Board Thread:Episode Discussion/@comment-14138255-20160225225013/@comment-14909251-20160315204247

They are certainly setting up Volume 4 to be a more somber Volume than the previous ones. Blake is wondering and moody with Adam and the White Fang. Yang has been disarmed and bedridden as her partner ran off without her. Weiss is stuck back with her jerk of an old man. Ruby is the only one doing something that could conceivably be more upbeat and action-packed.

At the same time the whole world of Remnant is set up to be a darker and more somber place. They said all anyone saw was Atlas attacking Vale and the Grimm overrunning the city before communications were cut.

Presumably there has been some word spread about what actually happened in the months between the battle and Ruby setting out, but it would still be a very tense and paranoid atmosphere. Not everyone would necessarilly believe what was reported to have happened or they would suspect there was more going on thus breeding an atmosphere of suspicion.