So, I think plenty of folk find that saving your family, or having your actions driven by love, are considered the "right things". I know plenty of people delight in engaging with the "love is wholly good", and "love fixes everything" binary, however, tdp dismantles this binary over and over again. It spent all of seasons 4 and 5 dismantling this binary.
Nothing says "dismantles the binary" like unequivocally calling what Callum did "the right thing."
And that's kinda the point, isn't it? It's not that Callum thinks he did the right thing, it's that the lead writer herself stated in no uncertain terms that he did the right thing.
So, Callum using dark magic to save Rayla? That's the "right thing" for him and his life, but plenty of others may have very different opinions.
Again, not what was said. Devon didn't claim that it was the right thing for Callum to do, but that it was the right thing, full stop. Maybe you'd find not trying to headcanon your way out of the story and instead accept it for what it is a lot more rewarding?
The "right thing" is subjective.
If that's so, then Callum's actions can't be morally dubious. Either there's a standard for morality that makes his actions dubious, or it's subjective and he's just doing the right thing from his perspective. These are mutually irreconcilable claims.
She also agrees that Callum became "a version of [him]self [he] doesn't like", because he did something morally questionable for the love of his life.
Maybe actually read what you're quoting instead of lifting all of your interpretations directly from raayllum?
At no point does Devon say that Callum did anything morally questionable. She said that he had to tap into his dark self in order to do what he did, which she ultimately characterized was the "right thing." He might not like it (who would), but she also goes a step further and says this is "part of growing up." EVERYONE has a dark side that they tap into, even for the right thing such as Callum. You and the other Rayla stans seem to insist on this is just a Callum/Viren thing (and sometimes Claudia when you remember she exists), yet what Devon did is universalize this:
Everyone has a dark side - including Callum but also Rayla, Ezran, Soren, Amaya, and so on - yet the difference between all of these characters and Viren/Claudia is that they are genuinely motivated to break the cycle and make their world better.
It's basic subtext. Both Callum and Viren would (or believe they would) do "anything, however dangerous, however vile" for their loved ones, and the "vile" thing Callum does later in s5 is dark magic for Rayla. This is so blatant it's practically just the text.
FFS it's been five seasons and you still can't figure out not to take Viren at his word? You seriously think that the biggest flaw for Mr. "If you have to choose, choose the egg" is that he cares too much about his family? When he turned on Harrow, was that out of love? Or when he ordered Soren to kill the princes? Or when invaded Xadia and toppled Lux Aurea? All of this was just out of love? Even in the scene itself, Kpp'ar calls Viren out on this, so even the barest level of media literacy would debunk this. The only reason this is even brought up is to illustrate how Claudia has been following in the footsteps that she thinks Viren laid out before her (in a visual so blatant I don't even think it counts as symbolism anymore).
On Callum's end, he has so frequently beat this rap, I've practically lost count. Callum repeatedly chooses to do what he genuinely believes is the right thing to do over his loved ones I've practically lost count:
-Chose not to go back for Harrow, but instead wants to take the egg to Xadia.
-Chooses to help Rayla escape Amaya rather than stay at the Banther Lodge.
-Chooses to continue to Xadia despite Claudia/Soren repeatedly suggesting he should go home.
-Chooses to continue to Xadia even when Ezran decided to go home.
-Chooses to remain on the Storm Spire and fight even though it would put all of his remaining loved ones at risk.
And on and on. It's not text. It's not subtext. It's just raayllum and hangers-on like yourself who can't seem to follow the pretty straightforward characterization for both Viren and Callum and to just pretzel your way into this weird dichotomy where they're both oppositional yet also basically the same and are driven by helping their loved ones despite this failing to explain 99% of their actions.
(Which, by the way, Aaron Ehaz, the co-creater of the show, agrees that his actions were morally ambiguous. God bless raayllum.)
Holy shit. He liked a tweet. That's not an endorsement 😂😂😂
He has talked repeatedly about this moment with Callum and he has never once characterized his actions as morally ambiguous himself. If he "endorsed" this view rather than just like that people are discussing the scene with their own takes, why not just say this outright?
When it comes to defining who is and who is not a person
You mean like snake tail? Because I'm pretty sure under most accepted viewpoints that was not a fucking person, it's a piece of dead organic matter.
Like, this is unbelievable. Both times Callum uses dark magic the circumstances are deliberately set up as to eliminate all reasonable objections - Callum doesn't kill anyone, and the circumstances are an emergency life-or-death situation that leaves no alternatives. It is not ambiguous, his actions are clearly justified. Yet somehow neither you nor raayllum/their sycophants seem to get it anyway.
that is a very slippery slope (hello magma titan that looked eerily similar to Elmar, a character who it was obviously bad that they had been treated like an object)
Fantastic racism aside (unless you think wood and magma are the same thin), Callum does the same exact thing in both situations he uses dark magic. Less of a slippery slope and more of a gravely plateau. If anything, the second time his motives were more justified and caused less harm,
We see the natural conclusion of the depersonalization with Claudia, where she goes from squeezing bugs to squeezing 12 year old boys to save her father/Aaravos.
By the third episode of the show, Claudia saw no problem with Harrow letting a complete stranger die in his place, aiding and abetting Viren keeping the dragon egg a secret from everyone including the king (a pretty egregious moment of treason), and had no problem sending a bunch of smoke wolves that would have absolutely mauled Ezran and Callum to death. If Claudia is squeezing Ezran now, it's because it's a natural conclusion of her actions towards him, not because she was somehow twisted by Dark Magic in some way.
This is such a nuanced discussion that pretending this is even close to a "doing the right thing" situation OR "doing something vile" is such a disservice to tdp and it's narrative.
Lol, when you're the one suggesting Callum and specifically Callum (not Rayla/Ezran) either has or will do vile things, having the gall to say "well who could really say what's vile or the right thing, it's a matter of perspective" is mildly impressive. Something that would probably have left a normal person speechless, but as this ain't my first rodeo I'll just roll right past this and bring this back full circle:
Devon did say that Callum did the right thing, without any of the qualifications that you are desperately throwing around to keep this "snake boi callum" thing on life support before s6 fully demolishes it. So, if you think that the lead writer is doing such a disservice to TDP and it's narrative, I'm honestly game to just let that hang there.
