#ritamej

Salem as a concept is compelling. Though it was condensed into a 20 minute flashback, we got to watch how she went from victim (locked in a tower), to hero (fighting alongside Ozma), to misguided (trying to bring Ozma back from the dead, even if I still think that’s not nearly as taboo in a magic world with gods who willingly grant wishes as it would be here. Why does the concept of accepting death exist when death is preventable??), to victim again (suffering under a punishment far too severe for the ‘crime’), to antagonist (raising an army/lying to those who followed her), to full blown grimm monster who wants to use her children as eugenics tools to rule the world in her image. That’s a lot! Combine it with her cool aesthetic and the staggering power she holds - how in the world do the heroes defeat her? - and you’ve got a recipe for a great villain. Provided you actually do things with her in the present. I love Salem as a villain too, just not always how she’s used as a villain. Having her absolutely decimate the cast this Volume would do three crucial things: re-establish her as a threat, force the cast to confront their choices via horrific repercussions, and tie this period back to Volume 3 (another Fall) so it no longer feels like the show is just meandering plot-wise without direction... 

FANART FOR IN A LAND OF SCIENCE AND A TIME OF HEROES BY DAUGHTER_OF_THE_TARDIS

Darcy Lewis has been around for a long time, waiting to begin her own destiny. Now is the time for the new Golden Age of Albion. If she can keep her scientists alive, her past from catching up with her, and her new family from finding out about her legendary one, that is.

I really am a clown for thinking that maybe things would turn out better this time around... yet here we are lol. As for the Dark Knight line, the true tragedy for me is that RT has decided not to engage in that idea in any intriguing way. Meaning, we could have gotten a story that acknowledged how hard the world is that they’ve created. Given us heroes who come to the realization that if they want to win they can’t be heroes---or rather, they can’t be heroes in the way they initially defined that role. They have to lie, even though they once railed against that. They have to kill, even though they don’t want to. They have to run, even if they once would have considered that cowardly. The show has changed in regards to the sort of conflicts the group is dealing with and the ways in which they can be solved, but it’s not allowing the characters to change along with it. There’s no longer any growth. Instead we get speeches about how lying is just totally different in your case, we miraculously won’t kill anyone else in the future, and no, regrouping is still considered the coward’s way out. Hell, we explicitly started this characterization for Ruby in Volume 5, implying that as the leader the rest of our cast would learn this too through her influence. 

Pyrrha was kind-hearted to the point of foolishness. She chose the noble heroic thing over the hard heroic thing and she died for it, helping no one in the process and actively making the situation worse (devastating her team, not getting help for Ozpin, etc.). Ruby realizes here that they can’t do the same. This isn’t a war where throwing yourself into a fight you can’t win, simply because you want to help people right here right now, is a viable option. We’re playing a longer, far more complicated game, necessitating that our idea of what is “heroic” changes. 

I have individual feelings about each subplot: 

Them being certified huntsmen - Not something I personally think they’re ready for but, considering how much Volume 6 pushed (not persuasively imo) them being huntsmen in all but name (Ruby in particular: rejecting Qrow’s guidance, implying she had her credentials to the Atlas fighters, etc.) I was glad they finally made it official just so the group wasn’t lying/running around committing actions without a license anymore. If the plot wasn’t going to send them back to school they needed a legal way to continue their quest... not that it ultimately matters given the end of Volume 7. But it was nice while it lasted lol 

Being better than the Ace Ops - Never needed to happen. Shouldn’t have happened. Makes no sense that it happened

Qrow and Clover - I’m a big fan of Qrow getting a nice friend. My personal ozqrow feelings aside, I’m a big fan of Qrow getting a nice boyfriend. Wasn’t a fan of the subtle (both in-world and in promotions) teasing of fairgame with full knowledge that Clover would be killed off, nor the overall choice to take a friend away so quickly, thereby (presumably) undoing the (mostly off screen) progress he’s achieved... what was the point of any of it? 

Weiss leaning into Penny - Wholesome and adorable in theory! Where in the world did it come from? 

I said it all the way back in episode two when people were losing their minds over Ozpin charging Ruby: if he had wanted to take the relic from her he would have. He could have. Easily. This man has thousands of years of experience on them, magic at his disposal, plus incredible speed and/or the ability to manipulate time (as seen during the Cinder fight). The only thing keeping him from snatching the relic out of Ruby’s hands is his desire to let people make their own choices. The thing people claim he doesn’t actually do. If Ozpin truly cared so little for this group he would have taken the relic forcibly and to hell with Ruby’s agency, to hell with how much that would scare her. But he didn’t. Because Ruby’s respect is worth more than his secret. Even Ozpin’s instinctual response to having that secret suddenly ripped from him–his charge–was done with an open palm. He never drew his weapon, unlike three other people there. 

Knowing that Ozpin is Salem’s equal in experience, immortality, and power should make him absolutely terrifying, and the fact that he’s not speaks volumes to how hard he works to make sure everyone is comfortable around him; that no one thinks they’re lesser than he is. James can chuck out accusations. Ruby can defiantly hold onto the relic. Yang can scream in his face and none of them for even an instant fear that he’d retaliate for any of that, despite how easily he could. 

Literally my reaction to that scene. By all means, keep the group mad at Ozpin if that’s the route we’re going, but at least have them express anger that’s logical? Let Yang caustically ask whether Ozpin told any more lies during his brief visit. At least that’s in line with their primary grievance. Instead presenting shock over Oscar being “controlled” (more of Jaune’s baseless accusations), focusing on the fact that he’s “watching” them (...duh?), and horror that he saved their lives is just... weird. It’s more of the bird nonsense. We went from “Oh my god you gave my uncle the ability to turn into a crow with absolutely no downsides? How could you!” to “Oh my god you kept an eye on us in order to save the life of my sister and two of my allies? How could you!” 

As a side note, I love how not a single character has once addressed him since the relic? No one tried to talk to him after the fact. JNR in Argus never said hello while greeting everyone else. Nora didn’t address him directly, instead commenting to everyone else that Ozpin will solve our problem, right? No one tried to speak with him after the Oscar fiasco. And now they just learned he’s still present and can most likely see/hear everything they’re saying... and they talk like he’s not in the room. He’s literally nothing to them. Kinda like how Jaune can attack Oscar and Yang will ask right in front of him, “Is [Jaune] gonna be okay?” 

(Tumblr app freezing?? My god who would have thought...)

But no okay, segueing into serious conversation. I don’t think he acknowledges it that overtly. Just because we haven’t seen any evidence of Remnant society studying or prioritizing mental health. We don’t hear about psychologists at Beacon that are there to help the kids transition into this career, no one suggests that Yang see a therapist after losing her arm, there’s no mention of professional help to assist Qrow with his drinking, etc. Which makes a certain amount of sense. It’s a show about a group of girls fighting monsters. Just because RWBY has now reached the point where they’re working to write PTSD realistically doesn’t mean they want to do that kind of world building--or that audiences want to watch those sorts of logistics. (I mean I personally wouldn’t be at all opposed, but I also get that it’s a fighting fantasy show. That’s not really what people originally signed up for.)