#the curse s1e10

[sophiaphile]

The Curse finale interpretation

Ash's ascent/death, parallels to pregnancy, and "lived experience" in The Curse

There was a parallel between the way nobody believed or understood Asher when he was stuck in the tree to the way that pregnant people are treated while they are in labor (or even how women are treated in medical settings in general)

Ash's ascent/death

Nobody would believe Ash (besides Whitney who witnessed him floating inside the house and Moses who saw Ash float up into the tree) that he couldn't come down. Everyone who sees him projects their own interpretation of Ash's experience and intentions.

Dougie thinks Ash is running from his responsibilities because Dougie's dad did the same, and (from Dougie's POV), some men panic or even run away from their responsibilities once their partner is in labor or gives birth.

The neighbors from the community think that Ash and Dougie must be filming something because that's is their experience with these outsiders; they are TV people and act strangely, which can be explained by assuming that any weird behavior is a part of making a TV show. This explanation is also the best that they have for how Ash could possibly defy physical law (because it really isn't reasonable to assume that he just is breaking physical law in some way).

Ash repeatedly tells them that he will fly up. He tries his best to explain what he is going through, and he isn't doing the best job, probably because he's extremely afraid that he might die. I repeatedly tells Dougie and the first responders what he needs from them, and nobody listens. They think that Ash is delusional and that everyone else has a better understanding of the situation and therefore know what to do.

Connection to pregnancy

I think some of Ash's experience can be seen as analogous to what pregnant women (and women in medical settings in general) experience. Historically, doctors have been male, and they obviously have never been pregnant or gone into labor, and studies show that even women healthcare providers dismiss women and minorities in medical settings (it has to do with socialized biases in everyone, which I will come back to).

These professionals often dismiss a pregnant person's self-report of needing help, and a CDC report shows that 1 in 5 women report medical mistreatment while giving birth:

Approximately one in five (20.4%) respondents reported experiencing at least one type of mistreatment. The most commonly reported experiences of mistreatment were being ignored by health care providers, having requests for help refused, or not responded to (9.7%); being shouted at or scolded by health care providers (6.7%); having their physical privacy violated (5.1%); and being threatened with withholding of treatment or being forced to accept treatment they did not want (4.6%).

The same report found that the poorer the woman or more marginalized her background, the more risk of facing mistreatment:

Overall, 28.9% of respondents reported experiencing at least one form of discrimination during maternity care (Table 3), with highest prevalences reported by Black (40.1%), multiracial (39.4%), and Hispanic (36.6%) respondents. Overall, the most commonly reported reasons for discrimination were age (10.1%), weight (9.7%), and income (6.5%); reasons varied by race and ethnicity.

Initially Whitney planned to go to what was implied to be a better hospital. It feels like the show maybe wanted the viewer to expect that Whitney would die due to being at a "poor" hospital (and maybe she did; the finale went no full magical realism, imo). Benny and Nathan probably expected that viewers would immediately think or even assume that this would happen (drawing from our own biases, even if they are informed by statistics), which makes me think that Ash's experience is analogous to pregnant peoples' medical mistreatment.

In these medical settings, doctors frequently ignore a pregnant person's self-reports or requests for help, and instead, the doctors and medical staff (regardless of gender) tend to think that they know better or that the pregnant person is delusional/hormonal/emotional/etc. They dismiss their lived experience. Doctors have historically been male, so they have NO experience being pregnant, but they think they know better than the pregnant person, and even women who have been pregnant cannot speak for every woman. It is not rational to take your own experiences and extrapolate them to everyone else (which has been a common theme in the show: making assumptions based off of limited experience or socialized biases).

Like pregnant people facing medical mistreatment, Ash was ignored by health care providers Dougie and First Responders, had requests for help refused, or not responded to; he was shouted at or scolded by health care providers Dougie for running from responsibilities of becoming a father; and had treatment withheld (the anchored net that he repeatedly begged for) and was forced to accept treatment they did not want (tree branch cut off, sending him to his death).

Lived experience, hermeneutical gaps, and epistemic injustice

OKAY. So this comes back to (what I have taken to be) the overall recurrent theme of The Curse: lived experience, hermeneutical gaps/injustice, and testimonial injustice (which are forms of epistemic injustice, for anyone who is interested in learning more about this).

Hermeneutical gaps occur when a person or group lacks the concepts or terminology to describe their experience. Such gaps lead to hermeneutical injustice; Miranda Fricker describes hermeneutical injustice as occurring

when a gap in collective interpretive resources puts someone at an unfair disadvantage when it comes to making sense of their social experiences. An example of the first might be that the police do not believe you because you are black; an example of the second might be that you suffer sexual harassment in a culture that still lacks that critical concept . . . hermeneutical injustice is caused by structural prejudice in the economy of collective hermeneutical resources.

Before the term 'sexual harassment' came to be, people impacted by such harassment didn't have the concepts or terminology to be able to describe their experience or what they were going through; they were often dismissed as just being flirted with or they didn't even discuss their experience because even though the felt like something was wrong, they didn't have the concepts to articulate their experience, particularly to groups who do not have such experiences.

Here, Fricker describes hermeneutical injustice as:

. . . someone has a significant area of their social experience obscured from understanding owing to prejudicial flaws in shared resources for social interpretation . . . The wrong is analysed in terms of a situated hermeneutical inequality: the prejudicial flaws in shared interpretive resources prevent the subject from making sense of an experience which it is strongly in her interests to render intelligible.

So hermeneutical gaps (lack of conceptual resources [words or formed concepts] to describe experience) lead to hermeneutical injustice (where a person's experience is misinterpreted in a way that leads to harm or testimonial injustice).

Testimonial injustice occurs when one party (person or group) dismisses the credibility of another group (basically treating the marginalized person as though they are not a true knower).

An example might be Fernando trying to be heard about his knowledge of the community violence. Whitney dismisses him, thinking that she knows more about systemic issues. Ash takes advantage of this kind of injustice when he tries to cover his lie that Abshir, Nala, and Hani live in transitional housing once they bought the property they live in. Whitney called out the inconsistency, and Ash decided to exploit the lack of credibility marginalized people are usually extended. He says something like "honestly I don't know with them they say one thing then another," implying that they are dishonest.

Connecting Ash's ascent/death and medical mistreatment of pregnant people with overall themes in The Curse

ANYWAY. Pregnant people in labor go through a unique experience, and sometimes they lack the concepts necessary to explain their experience in a way that medical professionals will "understand" or take seriously (hermeneutical gap leading to hermeneutical injustice). Further, medical professionals dismiss a pregnant person's testimony and treat them like they are not credible while the medical professionals work from their own assumptions or formal medical knowledge (testimonial injustice).

Asher does not have the concepts to describe what he's going through. Nobody has experienced what he experienced, and the experience is new to him, so he doesn't know how to convey what he experiences in a way that Dougie and First Responders will understand. Further, Dougie and the First Responders dismiss Ash's testimony and treats him like he's not credible while Dougie and the First Responders work from their own assumptions or ascriptions of Ash's intentions.

Throughout the show, our main characters have made assumptions about poor people, natives, and their own employees. Many of these assumptions arise out of dismissing or discrediting the experiences of others in favor of their own interpretation of events or others' intentions. Whitney (and Ash) thinks she knows what's best for Las Espanola, even though she lacks the lived experience or even the proper educational experience to understand the complex nature of amending systemic injustice. She is like the medical professionals and First Responders who do not listen to the lived experiences (self-reports) of what people want or need.

This behavior necessarily implies that the people she's helping don't know what's best for themselves, which implies that Whitney has some kind of expertise that qualifies her to intervene on their behalf. She actually doesn't; she has no qualification other than she happens to have rich parents, which doesn't really qualify a person for any kind of job, especially one as complicated as amending economic or social injustice.

I didn't expect there to be growth on behalf of the characters (largely because people have pointed out that Safdie brother projects rarely involve any kind of meaningful growth or resolution; they have bleak outcomes), but in the finale, I thought that Whitney (and Ash) had grown. She expresses jealousy and bitterness that Cara was receiving national attention for leaving the art scene while her and Ash's show wasn't even aired; it ended up being direct to app content. She uncharitably criticizes Cara for disliking exploitive collectors, and Whit says that she thinks that Cara quit because no one bought her work. Ash jokes that maybe if Whit quits her project to work in a massage parlor, maybe people will write about her too. Whit bitterly jokes back that she would need some kind of cultural sob story like saying she was making a statement on the Holocaust. Ash says he knows that she's making joke that selling her art retraumatized her but goes on to point out that native people have gone through a lot, which he says that he fully understands where Cara is coming from and that people process tragedy in their own way (discussing Mel Brooks), and Whitney finally concedes that she probably shouldn't be talking the way she is and that she doesn't have that lived experience. He assures her that he considers her Jewish (and that she can make such jokes), but I think the takeaway is that—on some level—Whitney has gained some self-awareness and realizes that her experiences shouldn't inform the way she interprets other peoples' choices and intentions.

The concepts I discussed here might also be connected to the Dunning-Kruger Effect, which is the phenomenon that people (at any level of intelligence or education) learn something and think that they have a better understanding of what is going on than they actually do. When people (like Whitney) decide to act on such false assumptions of self-evaluation, they are likely to make mistakes or perpetuate injustice.

tldr; the real curse (imo) is the insidious implicit biases that are socialized into us and lead us to making assumptions about others' experiences and intentions. These assumptions ultimately create barriers that limit social understanding and social progress. If we all take a moment to examine why we reasoned as we do or where we get our ideas about people who don't share our ethnic, economic, gendered, religious, etc. background, we might find that we are missing the necessary lived experience (a hermeneutical gap) to understand where they might be coming from. Instead of assuming intent or competency or dismissing or being suspicious, we should all charitably interpret others to try to assume the best in and most of other people. It is what we would want others to do for us. Performing this kind of empathy will ultimately lead to developing the necessary empathy to overcome such biases by habit alone, which will create a more compassionate, empathetic, and understanding world, while also deepening and enriching our own lives and the lives of others by celebrating our plurality.

When we allow certain ideas into our head, they become very real to us, and when we act on those ideas without examining them carefully, those false beliefs can cause real harm.

[glacecakes]

Double page spread from “The Book of Bill” with various bad endings for the twins. I attempted to label them all with their respective scenario.

Blind eye twins: the twins minds are erased and they join the cult. From s2e7 “Society of the Blind Eye”

Sock Opera Dipper: Described in journal 3, Bill’s plan to jump off the water tower and strand dipper forever succeeds. From s2e4 “Sock Opera”

Petrified twins: unsure? Potentially where Bill wins in s2e20 “Weirdmageddon 3”

Zombie twins: self explanatory. From s2e1 “Scary-oke”

Fight fighters Dipper: Loses to Rumble. also maybe Giffany wins? Either s1e10 “fight fighters” or s2e5 “Soos and the Real Girl”

Babel (Bill Mabel): Bill possesses Mabel. From s2e4 “Sock Opera”

Woodsman’s Curse Dipper: Pacifica fails. From s2e10 “Northwest Mansion Mystery”

Gnome Queen Mabel: Mabel gives into the gnomes. From s1e1 “Tourist Trapped”

Sugar High Mabel: self explanatory. From s1e5 “Inconveniencing”

Summerween twins: the twins fail to raise enough candy for the trickster. From s1e12 “Summerween”. fun fact; the nytimes ran an article on Summerween last week so you know it’s legit now.

Little Dipper twins: twins never grow back to full size. From s1e11 “Little Dipper”

Possessed Mabel: Mabel is never freed from the shop owner ghosts. From s1e5 “Inconveniencing”

Double dipper clones: various copies of dipper. From s1e7 “Double Dipper”. The Dipper holding up Possessed Mabel has a glowing pair of scissors in his back, possibly from the episode? Unsure.

Edit: the scissors dipper is from s1e4! He’s lost the fight to Gideon!

Tyrone: see above.

Bipper: Bill possessed dipper. From s2e4 “Sock Opera”

“Blendin’s Game” Erased Dipper: Blendin beats the twins at Globnar and wishes them out of existence. From s2e8 “Blendin’s game”

Those are all the ones I could discern. If anyone notices more or has ideas for the few unknowns please add on!

[creamyberries-lovely]

The Curse - Green Queen S1E10

[letthewhumpbegin]

Cursed, s1e10

[discojams]

the curse, s1e10 - green queen

[transpondster]

The Curse, S1E10

[via]

[wideeyedloner]

McKay works on Atlantis as:

an astrophysicist and Chief Science Officer

an Ancient technology expert (S1E1-)

a field researcher as a member of AR-1 (S1E4-)

an electrician (S1E4, S1E10, S1E11)

a nuclear weapons expert (S1E8)

just kind of an ancient weapons expert in general (S1-)

a civil engineer (S1E13)

an astronaut (S1E19)

McKay is extremely prideful and sure it makes things simpler for the audience that he does all the science things himself, but he works way too hard.

According to this wiki, there are no departments for Ancient technology, electricians, nuclear engineering, or civil engineering. I guess with all the advanced degrees on an expedition of ~200 (so let’s say ~100 civilians, all of them with doctorate degrees), there’s going to be some overlap in those areas, especially Ancient technology.

Depending on which types of marines were selected for the expedition, they could have had a couple of actual civil engineers and electricians, as well. All the marines would have firearms training and a job that isn’t just shooting things (see: Sergeant Chuck in the gate room). The expedition needed to be selective about its talent recruitment and members would have been skill-dense. I love Ford and love to hate Bates, but I hope there are marines with jobs with more variation (Chuck!)—I just started this rewatch.

Weapons/security expert is the same flavor as every military-themed show. I want to see the engineering corps trying to fix the flooded areas of Atlantis, or the jumper mechanics cursing Sheppard out every time he comes in hot, or the sergeants on mess duty cooking the worst meals imaginable.

Quick note about this gif: the only time I think McKay pulled his sidearm before this (S2E1) was in S1E12 to help his boyfriend Sheppard with the wraith at the puddle jumper, but he panicked and asked what to do before shooting and after emptying his clip, although he has clearly practiced. The team usually protect him so well he doesn’t usually have to draw his weapon 😭🥰

[piratecaptainscaptainpirates]

Now that s2 has had some time to settle, how would you all rank all the OFMD episodes? I don't care about how good you think they are objectively (because I know if I was ranking them from what I think are objectively best to worst, that would be a different list entirely), I care about how you rank them personally!

For me, the ranking goes:

Fun and Games, s2e4. She's everything to me. Ed and Stede making up and communicating, Ed's cute little smile, Izzy being a fucking nightmare (affectionate). Perfect episode in my eyes.

The Innkeeper, s2e3. I don't even need to justify this one, you all KNOW.

Mermen, s2e8. I know she's a little messy but I love her. My go-to comfort episode and a happy ending to the season. Ed and Stede fighting to each other across the beach is my favorite scene in OFMD full stop.

The Art of Fuckery, s1e6. I looove her. The OG bathtub scene that spawned a million bathtub scenes in fanfics, plus Stede beating Izzy in a duel and the best open in s1.

Act of Grace, s1e9. Solid episode, first kiss, Ed saving Stede's life, a heartbreaking ending. Fantastic.

The Curse of the Seafaring Life, s1e5. This to me is the perfect mid-season episode of a show like OFMD. It's fun, I love it, plus we get a moonlight kiss!

We Gull Way Back, s1e8. I love when Calico Jack is here fucking stuff up.

Wherever You Go, There You Are, s1e10. It's hard watching this now to believe this is how our show ended for over a year! Now when I watch it I think about how far they've come.

This is Happening, s1e7. It's just great, it's only so low because I like the first eight more!

Red Flags, s1e2. This one hurts me and I love it. It's a damn compelling episode of television.

Calypso's Birthday, s2e6. I can see why people don't like this one but I'm willing to give it a pass for a lot of shit. I really like Ned Low.

Discomfort in a Married State, s1e4. It's a wonderful episode. The bad thing about ranking OFMD episodes is I love all of them so I feel bad for putting one of my beautiful children all the way down here.

Impossible Birds, s2e1. Solid season opener that also hurts me. I love it.

The Best Revenge is Dressing Well, s1e5. Lovely episode, I just get sad when those racist assholes are mean to Ed :(

A Damned Man, s1e2. Again this episode is great and I hate that it's so low

Pilot, s1e1. This is a super solid pilot and I love it! Sets Stede up so so well. I love watching it and marvelling at how far he's come!

Man on Fire, s2e7. This is a fine episode! I like watching it and it's got a lot to love! I just like it better when you watch it with Merman as opposed to on its own.

The Gentleman Pirate, s1e3. It's fine, just not as good as the others! My cringefail friend Stede is especially cringefail in this one but I adore Spanish Jackie's introduction here and of course Our Prayer at the end!

[ladykatibeth]

Another rewatch post but god I love Nadja and Nandor’s friendship so much.

In S3:E3

Nadja >;( I will not nice to a werewolf!

Nandor: Please for me ;(

Nadja: Fiiiine. >;(

Also S1E10

Nadja: I will not be going into a church!!!

Nandor: Please…it’s for my great great great grandaughter please ;(

Nadja:���…fuck it, fine let’s go.

And S2E4

Nandor: *Gets cursed*

Nandor: Nadja!!!!

She’ll call him out when he’s really being a prick but like that’s her second favorite person right there! Ms. Put up with 0 bullshit, rip out another vampires heart for disrespect gives in very quick.

Also Nandor with Nadja, he really trusts her so much, he’s like…and he’s who do I really want to do stuff like lead a vampiric counsel with? Who would be good to talk to about this?

Also very much first and second oldest person camaraderie between them where they’re sometimes like “ugh the youths of today” about Laszlo, Colin Robinson, and Guillermo.

[tdvotes]

Counting the Votes, s1e10

It's time for another thrilling episode of... Total! Drama! Counting... the Votes! Today, If You Can't Take the Heat...

Then get out of the kitchen, Jack!

Losing team: Screaming Gophers

Received a marshmallow: Leshawna, Owen, Gwen, Trent, Lindsay

Final marshmallow: Heather

Eliminated: Beth

Who voted for who and why? Heather and Owen voted onscreen for Beth. Beth probably voted for Heather for obvious reasons. Lindsay wanted to vote for Heather, but she probably ended up voting for Beth since Heather pressured her into it. That leaves Leshawna, Trent and Gwen. Leshawna probably voted for Heather after she said "I don't know about y'all, but Heather has got to go." Gwen probably voted with Leshawna, but the superstitious Trent probably voted with Owen after he pointed out that Beth cursed the team.

My final verdict: 4 votes for Beth, 3 votes for Heather

But as always, these are just my thoughts, and I want to hear yours! Who voted for who? Did Leshawna and/or Gwen listen to Owen? Who did Lindsay actually vote for? Leave your theories in the comments below.

[becaeffingmitchell]

damn sure never would’ve danced with the devil

Rating: T (for excessive f-bombs) Chapters: 1-4/20 Summary: When all’s said and done, Ava decides to keep it. One, because she’s not sure how she would even go about trying to get it out. Two, because it could be the only defense she has against the multitude of threats coming at her left and right. And three, because she really should reconsider this whole ‘meant to be’ nonsense if she’s gonna keep getting dragged back into this fate/destiny bullshit.

[snippets following the Ava-Halo relationship throughout the two seasons]

Ugh. Nuns. Always with the fucking nuns. 

It’s gotta be some kind of cosmic irony. It’s because Ava had grown up hating organized religion, because she’d relentlessly cursed whatever supposed higher power stranded her in that bed, because she’d gladly fistfight God in a parking lot if given the chance. Because she’d channeled so much raging negative energy towards the Catholic church, it’s throwing that energy right back in her face and practically handcuffing her to nuns for the rest of her newfound life. 

Well, fine. Two can play that game; if she’s going to be stuck with them, she’s going to make sure they know that they’re stuck with her. Dial down on cooperation, dial up on sass: The Ava Silva Special.

Prologue | s1e1 - s1e3 | s1e4 - s1e6 | s1e7 - s1e10 | s2e1 - s2e4 | s2e5 - s2e8 | Epilogue

[indigayghost]

All wwdits episodes and descriptions

S1E01 - Pilot

This is the pilot.

S1E02 - City Council

They go to the city council.

S1E03 - Werewolf Feud

There is a werewolf feud.

S1E04 - Manhattan Night Club

They go to Manhattan Night Club.

S1E05 - Animal Control

They go to Animal Control.

S1E06 - Baron's Night Out

The Baron goes out at night.

S1E07 - The Trial

There is a trial.

S1E08 - Citizenship

Someone tries to get a citizenship.

S1E09 - The Orgy

There is a orgy.

S1E10 - Ancestry

They take an ancestry test.

S2E01 - Ressurection

Someone's ressurected.

S2E02 - Ghosts

There's ghosts.

S2E03 - Brain Scramblies

A brain is scramblied.

S2E04 - The Curse

There is a curse.

S2E05 - Colin's Promotion

Colin is promoted.

S2E06 - On the Run

Someone's on the run.

S2E07 - The Return

Someone returns.

S2E08 - Collaboration

There is a collaboration.

S2E09 - Witches

There is witches.

S2E10 - Nouveau Théâtre des Vampires

They go to the theater.

S3E01 - The Prisoner

There is a prisoner.

S3E02 - The Cloak of Duplication

There is a cloak of duplication.

S3E03 - Gail

Meet Gail.

S3E04 - The Casino

They go to a casino.

S3E05 - The Chamber of Judgment

They go to the chamber of judgment.

S3E06 - The Escape

Someone escapes.

S3E07 - The Siren

There is a siren.

S3E08 - The Wellness Center

Someone goes to a wellness center.

S3E09 - A Farewell

They say a farewell.

S3E10 - The Portrait

They take a portrait.

S4E01 - Reunited

They reunite.

S4E02 - The Lamp

They found a lamp.

S4E03 - The Grand Opening

Something is opened.

S4E04 - The Night Market

They go to a market at night.

S4E05 - Private School

There is private schools.

S4E06 - The Wedding

There is a wedding.

S4E07 - Pine Barrens

They go to Pine Barrens.

S4E08 - Go Flip Yourself

Go Flip yourself.

S4E09 - Freddie

Meet Freddie.

S4E10 - Sunrise, Sunset

Actually there's other things happening in this one but they do sing sunrise sunset in the end.

[abriefingwithmichael]

Gretchen Corbett (The Rockford Files) guests.

The confrontation with the killer at the end is a tad too convenient/easy but the journey to that point is very good. It’s an inventive story, with plenty of credible suspects.

Roger E. Mosley gets plenty of screentime and is very funny indeed as Magnum’s reluctant partner-in-crime.

The four leads are together a lot in this one, and you really get a sense of how much time Rick and Higgins spend working together at the King Kamehameha Club.

Final episode for Remi Abellira as bartender Moki.

Final episode to use the original (bland) opening theme music.

My 400th TV episode of 2023.

8/10

[galwaygremlin]

OKAY SO

i liveblogged the owl house in my notebooks. not gonna curse my blog with my handwriting but here's some of my favorite notes n quotes, organized by episode:

S1E1 -"No! My only weakness! Dying!" -IS THIS EDA SHE'S SO WEIRD I LOVE HER -Eda's detachable!

S1E2 -Man in sandals. Belos? ...maybe not but I don't trust him anyway -WHAT IS GOING ON?! -SHE ATE HIM. cool -i love the intro/outro music

S1E3 -"I'm chunks of stuff, and I talk weird!" -Gus is so cute -AMOMINATION

S1E4 -CURSE?! EDA?! -curious george demon needs therapy

S1E5 -COVENTION -ALCHEMISTS ANONYMOUS -Eda as ur drunk uncle who makes inappropriate comments -LILITH. I SENSE PROBLEMS. -"Welcome down to my level"

S1E6 -NO NOT MY KIDS. PUT THEM BACK.

S1E7 -AMITY READING TO CHILDREN -LUZ CAUSING PROBLEMS -lol network joke -actual magic eraser :)

S1E8 -Luz loves hugs + I love her -Eda's my favorite -oh SHIT. Lilith.

S1E9 -Eda was a ginger <3

S1E10 -Ah Okay So That's A Palisman. Does Luz get one? -"Hey lady! Have you seen a monster that kinda looks like you?" -"-and I'm slightly traumatized! Hooray!"

S1E11-19 S2E1-10 S2E11-21 S3

[tinyravenfeathers]

I had two similar theories: First that the influence of Galahad/Jenkins. Jenkins is the anti-apple, his story ends with his direct ascension into heaven, basically, after having kept himself so pure in order to find the grail. So in the Library universe Galahad of course doesn't die...I would think he'd still have his "superpowers" so to speak. He touches Ezekiel, right before the lift, who's to say a little paladin-like spell didn't take place?

But if that's too much of a stretch, think of what Ezekiel's been through. Adopted into a family of thieves. Becomes the greatest thief in the world by age...what...25? But in S2E07 "And the Image of Image" Ezekiel flat out says that Librarians are chosen for their expendability. He points out his own anonymity and states that he has "no ties to anyone or anything in the real world." This is a little weird after verbally sparring with Jenkins at the beginning of the episode over Ezekiel posting himself doing an Ollie Impossibly off the Great Spinx of Giza and stating people don't know him as a Librarian, they know him as Ezekiel Jones, Professor of Awesome.

Which can mean that he has acquaintances, but not friends. He's the professor of awesome, but he keeps his anonymity, he's not on any books as that would make him trackable. His world is unstable by default.

Humans are wonderfully adaptable. Younger adults even more so. You find a way to live in this world that meets all your needs, no matter how dangerous it is, you learn to love the danger. You adapt to the situation and tell yourself it's okay, this is how you want to be, or you change the situation as best you can.

Ezekiel's alone, and he's learned to rely only on himself, love himself almost obsessively (something Jenkins comments on in S3E07 "And the Curse of Cindy") because his sense of home is his ability to provide for himself, to escape any bad situation.

Further, in S1E09 "And the City of Light" he points out (in the middle of his anger that people are being ridden by the original inhabitants of Colins Falls) that he's "made a good living walking the line between snatching and borrowing". Also, in S1E04 "And Santa's Midnight Run" upon giving Eve a present she asks "How stolen is this?" and he replies "Is it really considered stolen if no one knows it's gone?"

So to me that means he has a moral code and he's done the work of defining it himself. He skims off the top. He's not hurting anyone because he's trying to live as lightly as he can, so that he's not trackable.

He only enlists with the Library "to find out who's trying to kill me." (S1E01)....but then the Library gives him so much more than he's expecting, that he can allow himself to expect from anyone. Eve is practically a mother figure (mentioned something like that with Alternate-Timeline Ezekiel in S1E10 "And the Loom of Fate"), Cassie is the nicest sister he's ever had, Jake, Flynn, and Jenkins all older brothers/uncles. He's lived an incredibly lonely life and all of a sudden, here's food and shelter and friends who he can depend on, who depend on him.

So, what's his sin? If he's found self-worth by giving to those worse off what he steals and makes his living by skimming off the top, what's his vice? In the Apple of Discord episode, we never see his eyes flash like everybody else's does. The Apple's influence never takes hold, because there's nothing to hold onto.

Ezekiel has chosen his own righteous path. Through necessity and by the suffering inflicted by his nomadic lifestyle, he's weathered the some of the worst circumstances and still come out smiling.

He's not the worst version of himself. Like Galahad, he's the best version of himself, and mere greed cannot win against Ezekiel Jones.

ok so my apple of discord thoughts

"worst version of yourself" is kind of an overstatement bc its less that it makes you worse and more that it takes away the parts that are good, if that makes sense? it doesnt make anything, it just warps and takes from whats already there.

so with jake, he thinks those things about art and being the only one who understands/appreciates it, but hes too kind to act on those thoughts yknow? and the apple took away the kindness that kept him from acting.

with cassandra, shes interested in those practical applications with fatal outcomes, but she would never act on them, again bc of compassion and self control. the apple took that barrier away.

eve and flynn see themselves as above the others bc of their various experiences and powers, but they dont act on it bc humility and caring for their teammates, being able to recognize their skills are necessary. humility specifically in flynns case. again the apple took that away.

my theory is that it did affect ezekiel. it took something away. not sure exactly what, but im thinking something along the lines of kindness again, maybe his care for others - the thing that makes him steal for charty rather than personal gain. the reason it doesnt outwardly affect him is he already hides that part of himself. the others cant see a change, they cant see whats been taken away, bc he hides it so deep down that they cant tell its been stolen.

[crazy-grrrl-on-the-computer]

Remember when we all saw the end of s1e10 for the first time and feared that the Student Council would try to uncover the identities of the Battle Lovers by tracking Goura down and using him as leverage in the finale?

s2e10:

We've come full circle.