#But yeah I love love love this and I love Malevolent

[crispycreambacon]

The Journey to Break Free • An Analysis of Malevolent's Themes

This is more like a ramble, but analysis sounds more professional y'know y'know-

Major Spoiler Warning for Episode 19

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Episode 19 may be my favourite episode at least for Season 2 – bear in mind that as I type this, I haven't gone past Episode 19. Regardless, it is definitely a highlight of this podcast for me. It unpacked a lot about Arthur and John, and it explored many interesting themes. The strength of kindess and letting yourself be vulnerable, the reality that healing and becoming a better person isn't always a clean journey, the significance of the connections we make and the memories we carry from them...

The first one is subversive in how despite Arthur losing some of his morality in order to survive, he still retains some of it and uses it ro his advantage. It may be baffling to see Arthur still wanting to trust others and treat them kindly, as seen with Arthur wanting to offer water to the cana, because this world can turn on you so quickly. However, that may be the point. The fact that Arthur can still find it in himself to care about the beings in this world is a true testament to his resilience. The Dreamlands is unrelentlessly cruel and tests you, trying to mold you to become the monsters that roam this realm, and I think that is why Arthur won't succumb to this world's terrors like so many before him did.

It ties into the tone of the podcast and how it shifts. Arthur may need to be cruel at times, but that doesn't mean he needs to be a monster. Likewise, Malevolent may be a bleak story, but it is not one which needs to overly indulges in tragedy and darkness. Even within the episode itself, there are moments where Arthur and John laugh. There's an entire section in which Arthur interacts with a buopoth, and it's the most adorable thing ever. These moments provide a balance that help emphasize the impact of intense moments even more than if the entire story had just been trudged in grimdark.

(Putting the rest under a "Read More" section as to not make this post too long to scroll through)

As for the second theme, I particularly appreciate it as people who try to heal, typically victims of trauma, are often villanized for not being perfect, nice or behaving. Anyone who doesn't fit the mold of being sad and helpless via lashing out or express anger about their trauma get dogpiled with insults and accusations from those who refuse to understand them. Those who only want to imagine a narrative that recovery is always pretty and always going up with no relapses whatsoever. That narrative formed because society crafted it and enforced it with media tackling trauma victims in a shallow way at best. Because it's uncomfortable for society to face the truth that trauma is ugly, and those that went through it won't come out unscathed like people want them to.

The theme of names being significant is an uncommon but meaningful one. John Doe is a name to give the King in Yellow a new identity, a way to rebuild himself. Lilly is a name that meant a lot to John as the only form of human connection he had while Arthur was comatose and the catalyst to John becoming a better person. Faroe is a name that Arthur keeps recalling because he can't let go of his daughter and the trauma that came with it.

Even the name of the episode is important. I think "the Prison" truly is an apt title for this episode. Not only because this involves Arthur and John escaping the pit they're trapped it, but it's also a metaphor for Arthur's situation. His body is a prison for John that both want him to get out of, yet Arthur is the real prisoner as he loses control over everything from his body to his life. He is trapped in the past because he can never let go of Fareo. He can never forgive himself for causing her death through his neglect no matter how unintentional it was.

And he gave in at the end. He gave in to the past and went to the city to search for Faroe even though the cana instructed them to avoid the city. Even though so many signs point to it being yet another trap. Even though the chances of Fareo being there were next to none.

Yet John didn't protest. It really shows how much John has grown to emphathize with humanity. How he has grown from someone who is selfish and uses others to his whims, discarding them when they no longer serve him purpose to someone who may not fully understand humanity but can genuinely appreciate and care about it. He may not understand why Arthur still clings onto Faroe, but he understands Arthur deserves closure, so even if this may be a trap, he lets him walk in. We, the audience, may not fully understand either, but we understand this is a necessary step for Arthur even if it may be one that leads to his doom.

[arthur-lesters-right-arm]

I know it's already implied that Kayne did this on purpose but I want to bring it up because it wasn't obvious to me until my relisten

(Part 1; The Entity vs Part 20; The King)

[cutter-kirby]

this is how the episode ended right

[dyke-in-crisis]

never properly drawn this wretched yellow rat before so here’s a WIP!! commissions

[plan-3-tmars]

sometimes I'll be happily thinking about arthur lester and then I remember he's a cannibal and I just have to take a moment of silence

[idontparticularlyliketoast]

Loved the scene where John and Arthur spent ten minutes dithering about wether or not they were going into the obviously haunted wall, both seemingly in the knowledge that they were, 100%, going to do that

[floraotome]

i started malevolent podcast and im uhhh yeah im obsessed

[venezashade]

She… she was so young. She trusted me. My baby…

Day 3 of Malevoversary 2024! The Guilt (and also Addison in some kind of way)

Here i wanted to do something without lineart, more like a painting

I know there are still a lot of mistakes! But i wont progress if I wont keep trying and get out of art block every time

And yeah more of the textures, but mostly pastel brushes!

[real-life-werewolf]

noooo Arthur dont beat up that old man in a public restroom haha nooo ur so sexyyy hahaha

[kaynes-secret-blog]

Dude

Like

I know Harlam already said with all words that Arthur is straight

But like

It's not even about jarthur or blind faith yk

It's about his whole relationship with Bella and how as somebody already said he didn't have any excuse to say why it didn't feel right, it just did

And Kayne saying he didn't fell in love with her but rather in like?

It could be accidental but seriously?? I don't buy it anymore

[glendover]

people would think I shut up about podcast men when I’m with strangers (new co workers) but give me one good opening and I’m ranting to you about the horrors they go through

[oaxleaf]

thinking about malevolent and how there is no way getting around that arthur's not a very good person. especially after some of the stuff we found out in part 31, but that's been a well established fact for a good while now. he's not a particularly great person and he does some awful things and some of his actions are straight-up horrifying and still we as an audience love him. still the story sympathizes with him. because he's just a person, trying his best, and people break and people do shitty things and that doesn't mean they never deserve understanding or love. to me, the point of malevolent is that, even when our actions deserve nothing, the sheer act of being human makes us - our very selves regardless of the things we've done - deserving of love

[eliasdrid]

smokey John Doe sketches from last night (also a lil Arthur)

[a-pallid-mask]

looking forward to arthur winning over the butcher through sheer Guy Who Wont Die energy

[loverboybrightsideghost]

i’m gonna be so honest i have no fucking clue what's going on in malevolent

[lazy-toad]

'We’re going to drop a rock on its fucking head.' - Top Arthur moment ever