Board Thread:Episode Discussion/@comment-4141313-20181229081856/@comment-4010415-20181230012501

This episode made me cry and then gave me happy tears, omg. So much good stuff, so much interesting stuff, some explanation, some confirmation.

Time to rewatch the episode so I can more easily note down my reactions to it! As usual, haven't read all the previous posts.


 * Emerald looks to Cinder as a mother-figure,

which explains her dedication to Cinder. I know some people thought she was in love with Cinder, but it's more of a familial love and attachment, that of a lonely, lost child.

I'm actually not 100% certain if Cinder doesn't care about Emerald. I wouldn't be surprised, but I also wouldn't be surprised if she does actually care about Emerald. Though, honestly, Cinder really could just be a selfish manipulator. I hope we get some backstory on her.


 * Solid confirmation that Marcus abused Mercury.

And he stole Mercury's Semblance?? I wonder what Mercury's Semblance was.

Also, I was right about Mercury's motivations for working for Cinder. I'd been thinking it was basically just "This is what I've been trained for, for literally my entire life and I don't know anything else, so I might as well."

I think Tyrian is right about Mercury. Mercury is just afraid to stray from the life he was raised in because he knows nothing else, which boils down to fear of the unfamiliar.


 * As predicted, Tyrian's prosthetic tail is mechanical and is built to inject stuff from a syringe on the tip of it. Before he leaves, we even see a drop of purple liquid coming from the tip.


 * Tyrian's creepiness and nutso personality feels more natural and less forced in this episode. At least, to me it does.


 * Tyrian and Watts are heading to Atlas,

so that'll be something to look forward to in Volume 7. I wonder how they intend to get in, though. Atlas is locked down tight, and according to Raven, Watts is disgraced, so even if he is from Atlas, he can't just walk up and be like "Yes, hello, I want to come home, please let me in, and don't mind my oversized luggage."


 * "New Memorial Now Open"

On this rewatch, I decided to pause and get a better look at that sign by the park, since all I could read on the first watch was "Now Open" (whyyy did they go with white text on such a bright cyan background), and oh my God... That stupid sign across the street from Jaune literally foreshadows the Pyrrha memorial. It'd foreshadow it better if you could easily read it.


 * . *Arkos theme starts playing*

Wehhhhh, that got to me. With the leaf, I was just like "Oh, maple leaf, callback to Volume 3-- *Arkos theme starts playing* Nooo..." And then Jaune stopped and looked up at something, and I was like "No no no no no no no" because I frickin' knew it was gonna be a statue of Pyrrha... ;n;

That memorial statue literally made me tear up, especially with the new song playing.


 * Red-haired mystery lady voiced by Jen Brown?!

This lady showing up made me even more emotional, and I wonder what the significance is of her carrying specifically red lilies. All I can find is that red lilies tend to represent passion and love.

Anyway, I think she's Pyrrha's mother, considering they've said in, I think the Volume 2 directors commentary, that there will be stuff about Pyrrha's mom. I think Pyrrha mentioning her mom in Volume 3 was just another one of those "Miles and Kerry attempting to establish important characters before they become important" things. Them not giving her a name in the credits is just teasing us and trying to keep things on the downlow.

But um... according to the schedule Kerry put out, Volume 6 only has 13 episodes, so that would mean we only have 4 episodes left. Is she going to do something within those 4 episodes? Surely we don't have to wait, since RNJRWBYQOM are likely going to be on their way to Atlas at the end of Volume 6. Or MK will pull a fast one on us and be like "Nope lol, they get arrested."

Anyway, we know this lady physically existed, since her flowers were still there when she disappeared. If she is Pyrrha's mom, I think Pyrrha wrote home about her time at Beacon, like how Weiss wrote Winter about everything.


 * Part of Pyrrha's role is to act as inspiration to characters like JNR.

Also, Nora and Ren's talk with Jaune hit me even more, and I started to cry a little again while rewatching the scene. I think Nora and Ren were talking about how Jaune told Cinder he'd be okay with dying.


 * The random Atlas ship flying by while Jaune stares at Pyrrha's statue is how he got the idea for his plan.


 * Ruby. is. so. done. with. Qrow's. shit. And I love it.


 * I love Oscar's new outfit, and I realized that I can now officially, with certainty, mark "New outfit(s)" on my Bingo card (not that it matters, I'm not getting bingo this volume. Still fun, though.)


 * NORA PLEASE

"What're you wearinguh?~" with that look on her face. Nora, he is like 14. This is very iffy. Though, this is the same girl who unintentionally (I think/hope?) gave Ruby bedroom eyes earlier this volume.


 * An official apology on-screen. We've come a long way from the plot and characters moving on like normal without Weiss even remotely apologizing in Volume 1.


 * PFFHAHAHAHAHA BLAKE'S EARS OH MY GOD

Jaune: It's sort of a... "no going back" kind of idea.

Blake: *Ears perk up*

HAHAHAHAHAHA

I barely noticed it on this second watch through, and I had to go back and focus solely on her ears, holy shit!

And while Jaune starts to explain his idea, Adrian tries to mess with Maria's prosthesis, so she leans her head away like "You little shit."

And Yang gets an ever-increasing smirk as Jaune explains, like "I like where this is going."

But she must have been thinking something else because she, along with almost everyone else, changes to "What the fuck, Jaune, that is the dumbest idea" when he gets to the point. But Nora's like "Sounds pretty good to me." I love how Adrian laughs.

I paused at a weird time.


 * Ruby. is. so. done. with. bullshit. And I love it!

The tone of her voice, her take-charge attitude! Yes! I got happy tears on my first watch because I'm so proud of her!