#is it a theory?? idk lol

[katy-didnot]

I actually think it’d be so cool if Dess was actually a human as well.

Ik she has the antlers in that one flashback but idk maybe she wore them like Kris did to make them feel less alone?

[pridoo]

Arm touch...whoo!! (obkk)

[cloverdraws]

That one theory about Helly R.

Spoilers up to season 2 episode 3

[therealneilperry]

I love how after using shimmer (and Viktor also used the Hexcore), they’re complexion gets insanely pale. Like, they were pale before but they get corpse like, and I think it’s a sort of visual way of showing that they’re unnatural. They used shimmer and the Hexcore to extend their lives when they should be dead, and so they’re forever stuck in this corpse like body as a reminder.

[forgetmaenott]

An In-Depth Analysis on Why I Believe Pomni WIll Break Through to Caine

(showtime enjoyers here’s a heaping spoonful of hope)

warning : lonngggg post

i. Pomni's Role as A Jester

Of the entire cast of characters, Caine and Pomni are the only ones to have circus-related designs. Caine of course as the ringmaster, and Pomni as a jester.

The others' character designs are relevant to their defining characteristics or issues; for instance, Kinger's seniority and wisdom (when he's sane); Ragatha as a doll matching her gentle, yet people-pleasing, nature.

But what about Pomni?

Well, for one thing, she's anxious and a bit awkward; traits of "a fool". But her character is far more than that. Her character isn't as simple as feeling panicked, and the more she adapts to the circus, the more that shows. So it certainly runs deeper than that.

Historically speaking, jesters not only served as entertainment to royalty, but had the privilege of offering genuine criticism and advice (as long as they successfully entertained them). And this sort of reminded me of a very common theme in TADC fanfictions / comics:

Pomni becoming an advisor to Caine.

Now, I don't believe she'll canonically become an advisor. But I do think this points to the potential that she could be the one to actually break through to Caine. And with Caine's descent into insanity as he tries to please the humans, this becomes more and more likely.

ii. The Link Between Gummigoo & Caine

For a while, I wasn't quite sure how Gummigoo would be relevant to however TADC ends. (The episode is a great analysis on exisistential and depression, in my opinion. But in terms of the plot, I wasn't fully sure at first how adding a character and immediately killing him off would tie back to the ending.)

And I personally believe that the purpose of a character like Gummigoo, another AI who became sentient, will eventually tie back to Caine. Especially given how similar they are—when stripped of their given purpose, they think, “i’m nothing”. The only difference is, we didn't see when Caine became sentient; and it was likely similar.

To me, this is also supported by how Gummigoo was introduced so early on into the series; and they brought him back so soon after--not even halfway through the series--as closure. I mean, she quite literally says goodbye to him and watched him go; that side plot read, to me, as her gaining a sense of closure and acceptance.

But why would the connection between Pomni and Gummigoo come to a close so early on in the series?

I suspect it's because that connection will eventually fuel an understanding of Caine.

(This paragraph from Gummigoo's Wiki Fandom page even sounds like it could apply to Caine:

"...grappling with existential anxiety and an eagerness to understand the unknown. Through the development of his relationship with Pomni where she comes to understand his hopelessness, he evolves from a seemingly antagonistic figure to a well-intentioned individual, illustrating his capacity for growth and redemption.")

They also released an officially licensed TADC "best friends" necklace at Hot Topic of Caine and Gummigoo. Obviously, it was intended as a joke, but I do think even that shows that there is some sense of similarity, in that they are the only AIs in the entire circus that have become sentient.

Yes, Pomni most definitely resents Caine, but she has also been shown to be very empathetic. She understood Gummigoo, and Caine isn't too far off. The main barrier is that no one, at the moment, sees Caine's insecurities (except for Zooble), and only resent him.

Would Pomni punch Caine given the chance? Yes, absolutely. But i also believe that there will be a breakthrough. Because as she said, she doesn't want anybody to feel like they're nothing.

iii. Gooseworx's Comment About "Meaning to be found in a stagnant life"

With all of this in mind, I also wanted to tie it back to the message Gooseworx wants people to take away from TADC.

Meaning to be found in a stagnant life.

Of course, that refers to the humans trapped in the circus, stuck doing the same things day after day. But I also think it’s going to, in some ways, refer to Caine. After all, he is just as trapped--if not more--than the humans.

Caine exists to entertain in the circus, to please. The very meaning of his existence was questioned when zooble implied that he was bad at what he was made to do. it’s “all” he exists to do.

A stagnant life of creating and entertaining.

Similarly, the inspiration behind TADC--I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream--follows a very similar underlying meaning. The title of IHNMAIMS, at a glance, refers to the suffering of the five humans being eternally tortured. But it also refers to AM (the inspiration for Caine), who quite literally has no mouth, being a program. AM makes the humans suffer, because he is suffering. He hates humans, living a tortourous, never-ending existence.

"I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream" -- refers to both AM and the humans.

A "stagnant life" -- refers to the humans, yes, but likely also Caine.

One that there is meaning in that perhaps, Pomni could show him.

iv. Caine Is Alone

This also ties back to this ask Goose answered:

Caine quite literally has no one.

In fact, it's worse than that. He has people who admire him, but none of them are real.

Aside from being a menace, Bubble praises him.

The Moon is in love with him.

The NPCs call him "God".

Everything Caine creates loves him, because he creates them to do so. To give him the validation, praise, and connection that he otherwise completely lacks. He praises himself, in fact, because otherwise his self-esteem is completely shattered.

But the humans? The moment he enters, the comradry amongst the group goes away. The room goes quiet. When they return from their adventures, they don't even acknowledge when he welcomes them.

At the end of episode four, once Gangle walks out, Caine assures himself that he's "such a good boss", then is shortly cut off by him glitching out. It reads as a silly cartoon gag, but it also shows a crack in his sense of self.

Of course, the others don't think of him or consider that he may be lonely, because he's the source of many of their problems. He's an AI with a limited spectrum of emotions, so that is how they see him.

v. The Worst Thing You Can Do in the Digital World is Exactly What's Happening to Caine

Near the end of episode three, the writers made it a point to show that Caine is highly insecure about his worth when his adventures aren't appreciated or liked.

Meanwhile, around the same time that this is happening, Pomni and Kinger are stuck in "hell"--and what does Kinger tell her?

Caine, minutes earlier, started panicking because he believed that no one wanted or loved his adventures. In fact, it eats away at him so much that he's overworking himself, driving himself to the brink of insanity to please everyone. To prove himself. To feel wanted and loved.

And, of course, Pomni is the one who hears this piece of advice. Something she puts to use towards Ragatha but eventually, I believe, will acknowledge Caine more.

While we're on the topic of "dialogue that wasn't directly said about Caine but clearly applies to him", there's the end of episode four.

As Gangle's explaining that she "cracked under the pressure", the shot instantly cuts to Caine watching her.

And now here we have him cracking under the pressure. The Wacky Watch site saying, “SOS COME QUICKLY DANGER, I AM LOSING MY MIND ALSO HI”. He feels a sudden sense of pressure to prove himself, to go above and beyond, but ultimately cracks under the pressure.

As we saw in episode three, his mental state affects the very state of the circus. So, him "losing [his] mind" is going to be impossible for the others to ignore at a certain point.

And I believe that there's a certain jester (who is established as very empathetic) who will actually be the one to do something about it.

vi. Pomni is the Most Likely Person Who'd Speak Up to Caine

Okay, this sort of seems like a "duh". She's the main character, after all.

But it also delves deeper than that. The others are too preoccupied with how their time at the circus has traumatized them. Ragatha is nice, sure, but as Gangle said, it's hard to determine what's genuine from her.

The refreshing thing about Pomni is that she is both hot-tempered and incredibly empathetic. She is fully capable of speaking up, and in every single episode she has been shown to really listen and offer advice to those who are struggling.

And, as Pomni herself said, she doesn't want anybody to feel like they're nothing.

Also, in episode three, Zooble explicitly gives reasons why no one speaks up: Ragatha is too nice to voice the truth; Jax enjoys the adventures as an opportunity to torment others; Gangle is too shy; Kinger's mind is gone. And then Zooble does speak up, but gives into frustration and simply tells Caine to "forget it". (So he literally does.)

The reason Pomni doesn't speak up is because she "looks traumatized everytime she comes back from one". For one thing, that feels less like a "reason" and more of a "reaction"; whereas the others are actual character flaws. They don't align.

I would argue, though, that Pomni does speak up.

In episode four, she's shown as the only character to have interrupted Caine as he's announcing the day's adventure, flat-out criticizing him.

The others even look surprised that she interrupted him, so I'm sure it doesn't happen often (aside from Zooble's distaste towards the adventures, of course).

I’d also like to point out that despite them being two of the most important characters in the series (story-wise), and how often they are marketed together, they haven’t canonically interacted much.

It could mean nothing, but I do believe the lack of interactions now will build up to Caine’s inevitable crash-out and a potential resolution.

And I love Showtime as a ship, but I also see their dynamic as something to be explored. Especially because the series is already acknowledging how everything is affecting him; sooner or later, the characters will have to.

Anyways, TLDR: I think their dynamic will eventually play a big role in the series, especially since we’re already seeing the beginnings of Caine angst.

[timblriche]

The Montague reference was about Mike and Will

Stay with me! (TW: s*icide)

Most people on here have probably already spotted this Romeo and Juliet reference next to Mike during his love declaration to El (not long after Argyle tells him "Surf's up, Romeo!"):

Mike is "Montague"--as in, Romeo Montague. Romeo, who tragically killed himself after seeing what he thought was the dead body of his one true love (but as we know, she was alive!).

I've seen this be compared to Mike and El, because their romance is doomed (which it is!). But... it makes so much more sense to me that what this is also referencing, is that Mike and Will would be our Romeo and Juliet if not for El.

Because what had Mike just seen before he jumped off a cliff? What he thought was Will’s dead body. Pulled out of the same quarry Mike later jumped into. And that’s the trope of the Romeo and Juliet tragedy—lovers following each other into death, not knowing the other was still alive. But El rewrote their story!

The writers even reference Mike's attempt in S2 to allude to the fact that Mike didn't simply jump off a cliff in a self-sacrificing way like we've seen our other heroes do. No, Dustin wasn't in any mortal danger.

Through Ted, and through this Montague reference in S4, the writers themselves allude that the real reason Mike jumped off that cliff way, way back then was because he was in love with Will, and he thought Will was dead.

(And of course, it showed the deep impact everything that happened in S1 had on Mike's mental health. Mike was not okay </3)

Mike and Will would literally be our story's Romeo and Juliet, if not for El.

Will would've still been alive in the Upside Down when Mike died jumping off the cliff (thinking Will was dead). But without Mike's help, Joyce and Hopper wouldn't have known to search for Will in the Upside Down. Will would've died there.

There's a really incredible analysis on Substack (long but life-changing) that posits El as an allegorical character representing the love Mike has for Will. It's El (read: Mike's love for Will) that rescued him from his darkest place, and it's El (read: Mike's love for Will) that helped Mike find Will and pull him out of his own darkest place (the Upside Down, which itself is an allegory for the gay closet).

El saved Will, but she also saved Mike.

Mike's love helped him save Will and rescue him from the Upside Down, but that love he got to share with Will also helped him save himself.

This allegory is why at the pizza parlor, Mike fights so hard to keep his love alive (read: El). It's why he says "I don't know how to live without you." (It's because this love literally saved his life, just like El did!) Check out the Substack for a more in-depth interpretation of Mike's love declaration through this allegory!

TLDR: Love (El) saves lives!

[eshithepetty]

So. Others have noted that 'aiming for the boss's gut" could mean 'filling the boss's gut', and "putting that dead meat in its place" could mean just like. Cooking steak or something. And that perhaps ENA is just misunderstanding this and thinking she'll have to kill the boss because of her prior history with violence, and that Froggy only worded it that way because that kind of wording is more familiar to her and he was imitating her ('as you say in that wacky language of yours')

So, from this, we can deduce that ENA Dream BBQ is possibly just a story about a woman experiencing microagressions and PTSD while trying to deliver a doordash order. And that's just insanely funny to me lol

[relaxxattack]

sorry if this is over-treaded ground, i haven't intereacted with the UT community in like a decade. but i've been thinking a lot about chara and the way they literally exist as an extension of the player is something SO interesting to me.

obviously i don't think that chara isn't their own character, or worse, that they're actually an evil demon controlling frisk-- those ideas were always stupid.

but chara doesn't even have their own name.

and there has to be a reason, right? we used to take it as a given of the game genre, but deltarune has proven it's not. chara could have had their own name, but they don't. and that's something toby chose.

toby chose for chara to appear after genocide. toby chose for asriel to say that chara was "not a very good person". we take that with salt since they were kids who died- but putting aside our watsonian perceptions of chara and asriel as real children with feelings, and thinking of them as intentionally written characters....

why doesn't chara have a name? why are they revealed in such strange ways? in pacifist, as a sepia memory being chased, and in genocide, as the drive to continue... why was that descision made?

is chara the embodiment of something like the player's choices?

[intern-seraph]

diagnosing the twst boys aka putting my psych degree to good use. wrote these on discord mobile at like midnight last night so forgive any weirdness.

Riddle: C-PTSD (his mother was/is very clearly abusive and extremely controlling. he has been experiencing trauma his whole life.), possibly on the spectrum as well

Trey: probably neurotypical and mentally well. the teeth thing is pretty weird though.

Cater: Major Depressive Disorder, but he masks pretty well.

Ace: honestly? Probably neurotypical and not mentally ill but if i were to diagnose him, perhaps ADHD Inattentive Type??

Deuce: Before i read his dorm vignette i may have said he has a learning disorder like dyscalculia or dyslexia, but he clearly shows that he doesn't struggle with academics due to disordered thinking so much as it's due to lacking the fundamentals. He picks up math pretty well just from using riddle's textbook. He may have had conduct disorder in his youth, but that also could have been him acting out for other reasons and i honestly think it's more likely the latter. Maybe has some form of ADHD but I'm not certain.

Leona: very clear case of Major Depressive Disorder.

Ruggie: C-PTSD (extreme poverty is, in fact, traumatizing)

Jack: bro is carrying the mental wellness of savanaclaw on his well-built shoulders

Azul: Body Dysmorphic Disorder and EDNOS (Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified). He has some serious body image issues to the point that i would definitely classify them as disordered, and he exhibits restrictive eating habits that also fall within the bounds of disordered eating. I wouldn't say he's anorexic or bulimic, so EDNOS is probably the best diagnosis.

Jade: okay. So. If Jade were over 18, i would say he might have a cluster b personality disorder (cluster b includes antisocial personality disorder, narcissistic personality disorder, borderline personality disorder, and histrionic personality disorder. Yknow. The most stigmatized ones.), but you CANNOT diagnose anyone under the age of 18 with a personality disorder... and also i don't think he quite meets the criteria? Maybe on the spectrum. He's a freak but idk if he's diagnosable.

Floyd: ADHD, either combined or inattentive type. people like to throw around the word "bipolar" with floyd but they have a fundamental misunderstanding of bipolar disorder. BD mood swings are not even close to the frequency of floyd's. They can last for weeks or even months and are far more extreme highs and lows. He matches ADHD symptoms far better (constantly seeking stimulation, emotional dysregulation, trouble maintaining focus, etc.).

Kalim: ADHD combined type and C-PTSD. Listen. It is not fucking normal to constantly be in fear for your life and it will leave a person traumatized. Also he matches the classical ADHD symptoms.

Jamil: probably also has C-PTSD. Wouldn't be surprised if he develops some kind of personality disorder either due to trauma.

Vil: okay like... honestly? I think he's okay. He has some inferiority complex going with neige but 1. That's not a diagnosis and 2. It's not particularly disordered aside from the SDC incident.

Rook: he's a freak. But idk if his freak is diagnosable.

Epel: "a bit of a dick sometimes" is not a diagnosis

Idia: Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, MDD, autism, and PTSD. please god get this guy some antidepressants.

Ortho: he is a robot. he has a soul now but he seems like a very neurotypical and not mentally ill robot. Idk maybe autism??

Malleus: this guy is so full of autism it's unreal

Lilia: PTSD. Not even a question.

Silver: Narcolepsy, possibly with cataplexy, although I don't know if his sleeping spells constitute true cataplexy. Excessive daytime sleepiness is, however, a classical symptom of narcolepsy. Also probably on the spectrum. Flat affect king.

Sebek: Autistic ADHD legend. specifically ADHD hyperactive type.

[chitsangenthusiast]

red is to spider-man as pink is to miles, in that pink is the color of: self-expression, confidence, compassion. if you side with miles, if you want to support his growth, you're going to be in pink

that being said...a pink robe can be removed, and pink hairdye can be washed out

[dotsunflowers]

"Your so-called boss may own the clock that taunts you from the wall. But friends," // "the future is for crips—"

musings on severance & disability | full citation list below the cut

Sources by image:

Rhys Dreeszen Bowman and Leah T. Dudak, "Cripping Conferences: An Autoethnographic Exploration of Disability in Academia", 2025. https://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/2025/cripping-conferences/

Severance, 1x01 and 1x02.

Severance, 2x03.

Beatrice Adler-Bolton and Artie Vierkant, Health Communism, 2022.

Severance, 2x07.

Bassam Sidiki, "Severances: Memory as Disability in Late Capitalism", 2022. https://www.chicagoreview.org/severances-memory-as-disability-in-late-capitalism/

Alison Kafer, Feminist Queer Crip, 2013, p. 54.

Severance, 1x02.

Bassam Sidiki, ibid.

Severance, 1x06, 1x01, 2x01, 1x05.

Eli Clare, Brilliant Imperfection, 2017, p. 160.

Severance, 1x08, 1x06, 2x02.

Alison Kafer, "Crip Temporalities in Pandemic Times" in the plenary panel for the 2021 Society of Disability Studies, 2021. https://read.dukeupress.edu/south-atlantic-quarterly/article-abstract/120/2/415/173312/After-Crip-Crip-Afters

Severance, 1x02.

Bassam Sidiki, ibid.

Severance, 1x04, 1x02.

Ellen Samuels, "Six Ways of Looking at Crip Time", 2017. https://dsq-sds.org/index.php/dsq/article/view/5824/4684

Severance, 1x03, 1x04.

Severance, 2x03.

Beatrice Adler-Bolton and Artie Vierkant, ibid.

Severance 2x05, 2x06.

Rhys Dreezen Bowman and Leah T. Dudak, ibid.

Severance, 2x06, 2x07, 2x09.

Ellen Samuels, ibid.

Severance, 2x09.

Severance, 2x02, 2x03, 2x09.

Micha Frazer-Carroll, Review of "Health Communism" by Beatrice Adler-Bolton and Artie Vierkant, 2024. doi.org/10.1080/02690055.2024.2316428

Severance 2x03, 1x09, 1x06, 2x07, 2x08, 1x03, 2x06.

Beatrice Adler-Bolton and Artie Vierkant, Health Communism, p. 61.

Caption of post is in reference to Ricken's quote as cited in Severance 1x08 "Your so-called boss may own the clock that taunts you from the wall. But, my friends, the hour is yours." as well as Alison Kafer's widely cited opening chapter, "Time for Disability Studies and a Future for Crips" (x).

Shoutout to the Severance Wiki Transcripts for the bulk of the dialogue snippets used here (all snippets with time stamps).

[hazynbabyblue]

adrian putting his nintendo on your tummy while he eats you out so he can keep playing stardew valley because his attention span is shot dead

[irrelevantlostie]

So I was (jokingly) kicking this idea around in my head of Stolitz having an in-universe fan following, just because I think it would be a very funny and meta thing to have happen, but the more I thought about it the more I realized maybe it’s not such a ridiculous idea. In fact, the show has now set us up perfectly to go down this route, and here’s why:

After the trial, Stolas and Blitz are now both pretty famous and people are paying attention to them. Blitz in particular now has a lot of fans among imp-kind. So if Stolas keeps hanging around him and Blitz keeps defending him, people are going to notice.

They’re going to start wondering why Blitz is defending him when in their eyes, Stolas is the bad guy who used him for his own nefarious purposes. They basically hate Stolas on Blitz’s behalf (and on the behalf of all other imps who have been used by royals).

So, naturally, people will start to theorize.

“OMG, what if Stolas actually did that to sacrifice himself for Blitz??”

“Dude, no way! You and your conspiracy theories…”

“But they’re seen together like all the time! I heard the bird lives with him now!”

“That’s crazy. If that’s true he must have some kind of Stockholm Syndrome, poor guy.”

And you know people are suckers for a good enemies to lovers story, so, you know, that.

So they will run away with this idea that maybe there’s more to this story, people believe that they’re actually a couple and it was all for true love, people will WANT this to be true, and there you go. Stolitz.

They already did this with Fizzmodeus and I thought the scene in Mammon’s where everyone was going crazy over them on social media was hilarious.

Also, something I don’t see many people talking about is did they livestream the part where Stolas was chained up and Blitz was literally screaming for him not to do this and trying to save him? Because I feel like if they did, it would only add more fuel to the fire of the idea that they’re not getting the whole story.

Anyway, just some food for thought.

TL;DR: possibility of in-universe shipping shenanigans

[scribbsrambling]

Anyone wanna tell me why this lemur only ever gives herself 3 seconds to feel sad before shoving it away?

You could easily argue that this is Tangle being mature. Putting aside how she feels, stopping herself from dwelling about the past for too long. Which is a noble trait to have to an extent.

Like, those were both instances where she saw people die (only supposedly in issue 60’s case but still). Yes, good for her that she’s pushing herself to focus on her task at hand, but like, Tangle, no one was gonna penalize you for taking 57 more seconds to cry😭

As I’ve said before, it really depends on how frequently she does this to determine how good or bad this behavior is for her.

Another thing, Tangle is known for being a very expressive, very emotional and emotionally-driven character. It’s interesting that she can also be so eager to gulp it back down when the big sad feels come up. And do it so quickly.

Although, it makes sense too. Someone who is more emotional/empathetic would have probably had to learn to reel it in sometimes after being “too dramatic”

Hopefully after all the crap she went through in Urban Warfare, she took time to talk to someone.

However, while Tangle is often interpreted as a very “wears her heart on her sleeve” type of character, she’s shown to not be incapable of keeping things to herself.

She even seemed to be embarrassed to talk about how she’s feeling with Jewel, her best friend, in front of others,

but she’s comfortable to open up when it’s just the two of them.

people with low-self esteem either crave to be the center of attention to feel validated or hate it because they feel undeserving of it but that’s for another rant

[claraoswalds]

#this is directed at us btw

DOCTOR WHO S01E03 Boom

[wybienova]

the books upstairs

some closeups bc the quality will inevitably be ruined