#i don’t want to use the character tag bc it’s kind of a temple negative post ajsjs

[major-comet]

i think that temple is a very interesting villain on paper - i *like* the idea of a group of sim troopers who are still hurting and are out for revenge against whatever’s left of the organization that hurt them - whether they had a direct hand in their mistreatment or not. like, that’s a really solid premise. and it’s kind of interesting that it’s a group that on a surface level is so similar to the reds and blues - though the whole *prototype* thing Blows.

but i think his whole deal is kinda knocked down a bit when you remember that we literally just did a whole arc about how if you don’t sit and actually emotionally deal with what’s happened to you and instead become consumed by a need for revenge, it’ll destroy you and those around you. revenge is a destructive force and very rarely does any good actually come from it. it won’t make you feel better, it won’t bring them back, it won’t fix things. you’ll just be left hollow and unable to conceive of what else to do with your life.

like, we just did that with carolina and sharkface in season 13. and carolina and epsilon and the director in season 10. and it was kind of part of wash’s villain arc in the recollection.

i think it would’ve been better if carolina actually had nothing to do with temple’s backstory - maybe it was some other freelancer we may or may not know, or maybe temple never actually had much interaction with the freelancers and he just hates the very idea of them.

season 10 and 13’s version of this plot line had lina either actively looking for revenge against the director, or seeing that same drive for it reflected back at her by someone *she* hurt with sharkface.

if temple’s drive for revenge had led him to indiscriminately lash out against anyone and everyone related to the project - regardless of guilt, it would have subverted things enough to make me not mind watching a revenge plot three (or four if we count wash in s8) story arcs in a row. and he does! of her definitely lashes out at everyone. but it's everyone And carolina, if that makes sense? and i think honing in on carolina again was kind of a mistake.