#and broyals conflict in s7 we trust

[raayllum]

I think one of the reasons the "TDP is too focused on Rayllum and/or I want to see Callum and Rayla interact more with other characters" critique (complaint?) falls flat to me is 1) Callum is the main character and Rayla is his deuteragonist, 2) the show justifies their journeys together because they're most relevant to what needs to be happening (Rayla needed to go home in S3 just as Ezran needed to turn back; they have to go to the Great Bookery and Starscraper bc the info and items there is most relevant to her and Callum's arcs), 3) nobody ever has the same complaints about Terry/Claudia or Janai/Amaya even though those relationships actually Are the embodiment of said complaint.

Amaya has not had a plot line at all left unaffected by Janai since S1; 90% of her scenes are with Janai with brief intervals of her and Gren or her and Karim in S4, and her and Rayla with one scene in S5. Terry is a great character, but he is there to flesh out Viren (S4) and Claudia (S5) in tandem, having all of his relevant scenes with either one or the other; we've yet to see Terry actually interact with literally anyone else.

Conversely, throughout S4 we get to see Callum interact with Corvus (4x01), Ezran, Soren, and various other characters we meet along the way (Rex Igenous, N'than). We also get a decent amount of Ezran and Rayla interaction and Rayla and Soren interaction in particular in S4, and she's the only one of the main trio to interact with Terry or Claudia; Callum likewise gets Opeli, Archmage Akiyu, and Finnegrin in S5. Meanwhile in S5 we get to see how Rayla interacts with Janai and Amaya in addition to her own view(s) of her family, and more smaller Ez&Rayla and Rayla and Soren dynamics.

So what the complaint boils down to is usually "I'm bored of Rayla and Callum's romance (because I feel like it got restarted in S4)" when even if they weren't having to work things out, they'd be getting these plotlines in S5 and S6 (the seasons apparently they spend the most one-on-one time in anyway) regardless because Plot Relevance. It also reads as boredom with Rayla's arc (to me) because learning 1) leaving has consequences (s4) and 2) to accept grace and support (s5) are all things she absolutely needed to have happen. Idk about you but I'd prefer that one of the main character's arcs and core conflict isn't resolved in 1-2 episodes max leaving her to just stagnate for two seasons, and that means letting her take up time and space in the narrative making good choices and bad

It also feels like people are misremembering earlier seasons because they've always primarily driven each other's conflict and growth even in S1 (1x03-1x06 is about their inter-group conflict) and pushed each other to new places and epiphanies (S2) while offering support (S2, S3).

Like to be clear — think and feel whatever you think and feel, I nor anyone else can necessarily change your mind let alone stop you. But if it's Only a critique levied towards them and not towards any other plot centralized dynamic in the show, you might wanna think about whether it's just because they're the two of the three Main Characters and you're tired of seeing them more than characters & dynamics that aren't as consistently featured bc they're not The Main Characters > the characters you want to see more of that aren't as relevant to core plotlines. Because if you're going to have a critique / complaint about something Structurally, you wanna make sure you're being consistent about said structural complaint, tbh

[raayllum]

Rayllum gets separated in s7

Aaravos takes big steps = fast travel

Claudia wants revenge

Need I say more?

CHET CHET CHET CHET

Yeah idk if Rayllum's gonna get knowingly hardcore separated, but I am curious, cause I could see merits in both Callum going back with Rayla to the Silvergrove and in him remaining in Katolis with Ez while she and Runaan go.

Now some of this depends bc I'm assuming it happens earlier on in the season (7x01 to 7x03) it could always be at the end instead

But let's look at the value shall we?

If Callum goes with Rayla to the Silvergrove, it means we get to deal with more Callum&Runaan things presumably after Callum and Ezran's handling of the situation did not go well. It reaffirms his bond with Rayla further and his trust in Soren to look after Ez / the kingdom. This could also potentially set up a future where Callum leaves Katolis at the end of the season to live in Xadia / the Silvergrove, stepping fully into the world of magic. We also know going back home is going to be an emotional experience for Rayla and he'd want to support her in some way

If Callum stays in Katolis / Banther Lodge with Ez post-Runaan fight, it means he and his brother are going to be figuring things out together, or Callum will be trying to in spite of everything. I am leaning towards Callum flying from the Moon Nexus to get to his brother ASAP with Rayla & Runaan going on foot afterwards, so it'd make sense. It gives us more Broyals time (esp bc s6 didn't have almost any) and more Runaan&Rayla time + maybe Rayla standing up for herself more at the Silvergrove, taking the sort of love she's learned from Callum (and a remorseful Runaan) and applying it. This is the route where I could see Callum having more time to want to figure out the cube, too, which has been hinted at in S6 and will probably come to fruition in S7

Either option would probably mean a mid-season reunion — either the Broyals with Rayla, or Rayllum with Ezran — if the plot hasn't gotten in the way. Aaravos will presumably have to be attacking/destroying places now that he's out to push Claudia & Terry to have emotional conflict, so maybe the Silvergrove or somewhere in Rayla and Runaan's paths. If that happened, Rayla could get taken I guess

The good news about S7 being the end of arc 2 is that we know nobody will be separated for that long (aka 6 episodes max I think) or permanently, and the possession plotline will likely be wrapped up too. That makes me think Callum will get possessed & freed between eps 7x05 to 7x08 (so that 7x09 can be about defeating Aaravos in some manner) and Rayla has to be around for that bc "I need you to kill me" so...

Basically: CHET or whatever variant it gets would probably be mid season, but I don't think it'll be the reason Rayllum gets separated at first (I wouldn't mind if it was though of course)