#varian: *getting ready to murder the royal family*

[no-more-treason-guys]

moonstone varian au where zhan tiri showed up as the blizzard to get to him but she didnt account for this 14 year old going fucking feral and getting arrested for various crimes and treason so she had to manipulate someone else to get to varian and thats why she chose cass

[ephise-peres]

The villain

Here's another one-shot ! I like it way more than "Apple pie".

Let's gooooo !

WARNING : CHARACTER DEATH

When Rapunzel returns to Corona, Varian is still in jail. He has understood that he was wrong so he tries to make amends with Rapunzel and ask for help again. Too preoccupied by Cassandra's betrayel, she turns him down.

He asks for help over and over again but she always ignores him, influenced by her father and Eugene who want her to be safe and don't care about anyone else.

So Varian gets angry again, manages to escape and plots his revenge : getting rid of Rapunzel. Permanently.

~~~~~☆☆☆~~~~~

Rapunzel was on the floor of her balcony, Varian towering her holding a sword, ready to kill her.

"- Varian, please ! cried Rapunzel, I'll help you free your father ! I want to help you !

- No ! Varian screamed, You don't want to help me. You don't want to save my father. You want to save YOURSELF.

- N... no... Varian, I'm really going to help you ! Give me a second chance !

- I gave you plenty of second chances ! I asked you to help me EVERY DAY ! But you didn't. Because you wanted to stay in your cocoon of peace where everyone thinks about you and only you ! You want everyone to take care of you, poor little princess !

You refused to help me because you would have had to get out of your cocoon. And because you knew I couldn't do anything. Because I was at your mercy. And now you want to help me because YOU are at MY mercy.

But I don't want your help anymore, your Highness. It's. Too. Late.

Next time, you'll think twice before deciding that the peasant is too poor to deserve your royal attention. But wait... there won't be a next time."

Varian lifted his sword. His father's sword. Ready to kill the person who made him believe in friendship before crushing all his hopes and destroying his life. The person he was naïve enough to forgive when he was in jail, punished for her selfishness. The person he said sorry to before begging her for help again. The person who turned him down again.

He was ready to end his so-called friend's life. She abandoned him. She didn't deserve this title.

She abandoned one of her subjects because she considered herself more important. She didn't deserve the title of princess.

He was doing it. Killing her. He was killing her.

But. At the last moment. At the last second. Eugene.

Eugene rushed on the balcony to save his damsel in distress.

At the last second, he pushed Varian away.

And Varian lost his balance.

And Varian fell off the balcony.

And Rapunzel didn't use her hair to catch him.

She was too busy caring about her own emotions, crying in Eugene's arms.

Too busy to care about Varian's terrified scream as he realized that it was over.

Over. All over.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rapunzel pulled out of Eugene's embrace.

"- I was so scared...

- I konw, Sunshine.. but it's okay now, you're safe."

She stood up with her boyfriend's help and turned to him.

"- He fell... Eugene, he fell... I... I could have caught him with my hair... I LET HIM DIE !

- Hey, hey, calm down ! Eugene said, running a hand through her hair, it's not your fault, he tried to kill you. You are the victim, Rapunzel, you can't blame yourself.

- I know, she answered, but still... I should have caught him...

- You were in shock, it's okay. And... Eugene hesitated, if you had caught him... he would have tried to kill you again. Blondie, he was completely mad ! He was dangerous ! Some people just don't deserve to be saved.

Come on, let's go ask the guards to move his body. And then you'll rest, Sunshine, you need it."

And they walked away, hand in hand, not looking back, not taking a glance at Varian's body.

Rapunzel leaned against Eugene's shoulder. She was safe. Her boyfriend and family were safe. It was all that mattered.

After all, who cares about the villain ? Who cares about the insane alchemist ?

Who cares about a broken and abandoned boy who cried himself to sleep every night because he missed his father so much.

A boy who will never cry again. Never see his father again.

But who cares ? The good guys are safe. The good guys are safe and the villain is no more. Happy ending.

Right ?

The end !

Okay, so, before Rapunzel and Eugene fans start to hate me : I know the way they are represented in this OS is quite out of character and it is NOT the way I see them. The purpose of this OS is to make you feel bad for Varian, see HIS point of view, and wonder who the villain actually is in this situation. However, I did take a personality trait Eugene does have and I just accentuated it : Eugene really tends to care about Rapunzel only. It is, in canon, a good thing. I just made it a bad thing here by making it stronger, to the point where he doesn't care about people dying as long as Rapunzel is safe.

Fun fact : when I first got the idea for this OS, Varian was truly the villain, the one you want to see dying because he's a monster who tries to commit murder without an understandable reason. And that's why I decided to kill him at the end. But, as I wrote, I gave him actual motives and Rapunzel turned into the villain. And in the end, Eugene turned into the villain. Oops😅

Hope you liked it ! Bye !

[blackroseaki38]

Varian’s Nightmare

@badthingshappenbingo 

Trope: Impaled Chest

Fandom: Tangled: The Series / Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure

Requested: By moanafan on FF.net, one of my long-time Varian followers. They always comments on my fics, so this is for you! <3

Warning: Blood, gore. description. Death. suicide attempt. impaled chest. Read at own risk. NSFM!

Not Canon: Think of this as an au where the Golden Trio decides to wait till they have plans, supplies, and a strong caravan built before they leave. Maybe enough time for a certain alchemist to recover enough to join them.

Can or Cannot be connected to Varian’s Return , a piece I wrote in response to an art piece someone made. Some people like me to write sequels. Um no. I write either chapter fics or one-shots that can or can not be loosely connected with one another. So, you can read this with or without reading Varian’s Return. 1st link Tumblr and 2nd link Ao3. Enjoy

Varian was walking home with his best friend Rudiger by his side. Ever since Rapunzel saved him from his own stupidity after he drank the mood potion, he's been committing himself to help everyone he's ever hurt. Even though the King advised him to take some time to rest, he just couldn't be idle when other people are cleaning up his mess — so he's been helping the soldiers clear the debris around Old Corona.

He yawned as he got near his home, wondering what his dad made for lunch. Ever since they moved back into their home, er well their basement, since most of the house was still wrecked, his dad's been insistent that they eat every meal together. He stepped through the large gaping hole where the door used to be and called out a greeting as he took off his boots, making sure his furry friend wiped his paws as well.

"Dad! I'm home! What's cookin'? It smells good!" Varian hollered as he walked towards the thankfully intact kitchen. As he got closer, a strange smell reached his nostrils. It was a sickeningly sweet scent that practically overloaded all his other senses. He looked at Rudiger, wondering if his friend forgot to remove one of his old winter stashes of nuts and berries somewhere within their home.

It was when he stepped into the kitchen that he realized where that horrible metallic odor was coming from. The oven was wide open, with a tray of abandoned cookies resting in it. Bread and pieces of ham were scattered on the ground, with groups of ants dominating the fallen food. In the middle of it all, lay a motionless body, impaled by dark spike, similar to all the other rock-like spikes scattered across the kingdom.

"DAD! What happened? This can't be happening! Not again," Varian cried out as he knelt by his father, paying no attention to the growing pool of crimson blood gathered under his knees. His father, still alive, gripped his gloved hand as he heard his son's voice.

“V-varian? I must leave now.”

"No, Dad! You can't leave me! Not again! You promised you would never leave my side again!" he shouted as he held his father in his arms, trying to ignore the huge spike speared through his father.

Quirin lifted his head to look at his son one last time as he spoke his last words. "Son, don't worry about me. I'll be with your mother soon enough. I don't blame you for all the mistakes you made that lead up to this moment. Live your life however you would like to now. Just remember, your mother and I loved you so very much. Never forget that," the old man reassured the young boy as he took his last breaths. Ignoring the cries of his son, he closed his eyes and soon after, his body went limp.

"NO! Dad! Wake up! Please! I didn't mean for this to happen!" he yelled out, not letting go of his father's cold body as he sobbed. The silence that settled into the room was penetrated by Rudiger's screeches. Varian turned around and saw his closest friend leaving. He tried to run after him, but kept slipping on the blood-covered floor.

"No! Rudiger, you can't leave me too!" His shouts for him were ignored as the small ball of fur left, hissing and screeching the whole way.

Varian couldn't believe it. He was all alone once more. His parents were no more. He's ruined his relationship with Rapunzel, Eugene, and Cassandra long ago. He betrayed the Kingdom by causing destruction and kidnapping the queen. His dad is gone, just like before, and his only friend as well. He was all alone, but maybe . . . he didn’t deserve anyone. He wasn’t worth being anything, but alone in this big world.

Varian was just getting up from where he was kneeling when there was a sudden stampede of incoming feet. He looked up and froze when he saw who was there. The golden-haired princess stared at him in shock. Behind her, her lady in waiting and her boyfriend stopped in their steps as well, as they took in the scene of him in blood-stained clothing and the dead body of his father behind him.

"Varian," Rapunzel started, her body shaking, "What have you done?"

Cassandra stepped up in front of her as if she was trying to protect her. Her hazel eyes had always held warmth for him, but now they were like the hardened amber that used to incase his father. It was just like when he . . . went rogue so long ago. Eugene held Rapunzel's hand as if to comfort her as they faced Varian.

Varian was shocked. After all that had happened, they still assumed the worst of him. They actually think he killed his own father! They knew perfectly well that everything he did was all to save his father. His only family. Why would they ever believe that he would kill his own father? After everything he’s been through without him?

"Guards, arrest that murderer!" Rapunzel bellowed out as she and her friends stepped to the side to let the soldiers pass through.

The young alchemist snapped out of his disbelief at the situation and did the only thing he could think of. He ran. He turned around and ran like he never did before. He slipped out the back door and didn't look back. Throwing some of his alchemical bombs behind him as he dashed into the forest. He wasn't even looking at where he was going until he was cornered on a cliff. Behind him, the royal guards stood ready to seize him. Below him, a sea of darkened rocks stood in his way to escape unscathed. The princess and her entourage stood near him, not willing to let him escape for a crime he did not commit.

"VARIAN! Stop running away from your mistakes! It's time for you to pay for them! There's no escape from justice!" she shrieked out.

Varian knew there was no escape from them — but he couldn't go back with them. He'll be imprisoned for life, he was sure of it.  Still, maybe there still is a way for him to flee them. His eyes darted towards the rocks below the cliff, knowing they promised death for anyone daring to rest them. Although it would be a painful way to die, it was better than living. He had no reason to continue to live, not after all that has happened to him. He has no family or friends worth living for. At least this way, he might have a chance to see his mother and father one last time before he goes to hell. Where else would a villain like him go after death? At least the biting pain of living would no longer torment him so.

He turned around to look at his former friends one last time. He smiled as he stepped back, getting closer to the edge. Eugene's eyes widened as he realized his plan. Cassandra dropped her sword in surprise as she too grasped the meaning of his backing away from them. Rapunzel gasped, hoping her eyes were deceiving her.

"Don't worry, guys! I'll never be able to run away from my mistakes ever again. Your right about one thing. It's time for me to pay for my mistakes. It was nice knowing you!" Varian said as he stepped off the cliff, ready to face his death.

"Mom, dad! Don't worry, I'm coming!" he whispered as he closed his eyes.

Suddenly, Varian woke up, alone in his bed. He quickly got up, trying to untangle himself from his blankets. As fast as he could, he rushed to the other side of the basement, separated by a partition. On the other side, he stopped at the foot of the bed, relieved to see his father asleep. Tears streamed his face as he remembered holding his father's limp body once more. He couldn't believe he was still alive. It felt so real . . . just like how real it felt when he was . . . in the amber.

Varian started to sink towards the ground when a pair of strong arms held him up. The young boy looked up and saw him. "Dad," he whispered breathlessly before he threw himself into his arms. Quirin cradled his son in his arms, wishing that the nightmares that plagued Varian would end. But, he knew they would only end after Varian learned to forgive himself.

"Varian," Quirin started off as he ran his fingers through his son's long locks. "What happened in your nightmare this time?"

Varian took a few deep breaths before he was even ready to start talking.

"Daddy! The rocks! They killed you!" he yelled as his hands gripped Quirin's shirt tightly.

"Everything's okay, son. I've got you," the old man comforted the teen in his arms. "Settle down now. Take a few deep breaths. Come on now."

Once Varian stopped shaking and had calmed down enough for Quirin. The man brought the boy to his bed, laying him down, with his head in his lap. He continued to run his fingers through the teen's messy black hair as he prompted him to talk.

"Son, tell me what happened in your nightmare."

Varian bit his lip, wondering if he should just make up some story instead of telling his dad the truth about his nightmare — but, then again, he always knew when he was lying so he would be better off being truthful. The calloused hand that touched his face drew him out of his thoughts. His father touched his lips, quietly reminding Varian about how he isn't allowed to hurt himself, even unconsciously.

"Varian, you know you can tell me anything and it wouldn't change my love for you."

Finally, the teen relented all told his father everything. He told him about coming home to find his body impaled by a spike. How his last words were about how much he loved him, even though he doesn't deserve it. And how Rudiger leaving him right afterward. How exactly the princess and her friends treated him once they saw him as the murderer? Finally, he told him about . . . how he jumped off the cliff.

"I was cornered on the cliff and there was no other way to escape. I knew I would be arrested and everything would never be the same again. I . . . just couldn't stand it all. So, I . . . decided to just end it. Even though I could see Rapunzel, Eugene, and Cassandra seem worried about what I was going to do, I just jumped. I should have faced my punishment bravely, but instead, I decided to take the easy way out by killing myself like a coward."

Varian broke down in tears, knowing his father would probably hate him now. Suddenly, instead of being pushed away like he thought would happen, he was pulled up and into his father's strong arms once more. He held with a tight grip as if he was trying to make sure the older man would not disappear in his arms.

Quirin held his son tight against his chest, wishing there was a way to make the nightmares within Varian go away — but, alas, there was no such a way that existed for him to do so. All he could do is to always be there for him. In the past, he closed off his heart and in doing so, he closed his eyes to see his son's troubles. Doing so had cost his son's smiles and turned him on a path he barely came back from.

Quirin promised himself that he would never put his son behind again. He needed to be there for his son now more than ever, which meant he had to help him overcome the difficulties in life. He was there to help him realize no one except he was to blame for his own condition in the amber. He was there to read over the letter his son never got to read. He was there to help him overcome his difficulties with the princess, her friends, and the royal leaders of their kingdom. He wanted to be there for him for all the other events that were sure to happen in his life.

Though he knew he would be gone from this world one day and he feared how Varian would survive without him, Quirin was sure of one thing for sure. That Varian would never be alone.

After he was released from his indestructible prison, Varian started to make his wrongs to rights. The King and Queen, of course, forgave him, since the King also had some part in Varian's change of heart. The Queen practically adopted Varian and forced him to join her for tea almost every day. The teen also found himself joining the group of soldiers who were commanded to help rebuild Old Corona and helped them out every other day or so. Varian was also able to make amends with the princess and her friends.

Quirin knew that when he would leave this world for another, that his son would be taken care of. He was sure of that fact; but, till that day would come in the distant future, he would do anything in his power to make sure his son knew his father was still there for him.

Once Varian's tears started to subside and his sobs lessened, Quirin knew it was time to help his son realize the truth.

"Son," the father started off running his hands through the teen's long dark brown locks.

"Varian, I know things have been difficult for you since my return and everything you suffered through while I was . . . gone."

The elder knew better than to say the words 'rocks' and 'amber' around the boy. It would only serve to further remind Varian about the past.

"I know your nightmares will not be gone for a long time. I know that personally after all the sleepless nights I too went through after leaving the dark kingdom."

After he returned, the first secret he revealed was about his past in the Brotherhood and how he was a warrior of the Dark Kingdom. It was the first of many secrets he was glad to get off his chest, after years of hiding them.

"I used to have nightmares almost every night. It led me to forgo sleep just so I could stop remembering the past. I hated myself for letting King Edmund force the Brotherhood out of the kingdom alongside all the citizens. I kept having these morbid dreams of the King dying in such horrific ways. I didn't know if those dreams were true or not at the time — nonetheless, they still made me feel guilty for not speaking up. I thought I would never be able to have a good night's sleep again."

Varian looked up at his father, wondering how he never knew these things about before today. There was a lot he never knew about his father before how he changed from his time as a . . . criminal to the kingdom.

"What did you do? How did you get over your nightmares? How did you . . . get better?" the young lad asked.

Quirin smiled and tilted his son's chin upwards towards him so their eyes would meet.

"I learned to forgive myself. I realized that by letting myself not sleep only harmed myself and those around me. I learned to let go by just accepting the fact that the King and all my friends could have been dead, but if I did not think about the possibility of them being perfectly fine, I would never be able to get past my guilty."

Varian knew what his father was trying to do. He knew all his father wanted for him was to forgive himself and the boy wished he could, but he couldn't bring himself to forgive himself yet. He still had a lot to pay for. He would not rest or let himself give up till all the damage he did to his home was fixed, till all of Corona finally got past the old version of him, till he could do alchemy again without thinking he was gonna break done in tears from just looking at his old workshop. He wanted to forgive himself just like all the other people in his life forgave him — but he knew it would not be possible for quite a lot of time.

"Dad, I know what your trying to say. You want me to accept everything I did and try to start a new life. I just can't, not yet! I want to forgive myself for the person I had become, but I don't think I'm ready for that yet. I need to go along things at my own pace. I want to forgive myself one day in the future, but that day has not come yet. Hopefully, with time, we can talk about things without either of us breaking."

Quirin's grip on his son got tighter. He was proud of his son for getting to the place he was at right now. Varian was trying to change and that was all that mattered right now. He just needed more time to accept that he is not the same person he was during the battle of Corona during the Princess's second birthday home.

"Son, I am really proud of you for how far you have come. I will try my best to always be at your side. Hopefully, you will realize that I will never leave your side again, at least not by choice. I want you to know that even when I leave this world, I will do it with a smile. Because I will be happy to know that me being in your life has helped you in some way. And I will also never stop loving you because . . . you're the joy in my life."

Both the father and son held each other in a strong clasp. Tears rolled down both of their faces as the floodgates opened. All the pent up emotions of the difficulties they both went through came out. The two knew that they would never get past thing completely, but as long as they had each other, they will always be there for each other.

[theimpossiblescheme]

“But I believe in beauty and I hate war--why do I have to die?”

I’ve gone on about the old 1970s sci-fi series “The Fantastic Journey” a little bit before on this blog, and it should come as a surprise to no one that my favorite character is Roddy McDowall’s Jonathan Willaway.  But it has more to do with the genuinely clever writing around the character than with the actor (although he does help a great deal).  As campy and far-fetched as the show can be sometimes, all of its best and most memorable moments go toward helping a man who was once a greedy loner with no respect for the sanctity of life along the path of redemption until he eventually becomes a sort of reluctant hero or at least a wild card with more of a noble side than he cares to admit.  And you can see his progression with each episode he’s in--join me under the cut for details!

“Beyond the Mountain”: Jonathan Willaway the Somewhat Tragic Villain who builds a home for himself off of slave labor just to prevent going crazy from isolation, tries to force a woman to marry him solely for the sake of having another human around, and is forced to watch his home painfully crash and burn under the weight of his own pride.

(Even while he’s very much the bad guy, we still get glimpses of the humanity underneath.  He does love, or at least tries to convince himself that he loves, the androids he’s built to basically be his servants and “family”.  He notes that seeing one of them, whom he’s come to consider like a son to him, without his central processing unit is like seeing him dead and starts to have second thoughts about punishing his disobedience.  It’s the archetype of the “kind” slaveowner who takes up the “White Man’s Burden” and thinks he’s doing a service to mankind by doing so.  And when he watches his home be abruptly reclaimed by the ones he’s wronged, he’s left a numb, broken man with nowhere to go and not even the energy to properly cry. When we see him again at the end, it’s no coincidence that he’s wearing black—Jonathan’s essentially in mourning for his entire life since reaching the island.  What he did was unequivocally wrong, and he knows it now… but it was all he had.)

“Children of the Gods”: Jonathan Willaway the Bitchy Primadonna who still doesn’t quite appreciate what the main characters are risking in bringing him along, but reveals some hidden depths by helping someone similarly misguided and much younger realize his mistakes and try to better himself.

(This episode is especially notable since it’s the first time we see that, while Jonathan is inevitably going to butt heads with any adult he comes across just for the sake of keeping his pride, he gets along surprisingly well with kids, despite his own protests to the contrary.  Scott is the first of the main cast who’s willing to be alone with him.  And while Jonathan’s invariably still either rude or dismissive to the adults in the party, when he’s talking to Ace and trying to talk him out of essentially making a bunch of other kids into child soldiers, listen to his voice during key moments.  It’s soft and measured, and there’s actual compassion in it.  Jonathan recognizes someone else who’s about to royally screw up his life and urges him not to.)

“A Dream of Conquest”: Jonathan the Willing Double Agent who actually helps of his own volition this time, gets a front row seat to the sort of cruelty he’s been trying to leave behind him, and gets smacked in the face with just how much he needs to come through for his new friends after all they’ve done for him.

(Here, Jonathan really gets a cold dose of just what kind of man he might have become if he’d stayed home—every second he’s in the company of this warlike dictator who treats his own people like cattle, you can tell that he hates it.  He actually says in the episode that he hates war and everyone who engages in it, but he’s now embroiled in someone else’s war for the sake of getting him and the main cast out of the battle zone with a whole skin.  And going along with the charade visibly erodes the others’ trust in Jonathan, which scares him to death because they’re now all he has.  He might be always “seeking better”, but he doesn’t have to look very far for it; without even realizing what it truly means, he’s willing to put his life on the line for the people he’s just now starting to consider friends.)

“An Act of Love”: Jonathan the…Friend?  Yeah, the Friend who’s actually starting to be integrated properly into the group and is now trusted to be able to save lives rather than risk them.

(Here, Jonathan doesn’t have quite as much to do, but it’s starting to become evident how much he’s actually become a part of the main cast rather than a glorified guest star.  He’s realizing that he actually cares about these people—he wants to see them happy and safe from danger, and he really feels Varian’s absence when it becomes less and less certain that he’ll stay with them.  And note how Fred, the conscientious doctor who was Jonathan’s most vocal enemy before now, puts him in charge of talking a woman out of letting herself be killed.)

“Funhouse”: Jonathan the Slave, having his new psychological scars taken advantage of by someone much more powerful and reduced to little more than a puppet his friends have to forcibly cut the strings of before it kills him.

(The Possession Episode ™ of any TV show, particularly when it’s played for horror instead of humor, can always be a little hard to watch because you’re basically watching a character have their mind and body violated by someone who, a lot of the time, is a complete stranger.  But I’m hard-pressed to think of an instance where it felt more like a man being sexually assaulted.  Jonathan is watched from afar and called “vulnerable”, but “perfect” right before he’s taken over, and it’s abundantly clear that it’s a painful and humiliating thing for him to go through, even as he struggles to take back control.  When it’s over, he admits that he can’t remember much of what happened, but what he does remember he’d rather forget.  This is the second time Jonathan’s put through the meat grinder now that he’s actively trying to be a better man, and it won’t be the last.)

“Turnabout”: Jonathan the Exploited, forced into action by a new, broken society that lets him watch his friends be tortured if he refuses to put his own life on the line and help fix it.

(This time, Jonathan doesn’t willingly volunteer to help this community reform from the inside—he’s shanghaied into it.  Either he puts himself at great personal risk by repairing a computer that’s taken a turn for the Hal 9000, or he gets to watch his friends slowly and painfully die with nothing he can do about it.  The scene where he’s shut in the opposite jail cell of Varian and Scott as they gradually succumb to poison is actually pretty harrowing, especially when he sees that Varian is doing everything he can to reduce Scott’s suffering—remember that these two were the first to truly accept Jonathan as part of their company.  Even when their captors change their minds and let them go, Jonathan isn’t so quick to forgive, saying that it isn’t the lack of compassion that truly bothers him, but the lack of justice since neither he, nor Varian and Scott did anything to deserve their punishment.)

“Riddles”: Jonathan the Frightened, faced with another near-death experience and the fear that no one is coming to save him, all the while actually being more concerned for his friends than his own safety.

(I did say that “Funhouse” wouldn’t be the last time Jonathan gets put through the meat grinder.  This time he’s not only nearly frozen to death trying to help the company find an artifact that could help them get home, but also shoved face to face with his own fear of enclosed spaces where no one can hear him yelling for help. He’d be forgiven for thinking that he’d be trapped there forever and actually says that he thought they’d never be able to find him.  But all the while, it’s not his own wellbeing Jonathan puts at the forefront.  He quickly regains his bearings both times and goes on as if nothing ever happened, ready to move on to whatever lies ahead for him and the company.  And again, his concern for Scott rears its head—notice the terror on his face when he’s told that Scott is also alone somewhere in this godforsaken house.)

“The Innocent Prey”: Jonathan the Neutral No Longer, first tempted to leave a city in need after finding what they need from it, then moved into staying and helping once he knows just how much it means to his friends.

(This episode can pretty much be a microcosm of Jonathan’s character arc throughout the series so far—first motivated primarily by selfishness, then softened into actual empathy once he realizes how much pain will remain if they walk away and do nothing.  His earlier credo that “it takes a thief to catch a thief” gets an ironic callback when he describes those kinds of people here as being bloodthirsty, cruel, and fundamentally untrustworthy.  And not for nothing, but the one who ends up appealing pretty thoroughly to his better nature?  Fred, who once hated Jonathan and still bickers with him incessantly.  In fact, Jonathan ends up preventing Fred from doing anything rash out of blind emotion and helps him to uncover the truth about a murder.)

What really makes this evolution effective is that, like all the great character arcs, Jonathan isn’t magically a new person on the other side.  He’s not perfect, and he’s never going to be—he’s still proud, impatient, sarcastic, cynical, a bit vain, sometimes thoughtless, and willing to tread a more morally grey zone than the others are.  But underneath all the obvious flaws is a more selfless, self-aware, and compassionate man than he was at the start, a man who sees the people around him as actual people rather than utilities and, when he sees his own faults in others, tries to help them overcome.  It’s honestly kind of inspiring to see, even for a campy ‘70s show. In the spirit of Jonathan always having a pithy quote to share in each episode, Marcus Aurelius once said, “Waste no more time arguing what a good man should be.  Be one.”  And he does just that.