If it isn't the simp

Does Henry like Peter? No. Would Henry jump in front of a moving car for Peter? Absolutely.

Henry may be try to win the ‘Idgaf war’ but there are SO many instances that when the two are alone, Henry DOES do nice things for Peter/helps him out, especially when their parents aren’t around. Same for Peter. The kid looks up to his big brother, and has fun with Henry, once again, when their parents aren’t around.

But also don’t forget Henry was well aware of what he was doing when he bullied his little brother, and Peter was well aware of how much trouble Henry got in when he told on him. But just because they go at each other’s throats sometimes, doesn’t mean they despise each other.

The difference between them I think is that Henry was able to form a bond with Peter before the comparisons started. Peter was just a baby, Henry was just a kid, (who did try to mail Peter away), but it wasn't as complicated.

Henry has a protective streak when it comes to Peter. He wouldn't have chased off a dog half his size or took the hit from a shelf if he didn't love his little brother or at least care about him.

Peter was literally raised in a household that taught him from day one that Henry was horrid, Henry was a bad son, Henry deserves this or that. Peter is made to believe his brother is one thing and one thing only. Someone who only brings him down.

Still, they have developed a relationship when comes to surviving against their parents constant comparisons.

Anyway, I love these doomed siblings

i just finished the ep this morning and knew i needed to make this immediately. come collect your badge guys

Players who get too focused on leaving the circus end up abstracting.

Caine can absolutely mess with the player’s minds

Caine intentionally targeted Jax in the most recent adventure, choosing him to distract himself in the plan.

Jax had a hallucination that looked like it almost ended in abstraction. He also had a panic attack that resulted in him pressing the Red button. The flashes in his mind were of the real world.

Caine didn’t want Kinger included in the adventure. He made a lot of references to them being close through Abel.

Caine wants all the players to stay with him and like him.

Caine’s most likely the cause of the first abstraction.

So what that leads me to believe is:

Caine targeted Jax because he’s usually the one that gets the most invested in the adventures and always enjoys them. But he suddenly wasn’t into it anymore and that worried Caine. The hallucination sequence was Caine trying to influence Jax’s mind and make him happy again but it pushed him to the brink of abstraction. That dinner was Caine probing Jax to see if what he did worked.

Every abstraction was caused by Caine. He messed with their minds as a last ditch attempt to make them happy and drove them insane,causing them to abstract.

Kinger absolutely knows how to leave the circus. Caine didn’t want him included in the adventure because he’s a Dev.

Caine probably did something to Kinger’s mind to try and erase the knowledge of the exit. But it didn’t work fully and that’s why Kinger is so lucid only in the dark. Caine tried to keep him in the dark so he wouldn’t get triggered into remembering something.

Pomni deserves her flowers for this episode for being the adult in the room.

Firs off even after jax said some wild ass shit to her in episode 6, she sees him leave the beach. she still reaches out. Asks how hes doing like 3 times. holds out her hand. She knows they're all in this together. She's not resentful or avoiding him or excluding him cuz they need to b together in this to get through (both in the plot and just in general)

And also, shes the only one who stays level headed thoughout all of it. Granted, she's got less baggage related to the circus itself (how many things did jax do to zooble? how long has everyone been there? how many friends have they lost?). She can both affirm the need to leave from everyone, and think clearly about the whole thing. Jax calls it out immediately out of cynicism, but Pomni is always level headed about it. She notices how weird it all it and that things don't add up, and wants to get advice from the senior person in the group.