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serendertothesquad · 3 months ago

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Seren's Studies: Odd Squad UK -- Episode Titles! Crackpot Theories! Venting! Excitement?

Honestly? I expected at least something from Odd Squad UK. It's the first of August (at the time of writing), advanced schedules have been put out and now go through October...I mean there was bound to be something, right?

Well, yes. Inverse Pandora's Box. (Or is it an actual Pandora's Box, given my criticisms?)

Episode titles. Synopses (of the basic kind). That promo image up there that came from PBS Kids themselves after I tweeted about my findings. It's like going to the bathroom after having not been in it for nearly a year, opening the door, and suddenly being hit with a flood of bathwater coming at you. When I say there was absolutely nothing of substance that I could dig up over the course of that time beyond a 30-second trailer and a Kidscreen Magazine image that everyone and their mothers use to talk about the series, I mean it. Go ahead. Go punch in "odd squad uk" into Google and get back to me with how long it takes to see my username in the search results.

I'm going to set aside my Seren's Study about PBS's mistreatment of Odd Squad and shift gears just a little bit. This Seren's Study will cover all of the theories, discussion, and thoughts I have about these episodes and characters, in lieu of a Seren Reacts video (an XP-era laptop does not good for OBS Studio recording make). You will see me scream, cry, melt (shit's hot outside), and ask if I can put any of this on my job resume.

Before we begin, I'm going to warn folks that there will be spoilers ahead for those that haven't seen the episode titles and synopses, nor the trailer for OSUK. If you want to take a peek at those, I made a handy-dandy Google doc here. As for the trailer, I made a Seren's Study on that a while back.

Oh yes, and I'll be referring to Odd Squad UK as a whole as a series, not a season. Technically, it is a spinoff series, just marketed in America as Season 4 of Odd Squad.

All right, warnings are out of the way...now we can dive in. Less'go!

A Refresher

Let's get caught up to speed on what we know so far. Couldn't hurt, y'know?

Odd Squad UK -- or Season 4 of the regular Odd Squad series, in the delulu minds of PBS Kids execs -- is a spinoff series of Odd Squad, following Odd Squad Mobile Unit (Season 3). The premise involves a girl named Orli, an Odd Squad agent working on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls who is transferred to a precinct in the UK to boost numbers and help deal with the rise of oddness. She eventually partners up with Ozzie, an agent of the UK precinct, and begins working under one Captain O, a Director who loves anything nautical and aquatic. From there, we see a lot of other characters who take the spotlight -- deadpan Security agent Orwell, quirky Scientist guy Onom, a Chef O, and a girl in a rather mysterious department.

Keeping in line with the reputation of Britain having series with shockingly low episode counts (there's even a trope for it!), Odd Squad UK has 12 episodes in total, the lowest of any season/series to date. However, the crew is open to making more episodes if there is enough demand for them -- a cliche that has plagued a ton of animated kids shows as of late due to the flakiness of the industry.

...That's really all I can give you in the way of a refresher. So let's move on to what the episodes contain.

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What's the Story, Seren?

Press releases and articles for Odd Squad UK have touted focus on Orli. Once. Exactly once. By all accounts, it seems like the focus of the series is on her struggling to fit in with British culture, customs, and of course, their wacky mathematics. That, however, is not the case -- instead, Ozzie is the focus of the series' story arc.

...Yeah, it has a story arc. They're pullin' an anime with this one and I don't know if I like that.

The arc features Ozzie and his relationship with the Terrible Three, a villainous trio of (what I can presume are) youngsters who seek to spread oddness throughout the town. And guys, I feel obligated to put this tweet from my moot here:

Because they're right. On every single account. This leads into my first criticism, which I will compile at the end. Moving on, though.

Due to that arc, a majority of these 12 episodes feature villains in some kind of capacity. This is not unusual for Odd Squad as a franchise, of course -- villains to them are what air is to a living being. Goes hand-in-hand, and there are many episodes that have villains as antagonists. What is unusual, however, is having well over half of your episodes feature a villain in a major capacity, and while I do love myself a good villain, it seems like one hell of an overdose.

Outside of that, though, the series will feature Orli attempting to fit in to British life. Because after all, she isn't just transferred to the UK -- she has to upright pack up and move nearly halfway across the world. Which I won't deny is a nice premise...but again, 12 episodes.

Enough complaining, though. Let's move on to what I'm sure y'all came here for.

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The Episodes, or: Netflix is Quaking in their Boots

ISS' CRACK THEORY TIIIIIIIIIME.

In this section, I'll go over each of the episodes revealed thus far, share my thoughts, theories, and what I, for one, hope to expect. (I'd use the colloquial "we", but different strokes for different folks and not even I know what's gonna happen.)

So let's dive into our very first one...

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Odd Ones In

James Rallison is marching his way on over with a nice fat happy lawsuit as we speak.

...Okay, I kid. He's not. He knows about PBS Kids, but trust...trust me guys, he is not suing anyone.

While this synopsis, like all the other synopses PBS Kids has ever put out ever, is barebones, most of the stuff in this episode can be gleaned from the trailer. The episode is split into two parts for a 22-minute episode in total.

The first part basically deals with Orli transferred, and by extension moving, from the Canadian side of Niagara Falls to good old Britain. Touted as being "the best agent in the world" to help solve oddness, the British agents realize that she sure as hell can't stand on the same pedestal as the thirteen already-existing living legends do, especially since she has no idea how the fuck British people go about their lives. The second part features Orli and Ozzie teaming up to deal with a creature known as an Icy Mousey that is freezing agents left and right.

Let's be honest right out the gate: this is already a better premise for a 22-minute season premiere than "Odd Beginnings" was in 44. And yeah, I know "First Day" is similar, but Olympia didn't have to move to an entirely different country when she graduated from the Odd Squad Academy, y'know? Nor was she branded a "best agent" because she wasn't one yet. Here, we have Orli becoming a Canadian transplant who echoes the sentiments of everyone who has ever traveled to another country and failed to do the research beforehand. Which makes sense, because she's supposed to be an audience surrogate.

I really can't discuss this episode at length without heading into the next episode, though, because it ties into that and the trailer. So, may I present:

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A Dish Served Odd

Died in 2015. Born in 2024. Welcome back, Seren Taking Food-Oriented Odd Squad Episode Titles to Reflect Episodes About Food That Are Not About Food At All.

*the longest sigh I have ever taken in my life*

Following up from the season premiere, this episode takes a look at the UK town of [REDACTED], where Orli wishes to explore. Most of the stuff in the trailer is taken from this episode, up to and including the alternate-angle image included in the initial press release of Orli and Ozzie telling someone to "stop right there". We have Orli fighting a woman for tour bus tickets using Rock-Paper-Scissors (and I am not talking about the Nickelodeon cartoon, thank you), Brits attending an Odd Squad movie event, and The Trifler.

...I mean okay, there's more, but the hell do you think I have, an eidetic memory or somethin'?

I do find it odd (hehehe lol obvious joke) that an episode out of 12 is dedicated to Orli learning about her new hometown. I get why -- if you discount the fact she does not magically learn all about a goddamn country within a day, she really needs the tour, and we really need the tour, because Let's Go Luna got the axe and someone needs to pick up the slack -- but to not, say, expand "Odd Ones In" to include a tour seems like a waste, especially since the "watch our shit or the show gets killed off" guillotine is hanging over this franchise's head. You can compare Toronto to this -- I'm a dumb lil' American who sees Canada as the land of free healthcare, maple syrup, and a choir of red-shirted children singing "O Canada" with an orchestra in the near-dead of night. Seasons 1 and 2 take place in Toronto, though they never say it outright. There's signage and places that scream Canadian. So why, then, did we not get lessons about Canadian culture? Because if Olive and Otto took the time to teach me lessons about Canada, the writers probably would have fumbled the bag and ruined the world tour story arc of Odd Todd. Which...wouldn't really be a good thing.

I don't know. My opinions will probably shift when I watch the episode itself. At the very least, it's gonna give us McDonald's product placement, which will give me good leverage the next time I roll up behind an asshole in the drive-thru.

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Odd Jubilee

Not to be confused with Ruby Jubilee, a popular pegasus character from G5 of My Little Pony. This is her...odder cousin.

...No, actually, if you think about it, it fits, because Pinkie Pie and Olympia. Bite me.

So this episode is the start of many, many Ozzie-centric episodes. Which, given whom this series' story arc is about, makes sense. In this one, "Party Agents" (Party Department?) arrive with a box that, of course, contains a party. Like Pinkie Pie's party ca- okay, you know, I joke a lot about Olympia being Pinkie Pie (and I even have a pretty smeggin' good fanfic goin' about it right now!), but the comparisons are fucking writing themselves here. Lest we forget this franchise made a Friendship is Magic reference back in Season 2 with Party Pam's balloon colors.

But I digress. The conflict of the episode comes in the form of Ozzie, who has the key needed to open the box. Unfortunately for him, and for the rest of the UK precinct agents, he's vamooshed and needs to be found.

...If this isn't tying into the story arc, shove an apple into my mouth and send me to Walmart. You couldn't put a sign on any episode here that wouldn't make it any more obvious that there's a story arc. At least Season 1 was humble about it and kept all the 43s hidden as cool lil' Easter eggs. (Season 2 stumbled a little. Season 3 was when shit hit the fan and the smell and the sight of it was made obvious to everyone.)

I might as well get this out of the way now: there's a bit of a problem when it comes to whom, exactly, the series focuses on. We have a core cast of seven main characters. The franchise as a whole is notable for focusing on two agents in particular, mainly two Investigation agents. Orli is an audience surrogate and we're supposed to see the world through her eyes. Ozzie has a bitch-ass past and a wild-ass story arc, hence why he gets the most focus. While residing in seasons with higher episode counts, Olive and Otto, as well as Olympia and Otis, have an equal balance of screentime between each other, despite two of them having an ongoing story arc.

So lemme ask: who am I supposed to focus on here?

Looking at it now, a core cast of seven main characters instead of the four we've gotten before is a great shakeup, but not if you have 12 episodes and a threat of cancellation hanging over your head while your body's infected with Network-Don't-Care-Anymore Disease. Even the synopses alone tell me that this is 100% going to be a hell of a mess, and more than one main character is going to be lacking in the character development section.

Maybe I'm being a little too cynical, especially after Odd Squad Mobile Unit. But this is a franchise that is going on 10 years and made a "jumping the shark" joke only 3 years in. Odd Squad is not immune from rot, so I'm not surprised when it happens.

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The New Ozzie

Congrats everyone, we now have a name we can pin on the Mysterious Department Girl. Only took us nearly a year!

Opie -- not to be confused with the Opie from Season 1, mind you; different gender, precinct, and department -- is in the Department of Help and Human Services and is being promoted to its topmost position, called a Head. (The Season 3 episode "O For a Day" implied there were head agents of departments in Odd Squad, but nothing was outright confirmed in terms of the organization as a whole -- it likely was exclusively for the Seattle precinct.) Ozzie, who was the previous Head of the Department of Help and has since moved to the Investigation department (neither a promotion or a demotion; both departments have the same shape with the same number of sides), needs to help her learn the ropes. Problem is, he also has to solve oddness in town. What do?

This episode pretty much solves the question of "is he wearing an H on a hexagon or is that a bridge?" It's an H. The department's logo is an H. I can't even be mad at that, but I'm not happy about it either. Ozzie was a leader, and now he's a run-of-the-mill Investigation agent, which could raise some interesting conflicts given the story arc. It can be a superiority complex. It could be the "British people evil" cliche. Or it could lead to absolutely nothing. It's 12 episodes, take your pick.

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Bad-Luck-itis

Okay. They paid the "Find the Cure" fee. Can they please get their paychecks and go the fuck home already, guys?

Seems the gadget competition video served as some weird foreshadowing, if you replaced Orli and Osgood with Captain O and Orwell and the Mondays with...well, Bad-Luck-itis. Basically, Ozzie becomes a walking disaster area, and his partner, plus another agent named Osgood, have to find ingredients to make the cure.

This can reasonably go one of two ways: either we get an episode that's a direct copy, or we get an episode that's actually unique and puts a spin on things. Until we get a bigger and more explanatory synopsis, it can go either way, and, well...we don't right now. So I can't really say much about this. I will say, however, that given "Off the Clock" from Odd Squad Mobile Unit, I'm hoping "Bad Luck-Itis" "Bad-Luck-itis" can keep up the pace. That was a solid episode, for what it was worth.

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The Triangle Sisters

Not to be confused with the Triangle siblings from "Crime at Shapely Manor". Thass'...thass' a whole 'nother ball game.

There's really not much to this one either. The synopsis tells of Orli and Ozzie attempting to hunt down villains -- the eponymous siblings, natch -- who have stolen shapes from a museum. That's about it. Either this is "Crime at the Britain Museum" or it's something unique. Like with "Bad-Luck-itis", it's too soon to know yet.

...But that wording is very suspicious, given Ozzie's story arc...makes you wonder.

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Miss Information

Ah. Three for three with the "is originality as dead as chivalry" comments.

This one concerns "Bad Lemonade" in particular, in that it's about a villain using bar graphs to bring some kind of harm to a character. Imagine Odd Todd, then imagine him slandering an entire pseudo-government organization instead of just Polly Graph. Now make him an adult woman, and you've got this episode.

If they really wanna spice it up, they could slip in some wondrous British social commentary that dumb lil' Americans like myself would never get. But Odd Squad as a franchise has never really been about that (I am slapping the word "really" so hard my hand is red, thank you), so here I'll sit in my delusion for two months.

...Also, Canada slander. Just to get under Orli's skin.

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A Dicey Situation

Oh yeah, we had a Director character, didn't we? Let's employ her in a- ohhhhhhhhh, it's another one of those episodes.

Look, I love "Totally Odd Squad". Provides some excellent backstory for Oprah, gives us some lore as to the inner workings of Odd Squad as an organization, and it had O'Donahue flirting with his boss in one of the most expressive romantic things in the entire franchise. Same goes for "Fistful of Fruit Juice"; I loved that too.

On a more negative note, if you've ever seen my Seren Reacts video on it, you'd know that "Mission O Possible" is on the lower end of the ladder for me. Among other criticisms, it's a parody of Mission Impossible that utterly bombs due to network restrictions and poor choice of central character. I'm not exactly banking on "A Dicey Situation" to parody anything, but I'm not holding confidence that it's going to be good either.

At the very least, the villain's name is unique. If her last name is Doubloon, I'm hoping we can get a financial math moral that can put me and the rest of the fandom at ease when it comes to the sheer irony of this franchise tackling every aspect of math but finances. You can't say "kids today don't wanna work anymore" if the shows made for them are too afraid to teach them about a new app called The Fucking Dollar Bill.

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Lift Off

Now here's where shit gets good.

Imagine, if you will, me, going to Japan to buy some Precure merch and not understanding any cultural customs.

Now imagine Orli in the same spot, in Britain, with elevators. Oops, sorry, lifts.

Here's a fun fact some of you may not know: there was an episode with a working title of "See You Later Elevator", all the way back in Season 2. No one knows what that episode was turned into, if it went beyond the script and name-registering stage, or what it was about. And while it was made sometime in 2017, predating this episode by a good 7 years, it makes you stop and think for a moment about if "See You Later Elevator" did get past the script stage but was retooled to fit Orli instead. Depending on who you ask, it's at least a better title than "Lift Off".

This episode could best be summed up as "how does Britain work?", as Orli must send an interdimensional clam (God did not create enough animals to populate Europe, clearly) back to its home but has trouble working the lifts because they're different from the elevators she had in Canada. And I gotta be honest, folks...this might be one of my favorite episodes of the entire series. 11 minutes of Orli being a silly ding-dong and toying with a machine that can cause immediate death is gonna be real fun to watch. (Only...y'know...no gore. For obvious reasons.) It's like if you had 11 minutes of Orla trying to figure out some item in the modern world and kept messing things up, and I'd enjoy that too in spite of what I think about Season 3.

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A Tour of Odd Squad

Not to be confused with "Welcome to Odd Squad" from Odd Squad Mobile Unit; I'm sure this episode won't be as bad as this one.

...

I'm overshooting the mark, aren't I? Shit.

Old-timers to the fandom might remember all the tours held of the studio set the first two seasons used. In-universe, "Disorder in the Court" is the only episode I can vividly recall where a tour is offered someone who wasn't an Odd Squad agent. As a freebie, to boot. (When I first saw "A Tour of Odd Squad" as a title and its synopsis, I was under the impression that tours given to non-clients and non-agents were not a concept that existed. I was wrong.)

This episode, however, has an Odd Squad Superfan tour. A bit of a different breed, though if you want to believe the Odd Squad Superfan Tour exists in "Disorder in the Court", feel free! I know I will.

Basically, it's a "spot the imposter" type situation. One villain has come into the tour in disguise as a fan of Odd Squad, and Opie must stomp them out. This is another episode that raises quite a few suspicions concerning Ozzie's story arc, because we don't know if it's a child disguised as an adult, a child that looks like a child, or an adult that looks like an adult. The synopsis doesn't tell us that much. If it is a child that looks like a child, though, I have to wonder if they'll pull an "I'm separated from my mommy and she's in the group, help me get back to her" gambit. It's a villain trio that describes one of the worst periods in a parent's goddamn life. Kids are smarter than most would think. I can envision it.

Good premise either way, though. I look forward to seeing how things play out.

I am also expecting as much meta commentary as Oprah did in "First Day". Hey, they did it once 8 years ago, and I wanna see them do it again. Clap back!

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Club 37

Not to be confused with Club 24- okay, look, this is fucking annoying and I can't keep doing this. Just set your bars low, people. Set them seven feet from the ground and call it a day.

Oy...okay. So this episode involves the exclusive titular club. To gain access, an agent or a partner pair must solve a total of 37 cases, which Orli and Ozzie must do. Because...in 6 episodes, they haven't solved that many? There goes Orli being Odd Squad's best agent to stem the rise of oddness in the UK.

...I dunno, guys. You think the crew saw my "What Odd Squad Got Past Censors" video, realized the implications of Club 24, and made a kid-friendly variant instead? It's a very slim chance, next to nonexistent, but I can't help but wonder. After all, not every day you see two preteens enter a nightclub where the line is full of solely adults.

This episode does have a few similarities to "The O Team", though, just in the way Olympia and Otis have to solve a select amount of cases. Hoping it isn't a retread, because "The O Team" was a great way to shine some light on two side characters and "Club 37"...isn't. PBS synopses do not pull red herrings, people.

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Odd Way Round

Go ahead, take a shot for every "odd" pun they make in this season. At this point, Popularity Papers did a funnier thing with their Odd Squad title reference. (And also has better, more inspirational titles than just making puns out of "popularity" and "papers".)

Putting aside the title, though, the episode has a pretty straightforward premise -- Orli needs to get to the Odd Squad Test Center, but is repeatedly stopped by villains as she's trying to get there.

All right, first question: exactly what does Odd Squad need a Test Center for? I'm not buying that it's a British thing, because even with my dumb lil' American ways that's the stupidest shit I ever heard. And second of all, how the hell are they keeping that shit staffed? Who's staffing it? How much money does the Britain HQ have in the bank to keep that shit staffed?

Best way I can really sum this up is that it'll be 11 minutes of battle scenes with a payoff of her coming to the Test Center and being told "lol your test is on another day". Not exactly enthused, but I'm not going to actively hate it out the gate either.

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Strictly Odd Dancing

Now this. This is the kind of punny shit I live for with this franchise. It's another "odd" pun, sure, but it's also a pop culture reference very few people would get. Hell, it took someone in the Odd Squad Discord server to tell me they were referencing the British version of Dancing with the Stars! This is what I like!

Moving on to the premise: the episode features two minor characters, Ostin and Olyla (you'd think with the latter name, PBS would be all over it...'cuz Lyla in the Loop and all that), who tell a story to some agents about how they went from "singing and dancing gross" to "singing and dancing great" due to a villain's influence.

It's...another storytelling episode. Which, again, I'd be fine with, if there weren't 12 episodes in the entire damn series. Focusing on minor characters (not side characters; "minor" here refers to oneshots) is nothing new for the franchise, but most episodes that do it are in seasons with high episode counts. This series does not.

Let's be honest for a moment: the only saving grace this episode has for me is if we get a musical number. It's a singing and dancing episode. It'd be a crime not to have a song. LET ME HEAR THE BELTING OF THE BRITISH CHILDREN, GOD DAMN IT. I DESERVE IT.

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Villain of the Year

If this synopsis refers to Ozzie as the "unlikely villain", I am going to throw myself onto my front lawn, scream into the grass, and let the ticks consume me.

And that's not even getting into the other times we've gotten award mentions and episodes. Do we really need a villain variant of the Agent of the Year award that Odd Squad Book of Games introduced? What is point? Why is point? I was fine with the villain report cards Season 2 introduced! Leave it at that!

I'm just...I'm tired. Only a select handful of these synopses are inspiring confidence in me. If Season 3 came up with more original synopses than this series, with a return to form, does, then we're in trouble. That is with a capital T. A T as big as the Titans Tower, that's right.

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Planes, Trains, and Oddmobiles

God this is a good pun. God I love this pun. Best title of the franchise, hands down. Even beats out "Assistants' Creed". Took them ten fucking years to make the pun, but...it's here, and I love it. It barely even relates to the episode from what I can tell from the synopsis, but damn if they didn't do good.

And speaking of the synopsis, this one has a sort of similar plotline to "Nature of the Sandbeast" from Odd Squad Mobile Unit, in that there is a female creature with eggs missing who is incredibly pissed off and is seeking to harm anyone and anything until she gets them back. That episode had the titular creature; this one features a Huggle Monster. That episode had Orla, Osmerelda, and Omar fighting off the creature; this episode has Orli and Ozzie. Not exactly a repeat, but we'll see where things go.

...Okay, I'm taking my above comment back about the title not relating to the episode, because I just figured out what the math moral is.

It's about which mode of transportation is the fastest: a plane, a train, or a car.

I don't know whether to cackle because kids can't drive either of those things (and for "car", I'm talking about big-boi cars like Audis and Toyotas, thank you), or clap because they made a pun that encapsulates the math moral.

God bless them.

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Part of the Furniture

Now here's an episode title I really am scratching my head about. It's not a pun. It's not some kind of typo. It doesn't relate to the episode as far as the synopsis goes. It looks like a lost memo from a Bob's Discount Furniture employee meeting.

You wanna know the best part, though? The episode deals with Orli joining a bunch of clubs but not having time for all of them and helping Orwell at the same time. Which...I...look, if she doesn't join some kind of furniture-related club, then what is point? Is this some British pun I don't- ah fucking hell, it's a British pun I don't get, isn't it. God damn it.

Not really much to go off of with this one, but man is that title gonna be eating away at me for the next two months. I have to sleep at night, people. 15 years of sleep deprivation weighs on a person!

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The Odd Ness Monster

Look. The Oddverse has kraken. It's only justified that it'd have the Loch Ness Monster, too.

Me, I'm just surprised it took them way too many franchise installments to get to this point.

The synopsis for the episode, however, is a little confusing. The best I can gather is this: Onom and Orwell are doing something when the Loch- shit, the Odd Ness Monster wakes up. From there, they have to put it to sleep before it destroys Headquarters (which, I will remind you, is fucking underground and doesn't need much protecting against a creature commonly depicted in fiction as a seafarer).

It's incorrect, but this is PBS we're talking about. Wait until mid-September when we get stuff from the BBC.

Outside of the "destroying HQ" stuff, I look forward to seeing how a Scientist and a Security agent with differing personalities handle Odd Squad's take on Nessie. I guess the Britain HQ lacks a Creature Care department, otherwise either Onom or Orwell would be replaced.

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Oddtober the Thirteenth

Died around 2016.

Born 2024.

Welcome the fuck back, Oddtober.

For those out of the loop, Oddtober is the name of an event PBS Kids held to celebrate Odd Squad having new episodes in October. Because, y'know, they actually loved the show back then and didn't treat it like shit. The event died off when Season 2 premiered and was replaced by a more generalized "Celebrate Halloween All Month Long with PBS Kids" event, which has been in place for years now and covers multiple shows on the lineup. And now it's back, in episode title form.

If this wasn't intentional, you're lying to my face. If this was intentional, you're giving me a chance to gloat.

But what about the episode itself? Well...it's not another Halloween episode, unfortunately. It's not even airing on October 13, which sucks, but...that's a Sunday and PBS Kids doesn't premiere new content on a Sunday in most cases. The episode's premise is actually pretty unique -- the British agents wants a day off from oddness, which villains are, surprisingly, more than happy to give them...provided their happiness meters break the limit. To do this, agents throw them a party.

I...another party episode? Really? The fuck were they celebrating over in the writers room, the fact that Odd Squad got greenlit for another season and PBS didn't kill it off like it was forest game? I mean it's a good thing to celebrate, but again...12 episodes. And the crew was the one who gave the "you want more OSUK stuff, watch what we got to offer" ultimatum to begin with!

Given the title of the episode, though, I expect things to go down south very quickly. At the very least, we know where it falls on the incredibly messy franchise timeline.

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Agent Overhill's Last Day

Oh, another episode focusing on a minor character. I'd actually spit more fire at this if it weren't for the fact that this episode inches the line closer to the season/series finale. It's up in the air whether the "one last villain" is Ozzie or not. However, I can appreciate the use of "Overhill" as a name. As in, "over the hill". As in...someone who is old and past their prime.

...Yeeeeeeah, 10 fuckin' cookies they won't touch on that shit. Established rules for that haven't changed in 10 years, and just because it's Britain doesn't mean it'll be changed. I do like how they're willing to go further into retirement from Odd Squad after only featuring it for a one-off gag or an offhand mention here and there, though.

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The Ne- Wait, I Mean The Other Ozzie

And the prize for Most Unoriginal Episode Title goes to.

Seriously, there are a host of puns involving the color purple they could have gone with. Instead, they pulled from a previous episode title and changed the goddamn adjective. Now there's something to confuse the kids.

But what is the episode about? Well, Orli's being featured this time around, partnering up with an agent named Oz from the Movie Star Dimension to find out who is turning civilians purple.

I'm going to shove the elephant in the room out the door and let it go back to its native habitat: this Oz has absolutely no relation to the Oz from Season 1, nor Ozelprazelwixelmist from Season 1, and if you believe otherwise then I will respect that but you are wrong. Realistically, they could bring Oz back, especially since Odd Squad Book of Games brought him back via a mention and...well, he's an invisible agent, so there's no need to cast another kid to act physically. But this episode looks to involve a counterpart of Ozzie, which neither Oz nor Ozelprazelwindowsmistplay is. And I highly doubt they'd bring the latter back from the "silly lol gag" dead and put them in a major role.

Putting that aside, though, this episode actually contains what is known in TV Tropes parlance as a Mythology Gag, which is when a franchise references previous installments that are not canon to the work containing the gag.

In this particular case, I'll direct your attention to the pilot. Some of you reading this may have seen it, others may have not, and others I probably melted your minds just by telling you it exists. (Mass apology to those people.) At the beginning of it, Olive explains what Odd Squad is and what they do, coupled with slides that show oddness in action. One of these incidents is a family and their dog, who are all colored purple.

And thus, you have the basis for this episode.

Given how the pilot and Odd Squad UK have different staff and different prodcos, I don't know if this was intentional or not...but Tim McKeon is at least working on it, so it makes you wonder. What better way to celebrate the franchise's 10th anniversary than a throwback to the piece of media that started it all 12 years ago?

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Three is the Oddest Number

Huh. Did I just crack the code for why this franchise is keen on four-person teamups? Because it feels like I just cracked the code for why this franchise is keen on four-person teamups. (Okay, fine, five if you count Odd Squad Mobile Unit with both Oprah and Orpita. But this episode's not called "Five is the Oddest Number" so weh to ye.)

Anyway, this episode kicks off the two-part sea- sorry, series finale. I have no confirmation it is the series finale, but I've seen PBS Kids execs throw this franchise around like a ragdoll for the past few years and I can see a very clear path ahead. Almost crystal, even.

This is an 11-minute episode, similar to past season finales ("Who is Agent Otis?" as well as "Odds and Ends", "Sunny Sides Add Up" as well as "Old Odd, New Tricks"). Here, we're introduced to the Terrible Three in proper, who begin to bring their reign of terror upon Britain. We also get to see why Ozzie seems to know them, and unravel the story arc.

Again, I will refer to my Twitter mutual's tweet at the beginning of this post, and reiterate that the "main character knows the villains somehow" schtick is getting a little old. They would have had something good going with Olando if they didn't fuck things up, because that story was actually kind of unique. (Yes, discounting that Olando is a male Orla.) If they want people to watch Odd Squad UK so it gets more episodes, then they better hit a homerun with this go-around of an apparently popular story.

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Should Odd Acquaintance Be Forgot

I won't lie: before I found out what this title was alluding to, I genuinely thought PBS fucked up on the grammar. I thought, "Shouldn't it be 'Should Odd Acquaintance Be Forgotten'?"

But lol, no...it's a reference to a lyric in "Auld Lang Syne". God bless Google. God bless search engines.

This episode, the second part of the two-part series finale that is 22 minutes in length, picks up where "Three is the Oddest Number" left off, natch. It seems that the Terrible Three have broken into Headquarters and are close to securing a win against Odd Squad, but have hidden from the agents, who need to find them.

...I don't know about you, but I'm getting some Secret Catch Teenieping vibes. Only, y'know, there's no "the Teenieping is hiding in one of three objects". The episode could lean that way, though...wouldn't be unlike them.

In any case, the second half of the episode has the Terrible Three still on a rampage, opening up some containment units that will spread oddness throughout the town. The Britain HQ's agents are now forced to answer the question that I'm sure they'll be asked: "Oh yeah? You and what army?"

By finding other kids to help them.

...I know exactly what the fuck you're thinking right now and I'm here with the thorn in my foot squashing your hopes and dreams and letting the thorn go even deeper in.

If you have ever seen any reaction I've ever had to "Odd Together Now", you're probably aware that I died a little inside. With the ending involving clips of past seasons, even moreso. The Seren Reacts video...I had already gotten up once and came back when they showed Olive and Otto. That ending made me want to physically leave my house. And I have depression.

Smart is knowing tomato is a fruit. Wise is not putting it in a fruit salad. Peak intelligence is realizing that nearly every single child actor that has been on Odd Squad is now too old to reprise their roles and then not begging for them to come back. I want them to come back too, but that's what fanworks are for. Fanfics, fan videos, animations and skits, all that jazz. It can be done. Hell, I've made fanfics with Odd Squad characters. Other people have too. There are Odd Squad fanpieces all over the 'Net, if you look. Some are good, some are bad. But the fact of the matter is that they all have the creator's own personal brand of creativity to them.

But fanworks are a topic for another Seren's Study on another day. For now, I'll just say that I hope they go out with a bang with this one, for being only 12 episodes.

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The Future of Odd Squad UK: Cancellation or Resuscitation?

I will forever stand by my theory that Odd Squad UK was birthed merely to fill a quota, and the extra win for SSE and FRP of financial gain. But the quota part is what I'm specifically focusing on, because when it comes to this franchise, my ire largely falls with PBS Kids execs. Last I read, Sara DeWitt wanted about twenty shows by end of year. I lost count somewhere around March, but I don't know...if you count the season premieres (and Lyla in the Loop), I'd say it's nearing or exceeding that number.

...No, actually, they probably do count season premieres. Look at our very own OSUK.

The issue with PBS Kids and OSUK is something I'm setting aside for another Seren's Study that is currently a work in progress. However, it's no surprise that execs frown upon Odd Squad as a whole and include it in promotional media only for gratuity purposes. Like a way to remind the audience that yes, however creator-driven they may be, they do own the Odd Squad IP and they will shove it up as many hairy nostrils as humanly possible.

Because of this, it's entirely up in the air whether Odd Squad UK will get greenlit for another season, maybe with a higher episode count than just a meager 12.

...You would think. Bitch you would think.

It is worth noting that this is a coproduction, so PBS didn't solely produce this -- BBC Studios Kids and Family had a hefty hand in it, because, y'know, it's their own damn fault country. Hence, it's largely up to them whether Odd Squad UK will continue. And unlike PBS, they salivate over ratings over most anything else, and Odd Squad's is pretty well up there...so it does make you wonder.

Either way, I can't reiterate this enough: if you want OSUK to continue, watch it. TV, on the app, through official streaming services, anything that's legal. Hatewatch it, even; like I've said before, hatewatching is a nice happy form of reverse psychology at work, and everyone involved on OSUK could not even give a shit about you satisfying your curiosity if you gave them Bezos level of monies. Every little bit counts.

As for me, I'm not going to hatewatch OSUK, but rather, I'm going to try and go in with a relatively open mind and then rip into episodes accordingly. We do still have that gadget competition results video coming in September, so that'll be another tease that people who have read titles and synopses can see. And then they can judge the quality of the show itself with that in mind, of course.

If you've read all this and digested it and didn't just click on the links above, then thank you. Expect another Seren's Study on PBS's mistreatment of Odd Squad as a whole franchise soon.

(Would you believe me if I said I wanted to take a break for August? But the franchise never sleeps, and apparently neither do I.)

Seren out.

#seren's studies #odd squad #odd squad pbs kids #odd squad season 4 #odd squad uk

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nightswithkookmin · 4 years ago

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Jikook and Taekook in The Soop: Ep 06 Analysis

PREFACE

This discussion is a continuation of my opinion piece on Soop episode 06. I explained in that post, how I think Soop was initiated by BigHit and BTS to repair and replenish the dwindling bond of the group as prior to Soop, there had been some friction between some of the members which could be traced as far back as November last year and had only increased exponentially through to March this year.

Now I said this without prejudice, and knowing full well there are a ton of content withheld from us in the present day likely to be released years from now that may reveal a moment, a behind scenes, that to others may seemingly counter this perception of mine.

But like my theory on the Jikook break up moments, I stay my ground. I don't draw my conclusions based on a single moment of tension happening in isolation because they are human- a jet lag here and a muscle pain there could lead to an unnecessary outburst here or there. That's not it.

I look for patterns, take into consideration their personalities, note how a moment impacts or is likely to impact those established values and patterns of behavior that BTS themselves consciously contribute to to influence their public image and reputation- I take this delulu business pretty seriously you know? Lol.

For instance, when I say Jikook broke up it's mostly because I've noticed that over a period of time, certain things that make Jikook a couple to me are no longer present between them, in the way they interact, rather than that there was a few seconds tension between them in random moment on screen.

And I am well aware, that when some people say they feel Jikook are broke up that they are basing their conclusions off of their own insecurities about them rather than that they have seen enough, thought through enough about those observations to reasonably draw such conclusions.

For example, because to them Jikook interactions is their evidence of a romantic relationship, then Jikook not interacting in a random moment would indicate to them that something is wrong and that they are broke up- basic delulus.

I employ a different metric. Not better, just different. For example, I used them not knowing certain things about themselves within certain periods as an indication something is off.

This is not a hard rule. It could be random but when the information they are in the dark about came into existence within a period I suspected they weren't a couple due to other things I had noticed within said period, then that becomes a confirmation of that period for me. Feel free to disagree.

Jikook know everything about eachother, EVERYTHING. Or at least, they act like they know or should know everything about eachother.

They love to be the ones to know eachother the most and love to show off their knowledge about eachother like in the recent Bangtan Bomb when JK said he knew Jimin could touch his toe when he stretched.

'See, I told you he could touch his toe.' he says with pride. Then the bit about Jimin and beans, Jimin and the convenience store underwear etc.

So when JK suddenly doesn't know Jimin took pop dancing or when Jimin acts surprised that JK had gimbap it raises an eye brow. No?

What's more concerning to me is their reaction to news like this. JK zoned out for a bit and Jimin looked confused out of his wits in those instances. You could tell its something that really bothered them.

And while this may be an isolated incident for most, it's usually not for me or even surprising to me. Because, as explained, usually moments like these fit into an established pattern of inconsistent behaviours identified within those specific timelines prior to such moments, from my observation.

And I see most people also don't know how Jikook looks like when they are not 'together.' Which is also part of the problem.

To most people, a Jikook break up would look like the apocalypse up in BTS- it's not.

I've said several times in my blogs, if you believe Jikook are real then pay attention to what they are and not what you expect them to be. Their relationship parameters are set by them not us and our ideosyncracies.

To me and the way I see them, a Jikook break up is and would always be a return to friendship.

When Jikook break up they revert back to being friends. Friendship is their default, in the group setting anyway.

And as I've said, they lose or strive away the qualities that make them a couple during break ups but at a bare minimum their friendship will be there- for the harmony of the group.

And I think this is why some Jikookers theorize that Jikook knew the consequences their relationship was going to have on the group before entering into their relationship.

While I disagree they thought things through before deciding to commit to a romantic relationship, I agree that they know and have considered the impact their relationship can have on their group.

It is why they revert and will revert to being friends during times like that so their break up and conflicts doesn't affect the dynamics of the group.

I think this is one thing they both very much understand and commit to, to make sure their shenanigans doesn't impact the dynamics of the group- they owe their bandmates that much.

It is also this understanding that allows them to thrive and hide within the group.

What all this means is that, in times of a break up, the skinship will very much be there, the wearing the same attire will be there, the wearing the same bracelets will be there, they will still ride together if they have to- because none of these is what make them a couple!

And a fight is not a breakup, mind you. Often when they fight, I find they may not want to be around each other among other things but they don't lose the qualities that make them a couple.

You can still see their couple aura in such times. Whereas in the case of a breakup those couple qualities disappear entirely. In my opinion.

Perhaps I should make a blog post on what I feel makes Jikook a couple and how those qualities disappear around the times they break up? I'll think about it.

I have stated over and over that, skinship, car sharing etc are all not in any way indicative of a romantic relationship, not to me anyway. And honestly, if you can't tell between Jikook as friends and jikook as a couple- do you even deserve rights? Consider your delulu membership revoked. Lol

And if you aren't observant, shy away from angst, see them as a fantasy rather than actual human beings in an actual romantic relationship- subject to change, subject to growth, susceptible to temptations; if you mistake things that make them friends for things that make them a couple you would not spot their break ups when they happen. Or worse, you'd dismiss and overlook them when they do happen.

Deadass, you could be very much looking at the end of Jikook but still screaming power couple extraordinaire-

Isn't that where we are with Taekook? People mistaking all the things that make them friends for a romantic couple?

People dismissing all the questionable moments that's happened between them over the years- like Tae saying he couldn't even tell JK had been given a mission to ignore him because Jk ignores him anyway behind cameras, Tae's passive aggressiveness towards JK like in the VLive he exposed Jikook, the missing birthday wishes on Twitter etc- and not reflecting on them enough to critically examine their impact and what it says of the state and nature of their relationship?

Taekook in the Soop is an indictment of the shipping community. But I am not here to police anyone's delusions- freedom of belief, speech and all that jazz.

What I am here to do today, my dear delulu colleagues, is to examine Taekook in the soop and share my thoughts on the infamous conversation they had in that episode.

I will also be pointing out a few observations I made about Jikook in that episode that I feel will help shed more lights on the current dynamics between Jikook which further proofs Jikook is real.

TAEKOOK IN THE SOOP

Taekook's conversation in Soop 06 is shaping out to be one of the most controversial moments in the history of BTS ships.

To some it was a doze of reality, a game changer, if you will and had some people questioning their sanity while others jumped off the Taekook bandwagon all together.

But some die hard fans of the ship were quick to come up with a theory to explain away what had transpired that night as big bad BigHit curating that entire scene in order to bamboozle them and absolve themselves of all guilt for having previously separated Taekook and forced them to hide their relationship- scammers never die. Lol

Why would Taekook have that conversation on camera if it was that serious, they ask.

If they aren't close why did JK put his hands around Tae here? Why did he look at Tae there? They fist bumped in the background of this MV, surely they are a couple- y'all know how I feel about skinship being used as a determinant of romantic relationships so I'm just gonna roll my eyes here and keep it pushing-

This is what happens when you whimsically and randamly label a ship as real without due diligence, without conducting the necessary tests that allows you to reasonably assume that that ship is or could be real.

A ship is not real until it's breached the fourth way into alternative shipping and I'm sorry, Taekook has not breached that fourth wall. No other ship in BTS has breached that wall except Jikook. I have explained this over and over again.

How can Taekook breach the fourth wall when half of the moments, half of the content needed to establish it's piercing moment exists in the imagination of people?

By claiming BigHit hides, and cuts Taekook moments or any other ships moment, by claiming Taekook's interactions are mostly off camera, these shippers are shooting themselves in the foot and fooling no one.

Because what they are indirectly saying basically is there aren't enough moments to analyze upon whose findings we can draw such conclusions that Taekook is real.

I have a hard time believing Jesus is real and I'm a Christian. You think I'm about to buy that Taekook is real, based on faith??? Y'all tripping.

And no. The skinship don't count either. I mean people were running around the corners of the internet swearing up and down Jimin and Mina were dating based on their skinship until it was revealed Jimin had been abusing Mina all those years.

Skinship is performative and not a reflection of true intimacy or true bond.

That being said, yes I see Taekook's relationship. I see their dynamics. They are beautiful and as a multishipper- I really dig their bond. I do.

I have called them the evil power duo of BTS. I have said they don't have much intimate interactions between them on camera but when they activate their evil powers, lord do they set my insides on fire.

WHY FILM THAT BIT ON CAMERA?

For quality entertainment purposes. Lol.

Soop is a quasi self produced production by BTS. As such they themselves created the content, concept, decided where they were going to be, what they were going to do at what time and most importantly who they were going to be with or hang out with.

Everything was pre determined by BTS and the schedule was presented to BigHit- the camera crew and staff, beforehand so the staff knew where to place cameras, what equipment they were going to use and what props they are going to have to provide for BTS for effective filming.

Unlike run or Bon V where BTS have little creative control, BTS played a major role in the production of SOOP. So if that bit was staged then it wasn't staged by BigHit, but by BTS themselves- including Tae and JK.

I explained in my previous post, how I felt Soop is business but also BigHit's way of shutting BTS in a room and forcing them to settle whatever differences had crept up between them that had been affecting the dynamics of the group and threatening the longevity of their group around that period.

I said it was no different from Rookie King where they had an episode where BTS was allowed to shout their grievances off the top of a roof to foster unity among the members.

It's also no different from the missions they've are given from time to time or the love letters they have been asked to write to eachother. The objective of such projects have always been to bring the members closer, to build intimacy and to foster unity amongst them. Soop follows suit.

What's of interest to me and what you should be pondering over is what had led them all- BTS and BigHit, to embark on a project of this nature this time around.

BigHit is a business and can only stay on top of the game for so long if BTS is in the game. Them disbanding impromptu due to petty conflicts and misunderstandings amongst them will be a huge loss to BigHit.

And if you think petty issues aren't enough to bring down their empire- you are in the wrong delulu industry. Lol.

Kpop is wrought with stories of these nature. There are a lot of bands that debuted with and around the time of BTS's debut that are disbanded now due to the least misunderstandings- google it. I dare you to.

BTS do have issues from time to time that does threaten their band. How often have we heard them talk about almost disbanding? Remember 2018? Remember when JK cried because Hobi almost left the group? Remember when JK almost left the group to pursue a career in dancing?

The Kpop industry is hectic and brutal and bands within this sphere are fragile. it's easy to jump ship than to keep sailing. I mean, there's a reason Korean interviewers keep asking BTS their secret to staying together and for this long.

As RM puts it in the recent KBS interview, they are seven boys from different backgrounds in the same boat headed in different directions. That can create a lot of clashes here and there. So when tensions arise that they can help it, they take initiatives like Soop to help nip it and replenish their bond.

They don't allow issues to fester on to the point they want to go their separate ways. BigHit loves this about them and encourages that among them.

Do y'all see why I side eye people who claim BigHit is not happy with any pair within the group because they are real and wants to hide and suppress them?

Left to BigHit alone, BTS would be in one big happy gay polyamorous relationship with eachother if that meant the success and longevity of their business- they are depending on it. They would rather BTS keep the love in the barn than spread it elsewhere, if you know what I mean.

How are BTS portrayed in Tiny Tan? The bond you see in that animation is not just a reflection of BTS's actual bond but also a reflection of BigHits vision of their bond.

Jimin is portrayed as that hyung who is always watching over JK because he loves him so much. Tae is also portrayed as the one hyung who will dive to save JK. Tiny Tan is BigHit's ideal intimacy goal for the boys.

Again, BT21, how are their friendships portrayed in there?

It's absurd thus to think, believe or even assume that if there is an actual real intimate relationship between any of the boys, that Bighit's objective would be to hide and suppress it or even to kill it.

BTS's intimacy is a currency BigHit transacts with. But that doesn't mean BTS doesn't bank on it too. They are proud of their bond, often flaunt it. They know it makes them stand out of the lot and it's what has led to them staying together for this long in the business. They have a pretty strong bond.

They wouldn't have agreed to do this project Soop if they didn't want to or didn't think they needed it. They really love eachother as a team, as a band; they love working together and care about their careers unlike other bands we know. Cough, cough.

They are the blueprint and they know it. The last thing they want is for something as trivial as a misunderstanding to break them apart- Hobi said in his recent YouTube live how BE is their voice and an expression of their feelings and I can't wait to hear all the songs on the Album to understand what they've been through these past few months.

If building intimacy is the objective of Soop, then conversations like that of Taekook really shouldn't be shocking. It's to be expected.

If they felt the need to talk it's because they felt they was something they both needed to get off their chest.

Is a content of that nature good for ratings? Absolutely. Does that mean they performed it? No. Not at all.

It's similar to what Jimin did with JK in Rookie King in order to get closer to each other. They were friends. You think he couldn't have just approached JK off camera and told him how his actions hurt him?

How often have we heard RM or Tae ask if the cameras were they to capture a moment where the members have claimed to have cried and consoled each other?

See this is why people think Jikook is fake. They just don't understand that these boys choose to share certain intimate moments with the us out of love, out of a need to connect and have people share in their moments.

It's no different from BTS filming themselves screaming when they heard of that BB news. They share their joy, their pain and their conflicts with us as a way to connect with us.

How often have we wished the VMin dumpling fight was recorded, or that the rain fight was recorded? But when such similar moment is recorded y'all want to question the intention behind it.

Besides, having conversations like these on camera is the perfect cover for them to be vulnerable with eachother without feeling too vulnerable or feel like they are exposing themselves too much.

It's similar to how people choose to text or be vulnerable with others through letters and texts rather than in person. Its the fear of vulnerability. Being vulnerable like that in person can be extremely scary for them too. They are human too and sometimes they find their confidence and their voice when they turn on the cameras.

It's ridiculous to think a moment is staged simply because it is or feels like an intimate moment- Y'all claim BigHit hides Taekook's intimate moments and when they show it to us and it's fake? Chileeee!

If that moment was staged, then Jin apologising to Tae after their fight is fake, the fight itself was staged, V's letters were staged, V crying when reading those letters was staged- y'all see where I'm going with this?

None of it was real and we've all been bamboozled- Let's pack our bags!

Seriously though, we can't sit behind our screens and pick and choose which content is real and which is not simply because it doesn't align with our delusional theories. It doesn't work that way.

Especially not when everything we see is captured by the same lenses, edited by the same people and distributed by the same company.

Besides, Tae said the reason he did that was just to spend time with JK- which was the objective of Soop, wasn't it? For all of them to spend time together and bond?

How then is Taekook bonding by having a meal together any different from Hobi spending time with NamJoon in the mountains? Or Tae riding around the country side with Hobi? Or RM and Kook painting?

I'm yet to figure out the sequence that the entire project was shot in as I still haven't seen the full episodes. But I'll bet if there were any Taekook bonding moments, they were shot after their heart to heart moment, not before it. Tae wouldn't have been shy to invite JK had it been so. But who knows, I could be wrong.

TAEKOOK vs JIKOOK DYNAMICS

On Taekook's dynamics, I stated during our discussion on their love language that I don't see Taekook as emotionally compatible or emotionally dependent on each other even much less that they speak each other's love languages. They don't.

It's no secret Taekook have always lacked a certain level of mutual emotional dependency and vulnerability within their dynamics. To me anyways.

Rarely would you see them being emotionally vulnerable with eachother the way Tae is with Jimin or Jk is with JM. The only time I have seen them close to being emotionally vulnerable with eachother was at an award show when Tae cried and JK comforted him. But even that felt impersonal-

again the thigh slapping, cheek squishing, pegs on the cheeks, cuddling in bed etc doesn't count. That's skinship and you know how I feel about skinship or what I think of it.

When I say emotional vulnerability and dependency, I'm talking about instances such as when Tae said he missed Jimin, when he had to drag Jk away so he could ride with Jimin, all the things he said about Jimin in his letters, the way he talks about Jimin in his solo Vlives, writing songs inspired by Jimin, when he said Jimin was the one member who had been there for him during his grandmother's passing etc.

Jk expresses his emotional dependency on Jimin through his actions more so than his words- that need he has to constantly be around Jimin. You see this in moments where he subconsciously finds his way to Jimin like the 2018 comeback VLIVE where he and jimin were put in separate teams but after picking their groups mission he headed for Jimin's team instead of his.

You see this in the way he talks about Jimin when Jimin is not around. He would find a way to chip Jimin into any conversation- I dare you; Talk about heaven and it would remind him of Angel Jimin, talk about hell and he will burst out laughing because of Jimin's devil may care attitude that one time.

You see it in moments when he sulks and yap, whines and complains in a submissive tone when he interacts with Jimin at certain times.

Like when he talked about Jimin not waking him up in that interview, or even the New Jersey Live where he whined and pouted like a broke hearted seven year old and Jimin ended up doing- whatever that was to placate him... that VLIVE still makes me uncomfortable to watch to this day.

You just don't see that level of emotional attachment in Taekook. Their interactions are just that- interactions. Frankly, this moment in Soop is the only meaningful conversation I've heard between them in years.

It is this lack of emotional intimacy between Taekook that disqualifies them from being anywhere near real in my books.

While I acknowledge this lack of emotion amongst them, I wouldn't go as far as to say there's been a cataclysmic decline of their bond or friendship. They are still very much friends, just not intimate friends. Skinship wise, sure. But there is no depth to skinship as I've said.

So if skinship isn't what binds them, what does? Personality, for starters. And I know JK saying he and Tae had different personalities sounded confusing to most.

Jk had called Tae his commonality- this Festa was it? He's described Tae in his profiles over years and in recent times as someone he shares the most personality traits with within the group. He is not wrong.

Personally, I see him as very similar to Tae, Suga and RM in different aspects of their personalities.

I think what he meant by his statement about Tae becoming reserved since their trainee days was that he doesn't find Tae relatable.

You can share the same personality trait with people and still not find them relatable. And I contrast this with his interview with Jimin where JM said he and JK were similar in that they are both sleepy heads and hate to lose.

Jk quickly noted that they both were studying Japanese as well. He acknowledged the similarities between him and Jimin here also. Does it mean he found Jimin relatable?

No.

Jimin said after they both acknowledged their similarities that in spite of this Jungkook didn't seem to like him. Clearly. he too like Tae was feeling a barrier in his relationship with JK.

Jk futher admitted he liked Jimin. So if he liked Jimin and had a lot in common with him what was the problem? Relatability. Jk could relate to JM just as he feels he can't relate with Tae now.

In that interview he described how JM was pretty serious minded who liked to focus on one thing at a time- a trait he said was different and as such perhaps he couldn't relate with.

Isn't it the same song he is singing about Tae now? That Tae is reserved and too serious like Jimin was?

The difference between Tae and Jimin is, over the years and especially in recent times the members have talked about how Jimin seems less serious behind camera. Suga even went ahead to give him an award for this- lol, Suga.

Jimin has changed over the years. He's become more goofy and to JK- more relatable.

Have we all not seen Tae gradually close himself off within the group dynamics? How is it hard to see that that could be something that's impacted his dynamics with JK?

I've already mentioned how Tae has been through a lot trauma enough to shut him off emotionally to anyone but Jimin.

Seeing his two besties coupled up too mustn't be easy either. Exclusivity is one of JK's values and love wants. Jimin's love language dictates you treat him exclusively, differently from others- while this is complementary for them, it very much often leaves them with a tendency for to isolate and exclude others- how do you feel watching them from home? Think that but twice Tae and these other members.

That exclusivity Jikook exudes can make anyone emotionally dependent and attached to any one of them feel left out. And for Tae, I see how he would then want JK to treat him as a friend- as he treats Jimin perhaps. He didn't want to feel left out. Similar to how I said Jimin partaked in the culture of the group in early days because he didn't want to feel like the outsider being the last to join the group.

Jikook's exclusivity tendencies have a way to make him feel further isolated and disconnected from the group.

What it then comes down to between Taekook is the difference in their values and their understanding of intimacy. I think.

I have said, JK is one person emotionally closed off within the group. He used to be physically closed of too and took a minute for him to come to terms with even skinship.

These boys may be from the same cultural backgrounds but they have different beliefs and values and upbringing.

I explained how JK had had to suppress himself, his values and his beliefs especially in the early days in order to be the Maknae of the group and how he's been on a journey to slowly yet drastically grow out of that role and image.

I have explained that even though he does not have a problem with Skinship, he believes couples aren't supposed to cross certain boundaries with others which I said is what jeonlous is mostly about.

So when he said during that conversation, he preferred to keep a certain level of distance from people because he felt that level of proximity could end up ruining relationships, I understood perfectly what he meant. I have always suspected and speculated that about him.

No one BangPD script writer-nim put that in his mouth.

Tae is the opposite of JK in that regard. While Jk is emotionally closed off, Tae is emotionally lose and latches on to people quite easily- aka his attachment to Jimin.

He is among the members of BTS who I think lack emotional boundaries in the group.

Being emotionally close to people and receiving that emotional nourishment is one of Tae's love languages as I've explained in the past. And so I smiled when I heard him talk about how he wanted to feel loved by Army.

Tae lowkey has an anxious insecure attachment style brought upon him by no fault of his in my opinion and I've always felt a similarity between his and jimin's attachment styles in that sense- that constant need for reassurance for one.

While I feel Jimin's anxiousness and need for reassurance is often performative and as such is often exaggerated as part of his idol persona- Jimin does not in reality need reassurace of love from his love interest.

He may appear clingy to some and a bit insecure about his looks, but he doesn't trade his looks for love.

His looks I feel are important to him as long as his career goes. And he tries to look a certain way and obsesses about the way he looks because his looks is a means to longevity and fruitfulness of his career.

His love language is more towards wanting certainty and stability and making him feel like he is the only one.

On the other hand, Tae's need for reassurance sits at the core of him. I don't think it is an exaggeration or a persona at all. In my opinion.

His need for reassurance is born out of an innate fear of losing a connection, a fear of not being loved and a fear of losing love- not to psychoanalyze him or anything. It's just theory.

I've said Tae strikes me as a very melancholic person.

Remember when he faked being an Army to see if an Army was a Solo stan who just loved one member or him also as well- that bit was unsettling and uncalled for. Then during his conversation with JK he talked about how he needed that constant reassurance of love from Army- y'all still think he boo-ed up in there? Alright then.

Loneliness is a bitch. And I understand how he would be driven by an emotional void to connect and attach to people. He really was attached to his Grandmother and having a love connection like that yanked away from him without warning, without proper closure can leave a void behind.

So I see often while he craves to connect he often self sabotages that connection- he does this with Jimin at times, boy can he work Jimin's nerves!

It takes a big heart and a lot of patience to love a person of this nature- and there's only one Jimin in that VMinKook dynamics.

Jk is not good at emotions, can barely work his way through his own much less nurture someone with complex emotions such as that of Tae.

Tae has been working through a lot. Trying to be better. Taekook is just a casualty of Jikook...

I keep saying these boys are human and ought to be viewed, thought of and treated as such. If you want to ship them as characters within the Kpop verse then do that. But don't breach the fourth wall and still think of them as fictional beings.

If any ship is real, then their real lives are bound to affect their dynamics, their desires and influence their needs. It's crazy to turn a blind eye to all of that while uWu-ing your ass off at every cute moment edited and shared to you.

Comparing Tae to JK, JK to me barely expresses a need for emotional attachment to anyone. He is similar to Suga in that sense. It's easier to see who he is emotionally attached to and attracted to than to see his overt expressions emotions.

When you look at all seven you see who JK is emotionally attached to based on how he act around and towards that person. He shows, he doesn't tell. In my opinion.

Tae asking JK to treat him as a friend rather than as a hyung thus to me was his way of asking to JK to connect emotionally. That doesn't mean they weren't close. They were, just not as close as Tae wanted to be.

This is what I meant when I said both him and jimin had tried to break down JK's walls in their early dynamics around debut.

Jimin's approach was to breach JK's physical boundaries but in so doing he had accidentally breached Jk's emotional walls as I've explained in previous posts.

I stated how I felt, perhaps, JM coveted that physical connection between Tae and JK at the time he joined BTS, but it's occurring to me Tae equally perhaps coveted Jikooks emotional connection; asking JK to treat him as a friend- as he treats Jimin?

Now I don't know if that conversation was had before Jimin joined BTS or after so I won't push it.

Regardless, it seems JK putting up those emotional walls with him had led to Tar harboring resentments towards JK- typical of people with passive aggressive tendencies.

Sort of explains all those weird TaegiKook dynamics in the early days of Tae trying so hard to do things to make JK jealous- Do y'all see why I disregard anything that happened between all the members before 2016?

I feel because Tae was young at the time, he didn't have the emotional maturity at the time to deal with a situation like that and coupled with his passive aggressive personality, resentment was bound to build up between them.

This resentment showed itself through his passive aggressive attitudes towards JK- Jimin wants to come, JK is stopping him, then that slight head tilt. Oh, you were given a mission to ignore me? I didn't notice, you ignore me off cam anyway followed by that attitude whatever it was.

In turn, I feel JK along the way started to build similar resentments towards Tae too as response to Tae's coldness and I see how to him Tae would be the problem- to him Tae is the one who had changed and grown distant, reserved in their dynamic- unrelatable.

I feel JK's grudge against Tae leading up to Soop however was because he felt his partner in crime had stabbed him in the back- get out of your imagination. That's not what I'm referring to. Lol. I'll explain in a bit.

But yes, this resentment I feel they were both harboring could probably had further complicated their dynamic and got in their way of achieving true intimacy beyond the skinship- when I tell you skinship is not an indication of intimacy.

You could see this in the way they both were very defensive in their conversation. Whatever had happened, JK had extended an olive branch to have Tae to sit and have drinks with him but Tae had brushed it off.

After this, he's shy to approach Jk to ask him to have a meal with him- Where did it all go wrong, they asked- twelve year olds, that's what they are. Lol.

There was a certain degree of lack of vulnerability in the way they expressed themselves with each other especially on JK's part which I feel leads people to conclude that their conversation was somewhat coerced- It wasn't in my opinion.

I have explained when I was talking about their love languages how I feel Tae in general is very headstrong, almost as strong headed as JK which I feel it's one of the things that gets in their way of achieving true intimacy and I feel that is what we were seeing in that moment during conversation.

I've explained intimacy, true intimacy requires a crucification of pride and a sacrifice of ego without which any intimacy would be superficial. I used VMin's dumpling fight as an example, where I said it took 2 days to two weeks for them to resolve their issue because they were both being strong headed.

It took Jimin's vulnerability and a sacrifice of his ego to reach through to Tae and even that took how long? And this is Jimin, the half blood Hufflepuff, president of the kumbaya fanclub we're talking about-

Y'all think Mr. Let it burn, I'll rather be dead than cool is about to let shit go? - Get some education. It's not in his vocabulary. It's not in either of them's vocabulary. Lol.

While I see these two as both unwilling to bow and submit to eachother, I've see them willfully submit emotionally to Jimin. Where they both fail to be vulnerable with eachother they both eagerly let themselves be vulnerable in this way with Jimin.

So it's not as if they are incapable of being vulnerable with eachother. If Tae's narration of his offer of friendship to JK is anything to go by, it seems he at one point was willing to take the steps to build that level of intimacy needed for their friendship to thrive but JK had barred him.

Tae in wanting to be close with JK the way he(Tae) is close with JM spoke volumes about Vmin dynamics as well. It tell me he doesn't see his bond with Jimin as exclusive. Special, but not exclusive- and we know how both Jimin and JK feel about exclusivity.

Which brings me to JK's perception about VMin.

I don't think JK see's Vmin's friendship as problematic. He just see's their lack of emotional boundaries as problematic and so often you see him try to put up boundaries for Jimin in their dynamic.

To Tae emotional connection is important and an indication of intimacy. That's his love language, that's his value. But how is JK going to open himself up like that to Tae when he sees what Tae and JM have as problematic? When he values and believes emotional connection has to be reserved for an intimate partner?

As explained earlier, exclusivity is a huge deal to JK.

He believes somethings ought to be reserved and exclusive to love relationships. He believed it then, he believes it now and he has consistently lived that belief through his actions throughout the years.

And if this is his values, then imagine his frustration at seeing people cross all sorts of boundaries with his man everywhere he turns- its enough to give anyone a complex, seriously.

When Tae explained that JK refusing to treat him casually as a friend was part of the reason they couldn't be as intimate, JK was quick to point out why he made that decision all those years and from the looks of it he ain't changing his mind anytime soon.

Dude literally said- I said what I said.

JK believes to make his intimate relationship special and to protect the sanctity of it, he ought to put up walls not further indulge in and perpetuate the lack of emotional boundaries within the group.

In this regard, Taekook is a casualty of Jikook, nothing personal. I've said, a real relationship involving JK or Jimin within the group is mutually exclusive to any other ship involving those two. As such all those other ships involving those two are bound to be casualties of Jikook.

In as much as BTS have thrived as a group on the lack of boundaries between them, this lack of boundaries was also ruining some of the members' joy especially JK who believes a certain level of boundary is necessary for a healthy relationship- Soop was very much neccessary.

And I see some Jikookers are claiming, Taekook settled their differences and had that conversation perhaps for Jimin's sake? Chileee- it makes sense if you are looking at things in isolation? But...

I mean Jikook have been dating a long time- six years now, for Taekook to be only now considering the effect of their dynamics on Jimin. If Jimin is whom they were concerned about they would have nipped it in the bud a long time ago especially around the time Jimin was having a tough time in his life. In my opinion.

I acknowledge the role Jimin played in bringing those two together and even believe he is the one that influenced them to take the initiatives they both took separately but no. I don't think they did this for Jimin. They did this for themselves first of all and for the sake of the sake of their careers, and the group.

[Image below. Check end of post if it's missing. Tumblr, Sigh]

I know some people have theorized that JK posted this on Weverse after his live because he was eager to do his next live with Jimin- true, but not only that.

The tension in that live was there but it wasn't there because he was uncomfortable with Tae per se. He has had a live with Tae in the past, has filmed with staff around and so Jeon Jungkook really had no excuse now did he?

Then the shade he threw, I shouldn't try to make anything next time- then proceeds to make gimbap with Jimin in their live while cheesing through it.

I feel his statement about making things was a Jab at BigHit. I told you previously how I felt he didn't want to do the live. That neither he nor Tar wanted to do the live hence BigHit's results to coercion. In my opinion.

BigHit at the time, it seems, was making them do these weird PG13 arts and craft thingy during their heavily monitored lives- it was weird as fuck especially for the audience that have grown used their VLives being a way for them to have intimate moments and conversations with BTS- I dipped out of most of those VLives. Deuces.

Homeboy was protesting because he just wanted to, first of all, have a Vlive alone with Jimin because they hadn't had one in a while- he deadass wanted to sit and stare into JM's soul while the rest of us watched on in silent discomfort and miserable loneliness while we thirdwheeled- This man, I swear to God!

But he also wanted to fight for their right to as a group to do whatever they wanted with little control and interference from BigHit- Independence really is recurring theme in JK's dramas. Lol.

After JK posted those rebellious tweets to out BigHit, Tae followed those tweets with a tweet akin to hold your peace followed by the shush emoji.

On its own it doesn't mean much. But read together with JK's post and the background I've given, it takes on a whole new meaning.

This moment to me was one of those evil twin power activation moments. Tae seemed to be with JK on that, in his own passive aggressive manner.

I talked about how social media was one of the tools they use to fight back against BigHit. Especially, by withholding their presence on social media platforms.

The company needs them to be online, interacting with fans and growing their fanbase. I hear some Idols, not BTs, are allegedly forced to appear on VLives even and social media even.

Yet BTS do that pro bono. So when they feel the company is tripping they exercise their rights to remain off the internet.

So imagine my surprise when Tae was suddenly popping up on Weverse, Vlive, YouTube live left right left!

I was surprised not because it was unusual of him, but because I felt that was contrary to the move he had made in support of JK earlier.

Do I think it is probably one of the immediate causes of the heat between Taekook that they needed to address? Probably.

I mean why else would Tae bring up him spending so much time online in his conversation with JK? How is that a way to bond with JK? Unless, perhaps JK had been pissed he did that and so Tae felt he needed to explain why he did that? Don't mind me. I'm delusional- but deadass.

Now a chunk of that conversation was voiced over so we will never know everything about that moment. And I hope, in the future they both talk about this and give us more details about this.

Both Jk and Tae have had issues with BigHit in the past and when they do they aren't afraid to come at BigHit with direct or passive aggressiveness.

Did y'all see ILand? How Tae took a jab at Bang PD over chicken breasts? How in Rookie King he expressed his resentment at BangPD for not knowing his name?

They are both expressive, assertive and less of a pushover in that way, I feel. They will put up the you can force the horse to the river side but can't force it to drink attitude if pushed against their will.

OTHER THINGS I NOTICED IN SOOP

I mentioned in my previous post how Jikook have been asserting themselves against eachother.

By that I meant, JK has been pushing JM to put up boundaries, treat their relationship with the same level of seriousness he does and not act like an ass kisser within the group all the time- bless him.

Jk used to be that guy who tried to please everyone. He would sacrifice his own happiness if that meant the happiness and harmony of the group. He is very Kumbaya in that way.

While this is noble, often he ended up stepping on JK's happiness because sacrificing his happiness is sacrificing Jk's happiness.

Him being the decision maker in their dynamics, that often means he ends up sacrificing JK's happiness without JK's permission.

To JK, JM would always come first. But Jimin is a bit of a people pleaser. He would consider the effect putting JK first would have on the group before placing him first- lately that has changed.

I feel Jk has been pushing him to careless about people's opinions of him and their relationship- please listen to the lyrics of GCF Helsinki to see what I mean especially whenever Jimin comes on the screen for the longest bar.

Just as much as JK has been pushing JM, JM has equally been pushing JK to be mindful of his possessiveness. While I see Jimin as someone who likes to belong, I don't think he wants to be owned.

So you see him pushing Jk to be social, to spend time with others- fix his issues with Tae for example, read books etc.

I hinted at this dynamic when I talked about Jikook shading eachother. Please check it out.

JK's always asserted himself and wanted to assert himself in the group dynamics and he has always expected that of Jimin as well.

It's no surprising then to see Jimin say no to Tae when Tae asked him to go on a car ride with him and Hobi in Soop episode 06. Old Jimin would have run along, no questions asked.

Jikook have changed. Their relationship dynamic has changed, their individual personalities have changed- are changing and they are changing eachother as well.

It explains why to JK Jimin feels more relatable as we've talked about above. They are changing but are also changing for eachother.

Some of these changes are glaringly obvious, others are subtle and easy to miss if you blink.

For example, Vmin's interaction mentioned above. Notice how Jimin is the outdoor kind of guy but in this instance he chose to stay indoors? Outdoors activities are his thing, indoors activities are JK's thing.

Do you see how Jk is influencing him?

He not only chose the indoors, he also chose an indoors activity that had JK written all over. How should I put this, painting, craft, drawing- those are ravenclaw traits not halfbood hufflepuffs' traits. Know what I mean?

True, Jimin loves these activities too but when you think of him traveling all over the world during their vacation- something I said was a cause of misunderstanding between them in August last year, you'd understand what I mean by JK asserting himself against Jimin.

They are compromising, they are negotiating, they are each embracing aspects of their personalities and accommodating it- you call it domesticity, I call it the aftermath of a trail period in Jikook's journey.

There are a lot other observations I made but this is all the length Tumblr can permit. Love Jikook and Support them.

Signed,

GOLDY

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