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asherlockstudy · 4 days ago

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PUZZLE: The recurrent Rhink storyline is not even new!!!!!!!

Ok, I must take a deep breath. I must preface this by mentioning the recent Rhink analyses I have made. If you haven't read these, please don't read this one either if you take an issue with my firm belief that Rhett and Link are more than friends, because, to summarize, this is exactly what I am saying in these posts plus that Rhett and Link are gradually preparing for the "Is it yet yet?" day. This is why they are releasing these videos lately, which are full of coded messages. For example, the "We Dug a Medium-sized Hole" is about their whole relationship, including a focus on their sexual life. The "We Hired an Excorcist to play DnD" is about them having to date and get married (to others) under the shadow of their Church. This is not the first time they take this approach though. This is the allegory in Hazel, where they both end up trapped in the "closet", the middle room, Hazel's forest inside, with no way out. And more obvious than any is their book The Lost Causes of Bleak Creek with their alter egos Rex and Leif fighting with the reform school of their very conservative town. There the symbolism is particularly strong.

For more details and evidence on that, see the previous posts:

They Dug A Hole

The "We Dug A Hole" Discussion

It has always been one story

But even this was not the beginning of the heavily coded scripted content. It turns out we can go all the way back to freaking 2015 and their GMM Sketchtober. Sketchtober was a project they did in October 2015 which was them essentially releasing five scripted videos just for the sake of it. To be fair, I do not see clear symbolism in all of them, so I will analyze them in an order that makes sense for this post. Bear with me here. However, I sense it's me not picking up on some of it and not that some videos really don't have a symbolism at all. Why, you ask? Because of the official video descriptions.

The post is long so I am putting the rest of it under a Read More. BUT!!! If you are interested in this topic but don't have enough time or willpower, open the readmore and read the last chapter, named "Puzzle". Trust me, that's where the most juice is.

The Nose-Looker

Symbolism significance: 3/5

This is the first video they released. The official description is "The nose is the window to the soul". The video starts with Rhett asking Link whether he would choose to only eat straight or curly fries for the rest of his life... Link cuts him off and confronts Rhett for staring at his nose and not at his eyes. Rhett is taken aback and admits looking at Link's nose, with the excuse that he just looked generally at the face and didn't know where exactly to focus. Link presses him to choose an eye to look at and makes a point that he is beautiful, which leaves Rhett speechless. After Rhett tries to manipulate unsuccessfully the conversation, he proposes that they should rather stop looking at each other. They start looking over each other's shoulders, which they characterize as "freeing". They see then a Ring girl and a falconer over each other's shoulders and I don't know if there is any symbolism in this or it was just to add a funny red-herring. The video ends with Link asking whether he could choose waffle fries, so I suppose something that is considered both straight and curly. Hmmm.

Aside from the suspicious fries talk, the obvious commentary here is that you can change the word "nose" with the word "lips" and you might as well have something that really happened. Even in GMM it was obvious how often Rhett looked at Link on the lips, so imagine how obvious it was in private. After the newsical kiss, after writing in his diary and taking the big decision, it wouldn't surprise me if this is the approach Link followed; to non-chalantly confront and expose Rhett, so that Rhett would have trouble escaping him.

Campin'

Symbolism significance : 4/5

This is the second video they released. The official description is "Just two guys enjoying the great outdoors...". Of course you know that all sentences that start with "just two of something" have a heavy sexual implication. This is the one most of the casual viewers found to have some innuedos, however the general concept behind it initially seems to be about people not being able to detach from technology and be immersed in nature. This, however, is once again the red herring. Watch this video and try to tell me they don't act like two people in a tent struggling to not have sex. They lie down to sleep supposedly, they muse about the beauty of nature and how they should do this regularly but then they are incredibly antsy and can't sleep. In fact, it's Link who always finds something annoying enough to disturb their effort to fall asleep. First, he needs to pump up his mattress. Second, he is too thirsty. Third, he is too hot. So, pumped up, thirsty and hot are Link's problems. At every mention of a new problem, Rhett jumps up and agrees that he has the same problem. As a result, they inflate their mattresses, they inject a hydrator in their veins and Link pulls his duvet and stays completely naked from the waist down. Then a cricket gets inside the tent and they leave screaming, only so we find out the tent was out of one of their houses (the whole detachment from nature thing). A neighbour sees Link running after Rhett with his junk out.

While there is not much of a story here, we should remember that there is something shady whenever Rhett and Link mention camping. Don't forget when they told Cuddle Queen Jean about two friends of theirs who once got lost in a hiking trail and had to spoon each other in the cold. CQJ said this could make them either "stop talking to each other" or the bestest of friends. Rhett added: "Right. Or more", which could suggest that Rhett knows how the relationship between "these two friends" evolved. They have also discussed how once Link forgot his sleeping bag and had to sleep together. In any case, there is some sort of significance in camping.

BFFs

Symbolism significance: 2/5

This is the third video they released. The official description is "They're so close they can finish each other's sentences". After staying too close to the microwave, Link develops the ability to finish Rhett's words and predict what he is going to say. Rhett manipulates him to believe this is not happening and then reveals himself as an agent who asks this Link to be withdrawn and recycled. Three masked men violently seize Link and a new Link without previous memory is offered to Rhett. Rhett introduces himself, clearly manipulating the new Link to think of him as his best friend. The music in this one is melancholic and a little haunting. The new Link is seen getting hypnotised by the microwave too.

While it's not very clear, I think the hint lies in the description. Apparently, by finishing Rhett's words Link violates some boundaries of their already extreme closeness. Rhett initially tries to talk him out of it and when this doesn't work, he recycles him. Perhaps this has to do with the church. The suspicion that Link wasn't straight could have been established early. Maybe Rhett saw it in himself to guide Link, to manipulate him that this is not actually the case. The fact that this seems to be happening again and again suggests that Link went through many periods of repression but his feelings for Rhett always emerged again.

Did You Get Me Anything?

Symbolism significance : 1/5

This is actually the fifth video they released but I am saving the fourth for last for reasons that will become clear very soon. The official description is "Never make a promise you don't intend to keep". In this one, Rhett and Link are amateur herpetologists who seek a rare monkey snake. The snake (devil? temptation?) bites Link, who falls into a temporary paralysis. Rhett looks deep into his eyes and can always tell what Link wants to be fed. Link's favourite foods apparently are: wood, dirt, living squirrels, glass and we also get a quick scene of Rhett with a toilet paper that I do not dare think what it implies (it's a joke ofc). At some point, Link almost seems to lose the battle, so Rhett tries to bring him to and promises to always feed Link with what he wants to eat by looking him deep in the eyes. Later, he seems to forget this but only for a moment. He gives Link a lamp to eat with Link appreciating this arrangement. Now, I don't know if this is entirely a symbolism but it probably is. We do get a "promise forever" and in light of everything else in this series of videos, it probably matters.

The Puzzle

Symbolism significance : 5000000000000000000000000000/5

This is one of the dirtiest videos Rhett and Link have made and I can't believe how under the radar it is despite its many views. Not only it is dirty but it is one of their most revelatory scripted work and, as you'll see below, in full sync with other content and spontaneous things they have said. To put it simply, this is their first time. I am gonna write a lot about this one, perhaps more than I wrote about anything else before.

This is the fourth video, so the last video before the "forever promise". The official description is "It's not all fun and games when a puzzle needs completing". Wanna see a similar statement?

On failing to push the shovel into the dirt at the first time, Rhett comments: "I don't know what I was expecting. And it immediately registered with me that this is not going to necessarily be easy or fun".

He's talking about the exact same thing. So let's actually start with the puzzle video. During a storm that keeps them inside their office, Link suggests they could play a puzzle to which Rhett responds enthusiastically. It was Link's initiative. Link was also the one who suggested they made as big a hole as possible. Leif in TLCOBC is the one who presses Rex to leave his own scooter and jump behind him on his own bike. (Just wait, it all clicks together in the end.)

We can be pretty sure that for quite some time at the beginning, Rhett and Link were really not good at solving puzzles or digging holes or biking together.

The gif is self-explanatory. Rarely have they been so clear, in fact. I don't know if their puzzle solving here is any accurate as a measure of their ineptness. Hopefully not, because, well, you would expect that men married for like 15 years at the time would be at least sliiiightly better at this than that. BONUS points for the very consciously chosen 80s amateur porno vibe and music specifically for this moment.

Eventually they get the puzzle almost complete. The puzzle, which pictures a dead grandpa inside a coffin, is however missing one piece. And you know the piece that's missing? THE HEAD.

Rhett and Link start to look frantically for the head (piece) and their panic rises. They stop and try to calm down by reciting this poem about the ocean and the calming lotion, which they repeated in their "Link straightens Rhett's hair" vlog. It doesn't help them though - the head doesn't just show up - so they panic again.

Now I will interrupt here to say a) we have the moment of Rhett failing to push the shovel in the dirt in the dug a hole video, b) we have that time Rhett said in GMM "For some time we had a little project called 'who is soft and who is moist '. It depended on the day", c) we have that time in GMMore Link told Rhett "Nobody is better than you at being flaccid", d) we have that slide GMM episode where Rhett said "I am gonna go hard but, you know, Rhett-hard" where Link interjects to say "Kinda limp. Got it" and then Rhett finishes by saying "- which is not as hard as some people" and e) I remember one time Link letting it slip that he had "helping" pills in his car.

I am willing to bet that at least at the first attempts they had, be it the awkwardness, the anxiety, everything that was at stake, their inexperience in this particular way of going at it, the secrecy or whatever else, Rhett had problems. So imagine if he actually took a helping pill and now watch what happens in the puzzle video:

Freaked out as they are, as nothing seems to be working, they decide to call the customer service of the puzzle company to complain. (Please God, Universe, please tell me they actually did this irl. Please). A Nora answers the phone and they complain they don't have the head. Nora tells them it's unlikely it's the puzzle's fault and Rhett and Link are basically fuming. Nora politely responds that this must be puzzle user error, which freaks Rhett. She further says all "puzzles" (pills) are tested by professionals and at this point their anger is hilarious. An out of his mind Rhett threatens to sue them and he stands up full of determination which is when Link sees he has the head on his raised arm. Freaked out again, Rhett however goes on with his threat. Nora senses the change in his voice and asks if they found the head. (PLEASE GOD TELL ME THIS HAPPENED AND IT'S NOT MADE UP.) At this point, as they don't know what to do, Link impulsively takes the head to his mouth, the puzzle piece, I mean. After an initial shock, Rhett screams nonsense at Nora to hide what's going on. Link starts choking and Nora hears his choking sounds and understands. Rhett keeps threatening her while simultaneously trying to save Link, in this way:

By the way his threat is: "I AM BEHIND YOU NORA. TURN AROUND AND SAY HELLO TO MY LITTLE FRIEND".

Turn around and say hello to my "little friend". This makes no sense with the context of the video. It's a classic "hard dick" reference. It's really one of the most glaring videos they have ever done.

The piece finally is ejected from Link's mouth and falls right on the puzzle and completes it, with this not at all lewd shot.

The head with Link's spit on it.

Nora perceives all of that. Rhett and Link, now very happy, confirm to her that that's what happened and thank her, but Rhett doesn't hang up the phone correctly.

Rhett: (still a little shocked) That escalated quickly.

Link: (content) Yeah, that's what happens when you put together a puzzle.

Nora: (politely) I am actually still on the phone.

Rhett and Link: ...

Nora: Well, I have you boys here, you mind answering a few survey questions?

Link: Sure!

Rhett: No problem.

Nora: On a scale of one to ten, how helpful was I today?

Rhett and Link: Ten?

Nora: Aaand on a scale of one to ten, how (inaudible) do you find the grandpa puzzles?

Rhett and Link:

It is reasonable to conclude at this point that their first time was great for Rhett, however he was entirely oblivious to the fact that for Link the experience was disappointing, if not painful. And yes, this is essentially established through their content too. Aside from the puzzle video, we have this:

This:

Notice their microexpressions.

We have a world darts game on GMM a few years ago where Link said: "I gotta dart first!" and Rhett muttered "Oh yeah I am used to that".

And of course, going back to the bike ride in TLCOBC:

After their falling behind in the chase for Alicia, Leif urges Rex to hop on his bike and let go of his scooter. Rex denies and defends his "scooter or pushing leg", supporting he simply hasn't trained it well yet, because it takes practice. After some argument, Rex cedes and hops on Leif's bike:

Rex abruptly hopped off his scooter and tossed it under a shrub on the side of the road. He stepped onto the two pegs jutting out from Leif’s back wheel, his hands on Leif’s shoulders. “Burn it.” And Leif did. He pedaled like he’d never pedaled before, rocketing forward even with the extra 150 pounds of lanky human freight. The fiery pain in his thighs was overwhelming, but as the boys rounded the last turn on Creek Road, the white dot reappeared ahead, and that was all the motivation Leif needed.

But despite all that they don't manage to catch Alicia and Leif is heartbroken:

“But…” Rex still had both hands and one foot on the fence. “So that’s it? We’re just giving up on her?” “I…I don’t know,” Leif said, wiping his wet cheeks, grateful for the cover of night. “Maybe.” (...)

Leif stared down the shadowy driveway, feeling like his heart had been injured.

But despite the obvious failure, Rex makes an unexpected comment.

“Hey, Leif,” Rex said out of nowhere (...) “Good call on the bike pegs.” Or not. Leif nodded and kept pedaling.

Even though they fail at saving Alicia, Rex is oblivious to Leif's heartbreak and his struggle. On the other hand, Leif seems to have regretted proposing the bike ride which was both very painful and eventually fruitless.

So above we have Link's barb that " a first time must be slow". Further above, we have him judging Rhett and saying he expected the hole digging to be more dramatic. And to go back to our puzzle video, Rhett had a ten that night but Link had only a two. I guess they were struggling so bad and when Rhett had finally some push from a pill or resolved the issue in whatever way, he went full force and with too much enthusiasm to last at all. (Plus there are running jokes even in GMM that Rhett doesn't last long usually, which might have to do with excessive enthusiasm!) This made the experience somewhat traumatic for Link though, as he didn't have time to adjust and enjoy this, and was building this up in his mind for a damn long time.

But we're still good. Judging from that GMM, they now have a rule of Link darting first. I wonder why they go back and back to this particular experience even in their scripts and not, say, their first mutually great time. Maybe this is off limits and off comedy, which would be totally understandable.

After this massive parenthesis, we reach the most crucial point. Nora asks the hardest question last: "And are you still embracing each other?"

This is my favourite moment. Despite Link's conflicting emotions and apparently their initial intent to keep this casual, they are just there still cuddling. It's important that this was filmed in late 2015. It suggests they realised super early that they weren't meant for casual. Then again, I don't know how they even believed they could do casual. You just don't decide to bone your best friend of 30 years casually, especially if you are supposedly a Christian straight married man. Lol casual. Medium. Judging from the digging a hole video, where Link first proposed the biggest hole possible and then downsized this to a medium hole so that he wouldn't scare Rhett away, it's clear Link never meant this to be casual but he did downplay what he wanted originally to convince Rhett, and Rhett was at a point that would let himself be convinced by anything.

As if ALL this wasn't enough, they add a post-title in the end, which is something they didn't do in any other of their videos. The font they chose was this: