Thriving On Spite

I was a year above most of them at school so they threw a "goodbye" murder mystery for me just before graduation, and about 2/3 of the way through the game we all realized that everyone had at least attempted to kill the victim. The game then shifted from "whodunnit" to "who succeeded in dunninit" which we all felt was not only super fun but above the usual level of narrative complexity for those games.

I’ve definitely talked about the Val/Mel dynamic before, but the successor angle adds such a cool fun layer to it.

SO. Let's explore.

You're right. In the movie, Val does constantly keep Mel within arm’s reach, even when it’s not "necessary". It feels less like an assistant doing a job and more like an apprentice learning the trade.

Val doesn’t have heirs, so it would make sense that she’s building one. But what makes it so fun to analyze (and write about) is how PERSONAL that mentorship gets.

Whatever Val sees in her, it’s clearly something she wants to "shape" in her own specific way. There’s this mixture of maternal ambition and cold mentorship that feels incredibly… charged.

Plus, the "good girl" dialogue? Ever hear of Pavlovian training? Val knows exactly what she’s doing by rewarding Mel like that. Especially since WE, the viewers, know she doesn't treat anyone else the same ("You can call me Val, but don't call me Val. Just keep it in your head." to Mel constantly calling her "Val." To Val having no problem killing the rest of the Thunderbolts and merely telling Mel to "Let me know when you've come to your sense.")

Your implying that the more hierarchy we add the more seductive of its powers increase 😏

Hierarchy: Valentina is Mel's boss, older, and richer - that's already 3x the Seductive Hierarchy.

We can quantify it that way.

Hierarchy: Miranda is Andy’s boss, older, richer, and can blacklist Andy= 4x Seductive Hierarchy

Hierarchy: This could be unique because the power switches constantly between the two. Making this a subset of Hierarchy.

Season 1: Rhaenyra is the Princess. Alicent was below her, yes her father was the right hand of the king but she was not a princess like Rhaenyra.

So season 1 Rhaenyra. Princess. Heir to the throne. Father's favorite. The realms delight. 5x seductive hierarchy.

Hierarchy:

Sarah Alder: General of the United States Army, 357 years old, Ruthless

Tally Craven: Cadet in the United States Army, 18 years old, Idolizes Sarah

I’ve definitely talked about the Val/Mel dynamic before, but the successor angle adds such a cool fun layer to it.

SO. Let's explore.

You're right. In the movie, Val does constantly keep Mel within arm’s reach, even when it’s not "necessary". It feels less like an assistant doing a job and more like an apprentice learning the trade.

Val doesn’t have heirs, so it would make sense that she’s building one. But what makes it so fun to analyze (and write about) is how PERSONAL that mentorship gets.

Whatever Val sees in her, it’s clearly something she wants to "shape" in her own specific way. There’s this mixture of maternal ambition and cold mentorship that feels incredibly… charged.

Plus, the "good girl" dialogue? Ever hear of Pavlovian training? Val knows exactly what she’s doing by rewarding Mel like that. Especially since WE, the viewers, know she doesn't treat anyone else the same ("You can call me Val, but don't call me Val. Just keep it in your head." to Mel constantly calling her "Val." To Val having no problem killing the rest of the Thunderbolts and merely telling Mel to "Let me know when you've come to your sense.")

Your implying that the more hierarchy we add the more seductive of its powers increase 😏

Hierarchy: Valentina is Mel's boss, older, and richer - that's already 3x the Seductive Hierarchy.

We can quantify it that way.

Hierarchy: Miranda is Andy’s boss, older, richer, and can blacklist Andy= 4x Seductive Hierarchy

I’ve definitely talked about the Val/Mel dynamic before, but the successor angle adds such a cool fun layer to it.

SO. Let's explore.

You're right. In the movie, Val does constantly keep Mel within arm’s reach, even when it’s not "necessary". It feels less like an assistant doing a job and more like an apprentice learning the trade.

Val doesn’t have heirs, so it would make sense that she’s building one. But what makes it so fun to analyze (and write about) is how PERSONAL that mentorship gets.

Whatever Val sees in her, it’s clearly something she wants to "shape" in her own specific way. There’s this mixture of maternal ambition and cold mentorship that feels incredibly… charged.

Plus, the "good girl" dialogue? Ever hear of Pavlovian training? Val knows exactly what she’s doing by rewarding Mel like that. Especially since WE, the viewers, know she doesn't treat anyone else the same ("You can call me Val, but don't call me Val. Just keep it in your head." to Mel constantly calling her "Val." To Val having no problem killing the rest of the Thunderbolts and merely telling Mel to "Let me know when you've come to your sense.")

Your implying that the more hierarchy we add the more seductive of its powers increase 😏

I’ve definitely talked about the Val/Mel dynamic before, but the successor angle adds such a cool fun layer to it.

SO. Let's explore.

You're right. In the movie, Val does constantly keep Mel within arm’s reach, even when it’s not "necessary". It feels less like an assistant doing a job and more like an apprentice learning the trade.

Val doesn’t have heirs, so it would make sense that she’s building one. But what makes it so fun to analyze (and write about) is how PERSONAL that mentorship gets.

Whatever Val sees in her, it’s clearly something she wants to "shape" in her own specific way. There’s this mixture of maternal ambition and cold mentorship that feels incredibly… charged.

Plus, the "good girl" dialogue? Ever hear of Pavlovian training? Val knows exactly what she’s doing by rewarding Mel like that. Especially since WE, the viewers, know she doesn't treat anyone else the same ("You can call me Val, but don't call me Val. Just keep it in your head." to Mel constantly calling her "Val." To Val having no problem killing the rest of the Thunderbolts and merely telling Mel to "Let me know when you've come to your sense.")

And here it is unbuttoned.

What does this imply? Was it Val? Long night that she had to unbutton it?

I have a scene in mind where moiraine is attacked by assassins and most of her guards are dead except one who’s injured after taking a sword meant for her but he failed to prevent moiraine also being stabbed. He’s desperately trying to save her instead of himself when lanfear comes along and sees what’s going on. She frantically tries to heal moiraine while begging her not to leave her and that’s the moment lanfear realizes she loves her. The guard lives btw. So does moiraine for the record.

Moraines power grew due to the time traveling and she has a hard time hiding it from the white tower. There’s a lot of politicking and eventually she has to just leave to escape being tied to the tower again. She ends up deciding to go to the aiel to hide for a bit and train some lol. She’s ends up picking up some fighting skills there as well as new weaves. With her not swearing the oaths, she’s stronger then ever and eventually she helps the aiel in the war against her uncle and takes her throne. She has tense relationship with the white tower as a result but a close relationship with the aiel.