Board Thread:Episode Discussion/@comment-27234079-20191221163921/@comment-25396609-20191223050317

The more I think about Willow's line about Whitley; "You left him here. With us." The more I'm starting to mentally recontextualize how he acted throughout V4.

Like, I'm reading the transcript for Remembrance and... holy shit. Whitley: (feigning a concerned look) I just wanted to warn you. I heard he had asked to speak with you.

Weiss: I'll be fine.

Whitley: I know you will. You are strong, like Winter.

Weiss: You never liked Winter.

Whitley: True, but you can't deny her resolve. He's not saying Weiss is strong, he's calling himself weak. He's saying he doesn't have the resolve to leave like they did.

In Punished he didn't want Weiss to get in trouble because he wanted to be the heir.

He didn't want Weiss to leave him behind again.

Every gesture of good will he puts forward she shuts him down, treats him like a nuisance; and it just reinforces those feelings of abandonment and betrayal. Reading the transcripts from V4, he gradually becomes more antagonistic as time goes by; but he never instigates.

Almost every time they interact, he's the one initiating the conversation; but Weiss shuts him down, accuses him, and even literally slams the door in his face.

We all thought it was funny at the time, "haha little jerk got what he deserved"

But no. Weiss was shutting him out; she is the ONE person in the family he has any genuine chance of connecting with, who might actually treat him like a person instead of a tool (like Jacques), or outright ignore him (like Willow.)

And what does she do? Treat him with suspicion bordering on disgust; push him away and treat him like an enemy.