#I will not abide a 'oh dotc is good except this part' take or anything even remotely resembling it here

[bonefall]

The experience of just casually reading Warrior Cats and something like the Bumble scene just comes out to metaphorically whack me in the head and make me ask what the hell just happened. I’ve been mostly enjoying Dawn of the Clans, been liking most of the characters, but the Bumble just feels so out of left field. It’s also really confusing narratively as well. A conflict where Tall Shadow wants to protect her cats against Clear Sky’s cats could be really interesting, and some sort of mind game subplot with Wind could be interesting as well, but the Bumble scene is just such a contrived and poorly written way to convey whatever the hell is happening.

Considering the new story team took over during this part of the arc, I can imagine that so many things got bungled plotwise. The mountain cats being kind of wary of things associated with the twolegplace due to dogs and monsters and the supposed untrustworthiness of twolegs as well as the death of Shaded Moss is something I’d at least be willing to buy as to why they would be at least a bit wary around Bumble, but every previous indication of their feelings about kittypets felt more like “I don’t get why cats would stay with twolegs” rather than “kittypets all suck actually.”

Also I think the whole Bumble situation goes against a large theme of the arc about a group of cats from different walks of life banding together, and the trials and tribulations they face. Given the rapid pace of Warrior Cats’ books releases, I’m not surprised stuff like this slips through the cracks.

I completely and utterly reject that this is a problem of the new writing team. I hear that in just about every 3rd comment about DOTC's awful writing. This sprawls back just as far as Sun Trail and you can't hide from it-- Sun Trail was the exact moment of onboarding for the team as confirmed by James Noble, with them having enough influence on this arc as to push Gray Wing's death off at least 2 times.

And everything shitty about Gray Wing goes right back to Sun Trail

Possessive of his love interests and where they go? This trait of Gray Wing starts in Sun Trail, with Storm, and eventually with Turtle too when she decides he's treating her like ass and Bumble's making a good offer.

Excusing his brother's garbage actions, completely ignoring the tone of wider scenes? Starts in Sun Trail, when he has a casual chat with Clear Sky after almost being murdered by Fox, killing him, being disavowed, and Storm evaporating

Misogyny? Storm AND Bright Stream were fridged in the same book.

Abuse apologia? Storm is in an argument with Clear Sky, her movement and freedom being restricted, in the very scene we find out she's pregnant. "He's just being protective" passed all around, leaving because he's being godawful, and her dying horribly because he was right all along about Her Needing Him. She dies apologizing to him.

Xenophobia? The Tribe cats distrust kittypets almost immediately, even being attacked by rogues, with Gray Wing hating Bumble the second he sees her (probably because she makes Turtle Tail happy).

I don't remember if he calls Bumble fat in Sun Trail but if you make me go back into it for evidence I'm going to Hunt an Erin

Sun Trail has a high note near the end, with Gray Wing announcing he is Thunder's father now. It's one line, not actually showing us anything about how good their relationship is. It's already strained by Thunder Rising. Gray Wing learns the same lesson about his brother being the devil at the end of every book and it never sticks

It was never good about families, it was never good about ableism, or abuse, or misogyny, these cats were jerks from practically the beginning.

And no I also completely reject that this arc at any point, let alone as a "Larger Theme" was about "cats of different walks of life banding together." When?? When they gave Wind and Gorse a ridiculously hard time about joining? When the Tribe cats pressured them to change their names to 'fit in'? When the Moor group was pissed off that Turtle spent the winter in Bumble's house and almost didn't let her back in?

When Clear Sky was shown as a Big Savior for kindly bringing civilization to all these lawless rogues, or was it when he was being portrayed as a bully who "didn't care" who fights for him when Snake and his stinky breath come on screen?

Or was it when they were fighting One Eye and Slash, two pure evil foreigners they had to conjure out of the ether because they decided that Clear Sky's sooo sorry now, getting rid of their main antagonist because they REFUSED to have a member of the Good and Wonderful Tribe cats remain a villain?

No, no no no no. The Bumble Debacle isn't out of left field, it's the whole goddamn arc. It's just the most egregious, undeniable moment of DOTC's ghoulishness and the part that puts its flaws on full display