#gabbi's analysis

This isn't a callout post. I just wanna share my opinions. If you wanna contribute to this discussion, please be respectful.

I. People upset about the finale

First of all, people are absolutely allowed to not like the finale of the show. People get disappointed by finales all the time. It's normal. I'm gonna make it clear that I enjoyed it. It felt satisfying to me, and I thought it resolved everything nicely. It made me feel warm and fuzzy, and that was all that mattered to me.

With that being said, it appears to me that a lot of the criticism of the finale seems to revolve around the show not fulfilling peoples' headcanons or theories. As in, since the show didn't end exactly how people thought it would, it must be poorly written.

That...is just not how it works. Creators do not have an obligation to align perfectly with your theories or headcanons. They write the story they want because that's what they want. Even if something seems compelling or likely or backed up by evidence, it doesn't mean it's gonna happen, and it doesn't mean the show is suddenly bad if it doesn't happen. It just means you got too wrapped up in your headcanon to recognize it was, at the end of the day, a headcanon.

Headcanons are fine. Theories are fine. They're fun and build community and lead to awesome creative works. But they are not the actual show and should not be treated as such.

Gooseworx had an idea and followed through on it. That's what most creators want to do and end up doing. Implying that creators need to cater to fans' headcanons and theories is how we get stories that feel more like fan service than actual stories.

But what if your criticism lies outside of that? That's fine.

Wanting your favorite characters to get more screen time makes sense. TADC set itself up to have an ensemble cast, and Goose said that characters would get episodes devoted to them, so seeing certain characters get more screen time than others can be disappointing. Wanting the show to be longer also makes sense, as it would allow characters to have more time to develop and showcase different relationships.

But at the end of the day, Goose had a specific vision for the show, and we can't really change that.

II. Goose's Tumblr

Goose's Tumblr has been facing a bit of backlash, specifically in the way she responded to asks. A lot of people don't like the fact that a lot of lore was revealed through Goose's Tumblr rather than in the show.

But here's the thing. When I look at Goose's Tumblr and the bits of lore she shared, outside of some notable exceptions, a lot of it seems to be what I'd call "supplementary material". As in, stuff that isn't necessary to understanding the show, but is cool to know and adds some depth to the world.

What I've come to realize is that people seemed to think that anything Goose answered an ask about was going to be in the show. That was never established; that was just something people assumed. That seems to be where a lot of the trouble comes from. In reality, her responses seemed to consist of trolling, teasing, and random trivia that anyone who has OCs likes to talk about. The latter is usually never relevant to the actual story; people just like to share it because it's neat.

But there is another side to this. There is an argument to be made that Goose's frequent communication with fans contributed to the fandom's reactions to the finale. Perhaps Goose should've considered that. But I'd dare to say that the fact she even HAD to consider that said more about the fans than her. It's not her fault people couldn't be normal about the show or understand the purpose of her asks.

I do think a lot of this stems from Goose not expecting the show to get as big as it did. She wrote it by herself and intended for it to be short. She probably started answering asks under the pretense that the show would have a tiny following, but when the show exploded, she might've felt as though she couldn't stop answering asks because of how many people were looking to her for answers.

Perhaps creators shouldn't share so much info about their work outside of it. But perhaps they should be able to do that without having to worry about how it affects the perception of their work.

Which leads me to...

III. The whole Jax thing

Yep. I have a whole section about this.

So not long after the finale aired, Goose outright confirmed that Jax was intentionally written as a closeted transfem character, which aligns with what she's said before about Jax being heavily based on herself. This has created quite the frenzy, and I think it's worth discussing it.

Let me give you my perspective on transfem Jax. When I first heard the theory (around Episode 5's release, when the theory started to gain popularity), I was doubtful. I thought the evidence was flimsy and it seemed more like peoples' headcanon, but I didn't hate the idea. I thought it added a neat layer to Jax's character and had no problem with people believing it. That thought lingered as the theory grew in popularity, to the point where I realized I wouldn't mind if it was canon.

When I first saw the finale in the theater, I had that theory in the back of my mind. But when I saw the scene with Jax and Ribbit, I thought, "Hold on...this could mean he's just gay or acts more effeminately...but him being transfem makes sense as well". I assumed the ambiguity allowed for multiple interpretations of either queerness or a general rejection of masculinity, but I was fine vibing with all the people talking about Jax as a transfem.

The thing about Goose outright stating it is this: if she hadn't, there would still be discourse about the "correct" interpretation, but since she has, the argument has swung the other way, with people saying there SHOULDN'T be a "correct" interpretation. Basically, although Goose is the creator and thus her ideas are technically canon, if she wasn't gonna definitively mention Jax being transfem in the show, she should've just let people have their own thoughts.

And to be honest, I do get that. Allowing fans to have interpretations is great. And I do think it's fair to wonder why Goose didn't make Jax's transfem identity more blatant in the show if that was her intention all along. Maybe she thought it was obvious enough? I'm not sure.

But I also think people need to realize that even if Goose has said this, thus making it "canon", they can still have their own thoughts. As long as they acknowledge that as being canon, they're allowed to interpret Jax in different ways. Jax is complex enough as a character that you can see a lot of different things in him. In fandom spaces, canon has always been malleable. As long as people know what canon is and acknowledge that, they can have fun with it.

OK Y'ALL THE SCHOOL YEAR IS DONE AND MCR ARE AT IT AGAIN SO LET'S STRAP IN AND DO SOME THEORIZING

So, if you haven't seen it, MCR announced a show in Mexico City called Black Parade - ALIVE!, an obvious homage to their iconic The Black Parade Is Dead show in the city in 2007 that ended the Black Parade era and marked the last time they played the full album live. The video instantly caught my attention, as it seems to only further solidify that MCR's 2025 tour cycle is hinting at something much greater, perhaps a new story to tell interwoven with the established lore and legend of The Black Parade.

I also realized that I've yet to actually sit down and analyze the rest of the promo material surrounding the 2025 tour (in my defense, the first post was made on the same day my dad had brain surgery). I've been theorizing about MCR5 and all of the tour imagery since 2022 (I have a whole theory doc which I will share here and reference throughout this post), and a lot of this stuff seems to be confirming ideas I had even during the SWARM tour, including this new video.

So without any further ado, let's get into it. We'll go in chronological order, starting with the very first post made.

This post shows us a foggy cityscape with what looks like confetti in the air, with giant red letters that resemble MCR, but don't look quite like English. They seem to resemble Russian, but it has since been confirmed that this language was created by the band itself, although the Russian influence is definitely there.

As for the city, it also seems to resemble Europe or at least somewhere in Eastern Europe, perhaps more specifically in the 20th century. Notice the spires.

We can't ascertain much from just this image, so let's move on to the first video that announced the tour.

Immediately, that Russian/Eastern European vibe returns, with an ornate room and soldiers guarding a door. I tried looking for buildings that this could be and struggled, but then again, I don't think this is supposed to be an actual country. It's meant to just LOOK like a 20th-century Eastern European country run by a dictator.

Speaking of, we see that dictator walking down a hall with two other men.

I assume these men are advisors to the dictator, but am unsure if they are meant to be alluding to anyone in particular. I WILL say that the dude with the mustache sort of makes me think of the guy of the cover of Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge (he's wearing a red flower on his suit, and red flowers were a big part of the Revenge imagery). The flowers can even be seen a few shots later.

To me, the flowers look like red carnations, which symbolize romance, love, and passion. They also stand out amidst the mostly black, white, and brown surroundings. Perhaps this is intentional.

We see this woman with sunglasses and a coat sitting with a dog. Her outfit resembles an outfit Gerard wore on tour in 2023.

In my mind, this woman has a lot of power, perhaps related to war. Her dog seems tough and intimidating, like a guard dog. She also stands out pretty starkly from the others. But she is just sitting there, not involved in what the other men are doing. Perhaps she is pulling strings behind the scenes.

Finally, the dictator steps onto the balcony to address a cheering crowd within the same cityspace we saw in the first post. I know I mentioned buildings before, but this makes me think of the Palazzo Venezia in Italy, where Mussolini famously delivered his speeches from a similar balcony. I imagine this is an intentional homage to emphasize the dictatorship energy.

We see the name of the tour, "Long Live" The Black Parade. Why are the words "Long Live" in quotation marks? I have two answers. One: this could be a potential future song title. Two: It is a lie.

What do I mean? Remember that The Black Parade is a fictional band that supposedly filled in for MCR during the Black Parade tour, until they played their last show in 2007 and apparently died (hence The Black Parade Is Dead). So how could they be alive? Keep this thought in the back of your head; it will be important later.

Let's analyze the video caption.

"It has been seventeen years since The Black Parade was sent to the MOAT. In that time, a great Dictator has risen to power, bringing about "THE CONCRETE AGE"; a glorious time of stability and abundance in the history of DRAAG. His Grand Immortal Dictator wishes to celebrate our rich and storied culture, fine foods, and musical entertainments by welcoming you to these great demonstrations of power and resolve. And lending voice and song for the first time in six thousand two hundred and forty six days, their work privilege ceremoniously reinstated, will be His Grand Immortal Dictator's National Band...The Black Parade,"

There are several things of note here. First of all, the reference to seventeen years connects us back to The Black Parade Is Dead, as there is a seventeen-year gap between The Black Parade Is Dead and this tour being announced. Let's also pay attention to the specific number of days we are given: 6,246. Taking the day this video was posted, November 12th, 2024, and subtracting that number of days gives us October 7, 2007, AKA the day of The Black Parade Is Dead.

Second, what is the MOAT? It seems like an acronym for something, but the only thing I could find that was even tangentially related was "Missile on Aircraft Test". So I think this might be a fictional creation, and given the context, it sounds like a prison, perhaps a concentration camp, given the European dictator vibes. The Black Parade was supposedly sent there, probably because the music they were performing contradicted the growing dictatorship's goals. We then hear about a supposed "concrete age", which explains the barren buildings we see. All color and joy seems sucked out of the city. We get another acronym: DRAAG. I think this is a reference to a lyric in The End: "Here's my resignation, I'll serve it in drag". Perhaps DRAAG is a nation similar to the USSR, and is what The Black Parade was referring to.

The real question here is if The Black Parade were supposedly exiled for not aligning with the dictatorship's goals, then why are they being brought back? Perhaps as propaganda?

The next post shows us a clearer view of the dog we saw before, with the caption saying "Good Boy". It is once again in quotes, making me think that this could be another song title. This also reminds me of one of the drumheads from the reunion tour, which said "Sit. Stay. Beg." That, combined with the way its eyes are shining directly into the camera, makes me think this dog represents a couple of different things.

First, it represents war and violence against the people. Think police dogs being unleashed on protestors. This dog enacts the dictatorship's goals using sheer force, much like an army or large weapons could. This explains the almost evil eyes. However, it could also represent the common people themselves. "Good Boy" and "Sit. Stay. Beg." imply treating people like they are animals and forcing them to comply. This dog is just doing what it's told so it won't get hurt or punished, like any person in that situation would. We've yet to see this dog do anything really bad.

Then we have this post, "Long Live". Four men in different outfits. They could represent several things. Are they stand-ins for the four members of MCR? Are they simply the four currently in power within the dictatorship? Or are they representative of the four horsemen of the apocalypse? In the video that follows this post, "Opera", we see more of the men. One looks nervous, one coughs, one laughs, and one is silent. I could see the one who coughs representing Pestilence (sickness) and the silent one representing death (figures that embody death are typically silent). The woman with the sunglasses is also sitting behind them, further hinting that she's somehow involved (literally "behind this").

We then see an opera singer in an opulent dress walk in front of the men to perform. A piece that sounds a bit like an orchestral arrangement of Welcome To The Black Parade plays on a record player. But when she opens her mouth to sing, all that comes out is horrible screeching and industrial noise. I think I also hear screaming in there.

I think this could represent the dictatorship looking towards entertainment to distract them from the horrors they're enabling, only to have it spat back in their face. It could also represent how they view music: chaotic and uncontrollable. We also heard opera pieces during the reunion tour, particularly Casta Diva, a piece that tends to allude to impending doom and ruin. This could be a way of playing on that notion.

Next is "Feast", where we see a lavish meal being enjoyed by those in power. One crucial detail is that we see the dog being fed by one of the soldiers. If the dog is truly representative of war, this could represent how all of the dictatorship's assets are being invested in war and violence. In general, the feast seems to be highlighting the disparity between those in power and those not in power.

Finally, we have the thing I want to talk about that shook this whole thing up: The Black Parade - ALIVE!

We see what looks like an old news program broadcast from DRAAG, showing a statue of the dictator, a shot of the city, and a field, presumably to mislead the populace into thinking there is no famine or shortage of food, something real dictatorships commonly do. We see what looks like the logo of the news station before a news anchor starts speaking.

A couple of things. First, this footage looks like it comes from quite a few decades ago, when supposedly this is supposed to all be happening in modern times, given the dates (they're even referenced again in the report). Perhaps technology in DRAAG is severely outdated? Second, the news anchor calls the viewers "dragoshkas", confirming that the country is called DRAAG and thus its citizens are known as dragoshkas. Third, the footage is subtitled in Spanish, meaning this is being broadcast internationally and is not exclusive to DRAAG.

The news anchor references the Palace of Sport, a generic term used to refer to indoor sports venues built during the Soviet Union, like the Kyiv Palace of Sports in Ukraine. However, this term is also used in other countries, and in Spanish-speaking countries, the term is translated as Palacio de los Deportes. This is seen in the Spanish subtitles.

He tells us that The Black Parade "never returned" from their concert in Mexico City, as they perished in a fire during what was supposed to be their final performance.

This fire imagery is reminiscent of fire imagery shown during the reunion tour, specifically the "burning man" image on their merch truck, which looked very similar to this image. One of the drumheads also read "muy fuego" (a lot of fire), connecting to the concert being in Mexico. And during a noise jam, Gerard said, "I’m gonna set myself on fire, never mind, I want you to set me on fire".

As you might be realizing, this whole news report directly contradicts what we were told happened to The Black Parade. Weren't they sent to a prison by DRAAG? But obviously, they wouldn't want the public to know that, particularly those who saw them live in Mexico, as they'd be furious. So they made up this tragic story to take the heat off them (no pun intended). Not to mention, they can look like heroes by "discovering" that they're not dead at all.

This is also why I said that “Long Live” could be a lie. Maybe they really DID die and a fake band is being sent to perform. This makes me think that perhaps we’ll be seeing something reminiscent of this on this tour.

We then hear once again that it was the dictator's idea to bring back the band, along with the Cabinet of Operatic Retaliations. Could this be what those old men were a part of? Could "Opera" be a play on "Operatic"?

Finally, we see what looks like the national seal of DRAAG. The text is hard to make out, but we can see a deer holding an arrow while also being pierced by arrows. Deer represent grace, elegance, greatness, and innocence. In other words, everything DRAAG is not, but everything they want people to think they are. This deer clearly also represents prey, with it being hunted, but with the arrow in its mouth, it could also subtly represent how the hunted can become hunters (the people rising up), or conversely, how the hunters can become hunted (the dictatorship being overthrown).

I believe in the idea of the Black Parade band being puppeted corpses. It would explain their sudden emergence, the melting makeup, and fit with the idea of the dictatorship wanting full control over them. I think it might be moreso them being fully revived rather than puppeteering, as it explains their rebellion throughout the tour.

His Grand Immortal Dictator might not be fully alive or real, either. That woman who's been lingering in the background of everything could absolutely be pulling the strings, using the dictator as a pawn since she realizes no one would be willing to let her be in charge.

The whole pasta debacle in New Jersey connects to the Feast video and the concept of overindulgence. It's also another way for the dictatorship to convince the public that the Black Parade are being taken care of and that they're good guys. Think about the wheat fields. Wheat is used to make pasta.

I think the opera singer might rebel at some point, or the band will try to get her to stop singing the anthem.

The dude who keeps slapping Gerard could be the warden of the MOAT, and therefore familiar with punishing the band.

If the Black Parade were held in the MOAT, the little doll/dummy could've been used by Gerard as a coping mechanism. Perhaps his reading to it is representative of how his mental state deteriorated in captivity.

The rules at the beginning of the show will become more and more intense, or the band will hijack them.

One of the executions won't happen. Gerard will halt it and will get killed early, or at the very least severely injured, by the warden.

So, with the official release of I'm Sorry You Went Crazy, and due to some of the conversations and reactions I've been seeing from fellow AJR fans, I figured it was a good time to dive into a topic related to the band that I've realized isn't as well-known as I thought it was: their relationship with their mother.

Full disclaimer: this is all speculation, mostly based on song lyrics and circumstances surrounding the band. The guys haven't spoken on this publicly or confirmed that any of this is true. But in my opinion, the songs Touchy Feely Fool and I'm Sorry You Went Crazy make a lot more sense when viewed as songs about a strained relationship with a parent, and given what we (sort of) know about AJR's mom, I think there is a decent case to be made for the claims I am about to present.

I will be doing my best to provide evidence and receipts for my claims, but keep in mind I can't collect receipts on everything, so you're just going to have to take my word for some of it.

And perhaps most importantly, THIS IS IN NO WAY MEANT TO DISRESPECT OR HARASS THE BAND. All of this information and speculation is alleged, and I do not encourage harassment of the band regarding this matter. I will take this post down if the band expresses any sort of discomfort about this matter.

But with all of that being said, let's get into this, starting from the beginning.

So we've known for a while now that AJR's parents were divorced, particularly because of the song My Play. I am unsure if the divorce was known about before this song was released, so please let me know. But before this song's release, AJR's father Gary was actively involved with the band and took it upon himself to meet with fans and support his sons. Their mother, however, didn't, although she was still mentioned in songs and interviews. The boys specifically said that BOTH of their parents were very supportive of their music, not just their dad. This leads me to believe that the parents had joint custody, but Gary was seeing the boys more often. Their mom apparently was in charge of their production company, AJR Productions, for a while, so she had active involvement in their music. (This screenshot comes from the About section on the website for The Tutoring Collective, which their mom is the founder and manager of.)

Not to mention, in the physical releases of The Click, Neotheater, and OK ORCHESTRA, in the special thanks section of the album credits, BOTH of their parents were thanked.

(Sourced from John Loren, the artist behind The Click.)

(Sourced from musicbrainz.org)

(Apparently this is sourced from Arc Film Festival, but the link isn't working. Zoom in to see the names.)

All of this to say, it is my belief that, up until the OK ORCHESTRA era/tour, the boys had a good relationship with their mother. But as production of TMM began, something shifted.

AJR has made it incredibly clear that the album was the product of an incredibly rough couple of years. The most obvious example of this was their father passing away from cancer in July of 2023, meaning a huge part of their support system was gone. But there were other things as well.

Going back to the physical release of albums, I have a vinyl of TMM, and checking the special thanks of the album credits, while their father was listed, their mother...wasn't.

(Sourced by me. Sorry for the poor picture quality. Zoom in to see.)

Hmm. That's odd. She was thanked on the last album. What happened?

Well, in this interview, they casually let out the fact that Touchy Feely Fool is about a family member who wronged them (skip to 7:45).

That's interesting. Let's look at the lyrics of Touchy Feely Fool, shall we?

"Well, I'm not too superstitious But I knock on wood a lot Prayin' I'll wake up tomorrow Get the guts to tell you off But I know I'll never get there You could scream you wish me dead But I'll crawl back to you tomorrow Why the hell can't I get mad?"

This first verse clearly tells the story of an abusive relationship. This person is crossing their fingers that they can leave this situation, that they won't have to deal with this anymore. But they know that, despite all the horrible things this person does to them, they feel like they can't leave, like they're indebted to them. This is typical within abusive relationships, where the abuser will manipulate the victim into needing them, making them feel like they have to be grateful that they're with them.

"I'm screwed But, hey, what can you do? I'm a touchy feely fool I would give anything to not give a shit About you (you) Life is pretty cruel For a touchy feely fool I would give anything to not give a shit, but I do"

The victim knows this is a bad situation, but they're sentimental towards this person, so they've resigned themselves to their fate. All they want is to just disregard them, acknowledge them for the awful person they are, but they can't.

Now, after I first heard this part of the song, I assumed it was discussing a romantic relationship or just abusive relationships in general, especially given the context of The Dumb Song, which also seems to discuss an abusive relationship. But then the next verse states:

"Well, I'm not too claustrophobic But I lose my breath sometimes Now I can't even talk to ya Now your lawyers talk to mine Could you teach me to be ruthless? Could I be unfeeling, too? Maybe someday, when I'm older I'll be better off like you"

The second half of this verse is particularly interesting. The phrasing of it, emphasizing "teaching" and getting older, makes me wonder if this has less to do with a romantic partner and more to do with a parent.

First of all, it's well-known that parents can pass unfavorable traits onto their children, or at the very least, those traits can negatively affect their children growing up. And the line "maybe someday, when I'm older, I'll be better off like you" reminds me of the idea that you "become your parents" as you get older. Have you ever said something and followed it up with "wow, I sounded just like my mom/dad/parent/parents?" If you're an adult, most likely. Whether we like it or not, our parents' influence lives on within us.

When you frame the song through this parental lens, the song's message of sentimentality and feeling like you owe something to someone who doesn't care makes so much more sense. Because we feel like we owe our parents so much. They conceived us. They raised us. They gave us everything we have and got us to where we are. So even when they mistreat us, when they clearly don't care as much as we do, we can't quite get ourselves to completely hate and abandon them, like we might be able to with romantic partners. And even worse, parents sometimes take advantage of this, making us feel as though we're cruel or ungrateful for even daring to "disrespect" them, even when the opposite is true.

And given the absence of AJR's mother from the special thanks, and the clearly great relationship the boys had with their father, I don't think it's an insane leap of logic to imagine this song could be about their mother, and their strained relationship with her (perhaps as a result of their father's sickness, or something else entirely).

I should also mention the way The Dumb Song plays into this as a sidebar:

"You said with certainty

I may be the dumbest person that you've ever seen

You think you're hurtin' me

Bet you won't believe it, but you kinda set me free

You've mentioned Adderall

Slip this guy a sedative, he's bouncin' off the wall

Honey, it's no big deal

We'll get you back to college, you could study somethin' real"

Their mother is insulting them, calling them stupid for abandoning her, not realizing that by doing so, the guys are actually setting themselves free from a toxic relationship. The last two lines are tongue-in-cheek, phrased the way a parent would phrase something to their child, only it's AJR cleverly insulting their mother by using her own words against her. (Remember that Jack and Ryan dropped out of Columbia University to focus on AJR.)

So I think we've established by this point how these songs could be alluding to AJR's mother. But I need to strongly emphasize that, when The Dumb Song was first released as a single, when the first verse of Touchy Feely Fool was teased via the guys' phone number, and when the full song was released on TMM, this was NOT something on anyone's radar, including mine. Everyone assumed that these songs were about a toxic ex. I made a post on Reddit shortly before TMM released, connecting TFF and TDS (as well as YIAM), but I was still operating under the assumption that these songs were about a failed romantic relationship.

But then, four days after the album was released, AJR's interview with Zach Sang about TMM was posted, and it changed everything.

At 50:10, the guys start talking about Touchy Feely Fool. It seems as though they're going to speak about who the song is about, but then at 50:44, right when Zach is about to say the name, the footage cuts to a black screen with text that reads, "This clip was deleted due to legal reasons".

...what on Earth? What could've happened?

Wait a minute. What was that line from Touchy Feely Fool I conveniently didn't comment on during my analysis?

"Now I can't even talk to ya

Now your lawyers talk to mine"

...did...did AJR's mom sue them?

It would very much appear to be the case.

(Before we discuss I'm Sorry You Went Crazy, I'm going to provide you guys with a few links to Reddit threads from around the time this discussion was initially happening. I got a lot of my info here from those threads. Here is mine, and here is one I spent a lot of time in.)

So now let's get into the reason why we're all here: I'm Sorry You Went Crazy. This song was first teased back in March of this year, and when I heard the chorus, alarm bells immediately began going off. There was discussion about whether or not this song was related to Cat, thinking she and Ryan had called off their marriage. Keep in mind that this was before we knew about Betty, and obviously before we knew about The Plane That Never Lands, so we had no real reason to believe they had called it off. I openly disagreed with this take from the beginning, as I could tell from the start that this song was the spiritual successor to Touchy Feely Fool. So let's look at the lyrics:

"I turned 29 the other weekend

You know you're not blocked, you still can call

Did you hear we played The Garden and I got my own apartment?

Are you in touch with anyone at all?"

Ryan turned 29 on March 3rd, 2023, and before AJR headlined The Garden during the TMM tour, they played there in 2022 as part of the iHeart Radio Jingle Ball. So clearly this song was either written in early 2023, back when they were teasing TMM, or it's just reminiscing about that time. And more importantly, this would've been before Ryan and Cat got engaged, which was in the summer of 2023, so it's not about her.

The line about not being blocked is especially noteworthy. It connects to the guys not feeling like they can fully hate or cut off their mom in the same way they'd cut off a toxic ex. Her contact is still in their phones, just in case. Clinging to an abuser or something who hurt you, or at least leaving the door somewhat ajar, is not uncommon. They also hint that their mother's behavior has driven people away from her.

"I bet you never, ever sit in silence

You'll try therapists till one tells you you're great

Or else it would be clear, though, that you're not the fucking hero

And if you called, I don't know what I'd say"

Their mother refuses to acknowledge what she's done wrong, looking for validation. She thinks she's really done something, that her boys wronged her. Remember the description on the website that said she "founded" the band? Remember what I said about parents making kids feel grateful when they shouldn't be ("I MADE you")?

"I'm sorry you went crazy

I'm sorry that I'm saying it so blunt

Everybody says that you look happy

But to me, you just look like someone that I used to love"

The apology is a conflicted one: it's a little genuine and a little sarcastic. They can't decide whether to forgive or mock. Then they apologize for their phrasing, furthering the idea that they're still guilty.

"OK, you're right, and we're all evil aliens

And thank God you're here to save the human race from us

So shoot me in my weak spot with your subatomic laser gun

Now you're really all alone"

Their mother is framing them as the bad guys who need to be punished, hence the lawsuit. But all she's done is isolate herself from her family.

"I'm sorry you went crazy

I'm sorry that the money's what you want"

This time, the apology is a little more sarcastic given the line that follows it. This further confirms that the lawsuit did indeed happen, and that it only happened because their mother was anxious for a cut of their earnings.

"I'm sorry you went crazy

I'm sure it isn't any fucking fun"

Once again, this is a mixture of sarcasm and genuinely feeling bad for what she's become.

"Yeah, you've gotten good at looking happy

But to me, you just look like someone that you used to love

Oh, my God

You really look like someone that you used to love"

This line is a killer. The guys really rub in the fact that their mother is not at all happy with what her life looks like now, and that secretly, she hates herself for what she's done. This can only come from the minds of those who have silently stewed and wondered what could've caused someone to act like this, wishing to get inside their mind. So there's a sense of bitterness and dismissal. However, the fact that they even bothered to consider it from this angle shows that, once again, they do still care, and they secretly hope she's going to be OK.

So yeah. It's about their mom. I'm not really sure what else to say.

Hazbin fans, how are we doing? Personally, I'm losing my fucking mind. So, of course, I need to concentrate this energy into theorizing. So let's just get into it.

(Apologies for the little artifacts on the screenshots, I got them from Instagram.)

Starting off with the first image, we have the Vees. We know they'll be the main villains of this season, particularly Vox. It seems like in this image, Vox is scheming, and Valentino and Velvette aren't quite on board. I wonder if this means we'll see some tension within the Vees in regards to their evil plans.

Then we get a peek into Heaven. Sir Pentious, newly redeemed, is surrounded by Emily, Saint Peter, and Abel. Many fans, including myself, like the idea of Emily becoming friends with Sir Pentious, especially given her reaction after he arrived in Heaven. This seems to confirm that not only will she become friends with him, but so will Saint Peter and Abel. This also confirms that these three characters have different moral standings than Sera, who seemed hesitant about the idea that sinners could be redeemed. I wonder if we will see a conflict within Heaven regarding this.

Also, why does Pentious seem so unhappy in this picture? My headcanon is that he misses his friends from the hotel, and these three are trying to get him to hang out with them in order to cheer them up. A plot surrounding the four of them just hanging out in Heaven would be so cute.

Then we see Charlie, Niffty, and Baxter, one of the new characters. Charlie seems stressed, and is pushing Baxter toward Niffty, who seems to just be doing Niffty things. We know Niffty will get a song during this season, so I wonder if this scene takes place before, during, or after that. This also makes me wonder if Baxter and Niffty will develop some sort of unlikely friendship. We know Baxter is supposed to be a mad scientist, and Niffty is far from sane, so I could imagine some funny scenes of them doing crazy shit together.

Ah, Alastor and Lucifer...we all knew we'd see more of them hating each other's guts. But before I even touch on them, I wanna talk about the background. We know the hotel got rebuilt at the end of Season 1, so we're probably going to see some new rooms, including this one. I feel like this might be Alastor's new room, given that the furnace sort of looks like him (the furry ears and big teeth, plus multiple radios). Also note Alastor's new mug. It says "Duck Season", a reference to Looney Tunes, but also referencing his desire to take down Lucifer (who has a duck motif).

As for what exactly they're doing this season, I think we'll see some growing tension. Lucifer thinks Alastor is getting too close to Charlie for sinister reasons, and Alastor doesn't respect Lucifer at all. It'll be interesting to see how their relationship evolves.

Then we see Lute. It looks like her ripped-off arm has been replaced with a battle-ready prosthetic. This sinister shadow clearly paints her as an antagonist ready to take down all of Hell. Her attempts to get revenge on behalf of Adam will definitely be a focus of Season 2.

Ooooooh, Charlie and Vox are gonna meet! This is especially interesting given that we know Vox is going to be a major antagonist this season. I think Charlie and Vox's relationship will play a major role. I also just love their faces here: Charlie looks so nervous but is trying to be polite, and Vox looks so smug and full of himself. I just know he has ulterior motives.

Also, I think this is also the hotel in the background. There are spiders and poles that clearly connect to Angel Dust, although the serpent is also present. There are music notes behind Vox, though I'm not sure if they're from a particular song. The windows are confusing me; I can't decide what the carousel horse symbolizes other than maybe connecting to Lucifer's whole design, and I don't know what the other thing is. And I love the snake and apple designs woven into the railings.

Next, we have Pentious chained up in Heaven. I can't help but be instantly reminded of Mastermind, which stings just a tad. I also just noticed that Pentious' glasses look like hearts now, which is cute.

Anyways, I think Pentious' redemption will be a very controversial event in Heaven, and he'll be forced to go on trial to prove that he's really redeemed himself, similar to what happened in Episode 6. I wonder if Charlie and the rest of the hotel will be made aware of this somehow and will try to advocate for Pentious. Either way, I feel so bad for him; he doesn't deserve this.

And finally, we have this image of Charlie's face on a blimp with the text "Charlie Morningstar! Dictator?" I think this is especially interesting because I saw a Tumblr post about how Charlie could potentially be seen as a sort of "white savior", and inquiring about how the show could deal with that notion. While I don't necessarily see Charlie filling that archetype, I think there could be some complexity found in her desire to help the people of Hell who don't necessarily want or need her help. Maybe it will cause Charlie to do some self-reflecting about why she feels the need to do all this, as well as reflect on her privilege as the princess of Hell.

Obviously, this blimp comes from VoxTech, so Vox is clearly trying to warp public perception of Charlie in order to rally the people of Hell behind him as a "hero" combating her. Perhaps he's taking things she said out of context, or he's just portraying her kindness and zeal as something more sinister than it actually is.

Also, I know Viv talked before about certain things happening in this season accidentally feeling really topical, and given what's happening in the U.S., I think this is definitely what she was talking about.

So we all saw it, right? And we're all freaking out about it, right?

So that new Instagram post is...confusing, to put it mildly. But putting it into the context of my other thoughts about this tour cycle's branding, it makes a bit more sense (here's the link in case you don't know what I'm talking about).

So it seems to me like we're inside some government building, or an otherwise restricted area. Is this the MOAT, the prison they were talking about? That thing in the center of the image looks like a fancy security camera. And you can see what looks like an image of the dictator and the war dog.

It looks like the building is being filmed, so is there a news report? Did some rogue agent break in and start filming stuff to try and expose DRAAG?

The caption reads, "a dagger, a dagger, please fetch me a dagger". I looked this up and I don't think it's quoting anything. People are comparing it to a line in Macbeth ("Is this a dagger which I see before me, The handle toward my hand?", said before he murders King Duncan) and that one lyric from The Sharpest Lives ("drop the dagger and lather the blood on your hands, Romeo", another Shakespeare allusion and also from the very album this tour is for). This absolutely reads like an MCR song lyric and seems to be alluding to a plot to murder the dictator of DRAAG, facilitated by whoever is filming this video.

Finally, the big thing: there's a date at the top of the screen. July 11th, 2025. AKA TWO DAYS FROM NOW.