Skysiren41

:summary:

“I just wanted your SOOOOL”

The biggest problem I have with Critter's review is how it fundamentally misses the entire point of Charlie's character and arc in Season 2. Throughout the review, Critter portrays Charlie as being selfish, uncaring about Angel, and primarily driven by fame. To that I say... did you accidentally mix Charlie up with the Vees? I understand why someone might find Charlie in Season 2 frustrating, but suggesting that she doesn't care about Angel and only cares about fame is a misreading of her character. Charlie is being put under constant pressure due to Vox constantly trying to slander her and the Hotel. She feels like she cannot live up to the legacy of her mother. Charlie not listening to the people around her and thinking she knows best has been a flaw of hers since the pilot, so I don't get why many act shocked when she doesn't listen

To say that Charlie doesn't care about Angel is also just straight-up untrue. She was willing to square up to Valentino the moment she saw him mistreating Angel. Yes, how she treated Angel in the episode and the fact that she invited Vox and Velvet, despite Angel telling her that they're friends with Valentino (someone Charlie has seen for herself abuse Angel), is horrible. But again, not only was she under a lot of stress and pressure trying to save her and the Hotel's reputation, as Vox is still trying to smear them both. But the show makes it clear that the way Charlie didn't listen to Angel or respect his wishes was NOT ok. Is Charlie flawed and frustrating at times? Yes absolutely. But is she a bad person who doesn't care about her loved ones? Absolutely not

Secondly, it's how they talk about Angel Dust. The way they boiled Angel down to just a punching bag character really got under my skin. They frame it as the show doing it when they are the ones ignoring a lot of the depth towards Angel’s story to paint him as just "the sexy punching bag" while acting like Angel leaving the Hotel is a bad writing choice. People in abusive relationships or who struggle with addiction CAN sometimes relapse into bad habits and feel like they have no other choice but to return to their abuser. They ended up boiling down Angel's character AGAIN to just a punching bag in their Zoophobia video

There's also the fact that, during their segment talking about the Vees. They try to argue that someone being murdered is better than someone being sexually assaulted. Why are we trying to paint one act of violence as being worse than another act of violence? Both are equally horrible and traumatic, and that's without taking into consideration those who do survive attempted murders and family members of murder victims. Now I don't think Critter was trying to be disrespectful. But it baffles me how at no point did Critter stop to think that trying to scale which crime is worse may come across as tone-deaf to some

The reason they did this because they accused the show of trying to make Valentino come across as sympathetic. And it's like, no, they're not. Every moment they have Val be sad, they make sure to remind the audience that Valentino is NOT a good person, and most of those moments are meant to be played as comedy. Just because a show humanises a villain, that does not mean the creators or the show are condoning their actions. Also, speaking from experience, a lot of abusers do see their mistreatment towards others as one big joke so they can use it as plausible deniability

Terradora: wait please don't! I love a man with some chunk! I can't lose your love handles!

Redimus: wut?

● The late mother of Besteel and Redimus. And the mate of Huntoris

● Met Huntoris while both were hunting for the same rare creature that had been terrorising their tribe. Huntoris was admittedly impressed by how good Myra was as a tracker and hunter. Once the beast had been slain, the two actually shared some hunting tips as they were skinning the animal, and the rest was history

● Myra shares Besteel's blue fur and white spots. People often joke about how much Besteel looks like his mother despite their vastly different styles of hunting

● Compared to most Dorceans and even her husband, Myra wasn't as loud or boastful as he was. In fact, she was quite calm and incredibly compassionate for a hunter. She knew the importance of respecting nature and its creatures. It's why she preferred hunting just for food and in extreme situations, rather than just hunting for sport

● She had no issues trading and talking to Burrowing Dorceans compared to her mate. She always respected their craftsmanship

● Myra was a gifted leatherworker. She actually ended up making Huntoris his holster, arm guard and shoulder patch. Besteel ended up inheriting them after his death

● Myra was the only one who didn't tolerate Huntoris's bull. She was always the first to keep in line and hold him accountable if he went too far. One time, Huntoris refused to trade with a Burrowing Dorcean, getting so fed up that he called them a dirt eater (which is highly offensive to Burrowing Dorceans). Myra proceeded to absolutely tear into him in front of everyone until he apologised to the Dorcean

● Despite their differences, Myra and Huntoris truly loved one another. They would be the first ones to call the other out, but they would also be the first to protect each other. As hunters, they were unmatched. In quiet moments Huntoris would always keep Myra close, occasionally giving her a gentle nuzzle and nibble. Myra was the only one who ever saw Huntoris's vulnerable side

● It was Myra who chose Redimus's name, while Huntoris chose Besteel's name

● Myra's exact cause of death was due to blood loss after she had given birth to Redimus and Besteel. The healers did all they could to save her, but unfortunately it was too late

Meanwhile Marchosias getting ready to "liberate" his followers:

“There you are….”

● After the events of the ravine, Terradora would frequently keep in touch with Redimus through letters and would visit him when she could and vice versa. Their relationship started out as just being great friends after everything they had gone through, but it eventually blossomed into having romantic feelings for one another

● It took a while for either to confess due to their own personal worries. Redimus thought that Terradora being with him would open her up to being looked down upon due to his past. And Terradora believed that, because of the curse of the Sand Snipers her tribes believe in, something could've happened to Redimus if it were true. Huxley and Vampa even started betting on who would confess first

● But eventually Redimus was the first to break while they were out stargazing. He admitted his feelings to her but made it clear that he understood if she didn't feel the same. To his shock and delight, Terradora reciprocated his feelings

● Terradora tried to teach Redimus how to play an instrument. So far, he hasn't found one he's good at, but still has fun learning about them with Terradora

● Both have a variety of nicknames for one another. Terradora calls him Reddie, Red, Eyepatch, and finally Frank. While Redimus calls her Terra, Spots, Siren, and Matilda

● Terradora is the only one who can touch Redimus's scar without flinching. Redimus is the only one who can touch Terradora's missing hand and fingers without getting punched

● When feeling playful, Redimus loves sneaking up behind Terradora and picking her up. This is easy thanks to their size difference

● One of the first "dates" Terradora and Redimus had was when she tried showing him how to make clay pots. It got pretty messy and quite intimate between them before Besteel accidentally walked in mid-kiss. Besteel was then met with a piece of wet clay hitting him in the face thanks to an embarrassed Redimus

● Terradora was the one to propose to Redimus. One day, she gifted him a clay pot with one side decorated. She explained that it was a family pot and that, in Burrowing Dorcean culture, if a Dorcean wishes to get married, they decorate the blank side. The next day, Redimus gifted the pot back with his side being messily decorated, signifying that he accepted her proposal. They still have the pot where they keep the things that symbolise their love and family. Such as a clump of their fur and their children's milk teeth

"But Besteel isn't a good person and caused so much trauma and destruction for Eva." Yes, and the books KNOW that. At no point do the characters downplay the hurt he's caused or try to convince Eva to forgive him. His backstory explains his actions, but it doesn't change the fact that he caused so much pain for Eva

There's also his threat factor, which has been significantly toned down. In the book, Besteel was presented as this unstoppable force that was hellbent on capturing Eva by any means necessary. Even before he would appear, you always had this feeling of dread that he could strike at any moment. But in the show. They constantly have Eva be able to thwart and get away from Besteel easily, when in the book Eva was constantly fighting for her life to get away from him even for a moment. The whole chase sequence in Episode 4 perfectly shows just how much of a downgrade Besteel is as a villain. Just the sheer fact that he lets Eva give herself up willingly is baffling for how he was presented in the book. Book Besteel would've gone "fuck that" and ordered Eva to start running again so he could capture her properly

Finally, I wanna talk about this blurb in the art book about Besteel