#Malevolent 34

[arthur-lesters-right-arm]

Oh man I'm about to be tortured by a crazy serial killer, I think I should try homoerotically degrading him like a dog. It won't make it better, in fact, it'll probably make it worse. But I think we should give it a try anyways

[crayycrayon]

i just want to remind everyone that while john does have vision, he doesn't control arthur's pupils.

when john looks around, arthur isn't looking around. arthur either stares off into space or looks in the general direction of the person. because john doesn't control his pupils.

i'll put some scenes below to back up what i'm saying because it seems to be a common mistake (or it's a plothole).

Episode 9 - "The Boat"

arthur has no reaction to the gesture in front of his eyes. john probably does react, but we don't know if he is since he wasn't talking to arthur during this scene. but if he did react to it, it means his eyesight isn't connected to arthur's pupils.

Episode 29 - "The Train"

Episode 34 - "The Butcher"

the butcher notices it too, while we know that john most likely looks people head on (because of the descriptions he gives about other people) arthur doesn't! he looks in the general direction of the noise they're making, but not at them.

[izel-scribbles]

JUST FINISHED PART 33 IN MY RELISTEN AND I FORGOT HOW FUCKING HEAVENLY THE BUTCHER’S SINGING VOICE IS????? I FORGOT HOW INSANE I AM ABOUT THIS HOMICIDAL GAY IRISHMAN OAAUHAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

[dani-r]

POV you are a very unlucky person on an apartment complex

[reddstardust]

Me listening to the new Malevolent episode

[charon-cries]

listening to malevolent for the first time and episode 34 made me higher than anything i've ever smoked

[arthurtaylorlester]

AM I HALLUCINATING OR DID HE CALL JOHN HIS CONSCIENCE??? THE THING THAT TELLS HIM WHATS RIGHT AND WRONG??

[ndaths]

do you hate yourself did daddy not love yo—MY BROTHER IN CHRIST YOU ARE TIED TO A CHAIR

[michaelmylove]

relistening to 34

[glendover]

we, as in my conscience (John) and I

[crayycrayon]

if u think part 34 being in the butchers pov was bad you will not survive this winter

[1000-worms]

i feel like john doe malevolent has gone to war and ive just gotten a letter telling me hes missing in action and i have to wait a month for any news

[dani-r]

hehe.

[reddstardust]

The amount of people who want to fuck the butcher after this episode is insane. Get well soon besties 🙏

[monster--apologist]

The comparison of Collins to a dog and tool is interesting bc. Obviously we are supposed to connect him to Arthur, especially with the POV shift, but I think there’s a much better comparison to him found in John.

Arthur mocks Collins for committing violence on someone’s behalf, for simply acting as an extension of someone’s will, for, essentially, being subservient. John exists as a tool from the beginning - both to Arthur, to understand the world better having lost his sight (and eventually limbs), and to the medium, as a framing for including narration in an audio-only format. John doesn’t enjoy or even tend towards violence, but it is repeatedly expected of him, largely because he is inhabiting Arthur’s body/owing it for how much he’s taken from his friend. In Addison, Arthur even gets to a point of borderline threatening John if he won’t help kill Larson, and pushing him in spite of extreme pain. He doesn’t really have much power in their shared body and life, and ultimately has no choice but to go along with what Arthur chooses, even in a case like s3 where he is actively attempting to do anything he can to convince Arthur to do something else.

John doesn’t get to be a whole person, just an extension or influence on Arthur. Yet, he seems to enjoy it to some degree, or at least not be desperate to separate or get his own body. In spite of everything Arthur has put him through, John still cares about him and continually tolerates however shitty he can be.

The Butcher is a dog, and John is just Arthur’s conscious, a voice in his head.

[arthurtaylorlester]

btw the next time we hear john fully it will have been 3 months