#It got late really fast and I am sleepy and on Nyquil

[cosmicsnowcryptid]

The Egos in Markiplier TV, and Why We Should Be Worried: A Theory

Obligatory disclaimer: This is a long ride, so buckle up and keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times.

Mark was very clear that the egos who were invited to the meeting in Markiplier TV were chosen for a reason. Some of the choices seem a little... odd, though, don’t they? Wilford and Dark make sense, but Ed Edgar? Silver Shep? If you recall, Mark couldn’t even remember who Bim Trimmer was, and asked fans in a live stream if they could remember what video he was in. So it’s clearly not about fan favorites, nor is it about Mark’s favorites. It must, therefore, be about the talents and abilities of the characters, and not the characters themselves.

They each serve a very specific purpose for either Dark or Wilford. 

We know Dark and Will are the leaders here. Look at this exchange between @markiplier and @fear-is-nameless:

Dark and Wilford are equally matched in both power and stature, but they share one common goal: control. This is what the meeting was all about in the first place. Dark says as much when addressing the problems with Will’s idea: the fundamental issue is, “how is this supposed to help us take back control?” and then, later, he says, “I think you’re missing the point of this endeavor.” These phrases indicate that the entire purpose of the meeting was to discuss the issue of control. This leads back into the original question: what was the purpose of the other egos being there, then? Why were they invited? The answer is actually quite simple:

Dark and Wilford have different ideas of what “taking back control” really means, and they each brought the most powerful associates they have to help them in regards to their own interpretations.

Take a look at the table.

The seating arrangement here is no accident. In fact, the order is very specific: For both Dark and Will, their literal “right hand man” is the most important to them, followed by the one on the left. The second person on their right-hand side is more of an outside consultant, one that could potentially see the more niche problems that could arise in their plan. 

Dark wants control of the audience, and the way to accomplish this is through the channel. Wilford wants control of the channel, and the way to accomplish this is through the audience. 

This is why they chose vastly different types of people to bring with them. 

Dark wants to be adored. He wants to have millions under his thumb, hanging on his every word, helpless to his influence. The channel, for him, is a means to an end. It’s just a way to get to us. The egos he brings with him are there because, collectively, he can use their skills to aid him in controlling us.

Dark’s resources focus on knowledge.

With The Host on his right and Google on his left, Dark has the ability to know the past, present, and future. This is crucial for him, as the way he gains control is by social and emotional manipulation. He already knows how to get into our heads, but recruiting these two brings him to the next level. With Google, he can learn any information he may need, and with the Host, he can know what the reaction will be when he uses that information. (This is based on the fact that the Host can narrate events faster than they happen, but does not seem to have any control over them, meaning he must simply be predicting them.)

His outside consultant is the doctor. He is not “on Dark’s side” and has no strong loyalty to one over the other, which is why he has no problem expressing his approval of Markiplier TV (nor did he have a problem with participating, as it seems he enjoyed making his little dramatic segment.). He’s there, rather, to give input on his specialty, which is the medical field. Mark has confirmed that Dark isn’t really part of our reality, but he bleeds into it, as is the case with Wilford. Now, Will has a fundamental misunderstanding of how much a person can take. He regularly kills others, but we’ve seen him express confusion and regret over this. When talking to Ethan, he explains that he was stabbing someone, and “I was laughing, and he was laughing, and then he just died.” He also mentions in the “Bubbles” segment that he is haunted by those he killed, and he’s starting to realize that “maybe it wasn’t a misunderstanding” where he was trying to “tickle them with a knife”. He clearly doesn’t have a good grasp on the effects of his actions or why they’re bad. We have every reason to believe that Dark is also unsure of the way that he physically effects others- the difference is that he is aware of his lack of knowledge, which is why the doctor is a valuable presence for him. The doctor, who has both experience with regular people and the egos, can help him toe the line between manipulation and psychological torture, keeping him from pushing his audience too far and achieving the opposite of the desired outcome. 

Wilford really, really does not care much about the people. To him, they are the means to an end- the end being control of the channel. Wilford wants to have creative freedom and liberty. To him, the reason his endeavors keep going wrong is because other people are limiting him. We saw his frustration with his crew years ago, during his interview with Phone Guy, and it was evident again during Markiplier TV, when he argues with Kathryn and has his program interrupted by a “technical difficulties” screen. The way he sees it, these people are trying to stifle his creativity. His new tactic is to pander to the audience until he’s famous enough that he gets to call the shots. He sees no reason why this wouldn’t work- no one tries to tell George Lucas he’s wrong anymore, do they? People love him, so he gets to do what he wants. In Will’s eyes, that’s all it takes.

Wilford’s resources focus on entertainment.

His associates may not have powers as strong as Dark’s, but they know how to have a stage presence. Or, at least, Will thinks so. With Bim, he has an ally who knows how to handle non-fiction situations, like game shows (which, as we saw, he really, really needs help with.) Shep, on the other hand, can help him with a more fantastical genre. 

His outside consultant is Ed Edgar. While Will doesn’t fully understand what he’s doing wrong, he has to admit that he isn’t as great at winning over people as Dark is. Will’s foolproof thought is this: Trying to make people like him is hard. He’s basically trying to sell himself and his personality to these people. Well, who better to help him with that than someone who actually sells people for a living? Bingo! The choices he makes here really demonstrate how out of touch with reality he is. Well, how out of touch with our reality he is, I should say.

Will’s lack of insight on the situation is made abundantly clear when we find out that he promised television spots to the people he brought with him, and didn’t deliver. This is why even those he brought are upset with his idea. The only one who seems receptive is Dr. Iplier, and only because he’s in it. Will alienates him rather quickly, however, by stealing his catchphrase. It’s safe to say that Dark, the Host, and Google were unaware of exactly what Will’s plan was, since Dark can barely control his rage, and Google mentions that he feels like they deviated from their primary objective. (Notice he says “our” primary objective and not “his”. He’s referring to the collective and not his own.)

This explains why these specific egos were chosen to attend, and why they had such strong reactions. It explains why they sat where they did and what their motivations were. And yes, that’s all well and good, but why does any of this matter?

Well, think about this for a moment: Dark’s methods are more subtle. Just like his choices in allies, his methods are more well thought out, less impulsive, more tightly controlled. Since Will wants the channel, of course he’d shine a spotlight on himself- but Dark wants the people, and to do that, he needs to stick to the shadows. As he learned when he tried to take over Mark’s date in February, it doesn’t work to simply present yourself in full. No, to win their hearts, you have to capture their minds. You have to pique their curiosity, get them interested in the mystery, toy with them. They start to hang on your every word simply to find out if it’s really you. Tell them just enough to draw them in, and keep them oblivious enough that they stay there. 

Give them a reason to believe you’re coming back. Give them a reason to believe you’re still there. Give them a reason to wonder if you ever truly left.

We don’t get to see the ending of the meeting. We don’t know what happened after the camera shut off. What we do know is this: there are two heads of the table. One of them just presented their idea.

What about the other?

What was Dark’s plan?

Did it get better reception? Good enough to be put into motion?

And if so,

is it working?