I knew that the Captain (or James I guess??) would have a devastating end but I had no idea it would hit me this hard.
This rod they're both holding is called a swagger stick. They were carried by uniformed officers in WW1 as a symbol of military authority. The Captain has one throughout the series but here we see that it's not actually his but Havers'. They both hold it and each others hands until Havers lets go, giving it to him.
Looking back now, the stick is a symbol of the rank he never had. He died in shame, with stolen medals, surrounded by people who he looked up to but who resented him in turn. Havers though almost gives up his own authority to the Captain in this moment. Now, it makes so much sense why he wouldn't let go of that command when he was a ghost. When he was no longer alive, with no soldiers to command, it stopped representing his authority and became a symbol of Havers. These normal shots of him are so sad now, knowing that it's a possession they've shared.
Giving up that authority, would be like giving up the gift that Havers gave him.
"she'd listen to you, her friend, should you choose to help her. now, the question is, what do you care about more? keeping alison here or letting her be happy?"
one thing i really like about this series of bbc ghosts is that they didn't make the captain explicitly gay
by which i mean, they didn't have anyone turn to camera and be like 'he is gay and likes men in a gay way'. nobody actually said that but they made it incredibly clear. i mean, he and havers call each other by their first names, in terms of stuffy repressed middle-aged men in the 1940s that's practically a marriage proposal
i think it'd be cheapened if the captain suddenly stopped being repressed and closeted. him watching the weather guy at the end showed that he was coming to terms with himself in an understated way, that he's got some closure on that part of his life, and it's a lot more mature than if he'd been like BTW I AM A HOMOSEXUAL
i’ve been absolutely loving @sunshine-soprano ‘s fic “Love Stood Still (much like the traffic)” and wanted to draw a moment from it i thought was so sweet!! such a cute story and also an excuse to draw cap in a cozy jumper hahah :)
here’s the fic if anyone wants to give it a read!! i love the vibes of the ghosts being besties in this it slays !!! also if anyone has any more modern au ghosts fics pls send on recommendations 🙏