#also s1 wasn't that similar to the books they pretty much changed everything but the scene they should have changed

[kradogsrats]

Do you ever think Lissa’s relationship with her kids is very different from how Viren treated Claudia and Soren from books 1-3?

I assume you mean if Lissa had stayed or things were otherwise different, since she doesn't really have much of a relationship with her kids in canon at this point, ha ha. I do think it would be very different from Viren's dynamic with them in s1-s3, but I also think that if things were that divergent, even Viren's dynamic with Claudia and Soren wouldn't be the same?

Callum remembers Viren as having been "a kind dad who loved his kids" before Sarai died and he accelerated his dark magic use. Part of why Viren is Like That(tm) could be a combination of unresolved trauma, general bitterness, and the psychological/emotional effects of dark magic. It could ALSO be just completely mundane narcissist parent trait of being loving and involved until the kid grows up enough to start developing a personality and opinions of their own. The Book 1 novelization has Viren reflecting on having always wanted a son he could "mold in his own likeness," which Soren is... not. So depending on your exact interpretation of what is going on here, a change like Lissa not leaving could wildly alter the way Viren behaves with their kids.

Anyway, we do have it strongly implied that Claudia and Lissa were close: Lissa is the one who shows Claudia the hidden cavern of wisps, and later Claudia is clearly devastated to have lost her. We also now know from Puzzle House that Claudia and Viren didn't become particularly close until after Lissa was gone. I don't think that necessarily means that Soren wasn't close with Lissa, even though he's way more stoic about her leaving—I think he's just already hardcore repressing everything at *checks watch* eight years old.

I do like to think that, with Viren and Claudia becoming close over magic, Lissa and Soren would also eventually be close because of shared interests and values? I think she'd be really proud and encouraging of his martial skills, since that's something highly valued in Del Bar (while also being absolutely terrified that he'll get himself killed, because parent). I definitely think that Soren has his whole "dragon-slaying hero" aspiration because of Del Barian stories that Lissa told him and Claudia when they were young, since that is again a super Del Barian thing. I also headcanon that if Lissa had been around, Soren would have grown to share her love of music and actually be pretty talented (like great natural singing voice, etc.) because I'm soft af sometimes.

(I will say that for NCNE Lissa and Claudia do eventually have a breakdown similar to the one between Viren and Soren in canon, because Lissa is ultimately unable to handle her own trauma regarding magic in a way that doesn't poison her relationship with Claudia. So while Soren winds up way softer and somewhat more well-adjusted, Claudia is basically still just as fucked up as she is in canon, in similar ways.)

[the-greendalehumanbeings]

am i the only one who doesn’t think the plot of season 3 doesn’t sound the same as the plot of season 1? it feels more similar to she’s all that or the DUFF. like i don’t think the execution will be good but its definitely different to season 1.