#the creators gave us so little that we gotta find the subtext to the subtext

[catatonic-bug]

There's one Spectra and Gus episode I need to talk about.

So we’re all familiar with how Gus and Spectra’s dynamic remained almost unchanged throughout NV – Spectra’s blinded by his pursuit for power so much so that there is a visible neglect in how his relationships with other characters develop; so is the case for his relationship with Gus. BUT there have been a few hints and moments between them that hold potential for growth and scratch the surface of something more than only a master and loyal right-hand dynamic – their time on Earth, the jacket scene, Spectra apologizing for the first and only time in this entire season and he does it to Gus – but now I’m going to mention an episode that is the perfect example for the small changes that Gus and Spectra go through individually and as a pair. 

I’m talking about ep. 33 of NV.

It’s a good opportunity to point out how the eng ver of the title - Brontes’ betrayal – completely misses the point of the episode. Because episode 33 as the jp title says, is actually centered around feelings – specifically the feeling of love and the many forms that it can take.

There’s the example of family love shown in the scene of Baron and his younger siblings.

Then, through Klaus’ words, the bond between the brawlers is another form of love and it’s the source of their strength, something that at the moment Spectra can’t comprehend.

And the 3rd form of love would be the bond that Bakugan and their partner share – it’s an example of strong devotion and trust and it’s shown through Volt’s remorse and attempt at reaching Brontes’ heart.

Through this episode Spectra and Gus go through their own separate missions in which they are both faced with examples of these strong feelings.

From Spectra’s pov, his plan of catching the brawlers by surprise fails, instead he meets Klaus, who talks about the importance of love and how Spectra lacks it. Spectra thinks he can prove everyone wrong and change history itself, for the time being he doesn’t have the patience to listen to a stranger’s babble about feelings.

First thing he does when he returns on the ship is look around and call out Gus. Why did they feel the need to include this small moment? Perhaps because after being betrayed by the Vexos, Gus is the only person Spectra can trust; without Gus, he is completely alone at this point of the season. So perhaps this scene is included to show how Gus has grown to be an important person in Spectra’s life. Perhaps. We shall never know.

On the other side, Gus witnesses Volt actively giving his all to make Brontes forgive him and come back to his side. Volt fights with everything he has and Gus finds it foolish and unnecessary. But at the end of the battle, Gus says this:

This is the moment Gus realizes the sacrifice Volt was ready to make for Brontes and it’s something he is always ready to do as well when it comes to Spectra (a great foreshadowing for what he does in episode 39). He recognizes these strong feelings but it’s not certain he knows how to name them.

To sum it all up, this episode brings out the emotional side of some characters and the importance of their bonds and connections. Spectra and Gus seem to have a lot to learn about these feelings and so through these experiences they reach their own conclusions. Spectra is yet to admit he needs friends, closure, he needs Gus more than he cares to admit and only after he loses him several episodes later, does he realize it. It would have been nice to get a glimpse of Spectra remembering his conversation with Klaus later on when he feels the absence of Gus or when he decides to join the brawlers. But alas! These are the crumbs we have to work with 😭

Thanks for reading my rant!! I tried to keep it as short as possible cuz I could write a whole dissertation about these 2 🫡