#Staedtler babe pls come back :(((

[carmmaart]

Spoilers for Inside Job season 2 but ….

The parallel of how Reagan was left at the end of season 1 angry that someone close to her was erased from her memories without her consent, with the justification of it being for the greater good, because it will be what will make her happiest in the long run, to then ending season 2 with her erasing herself from someone else’s memory, outside of how they agreed they’d go about it, without even giving Staedtler the chance to discuss it with her because it would be for the greater good and be what will make him happiest in the long run.

The fact that throughout the whole season we’ve been shown that even when we think it will be for the betterment of the person, that erasing or altering someone’s identity to lead to a “better” life doesn’t actually work, and that it’s better to make peace and work with the current reality because for better or worse it is the best outcome we could hope for. Myc joined the hive mind, the Pope was brainwashed, Brett faked his death, and they had to undo the mind wipe each time because the solution was worse than the problem. When the whole team left to an alternate timeline with better lives, and Reagan sent Brett off for the same reason, only to find Rand changing the fabric of time so he could have both Tamako and her, they ended up undoing the mind wipe and taking back their memories because the gains weren’t worth the cost. The one time we see memory erasing as a solution to a problem was when they needed to get rid of the virus at the party, and that was the catalyst for Ron needing to take time off to collect himself. But the issue was that the INFECTED cognito employees were posing a threat to them, not the employees themselves. If the virus hadn’t been made and spread, they would never have had to resort to memory wiping.

Reagan saying her next big project should be her happiness. Rand saying that you don’t know what matters most until you lose it.

The whole season you see the build up of the detriment of memory erasing and the importance of vulnerability. But then you remember Ron’s overall disdain of having to erase memories because of the guilt he carries with it, how he belittled Reagan’s complaints of having her memories taken away from her at the beginning of the season in comparison to that weight. And it all just comes echoing back with Reagan’s decision.

I want to believe Staedtler will come back somehow. He conspiracy theoried himself into the Illuminati ffs, no way that part of him is completely gone. But it’s also so hard to say, because damn did they bring all of it back full circle.