#if the episodes all fade one into the next instead of having something overarching for each episode

[gammija]

the visual of a train slithering like a serpent is deeply unsettling in a way that doesn't seem intentional

how does john instinctively know what a taxi is, but doesn't recognize a wheelchair on sight

[trek-tracks]

Thoughts on Picard S1

I’m glad to have been able to watch Picard. Stewart’s great. I’m happy the show exists. The Troi-Rikers, Hugh, and Seven were wonderful to see. As a caveat, a) my expectations were sky-high, and b) I wound up watching it online with people who liked to snark, and two or three of them were serious haters, so this perhaps coloured my watching experience.

I just...I wanted to care more.

I like the new characters enough, and Elnor in particular is very sweet, but I still don't know enough about them because the show had no room to breathe.  We needed more silly/serious, in-between episodes to develop the characters, when it's not just trying to serve an overarching giant plot. A lot of the character development (Jurati and Maddox, Rios and his captain) felt like it existed mainly because it could move the plot along, which leads to a tighter season, but a somewhat emptier one. We did get “filler,” but it was filler where characters repeated things we already knew to other characters, so the filler was mostly plot-based, not character-based.

The problem with doing that, especially when we have a small number of characters that are known quantities, is that we SO disproportionately care about the TNG/VOY characters that the others seem like...not filler, but distractions from those we really care about. I’ve talked about this before in my review of a TOS book, which had a one-off romance character attached to one of the Triumvirate. We tend not to care about those romances much, focusing on the friendships that have been built up over years. This isn’t because the new character is bad, but because of the Character Fondness Power Differential (a term I made up).

(serious spoilers below the cut)

That’s why the scene with Picard agreeing to shut Data off hits right in the gut, because we care about these characters equally, and we care about their pain equally.

It’s not that we don’t care about Raffi, Rios, Agnes…it’s that we care SO much about Picard, that when he dies (and we pretty much know that, with Picard Season 2 greenlit, we can’t fully give over to grief because something’s going to happen to cause him to be able to participate) we’re focusing on our own grief, not the grief of these characters who are still pretty new in our hearts. (Okay, Babey Elnor crying was pretty sad.) Why do they get to have the grief, we wonder, since we feel we’ve known him longer than they have? It’s like having the UberEats guy give your aunt’s eulogy because she ordered in a lot in her last month.

I did feel those big feelings I was looking for in the episode with the Troi-Rikers, and when Picard and "Data" were interacting (I really enjoyed Nepenthe, and Kestra, and I’ve made my peace with all that added semi-necessary angst). Seeing Riker in the Captain’s chair was awesome, though we really could have used a “Riker sit” of him getting into it. 

Despite the beauty of Picard and Data’s final conversation, though, I really don't think we needed to experience Data's death again, "but for real this time." It's like, it already hurts! He was already dead! It was emotional, and sweet, and fine, but ouch. I know Spiner doesn't want to play him anymore, which I absolutely get and appreciate, but it sort of felt like stomping on the fans so nobody would ask him to do it again. I still love Data forever. I kind of wish he’d gotten to talk to Hugh or Elnor. There was no scene of Elnor getting to meet Spot II. I wanted to riot.

I’m glad they didn’t fridge her, but it was less than impressive that nobody even mentions Bev, Picard's best friend and confidante on the Enterprise - not even Troi, Bev’s other best friend. Yes, that could have easily changed over decades, but I’d like to know why - I can’t tell if they’re saving her for next season, or if they just really don’t care about her, and I’m scared it’s the latter. I did, for a moment, think that if they really were going to kill Picard, technically in at least one future there’s a Captain Beverly Picard…so she could have taken over and the title would still work.

I do like what they did with Seven, and I’m thankful they gave her a complex role and are letting her be happy enough. Her grief over Icheb felt real; it hurt less for me, due to his actor’s phenomenal crappiness, but man, did it have to be so graphic? The brief second of a budding Seven and Raffi romance was cool - wlw Seven! To build up to that, they could really have showed them together grieving first, rather than splitting them up for those scenes. That way, they could have at least one more interaction that would support a flirtation. (It still makes more fucking sense than Seven and Chakotay.) It’s great that we got such a range of female characters, and (almost) none of them died to create manpain. (Sorry, Dahj. Alas.) 

However, killing Hugh, the show’s ray of hope, was a really cheap shot for shock value; I spent at least two episodes hoping that he would be brought back, somehow. They seem to have developed something potentially meaningful between him and Elnor, both patron saints of lost causes, but it seems like 90% of those scenes hit the cutting room floor, so it was unclear what was going on in the finished product, and how and why they bonded. Hugh was the hope of rebuilding, and I feel like he was meaninglessly sacrificed for evil when he could have been used symbolically for good. Even if his story in relation to Picard ends in Season 1 - let him continue his work. Because that’s what Star Trek is all about, right? Continuing the Great Work. Seven, Hugh and Elnor could have been the most adorable family. Raffi could come too. 

The Romulans seemed to backslide into more cartoonish villains, when the show could have been used for development and depth. The Romulannister incest overtones were unpleasant. What the hell happened to Narek at the end of the last episode? The writers just seemed to forget about him. Is he still on Coppelius (I still can’t get over that symbolic name, and “A.I” Soong)? Did they let him go on a ship? Is he in jail? Did they let him wander off, because they forgot he existed? Did he start a new career as a Disco Spock impersonator? We also didn’t see Narissa’s body, so who knows if she’ll be back again. If she comes back instead of Hugh…sigh.

It will be interesting to see how they deal with Picard as a synth. I hope that they don’t just totally let it fade into the background, treating it as a “first season problem” solution, and actually give it practical or philosophical implications. (Someone in my chat, seeing Picard and Data in the “quantum simulation,” said that it looked like we were about to get a Trek version of The Good Place, and I was so into that idea I almost gasped.) 

In short, I had a bunch of issues with the season, I’m still feeling warm overall, and looking forward to boldly going into season two - but maybe at a slower pace. Warp 2 instead of Warp 9?

[violethowler]

Ride of the Valkyrie

I delayed the second of my “Kingdom Hearts and the Heroine’s Journey” essays because in light of current events last week didn’t feel like an appropriate time to post it. In that additional time, we’ve gotten new screenshots and character information about Dark Road and the new characters that actually has some connection to what I’m talking about in this piece. So now that I’ve made a few adjustments, I present my analysis of Yozora’s role in the Heroine’s Journey below the cut. 

Since the release of Kingdom Hearts III, there has been a lot of speculation about Yozora and what role he plays within the series going forward. Some say that the series is going to use the Versus XIII elements represented by Verum Rex to deconstruct and comment on the nature of the Kingdom Hearts story and universe. Others say that he’s a fusion of Sora and Riku. But all of the speculation I’ve seen surrounding Yozora has been exclusively focused on how he fits into the story in terms of lore and worldbuilding, without actually looking at the structure of the series’ narrative. 

Granted not everyone knows about the Heroine’s Journey or recognizes that the plot of Kingdom Hearts is following it with regard to Sora’s growth. However, Sora’s fading at the end of Kingdom Hearts III clearly represents his death in the metaphorical sense, even if we’re not completely sure yet whether he died in the literal sense. The fact that the scenery associated with Yozora is Shibuya only serves to hammer this point home.

Because of the Kingdom Hearts III secret ending’s focus on Sora and Riku, parts of the fandom have affectionately labeled the game being foreshadowed by this scene by the informal name “DDD2”, in reference to the Dream Eater logo on the sidewalk in one of Riku’s shots framing the KH3 secret ending which suggested that the next game would function as a pseudo-sequel to Dream Drop Distance. Instead of Final Fantasy characters, the original Dream Drop Distance introduced the cast of the 2007 Square Enix game The World Ends With You, in which dead teenagers compete for a second chance at life in a plane of reality that runs parallel to Shibuya. At the end of their interactions in Dream Drop Distance, Sora promised to come visit Neku and the gang in Shibuya at a later date.[1] 

 The secret ending of KH3 depicts Sora, Riku, Yozora, and the Master of Masters in Shibuya, with Sora last seen standing at the Scramble Crossing, where the story of The World Ends With You begins. This same secret ending also depicts a building labeled 104, which Sora and Yozora fight on top of in the DLC Secret Episode. The 104 is TWEWY’s fictional representation of the real-life 109 building, and is a prominent recurring location in that game. The use of TWEWY’s most recognizable locations means that even if this isn’t necessarily the same version of Shibuya that Neku and co. hail from[2], the audience has already been primed to associate this city with death and the afterlife. 

Since the DLC Secret Episode seems to indicate that Yozora has something to do with how Sora ended up in Shibuya, it’s clear what role Yozora plays within this upcoming chapter of Kingdom Hearts. Whatever the actual deal with him is regarding the series’ lore, in terms of Sora’s journey, Yozora is a Psychopomp. 

For those unfamiliar with the term, a psychopomp is a figure from folklore, legends, and myth whose job is to guide the souls of the dead to the afterlife[3]:

In Egyptian mythology, one of Anubis’ roles is to lead the souls of the dead from the world of the living to the entrance of the afterlife. 

In Greek mythology, that role is filled by Hermes and Hecate, while Charon ferries souls from the entrance to the Underworld across the River Styx into the realm of the dead proper. 

And in Norse mythology - which Kingdom Hearts is going to be drawing from to a significant degree in future games if the new characters announced for Dark Road after I decided to delay this essay are any indication - has the Valkyries, who carry the souls of warriors who die in battle to the afterlife. One notable Valkyrie was Skuld[4], one of the three Norns who decide people’s fates.

Though not a goddess, the Skuld of Kingdom Hearts is thematically associated with the role of her mythological namesake when she appears at the end of the original X browser game alongside Ephemer to bring the dying player character into the data world with the rest of the Dandelions. 

Meanwhile, in the DLC Secret Episode for Kingdom Hearts III, Yozora displays abilities related to data and he seems to be able to manipulate the Final World, a place inhabited by the spirits of the dead who have not moved on from the world of the living. 

So even if one is unfamiliar with the full development history behind Final Fantasy Versus XIII and the significance of what Verum Rex represents in that context, the Secret Ending and Secret Episode of Kingdom Hearts III visually and thematically associate Yozora with death, the afterlife, and resurrection.

The original backstory of Final Fantasy Versus XIII implies that this mythological role was even part of the concept for Noctis/Yozora from the beginning of Versus XIII’s conception. According to the early information about Versus XIII and its lore, those who have near death experiences could see the souls of the dead ascending into the afterlife and gained powers derived from The Kingdom of the Dead[5]. This concept was scrapped when Versus XIII was overhauled into Final Fantasy XV, but if Nomura felt so strongly about the original Versus XIII concept that he incorporated overt references to it into Kingdom Hearts, then the pre-overhaul lore should be taken into account when speculating on Yozora’s role in the overarching narrative. 

As I mentioned in “The Heroine’s Journey of Sora”, the Secret Ending of Kingdom Hearts III is setting up the “Initiation and Descent” stage of Murdock’s monomyth. In this stage of their journey, the protagonist can sometimes be accompanied by a psychopomp figure who serves as a guide through their Descent. The psychopomp’s words, actions, and presence provide the spark that the main character needs in order to realize the lesson that they must learn in order to complete the final phase of their journey. 

While I have only seen a few instance of these psychopomp figures in a Heroine’s Journey story, the ones I have seen taken on one of the following forms: 

A dark reflection of the main character. 

A parental figure

A distorted version of the protagonist’s Animus. 

As I mentioned in “The Heroine’s Journey of Sora”, Riku is the one character in the series who meets the qualifications to serve as an Animus figure. And as Kingdom Hearts III notes, Yozora bears a strong resemblance to Riku, a connection which is emphasized by one of the Kingstagram posts in the game (an emphasis which was unfortunately lacking in the English localization) as well as the novel adaptation. 

While we still do not have enough information to divine precisely how Yozora and Verum Rex fit into the cosmology and lore of the Kingdom Hearts universe, there is still enough to determine his function within the framework of the Heroine’s Journey that Sora is on. Based on the connections to The World Ends With You, the origins Versus XIII lore, the structure of the Heroine’s Journey, and parallels with the Kingdom Hearts series’ previous references to mythology, Yozora is a psychopomp figure who will guide Sora one way or another through his Descent into the underworld. 

Sources:

[1] Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance. Square Enix, 2012. 

[2] Kingdom Hearts 3 Ultimania - Main Nomura Interview Translated; March 12, 2019. https://www.khinsider.com/news/Kingdom-Hearts-3-Ultimania-Main-Nomura-Interview-Translated-14763

[3] Psychopomp - Wikipedia 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychopomp

[4] Skuld - Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skuld

[5] Final Fantasy Versus XIII - Final Fantasy Wiki  https://finalfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Final_Fantasy_Versus_XIII

[svynakee]

castlevania s3 thoughts

Well more like complaints. Although I do find it worth watching; maybe after S4 comes out, though. Because S3 is really just a fancy teaser for S4.

I really don’t like how Castlevania S3 felt like a waste of time (except for 30% which was very good). I mean yeah I watch shows to waste time in general but hear me out.

By the end of S3, it feels like nothing happened. The status quo is kept. There’s a lot of setup with a tenuous promise of S4 payoff. There might be growth, but really, everything feels more like the catalyst for growth to happen later. It’s like following your GPS and it says “You’ve arrived at your destination :)” but you find yourself at some dusty crossroads and there isn’t even a petrol station in sight.

That’s basically all I can say without spoilers. I have a lot more to say with spoilers. So-

If Castlevania S3 was divided into 4 basically unrelated stories (Styria, Lindenfeld, Isaac’s travels, Alucard’s castle), at least half of them ended up saying/contributing nothing to the overarching plot, setting and characterisation. It felt like an extended trailer. Action, twists, your favs making an appearance��then goodbye, screen fades to black, see you next season.

TLDR version: get rid of Isaac’s entire arc, develop Sumi and Taka or get rid of them, Lindenfeld sorely needed more focus, no need to change Styria but more Styria would be nice.

Compare to S1, which was also mostly setup for the plot resolution in S2. It didn’t feel like a waste of time. Why? Because of the threat of Dracula? I don’t think so. It’s because when we first meet Trevor, we’re presented with a very solid image of who he is. He’s alone, he’s purposeless, he doesn’t want to take up his family legacy. 3 episodes later and he’s got two “friends” and a clear goal to pursue. And he’s no longer a nameless drifter – he’s the last living Belmont, vampire hunter, returning to his ancestral home so he may arm himself to face Dracula.

Alucard

Alucard’s story was the worst offender in my opinion. We start with Alucard being alone and sad in his empty castle. We end with Alucard being alone and sad in his empty castle. While this could be an interesting start of darkness for the dhampir, the fact that we don’t really see the results make it an overall unsatisfying season. Suki and Taka contributed nothing. We learned almost nothing about them. Their motivations were frankly generic – they want to fight vampires? Well we already know people who do that. Their obsession with the castle’s engine? Goes nowhere. Their friendship with Alucard? Shallow, not really built on mutual points of interest. Then they die.

The truth is, Sumi and Taka were dealt a bad card to begin with – Alucard, to be exact. Because a ranged and close quarters fighter duo of vampire hunters has direct competition with the previous season’s S&T, Sypha and Trevor. Instead of giving them the time and development needed to grow apart, they seemed more like plot devices to get Alucard to where he needs to be in S4. Or just to prove he’s lonely and gullible. And a bottom.

I feel like there’s a lot of potential in this storyline. Perhaps Taka and Suki’s interest in the castle is more nefarious; maybe they were part of a bigger group. Their betrayal of Alucard could cause him to reconsider his father’s stance on humanity. As a stepping stone, I have no complaints about this storyline. But that’s because there’s nothing to say. Its impact all depends on S4 and S4 isn’t out yet. So, the entire thing just feels frustrating, a pointless distraction from the other storylines.

Isaac

Isaac should not have gotten as much screen time as he did, unless they actually did something useful with him. As much as I love his character (Casually putting Godbrand down? Instant fav.) his presence in S3 feels like pointless pandering. Because he spent all that time doing nothing.

We know who Isaac is, because of S2. We know what his motivations are: return to/avenge Dracula. We know his general worldview, the thing that makes him what he is – he has a low opinion of humanity, is highly disciplined and loyal to Dracula. And the thing is, NONE of these things change in S3. Instead we’re treated to Isaac repeatedly almost thinking humans are okay, then getting proven wrong when he tries to give them a chance, then killing everyone.

This is would serve a purpose if: Isaac was seen as ambivalent towards humanity or conflicted about condemning them in S1 (more like Hector, perhaps). Isaac was more like original Isaac, an unhinged sadist and being saved by Dracula starts him on a path to redemption which is repeatedly denied.

But no. Isaac is always shown to be calm, disciplined and set in his views. Having him go through this completely unchanged makes his character ‘arc’ a waste of time.

The problem is Isaac’s storyline also feels unnecessary plot-wise. Isaac finds humans disgusting and his power is to be a monster spawn point. The fact is, if Isaac shows up one day with a monster army and wants to kill humans, we don’t need an explanation for it. Isaac himself is the explanation. The only thing that needs resolving is ‘how did he get from the desert to bother the heroes’ and that can be solved by “I took a boat” or “I found a transportation mirror” or even “I used a night creature to carry me”. He can just tell us. It can be a shot of him travelling. Or a cheesy montage set to rock music I don’t care.

So the fact that character-wise Isaac is just going through a series of resets is made even more tedious when you realise that plot-wise he’s also been completely useless.

His big fight was fun, but it lacked emotional impact. The wizard wasn’t opposed to Isaac, either in terms of good/evil or ideologically. There was no catharsis to the wizard dying because we never knew those townspeople. Who got turned into night creatures anyway. By Isaac.

Belnades and Belmont (the dancing bear)

The Lindenfeld plot I would say has all the elements of an excellent story but needed more time. More focus. I hated S3’s style of constantly jumping between the four storylines, especially when one of them involved Isaac going through a banal cycle on another continent and the other had the Discount Belmont and Belnades.

In my opinion, Lindenfeld only suffered because there wasn’t enough focus to really build up the almost Lovecraft-esque mystery for Trevor and Sypha to investigate. Germain barely interacted with them, we only got his story via infodumping and a bad dream. Their relationship with the Judge didn’t feel deep enough that his ‘betrayal’ had impact (besides, it was bundled up with Alucard and Hector’s betrayals so there’s a bit of overexposure apathy). And it’s hard to be sympathetic towards townspeople when, for most of the series, townspeople are shit. Townspeople blamed Belmont for Dracula’s horde. Townspeople tattled on Lisa. Townspeople antagonise Isaac. Showing us 1 family eating dinner isn’t going to change that.

There was something of a start to an emotional arc where Trevor questions Sypha’s naiveté, his future with her, etc. which would have been stronger if it wasn’t just the start of an arc. Leaving them horrified at the truth of the Judge, the destruction of the town and their inability to prevent disaster is absolutely fine. But when it’s also paired with Isaac’s Are Humans Bad Merry-go-Round and Forever Alone Alucard, yet another “to be continued” ending instead of closure was frustrating.

Hector but not really

Hector, similar to Isaac and Alucard, starts and ends in the same place. I have no complaints about the Styria storyline though because Hector isn’t the character carrying this subplot. Lenore is.

Lenore starts out with a clear goal and obstacle to that goal. The other vampire sisters seem unconvinced that she can solve it, or that any of them can. Lenore succeeds despite these odds, proving her own strength, cunning and patience. She also shows how her way, the diplomat’s way, has the same value as Carmilla’s schemes, Striga’s military knowledge and Morana’s talent for governance. She has an arc. Sure, it’s a villain arc, but villains need them. S2 had Carmilla working against Dracula, putting her forces into place, manipulating the war council, stealing Hector to her side. S3 has Lenore.

Meanwhile, the Styria subplot also sets up the new villains for the heroes to face – cunning Carmilla, strong Striga, strategic Morana and manipulative Lenore. Along with Hector the army spawn point. We have the new location, Styria. We see the dynamic and power hierarchies of the new villains. We learn about their overarching goal and how they mean to achieve it. Lots of setup, even more than the other storylines, but it has a satisfying arc within it that means it gives closure.

If S3 was freed from Static Isaac and Sumi/Taka (who have expiry dates and arrived half stale), the Styria storyline could benefit from the extra time. Better establish the dynamic between the four sisters (as opposed to Striga-Morana, Lenore-Hector and then a little bit of Carmilla). Give Hector more time to show his emotions; his despair, his loneliness, his genuine desire to have a friend despite his better judgement.

Final thoughts and Season Finales

Overall, the strongest parts of S3 are bogged down by subplots that really didn’t deserve so much screen time. I question the editing style of constantly jumping between the storylines; it comes at the cost of emotional investment into each one. The finale is especially strange to me. Two fights and two sex scenes that clashed, broke tension and made it tough to respond emotionally. Isaac’s fight should’ve happened earlier, a mid-season spectacle that really doesn’t have emotional impact. Lenore’s manipulation and betrayal could have been a second-to-last episode thing. The heroes naturally deserve the prime spot of season finale; the disastrous end of that fight also sets up the gloomy tone of the ending.

Sumi and Taka can die whenever, however. I literally could not care less whether they tried to kill Alucard after sex or over dinner. I barely care about their reason for attempted murder. I don’t know what part they play in the grand scheme of things and I am not invested in them as individuals.

If the entire point of the arc was to prove that Alucard was a bottom, just have him absent the entire season and add a post-credits scene of him using a dildo. Then he accidentally smashes it with his vampire strength and cries on the floor.

[albion-93]

RWBY Analysis: Who is the Main Antagonist of Volume 6?

Disclaimer: Contains intense RWBY theorising and speculation inspired by Volume 6 Chapter 9 that is subject to being made redundant should the rest of the Volume go along like nothing as follows in this post.

RWBY has an interesting history when it comes its villains and antagonists. From Volumes 1 to 3 we saw a succession of rogues who fit the bill, each nastier than the last, from the likes of Roman Torchwick to Adam Taurus, Cinder Fall, and finally Salem. When it came to these four especially, and their criminal cohorts, the terms villain and antagonist went hand in hand. And with good reason, they were in active or indirect opposition to our protagonists’ actions, and their intentions and deeds ranged from petty theft to Machiavellian manipulation, terrorism and mass murder. Roman was a solid rival and foe to Ruby Rose, while Cinder served her role as main villain and antagonist well in Volumes 1 to 3, with Salem’s overarching series antagonist role revealed as a cliffhanger.

With Volumes 4 and 5, there were certainly plenty of villains but the role of main antagonist became somewhat complicated. As Team RWBY split up, most of them faced their own antagonist to overcome in various stages. In Vol 4 Weiss had her abusive father, Jacques Schnee; Blake had the White Fang operatives in Menagerie; Yang’s was at first psychological - the trauma of losing her arm and regaining her resolve to fight - and the second came in the form of her estranged survivalist mother Raven Branwen. Lastly is Ruby, who is sadly the most lacking in this department. Apart from her battles against the Grimm alongside Jaune, Nora and Ren, nothing came close to Roman or a potential enmity with Cinder, alas.

Now that RWBY is back together, things have changed. Cinder is now a month behind everyone else and unable to confront anyone. Salem is moving her minions into place in Atlas but doesn’t pose a direct threat to the heroes, though we will probably see Hazel, Tyrian and Watts out in the open at some point. Emerald is experiencing a crisis of allegiance, while Mercury seems to have chosen his side. Finally, Adam Taurus is as yet unaccounted for with no White Fang support to be found. 

You could argue that we’ve had the threat of personal demons and some excellent opposing interplay within the group, such as Ruby dealing with Qrow’s alcoholism and despair, Weiss’s reluctance to return to Atlas, Blake and Yang keeping a lid on their issues, and everyone falling into despair and anger at learning of Salem’s immortality. As effective as these are, there hasn’t been a single villainous character directly or indirectly circumventing the heroes’ actions. Odd.

So, I ask again, who is the main antagonist of Volume 6?

My personal take might shock many if you.

Since the start of Volume 6, this character’s words, choices and unfortunate past mistakes has led to more problems for the heroes than anything caused by Adam, Cinder or Salem. He’s nominally on the side of good but has failed in upholding his mission and his stagnation and secrecy has become a source of fear, discord, disunity and despair, more so than any servant of Salem. I am referring to Professor Ozpin.

Now let me be absolutely clear about this: Ozpin is NOT a villain.

Ozpin does not crave death, destruction, domination or the suffering of humanity. In the past, he was a kind and wise mentor to Ruby at Beacon, and a fair leader. He is ultimately someone who wants to put an end to Salem’s evil and somehow lift the curse, maybe once he believed he would be the one to finally do it. But now, he he’s a liability to Team RWBY, the remains of Team JNPR and of course his most recent incarnation, Oscar Pine.

If he had elected to tell the heroes that the Lamp attracts Grimm before boarding the Argus Express, and most vitally trust them, they might have avoided separation and being stranded. His constant omission of the truth, while claiming that it was for the greater good, is the same mentality that contributed to the Fall of Beacon. The more his pessimism, bitterness and double standard thinking emerged, the more the group’s distrust grew, culminating in Oscar briefly regaining control and revealing the Jinn in the Lamp. He was even prepared to use force to stop Ruby from asking Jinn what he was hiding. Overcome with despair and shame, he retreated deep into Oscar’s mind. They were left there to endure the Brunswick Farms horrors because of him.

I don’t blame him for retreating as he did, especially given the secrets regarding Salem. But when they finally reached Argus and the truth was revealed to Team JNR, he didn’t even re-emerge to come to Oscar’s defence from Jaune’s anger, and let him take the brunt of it. Again, there was no malice on Ozpin’s part, but in not intervening he allowed the rift between Oscar and the others to widen. In an older post, I said that if I were Oscar I would have taken my chances with the cold weather and Grimm rather than stay with people mad at me for another man’s mistakes. That came true in Dead End. So how is it he went from this...

To this?

The thing that struck me in the recent episode Lost was the reveal that Oscar had seemingly been waiting for the group at the Cotta-Arc house sporting new,  princely clothes and having cooked dinner for everyone. I do not think for a moment that that’s the real Oscar who welcomed the gang back. Absolutely nothing about what we saw in the previous episode, being threatened, isolated and emotionally dumped on naturally leads into him being relaxed, willing to reaffirm his mission to help RWBY, accepting his fate, easily forgiving Jaune and cooking dinner for everyone. Why would he do any of this? 

Looking at his body language and choice of words, he seems too calm, confident and controlled to be Oscar. His new combat outfit lines up with the green motif shared in other past Ozma incarnations, even with the red flourishes and leather fittings. Also, take a read of this dialogue, and instead of Oscar pretend it’s Ozpin saying this to the group:

Many have said that this sounds an awful lot like someone with a terminal illness would say, and that this could be a sign of the Merge happeninng. But why is the story acting like Oscar is the one who will fade away, when Jinn showed the different approaches Ozma had to coexisting with his hosts? 

Personally, I think it’s Ozpin imitating Oscar. He seemed surprised when he found out the group were looking for him, so how could Oscar not know why they were looking for him? For Ozpin, it’s a perfect cover since the group still doesn’t trust him but are are happy to see the boy safe. Asserting his desire to help extends a proverbial peace offering, while keeping the nature of the possession ambiguious. Also, isn’t cooking dinner for someone (or indeed twelve people) a pretty good way of making amends? 

But hang on, how could Ozpin still be an antagonist if he’s promising to help the heroes and wants to bury the grudges between them? He’s not telling the truth and remaining entrenched in the same mindset that has weakened their efforts in the past. Also, if Oscar is being locked inside his own head and being used for deception this is certainly a moral breach.

I think Oscar would have succeeded in running away or done something much worse if Oz didn’t forcibly intervene. Such a move would be very in keeping with Ozpin’s pattern of actions; the idea of committing a little evil in the name of the greater good, i.e. to return Oscar safely  to the group he had to forcibly take over. Also, the omission of vital truths and maintaining an amiable facade in the belief that everyone is happier for not knowing the full story. There’s even escalating a dangerous solution whilst potentially alienating or endangering others and removing the option of choice, just like in Volume 3.

It would be a cruel twist of irony if Jaune’s angry rant at Oscar in the house actually became a self fulfilling prophecy; “How do we know it’s really him?! What if we’ve been talking to that liar this whole time?!” By denying Oscar’s individuality when he was at his most vulnerable, he sowed the seeds for Oz to return and deceive the heroes into thinking Oscar returned of his own free will.

Now, imagine if all this crazy theory-crafting proved correct and the truth came out, Ozpin would have to contend with the wrath of RWBY and JNR, for duplicity, manipulation and subduing another’s will. And yet, unless something changes within him or his soul and Oscar’s battle for survival, there is nothing anyone can do. A once good mentor turned antagonist, with no villainous intent or goal, who cannot be challenged, driven away, imprisoned or killed without hurting his innocent host. Now that is a terrifying foe...

Aside Note: If it IS Oscar talking and this is something that he has decided himself, we didn’t see the process of making that decision for himself and go through classic character development or spiritual guidance to reach that point and signal his newfound commitment to the mission. This isn’t just a plot hole, this is an easy fix, and completely antithetical to good storytelling. After eight episodes where there were no easy fixes in the plot, why is this suddenly allowed? Maybe a character short could retcon character growth into place, but I have serious doubts.

The one point I will give is the look shared between Ruby and Ozcar when she complimented his new attire. That seemed like a genuine Oscar moment and expression, and I could buy that he chose red to earn Ruby’s attention. But I’m still suspicious.

Thank you to all who’ve read this long analysis post. I’m sure the next episode has a very different idea from what I’m proposing, maybe a much less dark outcome, but this was a very interesting train of thought to indulge.

[naylar-draws]

so like could you tell us why strickler deserved to die

Lol I was not expecting someone to ask about that tag!

Boy oh boy ask and you shall recieve

(I did not intend for the reply to be this long but like here’s another essay length meta)

I don’t think Strickler as a character deserved to die, he’s far from the most heinous character in TH. But from a storytelling standpoint, I think killing him off in the s3 finale would have improved Trollhunters as a whole. For that point to make sense I’m gonna need to explain a few things first:

~1700 words under the cut

1) It is more or less an unspoken rule that if an action/adventure oriented story (be it a show, film, book, etc) wants to feel like it has real stakes, a character needs to die. Not just any character, but a main character or an important side character. This isn’t always the case, and I personally don’t think that there needs to be a death to make a story feel more real (No one died in ATLA’s finale), but that’s the trend and is often the easiest, most basic way to things. If utilized right, it can have a huge impact (Ned Stark in game of thrones, Boromir in fellowship)

2) A good finale/climax of a story wraps up the story’s themes and emotional core. It emphasizes it in some way, or offers commentary on it. IMHO a lot of TV and comic book finales can fall short because this. And its not necessarily the creators’ faults, its simply the structure of the industry. Often times a tv finale will be made before the creative team knows whether or not there will be a next season, or they’ll only be given a handful of episodes to wrap up the series. Same with comics. Good climaxes that incorporate a story’s theme off the top of my head are TAZ Balance, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Rocky.

3) A character death needs to mean something, either as a way to complete their character arc, or to comment on some overarching theme, or even to further another character’s development. (Boromir again, Gamora in Infinity War - yes I know she’s coming back - all the fucks that die in Last Stand of the Wreckers)

4) Positive actions should have payoffs. This is kind of cynical, but narratively, if a story wants to say that something is good, there should be a tangential positive effect for that action. For example, in TAZ balance, the theme is that you should choose love and that the bonds we build in life are just like really awesome man, and in the finale those bonds were actively used as a positive game mechanic which helped the heroes to defeat the enemy. Even if the story’s message is that we should do good even if it doesn’t benefit us, there’s still a positive effect to doing good that needs to be portrayed, for instance it could be “gets you into heaven” “makes you happy“ or “helps other people”.

Okay so that out of the way, I’m going to look at all of this through the lens of Trollhunters as a standalone series, instead of a trilogy. I know that there might be reasons the creative team decided to kill off some characters and not others that’ll be made apparent in Wizards. But since Wizards is a separate tv show from TH, its quality and the quality of Trollhunters should be looked at both individually as well as together. And since Wizards ain’t out I’m looking at TH on its own.

Oki Doki so, onto the meat of it. Trollhunters doesn’t really have any overarching theme or message. Bravery and becoming a hero could be contenders but imo that’s kinda lukewarm. I think an unrealized theme that could’ve been is that of redemption, and the idea that people can change if motivated to do so or offered a chance. One of the things that makes Tollhunters interesting and unique is its sheer amount of redeemed villains. We have Draal in the first six episodes, then Strickler, NotEnrique, Nomura, and Angor Rot. Not to mention Steve, and Aaarrrgghh, whose redemption arc happened before the show started. There are more redeemed villains than villains that stay villains.

And then there’s the people that change but not for the better, like Merlin, who apparently was once a pure and ideal heart, and potentially Morgana.

And then there’s Jim, who is remarkable because of his heart. He gives people chances, offers them friendship where other Trollhunters would have antagonized them. The theme would be basically give people a chance/the benefit of the doubt, reach out an olive branch, it might just make them friends. (And if they don’t take the opportunity to improve murder their faces.)

The TH climax was adequate, it wrapped up the plot, set up for a sequel, and had a decent escalation of action. But honestly, I personally thought the build up to the finale was much better than the finale itself. Though this is just like my opinion man, and if anyone thought it was great, cool.

The character that dies in the finale is Angor Rot. He changes sides and sacrifices himself helping the team battle Morgana. And, like, I always found it just kind of… meh? Like I’m sad that he died he was a great character but his death scene seems so pointless (like Draal’s). As I mentioned on point 3, Angor’s death doesn’t really mean anything. It doesn’t further another character, comment on a theme, and it’s an okay I guess conclusion to his redemption arc. The issue I have with it is that it’s not the natural conclusion to an arc for a character like him to have. We are never told that Angor Rot fears death. He died once and was miffed about it, but we never see an aversion to dying again. No, we see that Angor’s greatest fears are Morgana, and fading away or some shit. If the creators wanted to really write Angor off the show what they should have done was have him be the one to tackle Morgana into the shadow realm and never come back, thus facing an eternity with the one he fears most, the person who stole his soul and turned him into a slave.

BUT IF SOMEONE HAS TO DIE I think an even better death that would have been even better for the show, would be if Strickler sacrificed himself instead and Angor Rot was used to parallel Draal at the beginning of season 1. This would ultimately bring the show full circle and tie the finale in with the rest of the show, and helped realize a theme about redemption.

Strickler would have to sacrifice himself at some other conveniently point that relates to his character more, and the whole finale would have to be restructured, but here’s why I think it would’ve been better:

Strickler is a character who is introduced in the very beginning of the show and remains a constant throughout. He has the most nuanced and prolonged redemption arc of all the characters. He starts out as a self-serving Starscream trope who looks out for himself above all else. Throughout the show, he falls in love with someone and forms a father/son bond with Jim. If you follow the sort of character arc of someone who starts off cowardly and selfish and then learns to care about others to its logical conclusion, you find yourself at the point where the character must sacrifice something in order to prove their change, usually what they originally value most. Throughout the show we see Strickler try so hard and do so much to preserve his own life. What Strickler at the beginning of TH values most is obviously his own life. This is a man who greatly fears death. I’m sure you see where I’m going with this.

It would have been a great conclusion to his character if he sacrificed himself in order to save Barbara and/or Jim. Also it would show that positive payoff to Jim choosing to trust Strickler. If Jim hypothetically didn’t trust Strickler and give him a chance to redeem himself, then hypothetically Strickler wouldn’t be able to sacrifice himself and thus Barbara would hypothetically die.

But who knows, Strickler could die in wizards ;)

Strickler dying would also leave room for Angor Rot surviving. And Angor Rot surviving if done right, could be used to further development with Jim and reinforce that he still has his heart despite sacrificing his humanity. It could also give a reason to Draal’s pointless death (further Jim’s and Angor’s developement).

Here’s what I propose could’ve been done with Angor Rot if he didn’t die: He can turn on Morgana and maybe even appear like he’s going to die. Jim is given a choice of whether or not to save Angor Rot, and maybe at this point or sometime previous in the finale reiterate that Angor killed Draal and Jim’s mad about it. Jim is half troll now, he’s different, angrier and less forgiving, maybe all of its getting to him and the audience is made to wonder if Jim might become more like Merlin (who was once like Jim but became crueler) or if he still has the heart that made him so great in the first place. He’s at a crossroads deciding which path he’s going to go down. And then Jim saves Angor. Have it mirror in some way when Jim spared Draal that first time. Have Angor react similarly, being confused about it and be like “but I killed your buddy, you should let me die as revenge”, and maybe have Jim say something about how that’s not how he does it.

And then, and now I’m just going off and doing that whole “what I would’ve done” thing, but like and then as positive payoff to the good action of choosing to save Angor what if there’s one last scene at the end and it’s in Merlin’s tomb. We see Draal’s stony corpse, and then before it is a cauldron like how we saw with Aaarrrgghh, and it’s all steaming. And Angor’s hand stirs it. Then there’s a wide shot and we see Angor Rot standing before Draal’s corpse as it starts to fade back to living stone. Then Draal opens his eyes. And then cut to black credits role.

But like all of this just my opinion man. My rambling overly critical opinion that would get me weird looks if I talked about it irl lol

[kamen-base]

Well, that was Kamen Rider V3. First, I would like to thank Generation Kikaida for subbing the entire show, though I can’t find the movie anywhere (but I’ve heard it doesn’t add anything). 

So, like I always do, I’m going to go over what I thought was good and bad about the series, the first thing I list will be the best, the last thing I list will be the worst, and the mediocre section in between. As if I’m not implying, there will be spoilers.

GOOD:

Yuki Joji and pretty much all the episodes involving him: As I’ve constantly gushed, I loved Yuki’s character arc, and pretty much all the episodes involving him. Going from a misguided individual that trusts in Destron to slowly doubting everything about it to finally joining Shiro in his cause was absolutely fascinating to watch. Not only that, his backstory and his “sacrifice” were also great to watch, not to help that Bokura no Riderman is a good song, in my eyes. The only complaint I have about him is that he’s sorta useless. He doesn’t really do much until his final episode, he doesn’t develop Shiro (though I will point out that Shiro helping Yuki basically showed us that Shiro’s developed into a mentor figure like Ichigou and Nigo), nor interact with much of the supporting cast. However, that will not change the fact that Yuki was the best part of the show in my eyes.

Kazami Shiro: Yes, I ranked the secondary over the main rider, flame me. In my eyes, these two characters are absolutely great. Both of them have deep personalities, Shiro, like his powers, is a combination of Hayato and Takeshi’s personalities. However, what Yuki has over Shiro is a character arc, which I will get into in a later section, but despite that, I still love these two characters.

Tobei Tachibana: Once again, Tachibana is the mentor figure, and I feel like he plays it better in the show, as he helps Shiro go through some tough times. Though I feel like there is a missed opportunity with his character, I will get to that later as well, I still enjoyed watching him just being a fun yet wise character.

Marshal Armor: The only villain I’ve liked so far, and the reason for that is he has a personality. Coming off as extremely anxious and petty, it makes a lot of his actions understandable, even if they do come back to bite him. Despite this, by the end, he seemed to revert back to the stock villain personality that all the other villains had, but at least his death was ironic. Although, he doesn’t have a backstory, but I’ll take what I can get.

The “Serialization”: I’m not sure if I’m using this word right, but I’m trying to say that most episodes contribute to the overall story. For example, episodes 3-20 were introducing V3’s 26 Secrets (although they were pretty much just shoved in at the end of the fight), episodes 30-40 introduced, and got rid of, two new commanders, and episodes 41-52 introduced Marshal Armor and Yuki. Though I will admit, a lot of the episodes can feel repetitive, I will also get to this later, but at least there was an attempt to make it look like there was an overarching story. 

MEDIOCRE:

The Rider Scouts: The inverse of what happened in the original series, the Rider Scouts were important at the start of V3, then slowly just faded out of existence by the end. I mean, sure, there were a few episodes dedicated to training the Rider Scouts, but they didn’t seem to do much at all. The only important one we knew was Shigeru.

Dropping/Forgetting Stuff: Ok, whatever happened to V3’s 26 secrets and four weaknesses? How the hell does Destron know of a weakness that V3 has despite them trying to analyze V3 caused their computer to overload and explode? (This happened in I believe in Episode 3 or 4). What about the Reverse Double Typhoon’s side effect or that Doctor G having an affinity for the supernatural? There are some things this show just drops/forgets, and it just bugs me than rather anger me.

Junko and Shigeru Tama: Another issue coming from the previous series, these side characters did absolutely nothing. I mean sure, there was some nice interactions between Junko and Shiro at the start of the series, but by episode 25, nothing really happened between the two of them. Shigeru, to me, didn’t really feel like Goro to me, aka, smart, quick-witted, but childish, as expected of a kid. In addition, we really didn’t know much about these characters, they had no backstory, no personality, no growth, nothing. I mean, sure, we see Shigeru’s better nature when he’s introduced, but other than that, nothing really comes out of him.

Doctor G and Destron as a whole: Why just Doctor G and not the other two commanders? Oh trust me, we’ll get to them. Doctor G is… interesting. He doesn’t really have a personality or backstory, but what makes me like him over Baron Tusk or Archbishop Wing? Well, I guess you could say he had some interesting things, like verbal tics or an affinity for the supernatural. Meanwhile, Destron to me was a better organization than Shocker/Gel-Shocker, but I still found that they did stupid stuff.

BAD:

Wasted Opportunity: Ok, my main reason I didn’t rank Shiro higher or on par with Yuki is because he didn’t have a character arc. That isn’t really a lie, as he does have one, that lasted about 2 episodes. I mean, he goes from wanting nothing but revenge for Destron to going to protect everyone using his powers so no one experiences what he had to go through. I mean, yes, there are some remnants of character growth after episode 2, but it’s either subtle for me to notice or I’m just dumb, probably the latter. I mean, I would’ve liked it if Shiro’s character arc was longer and actually had a conclusion to it, but what can I do? The other thing, in one of the earlier episodes, I believe it’s episode 4, Tachibana gets amnesia. I would’ve actually liked this plot to come up to develop Shiro. Something like Shiro learning that Tachibana got amnesia, possibly due to Shiro being idle, causes him to realize that his focus on revenge caused him to ignore someone that needed help and he starts to use his powers to protect people instead. Something like that, I’m not a storyteller, that probably sounded bad.

Ken Sakuma: AKA, Taki Clone except without the character and skill. Ken didn’t do anything, they could’ve easily gotten rid of him after episode 30, but no, they kept him around for another 10 episodes and they did nothing with him. He had no character, no development, no interesting interactions with any of the characters. Hell, he doesn’t get a proper farewell and none of the characters acknowledge he was ever there in the first place.

The Finale: Though I think this finale is better than the Original Kamen Rider’s finale, I still find flaws with it. The main one being that nothing gets revealed about the Great Leader once again. Plus, it doesn’t feel like a happy ending, as the Great Leader’s still at large. Another thing I really didn’t like was that it didn’t feel dramatic enough. All Destron did was kidnap Junko and a handful of Rider Scouts. Why don’t we have Rider Scouts HQ completely destroyed, Junko and all the Rider Scouts are held hostage by Destron forces, and a massive attack led by at least 15 revived Destron cyborgs. I mean, I would like if the finale didn’t feel like the episodes coming before it.

Baron Tusk and Archbishop Wing: Ok, these villains absolutely sucked. Despite having no personality or backstory like Doctor G, these guys had nothing interesting going for them. What makes it worse, is that despite Baron Tusk being the most powerful commander so far, causing both Takeshi and Hayato to come back to help Shiro, Baron Tusk does nothing to substantiate that claim. 

The “monster-of-the-week formula”: Despite there being some “serialization”, most of the episodes are a monster-of-the-week formula. I mean sure, at first, most of the episodes at the beginning were two-parters, by the 20s, it just fell into the same formula, until Yuki came in, which just made the show feel repetitious and boring.

Overall, I’d give Kamen Rider V3 a 6/10. There are some really good moments, especially Yuki and Shiro, but everything else just sorta brings it down, especially episodes 31-40, though I will admit there were some pretty good episodes in there.

Starting from now, I’ll be posting on Twitter as well, so just a reminder I do have a twitter account (https://twitter.com/KAMIseta_blanca). You don’t have to follow me, but just in case Tumblr goes to shit, here it is.

Anyways, thanks for joining on my adventures through V3 and I’d like to know what you thought of V3 if you’ve watched it. Were some of my positives actually things you hated, or vice versa. You’re welcome to reply so we could have a friendly debate over the show, but for now, I will be going on to watch Kamen Rider X next.

Yes, I know the show isn’t fully subbed, but I hope it will be by the time I get to that point (aka like 4 months, I’m sorry for being inactive, but Disgaea 1 and school really eat up a lot of time).

[counttotwenty]

Bullet Points: Secrets and Shiny Things

Ill Boding Patterns--part 1

Bullet points are encapsulated scene analysis from the top of each act to the bottom. (each act is bookended by a commercial break)

1. The scene progression in the Teaser is VERY enlightening. As we know, it gives us the lens through which to view the rest of the episode. It sets up the relevant themes and as always, each scene is informed by and informs, those that come before and after. I’m gonna point that out a little more here than usual because, as I said, in this case it’s fascinating.

And since this was one of the least subtle eps of primetime tv I’ve see in a long time it’s not hard to spot the throughlines.

A hard hat may not be good enough to protect you from the anvils in this one. Fair warning.

BOING!!!!!!

2. Personally I loved Beowulf when I read it both in high school and in college. Yeppers, I was that kid. You’re shocked, aren’t you?

3. I was surprised (in a good way) when I saw they were casting someone to play Beowulf. I mean I figured they weren’t gonna get too deep into the weeds of the actual story, which frankly I don’t blame them for, it’s a little dense for primetime. 

But Hrunting the enchanted sword and the overarching them of epic battle were perfect choices to use as illuminators of the current storyline(s)

Nice story choice!

4. The staging of the first part of the scene is spectacular. Lots of moving pieces. People. Noise. Flaming catapult rounds. Wooden spikes. Potential danger is everywhere and a battle is definitely afoot.

They do a very nice job of giving that time to unfold.

And though there are dozens of people going about their business, including a blacksmith, we only “meet” two of them. Beowulf and a poor, hapless foot solider looking for courage in a flask. (From here on out to be referred to a PHF)

5. Really nice shot selection as the camera settles on PHF and then switches to his point of view. 

His view is obstructed by trees and smoke though he can see soldiers in the distance. Which is a visual indicator of his confusion and lack of certainty about his mission. He is clearly trying to make a decision. It’s written all over his face.

BOING!!!!!!

And he decides to bolt. Stumbling as he goes. Until he runs into Beowulf, almost literally.

6. Beowulf believes his enchanted sword assures him of being hailed a hero, and though eventually he gets around to mentioning victory as well, the idea of being a hero is clearly the #1 thing on his mind. Which is one of those little factoids you file away in case you come across a situation later where a man is counting on a sword to help him achieve his personal goals.

Don’t worry. You won’t have to wait long.

7. Beowulf uses his considerable confidence and faith in the sword to convince PHF to turn around and join the battle.

Just a quick note to the PHF--you realize he’s not going to let you carry the lucky sword, right?

But for better or worse, off they go to battle.

It’s worth noting here than in the original poem the sword was ineffective at best. Which comes up again later. Several times. Because no dead horse was left unflogged in this ep.

8. So PHF set off determined to take one course of action (fleeing) and then an interaction with another person (Beowulf) altered his path 180 degrees (he stayed to fight)

Keep that in mind just in case it comes up later in the ep. (SPOILER ALERT it does. In a very big way)

9. Beowulf gets off to a good start, appearing to fell the first ogre pretty easily. Lots of other soldiers being tossed around like frisbees but his feet manage to stay on the ground and he appears to be “winning’. But that initial success is soon challenged by a new influx of 2 ogres.

So in other words the first battle was just a warm up.

BOING!!!!!!!

10. Unfortunately PHF is not so lucky and gets crushed under the foot of an ogre in the second wave. Which is sad for PHF but leads to a really spectacular camera shot where the darkness from the approaching foot fills the screen then we fade back in on an entirely different landscape. A new battle if you will.

BOING!!!!!

Nice touch with the smoke from all the various flaming weapons, mixed with maybe a little fog, blanketing the now desolate battlefield.

11. Even the opponent Beowulf goes to war with this time is a very different version than the previous battle.

BOING!!!!!

He finally knocks Beowulf off his feet and separates him from Hrunting.

12. “I killed all of them.”

Except oops, as it turns out Beowulf wasn’t the one who killed the ogres. It was Rumple. 

But still, all Beowulf really wanted was to protect his village, right? So who cares who gets the credit for killing them, right?

Don’t count on it. Remember Beowulf’s main agenda seems to be to be hailed a hero.

It’s safe to assume he isn’t gonna take this lying down.

13. So let’s see where we stand after the first part of the teaser.

Be careful about placing too much faith an an enchanted sword because it might not do what you think it’s going to do.

and

If you’re struggling with a decision, and depending on the flask for a little clarity, and someone is trying to convince you which way you need to go--choose carefully. Things may not go the way you expect.

BOING!!!!!

14. So as we go to the title card I’m thinking, whoever we see in this next scene, especially if they’re on the cusp of decision, is in for a rough ride.

Cut to Killian.

Well ... crap.

15. Just like PHF he’s using an 80 proof alcohol lubricant to help the decision making process. 

I feel ya, Killian.

It’s important to note here though that Killian tried Archie BEFORE he started drinking. It’s a very strong sign of his redemption that even his first instinct now is to do the right thing. He’s no longer fighting his pirate urges at every turn.

He’s a changed man.

Instead of lashing out in actions and bad behavior when something goes wrong he’s trying to work through it.

Very well done.

16. Interesting use of muted tones and soft focus to help visually portray Killian’s state of mind.

17. “Captain Hook doesn’t get cold feet.” 

Colin did a fantastic job of infusing that line with more Captain Hook-ness than Killian-ness. No grand gestures. No body movement. Just his face and voice. A slightly more aggressive tone. A slightly more pointed accent. Slightly harsher facial expressions.The difference is subtle but unmistakable.

Extraordinarily well done.

Kudos to Colin.

18. “There’s not another living soul knows the secret but me.”

This line stood out like a sore thumb to me. Mostly because unequivocal assertions like this have a way of being proven false in the end. Especially on this show.

19. Notice how when he talks about how Emma wouldn’t understand his tone and facial expressions once again soften.

Very sweet and makes me go awwww every time I see it but more than that it’s a very real representation of the effect her love has on him. She makes him all gooey inside (LOL) and the thought of disappointing her devastates him.

And that’s a very important thing to keep in mind.This exchange with Archie makes it very clear that he sees falling short in Emma’s eyes as unacceptable. He’s not worried about himself in this scene, though losing her would clearly devastate him, he’s worried about Emma and what this news will do to her.

BOING!!!!!!

20. “Because it would seem that I am broken.”

And he’s Hook-ish again. Taking on the harder edges mentioned above. That is until he gets back to talking about Emma then he softens again.

“I want to tell Emma the truth.”  

The fact that he wants to tell her ... our little pirate is all grown up and fully redeemed. Sniffle.

It’s worth noting here that this isn't just about Killian telling SOMEONE the truth--because if it was he’d tell Archie. This is about him telling EMMA the truth. She’s the one that matters to him.

21. I’ve rewatched this scene at least 20 times and way Colin deftly moves between the Hook and Killian sides of his personality is simply breathtaking. It is such a spectacular external representation of his internal turmoil.

AMAZING!

22. They make too much of a point here about how much Killian wants to tell Emma for it not to come back and make a big difference down the line.

23. It’s a nice moment when Archie, like David before him, acknowledges the changes in Killian.

First it came from someone who has a personal relationship with Killian, then from someone with a professional relationship.

They certainly are making sure Killian’s redemption is airtight.

BOING!!!!!

24. In contrast to PHF in the first scene there’s clearly never a moment Killian is tempted to bolt. Which is a very big statement.

25. “I think maybe you need to find out.”

Archie isn’t telling Killian what to do, he isn’t even pushing Killian in the direction of doing the “right thing”. Killian is already there. Archie is simply confirming what Killian already knows and what he already wants to do.

BOING!!!!!!!

26. Oh you handsome pirate ... just watch out for the ogre’s shoe. Metaphorically speaking of course.

27. The scene with Gold, Belle and Blue is painfully slow, even for an exposition scene. Which this clearly was.

It also served as a VERY clunky way of connecting Gideon’s sword to Hrunting in the minds of the viewers.

But still...yikes. Even the sniping between Gold and Blue felt very flat.

Which is probably because they were only using it to remind casual viewers the Black Fairy is Gold’s mother.

Good lord, a little subtlety people.

28. “He’s not the first one to think wielding that sword will make him a hero.”

Time to play connect the scenes. LOL

BOING!!!!!!!!!!!!!

29. So now we see Rumple on the top of the world. He’s being hailed as the hero of the Ogres War. He’s getting all the credit. Which technically he’s due since he killed all the ogres. 

He’s a happy man.

As long as no one spills his secret.

This scene right here is what sows those feelings of dread later in the ep because.....

30. Enter Beowulf.

31. Seriously Rumple--why are you giving him the sword back? To the victor go the spoils and all that. Not like that’s gonna come back and bite you at any point. (eyeroll)

32. So in a fit of jealousy because Rumple is getting accolades he feels like he deserves Beowulf spills the secret, pulls the rug out from under Rumple and makes the people who were celebrating with him just minutes earlier suddenly recoil.

BOING!!!!

33. The important difference here though is that Rumple wants to keep his secret and Killian wants to spill his.

34. How come every time I dare to say that Rumple has absolutely no desire to give up the dark magic, in fact that he quite enjoys it, my askbox runs over with people telling me I don’t understand the character.

I’m not making it up, folks. He says the words himself.

35. “No more magic.”

We’ll see.

36. When Gideon kills the security camera feed to the monitors is really brilliantly done contrast to last week’s scene where the ones at the jail followed David all the way to the cell.

Both men are out for revenge but one path was clear and one is obscured.

I see you, show.

37. Since it’s pretty clear we’ll be watching the saga of two very different sons play out in this ep it’s interesting to see the initial contrast between no more magic Bae and open sesame Gideon.

Well done.

38. Apropos of absolutely nothing I chronically misspell the word sheriff on the first try. I have a mental block about it, I swear.

39. “She won’t be able to get the best of me again.”

And down he goes.

Snort.

40.So before we go on to Act 1 let’s kind of gather up the common elements we’ll be working with.

A shiny object plays a pivotal role in all of these storylines--be it a sword, a ring or a dagger.

Two of the storylines (Beowulf & Gideon) deal with a man who believes an enchanted sword is the key to his success.

Two of the stories deal with men keeping secrets. One (Killian) who wants to reveal it and one (Rumple) who wants to hide it.

Oh and there are battles looming, both personal an of the epic variety.

Next up--What Are You Up To?

[head-and-heart]

“No Matter Where We Go” (4x01) Music Analysis

Okay I just want to start off this post by saying that I absolutely adore (as per usual) the music choices that were made during this episode - they’re always so on point! For 4x01, I’m going to start by analyzing “No Matter Where We Go” by Whitney, which will be found in this post. 

To read up on some of my past lyrical analysis’s in my music analysis series, click here. 

Anyway, I’m going to try to analyze this song as much as I can (but I do suspect that the song “Deliverance” is going to be the REALLY interesting one in this episode). I managed to track down a video of this scene, but it took me a long time, so I do suggest you watch it before reading.

Ultimately, this song is about celebration, togetherness, and hope, the last two of with I believe to be huge themes in this upcoming season. In a way, this scene serves much the same purpose as the singing rover scene in 4x01 in that it is a light moment that is supposed to tide us over until we manage to break out of the upcoming darkness. This scene is supposed to provide the audience with a reminder of the future that our character’s are fighting for.

It also, to me, sounds like the wish for new beginnings, but I’ll get into that as I delve into the lyrics more.

The song starts with Monty and Harper dancing shyly (which is honestly adorable all right?) so I do want to keep Marper in mind as I analyze these lyrics. I think we are meant to view the overarching themes of this song as linked to Monty and Harper’s newfound relationship, how they truly want to create a future together (which we will see, is a large part of the song). However, it isn’t just about Monty and Harper - in fact, as the song plays, we most focus on Jasper (like in the rover scene) so I want to talk about how it is related to him as well.

We’ll make a living darlin’, down the road

Since we see Harper and Monty first in this scene, I actually linked these lyrics to them despite the fact that it is Jasper sliding on screen that we actually see when they are sung. These are the lyrics that I think indicate Monty and Harper are hoping for a future, hoping that one day they will at last be prosperous, but not money-related. They’re hoping that one day they won’t have to fight, they’ll just get to live. Maybe not now, but one day. And that’s what I think these two are going to be working towards, fighting for, throughout Season 4. A chance at a future, a chance at a life together.

Cause I’ve got you holding on to see where it goes

This next line, however, I think is linked to Jasper. The idea that due to a series of events, Jasper has been reluctantly “holding on” to life for the past 3-4 months since Maya died is what comes to mind when I hear these lyrics in connection to a shot of Jasper with a pitcher of moonshine in hand. Perhaps it is Monty that has kept him alive for so long, or maybe its just the delinquents in general, or perhaps it is actually the alcohol. Jasper has been holding on to his life for so long, awaiting something to change, looking for a sign that says “you are meant to live” or “you are meant to die”. 

And he finally gets his sign, this episode, that he’s meant to die. So he’s going to decide to let fate take care of him, instead of holding on to his life anymore.

So don’t you feel lonely 

This line is about the delinquents as a whole, and the theme of “together’’. They’re in this together. They don’t have to be alone anymore. These lyrics are lain over top of Harper and Jasper’s reconciliation scene where she accepts a drink from him and he apologizes to her about attacking her while he was under the influence of the chip. In this moment, they re-cement the bond that broke between Jasper and the other delinquents in Season 3. He’s still destructive, but this time he’s not going to take it out on them.

[...] I want you to know

I can take you out I wanna drive around With you with the windows down

This time we see Jasper trying to pour a cup of moonshine for Raven, which she rejects. In their scene together, the chorus plays. While in the song it is of romantic context, I don’t think that is the way that we necessarily are meant to interpret it in the show. Mostly due to the fact that I believe Jasper will die this season, so I don’t think they are going to put Raven and Jasper together just because I don’t think the writers will put Raven through the loss of another love interest (and I don’t want them to). 

I think that these lyrics are actually Jasper acknowledging everything that Raven has been through, and his desire to ... take a weight off of her shoulders? That’s my personal interpretation of it. She deserves to relax and celebrate, and Jasper recognizes that. This is why I love their relationship so much - they do understand each other’s pain and experiences. I love Raven and Jasper’s dynamic, but it doesn’t need to be romantic.

And we can run all night

This is Jasper looking at ALIE’s code on Raven’s monitor(s). He looks very longing and he says the words “is it weird that I want to go back in?” to Raven. He wants to, as the lyrics say, “run” from his pain. He doesn’t want to look back, he just wants to escape. I also think that this chorus of the song, about the singer wanting to let loose and enjoy himself, is foreshadowing of the turn that Jasper takes in this episode. He knows the end of the world is approaching to take him out of his misery, so in the meantime he resolves to metaphorically “drive around” with the “windows down” - to enjoy himself.

When I was walking around I couldn’t see you alone

I think this is related to both Jasper and Raven in relation to each other. When they were stuck focussed on their personal pain and suffering back in Season 3, they didn’t notice that the other was going through a very similar process. I have always maintained that Jasper and Raven’s pain is very similar to each other in the sense that they both have suffered from the loss of a loved one as well as were viewed as “broken”. They were both very isolated from their friends last season, and pushed everyone away. 

This is almost like an acknowledgement that all this time they were going through similar experiences, yet never thought to reach out to each other. That’s something that happened (sort of) once they both took the chip, and they connected through that shared experience. 

I bought a trash-heap two seat so what did we know? So don’t you feel lonely no matter where you go

This is in reference to a shitty car, basically, that was used for the singer’s escape. Which is incredibly interesting in the context of the show, because what did Jasper and Raven use to escape their own pain? The chip. So in this context I believe the “trash heap two seat” refers to the chip. It wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. It was just a shitty car. (Metaphorically, duh)

But the point is that Raven and Jasper both took that crappy escape, and they can relate to each other. So they aren’t alone (and that’s where the second line comes in). Raven asks Jasper if he’s okay, acknowledging what he’s been through because she’s been through the same. And Jasper turns it around on her, because he believes she’s been through more than anyone. It’s a mutual understanding of how the other feels. 

When Raven says the line, “There’s nothing like a little pain to remind you you’re alive”, she is, again, acknowledging what he has been through, and the pain that he is feeling, as well as implying that she feels the same. Their shared experience makes them relate to each other, it makes them feel less alone.

I can take you out I wanna drive around With you with the windows down And we can run all night

Mama, don’t slow down

I’m not entirely sure, but I think this could be in reference to Raven refusing to slow down and celebrate with her friends. Her brain won’t slow down, so neither will she. She’ll continue working until the sun (literally) dies. 

An interesting thing to take note of, is that even after Monty and Harper leave, the song doesn’t actually fade out until Jasper is completely off of the screen. So I believe that I am correct in my interpretation that we were mostly supposed to connect it to Jasper’s journey in Season 3 and Season 4. 

I also think that the way Raven doesn’t allow herself to break out of her facade and let herself feel her pain until her friends are gone (and the music ends) shows how the upbeat tone of the song and the wishes for a happy and relaxing future just aren’t a reality for her. She pretended to be okay, happy, but when she no longer had to do that, she turned the music off. It’s symbolic of the person Raven pretends to be around her friends. When they’re around, the music plays - she pretends to be invincible and unaffected, optimistic. When they’re gone, the music stops, and she allows herself to feel everything with no one seeing it.

So that’s my interpretation of the song. A few interesting things to take note of. Overall, I believe it is a representation of the themes of Season 4 (”together”, hope, fighting for a better future) as well as an indication of Jasper’s journey. There are a few other things here and there, but those were the main points. 

I’m really looking forward to analyzing “Deliverance” because that song is just ... WOW! It will be interesting. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading and I’m going to tag some people who wanted to be tagged in the past. If you no longer want to be tagged, no problem: just let me know.

@heda-reyes @insufficient-earth-skills @forgivenessishardforus