Every Charlie/Vox Parallel 1x03 Scrambled Eggs (Chaggie & StaticDoll edition)
This episode is about both Charlie and Vox delegating a task to one of their Vees, and how that goes.
Charlie has Vaggie handle the activity for the day, Vox has Velvette handle the meeting with the Overlords. Perhaps not insignificantly, Charlie's activity for this episode is "Trust", which delegating a task to someone involves a lot of.
On Charlie's side, we see the full interaction and how this delegation process worked:
Charlie: Actually, I thought maybe you could take the lead on this one. I trust everyone, so maybe you know better on how to build it properly!Ā
Vaggie:Ā What? Uhh, I don't know if I'm qualified, uh...,Ā
Charlie:Ā Oh, come on. It'll be easy! I'm sure you can handle this.
Later on, Charlie starts being a little unsure about Vaggie's leadership style, leading to this exchange.
Charlie:Ā I don't know if this is really working the way we'd hoped. Maybe we should-
Vaggie:Ā Honey, you have to trust me here. I got this, okay? I'll figure something out
The scene we see between Vox and Velvette is the parallel beat in their arc, the expression of some kind of uncertainty:
Velvette:Ā Yes, I've got it handled,Ā Vox. Are you doubting me? Really? Me? That's what I thought.Ā *laughs*Ā Yes, I know. They're all a joke.*laughs*Ā Thank you, V. See you soon. Kisses, darling.
I dig the parallel affection between Chaggie and Staticdoll here by the way. "Honey"/"Darling", aw. Anyway, Charlie and Vox both delegate a task to their Best Gal here, but it doesn't take either long to start being unsure and worried about how that best gal might handle it, unfortunately with good reason. Despite Vaggie and Vel's fabulosity, it is true that both of them also create problems by being hyper-confrontational, and a little bit impulsive.
A small side note on another parallel, but Charlie and Vox both seem a bit uncomfortable with explicit sex or sexuality? When Angel takes Charlie to the BDSM joint, we see Charlie being super uncomfortable (like she is in the pilot or in general) with explicit sexuality, and Vox is also often shown being grossed out by it (Katie coming onto him, his discomfort according to Val with having sex in public, etc). It is one, kinda nice to fight that whole "horny bi stereotype" with the two bi MCs being kinda prudish; Two, interesting from a character standpoint - C&V may both come from a more repressed background, and consequently be uncomfortable with explicit sexuality, Three, that both are protective of their own bodies and big on control. Wilder sex means losing control, something C&V both don't like to do.
Going back to the trusting thing, when Vaggi and Vel both end up kind of screwing it up - like, scoring some points, like Vaggi's trust exercise working in the long run and Vel's gambit revealing to her Carmilla's role, but also creating problems in the short term like putting the staff in danger and creating tensions with Carmilla - we see how Vox and Charlie respond to their Vees messing up:
Charlie:Ā Vaggie!Ā No!
Vaggie:Ā This is the only way they'll learn, Charlie.
Charlie:Ā No, it's not. There are other ways. It just takes time!
Charlie interferes and stops Vaggi's plan and reprimands her. Vox calls Velvette to a meeting much later, and I think it's interesting that while Charlie just tells Vaggi "No, don't do it!", Vox takes the time to explain to Velvette why it would be a bad idea:
Vox:Ā I summoned you both here because we need to discuss some of your public... displays.Ā Ā Velvette, you can't justĀ fuck withĀ Carmilla CarmineĀ in front of otherĀ overlords, it makes business harder.
Velvette:Ā Well, hey, you're lucky I didn't skin the bitch.Ā She was boring.
C&V both take a direct approach of trying to interfere with their Vees' more impulsive decisions; both of them are control freaks to some extent who have a hard time with delegating, and the fact that Vox's delegation of the meeting task to Vel went sideways probably does fuck with his ability to trust her a little bit, especially since, well...in comparison with Vaggie, Vel takes way less accountability for her mistakes.
Both Vaggi and Vel are initially defensive of their decisions and respond with angry claim that their choice was the correct one:
Vox:Ā Our brand is perfection, remember? We cannot let ourselves look weak to others overlords or to sinners. We are above... petty bullshit.
Velvette:Ā WellĀ maybe, people should start sucking less!
On the Hotel's side:
Vaggie:Ā Time we don't have! How many Exterminations will have gone by before these idiots get their shit together? How many times will we have to watch your people be killed before we make headway?
Charlie:Ā Vaggie.
However, Vaggie then admits to making a mistake and opens up to Charlie about her choice:
Vaggie:Ā I took charge today and it all went sideways. I'm supposed to make your dreams a reality. I'm supposed to protect you. Ā I'm supposed to never fail you.Ā
Vel, however, continues to claim that it was Carmilla's fault for "sucking" or "being boring" and that she didn't do anything wrong. Vox finally has to make her apologize to Carmilla in order to make their plans work, and when he does finally truly tell her off for this, she responds with seething anger at him.
Vox:Ā Besides, you did manage to fuck up the one overlord meeting I let you do on my behalf. So, uh, maybe you should reflect a little, mm-kay?Ā
Velvette:Ā (growls)Ā FUCKING MOTHERFUCKER.
Charlie, in contrast of course, tries to smooth over it and downplay to Vaggie, telling her positive things, similar to how Vox initially tries to frame it in a way that will lead Vel to feel good about herself, flatter her ego ("we are above it") though obviously way more empathetic:
Charlie:Ā You didn't fail me. Vaggie, you're not-you're not-
Vaggie:Ā If I can't help you, what's the point of me?
Charlie:Ā Vaggie, don't say that! You do so much! It's-
Vaggie:Ā I'm sorry. I'd... I'd like to be alone for a minute.
Vox tells Velvette to reflect, Vaggi voluntarily chooses to reflect on her own. I feel like this is a potentially interesting window into Vox&Vel's relationship given the parallels - it's possible, considering how defensive she gets at the slightest sign of doubt from him, that Vel really likes Vox's validation and wants him to approve of her - not in the dad-daughter way that was originally planned, more in an equals way - but is less honest about it.
In this parallel though, it's interesting that Vaggie admits to screwing up and Vel doesn't. Given that as I said at the start, Vox and Charlie probably both have a hard time trusting people because they're such control freaks, having one of their most trusted allies handle a project in a way that's less than perfect probably does a number on them both. While Charlie has Vaggie's apology and some benefits to show for it, from Vox's POV Vel never apologizes or brings him much out of this confrontation.
All interesting set-up for Season 2. While Charlie does have more reason to trust Vaggie given how her exercise in part worked out:
Vaggie:Ā *sighs*Ā I'm sorry I got so crazy today.
Charlie:Ā *grabs Vaggie's hand*Ā No, no, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I put pressure on you. We work as a team. I guess I just thought all this would be easier, but, we'll figure it out, together. I mean, look what your exercise did for them.
It is notable that Charlie is still, in season 2, prone to trying to control things and not trusting to her friends to handle them. She has a big problem with not listening to Vaggie's advice in S2, and I think that this may have contributed a little, especially since Vaggie admits to having such a problem with needing to feel like she's helping Charlie. It kind of puts Charlie in a position to feel like she has to be independent, to not put too much pressure on Vaggie to help her in order to keep Vaggie from feeling useless. AS much as Charlie should trust Vaggie more, there's layers to her doing so that we see here.
And on Vox's side, with Vel refusing to take accountability for screwing up, it makes sense that he has a hard time trusting her in S2 and starts pushing her away. He gives her a chance to head an Overlord meeting once, it goes south and makes an enemy of the arms dealer he needs for their take-over heaven plan, and she never apologizes. While yes, he is rude and way less empathetic than Charlie, for someone with control and trust issues, that can't be good. It highlights the parallels that separate them in S2. Vaggie and Charlie are more empathetic, Vox and the Vees struggle to understand/be vulnerable with each other.
On another note, it's also interesting how the meeting sets up the bigger parallels between Charlie and the Vees as forces for change. Rewatching it I was really struck by what a vibrant presence Velvette has in this scene, compared with the other Overlords. And how both the Vees and Charlie are the ones who end up challenging heaven.
While Carmilla and co are basically accepting the status quo and just trying to navigate living under it:
Carmilla Carmine:Ā Welcome, Hell's sovereign overlords. I've invited you all here because you represent the controlling powers of our city. Together, you own millions of souls. Souls at risk with the newĀ ExterminationĀ schedule.Ā *pounds fist on table*Ā We need to discuss what can be done to minimize the impact to our interest.
The Vees want to change things:
Velvette:Ā We found it during Extermination day. If these Holy Rollers can be killed, the game has changed.Ā *stands on top of table* WeĀ can take the fight toĀ them.Ā The Voys and I have come up with a full assault plan--
As Vox puts it in "Stayed Gone", "You're looking at the future, (they're) the shit that comes before that".. The future of hell belongs to the Vees because they are future-minded. They want to actually change the nature of things, not just sit down and take it, accept their fates.
Kind of like a certain someone:
Lucifer:Ā Come on little lady, why the frown?/In the last 10,000 years
You're the first one to change this town
Charlie and the Vees are both forces for change, and it's interesting that while the other Overlords are willing to sit back and allow all this to continue in the name of protection, Charlie and Vox in their respective ways within what seems to be two weeks of dramatic effort unseat the old status quo, stop the exterminations, and send heaven running on sheer willpower alone. While this isn't to say the other Overlords aren't within their rights to be cautious (most of us would, in their shoes!), it takes people like Vox and Charlie to make change happen.
And for all their flaws, our future-minded big-eyed disaster bi duo are the ones who can do that.
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alright. i have very specific feelings about j*ncy versus st*ncy, but iāve never actually articulated them properly so i feel like all anyone ever thinks of me is that iām a st*ncy which is,,,,, not entirely true. so. gonna clarify even though no one cares lmao
i enjoy steve and nancyās relationship in season one, and i think that their personalities are fun to play with together. i also think that they needed to break up in season 2, and that they shouldnāt get back together.
look, iām the most casual of casual with them. never read a single fic, drawn or written anything about them, nor do i enjoy much of the fandom content around them.
BUT
i happen to dislike j*ncy WAYYYY moreābut not for the reason that most st*ncys do?
a common belief in that community is that jonathan stalked nancy, took pictures of her nude, gaslit her into thinking it wasnāt a big deal, and then looked past the misogyny that she faced in season three.
all i have to say to that is: did you watch the fucking show
jonathan was out looking for will in the woods. he stumbled across steveās house, where he saw nancy undressing and took photos of her, intending them to be art, not porn. was this a fucked up, stupid thing to do? yes. was steve kinda right to break his camera? also yes. BUT STOP SAYING HE STALKED HER.
jonathan didnāt gaslight her (do any of you actually know what the fuck that word means?). nancy joined jonathan in looking for will and searching for the truth, where he then apologized and explained what he was thinking, which nancy accepted.
it is up to personal interpretation whether or not you think that apology shouldāve been accepted or notābut donāt fucking call it gaslighting. google is free, try a damn dictionaryāwe both know damn well thatās not what gaslighting is.
and with the whole ājonathan ignored the misogyny she faced at the newspaper!!11!1!!1!1!!!ā NANCY IGNORED THE FACT THAT JONATHAN NEEDED THAT JOB TO SUPPORT HIS FAMILY!!!!!!! and while they both apologized, jonathanās acceptance of her apology was presented moreso as a āi should never have questioned you because you were right and i should have known thatā, which, with the context they had (literally just sick rats??) is, imo, NOT ENOUGH OF A REASON TO PRETEND NANCY WASNāT ALSO IN THE WRONG.
the reason i donāt like them together is NOT because jonathan is a piece of shit terrible pervert of a person, itās because of the abundance of miscommunication (which is doubled down on in s4), the continued favoring of nancy girlboss moments in their relationship over actual connection and communication, and the decisions that the writers continuously make with them that i just really strongly disagree with.
anyways nancy should end up with robin (or be by herself for a while. also acceptable lmao), jonathan should go to NYU like he always dreamed of, and steve should learn to appreciate what heās worth outside of a relationship in s5 send post
As I walk and drive around Los Angeles, I am struck by how many people I see looking at their phone. On every block thereās usually a couple of people walking along looking at their phones. In a plaza, where people are sitting, sometimes nearly everyone is looking at their phone. ļæ¼In my experience, when I am looking at my phone, I am nearly completely unaware of my surroundings. I am very much immersed in the reality of the phone.ļæ¼, and disconnected from the reality of the world around me. ļæ¼I tend to feel lonely and sad when Iām disconnected from the world around me, I feel happier when Iām connected to people and experience of this world. Plenty has been written about the greater the prevalence of smart phones, the greater the prevalence of depression. Blah blah blah, whatever. Talking to somebody while they are using their phone is always a drag.ļæ¼
There are ways in which the phone does connect us more and increases our level of communication. Itās just that there are so many other ways that it disrupts and disconnects us from each other. So what if thereās just a better way to use the phone? To use it in such a way that all of the ways it connects us are emphasized, and all of the ways it separates us from each other are minimized. It would basically be a way of using the phone that fosters more connection and better communication.
The more suited a tool is to the jobļæ¼, the better job that tool will do. ļæ¼If we define the job of our phone as enhancing communication and connection, then we ask ourselves what aspects of the phone are helpful in this respect?
So I am proposing an investigation of the phone. I expect to find and define a set of apps, settings, and actions that will increase the usefulness of a phone in terms of human connection, and remove or minimize the aspects that are harmful to connection. This would be an evolving set, and one that is open to discussion, fluid, and of course it is different things to different people.
Ultimately, it is a radical pairing down of the phoneās range of possibile uses in order to sharply focus itās functionality toward realizing meaningful connection.
So, Iām going to try some things with my phone and Iāll let you know. Iāve got some ideas, and maybe this will be really good.
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