What was up between Dark Enchantress and Shadow Milk cookie?
Bam! Shadow Enchantress jumpscare!
The first crk analysis I’ve posted was about Shadow Milk, but I heavily focused on the many parallels and similarities he has with Dark Enchantress. That ramble was more of a defence of Shadow Milk being the main antagonist of Act 2, and his character in general (all my analysis serve as a defence of aspects of crk’s story that I’ve seen people be stupid about)
However since then I haven't really discussed much about the actual relationship between Shadow Milk and Dark Enchantress within Act 1. Which has fascinated me ever since I got to my introduction in Beast Yeast episode 2. Shadow Mik is the only beast cookie with an actual relationship with her, and while these two only directly interact in Grand Dusk hotel episode (and Beast Yeast episode 14) we get to see a good bit of their thoughts and opinions on each other.
Despite the little we have of them their dynamic is quite interesting. As well as the feedback loop of despair they have put each other in. directly fueling each other’s villainy and affirming each other’s toxic beliefs and values.
Note: this analysis is a follow up to my PureDarkness one, however it will be more disorganized than that one but be sure to check it out as well
The relationship between Dark Enchantress and Shadow Milk cookies can be essentially: two puppets trying to pull each other's strings. Both of them see each other as simply tools to be used in their grand scheme, perhaps a hint of respect, a handful of fascination but ultimately just tools to use and discard later.
It's weird how balanced this relationship is, sure Shadow Milk is the one still left standing but it's only thanks to Dark Enchatress’s work, which will eventually destroy him in his Divine conquest for control. Both of them are so interactively similar on a fundamental level, creating this weird back and forth in their efforts to control each other.
Even beyond the grave ShadowMilk is still her puppet in a sense, being consumed by the ultimate dough and creating a new world like she desired. The difference is Dark Enchantress intended to liberate cookies (by putting them deeper in the cycle of consumption baked oppression) Shadow Milk’s goal is oppression, “free? more like under new management” by becoming the witch, the god and still intending to grab their attention.
Not necessarily what she wants, but still consuming her plan of “creating a new world” and “Making the Witches pay”.
But how the fuck did we get here?
How Shadow Milk molded Dark Enchantress
While I already knew before the new episode, Shadow Milk directly made Dark Enchantress who she was.
It was his Ultimate cookie recipes book that Little Lily found that gave her the fixation on creating cookies herself (and the Ultimate cookie of course) It was his Knowledge on to All book that gave White Lily the existentialism that compelled her to find the answer to cookie creation. All which drove White Lily to the witches banquet, where Dark enchantress was born out of an anger towards the Witches and a desire for revenge
While Pure Vanilla wasn’ t in the right headspace while asking this, he raises a good question. How aware was Shadow Milk about his influence on Dark Enchantress?
I doubt that he planned any of this, but had to know of the academy’s fall due to Nilla’s memories. He knows Dark Enchantress has seen the truth of the world, her intention and motives. But it would be interesting to know how aware he was of his role.
Because he knows Dark Enchantress's goals and his alien life, perhaps it adds to why he doesn't take her seriously, beyond his hubris. He believes he can control her, because in a way, he always has had influence over.
It's interesting how Shadow Milk is actively sabotaging her by exposing her secrets to the Heroes on a whim, but also working with her to create the ultimate cookie as per her plans.
However it becomes increasingly clear throughout Beast Yeast that she has the real control over him.
How Dark Enchantress Molded Shadow Milk cookie
I wonder how much help Shadow Milk really was in the creation of the Ultimate cookie? Did both of them agree to this favor, or was it left unspoken? Either way It's interesting just how much smarter Dark Enchantress was in this partnership. Shadow Milk’s a smart cookie, he knows the insides and outs of any individual he comes across with, Dark Enchantress is likely no exception.
However Dark Enchantress seems to know Shadow Milk just as well, specifically his nature, what makes him tick and how to get him to comply with her plans. She might not know the full history behind his mask, but she knows what he wants and how to use it him to get what she wants.
It's a consistent flaw within Shadow Milk, he can know everything about a person, know how to bring them to their knees, yet he never accurately assesses their capabilities.
Which she exploits to hell and back, she lets him know what she wants him to know, gives him the freedom to poke and prod and go about the deal any way he likes, while ensuring that he does exactly what she needs him to do.
I love One of Darkness absolute because even though it seemed like Dark Enchantress was at a disadvantage against the 5 great Beasts he tamed their asses so easily it's impressive. Completely calm and collected against their crazy asses.
And it's interesting how she had Shadow Milk completely wrapped around her finger
*feels the aura* the way he was stunned when she started reciting the cookie bible, he probably looked back on that as Ultimate Shadow Milk and was like “hold on… wait I got an Idea!”
Like he folded so quickly, she revealed the extent of her power, relating to him using the power of the witches. But unlike the other beasts who agreed due to the magnitude of her power, Shadow agreed because of the genuine common interest in his emotional attachment to the witches.
Also What tf was the tension here? the fucking giggles bro!
The “fuck em Witches!” duo
The most blatant commonality between these two is that both of them hate the Witches so much they make it literally every one’s problem.
Which is why they are so drawn to each other, they share the same underlying motivation.
Shadow milk had a more personal relationship with the witches, they gave him a vague purpose that he struggles to understand. So he dedicated likely eons to search for them, to find his answers, his purpose and identity.
The search never ended and became increasingly insane, unstable and bitter as a result.
Dark Enchantress was born out of Lily's trauma at the witches' banquet. Looking for a purpose, a solution to her feelings of weakness and to find freedom for the world she arrived at her answer after likely centuries.
The answer she found was that witches created cookies to suffer, to be weak and tasty for consumption. Becoming bitter, insane and unstable as a result.
Both have the witches at the center of their problem, and they believe that in order to solve it, they must become the solution. The God, the Witch that will transform the cookie world while believing they are above cookie kind.
The wannabe Witches
I already said it, but Dark Enchantress plan was honestly brilliant in how simple yet thematically perfect it was
Dark Enchantress internalized the whole witches eating cookies revelation so much, that her solution was to create a cookie powerful enough to eat the witches. Power to her, is defined by one's ability to destroy and consume another, so she makes herself a witch for the practical reason of being able to bake the ultimate cookie, and the emotional thrill of feeling powerful.
She became the very thing she swore to destroy, but she was always above cookie kind since her creation.
Dark Enchantress is an ultimate cookie, White Lily fell into the ultimate dough and she was baked out of not only her will, but the will of thousands of souls within her own dough. Dark Enchantress is not simply White Lily's despair but the despair of hundreds of other poor cookie souls.
Which makes sense why she's so stupidly powerful. She was able to 1 v 4 (or 5 but that makes no sense) the ancients and hold her own easily against the beasts.
Shadow Milk’s reaction to her transformation, is honestly my favorite moment in Beast Yeast episode 15 (Despite the first half being much better than the second)
(I forgot tumblr won't let me add more than one video, so I'll link it in another post)
There's so much to unpack here, the genuine horror at the sight, then manic laughter during his realization. The fact that he had the capacity to applaud her for her efforts yet still hold deep resentment for her using him as an ingredient. Everything here is perfect, and it's at this moment where I looked at Shadow Milk and started to be genuinely fascinated.
I think this sight held almost as much psychological damage to him as Silent Salt’s judgment. The idea that now at all times, at his most powerless would the creators arrive is too much for him to bear. He knew Dark Enchantress wanted to be a witch, but he didn't believe she would actually come this close.
I find it perfect for Shadow Milk to become a ultimate cookie. He collaborated with Dark Enchantress on this little science project, and basically gave her the idea (She could have come to the idea at the banquet though).
Did he donate some of his own life powder to this thing? Because this one to one. The quote seems more than a symbolic parallel between him and the ultimate cookie.
I will always defend the role/character direction of his character in Episode 15 and onwards, he is directly carrying the torch of Dark Enchantress's plans, being the bridge between old plot points (The Witches, the ultimate oven, cookie, blueberry academy, Beast Yeast) and new (The dragons, time balance department, Tartarus, SCOOP)
The way this relationship comes full circle with Shadow Milk creating Dark Enchantress and Dark Enchantress recreating Shadow Milk, though their shared hatred for the creators and descent into divinity through the ultimate dough.
Shadow Milk using everything she left behind and applying it on a larger scale all in spite of the creators just as she did, is just perfect!
Their actual relationship does fascinate me though, because both seem to enjoy eachother's antics and are impressed by eachother's capabilities. But they are ultimately just an end to a means to each other. Both were plotting to betray each other and while Enchantress beats Shadow Milk to the chase, he ends up having the last laugh.
Man, these two must have the craziest benefits lol.
