Caine knows (+ Caine's masking)
Zooble didn't need to tell him.
I think deep down he already knows. At least subconsciously.
I mean look at the number of x's on the doors... Caine’s supposed to keep them busy, from abstracting... but look at how many members he's failed. I think somewhere in the back of his mind it weighs on him. Because we've been shown in little ways over and over how much he CARES about the circus members, that probably includes past ones. Now before you bring up his reaction to Kaufmo, let me present the idea that we can't be sure if that's how he really felt about Kaufmo's abstraction or if that was just the holding-it-together act we know he puts on in front of the others.
I'm going to expand on that actually real quick. Sidetangent incoming. In episode 2, there's the scene of him smoking the bubbles. This is right after he pushes the others out into the portal... we see this side of Caine, who is suddenly a lot more calm... composed... I think that's the side of himself he often hides from the circus because it doesn't fit with this persona he's been created to play. Furthermore, there's the scene at the end of episode 4. When Gangle shuts that door, he immediately starts crashing, but it's only when she shuts that door. In episode 5 when he panics that they like the suggestion adventures more than his, he doesn't do it done on the grass where everyone can see him, he does it only in front of Bubble and Moon, too fellow AI. In episode 3 and 6 when he DOES show his more emotionally unstable side the others seem surprised and concerned, like this is NEW behavior. The way they talk about Caine, or in some scenes where he could've been mentioned like when talking about other cast members they can talk to he ISNT MENTIONED AT ALL, all implies that they don't really know a verison of Caine that seems human or that can feel emotion... that can be hurt. Because he doesn't show them. Like Gangle, Ragatha, Jax, and even Zooble, he wears a mask. Every human trait is hidden or subdued.
So why would he show emotion at Kaufmo's abstraction? That... isn't his role. It would go against everything they know him to be. That doesn't mean he felt nothing, I mean it doesn't mean he does feel bad about Kaufmo either one could say, but for now let's just stick with: it doesn't mean that he feels nothing.
So the abstractions is one thing that shows Caine he isn't doing his job well... what else?
He tried to make them an EXIT. I think we need to circle back and talk about this now that we know more about Caine... because now that doesn't seem like him and thus implies/reveals something more. I don't think Caine knows about/can create a true way for them to leave. If it did it'd imply that he's forcing them to stay which I don't think he'd do. Because he wants them to want to be here, to be happy here. He could probably force them to pretend they are enjoying this, he has the power to... but he doesn't because he wants it to be genuine. That aside, he knows they want to leave. He TRIED to create an EXIT for them, which, even if it failed... there's a lot of implications just in the fact he tried. He's not mad at them for not wanting to be there... he's upset, hurt, and frustrated by it but he doesn't seem to hold a grudge over it. He wants to make them happy... that's all he wants... but making an exit failed... so what does he do? He tries to do BETTER. He makes the AI more immersive, he makes the adventures more mature, he tries to take more feedback but only ends up becoming more hurt and frustrated in the process. He can't make everyone happy... he's not good enough...
And if he's not good enough that means:
He's bad at the only thing he's supposed to be good at.
He'll never make them happy
His purpose is essentially a goal he will never achieve
All those circus members he cared about that abstracted? Yeah, that's HIS fault.
And he'll never be good enough for them.
I think he was already grappling with all this BEFORE Zooble pointed it out. The reason he crashed out was because they made all these bad thoughts come crumbling in at him at once, they confirmed his worst fears... and he had to actually stop and process what that truly meant...
"That'd be..."
That'd be what, Caine?
Too much?
