Metaphorical Horses

You have been warned

First of all I fucking LOVED the Last Act, and I wanna get all my thoughts down in bullet point format (I'll probably make separate posts for some of these once I've had more time to think and look at screencaps after the 19th).

● KINGER IS A GIRLDAD CONFIRMED

● Additionally, we learn he has two daughters in the real world, and then it pans over to Kinger sitting with Ragatha and Pomni next to him 🥹

● Gangle gets to see that Zooble isn't infallible, and has struggles of their own. I've been waiting for a moment like that since ep 6 and "Of course not, you're Zooble." We did get a good one in ep 8 too with the hug, but though understated I do think ep 9 really shifted Gangle's perspective in a good way

● Also Gangle's "Why can't I cry for him?" fucking BROKE me but I was so glad to see it. He was her abuser but that doesn't mean she wanted to see him basically kill himself.

● Overall the nuance and grace given to Gangle and her reaction to Jax's abstraction was so well done. Complicated feelings indeed.

● SOMA theory my beloved, I've been ride or die for this one since like. Episode 4. I just think it made the most sense, and fit best with the themes of the show

● Speaking of, I went into the theatre saying "I don't think they'll get out of the circus, and honesty I'll be disappointed if they do." Because if we go by Gooseworx's stated theme of "there is meaning to be found in a stagnant life", them just escaping and going back to their regular human lives would feel like a massive betrayal of that. Pomni said they needed to abandon the idea of leaving, and I think they're better for it.

● RAGATHA AND POMNI HUG >>>>> I loved this scene between them, genuinely. Ragatha has needed support like that for so long, and I'm sure it felt so fucking good to hear that Pomni considers her her first and closest friend in the circus.

● Also I think they should kiss about it......

● Kinger acknowledging Pomni and how quickly she adjusted, how much of a rock she's been for the other members, teaching her how to conjure? I love him your honor

● Speaking of conjuring, they remade the circus. The way it looked. Even before Caine came back. Much to think about for me.

● CAINE REALIZING HE FUCKED UP AND TEARING THE OTHER AI OUT OF HIS HEAD

● As he climbed his shape staircase and broke down the walls he started to look more human... He was gaining empathy for his troop in real time, finally able to understand them better and realize exactly how badly they've been suffering

● I cried at all the scenes in the credits of Caine being included in the group, I won't lie. Getting his own Christmas sweater and drawing with Gangle and eating at the table with everyone. They're a family your honor

● Speaking of the ending... ZOOBLE AND GANGLE FINALLY GOT TO HAVE SEX

● I immediately turned to my girlfriend once I realized what the hearts above Zooble's door meant and went "GANGLE'S DOOR IS OPEN"

● One of the Jaxes saying there's a "strict no girls allowed policy" followed by a scene of a chained up padlocked door.... God she's so repressed

● Ribbit put the bow on Jax's head and I whisper screamed to my gf and sibling "I fucking CALLED IT"

● Ribbit and Kaufmo! I was glad to see more of them. And Ribbit's room kicks ass (my gf says hear me out for Ribbit.... and I agree)

● Knowing that everyone is out in the real world doing well makes me so happy. Kinger and Queenie are together with their kids, Ragatha is away from her mom, Gangle is drawing again, Zooble has their own bar, Jax isn't homeless. Not only not homeless anymore, but frequenting a queer bar and finally coming to accept an identity other than cishet

● Gooseworx really said staying in the closet and pushing away other queer/trans people and wallowing in self hatred will get you killed. And she's right.

● Ribbit was MORMON??? As an exmo myself I was very suprised lmao, but I understand them so much better because of it. Also living in a predominantly Mormon area it was fun to hear the theatre's reactions to it. Presumably the majority of fans of this show in and around my city are either exmo themselves or were never Mormon but still know way too much about it

● Jax and Pomni hug 🥹

● Zooble being the first one to accept Caine back into the fold.... god bless them and their emotional intelligence fr fr. Yes it'll take time and effort to build up trust again, but he's still their ringmaster. And he's willing to try.

● Caine overall made me so happy. He's such a sweetheart I just wanna give him a hug. And he's gaining so much maturity now, letting go of his fear and ego and just loving the humans around him.

● I was only disappointed in a few things, but what finale is perfect? I was sad about the lack of more info about the other abstracted characters. I really wanted more Queenie, and to actually hear Scratch and learn more about WHY he abstracted

● I'd also like to know what everyone thinks of Caine, C&A, and the Digital Circus in the real world. Do they know that there's copies of them stuck there? Is C&A still a thing? How is the headset still there and running and capturing people? I know a lot was implied and I love a show that trusts it's audience enough not to spoonfeed us all the info, but still haha.

● I'll never not be pissed off at members of the fandom for how they treated Goose, especially near the end. I'm just imagining the extra content we maybe could've gotten, a short or comic or drawing here and there of the gang doing normal things post-finale. Night out at Zooble's bar, celebrating a holiday/birthday, movie night, stuff like we saw in the credits. But y'all drove the creator away 😭