#hup

my vision has been put together.

it's my first(?) animatic/mv and man... it was hard to get details when most of tdc aor is filmed from their chest up - I threw in small references to the creation myths and the 1982 movie :)

One of my favorite things about Dark Crystal AoR is the complexity in all the characters.

Taking the Gelfling, for instance. In the movie, they're the 'prefect' species, the best and brightest and Thra, the poor, sad, weak ones that the Seksis hunted down. And the show doesn't change that. But...

They're weren't some peaceful, all-knowing and loving people in their perfect society--they had their faults. They were racists, they put their personal clans first, and the gelfling above all other species (They did not seem to notice--or maybe not care--that the gruenaks had suddenly disappeared). The Vapran, in particular, cared about looks and had a very classist system. We even see this in some of the heros (And that terrible guard who SO deserved what he got, get sucked Tolyn). The Skeksis fed into their egos to gain their rule over Thra.

But they also cared about their home, and their faults and mistakes didn't mean they deserved to be drained. Great heroes came from the gelflinh, who would learn from their mistakes and the mistakes of their people, even their own parents. They had beautiful cultures, and all contributed to Thra. And they would not go peacefully.

Mother Aughra made many, MANY, mistakes, among them giving her duty to the Skeksis, turning away from her home, and objectively favoring the gelflings over everyone else in Thra. But she owned up to her mistakes and worked tirelessly save Thra, even sacrificing herself for the few. And she would end up all alone for trine, surrounded by false crystal shards that had lead to her children's downfall.

And even the skesis were fleshed out--not to be redeemed, but to be more human. Audiences can sympathize with the abused Skektek, even as we're horrfied the next moment as he drains esssences and beats the gruenak to death. Even the Emperor, with his quiet moment of dreams and holiness, a longing he refuses to give into. This doesn't excuse their actions, but instead points out they--like SkekGra--could have choosen different. It cements the skeksis as villains while keeping humanity in the UrSkeks worst halves.

I just like how real all of them feel. The gelfing and Aughra make mistakes, the Skeksis are, dare I say, relatable. Hup of course is perfect and is who all of Thra should inspire to be.

First off… they’re mean :( SkekGra and UrGoh HATE each other in this earlier draft. They are actively fighting, and the gelfling must settle their debate for them in order to find out why they came to the Circle of the Suns. They are greeted by SkekGra at the door, like before, his dialogue is different, he’s a little less unhinged and a little more mysterious. The circle is notably roofless! Also, SkekGra’s cane instead of a staff stands out to me, considering how symbolic his staff would come to be.

Next, SkekGra keeps saying “we”, the group notice a sword, Hup is ableist as before. No mention of the nail, Hup suggests the sun is responsible.

Thus, they ask him if he’s alone, cue Wanderer (and title card).

The two immediately butt heads, they don’t like each other even remotely. UrGoh addressing him as “Skeksis” feels aggressive, the way they talk to each other makes me sad. Their little argument in the final version genuinely feels like an ‘old married couple’, this feels like an old divorced couple.

The two keep fighting, the group continue being confused, and we start getting glimpses of what is actually making them angry. Something is wrong, they don’t just dislike each other, they are mad over something. They are yelling at each other, which feels out of character for how we came to know them, SkekGra only yells when laughing, in danger, or the brief moment where UrGoh speaks very slowly, otherwise the two keep to a whisper. UrGoh doesn’t yell at all in the final version, yet here he is in a shouting match with a former warlord.

They make Lore go to sleep, and it seems like they’re done fighting, but SkekGra speaks to the gelfling and UrGoh starts the fight again. We get a better idea what they’re mad about now!

What the hell is “The Esteemed Helper”? The gelfling wonder the same. Neither will say. SkekGra is cryptic as hell and is now refusing to help end skeksis power because he is mad at UrGoh. Not very nice.

After this it cuts to the rest of the plot but we are not here to talk about them.

When we return to the Circle, we are met by UrGoh spinning. He is fast. That scares me. Why is he fast??? How does he move like this? Terrifying. Notice the prosthetic leg? Yeah. That’s important.