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actual-changeling · 5 months

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Welcome back to Alex's unhinged meta corner, and today I have something surprisingly not kiss-related—though it is still about the final fifteen because hey, gotta keep the brand image.

I read this post by @goodoldfashionednightingale and began typing a small response. Then I made the mistake of drinking half a litre of coffee on an empty stomach right after taking my adhd meds and my brain began vibrating at the speed of light.

But oh, have I discovered parallels. This, my friends, is about the nightingale, where it comes from, what it means, and what the fuck happened in part 3 of 1941.

Ready? Let's go.

Now, as OP said in her post, s1e3 is important. In the script book, Neil himself says that these flashbacks are where the producers would tell him to cut scenes to save money. They suggested every single one—except for the one he ended up taking out, which was the bookshop opening scene set in 1800. The others are building blocks, you need them to see how their relationship progressed and what kind of important milestones they had.

(side note: author is very miffed that english does not have a separate subjunctive form like german which makes quoting lines way more confusing than it has to be)

The one I want to mention is neither 1941 nor 1967. No, what I want to talk about is 1601. This might be about to get a bit rambly but I will do my best to keep it tidy.

The focus of that flashback is on the Arrangement, yes, but it gives us a lot more information than that.

they both see Shakespeare's plays regularly, maybe even meet in the crowd

Crowley prefers the comedies

Aziraphale does not seem to have a preference, he enjoys the tragedies and presumably the comedies too

there is an oyster woman selling food -> reference to their meeting in Rome when Aziraphale tempted him to try some oysters

Aziraphale reflexively denies their relationship

Crowley might say he is not worried but circles Aziraphale the entire time, keeping watch

they both ask favours of each other and both agree to do them

What stands out to me in relation to what I am about to expand on is the line that Crowley delivers after Aziraphale's little 'buck up'—which Crowley finds adorable btw but that's a post for another time.

"Age does not wither nor custom stale his infinite variety."

Why would he say that? What exactly is prompting this? WHY say that specific line?

At first I thought it might be to tempt Shakespeare because he does commit art theft by just copying that line down, BUT I think there is more to that. So much more, in fact. I am wiggling now because I am very excited about this and my adhd meds are kicking in anyway.

First things first: the line itself.

It appears in Shakespeare's play Antony and Cleopatra, a romantic tragedy, which was first performed in 1607 aka six years after this meeting. Enobarbus is talking about Cleopatra and describing why Antony won't leave her. Her.

Ccrowley uses his—again, who is he even talking about? Hamlet? Shakespeare? Random poetic quote?

No, I think this line is about Aziraphale and it's a code. Right after, the next line from Aziraphale is "What do you want?", meaning that this is their code phrase for 'I have a favour to ask of you'.

Age does not wither nor custom stale his infinite variety

Age will not affect his appearance nor will he ever become boring to Antony. Crowley, who later chooses the name Anthony for himself, tells Aziraphale, an immortal, that he will never age and that he will never grow bored of him.

It's flattery, pure and simple, and it's code at the same time. This establishes the important fact that they might use more of Shakespeare's work as code/already have a system in place (even though he steals Crowley's line for later).

They play their little morality game of back and forth, Aziraphale agrees, Crowley probably manipulates the coin toss, and THEN we find out that the oyster woman is called Juliet.

Why? What is the meaning of that? Why give her a name and that name in particular? Why bring the sexy oysters back into it?

Romeo and Juliet premiered in 1597, so it is safe to assume they have both seen it by 1601, but this is mostly for the audience, not for us-or is it?

Aziraphale gives Crowley puppy eyes until he agrees to make Hamlet popular, and while I don't think Juliet itself is a code word, although it's very interesting that the OYSTER woman is the one with that name (especially adding what we now know about Job), Romeo and Juliet might be.

Yes, the Nightingale song came out in 1940 but the bird has been around for much, much longer, and, as many probably know by now, also shows up in Romeo and Juliet.

This is where I am starting to vibrate at the speed of light because listen to me. Listen.

Crowley is Juliet. Anthony J. Crowley. Antony Juliet Crowley.

(side note: I'm not saying that Crowley chose it based on that—though I am not not saying that—but that it is a clue for us at the audience.)

Why do I think that? In the play, Romeo spends the night with Juliet and then goes to leave as the night begins to end. Juliet tries to stop him and tells him that the birds they are hearing aren't larks, which sing at dawn, but nightingales, which sing at night.

Who is the one always pushing for more? Crowley. He is the one trying to convince Aziraphale it's safe, they're safe to spend time together.

Romeo disagrees with Juliet and says 'I must be gone and live, or stay and die'.

Leave and stay alive, or stay and hell/heaven will punish us. It gets even better though.

We all know how Romeo and Juliet ends: Romeo thinks Juliet is dead, kills himself, Juliet finds him and then kills herself too.

Hey, do you know how Antony and Cleopatra ends?

Antony thinks Cleopatra is dead, kills himself and dies in her arms, then Cleopatra also kills herself—by snake poison; Romeo also died by poison.

The parallels are THERE. They are jumping down our throats! Two tragedies, two sides, several familiar names and phrases, same fear, same ending.

I think by now you can guess how this ties back to 1941.

We do not see how that night ends, but we know it ends. One of them wants to stretch it out, maybe even quotes Romeo and Juliet because look at the setting!

Candlelight, wonderful night they spend together, the threat of Crowley's early demise, and, to quote the play once more, this time Romeo: I have more care to stay than will to go.

Crowley thought it was his last night on earth and went with Aziraphale to his bookshop, to be with him, because he cares more about that than the fact that he will be dragged to hell come morning. Do you remember?

"Expect a legion to come for you first thing tomorrow" THAT is the threat. They have until dawn, just like Romeo and Juliet, which is why she is so desperate for the birds to be nightingales. Fortunately for them, Aziraphale saves the day, BUT there is NO SECURITY. They do not KNOW if a legion will still show up or not. If dawn is a deadline and they will need to fight.

Sure, they improved their chances, but who knows? Maybe they will come for him anyway, it's not like hell is all fair and square.

The best part: it gets even better.

Juliet eventually panics and tells him to go, and Romeo drops a line that huh, sounds oddly familiar, doesn't it?

'More light and light, more dark and dark our woes!'

Remind me, what does Aziraphale say again? Ah, yes. Perhaps there is something to be said for shades of grey.

There is more. Yes, even more. We know the whole rescue relies on a magic trick, a switch. Guess what Juliet yearns for while telling Romeo to go save himself?

Oh, now I would they had changed voices too. While they did not for Romeo and Juliet—they kiss and part—they did for our two. One fabulous switch and we're good.

(side note: Toads? Associated with hell. Larks? Associated with the dawn, yes, but also heaven since Romeo says 'Nor that is not the lark, whose notes do beat the vaulty heaven so high above our heads.')

So, this was a whole lot of information, let's see if I can summarize my thoughts.

I believe the nightingale is a code word that has existed even before 1941 and gained a lot of importance over the years. In 1941, the song is added to the meaning and whatever happened between the two that we have not seen yet, it fundamentally changed their relationship. Maybe they kissed, maybe one of them tried to convince the other to prolong the night but they parted on not-great terms.

The nightingale and the song become a symbol of hope, a goal to achieve, another uninterrupted night, maybe, or an uninterrupted life.

When they part in the final fifteen, it's morning. Crowley points at the sky and says "no nightingales", which at that point has several different layers to it.

No nightingales because their night is over, just like with Romeo and Juliet, and please, please allow me to add another detail, because I am frothing at the mouth over this. The scene I quoted, known as balcony scene, do you know what it is preceded by?

A ball.

Star-crossed lovers defying their sides, falling in love at a ball, getting a hurried, wonderful night together but torn apart by danger of punishment, the nightingale as a dream, as a wish for unhurried time together. Family rejection, torn apart by parents, willing to die for each other so they can reunite in death.

No nightingales. The ball, the romance, is over, their dancing is over, heaven is tearing them apart, and Aziraphale returns to heaven while they are both stuck in a pit of misunderstanding and miscommunication, all bound together by fear for each other.

The thing is, Crowley hates tragedies, he never liked the "gloomy ones", and he does not want them to end in one—luckily, this isn't the end. Yes, they kiss and part, but the play keeps going. We have an entire act 3 to fix what Romeo and Juliet couldn't, to ensure that this is a COMEDY, not a tragedy.

Both Antony & Cleopatra and Romeo & Juliet died out of fear, hurried into making bad decisions because they knew what would happen if their sides were to catch up with them.

Crowley and Aziraphale can reunite heaven and hell with love, not death. This is THEIR story and they are writing the ending. No more day and night, no more deadlines, no more hiding and sneaking about, no more fear of larks and sunshine.

Good Omens will end the way it began: In a garden with two no-longer-star-crossed lovers embracing the song of a lark as well as that of the nightingale.

I hope this made sense to everyone who was no present while my mind started to vibrate itself into a puddle because the thing is I can see Neil doing all of this completely on purpose.

Thoughts? Questions? Additions? Come and join me in my insanity and until next time I have a mental breakdown over this show (probably in like two hours).

#alex talks good omens #good omens #good omens meta #ineffable husbands #crowley #aziraphale #good omens season 2 #go2 #aziracrow #crowley x aziraphale #no nightingales #ineffable divorce #the final fifteen #a nightingale sang in berkeley square

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weird-an · 1 year

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The first time Billy tries to cook on his own it happens because he's hungry and his dad is at work. His mom hasn't come back yet, it's been a week and he's still waiting for her.

His stomach hurts and he remembers her letting him stir the pots when Neil wasn't home. There is canned soup, but he can't find the opener. Cooking is for girls, his dad says, but he isn't here right now.

So Billy grabs a pot, fills it with water and puts some maccaroni in. He burns his finger on it, when he tries to pour out the water. The maccaroni are too soggy and taste like nothing, but at least he isn't hungry anymore.

The blister on his finger reminds him that he has to look out for himself and by the time its healed he realizes his mom isn't coming back.

When Susan and Max become part of the family, Susan and Neil sometimes go on dates that take way longer than they told them before. Neil loves responsibility, but only for others.

Billy cooks for Max and him these nights. The first time he tries to make chicken, it's a disaster. Argyle laughs at him a day later and asks him if he used any spices. Apparently a ton of salt is too much and not enough at the same time.

Argyle comes over, whenever Billy is sure that Neil and Susan will stay out for at least a few hours more. He brings herbs Billy has never heard of, he shows him how to make picadillo, enchiladas, shows him how a squeezed lime can make everything better. Not only the food, but Billy's whole day.

Billy has his first kiss over a bunch of fish tacos, his lips still tingling from chili and Argyle's warmth. At home, a place where he never thought he'd like to be. But here? In the kitchen? It almost feels like a home.

But then Neil drags him away from California, away from Argyle's smile and tasty dinners. Neil is breathing down his neck and everything is awful.

Billy is stewing in his own misery. Argyle and him break up, more out of desperation than anything and that's just the cherry on top.

Billy is all boiling angers and searing sadness, tries to get on top of Hawkins High, just to forget. When Susan and Neil are gone, he tells Max to get some pizza.

Life is bland and without any flavor.

Steve Harrington and him hang out one day, Billy too tired from learning all about monsters and an Upside Down which is supposed to be even worse than Hawkins.

Harrington tells him he's living off canned food and microwave dinners and maybe it's the beer in his system or Billy's longing to finally cook something again.

Billy digs through Steve's fridge and finds a few veggies and a bit of rice. It's simple, but it's tasty.

Hawkins gets a bit more color and Steve gets even prettier. He comes over more often, drags Steve down to the supermarket and bullies him until his kitchen is always stocked. It's a great outlet. For his sadness, his anger, chopping it into tiny little pieces, throwing it into a pan. It sizzles and grows into his heart beating faster when he looks at Steve. His stomach is full of love after month of starving.

Steve kisses him when Billy has just put a lasagna in the oven and it starts to smell like juicy tomatoes and melted cheese.

Steve's kisses are a great appetizer. Billy wants to simmer in them.

#is anyone interested in steve x billy x argyle #i call it californiasandwich #calisandwich #i like the thought of argyle coming to hawkins and become part of their relationship #i like the thought of billy getting twice the love #harringrove #argyle #billy x steve #billy hargrove #harringrove ficlet #argilly #argyle x billy #billy cooking!!#cali bros

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charliedaltonssaxaphone · 29 days

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Dead Poets and their future careers- a headcanon

Neil-

He would of course act (Yes Mr Perry, he isn't gonna become a doctor unless it was a role). Probably star in a couple of movies but mainly focus all of his energy into theater (mainly Shakespeare). He would at least once in his life perform in the Globe theater and perform either Midsummer's Nights Dream or Much Ado About Nothing.

Todd-

When he becomes more confident in himself and realizes his enormous talent for writing, he and Neil (as a married couple) would create plays together for Neil to perform. For days he would be preoccupied with his latest project, refusing to let anyone read it until he deems it as his best work yet (Neil probably takes a few glances because Todd is such a perfectionist). Before publishing his work, he let's Neil read it and give his opinion and then the rest of the poets. If it is a play, Neil gets to perform it first and then when Todd is finally satisfied with it, he sends it off to the publishers.

Cameron-

Cameron is a classic case of a future politics student and later a conservative politician. After Welton, he probably distances himself from everyone else and you only find out what happened to him after the poets watch the news and see him and his campaign. If he moved to the UK he would for sure be a tory!

Charlie-

After being expelled from Welton, his parents send him off to another private school and after graduating, goes onto study English Lit with a double honour in music theory. Keatings teachings perhaps stuck with him the most and so he either becomes an english teacher himself, a jazz musician or a published poet (think something like Allen Ginsberg or Jack Kerouac). Maybe even all 3!

Meeks-

BELOVED PHYSICS SCIENTIST! After endless hours studying a theory he publishes his dissertation and becomes a renowned Nobel Prize winner and mentions all of the poets in his speech and thanks them for their support!! On the side, he is also a professor at a prestigious college and sometimes uses Keatings methods of teaching to inspire his students (which often ends up in messy failed experiments, but nevertheless successful in his eyes).

Knox-

Knox has got to become a philosipher? RIGHT? After being rejected again by Chris or another girl he thinks 'is the one', he goes to the library and picks up a copy Hegel or Nietzsche and decided that this will be his personality for the rest of his life. He probably becomes a writer and creates a philosophy branch for delulu guys like him (or is the first ever incel on Reddit).

Pitts-

Pitts GOES TO YALE!!!! I REPEAT GERARD PITS GOES TO YALE!! He probably has the most average life to everyone else, becomes a teacher, starts a family. But he on the side (which becomes his career) is a world renowned chef and baker. He is on TV shows and shows how to bake rolls and later is a humanitarian celebrity who comes out with a cookbook!

#dead poets society memes #dead poets society #dead poets society fandom #dead poets society fanfiction #dead poets headcanons #neil perry #anderperry #todd anderson #charlie dalton #gerard pitts #richard cameron #steven meeks #knox overstreet #dps #dps boys #dps headcanons #dps fandom #dead poets fandom #dead poets fanfic

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badass-queer-couples-battle · 8 months

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Propaganda:

For Vanoe: "vanitas promised his canon love interest, as a romantic gesture, that if she started to become a monster, he would kill her so she wouldn't have to suffer. and then later when discussing how vanitas will eventually turn into a monster himself, he said he wants noe to kill him when that time comes. pretty yuri. also i'm a lesbian and i like them"

"Idk they have such a homoerotic shoujo manga dynamic but they're guys. Or maybe not that much but you gotta admit this would be exquisite yuri if they were girls. Noé the gothic romance heroine etc etc"

For Wenzhou: "Basically in their family unit Wen Kexing is the wife but Zhou Zishu is the mom. Also there are lots of genderbends of them around but the best ones are those where Wen Kexing goes super hard on femme but Zhou Zishu deadass has the same personality and appearance - like shoutout to those artists/writers u r the real ones. Also lesbian Zishu still being called "husband" by Wen Kexing, mwah chef's kiss! He would SO be a butch."

"Wen Kexing is compared to a wife twice in the show and at least once in the book iirc. Canon malewife + wears red eyeshadow and rocks a red robe in his Ghost Valley Master getup + his husband is an emo assassin, they are so incredibly yuri even if they're guys"

For Ineffable Husbands: "Well due to neil mentioning that they was plans for a fem presenting 1960s scene of the two of them that never ended up happening, there's a lot of fanart of that. Plus, they are an angel and a demon, and both technically don't follow the gender rules of humans and many other species on earth, so while they do present very masculine throughout the show, they could be any gender and therefore they seem very fitting for this.(I do apologize as I don't quite understand what guy Yuri is despite your definition so I am guessing and have no clue if they count."

"Looks like m/m on first glance but they don't actually really have gender and Crowley dresses as a woman for a good few years canonically"

"theyre male presenting in the show but they dont really have gender so they could be wlw if they wanted to"

"While both characters spend most of their time presenting as male, they are supernatural beings without any real sex or gender. Crowley appears as a woman multiple times, and one scrapped scene included both Aziriphale and Crowley as women in the 1960s. Additionally, it’s very common to find “Ineffable Wives” fanworks, with both characters appearing as women. As well as having been an immensely popular fandom ship for many years, it has been confirmed that Aziriphale and Crowley are canonically in love with each other."

"Regularly turned into women in fanart. Both Aziraphale and Crowley are incredibly gender. They have been together in some sort of way for 6000 years. Heavy yearning. Cringefail. Divorced and married at the same time. Literally an angel and a demon. What more could you want?"

"theyre literally genderless and can be anything ever!!!"

"Their genders are ineffable and they have hopelessly pined for centuries"

#guy yuri round 1 #vanitas no carte #good omens #word of honor #the case study of vanitas #vanoe #noe archiviste #vanitas #crowley #aziraphale #ineffable husbands #wen kexing #zhou zishu #wenzhou #faraway wanderers #(1 submitter asked me to use the Thai cover of Faraway Wanderers but i couldn't find it sadly)#(the original cover it is then)#(can't quite tell if this pose is flirting or fighting but with Wenzhou it's one and the same anyway)#guy yuri poll

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thesherrinfordfacility · 3 months

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still not a forensic lip-reader but-

previously looked at what aziraphale was mouthing in the final fifteen, and whilst im not 100% certain on it, it gave me the hubris to look at the mouthing in 1941. because don't get me wrong, i know that crowley refers to "trust me" later on in the minisode, despite it not being voiced earlier on, and neil confirmed that that is indeed what aziraphale mouthed, but i... do not buy it.

full disclaimer, once again: not an expert in phonetics by any stretch, but was really into it when i was younger, and i have used it occasionally in my job. actual phonetics experts' input is most welcome!!!

so yeah, let's again begin with a capture of that moment, and slowed down to 0.9x, 0.8x, and 0.7x:

because whilst im not certain on exactly what aziraphale's saying, im really not convinced that his initial mouth movements bear much, if any, resemblance to what i would expect from "trust".

"trust" /tɹʌst/ is broken down into multiple movements, which i'll explain in four distinct stages: /tɹ/, /ʌ/, /s/ and /t/.

the first is the trickiest to explain, insomuch that broadly speaking, the /tɹ/ consonant cluster isn't spoken like one might think at first glance - instead of the 'tuh' and 'ruh' consonants merging exactly as they sound individually, it often evolves into a "ch" or "jj" cluster, and instead it sounds like 'chr' /tʃɹ/ (by the by, it happens often with the 'dr' cluster too!). so, in terms of what the mouth is actually doing during this, the tip of the tongue is placed up and resting behind the top teeth on the alveolar ridge (AvR), the teeth are closed, and the lips tense, or tighten, and become rounded. /ʃ/ is a voiceless fricative, and so there is some aspiration as the sound rolls into the /ɹ/. as this happens, the teeth/mouth opens, the lips relax/pull back, and the tongue falls from the AvR and pulls back to prepare voicing the vowel.

'uh' /ʌ/ is technically the open-mid back unrounded vowel; the tongue pulls towards the back of the mouth, it is not-quite-but-biased-towards the bottom of the mouth, and the lips are relaxed (ie. not rounded). so you expect to see a rather relaxed, open mouth with this vowel, just before it closes for the next consonant.

'ss' /s/ is another fricative, and so is aspirated. with this, the tongue tip instead moves forward from the back (where it sounded the /ʌ/ vowel), to behind the bottom row of teeth. the teeth are closed, and the lips are still relaxed/not rounded, resulting in the sibilant sound being made by passing air through the teeth.

to round off the word, we then move the tongue back up to the AvR, and a flick off the ridge/behind the teeth completes the hard /t/ sound. this abrupt movement stems the airflow from the /s/ sibilance (ie. a plosive). the teeth remain closed up until the flick, where they then quickly open for the plosive, and the lips remain relaxed.

and then (very quickly glossing over this for completeness) we have "me" /mi:/, which is formed by contact of the lips together, and the push of the 'ee' vowel behind it (being the close, frontal non-rounded vowel) which opens up the lips as it vocalises.

again... i personally dont see any of this movement in aziraphale's mouth during this scene:

okay yeah, the lips come together and purse slightly, but that's honestly as far as i can see any resemblance between whatever he's saying, and "trust"? so what could he be saying instead?

it's difficult to say, especially towards the end of the above gif. his mouth moves so quickly, and i think it's a realistic possibility there's more than two words - maybe three, even four? i also think that just before the shot changes, he's not actually done speaking - it looks like he's cut off mid-sentence. and overall, aziraphale is obviously mouthing very 'sotto voce' (literally) - ie. to presumably avoid detection from the audience, his mouth movements are not as exaggerated as they would be in normal, overt speech... which affects how his mouth would normally move to form these words, and therefore how accurately we can read them.

to this end, like a madman, ive a) split the clip into three, and b) slowed them down ever further to 0.3x. first one:

aziraphale is really slow in forming this first word: its initially hesitant but then very deliberate. but the first thing we see is his jaw drop minutely (i think his jaw even pushes forward slightly?), and his neck tenses.

id also hazard that whilst obviously the quality is pants, and we can't see the placement of the front of his tongue, it's set behind his bottom teeth, and the rest is high and back in the mouth (ie. not behind the top teeth, on the AvR, where the 'tr' /tʃɹ/ cluster is formed).

after this, his lips then purse/round slightly, before relaxing again (again, not what would be indicated by the /ʌ/ vowel).

so all this to me suggests that a) it begins with a voiced sound (the neck tensing implies engagement of the vocal chords), and b) it transitions into a closed, rounded vowel, set in the back. the most logical construction that fits this, for me, is 'you' - /ju:/.

the rest of what he's mouthing? honestly god only knows what's going on here, but im gonna take a stab at it. i think it can be broken down into another two words at least, maybe even three with the middle one being a very short vowel. the issue is that the clip cuts off sharply when the shot changes, which makes it difficult to see how aziraphale's mouth results at the end of the whole thing*.

but let's start from where we left off with the /u:/ sound - where the lips are pursed:

two thoughts here:

1) after aziraphale says 'you', his mouth just simply relaxes, and doesn't say anything. it's a very quick rest, and the movements that follow it are even quicker, making it (for me) difficult to read.

alternatively, 2) he is saying something. so breaking this movement down, as his mouth relaxes from 'oo' /u:/, and his lips pull back from that rounded position, i think two things happen: his lips pull back, opening the mouth a fraction, and his tongue pulls down and slightly back. both of which could possibly suggest an /h/ sound, which is breathy and voiceless, transitioning into a vowel which in this case is most likely in this case to be open, or near-open, and unrounded - in which case, /æ/ would make sense.

for the next sound, this is where it's not very clear at all - im tentatively saying it's a /v/, which is a labiodental fricative phoneme, meaning that it is primarily formed when the top teeth make contact with the bottom lip. aziraphale's mouth certainly closes back up from the open position, but it's not entirely clear whether his teeth do contact his lip. that being said, if aziraphale is saying anything here, completing the word with the /v/ is logical - 'have', /hæv/.

okay deep breath, we're onto the last couple of movements now-

im going to scream, this last bit is so difficult-

one thing is that i do think, is that aziraphale is saying two words here: watching closely, his lips part so, so minutely before coming together again, and forming the start* of the next word. most likely? that tiny little word he's forming in that small, minute gap is 'a', which aziraphale has previously pronounced in the show (and i think he is here, too) as 'uh', /ʌ/.

after this, his lips return to contact, before parting again into the last movement that we see - the shot changes, and the word is cut off (so far as i can tell)*. but if you return to the 0.6x gif up above, you can see that all of this movement is so quick that im definitely having trouble being certain on what the last one is. because all of the lip-presses are in quick succession to each other, i think he might be forming a 'ww' consonant - /w/, but can't be sure.

so, possibly: "you have a w-", /ju: hæv ʌ w/

so look - altogether, this is a massive amount of unhinged speculation and, as ive said previously, i am nowhere near a professional at this (fancy terminology is all well and good, but i was just really into linguistics and phonetics when i was younger). im sure i will be eating humble pie at some point over this but... i really don't think, regardless of what he is actually saying, that he is saying 'trust me'.

and in a way - it's the implications of it that are more interesting to me: because if aziraphale doesn't say 'trust me' in this bit, but both he and crowley acknowledge that he says it at some point, when does he say it?

#good omens #1941 spec #flashback meta #this is probably the most unhinged meta/spec ive written to date. and thats saying A Lot #aziraphale meta

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ordophilosophicus · 7 days

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What it means to be a Moreau:

An essay and analysis of Jean Moreau's character-conflict (Aftg and TSC - spoilers)

What this will not be about: The actual content of the book. Ok, that's not fully true. I am not about to discuss if something that happens itself is good/bad, in character etc. Or criticize topics.

What this will be is an analysis of parallels, character-motifs and questions concerning their trajectory and hindsight of actions. Questions AND Ideas how to answer these questions.

What does it mean when Jean states "I am a Moreau '', Why does TSC feel a bit like a crunched up Aftg? What constitutes the actual conflict of Jean - since either choice (staying or leaving) appears to be certain death? Why does Rikos death and Kevin's betrayal (the hand thing) matter to Jean?

The book came out and my heart went racing. These books (aftg and tsc) bring me great joy, all I will criticize and analyze in this tiny, a bit too long essay, is said with greatest love and sincerity towards these books. But there can be said a lot - especially about TSC.

Get a snack and hop on.

Parallels between aftg and tsc - Stories about identity:

First of all let's begin with Nora's great writing of POV's. In this book we do get two pov's, giving us contrast to Neils in Aftg. Meaning we see the world, the characters from three different perspectives. And Nora makes them all matter. In the end I will tie it back with interpreting Jeremys pov, but for now let's only look at Neils and Jeans. A lot of characterization is made by what is focused on in their respective povs. What characters are interesting, how much rumination (thought) vs action is expressed. Both are unreliable narrators, and both tell us so much about what matters to them.

Both Aftg (Neils arc) and TSC (Jeans arc) are about the loss and gain of identity. From the retrospective, the arc consists of questions such as: Who am I?; Can I change who I am?; and what am I worth? But both arcs start with a clear sense of identity which is threatened.

However, somehow Neils arc is more concise and clear cut. Of course, part of this can be attributed to the simple fact that there will be a (second and maybe third part) to come for TSC, but it's mainly the groundworks I think which are "lacking". They are not necessarily lacking but rather not as (clear/spelled out).

The theme of "Identity" is special, since the stakes in the book/ark are about identity and its loss. Other stakes (death, loss of friendship, love etc) are not the main focus. The characters struggle and peril is about the loss of identity, which would mark a step into an unknown world they cannot navigate, and bring other dangers they avoided or dealt with the current identity. (Example: Lying vs telling the truth. Former obstructs the consequences of the truth, the later means you need to deal with the consequences.) On the other hand, it is the alternative identity which provides something of interest for the charatcer, creating a conflict of WANTING and perception of SELF. They WANT friends, but would need to GIVE UP their former sense of protection.

We are introduced to Neil Josten, and his very solid perception of identity. He is "nothing" = He has no right and no attachment to anything. He is a liar and alone. The conflict is created by offering him Exy and later on a team. Security stands in conflict with ending his loneliness and the feeling of not mattering. Nora introduces this conflict very early and very clearly. It is what makes us sympathize and, more importantly, understand and buy into the crazy thing Neil does to keep his secrets.

However, there is another identity which rides that one of "Neil Josten." Nathaniel Wesninski, the identity attached to that name, becomes more prominent throughout the books, and in the end, Neil needs to accept this identity to move on.

Nathaniel Wesninski's identity is very much spelled out in AFTG and it must be so, to make this shift of identity so impactful. A Wesninski is: loyal, does not lie, cruel but true. The very opposite of Neil Josten.

Nathaniel Wesninski is tied to the Moriamas, and is tied to his father. To pain, loss and a life of consequences and responsibility. (Not to run). The stake to shift to this identity (to be this person) is made clear by showing throughout the books how each of these parts are dangerous. And every step Neil takes (especially in the first and second book) is to avoid having to lose Neil Josten and be Wesnisnki.

And it works excellently. We fear WITH Neil when he makes the shift to Wesnisnki in Lolas car, and it is an epiphany when Riko dies and Neils makes a deal with Ichiro. When he wins in Exy and can play Exy. Because he not only shifted in the identity, he did not lose Neil Josten. He successfully changed to a Wesninski, to then further to a NEW Neil Josten. (Important: It's not losing an identity, which makes the arc powerful. It's the change of self. Nora is very explicit by making it a three step program. Josten. Wesninski, and "New" Josten.) We see what is the conflict, we get the stakes, and we see how Neil resolves the problems and takes on a new, stronger identity.

TSC is about Jean and a similar problem. However the swap, or rather the whole conflict does not appear as strong as with Neil. And the reasons for it are very simple, though still relevant for the trajectory of the story and possibility for the reader to emphasize and root for Jean.

TSC starts out with the bonus that we are already entranced with the fate of Jean and understand The Nest and Riko. However, what we do not know is Jeans' identity. Who does he think he is?; What stakes does he think hinge on being "Jean Moreau, the Raven, belonging to the Moriyamas' '? WHY is it so tremendous to leave the Nest, and what does he have to gain? What is the trade and what is the challenge? Etc. All that we have established with the Neil example prior.

Through Jean's mantra we get told that Jean has some kind of values attached to being "a Moreau '' and being "part of the Nest/belonging to the Moriyamas". The fatal problem is, we are never told what this actually means.

As readers we can understand why Jean is afraid to leave the nest, what Riko has done and could do to them. But this does not create the conflict we are looking for and plays out in the book. The conflict is happening, but the pov Nora gives us through Jean does not sufficiently explain what this conflict actually is about.

The answer is given implicitly and between the lines. These few bits I will try to spell out and interpret. Further, there could be a stronger case in certain scenarios, to make the conflict around Jeans identify stronger, and his relation to other characters more impactful.

First let's consider:

"What does it mean to be a Moreau?"

When Jean realizes he had been taken from Evermore, he tries to bargain with others and himself that he cannot leave. "Because he is a Moreau", and he belongs to Riko/the Moriyamas. But we are not let in WHY this exactly is a problem. Oh no, how horrible to not be beaten to death. If Jean leaves, Riko and his family will be angry and could try killing him. But the same appears to be possible if he GOES BACK. The whole first chapters establish that Jean is neither safe in nor outside the nest. (He might think it's safer inside, but for the reader, it is clear this being not the case.)

Therefore, this conflict is not of external stakes, but internal. If Jean leaves, it would mean breaking with his identity, losing himself, creating or letting in problems he formerly avoided or dealt with through the identity he is trying to keep. It is essential that we understand WHAT HE IS TRYING TO UPHOLD.

Duty and being reliable:

I think we can define "being a Moreau" by being a person who has a strong sense of duty. Who is reliable and sensible. I mainly read this from the fact that Jean asks Jeremy to add "being conform with USC appearance" to his contract. He has a duty to serve Ichiro, and by putting conformity in the contract, by extension he has a duty to be conform.

""You will have to pen it in," Jean said. "I won't sign it unless you do." It was the only way this worked: If Jean signed something that said he had to behave to be allowed to stay on the lineup, he could bite his tongue and stay his fists. It'd piss him off beyond telling, but he could follow orders if it meant surviving another day." p.71(kindle)

But this does not fully explain why breaking with the ravens is problematic for Jean in the beginning of TSC. Nora has not forgotten or overseen this, but it's not explicitly put in the text. Jeans backstory is about being sold to the Moriyamas. He is given the duty by his parents to serve Moriyama. Nora had portrayed it very much in a way that Jean was very reluctant to do. Although understandable, I propose to read this character more strongly. Make this matter more:

Jean is an older brother, prior to being sold, he had already understood himself as a reliable and dutiful person. An older brother to take care of his baby sister. A Moreau to in the future take care of business. resourceful and reasonable. Dutiful and compliant.

When he is told by his parents he is sold "as Moreau" - not as anybody, he is sold with a duty to represent and pay off the depth(?) of his family. Perform on the court, show the worth, protect his family, his baby sister.

His place at Evermore and belonging to Riko would be/is tied to his understanding of being a Morou. Leaving Evermore, would mean to not fulfill his duty, to give up, to be unreliable, since his parents and his sister counted on him.

If we accept "duty" and "reliability" to stand in the center of Jean's identity and conflicts, all other relationships and actions are to be seen from the perspective of Jean trying to protect this identity and stay conform with it. Most notably this strengthens both the events and dynamic between Jean and Kevin, and Jean and Riko respectively.

Riko & The Ravens:

Imagine Jean had been brought to the Nest, unwilling, hurt by betrayal, but with a strong sense of duty to go through with this. Take this burden given to him, and perform. Riko would have picked up on this. The amount of violence, the "breaking in" of Jean was not simply cruelty or any weird family feud thing. It was Rikos testing, an attempt to break Jean's sense of self. If he would not be able to perform on court, not achieve it - he would break his promises. Jean's small but consistent rebellions against Riko are an expression to keep his duty. He plays games even if he is hurt, he does not kill himself. For Jean to fulfill his duty and sense of self(worth) means going along with whatever, and holding out whatever.

Giving up on Evermore is not only breaking his sense of identity and purpose, but also making the pain he insured pointless (as Jeremy notices so fittingly). It means Riko wins by breaking him. His fear of Riko is tied to his fear of losing his sense of self. And him losing Riko means he has failed his duty to play for him on the court. The ravens are described by Jean as "loving and hating" each other respectively. And that nobody in USC could ever understand. But nor can we truly. Why does Jean not hate them, why is he not happy Riko is gone? because it means he failed, and they all contributed to his identity and achievement of his promises. The deal he made with Zane was one of the best insights or examples we are given to understand the Nest. To FEEL the Nest dynamic. Survival, reliance, schemes, dependance. Cruel intimacy to others, to know their secrets and fears. If you are not tight with someone (Jean and Zane, or Jean and Kevin) you also cannot find a way to protect yourself. Knowing Zane loved that one Raven girl and wanted that number, gave him the ability to stay away from Grayson and not break. The ravens, and Riko are not only an obstacle to his success and upholding of his promises, they are the means to an end. He needs them as much as he despises them. That's why leaving them, and Rikos death matters for Jean.

Kevin:

On the other hand we have the relationship between Kevin and Jean. We are given more insight on how Kevin got out of the Nest: by fucking over Jean. This scene or event is gutwrenching BUT it could be STRONGER if Jean would have known and been complicit with Kevin. Jean loved/liked at least cared about Kevin. Although his sense of duty is tied to Riko and the court, there would also be such a sense towards Kevin. Especially if Kevin came and asked him, directly. Confronting Jean with concieving him as a reliable, to be trsuted person. The one friend you count on the get you out of the shit. If one can help him, it is Jean. Because he is a Moreau. If we would read it as Jean accepting the consequences of helping Kevin, we would lose this ark of betrayal. But we would not need to erase the discontent and hurt Jean holds towards Kevin. For Kevin would have known and relied on Jean's self understanding, and played him. Used him as means of an end. Asking a person who is used to compromising their own safety, who understands themselves as a rock at a shore and understands the pain and fear one goes through - calling/playing on that is as much as a betrayal and use of a person as it is simple "not telling him". It makes it worse in some sense, because it highlights the intimacy between Kevin and Jean. They knew each other very well, and Kevin used that knowledge, in raven fashion, to survive.

(On the other hand, I would agree one could read it in the original way, Jean not knowing, because Kevin is aware of Jean's understanding of duty. That Jean would feel the sense that he NEEDS to betray Kevin. So there is still room for interpretation.)

SUMMERY:

Okay, okay. That was a lot. Let's surmise what I claim: That Jeans sense of self is shaped by duty, more explicitly the one he holds from his parents to be perfect court, please the Moriyamas and protect his family (sister).

Leaving the Ravens endangers all of this, all his sense of self and all he has done to achieve it.

Riko dying means there is never a way back, and he has failed. It upheaves all he is and wants, even though Riko and the Ravens did horrible things to him.

Neil making the deal with Ichiro formed a new duty, and gave him a way out. A compromise. Play court, but with USC. And still Jean loses a lot, or everything he considered constitutive of himself when he leaves the Ravens and comes to USC.

Whom he has duties to? Formerly his Raven partner, now? Jeremy offers to take the role. His experiences and background make him take duties towards the other Trojans to give him a sense of worth (asking if Cody is ok with touching/flirting with them.)

Neil drags him to the FBi and Stuard, and he comes to know all of his efforts to protect his family had been in vain. And it is that point in which his last tie of "old" sense of duty, breaks off. He cannot hold onto the same ideas and rules, duties and objectives as before.

For Jean, this break is what is for Neil the end of a whole arc.

Whilst AFTG and TSC are similar in theme, they are very different in their outset. Whilst Neils whole arc is about getting and learning his new identity, Jean has to go through that all in one book. That's why we see and feel a great parallel between both characters, but also the arc itself. The telling of information, the parallel of fear of losing the old and gaining the new. Of betraying one's old identity/family in the end, and offer of a new, better, alternative.

However, Jeans arc does not end there. His story appears to be more about healing and the disconnect between outer, imposed, duty and value, and self-worth.

I think that's also why we get so little insight of Jeremys conflict in the first book. We get enough hints that have very likely to do with Jeremy being gay, stepfather, cops, maybe drugs and the family being publicly known. It has to do with imposed identity from the outside, self vs outer worth and dealing with that. We get so little from Jeremy, not only because he is an expert in talking and thinking around his own problems and issues, but because the story has Jean not ready yet. Jean first has to come in the same state Jeremy has been, or is in, before they both start pushing and pulling each other. Like Andrew and Neil could only start developing after Neil starts to compromise and change his sense of self, his willingness to be more than simple lying Neil Josten.

The same applies for Jean and Jeremy. But the end goal is about healing, and creating one's own self worth, rather than becoming a whole new self.

Thank you for coming to my ted talk.

p.s. I love Kevin, don't touch him.

#woops i had some stuff to say #this was fun and i hope interesting to read?#aftg #tsc #jean moreau #jeremy knox #the sunshine court #neil josten

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ellewritesandrants · 2 years

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Let’s be honest. The reason why Joyce and Jonathan don’t interact with Billy in the series is because they would clock his abuse the second they talked to him and the reason why Hopper has an intense dislike of Billy is because he used to be just like Billy and he hates the reminder of it. I like to think that in another universe, Jonathan befriends Billy before he becomes popular and Joyce realizes what’s going on when Jonathan invites him for dinner. She gives him the first motherly hug he’s gotten since his mom left him and she tells him that she’ll handle it. She then proceeds to ream Hopper out because he promised her that he wouldn’t let any more abusers slip through the cracks when he became Sheriff and he deals with Neil before properly combing Hawkins out for other abusers and getting rid of them.

Billy’s practically adopted by Joyce and he helps them realize that Will is acting weird thus preventing the trap from being set. Imagine Jonathan bringing Billy along with him whenever he went anywhere with Nancy and Billy being hated by Nancy since he took her place as top student in their year which infuriates her endlessly. They tell him all about the Upside Down and he helps the team at the lab with keeping everyone alive. He is extremely surprised to see Max with the other kids and while they fight, it’s only because they care about each other. Billy doesn’t meet Steve Harrington properly until that night and he doesn’t get how everything is connected until Jonathan tells him what happened and he laughs at the image of Steve being beaten in a fight by Jonathan before helping them with a monster called the Demogorgon. He’s a lot more chill with Jonathan’s influence so it’ll be so fun for him to literally whale on the demodogs as a form of anger management. He also doesn’t really dislike the kids since he knows for a fact that they’re Will’s friends so they must be somewhat okay since Will was okay.

Unsurprisingly, Billy and El get along like a house on fire after everything that happened which forces Hopper to change his opinion on Billy rather quickly. With either Billy or Max taking up her time, she doesn’t have time for Mike who the siblings both dislike. Billy and Max convince her that she could do better and much to Hopper’s delight, dumps his ass. Billy’s also a lot more comfortable talking to Joyce about what he went through so when the middle-aged mom brigade starts staring at him for too long, practically objectifying him, he’s willing to tell Joyce who tears into them with fervor. The kids spend equal amounts of time bothering Billy at the pool and begging Steve for free samples which Billy complains about to Jonathan who tells him that he signed up for it so he needs to just deal with it.

The events of season 3 still happen with the mindflayer but weirdly enough, it’s with Tommy and Carol who were heading to the motel to have some fun. They immediately target Steve when coming back and he realizes that the mind flayer has Tommy pretty fast and he gets El to take care of it with Billy’s help in holding Carol back without killing her. Later on, Billy helps Steve with the Russians too and he manages to distract the guards well enough for them to escape untortured so they could get back up in the form of Hopper and El.

Weirdly enough, Steve starts to see Billy in a new light while Jonathan has been slowly falling for his new best friend for a while now. Billy’s had crushes on both boys at different times but he’s pretty sure they’re both straight and into Nancy so he doesn’t bother. Cue The Byer-Hoppers deciding to move to California for a new start and Jonathan inviting Billy to come with them with the promise of bringing Max and Susan too if he wanted. Steve tries to convince him to stay. Billy doesn’t know how to choose between the temptation of freedom and a newfound familiarity.

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squipdop · 1 month

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HIIIII CAN I ASK ABOUT THE SIX YEARS LATER AU???

Howd they bring up the junior scouts idea to max??? Was he like Whatever sure or super tsundere or surprisingly emotional that they wanted him back after he aged out?? Did anyone else come back or do special day-long visits like how schools bring in visitors? What does max think of the new kids? They all look so cool i love Max's hair!!!!

HI HI HELLO YES OFC!!! :33

Okay so. I call it the '6 years later' AU but technically i have Stuff Planned for all the time that passed between now and then too, so this'll be a bit longer, sorry!!

Max joining the counselor team was actually kind of a natural/gradual development?? Basically, since I can't make CC content that isn't found family Max has a shit home life, and, even if he hates to admit it at first, the three months of summer camp become his bright spot each year. David and Gwen catch on to that, but there isn't much they can do to help outside of camp - until one day Max (age 13/14ish) shows up on Gwen's doorstep because he ran away from home, 'since his parents won't care either way'. While he does return home after hiding out at Gwen's place for a weekend, this kind of kicks off a pattern of Max running away sporadically, to Gwen's, later David's, or his friends places. I could go into more detail here but. this is already long. oop.

ANYWAYS. So with Max spending basically all the time he can away from home and the summers at camp, once he ages out there's. A Bit of panic starting in him once summer gets closer again, because his Safe Place seems inaccessible, and two of his OTHER options, especially for longer stays away from home, would also be unavailable. Gwen and David notice this (it manifests in Max staying over More but Angrier) and try to find a solution. Gwen proposes the Jr Counselor idea. They introduce the idea to Max by kinda implying that workload around camp is a lot, and it'd really hurt to miss one of their most experienced campers, but... maybe, if he worked there too (well, interned. basically unpaid. but! no camp tuition!) he could help them? so they basically give Max a way to say yes without admitting that he's the one who needs camp the most. He does insult the whole thing ofc, and says like he's just doing it because he knows camp would burn down without him there ("actually, most of the fires we had were started by you...?" "shut it, david") but secretly he's really really happy. He might even thank them later that evening. Quietly. Before complaining about it preemptively. <3

WAH THATS ALREADY SUCH A WALL OF TEXT ok ill hurry up w the rest:

While most of the other campers had some rotations over the years, I don't have conk rete plans for most of them - Nikki and Neil are still Max' gang, and returned for multiple summers, if not all. This year though, Neil is busy with college prep, and Nikki is spending the summer at home because of family crisis. They still video call a lot, they're still The Gang. I have sketched designs for them, but I'm not quite happy yet.

Max at first doesn't take his role seriously, because he's basically just Back For Another Summer, but pretty quickly realises Gwen and David DO have expectations, and DO give him responsibilities. He takes a while to come around on his new relationship to the younger kids, and especially one of the youngest kids takes a liking to him, a very anxious young girl, which annoys him at first, but... well. It's a whole ~character arc~ for Max waiting to happen tbh.

OK THANK YOU IF YOU MADE IT THIS FAR IM SORRY ITS SO LONG. i wasnt lying when i said i have So Many Thoughts about this. ANYWAYS as thank u for getting this far heres a doodle of Max putting up his hair. :3c

#Camp Camp #Camp Camp Max #Camp Counselor Max AU #<- the AU tag #Nudel draws stuff #bitt-better

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audhd-nightwing · 2 years

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more of punk!steve bc i adore him

steve first runs into the Party at the arcade (where he works part time because he wants to make his own money as a ‘fuck you’ to his parents and cuz it’s a chill job) and he becomes their favorite worker and they become his favorite customers. one day steve takes a smoke break in the parking lot and sees some kids bullying the Party and his older brother instincts kick in.

he walks up behind the party like “well well what do we have here?” and the Party is like “steve!! :D” and steve in his leather jacket and ripped jeans and combat boots glares down the bullies and they scamper off. from then on steve tells the kids to go to him if someone is bothering them and it becomes town-wide knowledge not to mess with byers wheeler henderson & sinclair. he basically becomes their personal Scary Dog.

the parents end up wanting to meet this young man who kept bullies away from their kids (and they’ve heard all sorts of rumors about him and he dresses like That so they’re suspicious) and steve’s like “yeah sounds great!” and immediately charms all of them because he’s a sweetheart and does genuinely care about and want to protect their kids. from then on he’s the go-to babysitter / ride to school / campaign host. steve pretends to be annoyed but he loves it and treats them all like they’re his younger siblings (especially lucas and dustin)

joyce and steve bond especially and they have coffee dates every sunday and just talk (joyce tries to get steve to come to her when he needs help or just someone to listen). at first everyone who sees them is super confused because what is paranoid mother Joyce Byers doing with the high school bad boy Steve Harrington?? but after a couple months it just becomes commonplace and people will even stop by to say hi

i also think jonathan and steve would end up being best friends in like freshman year and steve would get jancy together in s1 (steve and nancy don’t date). he’s never a third wheel though they have a great “this is my boyfriend and our best friend steve” type relationship. (plus jonathan never takes the creepy pics and the whole fight never happens so they’re all chill).

steve and robin are fellow outcasts so they’re chill. then steve beats up some guys who harassed her and they become actual friends and steve lets robin come over whenever her parents are being shitty. steve lowkey converts her into a punk and they basically do illegal shit and have a bunch of fun.

btw steve is a fully realized biromantic demisexual (or just queer whatv lol) and he has an extremely accurate gaydar which is partially why stobin become friends. anyways i’m mentioning this becauseee

steve meets will byers and Immediately Knows and pretty much comes out to him and tells him it’s okay and he becomes wills Gay Mentor (imo jonathan can either be straight or queer and just not really informed abt gay shit so steve would be the mentor in his place bc they’re basically brothers anyway (joyce absolutely tries to adopt steve multiple times)).

steve meets max at the arcade before any of the Party befriend her and she immediately becomes another of his favorite customers (the ranking is dustin, will & lucas & max, mike). she thinks he’s super cool and basically projects onto him as an older brother figure and he’s happy to play the part. he notices the way billy treats max and threatens him that if he ever treats her like that again he will kill him and hopper will help him hide the body. things are pretty peaceful for max after that. additionally neil hargrove gets arrested for domestic and child abuse and billy takes his car and leaves without a word. max’s mom still drinks so steve kinda unofficially adopts her, she has her own room in his house and ends up staying there most days. he ends up actually adopting her later but they’re still more of an older brother & younger sister dynamic than father & daughter

steve doesn’t interact with eddie until s4 but they know of each other and are on neutral terms until the byers move to cali and eddie starts DMing for dustin lucas mike erica and max (who steve managed to convince to play). they’re wary of each other at first but eddie realizes steve is actually a huge softie and steve realizes eddie is just a cute dork who reads LOTR and plays D&D.

steve isn’t on any sports teams or anything but he works out on his own, goes for jogs every morning with jonathan and nancy especially after the demogorgon and demodog shit. basically he’s fit and good at fighting (due to more experience with it) and nancy taught him how to shoot so he can do that too. most of his scars are from demo-creatures instead of fistfights, though he has a few of those too (not from jonathan or billy tho).

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sumarak · 3 months

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S4 of Camp Camp was a mixed bag for me because I like the premise of "Keep the Change" but not the execution. What the episode does is really good, but I don't like the episode itself. Anyway, I wanna talk about the whole "people can change for the worse and for the better" message.

Max changing for the better/being kind and David changing for the worse/being shitty has been set up since S2 - specifically in "Bonjour Bonquisha." For example:

Max being caring but doing it out of selfish reasons appears here for the first time as the plot revolves around Max inspiring the other campers to do something nice for David because he cannot stand him when he's miserable. This is later paralleled by the conflict Max has in S4, "Time Capsules," where he only helps Gwen to make himself feel better. Both have selfish motivation, but the difference is that the first attempt was genuine, while in the second he was forcing himself to be nice. More on this later.

David ends the episode by punching Jacob out of jealousy in front of the entire diner.

So both have previously established episodes that put their character progression into perspective. But an interesting thing about Max is that he is very much capable of care it's just that he doesn't recognize it as such. Max has several episodes where he saves/helps David and/or the camp (the two often overlap) for example: Order of the Sparrow, Bonjour Bonquisha, The Fun-Raiser, Dial M for Jasper, Cameron Campbell the Camp Campbell Camper, Camp Corp and Arrival of the Torso Takers. He also has plenty of episodes where the central plot revolves around comforting/or showing concern for Nikki: Camp Cool Kidz (trying to convince her Ered is using her), Anti-Social Network, Eggs Benefits, etc. He also stands up for Neil in "Culture Day" and learns how to be more genuine and kind to everyone in "Camp Corp". There's also the example of him learning to be nicer to Dolf in "Candy Kingpin". And all of that is before S4 in which he realizes how much he has changed and starts making an active effort to be better.

you'll notice that it gradually happens more often, but the one throughline is that even when he acts compassionate or caring, it is undercut by him using shady methods, complaining, or there being something that's in it for him. Like using David's credit card, getting people to beat up the councilors, asking for something in return (usually more dessert). But there are some examples of legit soft kindness like famously in Parents Day but also in "Dial M For Jasper" where after a remorseful look they decide it's better to lie to David and let him be content and happy rather than distress him further. And while he does complain or use shady methods, most if not all of these episodes demonstrate that he is capable of caring for and being kind to the people around him on his own accord.

now remember how earlier I said that in "Time Capsules," Max's attempts at being nice aren't genuine like in earlier episodes despite the two having the same premise? this is where that comes in: that ep is the first time he seeks character development rather than it happening TO him. In the time capsule, he struggles with the idea that he will never be happy or change for the better. the thing is, Max doesn't have to worry about if he's becoming a kinder person because he's already been doing kind things. he doesn't realize how naturally that development has happened and how genuine he can be.

like WHY save david in arrival of the torso takers? he does it because he wants to. he doesn't realize that all of the change he's gone through so far has not been directly intentional but it HAS been genuine. and all the care he exhibits from people doesn't need to be forced out of him because he's already proven he has a capacity for it multiple times.

like he cares abot people in his own flawed way thats often undercut by his little shit personality. its like he doesn't realise he cares for them while hes doing it. like why try to cheer david up? just. because. because he's annoying if he doesnt do it. why try to make nikki feel better? because it's dumb when she's panicking over platypus eggs. like he does care for people but its never an overt attempt to be kind, he just does it naturally. which is why "Time Capsule" wasn't genuine.

It's better to be genuine and flawed than to attempt to masquerade niceness as kindness. I've said it before but Max isn't meant to be nice. He is learning to be kind.

#max camp camp #camp camp david #camp camp #long post

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inhonoredglory · 2 months

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Hello! I've stumbled upon the post of yours about Crowley and Aziraphale being ace, thank you so much for voicing so perfectly what I never could but always felt. The scene at the ball though is wrong - Crowley says "you don't dance" instead of "we don't dance", Neil said that was one of the subtitle mistakes that happened during the strike and I was wondering, does it make any difference for the interpretation? Like, implying Aziraphale has no experience but Crowley does since you pointed out dancing is a euphemism for sex? Or is it a nod to the book that says demons dance (badly) and angels don't? (I felt like in the book and in the series that explanation had no double meaning but was simply about dancing, unlike the ball scene in season 2)?

Thanks for reading my aromantic Ineffable meta and popping in with a very thoughtful and interesting question on Crowley's statement here:

For context, in my original interpretation (with the mis-subtitled “We don’t dance”), I took Crowley’s statement to imply that he believed both of them understood their relationship to be of a certain kind and was questioning Aziraphale’s attempt to change it (by making it more public and physical by dancing).

I do think the core of this idea still holds even knowing that Crowley actually said “You don’t dance.” Crowley’s delivery of that line is deeply serious, and is weighed by much more than just a cheeky nod to the books.

Which (if we look at the book) is interesting, because the “angels don't dance” segment is directly connected to the discreet gentlemen’s club (aka Azi’s gay dance club era doing the “kissing dance”), contrasting Aziraphale’s willingness to “dance” in comparison to other angels. So, I actually would like to speculate that there’s a double entendre to the book’s passage as well (because if it’s one thing that feels particularly Terry Pratchett, it’s making innuendo out of some hollow theological question):

Over the years a huge number of theological man-hours have been spent debating the famous question: How Many Angels Can Dance on the Head of a Pin? In order to arrive at an answer, the following facts must be taken into consideration: Firstly, angels simply don’t dance. It’s one of the distinguishing characteristics that marks an angel. They may listen appreciatively to the Music of the Spheres, but they don’t feel the urge to get down and boogie to it. So, none. At least, nearly none. Aziraphale had learned to gavotte in a discreet gentlemen’s club in Portland Place, in the late 1880s, and while he had initially taken to it like a duck to merchant banking, after a while he had become quite good at it, and was quite put out when, some decades later, the gavotte went out of style for good. So providing the dance was a gavotte, and providing that he had a suitable partner (also able, for the sake of argument, both to gavotte, and to dance it on the head of a pin), the answer is a straightforward one. (x)

Of course, Aziraphale is only willing to “dance” (or, if we take that as its euphemism, “have sex”) under very specific circumstances, with a very particular partner, and that it didn’t come naturally but was learned (and eventually very much enjoyed). Which I think tracks with Neil saying they can be read as asexual.

I think Crowley, knowing the implications of dancing, is commenting on what he believes about Aziraphale, that angels “don’t do that.” It’s probably been battered into him by Hell that demons do in fact dance (“Not what you would call good dancing though” (x) But angels do not. His apparent shock is him shifting his viewpoint on what Aziraphale is capable of and what Aziraphale wants from him.

I think if it’s one thing this season showed us is that Aziraphale definitely feels more experienced than Crowley, and more willing to take their relationship in a physical direction. But both of them are absolutely clueless about romance, relationship labels, and how to fit their transcendent love into tiny human boxes.

So, I guess to sum up, I don’t think the correction in what Crowley said changes my overall interpretation of my analysis (their essentially aromantic selves). Instead of a comment on what Crowley believes about them together, it now becomes more personal––more about what Crowley himself realizes about Aziraphale’s desires. That Aziraphale wants to be more public, more physical, more romantically-coded than he previously imagined Aziraphale was willing (or wanting) to be.

#good omens #go meta #good omens meta #aromantic #go aro week #aromanticism #ineffable husbands #good omens 2 #go s2 meta #asexual #ineffable romance #asexuality #good omens 2 meta #*mine #*mymeta

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rhapsodynew · 4 days

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Unsuccessful audition of the Beatles on January 1, 1962. Who was in the gap?

Sometimes it seems that the history of the Beatles consists solely of triumphs. But this is far from the case. To break through to fame, the Liverpool foursome had to go through hundreds of hours of rehearsals, exhausting concert marathons, and touring on a cold bus. And failed auditions, of course.

The most famous one took place on January 1, 1962. The sample for Decca has become legendary. What happened in London on that frosty, snowy, festive day?

It all started when Mike Smith, a representative of the Decca label, got to see the Beatles perform at the Cavern Club on December 13, 1961. The guys seemed promising to him. They were offered an audition.

John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Pete Best came from Liverpool to London with driver Neil Aspinall. Due to the blizzard, the journey, which takes four hours, stretched to ten hours. The musicians arrived just in time for the audition scheduled for 11 a.m. Brian Epstein traveled separately by train.

The Beatles of 1962: with Pete Best

Mike Smith himself was late due to the stormy celebration of the New Year. The musicians didn't like it too much. As well as the requirement to use Decca amplifiers due to the poor quality of the Beatles' equipment.

That day, 15 songs were recorded in about an hour without duplicates and overdubs. The most interesting ones are "Like Dreamers Do", "Hello Little Girl" and "Love Of The Loved", written by Lennon and McCartney. They are not included on any Beatles album and exist only in this performance:

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The rest are covers, which by that time had become part of the Beatles' repertoire.:

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Once in a professional studio and performing not in front of a crowd of Liverpool guys, but in front of stern pros, the Beatles faded slightly. And who wouldn't be embarrassed! In a nervous environment, they did not play to the maximum of their abilities. But all four were confident that the session would inevitably lead to a contract with Decca.

In the evening of the same day, they had a festive dinner, Brian even allowed the guys to order wine.

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But it turned out differently. A few weeks later, the Decca label notified the band that it preferred The Tremeloes, who auditioned on the same day. Transportation costs played a role: it was easier to work with locals rather than with visitors from Liverpool.

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Officially, the head of the Department of Artists and Repertoire Decca Dick Rowe uttered his catchphrase: "Guitar bands are going out of fashion, Mr. Epstein." That did not prevent him from subsequently signing a contract with the Rolling Stones — and still breaking the bank.

Rowe himself insisted that he had said nothing of the kind. Either Brian Epstein seasoned a boring story with a spectacular phrase, or Dick Rowe was trying to distance himself from one of the biggest mistakes in the history of show business...

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The Beatles, of course, were depressed. But there is no silver lining. If they had signed a contract with Decca, they probably wouldn't have brought Ringo Starr into the lineup like that. Their careers would have followed a completely different scenario.

High-quality listening tapes allowed Brian Epstein to offer his wards to other labels. Which eventually led to a meeting with George Martin, the producer of Parlophone. After hearing the Decca recordings, he was interested enough to offer the Beatles an audition at the Abbey Road studio.

Now they had a better drummer, more studio experience, and another year of songwriting, performing, and touring in Hamburg. They were a different group.

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George Martin's willingness to record the Beatles' original material, explore new directions, and experiment in the studio was crucial to the band's success. A tougher producer working "by the rules" would hardly be capable of such flexibility. So the failure turned into a triumph in the end!

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just-1other-nerd · 9 months

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Good Omens live blog ep. 12

Once again, did not totally forget this one in my drafts, I don't know why you're saying that...

He doesn't have real candles anymore, after the incident

How did he know from which class Muriel was?

I like the way he contrasts heaven so much, it just looks so weirdly pretty. Also, he's just got the gayest walk

Oh no, not the angel outfit

Maggie, love, now is the wrong time to awake your inner badass. Aaand just minutes later we've got an I told you so situation

The circle is such a nice callback and clever as well

The Muriel Crowley combo is one of the best things in this season

Crowley was high up in the heavenly ranking? I just know that there will be so many fan theories

Gabriel, or shall I say Jim, is just enjoying the chaos

Did Gabriel just say "Nah", like for real? He's such a bitch

Why is Saraqael so chill right now?

I'll do myself one better: Why was Gabriel so chill about going to hell? Very sus

So that was the institutional problem, a bit unspectacular if you ask me

Not the BOOKS!!! As a fellow bookseller, this season really hurts me as much as the last one. Why do they keep doing this?

So halos are weapons? Cool. Idk how to explain it, but he throws it in such a gay way. Are they dead? Discorporated? Unconscious?

Love how Crowley just keeps giving orders, and they just follow them like he isn't a demon

So we got the high-ranking angels there, Lord Beelzebub and this seemingly high-ranking demon, but wtf is Furfur doing there?

Crowley just keeps insisting that there is no war and weirdly everyone listens?!

Saraqael has got the sass

I knew something was up with the fly! But I thought it was a false lead or to spy on them, not a container of Gabriel's memories!

Beelzebub is strangely nice and gentle

INEFFABLE BUREAUCRACY IS CANON?! I thought of this more as a fun crackship, and I thought it was so silly that this would never become canon, so I didn't expect the fly to be connected to Beelzebub in a good way.

When he shows them the statue, they just make an "okay weird" face and move on, I think that's hilarious

How his love for Beelzebub not only makes him do a miracle but also appreciate earthly things

But that montage convinced me that they deserve a happy ending somewhere where they can't hurt anyone. The way they look at each other. Damn Beelzebub has a pretty smile

Today everyone seems to forget Saraqael's name

Crowley's got such a fun dynamic with so many people

Oh, that one guy is still alive

Maggie makes some moves, you go girl!

The way Crowley proudly watches when Aziraphale becomes bossy

Alpha Centauri is back, I can't cope!!!

They're singing their song, that's so cute

Shax and Furfur being besties, like slay

Is that the Metatron? What is he doing here? I sense something bad coming

The way Crowley recognises him before everyone else is so funny

The Ritz, oh my God, the Ritz! And alone time?! Like a date?!

Crowley is putting everything back to where it was, that's husband behaviour

Nina and Maggie speaking the truth! And Nina called her angel! Best advice, 10/10. Is this really happening? Will the ineffable husbands really become canon? So excited!

The romantic music from the Blitz!

No, Aziraphale, don't interrupt him now!

Please, don't let that go to where I think it's going!

FUCK IT IS!!!

Aziraphale, I know you really believe what you're saying, but I'm with Crowley on this one!

We get a love confession anyways? I think I might be dying. The way he looks up trying not to cry, like same.

So many daggers are being put directly into my heart right now!

The sunglasses, NOOOOOO!

He really does understand it better than you, but he needs to explain it! There is so much more to say!

No nightingales. Really?! Neil knows the fandom to well, he knows exactly where to hit us, so that it really hurts. I love and despise him for this

Oh my God, it's happening, everybody stay calm, stay fucking calm! They really just kissed! It's canon y'all! But also: not like this! NOT THIS DESPERATELY AND NOT THIS DEVASTATINGLY! I'M IN AGONY!

Not the "I forgive you"! Aziraphale, you idiot, I can't even express why that line and Crowley's answer are so damn emotional and full of meaning. The parallels! I can't cope! I literally rolled off the couch, and now I'm lying on the carpet crying!

Not the lip touch!

I don't think Muriel will do any harm to the shop, but they'll probably make lots of mistakes...

He doesn't take anything with him because Crowley was the only thing that really mattered!

Crowley judgingly and sadly looking at Aziraphale and the Metatron makes the pieces of my heart break again! And the dramatic strings in the background aren't helping!

The second coming?! We're in for a wild ride in season 3, not only emotionally and characterwise but also plotwise! I literally can't wait!

I can't help but hope that he won't step into this elevator until the last second, but somewhere inside me, I know that he just isn't there yet in his character development

Crowley looks so heartbroken, he finally sees their relationship for what it is and now he's lost it! He's shutting down the nightinggales song and drives away expressionless

WHAT KIND OF AN ENDING IS THIS?! WHAT THE FUCK, NEIL, WHAT THE FUCK! HOW CAN YOU DO THIS TO US! ONLY SEASON 3 MIGHT BE ABLE TO HEAL US, BUT IT'LL TAKE FOREVER TIL IT'S OUT!

Loved this season, but damn do I feel an emotional overload and I have a love/hate relationship with that ending because as an aspiring writer, I would have done the same, it's brilliant, but it hurts so much!

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microsuedemouse · 3 months

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I’m still really thoroughly enjoying Midsomer, in season nineteen. John Barnaby is a great detective and a great protagonist; Neil Dudgeon is a very charismatic actor. John’s dynamic with Ben was a great follow-up to Tom’s, and his relationships with the following sergeants (and medical examiners, too) have been really fun. John’s home life with Sarah and little Betty has been a charming sequel to Tom’s with Joyce and grown-up Cully.

But all that said, I do think the show was stronger in the early seasons. All the sergeants have had their strengths, but Gavin is still my favourite - and I think the most fully realised deuteragonist, with the possible exception of Ben Jones. The first season’s plots had the advantage of being based on the novels; even where they may have made significant changes, there was still a wealth of material from which to pull the minor details.

I also think that while the show has always been inclined to remain plot-driven rather than character-driven, early seasons were a little better than later ones at following through on character arcs and character potential. It’s probably most obvious in Gavin - of all the show’s main characters, he probably got the most actual growth. In a truly character-driven story I think he could’ve gotten a lot more, even with Daniel Casey choosing to leave when he did, but he still very much grew. (He was also the only sergeant we got to say a proper goodbye to! Besides Tom*, he’s the only character we get to say a proper goodbye to at all, really. Everyone else is quietly phased out with little or no explanation.) Again, I think Ben places second here, but that may be by dint of how long he remains in the show - if he’d had a shorter run, like Dan before him or Charlie after, we likely wouldn’t have seen him come as far. And Tom and John, while fun to watch, don’t really do much growing themselves, because again: character growth isn’t the part, and they fill the role/archetype of The Mentor, meaning they already Are. They’re no longer Becoming.

Personally I’m very character-focussed as a media consumer, and my understanding is that most of the contemporary media audience is much the same, which is why we find more character-driven stories than plot-driven in the market. And so of course I’m drawn more deeply to the earlier seasons of the show, where character development is at least somewhat more prominent than in later seasons. While they don’t truly have ongoing personal arcs or plotlines, the characters have a bit more happening in their personal lives early on. They have things that change or develop over time. By more recent seasons there’s very little of that at all, and while they’re still fun characters on the surface, it makes them flatter and less engaging. More static.

I don’t really have a conclusion I’m building toward here or anything. I’m just sort of… thinking aloud (so to speak) about what makes me miss the early seasons so much when the later stuff is still quite fun to watch, on the surface. It’s a good show - but I can’t help thinking about how much even better it could be if it gave us just a little more.

*And even Tom’s departure is abrupt if, like me, you’re watching on a service that cuts out/edits the final scenes of many episodes. I’m gonna find those missing bits eventually, I swear.

#midsomer murders

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picturejasper20 · 8 months

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Camp Camp Max Character Analysis

Max is the main character from the adult animated series ¨Camp Camp¨. The series starts with him being sent to the Camp Campbell summer camp, which is in reality a scam. Max doesn't want anything to do with this place and he has to deal with this new status quo for all the entire summer.

Overview

While most of the campers and camp staff get development in the series, Max is one of the characters that gets the most complexity and changes the most throughout the show. This is why his arc is a bit difficult to analyse, since there are multiple aspects to consider when talking about it.

Max is introduced as the ¨grumpy cynical¨ character. Most of the time he is seen with a scowl or apathetic expression on his face. He is usually pessimistic, irritable and sarcastic. He rarely shows enthusiasm for the summer camp activities, showing no investment in them.

One iconic aspect of Max is how much he swears in contrast to other characters, including the adults that are in charge of the camp. He can be pretty rude and say inconsiderate things intentionally or unintentionally. He is usually outspoken and honest of how he feels about certain things, specially if he has negative opinions about it. However, he often says things he quickly regrets saying, showing that this rudeness isn't always intentional.

Max is one of the most intelligent characters in the show, being able to outsmart easily characters like Daniel and Campbell in their own game. He is able to come up with strategies and plans to get what he wants and has a clear determination to accomplish his goals.

He is skeptical of certain things and he is very good to notice when something is off. Some episodes involve him trying to investigate and solve mysteries. Because of this, he manages to help and/or save people like David in ¨Arrival of the Torso Takers¨ or learn the truth about Jasper's death in ¨Dial M for Jasper¨. It seems like he enjoys playing detective as well, such as seen in episodes like ¨Reigny Day¨ and ¨Who Peed the Lake¨. In both cases he looks for clues and interviews different people until he is able to reach a conclusion. Max has a twisted moral system. He is considered the ¨troublemaker kid¨ from the camp, a title he is proud of. He usually causes trouble on purpose for the camp counselors, David and Gwen. His mischiefs are aimed specially at David, who has a positive friendly personality that Max finds very irritating in Season 1. In general he is anti-authority, he doesn't trust adults and breaks the rules. He enjoys messing with them, to the point he blackmailed Gwen in one episode ¨Gwen Gets A Job¨.

In spite of his borderline criminal behaviour, Max has shown to have his limits. In ¨Into Town¨ he thinks that he pushed David too far to the point of murder, saying to himself ¨I'm not a monster!¨. It later just turned out to be David taking Nikki, Neil and Max to camping. He also disapproves of bigotry in general, calling it out when he sees others doing it.

Max is capable of showing regret for his actions or realizing when he pushes someone too far. Whenever that happens, he tries making up for his actions and apologize to the person he hurt. He later becomes more aware of how his actions affect others and gets better at apologizing from Season 3 onward.

Often is hard to guess to what extent Max is aware of his own behaviour. Some of the things he does seem to have not intention of doing harm to others. There are multiple signs that Max isn't good at reading nor handling emotions. He doesn't know how to react properly to certain situations such as shown when Nikki was crying in ¨Nikki's Last Day on Earth¨ with he not knowing how to cheer her up. When saying goodbye to Nikki and Neil in ¨Camp Corp¨ in the flashback, he acted indifferently and very coldly, pretending not to care and making his friends feel very upset as result.

Family background and overall impact

Much like other campers, a lot of Max's behaviour seems to be result of his upbringing. In the Season 2 finale ¨Parents' Day¨ most children's parents show up with exception of Max's, who never show up at all. Max spends most of the episode annoying other kids who are hanging out with their families and being more angry than his usual self. He is very frustrated when he sees other families having a great time in the night show, probably being jealous of them.

Eventually David and Gwen find Max's documents and notice that there is barely any information in them outside Max's name and age. The kid wasn't even signed up to an specific camp activity to do. This leads to the two camp counselors to realize that Max's parents don't care about him. As result, they take Max out of the show and go to order some pizza. David apologizes to Max for not picking up the signs earlier and understands why he was angry all the day . He tells Max that he hopes that he is able to be happy at camp, even if wasn't that day itself. Once they finish dinner, Gwen looks for the car, leaving Max and David alone. In a rare moment, Max gives David a quick hug and asks him to not tell anybody what just happened.

Max shows to have typical abandonment issues and PTSD symptoms. He usually avoids getting to close to anyone and is afraid of showing how he cares to other people. In ¨Camp Corp¨ he accidentally called Nikki and Neil ¨temporal friends¨ because he was afraid of losing them once the summer was over. He is afraid of showing his true feelings about certain situations or people, like when in ¨Camp Corp¨ people kept asking him why he wished to have the camp back and he avoided answering or coming up with some excuse.

He has a very pessimistic view of people as a whole, thinking that they are all ¨assholes who don't care about anything¨ and has a very hard time understanding how someone like David manages to stay positive all the time. After ¨The Order of the Sparrow¨ Max gains some respect for David's worldview and overtime seems to take a bit from it, even though his pessimism still remains part of him.

Max appears to have some suicidal tendencies as well. He often jokes about wishing to die or killing himself. In ¨Journey to the Spooky Island¨ he expressed to be happy at the idea of being faced by ¨eternal nothingness¨ when one dies, describing it as ¨great¨.

In ¨The Candy Kingpin¨ it was mentioned by Dolf that Max grinds his teeth in his sleep, often a result of stress and anxiety. Max indirectly mentioned ¨crying himself into sleep¨ in ¨Into The Town¨, showing how he prefers to cry when no one else is watching him. He also has a teddy bear who himself named ¨Mr. Honeynuts¨, probably using it as some for of comfort when he is feeling bad.

What is more, Max grews very anxious when he notices people acting differently from what he is used to. In "Arrival of the Torso Takers¨ he became paranoid when he saw David acting differently from what he used to (who later revealed himself to be Daniel). In ¨Something Fishy¨ he didn't like the idea of Gwen acting more happy and being nice and wished her to return to the way she was. In ¨The Butterfinger Effect¨ he grew anxious when he noticed that every camper was changing their hobbies and identities. He almost destroyed Space Kid's car, only to back down when he saw how happy Space Kid was playing with it. This also applies to him changing too. In ¨Keep the Change¨ he didn't like the idea that he himself was changing. In Season 4 finale ¨Time Crapsules¨ he was very confused when he felt bad about making Gwen cry and almost panicked.

This fear of people changing and becoming someone different probably comes from the fear of losing them as friends or their relationships not being the same as it was shown in ¨Camp Corp¨. In ¨The Butterfinger Effect¨ Max calmed down when he heard Space Kid talking about how the campers were still going to be friends even if they changed. Max appears to have a general fear of losing his friendships or the relationships he has with others changing in some way.

Max often shows a desire to be in control and is power hungry. He dislikes the idea of another person taking charge instead of him (Camp Cool Kidz). He believes himself to be in ¨charge of the camp¨ or being the one that is top of the social camp hierarchy. ( Cameron Campell the Camp Campbell Camper) ( The Butterfinger effect). Despite being anti authoritarian, he is rather authoritarian and demanding himself.

Nikki described as Max as being controlling when talking to Dolf and Nerris in ¨New Adventure!¨ and why she sometimes wants to take a break from him. This seems to be annoying at best for her since they are still close friends.

However, there are instances of Max really hurting others because of his controlling behaviour. The biggest example is ¨The Candy Kingpin¨ when Dolf wants to be Max's friend but Max is only using him to get candy and sell it to the kids. He insults and puts down Dolf when working with him. Eventually he realizes his poor treatment of Dolf and tries starting over with him, only for Dolf to turn down the offer because he knows that he deserves better friends than Max.

In ¨Follow the Leader¨ Max makes a truce with Pikeman and Sasha to find Campbell's package that landed on Spooky Island. While working together with them ,he learns that is a good idea to let others take the role of leadership, depending on the situation.

Max has fears of growing up and becoming someone like Campbell, who acts as foil for Max in the series. In ¨Camp Corp¨ he realizes that he doesn't want go on his life on his own acting selfishly, calling it ¨fucking stupid¨, after seeing how Campbell ruined his friendship with Camp Corp owners years ago. He also shown to be very hurt when Gwen told him that he is going to become someone bitter and more selfish growing up in ¨Time Crapsule¨. Later he feels very worried when he wasn't able to help Gwen feel better, seeing himself as a failure for getting how to ¨be good¨.

Character growth in the series

Throughout the show, Max goes through multiple changes. In the first season he doesn't want anything to do with the camp and mostly hates David's positive and caring nature. He tries escaping a few times, only to give up over time, probably because his attemps ended up in failure.

He spends most of season 1 trying to break David down, becoming somewhat obsessive about it. When he finally manages to do so in ¨The Order of the Sparrows¨, he realizes that it isn't as fun as he thought it would be because David isn't really angry, just tired, and he is aware that others don't care about the camp, that's why he chooses to do something about it. (¨Because someone fucking has to¨)

Max immediately regreted his rant and organized the event that David was trying to carry out, showing that he cared about David and that he was apologetic for his previous behaviour earlier in the episode.

Over the course of the seasons, Max grows fond of the camp. He starts to see David and Gwen somewhat as parental/ older sibling figures. There is more than one occasion he could have taken advantage to get rid of David or make the camp shut down, but he decided to help with keeping it open instead.

In ¨The Fun-Raiser¨ he helps with raising enough funds to keep the camp from shutting down. In ¨Cameron Campell the Camp Campbell Camper¨ he saved David from getting framed by Campbell by tricking Campbell in accidentally exposing his own crimes. In ¨Camp Corp¨ he took the time to come up with a plan to get the campers back, working together with David and Campbell. In part he bonded with David and Campbell while having to spend time with them.

In ¨Arrival of the Torso Takers¨ Daniel (who is pretending to be David in that moment) asked Max if he wished to have a different camp counselor that wasn't David. Max was taken back by this question and didn't know what to respond. He replied with ¨I don't know¨ demostrating that while he found David annoying he has grown to like the friendly counselor.

Max grows to be someone more empathic, kinder and more willing to make up for his actions. He apologizes to other more often and becomes more aware of how he pushes others away thanks to his cold- controlling behaviour.

However, he still struggles a lot with this as seen in ¨Time Crapsule¨. He spends most of the episode trying to cheer Gwen up after making fun of her diary and childhood dreams. He doesn't know how to do it and keeps messing it up. After Campbell's speech, Max comes with terms about how he isn't going to learn how to be a good person right away and it is going to take him time to do so. He apologizes to Gwen for acting so selfishly earlier and the two make up.

In the second part of the special ¨With Friends Like These¨ Max spends most of the day sulking about the summer camp is about to end. David tries asking him what is wrong and Max expresses how he is angry that the summer is ending.

Some time later David looks for Max and tells him that they are going on a hike. Once they reach a high point of the camp, David talks to Max about how Gwen found a dream job she has been looking for years and he doesn't know how he is going to run the camp without her. He suggests to Max to live in the present and appreciate the moments he has left in the summer camp instead of worrying about it finishing. Max seems to take this at heart, since he is later seen taking photos and hanging out with the other campers.

When they are trying to stop the robot the the kids built, Max gives a pep talk to David to encourage him, repeating the same words that David used all back in Season 1 finale (¨Because somebody fucking has to¨) leading to David to stop the robot and make it crash into the lake.

Max is last seen saying goodbye to the camp and David when he is taking the bud, looking forward to going to the summer camp next year.

Conclusion

Max is a kid that starts indifferent and closed off from almost everybody at the start of the show. Due to his very neglectful parents, Max struggles opening up to others and causes a lot of trouble in the camp.

Eventually he begins to enjoy being in Camp Campbell, even if he still dislikes parts of it. He begins to see it as kind of a second home to him and Gwen and David as sort of parental/sibling figures. In Season 3 onward, he tries to become a better person and unlearn some the toxic traits he got from his family environment and lack of proper role models. Eventually he comes with terms that he isn't going to get everything right away and it is something that is going to take him time.

At the end of the summer he admits that he had fun on the camp and he doesn't want for it to end, showing how much he has changed since the start of it.

#camp camp #camp camp max #character analysis #abandoment issues #cw suicide

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