#scene analysis

I love how this is being handled. Even though he still hasn't opened up about his issues to anyone, Pomni knows enough.

You see the surprise on the others' faces when he's acting so vulnerable and nervous, with the stuttering and all and the clear attempts to get out of the room as soon as possible. It's entirely new to them.

And even though they never talked about Jax's close calls with abstraction... Pomni just knows. She knows he hasn't been doing well and she has the perfect balance of concern and firmness to keep a tight grip on him.

The silent communication here is JUST *chef's kiss* 😭

Jax says he's going to distract Caine. Pomni knows he just wants to be away from them. She starts asking if he's okay but catches herself, knowing he won't take that well, but while she's still trying to rephrase, Jax just looks her dead in the eye and says again, "Fill me in later."

Aka "I NEED to be out of here right now don't try to stop me."

She looks back at him, and says with a firm look, "BE here later." Aka "you can go have your alone time but don't you dare abstract on me."

And Jax, for the first time in the show (although he avoids eye contact), replies sincerely, "I will."

Just... UGH. The way Pomni is STILL sticking around for him is so sweet and how it's slowly but surely WORKING akdnfndmskjfdkdkdjskdkdkdkksksndnsk

They were so physically comfortable around each other it's INSANE cause wdym we're just supposed to accept the fact they both aren't able to feel that affection anymore? Sure, Gary's gonna hug other people, but no one will ever feel the same as Pawbert did. No one will hold him just like he did. Pawbert won't feel Gary's hugs again. Even though he knew he always planned to end it, there HAD to be a part of Pawbert that liked providing the warmth.

THERE'S SO MUCH TRUST!

LOOK AT THEM! LOOOOOOOOK

Gary's wrapped around him, and Pawbert doesn't mind. NOT ONLY does he not mind, but he gives BACK the touch. Pawbert rests his hand on Gary and even pulls him closer. Maybe he liked it too, or maybe it was all part of his manipulation.

Wade has his leg over Logan's shoulder, which is common in a sex position

He also throws his head back, and arches his back slightly

You can barely see it, but he does grip the seat and his muscles tenses at it

They're switching positions, but you can see by Logan's face it's definitely meant sexually

Also the fluids splattering on his face as well as he smiles

This... this is just back shots with a choking kink in the mix

Multiple hits, so it's multiple back shots

Also, it does give the vibe of slight dom/sub

The stark difference between these two shots lives not only in the physical distance and the way the scenes are lit, but also in the depth of their connection in these two moments.

It’s the way Shane reaches out and asks Ilya if he is alright, only for Ilya to push him away because they are in Russia. He can’t have the life he wants in Russia. He can’t have Shane or even a hint of closeness to him. Ilya makes it clear by saying, “We are not anything. Go away, Hollander.”

They hide in the cold and dark and lonely corner of the skating rink. Its blue hues and white light cut through the moment in a sharp way, making it clear that being together is not possible. 

But then, it’s different when Ilya tries his best to finally be honest—both with himself and with Shane—in how he talks about the fact that he doesn’t want a life in Russia. He tells Shane of the easy option he could take with Svetlana, and Shane reaches out to him once more, telling him they can figure something out together. And this time they’re close to each other, touching their toes and they sit under soft blankets, bathed in warm, yellow light. It’s cozy and homey and soft, in a small place, with no one around them. 

That couch scene reminds me of the letter between Henry and Alex, where Henry says, “If you wanted less of me, more of that—the work, the uncomplicated things—I would understand.”

Shane’s offering sits in the line “Do you want that problem to go away?” because, as sad and devastating as it would be to hear Ilya say “yes,” he needs to know where they both stand after these two weeks end.

Because I see so many people complain about how the rival just wanted to take the spotlight from you and be the hero and get the glory but like

They just didn’t want you to have to die man

Imagine hearing what Naveen said on the rooftop—that the members of Team MZ could die because of AZ’s mistake. Imagine dedicating your life, or at least your time in Lumiose, to helping people because people helped you, and you’ve come to love the city and its people because of that. Imagine hearing that your friend—one of your closest friends—is going into the most dangerous spot when they’re a tourist who didn’t ask to get caught up in any of this.

Imagine seeing them win, and hearing Naveen’s words again—that they could die, because Urbain wasn’t strong enough to stop them.

Urbain knew the risk, and he knew he didn’t want his friend dying for something they didn’t even ask for. He’d rather be the one to die because at least he has ties to the city, he has ties to the disaster with Ange, and he doesn’t want his friend to get killed because of something they didn’t ask for.

Holy shit I cracked something BIG

Okay so we remember the speech Kali gave to Hopper when Jane was using her powers to try to search for Will in Vecna's mind?

This is a PERFECT example of an indirect speech. If this was just a speech between Kali and Hopper, it easily could have been a one-on-one scene, but it wasn't. Because who else was there? Mike. And he kept interjecting into Kali's speech.

We were not supposed to forget Mike was in the room for this speech because her words apply to both of them.

The whole context of the scene is that Hopper (and Mike) believe they know what is best for Jane, all the while still calling her El and continuing to not allow her to live her life for herself.

Kali opens her speech by saying "I'm just here to help" and this indicates to us, the viewer, that she is functioning as a messenger for Jane's story arc.

Mike's first interjection is to question Kali, "Wait you said this whole thing is pointless?"

Which I think is interesting because it calls into question immediately the dynamics between Mike and Jane and Hopper and Jane.

And she says, "I never said that"

Then Hopper comments on Kali "worming [her] way into [Jane's] head" and turns the conversation back to being about Will, which narratively is an interesting choice. Shouldn't Hopper's concern here be on his daughter and less on her being thrown off course from finding Will? I think this moment here is not just meant to convey Hopper's motivations in shutting down Kali's influence on Jane, but to actually highlight Mike's motivations, as we see him repeatedly throughout this volume mention saving Will, both in the scene before El gets into the tub, and later to his mom about how the party saved Will. Mike's priorities have not changed since season 1, they are still on saving Will. And though his perspective is obscured in this moment, this conversation continues to pair Mike's character motivations with Will.

Now we switch to Kali's message, which, when taken in, can clearly apply not just to Hopper, but to Mike

Kali: "She was off track when I met her because of you. Because of your lies."

I don't necessarily take this line to be about the exact moment Kali met Jane in relation to Mike, since Mike had not fully realized his feelings and had not begun lying to Jane yet, but we know that their relationship, for seasons, has become riddled with lies, especially the glaring unresolved "I love you" lie

And Hopper follows "Everything I have done--"

Kali: "is to protect her. Keep telling yourself that, but if you really want to protect her, she needs to know the truth, and she needs to be ready to deal with what's waiting for her on the other side of this. Killing Henry won't end this.

And what truth is Mike keeping from El? His feelings. His real true feelings. This line also directly parallels the M*leven rooftop scene about "With Vecna gone, what's stopping us?" Now of course, you can read this about Kali showing up to stop Jane from going off with Mike, but this also calls out to Mike referring to Will as Vecna. As in, killing Henry will not resolve these lies that you've told and built your relationship on.

Then we get an interruption from Mike again: "What the hell does that mean?"

This line is to remind us, literally, that Mike is a part of this scene, to show us that his perspective is still being hidden, but that it's being communicated through other people in the room.

Hopper: "It means nothing. She's a child. She has no idea what she's talking about. She's talking a bunch of nonsense."

Defensiveness. Blame. This sounds a whole lot to me like, "Don't let those mouth breathers ruin you. Ruin us!"

Kali: "I think you know I'm not. But just as you lie to Jane, you also lie to yourself. You ask why I'm still here? I'm here to make sure that this never happens again"

And then the ultimate lie to oneself. The closet. The unresolved feelings for Will. Mike's character motivations this whole time. The lie he cannot escape. Cannot avoid anymore. Brought to the surface, in text. And Kali, stepping in as a familiar figure to steer Jane away from a path of unsatisfying relationships to one where Jane gets to write her own story and make her own truth instead of being caught in a lie.

This functions much like the painting lie and much like Mike's s4 monologue, that the text is being said, but not purely applicable just to the person it is said to/supposedly from. There is a reason why we have these observer characters in these scenes. It is because the narrative wants you to associate the messages with them as well.