#questionmark

My first bullet point in the summary is actually something I find really interesting about how things were converted over in Fionnaworld - pretty much all of the main, active royals are either in some sort of business or are working towards it. Out with Gary, who obviously has his sweet spot aspirations, DJ Slime and Phelix are both well known in the community and looked up to as leading figures in their field, at least from what we've seen.

Similarly, Queenie thrives in a non magic world because King of Ooo (or Queen of Ooo) is well acquainted with scammy practices already, it's their niche essentially, so of course they would thrive in a world without magic. Marshall, while not really caring for the empire he was born into, WAS born into his mother's business and is literally the heir to the company whether he likes it or not.

That's at least 4 prior royals with deep ties to the business world without mentioning those attending the blood drive, and Gary is no different. In season one he has a 64 step business plan, meticulously done to a point that he's obviously been putting it together for multiple years. He knows all of his ways into the industry, when given the opportunity to visit an event that would give him an in he's actually pretty good at buttering them up before he willingly gives up on it to defend Marshall. In s2, he's excited about handling the financial side of the fundraiser because that's what he's good at, and he's the first one to mention that they were squatting. But when we meet him, despite being a well of knowledge, he's stuck at Butlers stealing kitchen hours at night to practice with resources he could never afford off of his paycheck.

All in all, he has everything he should need to be a shoe in for a place, but pre canonization they were all seemingly stagnant in their lives. Fionna bouncing between jobs, Marshall living out of his van, Gary working in Golb's approximation of a 'candy kingdom'. Meaning, they've only been living in a full world for a month. (Yes, there's about a month between s1 and s2, I was surprised too) Within that month, though, the group have been readying the Sweet Spot. It's Gary's dream, so obviously he's the most excited, but it's also the equivalent of Prince Gumball starting up the Candy Kingdom. Which took PB hundreds of years to build up. The human lifespan of 'hundreds of years' being when he's 30 isn't that crazy. I've just realized I've veered from the main topic here a bit, but that passion is hardwired into him from his Gumball days, though he doesn't know that.

On the topic of PG, I feel that not a lot of people acknowledge how much of his traits stay with Gary, even if it's not in the exact ways PG presented them. Just a few examples :

They are both less put together than Bonnie. PG has specifically been said to not run as tight of a ship as PB. He is generally a bit less competent than her.

Gary got PG's baking focus rather than Bonnie's science - though Gumball does also utilize science in many ways, he seems to have more faith in magic than PB does. (I'm convinced that if PB was a human she'd be a biologist with a baking hobby rather than being a full on baker. Guilty passion? She would love her hypothetical citizens too…)

His perfectionism.

Despite being born into a poor family in Fionnaworld, Gary has a fondness for the luxury that he can't necessarily HAVE in his current state in life. This ties to his forgotten royal status as PG.

I want to elaborate on that last one, as said in the summary, because I think its a fun piece of characterization that isn't mentioned. Gary has an affinity for wealth and the upper class lifestyle. When he goes to the blood drive, he's talking about how fancy everything is, reveling in it when talking to Marshall. He also refuses to compromise on his ingredients being premium in s2 when he really should - the brand he uses has a crown and castle on it, by the way - and is worried that Marshall might think less of him when he sees how he grew up when Marsh grew up in a penthouse. He projects his own worldview onto other people, Marshall has never indicated that he has anything against poor people and he literally busks. He was homeless up until moving in with Gary like 2 days prior.

Gary misses prince life, and probably has for a long time. Though he doesn't know this. Maybe in s2 he could Ponder about it after Fionna informs them of their original forms but to our knowledge he's not very conscious of it.

Another trait that carries over, his perfectionism and need to have control over any given situation, is actually actively addressed as a flaw of his in s2, which I was extremely happy about. Gary can't handle other people trying to do things for him - he'll freak out. He gets anxious at Marshall's attempt to help him bake for the fundraiser and accidentally makes him feel bad about himself before Gertie and Gordie answer the door by smoothing out his shirt so it's perfect. He wants people to perceive him highly. The confidence in Fionna finding the fundraiser location was because his own perception of her and her abilities were warped to higher than is realistic because of the s1 finale,,, anyway anyway,,,

My personal thoughts on his 'me first' attitude and controlling habits are that they stem from his childhood - having to help provide for his family as the youngest member pushed him to a point where when he moved out, he decided that he would put himself first since he had the chance to. Of course, he still looks after his family in smaller ways like bringing them treats when he visits, but he doesn't have the pressure to that he did when he was little because he usually puts himself as priority over others.

The harmful aspects of this trait are, in my opinion, because he veers too hard into that mentality to try and compensate for how long he was seemingly bending over backwards to provide as a kid. 'Me first's himself into not recognizing Marshall's needs and not seeing Fionna's stress. But he is willing to try and change, as is also shown in the same episode and those following. He actively sides with Marshall when Fi starts planning things involving Phelix and is ready to fully pull out (and DOES!!) when she won't agree to it.

Mind you, none of this takes away from his simpler traits. Gary is kind, and a bit oblivious and generally quite soft, and that's fine too!! You can be a fairly sensitive, sweet person and still be an ass sometimes. As a treat.

I'm sorry if this is a bit all over the place, I'm not very good a keeping a straight train of thought and i have a lot of thoughts about him all the time and Have been for the past 2 years.

"Gary wants acknowledgement from his loved ones, people he respects in the business and he wants to be able to be proud of what he does. but his perfectionism makes that last one near impossible for him and he Damn Well knows it" ~ MY TWITTER!!! 2K25 LMAO

I want to make a post at some point specifically about his childhood through the small glimpses we have but i will do that another time. enjoy my garylings. go my garylings.

[ link to the how to be human twitter thread - for clips and me going insane ]