#Feel free to go to my Ask box if you'd like to discuss theories or scenes

[maria-and-aguilars-codex-1492]

Assassin's Creed 2016 Movie Review

Movie Review: Assassins Creed I am a huge Assassins Creed fan, so when I first heard of this film I felt worry and enthusiasm towards it. My worry spans from the very first video game to movie series that I watched and that was Resident Evil. Now, if you have played the Resident Evil games then you know exactly how different the movie series was when compared to it. The characters from the games made brief appearances that often felt out of place while others had been completely different from how they are in original canon. So you can see how I still held worry despite my rather optimistic look towards it. Before going out to buy it I read professional reviews that depicted it in a negative light and gamer reviews that came out a whole lot more positive. I looked through tumblr to see screenshots from fans that pointed out game Easter eggs. I watched the trailers and as many behind the scenes videos that I could find. I even watched films that the past actors and actresses played in, along with the Kurzels works. It made me feel better when going out to buy it and I can honestly say that I thoroughly enjoyed the film. The Cinematography: With the Kurzel's I expected nothing more than to see scenes that were aesthetically pleasing; that were both beautiful and stunning to look at while hidding details everywhere. That is what Assassin's Creed gave us. The past scenes were all stunning: the details from the auto-da-fe sequences, the smoke that was covering cities from the burnings that were constantly taking place, the moor influence that was everywhere it should have been for Al'Andalusia, etc. Then we had the modern day scenes, and all of those held such a nice contrast in lighting when compared to the past scenes. Abstergo was given the proper clinical, controlled setting that I was expecting to see it have and the many different rooms we are shown remind me of how Abstergo looked in the games. The Music: Jed Kurzel is a talented composer and as someone who has spent the last seven years of my life performing contemporary music trust me when I say that I judged this part of the film harder than I did the rest. As with every movie I watch I listened carefully to the ost, seeing if it corresponded correctly with the scenes and characters it influenced around, and Assassins Creed did just that. The music corresponded with the cinematography when parallels were made and the music transitioned through the past and modern scenes. To top it off the music itself was something in the realm of the games and that was a huge golden star for me. The Characters: This casting was filled with so many actors and actresses that are already well known around the world that I was amazed that it went beyond the main cast. Not only that, but the extras for the modern scenes gave us diversity and female guards. A small detail, yes, but one I have been wanting to see in the games for so long. Onto the characters, I am going to start off with Callum Lynch, as he is our new main character. As a character Callum had his flaws, he was emotional, and for that I give the writers and producers a cookie. The psychological aspect for a child to go through what he did transitioned into adulthood as you would expect it to and we really get to see that with the time shift of what happened to him and who he became. As a child he discovered his mother murdered by his father, who is shown about to kill him, and after that we are left with what came after. What came after was a broken individual; as a child he went through the system multiple times, ended up getting involved with gangs, before bordering on the line of a serial killer with how he killed a pimp(something we only get to truly delve into with the novel). We then of course end up at the point in the film with someone who tells themself that they are ready to meet their fate, yet at the same time we see that demeanor fault away at his execution. Through the film we do get to watch a character move back and forth with sides and what he is willing to do, and that fits in with who he is. He lost stability as a child, chose a path in life that took him to his 'death', only to end up with two new paths to take; hesitation on which is understandable for who he is as a character. Then by the end of the film we get to see who he is becoming. Note when I say who he is becoming, because his development is far from over. Now, the rest of the characters, is going to go through a speed round with my review. Alan Rikkin: A man we know very well from the games, I knew that this would be Ubisofts Albert Wesker make it or break it moment. They ended up making it, Jeremy Irons played the role well. We got to see a character that is a manipulator that doesn't try to cover it up, he was blunt, he was to the point, and that is how I expected Alan Rikkin to be. However in the end I feel like they made the wrong choice. Spoiler: Alan Rikkin's assassination I believe was too soon. An assassination in that moment of the film though was needed. Sophia Rikkin: I have no issue with Marion Cotillard as an actress, however her character fell flat for me. To me it seemed that they wanted her to be sympathetic while being a character that you do not like or trust. The thing is though is that the deleted scenes of her made her sympathetic. I watched her there and it made me think of her to be someone who is emotional beneath her professional exterior. However those scenes were just that: deleted. Looking at her without it shows us a character that manipulates, but ends up coming off as hypocritical when she acts as if she hasn't been doing that this entire time(that scene coming down to the final discussion with her and Alan Rikkin). It made her part of the ending to be a mesh of emotions and decisions for two reasons. The first being her discussion with Alan Rikkin; she had been doing the exact same thing he had been only to call him out as being a liar. As if she didn't know that all of her research would come down to that very moment? The second then goes to her interactions with Callum. Throughout the film it is obvious that she is manipulating him, that he is the ticket to completing her life's work, and then at the end she goes back and acts as if she is being sympathetic to her test subject. She knows that Callum is there to kill her father and take the Apple, she allows it to happen, and then she makes the decision that she now needs to kill him and ensure that the Apple is in Abstergo's hands after it is already too late. It's too late for her to make that choice when the reason for it spans from her inability to make it when she needed to as a character. As I stated above, an assassination was needed at that point, but in my personal opinion it should have gone to Sophia instead of Alan. Not for her fall out as a character, but for the symbology of justice finally coming for the test subjects in her program. The Test Subjects and Abstergo Guards: We didn't see them expand as characters in the film as much as we did in the novel. However, the movie managed to give us interesting test subjects with ancestors that we already know about. Moussa, Lin, Nathan, and Emir all had potential to be developed on into the series while still having that interesting quality that they had been given. We also have McGowen, played by Denis Menochet, who I got the impression on that there is definitely more about him than what we were shown. The only critism I have with this section goes to Emir and Nathan's death. Justin Kurzel believed there to be too many characters, which would have been fine, if he didn't decide to kill off characters for that reason. The Spain Brotherhood, Aguilar and Maria, and the Creed: I love the Spain Brotherhood. The moor influence, the diverse weapons, the hidden blades that were very advanced for their time. We get Aguilar de Nerha, fresh from being a novice, and Maria, his mentor, who I could watch a three hour movie on. The both of them were nice contrast on Assassins: one leaning more towards his personal ideas and emotions while the other was strict to her beliefs and trust placed upon the Creed. The Creed was also an interesting thing in this film for how seriously it was taken with this Brotherhood. They still held onto the strong tradition of removing ones ring finger and they repeated the Creed almost ritualisticlly. Why? Well to me it seemed as if this Brotherhood was rather isolated, which could explain thsir reasons for doing what they did and acting as they did. As for the other Assassins, as short lived as they may have been on screen, they were badass. Ellen Kaye and the Lynch's: Ellen Kaye was the type of antagonistic force that leaves you creeped out. She wanted Alan Rikkin out of the picture even if it meant taking out the Animus Program; a stark contrast to how we normally see Abstergo's big wigs, yet realistic in nature. She was also very influential with Sophia which I wish they had expanded upon. Mary Lynch was interesting and I applaud them for making her the one that the bloodline comes from when in the games it came from Desmond's father. Her character was in my opinion more well written out than Joseph's, and I would like to think that it comes from her being the one we will most likely see again. Joseph Lynch was another story all together though as I found him to be a character that harbors many regrets, who isn't all that sane anymore. Killing his wife, almost going through with the choice to kill his son, the years spent inside of Abstergo, it all just adds up to the moment where we see him years later. The Game Influence: The game did hold an influence in this movie that was strong enough that it worked out well. The way they fought, the moves and skills that were done, all came straight from the game. The Leap of Faith, the Bleeding Effect, the Apple of Eden, the hidden blades and weapons seen from past games were all done in a way that fit in with the film and they didn't simply place those things in as Easter eggs either which is a major plus for a video game movie. We also have the Animus 4.3/5 that is made up of three parts: the Arm, the Archive, and the Animus itself. All of which were practical for the setting of the film and for a film itself. The robes worn came straight from the game and the modern ones we see at the end were such a nice call back to the past that I honestly prefer them over wearing a white hoodie(speaking practically). All in all, the film had wonderful cinematography and an ost that matched up to that seen in the games. The characters had their flaws, some could have been shown more, but considering that this was meant to be a start I think they did good for that. The overall influence and transition from game to movie was a major victory when compared to what gamers have been given before. For that, I would give Assassins Creed a good review, and since we know its canon with the games and in the same universe its safe to say that we will see it again.

[stormblessed95]

So I read your osaka vlive post

It can be also jin in the room right

Just coz tae said jin is in bath doesn't means jin was indeed in bath , it can be tae saying he talked with jin now and jin is in bath coz jin is now in jks bathroom also thay why jk saying now?

Coz how can jin speak to tae now when he was with jk.

And JK made only a confused face when Tae was speaking about jin. When Tae spoke about jimin and visiting his room JK was completely cool and unbothered.

And how that phone can be jimins. Yes it's a white phone. Jimin have white phone with black case. Here we can't see phones case coz it's faced up. ???

Oh my god. Do I have a jinkooker in my ask box?! Bro, wtf are you here?? I've read the jinkook Osaka vlive theories, they make no sense.

And um yeah, he looked confused. Did you ACTUALLY watch the vlive or just read theories over it. Taes "Jin is in the bath now" comment came out of left feild. It was a completely unexpected topic change. Imagine you are sitting there talking with your friend about a song you both listened to recently and then they randomly out of nowhere started talking about how they really love blue cheese. You'd be like "wtf, okay? That's nice" lol and well we obviously disagree on the reaction to his comment about jimin as well, which you would KNOW if you READ my entire Osaka post like you claim.

And this was the photo I used for the extra phone where I said it might be jimins. Bro, PLEASE. Pause reading this anon, go and put your phone face up on your table. Can you truly saw you cannot see your phone case AT ALL when it's facing up? Because I can see mine. I see the rim of purple around the outside of my phone. If it didn't hook partly around the front of the phone, idk how the case is supposed to stay ON the phone or protect the sides of the phone either?? If you zoom into the photo, I can see the rim of black surrounding the white phone. Which you already admitted matches what we know Jimins phone looked like at that time. Also I already explained how I think that Jin is the one who replied with JKs room number, saying he was in the bath so he can't go there but to go to JKs room instead.

Anyways, the whole jinkook being shipped romantically thing makes zero sense to me. But that sounds a like a you problem. Think whatever you want, ship whoever you want. No skin off my back. But stay out of my ask box if you want to talk crazy jinkook theories. I barely like the asks over crazy jikook theories lmao. JK was in there naked and eating bread with someone, but it wasn't Jin's bread 🙃

Anywho, have a wonderful day anon. Honest to goodness, unless you want to have a civil discussion, then I am much nicer in DMs. When you hide behind anon to try and ship another ship over here, i have a tendency to get a little snarky. You want an honest discussion over why I think there is nothing romantic between jinkook or my thoughts over their moments, if you come with an open mind, feel free to DM me. Otherwise, there is no point to these types of asks. Sorry 💜 anyway, while you are, have a present, because I also am in love with JinKooks bond!

[mimisempai]

Missing you comes in waves and tonight I'm drowning

Summary:

After seeing Loki disappear before his eyes and confined to the TVA because of the failed mission, Mobius decides to still believe in Loki and search for him. He witnesses the discussion between Sylvie and Loki on the train

Notes:

My theories on the method used by Mobius to locate Loki is probably very far-fetched and lacks technical truth, but that's not the most important point here, so I hope you'll forgive me for my short cuts. (I miss them together!)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/32162878

2008 words - Rating G

"Loki! Wait!"

Loki looked at him for a moment before stepping through the portal.

By the time they got there, it was too late Loki and the portal was gone.

"I knew he would betray us as soon as he could!" said one of the hunters right next to Mobius.

"Shut up!" shouted Mobius at him before returning to the TVA.

As he walked toward Ravonna's office, the same thoughts swirled over and over in his head.

Had Loki betrayed him! What were his plans? But worst of all, was he in danger?

He tried to think rationally.

Loki always said he was one step ahead, but Mobius knew that wasn't true. Loki was improvising. Loki was adapting. So reason told Mobius that this is what he had done.

That's when Mobius decided to do something he'd never done in his life at the TVA, he was going to bet on chaos. On the fact that Loki had chosen to follow the variant not only for his own sake but also because it was his mission.

Because Mobius could not imagine that what they had shared was nothing in the eyes of the god.

"Mobius! In my office!"

Ravonna... he was already imagining her reprimands, "I warned you" "he can't be trusted"...

As soon as he entered her office, she showed him a screen and just said, "Look!"

A scene showing the variant fighting in a hallway with the guards and Loki in the locker room retrieving his daggers then arriving at the place where the guards were eliminated.

Next scene Loki and the variant fighting, Loki trying to convince her to team up, at this point, despite the faith he has in him, Mobius could not determine if this is a way to stop her or get what he wants.

Then Rovenna arrives and the variant uses Loki as a hostage.

Mobius could not prevent a gasp.

Still on the screen, seeing that Rovenna is not persuaded, Loki grabs an object that opens a portal above them and he and the Variant disappear.

Mobius tried not to show his relief, but he saw that Rovenna was not fooled.

"So you still trust him?"

Mobius looked at her defiantly, "As long as I don't have concrete, real proof that he betrayed us, yes I’ll trust him!"

"Always the idealistic dreamer huh?"

Mobius didn't answer, Rovenna continued, "You're grounded here until I tell you otherwise. You can get out."

Once out, Mobius sat in a chair, held his head in his hands, and began to think. He was grounded, but there was nothing to stop him from trying to figure out where Loki was.

He just had to figure out how to locate him.

The difference was that now, thanks to Loki, he knew to look in the apocalypses, what he had to find now was the equivalent of that candy, something out of the ordinary, something anachronistic.

He stood up suddenly, he had found it!

He went to the office, where the screen that displayed all the nexuses was located.

"Casey! Come here!"

The younger man got up and joined him. Mobius spoke more softly, "Will you help me with a secret project?"

Casey, who had great respect for the man, nodded.

"Follow me."

They headed into the archive room. Mobius chose a table a little out of the way.

"You sit here. I'll be right back."

A few minutes later, he returned with a stack of files that he separated into two piles.

"In all these apocalypses, we need to find one where it mentions two Lokis variants and unusual magical acts."

"Got it!"

Mobius didn't know if his smoky theory would work out, but he didn't have much choice.

He couldn't help but think back to a similar scene a few days earlier, when Loki had fallen asleep. He had let his guard down in the presence of Mobius, so that meant something, didn't it?

He started to flip through the files.

"M-Mobius! I think I've got it!"

Casey was showing him a file, Lamentis-1 - 2077, a woman reports that two demons tried to attack her. One even allegedly posed as her deceased husband in order to get information.

Mobius could feel it in his bones. It was Loki and the Variant.

He was going to have to gamble on someone again.

"Casey. I need you to keep this a secret for a while longer. If Ravonna gets wind of this, I'm afraid she'll launch an assault and won't hesitate to eliminate Loki."

Casey nodded without taking time to think, "As long as you need Mobius."

Mobius was surprised that he didn't have to persuade Casey more than that.

After all, he seemed to be the good, loyal employee who never disobeyed.

Casey, seeing his reaction, added with a knowing smile, "You know, I like Loki too. He promised me he'd show me what a fish is and you know? The drink he took from me the other day, he bought me another one and apologized. A villain wouldn't take the time to do something like that right?"

Mobius's throat tightened. Casey was the first person other than himself to acknowledge that there was good in Loki.

"Thanks."

Casey nodded and returned to his desk.

Mobius headed straight for the video archive room. The advantage of being an agent of his rank was that he had unrestricted access to this section of the archives.

He searched through the shelves until he found the videos of Lamentis 1 in 2077.

He sat down in front of one of the small projectors provided for this purpose. He was going to start from the described scene that Casey had shown him.

After entering a few parameters, the screen lit up with Loki being blasted by an old woman.

The noise of the meteors that rained down around

Loki and the one who accompanied him, prevented Mobius from hearing what was being said.He pressed the fast-forward button until Loki and the girl, after some trouble to enter the train, found themselves in a box in the dining car.

He turned up the volume to hear their conversation.

He was amazed at how easily they seemed to converse, despite the jabs on both sides, and couldn't help a twinge of annoyance that he refused to recognize as jealousy.

The variant said to Loki, mockingly, "FYI, that wasn't even a plan."

"Oh, really?"

God how Mobius missed that cheeky attitude. Even when unmasked, Loki still had that irritating confidence.

The variant replied, "Plans have multiple steps. Dressing as a guard and getting on a train is just doing a thing."

She couldn't hold back a yawn.

Loki responded, "Oh, are you a bit tired? Feel free to, you know, get some rest."

One thing Mobius had realized and Casey had confirmed to him just before was that Loki cared more about others than he let on if you paid attention.

The variant grunted and replied, "I can't sleep in a place like this."

"You can't sleep on a train?"

The variant retorted, irritated, "No. I can't sleep around untrustworthy people."

Loki replied, still cheeky, "Oh, right. That's me?"

Fearing he might misinterpret what had been said, Mobius pressed rewind and let the scene play out before him.

The image of Loki nodding in agreement about not being able to sleep near people he couldn't trust was superimposed on the image of Loki sound asleep in his company.

He could not suppress the pang of his heart.

Loki trusted him, Loki considered him trustworthy.

While he was thinking, the video had continued and Loki was now talking about his mother.

Mobius had witnessed Loki's relationship with his mother and his devastation at the news of her death.

Loki's voice had become more hushed, with that hint of fragility he had whenever he spoke of her.

"She was, um... A Queen of Asgard. She was good. Purely decent."

Then the variant and Loki respectively provoked each other about the fact that they were adopted and Loki continued, "You know, when I was young, she'd do these little bits of magic for me. Like turn a flower into a frog or cast fireworks over the water. It all seemed impossible. But she told me that I'd be able to do it too because... Because I could do anything. You wanna see?"

Loki sets off tiny fireworks over his hand.

Mobius could not deny his feelings at that moment.

The sight of magic coming from Loki's hands, pure magic, was enchanting.

Loki continued, "She was the kinda person you'd want to believe in you."

Mobius could not help but whisper, "Loki, I believe in you."

For a few moments he didn't catch the conversation until it was audible again. Apparently they were talking about their love interests.

The variant asked Loki, "How about you? You're a prince. Must've been would-be-princesses or perhaps, another prince." She finished with a wink.

Loki, replied with a serious look, "A bit of both. I suspect the same as you. But, nothing ever..."

The variant finished his sentence, "real."

"Let me find you and I'll prove to you how real it is." Mobius didn't realize he was speaking aloud. He pushed fast-forward again.

The Variant had fallen asleep and Loki looked a little giddy.

Loki waved his hand and was back in his TVA agent costume.

He could wear the illusion of any outfit, and he chose this one. Why stay in these clothes?

Mobius really didn't want to be under any illusions, because how could he imagine that someone like Loki, a prince, a god, would want to claim a belonging to something like the TVA... to someone like Mobius?

Loki had started to dance and sing.

Mobius could not help but laugh. Then his laughter died down as Loki's song became more melancholic,

I stormsvarte fjell, jeg vandrer alene

Over isbreen tar jeg meg frem

I eplehagen står møyen den vene

og synger "når kommer du hjem?"

Men traner danser og fossene stanser

når hun synger, hun synger "kom hjem"

Then seeming to regain his spirits, Loki began to dance and sing happily again as if trying to prevent nostalgia from invading him.

When the music stopped, he joined the Variant and resumed his seat in front of him. Mobius managed to understand what they were saying to each other.

"What did you just sing to look so disturbed?"

Loki looked a little moved and answered him with the voice Mobius knew well, the one he used when he was serious, when he was sincere.

"It's Asgardian, it says:

In storm-black mountains, I wander alone

Over the glacier I make my way

In the apple garden stands the maiden fair and sings,

"When will you come home?"

Loki stopped, apparently moved, and the Variant simply said, "So there's a would-be-princess somewhere..."

Loki chuckled looking so sad before answering her, "I like metaphors you know, it's not a princess it's a prince, and I don't know if he's waiting for me or hoping to see me again, it's not even really my home, but..."

"But you'd like to believe that right?"

Loki nodded.

Mobius, didn't dare to believe that it was him that Loki was talking about, even though he couldn't stop the hope from rising up inside him.

The video continued, much more animated, after a wild fight, both jumped off the moving train and found themselves walking through a kind of desert towards the energy source they apparently needed to reactivate the tempad.

Mobius saw Loki suddenly stop, looking shocked. But Mobius was unable to hear what they were saying, the sound of the meteors again covering their voices.

Suddenly, Loki shouted louder, "But they don't know that!"

And they began to run.

Mobius could see that Loki was repeating something as he ran, an expression that Mobius had never seen on his face. Like he was worried. But he couldn't hear him. He zoomed in closer to try to read Loki's lips and finally succeeded.

Mobius.

_________

The whole serie here : The story of Loki and Mobius

Not beta'd I hope you enjoyed it 🥰

[thebestplltheories]

Hello! I loved the finale, and I loved the season! I'm really hoping there's a second season (with some serious re-branding). Before episode nine, I sent in a theory through the submit box, and I was just wondering if you'd seen that or if it had gotten lost in the shuffle. Just trying to do my part in making the fandom a healthier, more positive place with some theorizing! :)

Omg yes I saw that! It’s just at the bottom of my message box that I keep forgetting to scroll down enough to post it. Thanks for the reminder! Let me post it here for everyone to enjoy. I’ll read it later today, I’m excited!

Let’s look through Taylor’s timeline (with included analysis) up until the day of Nolan’s death:

According to Claire, despite Taylor’s and Nolan’s close relationship as children, Taylor never trusted anyone, including Nolan. If Taylor felt that Nolan was turning against her by wanting to reveal that she was alive to an outsider, would their unity fall apart? As Claire says, both Alison and Taylor are survivors at any cost. While we can’t always trust Claire’s perspective on her children, we can use our understanding of Alison’s character to better understand Taylor. We know that Alison is a survivor, and we’ve seen her ensure her own survival over others in the past. It’s not a leap to say that Taylor would do the same.

At some point in the past, Taylor “snapped.” Taylor says to Claire: “I snap and you come out smelling like roses. Just like last time.” We don’t know for sure what Taylor is referencing here, but this does show that Taylor has struggled with mental health in the past.

At some point during Taylor’s time at BHU, she befriended Ray Hogadorn. This friendship inspired Ray to write “They’re 👀” on her wall as a warning once he realized that something was wrong with Beacon Guard. Was this a personal warning or an overall warning to inspire Taylor to look into the situation?

Taylor became paranoid and occasionally delusional once she began teaching according to Claire. Because this is coming from Claire’s perspective, it could be doubted that Taylor really was paranoid rather than responding with caution to a real situation. However, we have had signs that Taylor snapped before (as Taylor referenced herself). Interestingly, Mason notes that Nolan also changed upon attending BHU. Something about BHU really impacted both Taylor and Nolan. This information raises questions: Was Taylor’s paranoia and delusion before or after Ray Hogadorn’s warning? Is this a hint that Taylor is dangerous? Did BHU have this effect only on Taylor and Nolan, and if so, why them?

A year ago, Taylor faked committing suicide as a way to escape the attention of her family and Beacon Guard. She told Alison that the “real reason” she ran away was because someone tried to kill her. This is of course potentially true, but I find it to be an interesting cover story. If Taylor ran away because someone tried to kill her, she is painted in the light of a victim. This immediately makes her seem more trustworthy. However, in the one conversation we 👀 between her and Nolan, it doesn’t seem like Taylor ran away for this reason. It seems more like the system at large is a threat.

During the year Taylor is gone, she and Nolan tried to find evidence to bring down Beacon Guard, but we don’t know why they’re trying to do this or what kind of evidence they’re trying to find. It’s worth noting that Alison comments to Mona that she feels something is wrong with the campus–something worse than a murder and fake suicide. This seems to align with there being more to Beacon Guard than meets the eye, as Taylor and Nolan know since they were actively trying to find evidence of this corruption. Does Taylor know exactly what is wrong, or was she simply trying to find any evidence that spoke of corruption? It’s notable that Taylor has not told Alison that she and Nolan were working on this project together. Her whole focus has been on “someone tried to kill me!” and “I need to find who killed Nolan!” There is a lot she has not been upfront with Alison about.

The day Nolan dies, he and Taylor meet up. After Nolan asks to 👀 Taylor (why?), Taylor seems to disagree because Nolan had been put under surveillance and it wouldn’t be safe if they met up. However, Nolan assumes that this means Ava has also been put under surveillance and pushes that he and Taylor need to meet. During this meeting, Nolan becomes dissatisfied with his and Taylor’s process in bringing down Beacon Guard (he’s 😟 for Ava’s safety) and argues with Taylor that they should bring in an outside source (Alison), which Taylor is adamantly against because she doesn’t feel safe. However, Nolan makes it clear that he’s going to do it anyway. Taylor responds by sheepishly agreeing and gives Nolan a very interesting hug. Even in the first episode, this hug felt significant–like Taylor is saying goodbye to her brother.

Now let’s break down what happened during Nolan’s death scene:

Nolan has decided, with Taylor’s unwilling acceptance, that he’s going to bring Alison into their group in order to bring down Beacon Guard. Presumably, Nolan and Taylor come up with the exact plan together of how to talk with Alison safely without revealing their entire ✋. Nolan texts Alison to meet him on the roof, and Taylor turns off Beacon Guard in that area so the conversation will be private. This means that Taylor knows that the roof is a safe place for her to be without being seen.

When the killer arrives, Nolan can only 👀 their silhouette and maybe some vague features because they stand directly in front of the bright light. This tells us that Nolan would have been immediately suspicious of the killer if he had been able to 👀 them.

Despite Nolan revealing very protected, sensitive information (that Taylor is in fact alive), he is sure enough that he’s talking to Alison that he reveals this information before getting a full look at the killer. It doesn’t make sense that Nolan would start talking without thinking he absolutely knew who he was talking to (based on his character’s attributes). However, it makes sense that Nolan would have thought he was talking to Alison if he was actually talking to her look-alike, Taylor. In silhouette form, Nolan would have seen long, blonde hair and very similar facial features.

The killer reveals themselves (stepping away from the light) immediately after Nolan says that Taylor is alive. If this is anyone other than Taylor, it makes more sense that they would have kept listening. This would have been huge  news that they could have gotten more information about! However, if the killer is Taylor, it makes sense that this would have been when she would have attacked. She had her evidence that Nolan was going to “out her.” As we discussed above, Taylor is a survivor at all costs and she is shown to be extremely fearful of being the “⚰️ girl who’s not ⚰️ anymore.” Taylor also knows who Alison is and why Claire brought Alison to Beacon Heights. Most likely, as someone trying to stay unseen, this would have made her feel hunted and more paranoid than ever. At what point would she turn against Nolan to protect herself?

Of course, we know Alison doesn’t reveal the text until the next day because of a partial Beacon Guard shutdown around Alison’s 🏠, the roof where Nolan is killed, and a few other cameras. We know that Taylor is behind the roof shutdown, meaning we know that Taylor is capable of causing a larger shutdown as well. It’s quite a coincidence that other cameras are shutdown, allowing a safe route for Taylor to travel the campus. It’s quite a coincidence that Alison doesn’t receive the text because of her home’s shutdown. If Taylor knew that she might kill Nolan, she absolutely wouldn’t want Alison to randomly show up. Plus, stopping Nolan from revealing her secret in the first place is the whole reason she would have gone to potentially kill Nolan. As Alison says later to Mona, “there is no such thing as coincidences.”

A few additional observations:

Mona is locked out of Beacon Guard for suspicious activity that she later discovers came from a single source. We never learn what this suspicious activity is exactly, just that Mona initially assumed Beacon Guard didn’t appreciate her trying to solve Nolan’s murder. I would bet that source is Taylor’s RV. What was the suspicious activity?

Two things from Mona’s perspective: first, Mona tells Alison that Nolan is dangerous because he has the ability to push a student to the snapping point. We 👀 Nolan push Taylor past her preferred safety system. Second, Mona tries to use her Beacon Guard algorithm to discover which student snapped enough to kill Nolan but was unable to find anyone. Of course, Taylor wouldn’t have come up because she would no longer be active in the system.

Taylor has shown lots of suspicious behavior. The biggest incident that immediately springs to mind is the fact that she’s trying to manipulate Alison into giving her the evidence against Booker. If Taylor is the killer, it makes sense that she wouldn’t want Booker to be stopped. Booker is doing a great job of keeping everyone focused away from who murdered Nolan, frantic, and potentially pinning Nolan’s murder on someone else. Taylor would want to do everything she could (like destroy the evidence) to keep Booker doing what she’s doing.

Dylan, Caitlyn, and Ava are talking about their belief that Booker is behind everything when Dylan briefly mentions Taylor’s suspicious behavior and her access to Beacon Guard. The script immediately cuts him off and then Booker shows up to take the audience’s attention off his statement. This is interesting.

This show has gone out of its way to show two aspects of Alison’s character: first, that she used to be a mean girl capable of deception and manipulation and second, that she has now changed and wants a drama-free, trustworthy life. The show has also gone out of its way to connect Alison and Taylor’s personalities. I think the show is doing something very interesting with this. Basically, they have created a gemini character. Alison is the good side while Taylor is the bad side. Taylor’s mean girl persona has been brought up by Claire, and we’ve seen it in how Taylor immediately treated Mona (calling her short, saying she should wear a 🛎️, etc.). This is a study of how the “same” person can choose two different paths.

I’m unsure if Taylor is the ultimate big bad, but I do think she is the one who killed Nolan. Personally, if she is the killer, I hope that she’s not also the big bad. I would 💛 to 👀 the dichotomy between someone who did a horrible thing but who is still fighting against a corrupt or dangerous system. Like Booker noted about Alison, she’s a complex character. I’m sure the same can be said then for Taylor.