#u know the serotonin u get when watching 3x03 and the dual father confrontation scenes? or callum & viren's arcs

[raayllum]

S5 is shaping up to be so good, I think, because of the way everything is compounding onto each other in the basis of theme

Rayla becoming more like Runaan - obsessive, rigid, driven, independent - more like an assassin in both the best and worst ways during the same season she’ll likely have to confront possibly killing a possessed Callum. Her and Callum continuing to foil each other for better or for worse - asking the question of what are you willing to do to free the people you love?

And then you have Callum and Viren’s foil parallels coming to a head in regards to Viren’s dream visions that will shed light on his history with Soren, which will also nicely drive forward their shared question of what are you willing to sacrifice / do to save the people you love?

And Viren’s dream visions also nicely complements S5 letting Soren deal with some of his own emotions regarding his father being alive as well as providing a traumatic reminder for Claudia of what it was like when he was gone, perfectly opening up a place for more elaboration for both her (and Rayla’s) time during the timeskip - once again asking what are you willing to put yourself through for the sake of those you love? What pieces of yourself are you willing to destroy?

And Claudia and Soren being driven even further apart also naturally complements Karim and Janai’s escalated political and personal estrangement and disagreement, possibly losing her kingdom (a rising sun) to her brother (a fallen star) just as the Fallen Star himself is released - showing what pieces of yourself you must hold onto for the sake of duty and righteousness, rather than forsaking them for family

Which then just comes right back around in Claudia and Rayla trying to do anything to save their parents/fathers and Terry and Callum being poised, respectively, to see what they are or are not willing to do in that endeavour, and how freedom and salvation isn’t always a good thing, and when it is, and

Rayla being unwilling to entirely take up Runaan’s mantle (re: refusing to kill Callum), while Callum has to confront Harrow’s (in passing down the cube) and Claudia fully takes on Viren’s as Aaravos’ right hand and

y’know?