Alastor was Roofied
so in the cuck chair he's got the same bored/annoyed look he's had all day.
seriously he reacts to being cucked like he reacts to being on a date - which is like he reacts to being humiliated on live TV.
but when Vox stands up, we see boredom and annoyance shift to rage. and it seems like it's because he's being flashed, right?
except the moment he looks angriest is when Vox blows smoke in his face - even more so than when he touches his shoulder.
Vox then ungags him. drops the cigar ON THE FLOOR. without smoking the rest of it. (seriously, watch it again.) gets visibly annoyed when he won't accept a drink. initiates a very intimate conversation. and calls him a brat for not reciprocating.
Alastor starts looking progressively passive and weirdly exhausted. We've seen him critically wounded, but we've never seen him look this tired.
later that he has full range of motion in the cuck chair - but all he can do here is talk shit?
now the shadow we see when vox flashes him -literally instead of figuratively - is frowning. right side up it looks like he's grimacing in anger. but because his eyes are flipped, they emotionally registered with me as sad/frightened. that may have been intentional.
but more importantly
there's a quick look downward right before Vox pushes his leg between Al's thighs.
and right at the end, his eyes widen. it's tempting for a lot of folks to read that as arousal, especially with the heavy breathing, but that would be dialated pupils. and he's already gotten electrocuted.
so what is he afraid of now?
Vox blushes when Val says they should just fuck already. so I was second guessing this. but, on review, Vox takes the joint away from Val while putting his glasses back on. I'm pretty sure Val was supposed to be in the cuck chair next - and Vox forgot her was there 🤦♀️
if the roofie joint has different properties as second-hand smoke vs. when it's inhaled directly, that would be both evil and brilliant.
during a fight with Val, Al reacted to it like he was afraid. like that is not anger.
sweetheart, baby, friend what happened to you
Vox could have been annoyed when Al refused a drink because alcohol enhances the cigar's effects. or maybe he was hurt because it was a genuine offer of friendship. but I think it was both. his arc showed that love is anything but a benign force.
anyway I haven't heard anyone else mention this, and I think it's important for understanding Alastor. because it's confirmation for him that when people who say they want to be your friend get power over you, they will hurt, humiliate, and exploit you.
"VOX! You still can't take me one on one! You need your liTtlE dOOgiE?"
sounds to me just like
"you still need me like you did before!"
