#dk.rtf

To add context to this scene, we have to take context from the previous scene and call-to-action - the Mission Postmortem.

Keith and Pidge debrief the ensemble on their findings and explanations of Honerva's behaviour from their previous mission in Episodes 9 and 10 - a mission where, at its tail end, Allura is incapacitated.

As Allura's partner, Lance doesn't take this well -

"We know what Honerva wants to do, but we can't get to her. [...] Without Allura, we can't chase her, and we can't form Voltron."

I've been a big proponent of the idea that narrative intention can be gleaned not just from the script and context of a scene, but together with how the final animation itself is framed and voiced - especially because animation as a visual medium is planned with specific intentions.

It's interesting to note that "we can't form Voltron" falls on a shot where Keith is in the foreground of the frame. I'm taking this from the bones of another piece of analysis, but Episodes 9 and 10 shows that Keith understands that Voltron requires connection -

and as such, having one person incapacitated means that the bond, and Voltron itself, is considered incomplete.

Keith knows that having Allura out of commission hurts the greater mission, but at its core, her being out of commission hurts Team Voltron. Lance's defeatism is an example of that - Keith understands exactly how Lance feels, and as such, he is the one who approaches Lance after the Postmortem, with:

"[Allura's] gonna be okay." - framing this conversation entirely in context of Allura.

Lance's "I hope so" and subsequent statements about Honerva's plans still highlight his defeatism about Allura's incapacitation and its impact on them, though - and Keith tries something different.

Note that Keith is in focus and dominates the frames in the foreground when he reminisces about meeting Allura for the first time -

And although he is out of focus while he reminisces on his observations of her, he is still in the foreground of the frames.

"... and it worked."

This scene, although between Keith and Lance in presence, clarifies exactly how Keith feels about Allura - taking note of three things:

His choice in highlighting their first days with Allura as a shared memory between him and Lance - appealing to both Lance's current romance with her, but also implying how closely he's held this memory himself;

His observations of Allura calling back to their earliest meeting, implying that Keith has been taking note of Allura and her habits since the first episode, seven seasons ago;

The animators' choice to soften Keith's facial expression for the sequence where he talks about her, because his expression prior to mentioning her by name is entirely neutral, implying that Allura is closer to his heart than otherwise believed.

I'm also of the idea that this current statement from Keith reverts his previous statement to Hunk in Season 7, Episode 6:

Keith states to Lance in the conference room that, yes, Allura's belief in them was insecure, but her unwavering faith in them has brought them this far, and has essentially changed the both of them:

And Keith extends to Lance, in the same way that Allura's faith has guided them to this moment, for him to honour Allura by having unwavering faith in not just her and her awakening, but also faith in the possibility of righting Honerva's wrongs.

And it works.