#extermination 8.3

Jenny and Ted discuss Extermination 8.3.

Episode Notes:

Welp, it sure was a down chapter

Not to be all Taylor about it but why is this the best the heroes can do?

What does Taylor think she's going to be able to do?

"So... we good now, Clockblocker?"

The action is out of scale with our hero. What does that mean for the narrative going forward?

Some of the losses are starting to hurt

Compartmentalization keeps her going

This battle feels like a waste of powers

Reluctantly handing it to Armsmaster

Jenny's new theory connecting the source of powers to the Endbringers

What's this Leviathan guy thinking?

Somebody give Faultline the Manton effect override cheatcode already!

Mourning Shielder and Dauntless and the suffering of children

Bastion juuuuust missed the "dying a hero" window

Ruthless Taylor expands her inventory and does medicine

The heroes should take some cues from Taylor's utilitarianism

This chapter is a microcosm of Taylor's growth across the first seven arcs

Some good procedural details

More than her bug control power, Taylor's real power, her real contribution is the thought she's putting into powers, in thinking about using them in irregular ways. Probably because she put so much work into trying to figure out how to optimize her power.

Like, if Taylor had gotten a much more straightforward power, would she be the power-optimizer we come to know and love? It's hard to actually know what her mind and personality were like before her power - we have a few mentions and references to go by, but Taylor pre-Locker, and especially Taylor pre-Bullying, just... we don't really have much to go on. And we never do get to see even post-Locker Taylor in much of a 'normal' enviroment. Not for any extended period, no real look at her when things aren't crazy or ramping up to crazy, not really.

Building that theme of people not working together well.

Like, it makes sense the Independents and Corporate Teams and Villains wouldn't necessarily work together well, but the Protectorate and Wards really should try to run Endbringer practice?

.......Of course Taylor's idea of first aid includes using another cape's pyrokinetic powers on an injured woman's face. Of course it does.

We’re winning, I thought.

No, Taylor. You're just losing as slowly as possible.

Heavy casualties, please wait,

And now you're losing a little faster again. Including Tattletale as "losses", whether that's dead or just incapacitated.

...Why is Dragon listing off CD-6 now after each casualty instead of CD-5 from earlier? What does the CD number even mean?

“This is our plan B. We stall, from here on out we prioritize survival over putting this abomination down, and we fucking pray that Scion notices there’s an Endbringer around and shows up before this city and everyone in it is a memory.”

There it is. Legend is down, Miss Militia is down, Eidolon is leaving to keep the rest of the city standing, and the only thing left to do is hope Scion shows up.