AAAAA couldnβt stop thinking about yesterdayβs episode. There was a lot to unpack and others went over the Big Main Things better than I can so I just wanted to share some of my thoughts on a couple of other things
incoherent ramble time
First of all, I think we all noticed the Computerβs sudden change of attitude. What it said to Sun at the end about the Old Moon being gone and needing to accept that was SO INTERESTING. Justβ¦ the WAY it spoke, slowly and almost hesitantly, as if it was just coming to those realisations itself. Itβs constantly been comparing Moon to his old self, behaving like theyβre still the same, treating him with more and more snark as if actively trying to get him to act βcorrectlyβ. Forcing him to work under pressure, treating taking Sun off the βsubject listβ like a joke, ramping up its attitude... surely itβll work eventually, right? Heβll start acting like his old self in no time, they just have to keep pushing. It almost seemed frustrated that Moon constantly refused to. Because Moon isnβt the same person anymore. He hasnβt been the same person since the day he woke up.
All of the Old Moonβs actions, his anger and distance and defensiveness, it all stemmed from the fear and trauma of spending most of his life trapped in someone elseβs body while also dealing with the kill code (has anyone else ever thought about how terrifying the first moments of his existence wouldβve been?? Stuck helplessly in the head of someone who doesnβt even know heβs there, he doesnβt know why and all he can do is lash out in anger because itβs not fair and I have A LOT of feelings about this but thatβs for a different post entirely).
New Moon didnβt have that. Sure things were far from perfect with Eclipse and everything, but he had a family. Sun was there to tell him whatβs going on, and Earth to teach him good habits. Sure, he has a similar personality, same sense of humour, similar reactions when mad (meeting Banban in VRchat and that one Roblox maze, anyone?), but his base personality only goes so far. He hasnβt learned the same behaviours. Heβs a different person now.
(β¦ where was I going with this? RIGHT THE COMPUTER.)
I always thought that maybe the Computer was suddenly being an ass because it didnβt know how to deal with Moonβs reset. It wasnβt really created with that kind of emotional range in mind, and itβs never had to deal with something like this before. This whole time the Computerβs been clinging to the Old Moon, whether in some kind of grief or denial itβs been refusing to process. But I think what Moon said to Sun, βyou refuse to think I can be different,β made it FINALLY realise that Old Moon and New Moon arenβt the same, and only when talking to Sun did it start to actually accept the fact. Again, the wayΒ it spoke then... it really felt like just as significant a moment character-wise for the Computer as it was for Moon.
Maybe itβs going to be more empathetic from now on. OR Iβm completely wrong about all this and it goes back to itβs regularly scheduled dickishness in a few episodes, thatβs possible too lolβ
I canβt help but wonder how long Moonβs been sitting on this, though? He cares about Sun so much, heβs been trying so hard to help and prove heβs different, but it must still hurt that heβs receiving the fallout of actions he doesnβt even remember. He only knows what happened second-hand through what little Sun tells him and a freakingΒ youtube channel of all things; he doesnβt understand why the Old Moon did the things he did. Theyβre quite literally different people at this point. And he knows Sunβs struggling, knows Sun has every right to feel this way, but he canβt help if Sun doesnβt let him. Heβs been trying so hard to prove that he wonβt treat Sun like the Old Moon did, he doesnβt WANT to hurt him like that, ever, but after finding out Sun lied to him, it must feel like heβs been making no progress at all. How long has this been festering in his mind? An outburst like that doesnβt just happen. It wouldnβt help that Earth is the only one who never knew the Old Moon, and thus doesnβt have anyΒ expectationsΒ of how he should act outside of how he is now. Not to mention the Star still affecting the rest of the Pizzaplex. How long has he felt trapped by the shadow of his predecessor?
Another thing Iβve noticed is the wholeβ¦ βgiving more attention to Moonβs problemsβ thing. For most of the show, Sunβs issues have been largely ignored, brushed off, or relegated to a βone-time issue thatβs been resolvedβ. Because this is Sun, heβs the happy one, he always bounces back, heβs always fine in the end! Right? Iβm so glad heβs been having the spotlight recently, he absolutely deserves it and needs to have his issues addressed. But something that occurred to me after this episode is that that same issue has been threatening to repeat itself, just in the opposite direction. Because Moonβs fine now, he doesnβt remember any of his trauma, heβs all relaxed and goofy so thereβs no need to worry! Something thatβs been rather prevalent in this show is cycles. Moon hurting Sun and apologising, only to slowly start falling back into the same behaviours that caused the issue in the first place. Sun screws up, Moon fixes it, Sun wants to be useful and does something else that results in more problems. One brother starts spiralling, the other spirals because of it. THE TRUCK LOAD OF MISCOMMUNICATION. Sunβs mental issues certainly are more immediately concerning (for obvious reasons), but the last thing we need is yet another cycle of one brotherβs issues overshadowing the others.Β If anything, this is actually the perfect opportunity for them to break out of this particular cycle before it can even get started, as well as the communication issues everyoneβs been talking about. They both have their own issues, and sometimes they clash in the worst ways (as we saw frequently in the past), but neither of them should invalidate the other. This is their chance for both of them to start putting things right.
