is someone held under water?
39 supporters
Yes
9
No
1
1
S1
E7
A character is held underwater/ drowned in a lake by another character
1 comment | Add comment
Is someone restrained?
39 supporters
Yes
13
No
0
0
yeah, there’s lots of imprisonment, capture, and fighting
1 comment | Add comment
Does a woman get slapped?
National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233)
36 supporters
Add comment
Yes
9
No
0
Yes
8
No
0
Is someone's mouth covered?
19 supporters
Yes
5
No
0
0
S3 E7: with a drugged cloth, to abduct them
S5 E1: with a hand, when they wake up, to protect them from making noise (enemies are nearby). friendly, no breathing difficulties
there’s probably more
S5 E1: with a hand, when they wake up, to protect them from making noise (enemies are nearby). friendly, no breathing difficulties
there’s probably more
1 comment | Add comment
Bodily Harm
Yes
0
No
22
Is someone tortured?
128 supporters
Yes
32
No
1
5
Characters are tortured in S4E8, S4E12 and 13, and S5E13. The scenes are not prolonged or graphic, and the torturing is done by magic rather than physical instruments. There are screams of pain. No gore or blood is shown.
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
0
No
17
Yes
1
No
9
Yes
0
No
21
Is there a hanging?
69 supporters
Yes
15
No
9
3
In 5x11 and 5x13 a woman is hanged. In both cases, you see her approaching the rope, but everything afterwards happens off-screen.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
17
Is there shaving/cutting?
57 supporters
Yes
3
No
14
2
Merlin accidentally cuts his finger on a sword
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
19
Does someone struggle to breathe?
46 supporters
Yes
23
No
0
1
2x12, from 33:55 to 34:45
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
1
No
5
Yes
5
No
0
Is someone stabbed?
30 supporters
Yes
7
No
0
0
S1
E1
Indirectly, a doll is stabbed in place of a woman but she still dies.
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
0
No
3
Yes
2
No
17
Does someone fall down stairs?
22 supporters
Yes
10
No
3
1
S3
E5
The lady Morgana falls down the stairs after tripping as a result of something Merlin does. She screams but falls unconscious. There is blood on her head. Gaius says she is having trouble breathing and details her injuries.
1 comment | Add comment
Does someone fall to their death?
20 supporters
Yes
25
No
0
1
A side character in S2E7 falls out of a tower window to his death.
1 comment | Add comment
Does someone become unconscious?
12 supporters
Yes
11
No
1
0
Arthur is knocked out a lot in fight scenes, he also falls unconscious from injuries after they have occured. Merlin falls unconscious from drinking poison in s1e4, Arthur falls unconscious after drinking something in s1e11. There are definitely more, sorry I can't get more specific, it happens a lot, most of the time from injuries.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
6
Is there excessive gore?
0 supporters
Yes
0
No
14
2
No. The show is generally considered family friendly. There is violence, but it is not gory.
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
0
No
4
Yes
0
No
19
Is someone burned alive?
0 supporters
Yes
24
No
8
4
Numerous characters are threatened with being burnt at the stake at various times, and it is implied that this is a frequent punishment for sorcerers. It is never shown happening and no characters actually do get burnt at the stake.
2 comments | Add comment
Is someone buried alive?
0 supporters
Yes
0
No
22
-2
You don't see it on screen, but sorcerers are said to have been put to death from burning at the stake.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
18
Yes
1
No
3
Yes
0
No
7
Is there decapitation?
0 supporters
Yes
4
No
2
1
S1E1, first three minutes: a sorcerer is put to death by decapitation, but you only see him kneeling, then the executioner raising his axe. No body is shown, no wound, no blood, no gory sound, nothing but the horrified cry of the people.
S2E8, 27:00 to 27:26, A character threatens to decapitate another, who is shown kneeling on the floor, head on the block. The character raises their axe but doesn't do it in the end.
S2E8, 27:00 to 27:26, A character threatens to decapitate another, who is shown kneeling on the floor, head on the block. The character raises their axe but doesn't do it in the end.
3 comments | Add comment
Yes
4
No
14
Children
Does a kid die?
113 supporters
Yes
23
No
3
5
No kids die onscreen. There is reference to children having been killed during the Purge, and in S4E10 the ghost of a drowned child haunts a character. There is another brief child-ghost, implied to have been killed by Uther, in S3E1-2.
1 comment | Add comment
Is an infant abducted?
39 supporters
Yes
2
No
5
0
not really. there’s a mention of a character having been smuggled out of a city as a baby (S2 E8 i think). there’s an infant who isn’t abducted, but does get possessed by a fairy. we see the fairy sneak into the baby’s room to possess them, but the baby isn’t taken from their crib, and grows up to adulthood with their parents, just with a fairy hidden inside them. they’re referred to as a changeling (S3 E6)
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
11
Creepy Crawly
Yes
0
No
5
Death
Yes
5
No
1
Yes
9
No
1
Yes
12
No
0
Does someone sacrifice themselves?
18 supporters
Yes
9
No
1
0
There are A LOT of attempted sacrifices as well as some successful
2 comments | Add comment
Disability
Is the r-slur used?
43 supporters
Yes
1
No
12
2
No, but several jokes are made about Merlin having a mental affliction
3 comments | Add comment
Yes
0
No
4
Drugs/Alcohol
Yes
0
No
9
Family
Yes
0
No
15
Does a parent die?
41 supporters
Yes
34
No
1
3
One character's mother died in childbirth (not shown, occurs before the timeline of the show). Someone's father is killed offscreen in S1E12, another father is killed right in front of his son in S2E13, and yet another father is killed right in front of HIS son in S4E3. Many side characters reference having lost their parents for various reasons.
3 comments | Add comment
Does a family member die?
32 supporters
Yes
11
No
0
1
Both Arthur's parents die, Uther in front of him.
S3e5 lady Morgana is close to death, both Arthur and Uther are very upset by this and this is obvious. She recovers, but these scenes could still be upsetting.
S3e5 lady Morgana is close to death, both Arthur and Uther are very upset by this and this is obvious. She recovers, but these scenes could still be upsetting.
1 comment | Add comment
Does someone cheat?
29 supporters
Yes
27
No
1
3
Gwen and Lancelot in S04E09.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
24
No
0
Fear
Are there jump scares?
98 supporters
Yes
22
No
2
2
In S4E1 and 2, there are several occasions when ghostly spirits swoop down on people suddenly while making a loud shrieking noise.
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
0
No
4
Yes
0
No
9
Is someone possessed?
22 supporters
Yes
30
No
1
3
A character is possessed by a ghost in S4E10. The possession causes him to violently attack another character, and he speaks with the ghost's voice.
2 comments | Add comment
Are there clowns?
17 supporters
Yes
0
No
25
0
there are old-fashioned jesters, which don’t look like modern clowns but have a role of comedic entertainment
1 comment | Add comment
Is there a shower scene?
14 supporters
Yes
1
No
22
1
S4
E6
Not a shower scene since showers don't exist in the show universe, but Arthur walks out from behind a screen to take a bath and its implied he's fully nude. He later covers his lower half with a cushion in wide shots.
1 comment | Add comment
Are there ghosts?
9 supporters
Yes
31
No
0
3
There are numerous ghosts in S3E1 and 2, a character is haunted by a ghost boy in S4E10, and in S4E1 and 2 there are ghostly spirits that swoop down unexpectedly on people, causing (usually) instant death. A character also comes back from the dead as a ghost or shade in S4E9 and S5E3.
1 comment | Add comment
Are there mannequins?
7 supporters
Yes
0
No
9
0
there’s small unrealistic figurines (like, hand-sized stick figures made of straw i think?) which are used briefly to enchant someone. S1 E1, S4 E13, possibly others but it’s not common
1 comment | Add comment
Are there natural bodies of water?
4 supporters
Yes
5
No
0
0
lakes and rivers are seen quite a bit, and can be relevant to the plot. there are things in them, people cross them or go into them, etc.
1 comment | Add comment
Gross
Does someone vomit?
177 supporters
Yes
3
No
19
3
It's not technically vomit, but in one episode in season 5 Morgana poisons Merlin and leaves him to die in a ditch. During this time Merlin spits out some white foam in a sort of vomiting mannor.
4 comments | Add comment
Yes
0
No
9
Yes
0
No
16
Is there farting?
20 supporters
Yes
11
No
0
1
S2e5 a troll takes human form. She farts several times throughout the episode very loudly
S3e3 A mischievous goblin gives several characters a potion that makes them fart in front of several people, they are very embarrassed by this
S3e3 A mischievous goblin gives several characters a potion that makes them fart in front of several people, they are very embarrassed by this
1 comment | Add comment
Does someone spit?
19 supporters
Yes
21
No
2
2
3x03 - a mischievous goblin is accidentally set loose and possesses the main doctor of the show who then wreaks havoc upon the dwellers of Camelot. Basically the goblin makes some let them rip in front of the king and they get embarrassed. It’s more hilarious that disturbing. ‘Cause the secondhand embarrassment...
1 comment | Add comment
Is someone eaten?
0 supporters
Yes
2
No
6
0
There is an episode where a villain feeds a prisoner to a monster. The monster later eats the villain himself. We don't see it on screen but see people's reactions.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
15
Large-scale Violence
Are there 9/11 depictions?
8 supporters
Yes
0
No
9
0
no, the show is set centuries before 9/11
1 comment | Add comment
Law Enforcement
Is there incarceration?
8 supporters
Yes
7
No
0
2
Occasionly people are in a medieval prison cell or are enchained, however there is no modern incarceration
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
0
No
13
LGBTQ+
Yes
0
No
10
Yes
0
No
8
Yes
0
No
10
Yes
0
No
7
Yes
0
No
12
Loss
Is a priceless artifact destroyed?
6 supporters
Yes
3
No
1
0
Probably at some point! There’s definitely priceless artifacts lost & stolen. And there is the destruction of personal belongings that are of value to their owners, though I don’t know whether they’re expensive or not (things like books and tools).
1 comment | Add comment
Medical
Are needles/syringes used?
52 supporters
Yes
0
No
22
5
No but a scalpel is
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
0
No
27
Yes
0
No
24
Yes
0
No
28
Yes
0
No
3
Is there a hospital scene?
21 supporters
Yes
0
No
21
7
One of the characters is a physician, so there are many scenes of medical care, but his home does not resemble a hospital due to the medieval setting.
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
0
No
8
Mental Health
Is autism misrepresented?
53 supporters
Yes
0
No
7
0
autism isn’t represented at all, so it’s not misrepresented
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
10
Does someone say "I'll kill myself"?
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255)
41 supporters
Yes
0
No
13
0
not those specific words, but someone mentions the idea of killing themself in S3 E6 when upset, referring to a method.
1 comment | Add comment
Does someone suffer from PTSD?
38 supporters
Yes
8
No
2
2
Arguably
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
10
Yes
1
No
17
Is there a claustrophobic scene?
34 supporters
Yes
9
No
11
0
S5
E8
There is a scene in which a character has been trapped in a small well for three years with a dragon, which becomes deformed because of this.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
10
Yes
0
No
5
Yes
18
No
5
Yes
0
No
7
Yes
0
No
6
Does someone have a mental illness?
15 supporters
Yes
1
No
4
2
No but there's jokes of Merlin having a mental illness
2 comments | Add comment
Does someone have a meltdown?
13 supporters
Yes
1
No
3
0
People act intensely or irrationally angry at times, but not an autistic meltdown if that is what this question means.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
20
No
3
2
In 4x09, a version of a previous character takes his life & this is directly stated. It happens off screen.
In 5x10 a woman stabs herself. You can see & hear the movement of the sword, but no blood is shown.
In 5x10 a woman stabs herself. You can see & hear the movement of the sword, but no blood is shown.
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
0
No
25
Yes
0
No
23
Yes
8
No
1
1
S3
E8
The fisher king has been suffering for a very long time, his request from Merlin is for a phoenix eye that sucks out his energy and he disintegrates. He is unable to die of natural causes, there is no gore
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
2
No
21
Is a mentally ill person violent?
0 supporters
Yes
2
No
9
1
Again arguably. Depends what you interpret for the characters
2 comments | Add comment
Natural Disasters
Yes
0
No
3
Noxious
Yes
2
No
17
Yes
5
No
0
Yes
9
No
0
Are there underwater scenes?
14 supporters
Yes
4
No
0
1
the credits have a brief bit where an underwater object is seen, then the view changes to above land.
S1 E3: an object travels through underwater tunnels in the first minute (skip from witch casting spell to credits). an underwater creature lurks 30:00-30:30 (skip from “the water from here supplies the whole town, take a sample” to the next scene where it’s daylight indoors).
S1 E7: a person is underwater unconscious in the first minute (skip from the start to the credits - a character will describe what was seen at the start when it’s relevant - it was their dream), and again 35:30 to 38:00. (skip from lake kiss to indoor scene - a character will lie to you about what happened! it was actually a magic rescue)
S1 E9: the last scene, an object is shown underwater. when you see the object being thrown slo-mo towards the water, you can just skip to the end
S4 E9: “cast a coin into its depths and your wish will be granted” we see the coin thrown from underwater.
there are times when someone/something goes underwater/emerges from underwater, but we don’t see from underwater (the camera is dry). (another comment mentioned S4 E11 for this).
there are times when a watery rippling effect is shown over things that are actually happening on dry land, or aren’t really happening.
S1 E3: an object travels through underwater tunnels in the first minute (skip from witch casting spell to credits). an underwater creature lurks 30:00-30:30 (skip from “the water from here supplies the whole town, take a sample” to the next scene where it’s daylight indoors).
S1 E7: a person is underwater unconscious in the first minute (skip from the start to the credits - a character will describe what was seen at the start when it’s relevant - it was their dream), and again 35:30 to 38:00. (skip from lake kiss to indoor scene - a character will lie to you about what happened! it was actually a magic rescue)
S1 E9: the last scene, an object is shown underwater. when you see the object being thrown slo-mo towards the water, you can just skip to the end
S4 E9: “cast a coin into its depths and your wish will be granted” we see the coin thrown from underwater.
there are times when someone/something goes underwater/emerges from underwater, but we don’t see from underwater (the camera is dry). (another comment mentioned S4 E11 for this).
there are times when a watery rippling effect is shown over things that are actually happening on dry land, or aren’t really happening.
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
0
No
8
Yes
5
No
0
Is there shakey cam?
0 supporters
Yes
5
No
13
0
S1
E10
S1 Ep10 at the beginning
1 comment | Add comment
Paranoia
Is someone watched without knowing?
23 supporters
Yes
8
No
0
2
Merlin spies on people a few times, Arthur observes a conversation in which he feels betrayed because of it
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
9
Pregnancy
Yes
0
No
10
Yes
0
No
19
Is there childbirth?
36 supporters
Yes
0
No
23
0
past childbirth is mentioned, but it’s in the past and not shown
1 comment | Add comment
Does a pregnant person die?
36 supporters
Yes
19
No
5
4
Arthur's mother is said to have died in childbirth, however this happened prior to the show so we don't see it.
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
0
No
25
Are there babies or unborn children?
1 supporters
Yes
1
No
8
0
briefly and skippably: there is a baby in the opening scene of S3 E6, before the credits. you would understand the plot fine without watching that scene
1 comment | Add comment
Prejudice
Is there ableist language or behavior?
54 supporters
Yes
22
No
3
8
There is a plotline in S4E12 where Merlin uses magic to briefly turn Arthur into a "simpleton" in order to get him out of Camelot. This is played for laughs within the show.
3 comments | Add comment
Is there hate speech?
41 supporters
Yes
12
No
8
6
Depends on context.. is it towards the magical community? Yes - by king Uther who had a hard on for anything magical. (HS) towards PoC? Not that I can ever recall. If there were (hate speech) it would be more of a classisms type of thing if anything “she can’t be queen she’s a serving girl” rather than based on colour.
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
1
No
7
Yes
0
No
27
Yes
0
No
25
Does the black guy die first?
28 supporters
Yes
2
No
20
3
Multiple POC die in this show, but I don’t believe the first person to die was black.
3 comments | Add comment
Is there aphobia?
0 supporters
Yes
0
No
7
0
not especially - the topic of being aspec isn’t mentioned.
on the one hand, the society of the show is amatonormative - royalty experience pressure to marry, and main characters pull the whole “you definitely fancy them! i know because friends aren’t like that!” thing.
on the other hand, distress at being pressured to marry is explored & sympathised with, some of the “you definitely fancy them” is blatantly wrong in a way that means the person saying it is made out to be a fool, and lots of non-royalty characters stay single without this being a big deal at all. you know the thing where everyone gets paired off at the end, that doesn’t happen at all :)
on the one hand, the society of the show is amatonormative - royalty experience pressure to marry, and main characters pull the whole “you definitely fancy them! i know because friends aren’t like that!” thing.
on the other hand, distress at being pressured to marry is explored & sympathised with, some of the “you definitely fancy them” is blatantly wrong in a way that means the person saying it is made out to be a fool, and lots of non-royalty characters stay single without this being a big deal at all. you know the thing where everyone gets paired off at the end, that doesn’t happen at all :)
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
5
No
17
Are there "Man in a dress" jokes?
0 supporters
Yes
17
No
2
3
In S02E09, Merlin is caught stealing a dress to bring to someone else, and Gwen and Arthur both joke about it.
In S03E13, Leon has to wear a dress to escape from the castle. There aren't exactly jokes about it, except that Leon is displeased to have to wear a dress. He is shown changing out of the dress and not shown actually wearing it.
In S03E13, Leon has to wear a dress to escape from the castle. There aren't exactly jokes about it, except that Leon is displeased to have to wear a dress. He is shown changing out of the dress and not shown actually wearing it.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
23
Yes
1
No
24
3
No, but Arthur calls Merlin a “girl” as an insult multiple times throught the show, mostly in a light-hearted way.
1 comment | Add comment
Are there fat jokes?
0 supporters
Yes
30
No
0
7
Arthur is self-conscious about his weight and is frequently teased about it by Merlin.
1 comment | Add comment
Race
Yes
0
No
10
Relationships
Is there a large age gap?
45 supporters
Yes
2
No
7
0
S2 E5, an older character flirts with and gets into a relationship with a young adult, who they knew when they were a kid. this is presenting as a foolish, embarrassing thing for the older one to be doing, and that the young adult (who’s actually a troll in disguise lol) would obviously only be flirting back cos they want the older one’s wealth.
1 comment | Add comment
Religious
Is religion discussed?
16 supporters
Yes
4
No
0
0
a fictional religion called the old religion. it’s not mentioned in every episode, but it’s in a significant number. discussions about it can be intense and high-stakes.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
7
Sex
Yes
0
No
9
Yes
3
No
17
5
There is incestuous flirting between two of the characters in the beginning before they find out they're related. This has died down by season 2.
1 comment | Add comment
Is there sexual content?
82 supporters
Yes
1
No
25
0
There's refrences but nothing explicit.
1 comment | Add comment
Are there nude scenes?
67 supporters
Yes
1
No
7
2
Yous see Arthur half-dressed in his chambers several times, one episode he is fully naked and another character who he was not expecting walks in. You don't see anything overly explicit though, he covers his crotch
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
2
No
5
Yes
0
No
8
Yes
0
No
8
Sexism
Is a male character ridiculed for crying?
27 supporters
Yes
5
No
6
1
Not really, merlin cries a few times throughout the show, arthur once says to him "no men are worth your tears" when merlin cries after his father dies. But its not ridiculing, arthurs just bad at comforting people lol
3 comments | Add comment
Sickness
Yes
0
No
9
Yes
1
No
3
Yes
0
No
6
Does someone have a chronic illness?
17 supporters
Yes
1
No
5
0
S2 E5 chronic illness is mentioned. someone had “an incurable bone disease”, and it’s discussed because the troll who’s magically impersonating that person doesn’t have the disease, so it raises suspicion this is an imposter.
1 comment | Add comment
Social
Yes
0
No
8
Yes
0
No
6
Yes
0
No
7
Is someone homeless?
4 supporters
Yes
1
No
7
0
not in modern society & not due to poverty, but there are characters who are for example banished and move from place to place until they get chased out of there too, living in inns and on the roads i think. there’s someone who has to live in a cave after being hunted out of their home.
1 comment | Add comment
Spoiler
Yes
0
No
22
Does it have a sad ending?
0 supporters
Yes
42
No
1
5
[SPOILERS]
The show ends on a major and tragic character death.
The show ends on a major and tragic character death.
4 comments | Add comment
Yes
0
No
5
Vehicular
Is someone hit by a car?
31 supporters
Yes
0
No
29
2
No cars
It's medieval
It's medieval
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
26
Yes
0
No
26
Does a car honk or tires screech?
12 supporters
Yes
4
No
8
1
At the very end of the show there's a truck which honks as it goes past Merlin
1 comment | Add comment
Violence
Yes
0
No
27
Is there blood/gore?
0 supporters
Yes
5
No
18
2
Not excessively but it's present
3 comments | Add comment
Does someone drown?
0 supporters
Yes
26
No
3
3
Ep 1x07 opens with Arthur underwater, and Morgana has recurring visions of him sinking. Near the end of the episode, the Sidhe push an enchanted Arthur into the water; Merlin dives in to save him but takes to some time to find Arthur & bring him back to the surface.
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
0
No
26