Something jumped out at me tonight while I was driving home and listening to the Project Hail Mary soundtrack after rewatching the movie. And it was the song that plays while Grace is preparing Yao Li-Jie’s and Olesya Ilyukhina’s bodies for their final words and send off into space.

The song is called “You Were Loved (Burial)”

And I can’t stop thinking about it because it’s not “You were heroic” or “you were brave”. It was “you were loved.”

Grace sees bravery as something you’re born with. He says it to Yao, that he doesn’t have the ‘bravery’ gene that they have, and Yao corrects him in that moment and states it’s a matter of finding someone to be brave for.

And listen I know others have talked about how Grace learns to be brave because of Rocky. And, yes, it’s true. But I don’t think thats the complete message the were wanting us to take away from this movie.

See, the difference between “You were brave” and “You were loved” is the difference between “I” and “We”. Yao and Ilyukhina weren’t just brave. The song emphasizes that it’s not the bravery that mattered, but the fact that others loved them. We see it in their photos. Surrounded by children, loved ones, family, friends-

And then there’s Grace, in his one photo.

Standing by himself.

Alone.

But Grace loved his kids, you’d say. And yes, the children are so so important to him. But while they love him as a teacher, Mr. Grace, they don’t love him as the whole. They don’t know Ryland. They don’t know Dr. Grace. And Grace has no partner, no immediate family… he is liked. And that’s where it ends.

When he meets Rocky though? It changes. Slowly, yes, but surely. This little alien that knows him as someone clever, and smart, and clumsy, and bad at math. Grace is not just “the science human”. Grace is his friend. An equally valid form of love- platonic.

And what happens, when Grace for once gets the same love he gets? He does EVA’s on a ship experiencing active gravity, he leaps off to grab the predator collector even at the risk of dying, he nearly kills himself with chemical burns (in the book) carrying Rocky to get him back in his closure, he gives up his chance of going home, KNOWING he will die shortly after dropping off Rocky at Erid, if he even manages to find Rocky.

And we can say that it’s growth of Grace, learning to be brave and not a coward for the sake of his friend. But that’s once again focusing on the one person. The ‘I’.

You. Were. Loved.

This movie at its core is about how humanity is to love and be loved.

Grace didn’t suddenly develop a bravery gene. He was given what he so desperately needed- love. And it was only because he received it that he could make the choices he did.

He didn’t leap for the predator catcher because of bravery. He leapt because he was loved.

Rocky didn’t break through to Grace’s side because he was brave. He forced himself to go into Grace’s atmosphere because he was loved.

Grace didn’t pull the emergency air lock lever for Rocky because he was brave. He let himself be injured because he was loved.

And most importantly- Grace didn’t choose certain death to rescue Rocky because he was brave. It was not an act of bravery.

It was an act of love.

And that love could only exist because, for the first time, someone loved him.

Guys...GUYSSSSSSS

2D IS NONBINARY I CAN'T FUCKING BELIEVE IT

NO FUCKING WAY HOLY SHIT IM SCREAMING AND CRYING AND THROWING UP IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE AAAAAAAAAAAA

I'm still new to the Gorillaz fandom (just this year and just in the last two months, hell I don't think some of you even knew I liked Gorillaz) but already I've latched onto 2D as someone I relate to a hell of a lot. Not only because my name is also Stu (not my “real” name but it's the name I prefer everyone to call me), but also because something about them just made me feel seen and I had no idea why...

UNTIL TODAY

I'm nonbinary myself and seeing this representation in the world right now from a character I admire is what I needed to pick myself up. It's not every day you get to see the most popular character from a well-known band be confirmed to be in the trans/enby community. 2D was pretty queer-coded for a long time and to see those suspicions confirmed makes me so happy for me and for my fellow enbies. Especially those like me who have a fondness for this silly (or have gotten gender envy from them like me). Finally realizing I'm nonbinary made me so much more confident in myself and now I'm not alone in my gender journey.

Congrats 2D on the blue hair and pronouns and I welcome you to the enby community along with my fellow nonbinary Gorillaz fans💜💛🖤🤍

And thank you Jamie and Damon for confirming this for us (and switching 2D's pronouns mid-interview that's so sweet)

What if Grace never got on the ship?

Colt, who’s doing a filming actually no more than two hours away from the launch site, gets a frantic call from his twin brother. Told that they’re expecting him to make a decision within three hours- that Ryland is scared, he doesn’t want to die, he knows he needs to but…

Colt drives over immediately. He’s somewhat cleaned up for the role he’s playing, less scruff, less bleached hair, and he’s let in by slightly confused guards that inspect him closely, but just assumes he looks a little rougher because he has probably been up all night and day trying to figure out what to do after the explosion. Colt goes to try to find Ryland. He knows his brother would want to be alone. He wouldn’t want to be seen crying. He’s sensitive like that.

Instead, two stoic guards find him first. All they tell him is that Stratt summoned him so he could tell her his decision.

Colt decides, you know what? He knows his brother has a big heart. That the idea of saying no would eat him alive. So… why not do it for him? That’s what bigger brothers were for, to make the hard decisions (even if he was only older by seven minutes). So he lets the guards guide him to Stratts office, and he prepares to channel every bit of acting expertise he has from his years on sets, to perform as the man he’s known since they were in diapers.

And it’s hard. He had known the Petrova issue Ryland had been working on had been serious, but… it wasn’t until Stratt lays it all out that it really hits home. And maybe his lip quivering isn’t just him pretending anymore.

But his one job as the bigger brother was always to protect Ryland. Sensitive, gentle, genius little Ryland, the best of the two of them.

What he wasn’t expecting was to learn that Ryland never had a choice.

He runs. He’s caught. The knees on his back, digging into his old injury, won’t let him get his breath back and overwhelming him in pain. He can’t get out that they have the wrong twin before there’s a needle in his neck. Everything fades.

—

‘Ryland Grace’ wakes up on The Hail Mary. That’s what the ship calls him when he tries to find out where the captain is. He doesn’t need to do math when he finds the fuel… he knows if it took 90% of their fuel just to get to where they are now, that 10% won’t get him back.

He remembers the Petrova line. Sitting on a couch with a woman, watching the news, dumbstruck and in disbelief. The woman’s hand tightens in his, asking him if he’s going to call up his brother, that if anyone will know it’s be him-

The photos of his dead crew mates bring back no memories. It feels like he’s never even met them. His own possessions barely feel familiar. There’s a photo of him somewhere he doesn’t recognize. Why does he have so many fucking dumb ass shirts? Only the fox mask brings back a memory- him, as a kid, in a school play. He wasn’t the one wearing the mask though. His brother turned towards him, grinning, face almost completely hidden-

While he sits in the Don’t Go Crazy Room, staring out at the fake beach, he looks over and sees himself walking towards him. It feels like a memory- but that’s clearly him, he’s even wearing the same dumb cardigan he found in his bag, and this memory-him looks up and gets a big smile, waving and calling out…

He flinches when he’s called the pilot- but he doesn’t pull away from the seat. Everything looks… almost familiar. In an intimidating way. Like a car or a plane, just ten times more intimidating.

It isn’t until he effortlessly lands the first-ever touchdown pass with an alien that he remembers who he is. Remembers seeing his face looking back at him, lecturing him, telling Colt that he has to be more careful as he inspects his nose to see if it’s broken while Colt holds a rag up to stop the bleeding from his nose, half covered in mud and telling his brother, yes, mom, I know-

And he realized with dread that he’s not the one supposed to be on this mission. He’s not Ryland Grace. And the twin that’s actually capable of saving their planet is 11.9 light years away.

—

I’m rambling but you see the vision. Imagine scientist Adrian instead of Engineer Rocky. Imagine Colt being able to pilot and do all the dangerous stuff while Adrian has the science knowledge. Colt struggling with the feeling of being so out of his element. Of being convinced that he has to try but not believing he’ll seriously be able to contribute anything. Think of him solving the Astrophage problem with Adrian because of his memories with Ryland. Memories of his nerd brother rambling about different solar systems and talking about how cells work, of being tutored by his brother so he could squeak through high school with a degree, of listening to Ryland go through his dissertation NIGHT after NIGHT convinced he’s going to go cross eyed if he has to listen one more time.

Colt who remembers Jody, when Adrian asks if he has a mate.

Colt, who because of his bond with his brother, helps solve the Astrophage problem against all odds. Colt, who is given hope that he will see Jody and Ryland again… only to have to make an impossible decision.

And perhaps this is better. Jody would have figured it out shortly after he had been launched off. Hell, hope for the Hail Mary probably disappeared completely once they realized that rather than sending a world renowned expert on Astrophage to space, they sent a stunt double. Jody will have moved on.

But Rocky watched Adrian leave believing they would come home again. And Colt will be damned if he’d leave Adrian to die alone after everything they’ve been through.

Listen, I grew up with teachers. Yes, there’s the helicopter parent here and there. It happens. Especially if you’re at a good school.

But so much so that he has to avoid the parking lot? Because every time he goes, he’s harassed by a fleet of moms trying to talk to him?