Board Thread:Episode Discussion/@comment-1599757-20151212162645/@comment-26397825-20151230045350

Well, yes. Of course it's not just a plot to get rid of RWBY. It's a lot of plots, that Cinder has the opportunity to tie up at once. She probably would have used another team just like RWBY of they hadn't made it to the finals (though I doubt that, since she was controlling the matchups) to generate the negative energy that Yang breaking Mercury's leg did.

I'm not saying it's just about removing RWBY. I'm saying that removing RWBY, who has been a thorn in their side since the beginning (forcing Cinder to fight Glynda, making Roman leave prematurely on that dust robbery on the docks, including losing a couple of bullheads, causing Breach to happen early, to name a few) is part of her plot (since RWBY have consistently shown themselves to have a knack for interfereing in her plans, and she'd want the variable gone before it can truly ruin anything), and she's not above using them to kill two birds with one stone.

Get RWBY to the finals, generate all that negative energy for whatever reason, and who knows what else she's done (certainly not me), and in the mean time also remove a particularly annoying flea that's been niggling at her since the year started.