justanotheryapper

One could argue that maybe newer gens of upper class bots (like a gen Orion and D came from as they are implied to still be young compared to the average bot) never knew or found out about it and live their lives in ignorant bliss and conform to society's prejudiced ideals. However I'd find it harder to believe the more I went over this and other scenes in the movie.

Though I will say that this scene initially caught my attention by the sheer amount of energon present (I thought the visuals were pretty lmao) and the bigger builds of the bots it got me thinking about the rest of cybtertron and its citizens.

So back to my main point: Older gens are SURELY complicit in the mistreatment of lower class bots because they know FOR A FACT that everybot was born with a cog. Not saying anything about it or ever making the bots aware of it is where they really drop off, though. [However, I do wonder if there were any that planted seeds of doubt amongst lower caste bots, and by that I mean, if any of them ever tried to get them to question why they don't have cogs beyond reasoning it to their contruction]

They were alive during the intial primes rule, and when everyone was regarded equally. So that leads me to believe that Sentinel had to have pulled some higher caste bots into his schemes because he wouldn't have been able to pull off such a big move without help.

There may have been disputes about labor during the planning phases and such, but those would've been regular discussions. So for them to go along with Sentinels plan for the miners(since they are the bottom of the barrel in society) in particular is just cold.

There's still the slight chance that Sentinel pruned these older gens to keep them from messing with his plans but I doubt it.

I'd also leave room for the possibility that they were roped into Sentinels misdeeds as well, but whether it was willingly or not, I can't say for sure. Regardless, they stood by and did nothing as their young were stripped of their autonomy and given less rights as a direct result of removing their cogs.

To add onto that, they INDULGE in the energon the lower class, as Sentinel put it, "toil selflessly in the mines" for. The miners themselves don't have a choice in the matter, nor do they get decent portions. They basically have to ration ALL of the energon they consume, as you can tell by Orions compartment that can only hold up to two or three.

They had to have realized this at some point as well and still stand by and do nothing as their working class live off of scraps and are barely able to function well enough to keep everything running.

I'd like to think that the newer gens, such as some within Orion's and D's Gen, didn't care or notice at first, but I feel it's impossible for them to believe it forever given that they would be surrounded by other high class bots that probably mock the miners. Perhaps Darkwing is one of those younger bots and it's why he's so adamant on constantly degrading the miners because he is more than content with keeping the system the way it is.

At least some of them had to have gone "No way yall are deadass they weren't born with that shit" or "yall actually buying this?" In convos with each other when it came to the lower class bots. Probably finding it humorous or something 😭.

I wished we got some high class bot characters that questioned the cog situation like Orion and D had, but there'd probably had to be some side plot going on for us to get that. Regardless, I'm sure a couple had some side eye moments and even rejoiced at the reveal that, hey actually everyone gets a cog!🗣😢

But back to the oldhead bots, ig another way younger bots would realize it's all a farce is through close acquaintances (think family dynamic type shi) in the instance that they could've possibly had forms of nobility throughout cybertron. And that they were more likely to side with Sentinel at the beginning and why they were able to hold onto their legacies and/or create new ones.

Other than that, there's also the high gaurd. Almost forgot to mention them. Though I'd put them in the same boat since they literally lived through Sentinels betrayal but didn't do anything proactive to help the miners or other bots. They did try to sabotage Sentinel multiple times and didn't seem to succeed at all at that, so I can't really give them flowers for that since they still didn't do shit😭‼️

Though I will admit that their absence half helped the lower class bots since they no longer were acting as their active military, and by proxy don't help Sentinel against the quintessons. That also keeps him in a less than ideal situation as their leader and leaves him more likely to slip up and have them find out the truth of it all. I will give them that but that's it.

Though that detail does make me wonder what Sentinel was using as a "military" afterwards if they no longer had as many military class bots available as before, due to most of them being within the high guard?🤔 I'm sure whatever "military" He had though was purely for show and they weren't as qualified.

I hope we get some information or details on what the older bots were doing and thought on the whole situation though if they ever make the sequel💔💔💔😭at least someone getting punished or something because there is just no way Sentinel did all that hard work by himself.

We know he dies because we see it happen on screen, but to the corps he simply disappears and we can assume that they eventually think he’s dead, without any evidence to back that claim up. However, it is the most likely outcome given the situation they were all in. I am just curious as to what the corps think happened to him? Like, did they ever address him specifically during a meeting recounting the dead? (I've read the manga, this is more of a hypothetical question rather than one that can be answered with the canon) Or ever wonder about it in their free time?

Miché was a high ranking member within the corps so I’d like to think that at least a couple of the soldiers speculated on how he died or if he even died. He could’ve managed to escape and live his days in secret or under a different identity for all they knew, because there was no one to witness his death or actually confirm it.

Did they ever think that far, or were things just too hectic to ever revisit the possibilities or even have time to think about it without having to worry about surviving first?

DO YOU GUYS THINK ZEKE EVER TOLD ANYONE ABOUT IT??!?

We know he talks about the ODM gear he got from Miché with Kiyomi, but does he ever reveal who he took it from? (Again, a hypothetical) She probably assumes he got it some other way, but again, no one was there to see how he got it.

Also if I remember correctly, she had spies that recovered gear at some point?

Idk. I'm just sort of disappointed his time was cut short and that there didn't seem to be much covering him later on besides Levi's vision post-rumbling. I wish Zeke was at least tortured with thoughts of Miché, as was with Armin/Bertolt. His death was so gruesome, its hard for me to accept that Zeke was so driven to the point that he hardly gave it a second thought, as if it were just some random Tuesday😢😔.

I'm sure at least Eren knew about it to some extent, given his powers and all, still would've been nice for at least one of them to be like "where's (uncle) miché??"[pls all the captains literally had to raise them so they're fr like relatives in my head to some degree towards the cadets🙏🏽😭] Or SOMETHING ANYTHING PLSSS.

I'd also like to add that he was literally one of my favs for so long until s2 released. I literally dropped aot for the longest time after witnessing his death onscreen. I hadn't read the Manga past Annie's reveal up until that point, so his death came unexpectedly to me😭💔. I was so heated and sad after that and didn't pick it back up until s3 came out💀

Anyways, I wish more people watched the OVAs too. He had so much personality in it, and it showed his character outside of the regular corps stuff so well. It was just exciting to see his more ruthless side. Now that I think about it we weren't given much of him in regards to how he managed his squad or mentored the younger cadets either💔😫😔but yeah. Ig that's what I had to say in regards to Miché

I used to also find this bit of trivia about Bert funny but odd since it was used as a gag throughout the first seasons of the show and in junior high but it wasn't until I thought about it more that I realized that Bert's weird sleeping habit may be a direct cause from being a warrior.

It's interesting and a bit heartbreaking to think about how this may have stemmed from his time and treatment as a child soldier. The stress his body must carry to not even be able to sleep comfortably and from being one of the most lethal titans was probably no joke.

Whether it comes from his body being on auto pilot and his times as a solider being muscle memory or the fear that he can't allow himself to be peaceful in his sleep from being the colossal isn't clear but both are equal contenders.

I figured this may be his body's subconscious way of keeping him from fully dropping his gaurd and maybe even mistreatment or training as a soldier on Marley before I tried researching if this might actually be a thing that happens with war vets, which unsurprisingly is.

I feel like people in general just like to dogpile on Bert for no reason other than to compeltely discredit his character and hate him just cause. For some reason, people just can not wrap their heads around Bertolt and his character and will completely forget about him when other characters have done things that are just as bad.

Using this aspect of him as a running gag downplays the experiences he's had, whether it being a gag by the cadets or showrunners was intentional or not, and makes it that much easier for people to write him off easily. Though I do acknowledge that this had to have been intentional by Isayama, just overlooked by most and not delved into deeper.

Despite Bert physically and mentally showcasing his dilemma throughout the series, people just don't acknowledge these parts of him. I feel that this minor detail is one of those things that goes unnoticed because of that.

Despite all the terrible things Bert has done I think that not being able to sleep in a normal manner should be enough to show that he wasn't always like this, and certainly not of his own volition.

It's also interesting how Reiner would at times join in on poking fun at Bert for this, waking up in the morning and the cadets forming around him to gawk at. I think it really does a good job at showing how much of a hypocrite Reiner was in those earlier days as well. Bert was practically being made a show of and he doesn't even defend him, but when he gets called out on his personality shift, Bert is there to cover for him.

Like sheesh. You'd think the guy that made you do all this would at least ask if you're doing ok or give you a heads up or SOMETHING?!?!?!🤨

I love him so much. Like literally😭but onto the serious stuff: I was so surprised to see that a lot of people don't actually like Paul or his involvement with the Graysons?!?!? Though I've observed that most of those that oppose it are usually on youtube , and I found it was a common sentiment when it came to Paul.

Some did hold valid reasons as to why they didn't like the addition of Paul, like having Debbie's identity tied to another man after everything she went through with Nolan. Mostly going into territory of her needing other women to surround her as friends rather than get into another relationship. I did love her interactions and dynamic with Olga, and others wanted more of it to substitute for her socialization rather than be with a man which I get.

However, I feel like Paul is just such a good guy, and he's just a much better choice for her overall with everything that's happened. He has no other commitments holding him down (being a superhero or alien) or keeping him from fully being able to have time together with her. He's fully down for whatever may be thrown his way when it comes to handling Mark and Oliver as super-powered children, and he loves Debbie as she is. He knows that she's had it tough being the wife of an ex hero and having to deal with the fallout of his betrayal.

He acknowledges that Mark and Oliver aren't his but is willing to be there for them as another parent or trusted adult in their lives, even if he can't help much due to their being super-powered. He knows that with Mark and Oliver being involved in super hero "business" he's also partially risking his safety by being involved with Debbie (even though it hasn't been outright mentioned).

He knows he'll never be able to live up to Nolan/Omni-Man or truly be viewed as a father to her kids (as far as he can tell), but he sticks around anyway. I feel like that says a lot about his character and personality despite looking like a loser to most people. I also love that he has such a bland look and feeling to him. It balances out the chaos in the Grayson household and compliments Debbie's bold personality.

I additionally think him being a normal boring guy is better for Debbie in regards to actually living a calmer life. She's now able to experience the mundane things a relationship has to offer in contrast to the outlandish ways Nolan was with her [taking her to other countries just to dine or bringing her gifts hours away]. I would like to add that just because something is mundane doesn't mean it's bad.

I like to bet Debbie has thought, at least once, what it would be like to be like any other couple enjoying a date out or getting to pick things out in a store together(much like Olga and Rush's relationship was showcased to be a bit rocky because Olga was sometimes unsatisfied with the way things were for them since he always had something going on even if they were on a date). She probably never really had those experiences with Nolan as he was always busy with hero work or just did extravagant things for her.

With Paul, she gets to be in love and on the same page as him. No arguments about having to spend more family time together or about being careful in his work.

With Paul, she can focus her worry on Oliver and Mark, more so Olvier since she's acknowledged Mark can hold his own and can make his own decisions, and be happy with him rather than always having to worry about her husband (and now sons) coming home or if she'll even get to see him that day.

In simpler terms, she gets to be "just a girl," or in this case, just a woman in love and with her family whole again.

Additionally, Paul has been shown to be really good when it comes to handling/interacting with Mark and Oliver. The dinner table scene comes to mind. He knows his experiences are not comparable to theirs, but he shares them thinking they'll be helpful at the moment. Debbie later reassures him it's nice to have someone around that can ground them and remind them what it's all for when he expresses embarassment. I loved that that scene included Eve as well, but I'll get into the specifics about her in another post with this dynamic in mind.

Paul helps the family have a sense of normalcy for a bit, even if it's just for dinner before things get chaotic again and they have to go out to save the world. It's the little moments.

Olver already seems to take a liking to him as implied with the car flying scene on their way to the memorial by listening to Paul's request to stay in the car, which is another one of my favorite scenes even though it's a small tidbit. I feel that perhaps Paul wanted Oliver in the car despite having powers because he's still a child but who knows, thats just my headcannon.

Idk, but I think that actions like that helps Oliver experience things a different way and helps him stay a kid rather than being forced to grow up fast and having to navigate being a super like Mark did. Debbie is also shown to act this way towards Oliver, wanting him to stay a kid but eventually accepting that she can't always be there for him or protect him the way she wants to but trusting that he will do the right thing.

Paul being around the boys provides them with a male figure that isn't hypermasculine and the opportunity for positive reinforcement, something Mark wasn't shown to get much of from Nolan. Nolan was implied to have been very affectionate with Oliver, which I feel helps him get along with Paul and possibly project Nolan onto him, but I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing.

This aspect really is just something I see helping Mark out more than Oliver since Mark is still young and doesn't have Nolan around to really help him figure himself out. I'd love it if we got a scene exclusively with Mark and Paul at some point in the series but I'm not so sure since I've seen spoilers about the comics (I don't read them so this has just been my knowledge on Paul through the show).

Steven Yeun did such a great job in this scene, and I haven't seen anything be said about it yet. He managed to capture the exhaustion and defeat in Mark perfectly and really capture that older sibling feeling.

As an older sibling, I could really feel and relate to Mark's dialogue (his low energy voice) and body language, even his heavy sigh after saying he couldn't just leave Oliver to someone else. [I sometimes feel like I overcomplicate things with my family, but in moments like this one with Mark I just feel so defeated and overcome with dread because I love them too much or can't really do anything about things at times.]

That paired with him having to possibly give up his future (college) and complicated relationship with his father just hits the nail on the head a little too well for me and made me dwell on that moment for a bit after the episode ended. It's crazy because most of my siblings are half siblings too, but I've never viewed them that way until I remember it for a second and forget about it for another year lmao.

The show just managed to capture that part of Mark so well, and it's one of my favorite moments in the show. It may be a mundane thing to obsess over, but it spoke to me personally. He is just so older sibling coded in the best way possible, but more specifically in the parentified way because Mark also has to take charge of how Oliver grows up given their shared alien heritage (something I relate to as well💀the parentification aspect i mean😔)

He's on his way back to earth after helping them rebuild on their world until Andressa asks him to take Oliver. He was willing to help them some more but would be accepting to finally leaving until that point. He even conveys disbelief with a gasp at her request for a moment because his concept of family is strong (mentioning that she's his mother/so she should be the one to raise him). Instead of coming at her and giving her an attitude or outright refuse after all he's been put through and the lies he was told in order to even be there, he instead tries to comfort her during her speech. Which she stops him from doing while getting her piece in.

It would be understandable if he refused her request. After all, he still has his own life to live and the conflicting relationship he has with his father. Helping rebuild Thraxa would've been as far as he was willing to go for for all he was put through during his time there.

He's only known her for a couple of weeks at this point and understands to some degree that she's right. He tried to comfort her, and that specific scene/gesture is only a solid second, but it does well to display how willing he was to reassure her. Whether it was about the love his father had towards her or about the family he made there or even just his brother.

He even holds out his hand, indicating that he is about to physically console her during a vulnerable moment. His "wait that's not-" you can tell he was gonna tell her what she thought wasn't "true" [Wait, that's not true]. To give her some relief even though things have gone awry and with them being practically strangers. He probably even felt bad at the cold truth that his father would look for him instead of his other family, one Nolan took better care of and showed more affection to.

To him, she's just another woman his father was romantically involved with aside from his own mother and is the mother of his only brother. However, he had enough sense and compassion to try and make her feel better, even if it would've only been a moment. This probably would've been the farthest their complicated relationship could've gone, but she dismisses his attempt to try and get him to understand and try to convince him.

I also slightly think the reason Andressa kept him from getting another word in was because she didn't want this decision to weigh on him later on, to keep him from feeling bad about the situation and circumstance and take things as they are. I think in doing so, she also manages to teach him that there's value in the little things and that facing bad situations head-on can end with a positive outcome. This can also be taken as her being motherly towards him even though he isn't her child.

Yes, things went to shit but good things can still be found in the bad (Oliver). It doesn't all have to be terrible in the end. Her and her people already managed to show him that their lives are important even with how short of a lifespan they have, and by entrusting Oliver to him she directly causes him to have a better appreciation of his family, given how little time she had with hers.

I just overall loved their dynamic with how conflicting of a time it was for him. Technically, he had no reason to accept her request (nore did he owe her anything) but did so anyway. He had no relationship with Oliver, nor was it even implied he was around him often while on Thraxa. That just makes this scene all the more satisfying later on when Oliver becomes a part of his family.

I like to think he at least grieved her in his own way or thinks of her sometimes, wondering if she's finally lived out her lifespan. I also think that Andressa is part of the reason why he ends up loving Oliver so much, apart from being his only brother, he's able to see the sacrifice she was willing to make at that moment. She was content with never seeing her son again if it meant he'd take him.

At this point in the story, he understands he will have a bigger lifespan and outlive Earth, so maybe having Oliver by his side helped alleviate some of his anxiety towards that. I dont want to think about how he felt when he got back home to Debbie, especially with his interaction with Andressa being the last conversation he probably had.

That would just be heartbreaking for me to think about because later on, we see how much Debbie is willing to go for Oliver. Mark surely knows how much his mother loves him at this point, but having to see both these women be so loving and willing to sacrifice themselves for their children had to have some effect on him mentally.

[This also slightly pmo later on when the Invicible war happens, but that's a conversation for another time]