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the-fourchette · 1 day ago

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"Because you weakened me"

I tend to over analyse too much but aren't those two scenes a parallel ?

1/ Mel's position

In both frames Mel is positioned to the left of her interlocutors (Ambessa and Jayce). In both pictures, she's the vulnerable one, she's barely listened to and her words have "no weight" (but the contexts are important!)

2/ Context

In the first situation, Mel advocates for the mercy of the young heir of a conquered nation (I guess)

As a result, Ambessa banished Mel because of her softness. Her mother needed her to be far away from her so she could accomplish her bigger missions. She literally said that she couldn't look at her in her eyes because Mel weakens her resolve to do what's necessary for her family (i.e conquering lands through wars but also protecting her family, and more precisely protecting Mel from the Black rose).

In the second situation, she explains to Jayce that her whole life had been a lie and she can't control it because of her family and powers.

Jayce listens and coldly leaves Mel to fulfill his greater mission : saving the world from his "misdeeds". He gives her a dull but meaningful pep talk. And, he, too as a hard time looking at her in the eyes. Jayce knows Mel and he knows that she needs to feel approved and validated, he genuinely loves her and believes in her strenght and intelligence. I think that's why, besides her revelation, he specifically chose those last words to encourage her (i.e "You are not a passenger").

I don't know if I am reaching but it seems like in a teeny tiny moment, they want to hug but both refrain from it. Almost as if they are restraining themselves to have physical contact. Mel has to cross her hands. Their posture is unnatural and awkward, the perfect opposite of how they usually behave around each other.

Jayce usually let himself be soft and vulnerable with Mel, she's his confidant, but this time he couldn't afford to do that for the greater good. There is a deep sorrow in his eyes when he manages to look at her (is he also ashamed because he weaponized hextech when she fought not to ?). He knows he couldn't count on her help and comfort this time. He couldn't cave in and melt into her arms (or lap). He can't be "weak". Maybe, Jayce knew she would weaken his firm resolve.... So that's why, like Ambessa, he has a hard time looking at her.

3/ "There is no force in this world that can control you"

He's also resignated and defeated because he knows that he's definitely a passenger. (And he doesn't want that for her, I suppose...). He's in pain and he knows that he's risking death (or he's already dying because of his hexcorized arm).

Feels like this line is almost a jab to Mage Viktor who, in hindsight, dictated/manipulated his whole life.... He says he's confused about a lot lately, that's the sentence of someone who discovers that his whole life was a "lie". But he also feels responsible for all the bad decisions he made and he's determined to fix it. Little does he know how much Mel and him have in common : kidnapped and tortured in alternative/future worlds, and controlled and coveted by people who needs them for what they could bring to them (Mage Viktor and the Black Rose).

Anyway, Jayce never told Mel what happened to him so the poor woman must feel so unworth and unloved, again. In reality, Jayce was protecting her and the city from an apocalypse and her mom was protecting her from the black rose.

She seems quite done but unfazed after Jayce's speech, seems like a familiar feeling to her. She's used to be cast away at this point, right ? As an empath, I'm pretty sure she's devastated but she can't be "weak" too (that's why she was exiled after all). She also knows that they are going to war, so no time for self pity.

This scene is so frustrating because I can understand why Jayce is so cold and distant, he's pained, he knows he's risking death. But at the same, he feels so OOC (which is not that stupid because it's not everyday that he had to face an apocalypse...)

I don't know, I'm just trying to make sense of this scene. But maybe I'm just reaching and it's not that deep (because season 2 is a parallel fest, so much parallels just for the sake of "parallelling"....)