#tdp 7x04

[halyasgirl]

Guys… I think we got the canon depiction of Runaan and Ethari’s wedding.

From the Hot Brown Morning Potion Podcast Episode 5 - The Deluxe Elf Interview with Devon Giehl and Iain Hendry:

[raayllum]

That wicked monster ruined our lives. Killed my daughter. / You killed my son!

6x09 / 7x04 / 7x06 / 7x09

[ftvs-cm45]

Ruthari Reunion

[its-leethee]

4x07 // 7x04

Devastating parallel, yes; but I want to elaborate on that conversation in 4x07 between Claudia and Terry, because it exposes Claudia's fundamental misunderstanding of the nature of healthy loving relationships.

Claudia sees the plants moving because of Terry's magic, and the conclusion she jumps to is that he's controlling them. Given the coercive nature of dark magic, I'm not surprised that Claudia would think that. Terry corrects her misconception, explaining: "I have a very good relationship with plants. When I need something, I can depend on them."

It's a core theme of the show, love and trust; stronger together; we need each other.

Love and trust build a kind of strength that is much bigger than we each possess. To have that kind of strength, it's not enough to love someone. You have to trust them to share the burdens you carry.

This kind of reliance is something that Claudia struggles with, because when has Claudia ever been able to depend on others to respond to her needs?** Claudia knows, despite how desperately she needs someone, no matter how deeply she loves them, it doesn't mean they'll stay with her. It's a cruel truth that she learned when she was very young:

Biscuit had been the oldest of Barius’ collection of strays, all of them named after things in his kitchen, and Claudia’s favorite. It wasn’t fair that she’d died. She hadn’t even been that old. All her kittens still needed her, didn’t they?

For Claudia, love means never leaving. She doesn't can't won't trust that people who leave will come back to her, because she's been betrayed too many times before:

“Aaravos left me too, huh? Like dad and Soren, and my mo—" Claudia’s throat closed around the word. Lissa had left her years ago, but the space she had owned in Claudia’s heart remained. It was a dark place now, hard and hateful, its edges raw as a wound that had forgotten to heal.

She'll accept other's trust in her, but she won't reciprocate on it. She uses trust as a tool for control. Just like Aaravos. Just like dark magic.

And that's why her relationship with Terry failed the way it did.

Claudia used Terry's trust. To protect him? No. To control him. To protect herself.

Deep down, she's afraid that there's something wrong with her, that she keeps failing to keep the people she loves in her life because they can see--

I've been messing things up, and everyone's been angry with me. What if they're right? What if I'm... not good?

Would allowing herself to share this vulnerability have kept every one of her loved ones in her life? No, of course not; but in the end, love alone wasn't strong enough to keep him by her side.

**What about Aaravos? shhh This isn't about him--

--4x07 // 7x04 // 5x04 // Rise Again // 2x02 // Lost Child // 6x01 // Puzzle House // 3x07 // 6x08 // 7x01 // 7x09

[hiccupshypotheticalleftsock]

end credit images for tdp 7x04

[kati-corn]

TDP Season 7 Parallels Post

Here are all the links to my posts about the parallels between season 7 and the previous seasons of The Dragon Prince (and because I wanted an easier way to find them again). The ones I've already made are all under the Read More, sorted by season, and I'll update this post each time I make a new one.

Season 1 x Season 7

1x01/1x02/1x03/1x04 - 7x01 : Katolis 1x04 - 7x02/7x03 : The Banther Lodge 1x08 - 7x06 : To The Moon Nexus 1x02/1x06/1x07/1x09 - 7x02/7x03/7x05/7x09 : One more

Season 1 x Season 7 - Part 1 Season 1 x Season 7 - Part 2 Season 1 x Season 7 - Part 3 Season 1 x Season 7 - Part 4

Season 2 x Season 7

2x01/2x02/2x03 - 7x01/7x06 : The Moon Nexus 2x02/2x03/2x07 - 7x02/7x09 : Fights 2x06 - 7x06/7x07/7x08 : Titans 2x01/2x07/2x08 - 7x06/7x09 : Dark Magic 2x01/2x02/2x03/2x05/2x06/2x07/2x08/2x09 - 7x01/7x02/7x05/7x09 : Family 2x02 - 7x05 : Psychedelic

Season 2 x Season 7 - Part 1 Season 2 x Season 7 - Part 2 Season 2 x Season 7 - Part 3 Season 2 x Season 7 - Part 4 Season 2 x Season 7 - Part 5

Season 3 x Season 7

3x02/3x03/3x06/3x07/3x08 - 7x03/7x07/7x08/7x09 : Xadia 3x01/3x06 - 7x06/7x07/7x08 : Kings & Mages 3x03 - 7x01/7x04/7x07 : The Silvergrove 3x02/3x04/3x06/3x07/3x08/3x09 - 7x01/7x02/7x03/7x04/7x09 : All the kids are here 3x01/3x03/3x07/3x08/3x09 - 7x03/7x05/7x08/7x09 : The Sunfire Royal family 3x03/3x05/3x06/3x09 - 7x02/7x03/7x06/7x08/7x09 : The Mage Family 3x01/3X02/3x03/3x05/3x06 - 7x01/7x02/7x09 : King Ezran 3x01/3x02/3x04/3x06/3x07/3x08 - 7x01/7x02/7x04/7x06/7x09 : Rayllum - Part 1 3x01/3x05/3x07/3x08/3x09 - 7x01/7x02/7x05/7x06/7x08/7x09 : Rayllum - Part 2

[halyasgirl]

This little shared eyeroll was everything to me.

[halyasgirl]

One thing I loved in season 7 is the reexamination of the Moonshadow Assassins’ oaths, culminating in Rayla preparing to give her heart (Callum) for Xadia, both of them with full understanding of the compromise and sacrifice they’re willing to make to save their world.

But I also want to highlight the reexamination of Runaan’s oath. During the original bloodribbon binding in season 1, the assassins offer up vital parts of themselves for the ideals they believe they kill for, the self-sacrifice element clear in their pledges. At first, Runaan does not appear to swear an oath himself, only officiate the ritual. But at second glance, his oath is actually the most severe: "Tonight we bind our lives to justice." Symbolically, Runaan has given up his life, and the lives of every participant in his ritual, until their mission is completed. If they cannot secure (vengeful, bloody) justice, their lives are forfeit.

But Runaan’s view of justice, and his own life, shifts with his character development. What kind of justice requires its executor to give up all they are and symbolically enter into a state of death? And what have they done, when they completely dissociate from their moral compass in service of their mission? When Runaan comes face to face with the harm he’s done, for the first time, he’s shocked. But after he reflects, realizes all the pain he’s caused, he’s remorseful, and with the support of his loved ones, he tries to make amends.

Runaan returns to Katolis not because he had to, but because he chose to. Justice will not be denied and Runaan never breaks his promises. But this is a different justice than he brought before. He offers his life, not as an agent of death, but a living, breathing person who loves and is loved. And that offer means so much more now that both he and Ezran truly understand how valuable life is.

[halyasgirl]

Live footage of me watching “Unfinished Business”

[raayllum]

All I see is parts.

6x06 / 7x04

[raayllum]

Rayllum and Ruthari parallels

[raayllum]

Wherever

4x01 / 7x04

[raayllum]

7x04 / 7x06

[raayllum]

6x09 / 7x04

[raayllum]

Then it's a cycle. You hurt me, someone will get revenge against the elves. It won't end.

7x04 / 3x06 / 6x09 / 3x04 / 6x06 / 6x01 / 6x03

[raayllum]

Love and trust build a kind of strength that is much bigger than we each possess.

5x01 / 7x05 / 7x09