#fuck sorry if i went on to long I'M a bit unwell (even without tadc interfering) o7

[rainbowbutterfrosting]

(hi, diagnosed bipolar type 2 and went through treatment process) YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH

Also, the fact that Gangle said, "It's called a manic episode, and you're getting three more seasons!" To cut it off with a laugh and sudden change of direction, IS JUST WHAT?!?!?!

Like "3 more seasons" giving the vibe it'll last forever and it'll just be great like that?? The racing thoughts of it????

Suddenly going into telling Jax what to do (instead of helping Ragatha who's struggling in the background) even feels like a tunnel vision that I just can't get out of my head (granted, not inherently comparing it to yours OP) (I'm comparing it to a lack of sympathy I sometimes get because The World Is Still Moving And It'll Move Without Me If I Stay Still kind of vibe during episodes. Like suddenly cancelling plans because something just Felt more important)

Anyway, back to the main point, yeah!!! I absolutely think part of the episode is an allegory for mental health treatment. Whenever my psychiatrist would offer a new medication, she would talk about some of the pros of it (like targeting certain symptoms) and it felt similar to Zooble talking about the pros of the mask (being plastic).

Not to mention, there was a separate post that pointed out how the machinery was a reference to Sedil, a brand name for Diazepam, or Valium. That's right- the mood stabilizer?!?

But also, being on Valium for an extended period of time can cause motor difficulties like being prone to falling, and y'know who's a bit clumsy and tends to break her mask? Gangle. (granted there's also a connection to her emotional stability and the mask but you get what I mean)

So in the same way that there's:

Jester Pomni who wants to be respected

Doll Ragatha who doesn't want to be used

Weird Zooble with body dysmorphia turning into an unaesthetic combination of features

And Gangle, who has a mask that acts like a mood ring for her.

Personally, when I'm in a different episode, I worry people will look at me like I'm a different person who's unrecognizable (I mean sometimes, yeah it's true as well. I feel like a different person) but this also directly reflects into Gangle??

I feel like her time in the Circus can be reflected by a mood stabilizer bringing her to depression or being in a mixed episode versus this episode (as in the story episode and emotional episode) finally brings her back up to a mania (change in medication) and results in her taking charge, snapping at people, and getting tunnel vision about being a good manager and having good employees; very optimistic about her particular goals. This shift (in medication) also results in her ultimate despair at the back of the restaurant with Pomni, finally crashing back into a mixed episode of becoming so completely hopeless, almost abstracting, then shifting back upwards.

And the way the episode ends feels so complete. She recklessly gets rid of her medication (without consultation of a professional) and just. Gets hit by a truck. That's it, she dies, and there's not exactly a happy ending.

Then with the grading with Caine, she gets a B+ every other worker and you can't help but think about all of her suffering through her illness and her consequential treatment has just resulted in her being Average at best, despite visibly trying the hardest out of everyone there.

Anyway yeah, I'm not sure how to end this but I haven't seen a single post mentioning her having bipolar so I'm a bit unwell abt it sldfksj

The thing abt the new mask not working in the new TADC episode felt like. Ok so I don't have diagnosed bipolar disorder but I definitely have manic and depressive swings and I got put on lithium once and all it did was make me in a hypomanic state for a week where I stayed up until I literally passed out... I spent 15 hours drawing a detailed diagram on hypothetical Smurfs anatomy, only getting up a few times to go to the bathroom. The meds didn't work they just made me more manic. Anyways that's the vibe I got from Gangle and Zooble at the end being like "the mask didn't work."