how i would rewrite tadc 9
basically, instead of simply taking screen time away from Jax, i would split it equally between the two characters. there are two reasons for this. first, if I simply shifted the focus to another character, it wouldn't actually solve the imbalance issue; it would just make the episode more enjoyable for Jax's haters. my goal isn't just to write fanfiction about my favorites, but to create a rewrite that preserves the creator's original vision while presenting it in a more appealing way. and that's the second reason, i just wanna tell same story but with other way.
you see, when Jax abstracts, Ragatha mentions the situation between them and Ribbit—something we later see in flashbacks. i want to use this as a foundation: firstly, to give everyone simultaneous screen time, and secondly, to employ the Rashomon effect.
in my version, Pomni asks the other characters about Jax, and they recount flashbacks involving him. this kills two birds with one stone: it shows Jax alongside the others, allowing for simultaneous character development.
Kinger would be the last one. and here, you need to recall the scene where Pomni hugs Jax. that scene strikes me as odd—after all, what made her think that would work?
however, the scene with Pomni and Jax is clearly a reference to a similar scene involving Kinger and Queenie… and that’s when the pieces fall into place. after all, Queenie was Kinger’s beloved wife… meaning he could well have hugged her back then and discovered that doing so allows one to enter the minds of the abstracted. it’s a classic case of "Chekhov's gun" (oops, is that expression used in English? just so you know, it’s a popular Russian phrase referring to the writer Chekhov’s dictum: "If there is a gun hanging on the wall in the first act, it must go off in the last") finally going off. once Kinger mentions this, Pomni realizes what she needs to do, as the puzzle comes together.
after that, we see a scene featuring flashbacks involving Jax; this provides the final touch to their character development.
this also enhances the character's "moral ambiguity" thanks to the Rashomon effect: by showing the thoughts of both sides of the conflict, both become understandable, which makes the dynamic work better. furthermore, this allows all the characters to be fleshed out—and directly through their own perspectives.
Gummigoo and other deleted items/NPCs end up in the Void, so the concept that "everything deleted goes to the Void" would be more clear.
Jax was supposed to be sent to the basement. given that abstraction is a metaphor for suicide, the finale leaves a bitter aftertaste—like denying euthanasia to a terminally ill person with only two weeks to live, even though it would spare them the suffering. it sounds harsh, but yes: send Jax to the basement.
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