#vimdeo

Hey so now that we’ve seen the wild skeetry in his first appearance, I gotta talk about William’s stupid glasses.

Given William doesn’t wear glasses in the Spring Bonnie suit, or when he’s chasing Vanessa in the nightmare sequence, or when he’s younger, I think it’s fair to assume that his aviators are part of his “disguise”. (Or he could be wearing contacts but shhhh bear with me) At the time of the first movie, that glasses style was pretty obviously for both time period reasons, looking cool, and because there’s a connotation of that style of glasses and serial killers.

But. The second movie makes this a little extra interesting. Because Henry is wearing *aviators too.

Edit: they are not technically aviators, Juni does not know what aviators are.

Obviously there’s a slight difference in frame size, width, and color, but this is a very similar glasses style.

We’ll have to wait and see if Henry is in flashbacks, and what he looks like there, because chances are, he wears glasses to signify he’s older in the present, and he might not have worn them in the past. But. Even if he didn’t, this is a very particular decision made by the costume designer, and even if it doesn’t follow to this next point, it does show the subconscious similarity and connection these two have. Even though I doubt they’ve even spoken to each other in like a decade, they’re still a matched pair.

Next point of interest: this outfit.

I hate the encyclopedia Henry design, but I will admit, William in that work apron and flannel is somewhat similar, albeit actually practical-looking and time period accurate. It’s hard to deny that this is a similar vibe to that one Henry image. Some people even took this as a sign that William is the sole engineer in this continuity.

Here’s my pitch: I think William is trying to emulate Henry. In that photo he’s posed for, he’s being praised in a puff piece article that never mentions Henry, and make William out to be a solo pioneering genius. I think it’s a sort of power thing to him, to try and cut Henry out of the narrative and subsuming both his work and his image. He wants to be seen as this genius inventor, and so he frame himself the same as the one he’s trying to overshadow. Taking what Henry has, and presenting it himself to prove that he can pull it off better. Both in a literal sense of taking all the credit for Freddy’s creation, and in a fashion sense.

Also perhaps in a sort of obsessive, worshipful sense like in the novels, wanting the same spark of creativity and innovation he knows Henry has and idolizes his partner for. Which ultimately just makes him furious because he can’t replicate it. William may be talented, may be clever, and may be more charismatic and a better businessman than Henry could ever hope to be, but he is still inferior. He wants a role he can’t have. He’s still only second-best.