#vld4 speculation

[sage-nebula]

What do you think will happen with shiro-replica once they find out he's a clone?

No, no, not “Shiro-replica”—Shireplica. It’s a portmanteau, a play on words by combining Shiro and replica at the point where they share a letter. ;) It rolls off the tongue much more easily, don’t you think?

Anyway, I don’t know. In truth, I still don’t know entirely how I feel about him. Or more specifically … 

I know that I’m upset with him for being such a bastard toward Keith. It’s entirely possible he’s not intending to be this way; he has all of Shiro’s memories, as far as we’re aware, so he must know that Keith is someone he is friends with, someone he has been as good as family with for a long time, and therefore I would like to think there’s some part of him that cares. But I think that with Shireplica, the problem is that he knows this, but doesn’t feel it. He’s not acting toward Keith the way the real Shiro would. The real Shiro would not agree that the team needs him, as if Keith’s leadership wasn’t good enough. (Which again, might not have been how the “yeah” was supposed to be read, but that’s how it came off.) The real Shiro would not railroad over Keith during mission briefings, or wouldn’t ignore Keith’s “sorry” and step back—wouldn’t be so dismissive of Keith’s ideas. The real Shiro would not shout and yell at him during missions, once again refusing to listen or even consider that he might know what he’s doing. And though Shireplica apologized at the end of 3x06, it felt far less like a genuine apology, and far more of an attempt to smooth things over, especially with the way he apologized:

“Sorry I had to step in back there.”

Shireplica wasn’t acknowledging that he did something wrong. Rather, he was more or less justifying what he did by saying that he had to do it, i.e., Keith made him do it. Never mind that Keith is the only reason why that mission was a success, because he was able to think on his feet quickly enough to maneuver Voltron out of the way so that Acxa’s blast would hit the cargo ship instead (which in fairness Shireplica does acknowledge, but only after his non-apology falls flat). No, Shireplica instead justifies what he did by saying he had to do it, and then goes on to try and lay some backhanded praise on Keith by saying he’ll “get there someday” and that he’s proud of him, which again, feels a lot like empty praise meant to do nothing more than smooth things over and get Keith to be less depressed (in other words, he doesn’t mean it, he’s just saying what he thinks he has to in order to get the emotional response out of Keith that he wants). That scene has bothered me immensely ever since I first saw it, and now that I’ve analyzed it again, I know why: It’s because everything Shireplica said in that scene was a textbook apology from an emotional abuser. The non-apology (because no, saying you’re sorry that you had to do something hurtful to someone is not an apology), the backhanded praise which is only dialed and buttered up once the initial non-apology and backhanded compliments don’t work … emotional abusers do those things in order to keep their victims under control, in order to make them seem less depressed when in the company of others, or to mitigate chances of them trying to leave or fight back. It was low-key, but Shireplica was being emotionally abusive to Keith throughout 2x06, and you know what?

That’s NOT Shiro. Shiro—the REAL Shiro would NEVER do that to anyone, much less Keith.

So Shireplica has been a bastard to Keith, and I’m absolutely upset with him for that, especially since it seems like that behavior is going to carry over into S4:

That’s a scene from the preview wherein Keith is trying to convince Shireplica that something (we don’t know what) could be linked to Lotor, who “hasn’t been scene in months”, and therefore this could be their one chance to track them down. Look at Shireplica. His brow is furrowed, his mouth is set in a hard frown, he’s not even looking at Keith to acknowledge him. He’s not receptive or open to Keith’s ideas at all. In fact, he looks irritated that Keith is daring to even speak up, much less argue against whatever Shireplica has planned, even though it’s clear from Keith’s tone and facial expression that he’s not arguing in another way, it’s just that this is important to him and he’s trying to make his view heard.

So we can tell, at least from that preview, that this behavior is going to carry over into S4—that they’re going to continue to clash, because Keith is trying to lead the team as he has been, and Shireplica is not only not about to have that, but is (subconsciously or otherwise) using emotional abuse tactics against Keith to knock him down. And the worst part of all of this is that it works; because when Shireplica gives his non-apology and backhanded praise in 3x06, Keith does not defend himself in the least bit. Instead, he just takes it: 

I’m using the screencap so that you can see his facial expression. He’s not being defiant or mutinous; in fact, if he was, he would have said “I had it under control”, rather than “I thought I had it under control.” And this continues, too; after Shireplica scolds him about knowing when to pick his battles and that “sometimes you have to make hard choices” (excuse me, Shireplica, but who was the one who argued for that hard choice back in 1x11? Because it sure as hell wasn’t Shiro, that was Keith, don’t talk down to him when he’s been displaying the ability to make hard choices since season one), Keith says, “I’m no good at this.” Of course, that’s when Shireplica says that he is, and he’ll get there someday, and all of that—but it’s too little, too late, and (as I said) felt a whole lot like he was just saying what he felt he had to in order to get the emotional response from Keith that he wanted. 

So I feel like we’re going to be in for hard times ahead, because Shireplica has been low-key emotionally abusive to Keith (which, I reiterate, the real Shiro never was and never would be), and Keith isn’t defending himself from this, he just takes it. (And I mean, he did try to argue against Shireplica’s decisions at times, but when he did the rest of the team took Shireplica’s side and overruled him, which—I get why they trusted Shireplica, I’m not faulting them for that, but it didn’t help this situation one bit.) I know for a fact this is going to sour my opinion toward Shireplica even more than it already has. It’s going to make me want to jettison him from the airlock even more than I already do.

But that said …

Clones and replicas are basically a staple of science-fiction (and even fantasy, to a degree, if they’re created from magic). The usage of and lore around them varies from story to story, whether they’re being used positively or negatively. That said, my mind always jumps to two stories in particular when I think about replicas and clones, and those stories are Doctor Who and Tales of the Abyss.

In specific:

Clones and replicas are everywhere in Doctor Who, but the one that I always think of immediately—and the one I feel is perhaps most applicable in this instance—is the Meta-Crisis Doctor, otherwise known as TenToo. At the end of season four, in order to prevent his regeneration, the Tenth Doctor pours his excess regeneration energy into his spare hand, which ends up becoming a clone of himself that the fandom collectively calls TenToo. (This, er, makes sense in context, trust me.) TenToo is basically the Tenth Doctor in every way. He looks like him, thinks like him, feels like him, has all the same memories as him … but he only has one heart. He’s human. He will live, age, and die as a human. He ends up staying in the parallel universe with Rose so that they can grow their own TARDIS and live out the rest of their very human lives together, but even though he is biologically human now, he still is the Doctor. He’s a clone, yes … and he’s an individual, yes, but he still is the Doctor, isn’t he? Same thoughts, same memories, same feelings … he is the Doctor, even if he’s a clone. It’s why the fandom calls him TenToo (i.e. “Ten also” or “also Ten”). He isn’t lesser, nor is he evil or anything like that. He’s just a photocopy of the Doctor, with a few tweaks.

Then there’s Tales of the Abyss. In Tales of the Abyss, replicas can be made of anything, from pencils to entire continents, but the important part of this discussion is that replicas can be made of people (however unethical it is). In Tales of the Abyss, replicas are biologically identical to the originals at the time of replication, right down to their fonon frequency (which is sort of like a molecular frequency in that universe—again, it makes sense in context). However, when it comes to their thoughts, feelings, and personalities, replicas are blank slates when created. Jade, the person who created the technology, says that “replicas come into the world like babies” who don’t even know how to speak or walk. That said, replicas can be programmed; it is possible for the person who created them to implant memories, personalities, or orders onto them when they are created. If that isn’t done, however, replicas can be raised like normal people, and if they’re raised in different circumstances from their originals, they can wholly become their own person. (As seen with the characters Luke and Asch.)

In both of these stories, replicas are viewed sympathetically (perhaps not always by the people in the stories, given how terribly replicas are treated in Tales of the Abyss, but at least by the audience). They’re people. They’re their own people. TenToo is the closest to his original, given the circumstances, but he still is treated as the Doctor and as a person in his own right. In Tales of the Abyss this difference is even more pronounced, despite how the replicas can be programmed, because we see replicas that have grown up to be different from their originals (or, in the case of all the Ion replicas, even different from each other). Treating the replicas as if they’re trash or easily discarded is viewed horribly even within the context of the narrative, because it simply isn’t true. Replicas or not, they’re still people and deserve to be treated as such.

So to that end, even though he’s being a bastard right now (and seems to be continuing that into S4 judging by the preview), it’s hard for me to say that I really do want Shireplica jettisoned into space, especially since I’m not entirely sure what Voltron is going for right now. I feel like they’re leaning more toward a Tales of the Abyss situation than they are a Doctor Who situation, if only because it would make sense for them to go the “Shiro’s memories were implanted” route rather than the “he just already had them from the cloning process” route because of the fact that Shireplica doesn’t seem to have any of Shiro’s compassion. (And he really doesn’t. Even when it comes to the rebels, he spared them not because he felt sorry for their circumstances, but because he needed their help. Shiro is extremely compassionate; Shireplica is anything but.) In Tales of the Abyss replicas can certainly have compassion in their nature, but again, when they’re first created they are blank slates who can be programmed. That may well be the case with Shireplica, who was programmed with Shiro’s memories, but none of the emotions to go with them. No real compassion or empathy, just … knowledge of how to act and what to do in order to infiltrate the team. For that reason, it feels like more of a Tales of the Abyss situation than a Doctor Who one.

But even if that’s the case, again: The replicas in Tales of the Abyss are still people, and can be their own people, separate from their originals. It doesn’t seem as if Shireplica realizes that is a possibility right now, because he doesn’t even recognize that he is a replica … but perhaps he could. Perhaps he could learn to be his own person, perhaps he could learn to have the compassion that he at present lacks. He still does seem to be a person, an individual, and he especially is if they’re going this route with replication. If that’s the case, and he can form his own identity separate from Shiro’s and live a life as a good person … then he should have that chance. And I think that, upon realizing that he is still a person even if he is a replica of Shiro, the team would want to give him that chance. I can’t see them wanting to jettison him out of the airlock and leave him to die knowing that he is a person. Remember what Keith said in 2x09:

“We’re Paladins of Voltron. We can’t leave someone to die, even if they are Galra.”

Even if—or rather, even though Shireplica is a replica of Shiro who has, to be honest, treated Keith terribly so far, I can’t see Keith wanting to leave him to die / killing him. That would be out of character. And seeing as how Keith is presently leader of this team, I think the rest of the team would, well … follow his lead. 

So I’m not entirely sure what will happen to him. I think that, once all is revealed, there’s a good chance he’ll want to leave of his own volition. There’s a chance that he’ll gain his compassion and actual love for the team just in time to perform a heroic sacrifice to save them. There’s a chance the Galra will kill him, or that he’ll be taken back and labeled a failed experiment. I’m not entirely sure, but I can say that I want him to stop being such a bastard to Keith, and also that he’s still a person even if he is a replica, and as a result he does need to be treated as such, no matter how much of a bastard he is. (Though that said, if Shiro wanted to punch Shireplica in the face with his metal arm for the way Shireplica has acted so far, by all means, please do so. Shireplica has certainly earned it.)

[sage-nebula]

actualaster replied to your post: itbespacegays replied to your post: mfw seeing...

I would hope if they did show them back, it would be in a flashback context or a temporary return to the status quo. I’d like to see this new dynamic continue…

This dynamic needs to continue, for the sake of all of the characters.

I’ve talked a lot about it here, but Keith taking on the role of the Black Lion’s pilot has not only helped further his character growth, but has also furthered the growth of his relationships with the other characters (especially Lance), and helped other characters grow as well (particularly Lance and Allura). As a quick recap:

Keith, now that he is leader, is learning and growing in ways that he couldn’t and wouldn’t if he was still acting as the right hand of Voltron. Because he is in charge of leading the team, he not only has to think of how to direct them in the heat of battle, but also has to strategize and plan ahead. This is not something that Keith has EVER been incapable of doing, as demonstrated in the first two seasons, but it’s something that he never had to do and therefore has to now think about how to adjust his behavior moving forward. Has he made mistakes? Yes, particularly in 3x03; but more importantly than the fact that he has made mistakes is the fact that he has already LEARNED from those mistakes, and has adjusted his own behavior accordingly (both in terms of how he acts, and in the suggestions he gives to others, such as with Allura in 3x04). Keith is still very new to being leader; he’s still learning, and he’s still growing as a leader, but he can’t do that if he’s put back into the Red Lion. Even if you want to argue that he’d be happier with Shiro back at the helm (and as I explain in the linked post, it’s not being leader that makes him unhappy, it’s missing Shiro that makes him unhappy, so having Shiro back in any capacity would improve Keith’s mood), staying in their comfort zone is not what makes characters grow, it’s what makes them stagnate. In order for Keith to grow, he needs these new circumstances, and needs to keep pushing through them to see where they take him.

While there is no hierarchy among the Lions, it’s inarguable that the Red Lion is the right-hand of Voltron, second-in-command on the battlefield, and we’ve already seen Lance step up into this position pretty fabulously. The Red Lion is the most difficult Lion to master, which means that Lance has to put more effort into piloting on top of the added effort that comes with having a Lion that is faster, more agile, and perhaps more unpredictable than Blue, and on top of that, Lance’s added responsibilities as unofficial second-in-command on the battlefield require him to focus more and goof off less. Moreover, because such a difficult Lion chose him, and because it chose him specifically because he was thinking of the team by accepting the Black Lion’s decision (something that I really think he has taken to heart), Lance is growing not only as a Paladin, but as a person, finding new confidence in himself (despite his lingering insecurities) and learning to put the team before his own pride (as seen in his discussion with Keith in 3x06).

Allura, meanwhile, is getting to experience what it means to be a Paladin for one of the Lions for the first time. This is completely uncharted territory for her; although she was eager to be a Paladin, we see in 3x03 that she’s very unsure of herself, and that she’s afraid on the battlefield, even as she pushes through that fear to fight. And it’s no wonder; although being in the Castle wasn’t necessarily safe in the heat of battle, it was still safer than fighting directly, particularly in situations where she’s outside of her Lion and has to rely on her Bayard. But still, despite her fear she is pushing on and exploring this new position, and because it’s an entirely new position with responsibilities and situations that she has never had to experience before, we’re seeing sides of Allura that we did not get to see when she was commander of the Castle. And like with Keith, we’ve just started seeing this part of Allura. Allura has just started to explore this new responsibility. She has only just started to grow, and that growth will be stunted if she’s put back to what she was doing before, just like how Keith’s and Lance’s growth would be stunted if they returned to their original Lions and responsibilities.

And this isn’t even getting into the relationship growth between them, which I talked about at the link. (Though the one I didn’t touch on was Allura and Lance, since that post was about Keith specifically. I do feel that Allura’s and Lance’s relationship has also grown positively as a direct result of this, since they now have something new to bond over---the Blue Lion---versus Lance’s unwelcome flirting and Allura’s annoyance over it.) Keith’s and Lance’s relationship in particular has had positive relationship growth as a direct result of the Lion switch, contrary to everyone’s expectations (and contrary to how certain sections of the fandom are plugging their ears and pretending this isn’t the reason why). Going back to the status quo of seasons one and two also means walking back on all of that development and pushing the characters back to where they used to be. This is negative in every sense of the word. It would be a mistake. We need to keep moving forward, rather than going back.

So yeah, I really, really want Shiro back, I love him to pieces and don’t want him to leave the cast (and I sure as hell do not want him killed off, Lauren and Joaquim better not even dare), but I am very much opposed to returning back to the status quo. As much as I loved the relationships that Keith had with Red and Lance had with Blue, I feel like putting Keith in Black and Lance in Red is one of the best decisions that the crew could have made. It benefits all characters involved. I feel like it will even benefit Shiro, because to be entirely honest, the man could use a real rest and vacation---but even if he doesn’t get that, since I can’t see him sitting back and drinking lemonade while the rest of the team fights, I think that having him work with the rebels instead (and perhaps lead an auxiliary team that also lives in the Castle? Since I can’t see Pidge wanting to say goodbye to Matt so soon) would also give him a new avenue to work from and room to grow. It could also further his and Keith’s relationship, as Shiro leads one team and Keith leads another. Honestly, so many good things could be done if they do not return to the status quo, but . . . well, I guess only time will tell.