#goddammit worlds beyond number i am desperately supposed to be working on writing my paper

[rocks-in-space]

A) Holy cow I will never recover from this episode

B) Can we talk about Ame choosing to check under the tarp? I've seen this decision generating some frustration, but I think it makes a lot of sense and is so interesting. Don't get me wrong, when it happened I was metaphorically rattling the bars of the fourth wall and literally almost screaming at my computer. But there's a world (in Umora) where that decision could have been the thing that saves them. Maybe actively honoring the Great Bullfrog would have given him enough strength to resist the worst of whatever is binding/dispelling/whatever him. Maybe another spirit hears it and this episode ends with a local river spirit coming in clutch to speed their rowboat down the river out of the grasp of the imperial guard. From Orima's shrine to Naram to the river spirit in Abassin, we know these things are possible.

Also I don't think it's fair to say that it was obviously a trap for Ame, why would she think there was a trap for her in this town. (Now, a trap for anyone who would publicly honor a spirit? Sure, that's more likely. Sending the fox was definitely a better idea)

To be clear, I definitely don't think Ame was doing it for selfish reasons like thinking that a spirit might save them; that's more just me speaking to the audience's expectations that this would go badly.

But I think that this decision is really about her trying to be the Witch of the World's Heart and figuring out what that looks like. What that looked like in this moment was choosing to honor a Great Spirit regardless of the risk to herself, her friends, and the mission to save the kids. Like I really don't see this as her being totally foolish and impulsive. She knew the risk! And if she didn't, Suvi just told her. And she does it anyway. I think it really follows from her kind of conflict with Eursulon last episode about prioritizing the kids or the Great Bullfrog. We know that she's prioritizing the spirit, and it shows here. They say they're the most aligned that they've been since childhood, but how aligned are they really.

I hope there's room in the story to thoroughly address this decision, because I think it is extremely meaningful.