#I feel like I'm rambly right now but yeah. I'm standing by this.

[dootznbootz]

Hot take: Eurylochus' death is sadder than Polites' death in Epic.

For one thing, we got to "know" him longer. He is in more songs. We got to see this friendship as it was and how it soured. There's a REASON why Eurylochus was his 2nd in command. He was smart and knew what he was most of the time. Most likely, they were fine in the war but the monsters and everything else in the Odyssey are very different from a battle among mortal men.

Odysseus calls him his brother. I don't know if Jay plans to have Eurylochus be Odysseus' brother-in-law like he is in the Odyssey, but regardless, that does add to it.

We get to see the fear Eurylochus has, we get to see his doubt. His struggle to believe that Odysseus, his captain and "brother", actually knew what he was doing. As Odysseus WAS attempting very scary things that they've never really done before. Was he wrong most of the time? Yes. But can you blame him if you look through his point of view?

In some ways, I think Eurylochus almost KNEW his fate. Someone has mentioned it on tumblr but the fact that Eurylochus was so skeptical about Aeolus' island but was suddenly fine with eating Helios' cattle, shows that he just...didn't really care anymore.

Maybe he hasn't since he opened the bag tbh. Odysseus never says he "forgives him" after he admits to doing it. Odysseus was always the one to go back for their friends, the fact that he's changed so dramatically probably terrified him. As they were friends, and what happened with Scylla is now how he "treats" his friends, what does that mean for Eurylochus? Odysseus never said that he forgives Eurylochus, especially after what happened with Scylla.

The crew's "you relied on wit, and then we died on it" is almost a "prophecy" as these men are still alive but they DO die very soon after this. Odysseus "relied on wit" in how he chose himself over them. It's a reach, but I think you could even say that Penelope is his "wit" in this decision. She is the reason why he chose himself over them because "I have to see her." me too, Ody

His "But we'll die" doesn't even sound too desperate. I think it was one last try despite him knowing that "You will never choose us" because Odysseus would choose Penelope over anyone and everyone (Telemachus being the only other person who he'd possibly choose over her. I mean she'd be pissed if he put her before their son.). He already knew that Odysseus would choose her, I think he wanted some sort of answer or response from Odysseus. Maybe even an "I'm sorry" or something but Odysseus understands what this means but that doesn't matter as he has to see Penelope again.

Whether Eurylochus' and by proxy, the crews', deaths were already fated like in the actual Odyssey or not, there's just something so sad about seeing this bond go sour and how it'll never get the chance for forgiveness or resolution. It's done.