#everyone acts like it's impossible to solve and someone has to cave but I don't think that's exactly it

[the-batacombs]

Thinking about Jason. I don't know why, he hasn't had a serious turn in my head yet, I guess. Also the half-argument from...Batman 137? where they're yelling about like, death and crime and utilitarianism -- that got stuck in my head.

Anyway it lines up with this other issue I have with DC comics, which is that the way they write Batman sometimes feels...deeply hypocritical? Other heroes kill people and fight violent criminals but aren't enmeshed in a deep dark tragic space where they're always apparently two steps away from turning into a deeply immoral/abusive/totalitarian figure. But future/AU Batmen are routinely stuck in this box. As far as I can tell, the potential reasons are

(a) there's something wrong with Gotham. (This is what's happening in the current 'Tec run, I think, and exists in all the "Gotham eats her children" headcanons.)

(b) Gotham's villain-hero landscape is uniquely disturbing and eats away at the souls of its participants. (??? I guess? This feels silly unless it's explained by (a), and fairly boring as a basis for storytelling, at least to me.)

(c) Bruce Wayne is has a uniquely sensitive empathetic response, and is probably really poorly suited to a life with this much violence, and all of it just hits him harder than it does the other heroes; people like Bruce tend to self-select out, and Bruce is just stubborn.

Wonder Woman kills people and the WW writers don't throw themselves all over the page talking about how Wonder Woman is going to succumb to a life of violence and trauma. (I mean, maybe sometimes they do. I'm woefully under-read on WW, but I'm confident enough in this assertion to put it here. Corrections welcome!)

So like...what's up with Batman? Future!Batman!Tim and future!Batman!Damian get this treatment as well, sometimes, and that's also baffling -- because Bruce Wayne, so far, hasn't succumbed to the kind of deeply immoral/abusive/totalitarian figure that DC likes to portray as just lurking around the corner. Is he uniquely able to withstand the pressure of the role? (Well, Bruce and Dick Grayson, of course.)

And with Jason...I do get Bruce's position. A death is a death is a death and at its heart (thank you Kingdom Come), Bruce is just trying to make it so that no one dies. Jason has a utilitarian point, as is sketched out in Batman 137, but it seems clear the actual issue is simply that his ethical position is different from Batman's. Jason thinks a death can be justified; Bruce doesn't.

(Are there any Cass and Jason comics? Because I would love love to see a Cass "ripped the bat off of Kate's costume" Cain and a Jason Todd ideological clash.)

(Why are Cass and Jason on the same side of Gotham War? DC, did you think this through?)

But, see: Batman works with Wonder Woman. Batman adores Wonder Woman. He may disagree with her methods, but that doesn't prevent Trinity team-up after intergalactic mission after them all showing up in each other's comics. So why are Batman and the Red Hood constantly at each other's throats? / Or -- why does DC seem to act as if there is no solution? / Why can't Batman work alongside the Red Hood? Some thoughts:

(a) The paternalism issue; Bruce considers himself uniquely responsible for Jason's actions, and his stepping aside as condoning them. The feels like an easy solution: Bruce Wayne's kid is not a kid anymore. He can make his own decisions.

(b) Gotham again. What other people do in other cities is their own business, but Gotham is Batman's city and he's not going to stand by and let Gothamites be killed. (Counterpoint: Kate? I haven't read any Batwoman but the extent to which DC keeps these separate is wild.)

(c) Jason refuses to consider a team-up without Batman's concession to his methods/refuses to change his methods in the interests of temporary peace. (Valid as an interpersonal stance but I thought we did this already in Urban Legends? Maybe not.)

Anyway I don't have a solution to this yet but I'm pretty sure Wonder Woman is the key. It'll probably come out as a fanfic by the end of the year; I've got a title already, so it had better.

[skayafair]

Is Cassius suited to be a leader?

I wonder whose bright idea at Vincula it was to make Cassius the leader.

Don't get me wrong, they're my (and I'm pretty sure everyone else's) favourite character, it's impossible not to like them. But what I ADORE is them having some very real shortcomings, and these shortcomings aren't very compatible with leadership.

The leader should keep their cool at any situation, stay level-headed about any problem (at least on the outside), and they DON'T act on impulse of jump straight into danger. It's just irresponsible - the leader is the decision-maker for the whole team, the one who plans and solves issus. If the team loses its head - who's gonna do all the work?

Ok, they have Greg to get them out of trouble. I think I need an art with Cass wearing "I get myself into trouble" shirt and Greg wearing "I'm getting everyone's asses out of trouble" one… hm. But still! Well, let's start from the beginning. First of all, it became clear to me in season 1 that Vincula, probably, didn't really have all that much budget and the Breach was a little experimental side-project of theirs, so they couldn't go for some super pro scientists. I mean Lizzie is… err alright, but Alyx sounds VERY young? And a physicist looks like a really important role for exploring new worlds?.. Plus, super pro scientists would have most likely rejected the proposal since they all treasure their lives pretty much, thanks a lot, and have their own research going. They are used to sitting at the tables for that, mostly, or ok, being in the wild, but with as many safety precoutions as possible. I mean, look at Silas. Classic and understandable. So Vincula needed not only people with paranormal experience, but also some desperate poor unfortunate souls who'd be ready to risk anything - to have a chance to escape, to prove something to themselves, just earn enough money to live happily for some years maybe… or naive, young ones who'd be happy to go through danger if it means something bright and great on the other side. In any case, they needed people who could take the risk, this had to be the main requirement.

Well, THIS one Cassus meets to an exessive degree.

Then, they are active, hate stalling - which is good for Vincula, the team should have the drive and someone to provide it. They are also overflowing with responsibility for others, and I LOVE how this is starting to play out by the end of season 2, I'll expand on this later. So Cass will make sure the team doesn't lose anyone as much as it's humanly possible, good. They also keep their physical form in check, which is important if you want to send someone to an expedition. And last but not least, they are a biologist - sounds logical for a biotech company to appoint a biologist as the head of the team, especially if they are SO ready to dive head-first into anything just to see and learn and study and are brimming with enthusiasm.

Oh, and did I mention Cassius (and, therefore, the whole team) should be easy to manipulate since Vincula has a lever over them?

Looks good!

Except nearly every point of this list is a double-edged sword.

First of all, the responsibility. Oh yes, Cass is filled with it to the brink, no doubts here. The problem is, it doesn't extend to their own safety, only for the others. Which can easily lead to the team losing their head, both literally and figuratively, in the middle of the mission. It's a good thing, I guess, that Cass doesn't do much actual planning. They were right back in the worm cave when they told Silas they don't have a plan because no one knows what's coming at them anyway. And Vincula gives the team some guidelines on what to do. So what role does Cassius play here at all?..

To me it looks like they are the inspiration for the breachers, said driving force, someone to push forward. Little did Vincula know Cass is just as good at pushing back and not moving an inch forward if they decide so...

Anyway, this CAN actually work, with one condition. There has to be TWO heads. One embodying the ideals, the driving force, inspiring others to follow them, the charismatic one. Cass checks all the boxes. And the other one - cautios, calculating, level-headed, not constricted by black-and-white thinking, the planner, because even in the most unknown conditions there should be SOME course of action prepared. The grey cardinal, so to say. And... this place is vacant in breachers team. Ok HAS been vacant up until later in S2. Which is why they were unbalanced for a looong time. I'm surprised they've lost only one member before getting to Breach 4. Greg tries his best to be the voice of reason and Silas warnes agains the worst possible outcomes but they are often batted away. Cassius doesn't take them as seriously as they should, and this results in casualties.

But anyway, back to the safety responsibility not being extended to Cassius themselves. To me this screams some really serius issues which are bound to backfire, and in a potentially highly dangerous unpredictable environment I'd want my people to be as mentally stable as possible. Alright, to be fair this can probably be only said about Greg and J out of the whole team. Maybe Alyx, I'm not so sure about her, being succeptible to all the hallucinations. And it DOES backfire mutiple times! Cass constantly charges right into action which results into them being hurt. This can't be good for the team's spirit. Cassius glues them together, and it's a very important role. If they are lost, the team will fall apart. Cassius seems to not realize this, and this is a fatal flaw for a leader in my eyes.

This one also leads to another thing - they are hot-headed and impulsive. It's the dark side of their drive: they hate to sit still and want to move forward, but this can lead to carelessness. The breachers had to make effort to convince them to listen to Lizzie when she spotted the acid Nessie and they didn't know it was there yet. What if the team didn't manage? And after they did, OF COURSE Cass had to volunteer to get the water. Because they see themself as totally disposable, meaning nothing. Goes very well with their sort of self-centeredness and coarseness in social situations, yep. Damn I love how this character is built because it all makes so much sense and fits so well together! *_*

So, we already established that lack of self-preservation a.k.a. responsibility for their own safety, especially paired with their hot temper, takes from Cass' ability to be a good leader.

Being very driven also showed its dark side.

Next, the lever thing. Cass complies so far, but they aren't the one to be obedient, and they are getting closer and closer to the breaking point when all the threats won't matter if they put the team and other worlds safety on the line. Vincula and Yanus seemed to miss the fact that Cass will give themselves up in a blink of an eye if it means others will be safe and sound. Which also means don't back this person into a corner. At best they will stand their ground like a rock, at worst they'll start biting back, and this will hurt. That, or do something stupid that will undermine the whole mission and will take some budget to cover the losses at the very least.

Right, about "something stupid". Cass is emotional. They are the beating living heart of the team, but also impulsive and hot-headed, as I mentioned. And they CAN let their emotions take the better of them. Not in any case, they have to be exposed to a considerable pressure for that, but one can't break the heart and expect it to keep pumping the blood for the whole body to keep moving. Also, partly due to their iself-worth issues, they aren't really that well-versed in social situations which creates conflicts. Cass is charismatic and seems to be able to pull even a tree into a friendly conversation if they want to, but this just barely saves them as the glue of the team. Others correct them from time to time, and Cass is already pretty self-conscious about themselves being not very sensitive to others. It's not a bad thing on its own but not very fitting for a leader, is it?

Now, let's follow this emotional thread back to the responsibility. I mentioned that Cassius is overflowing with it, and it's actually not very good. First of all, they grew too attached to the team, so they won't be able to make some cold-blooded decisions which may be necessary in dangerous environment. Ok, the team likes to think for themselves so they just decide collectively. Good.

But - and this is my favourite thing that picked up the most in the end of season 2 - Cassius doesn't manage to bear the weight of this responsibility because of how attached they are to everyone and their perfectionism in this department. The responsibility has already transformed into a full-blown anxiety, dragging Cass down and feeding to their other insecurities. Cassius is breaking underneath it all. They took up this job and role - and they don't really manage. They are still going to carry on with it bacause of the responsibility and their strong principles, but they are already crumbling down. And starting to make fatal mistakes.

I didn't listen to S3 yet and I'm VERY curious how they are going to handle the loss of Greg. It's good Silas is being taken seriously now and sort of co-regulates with Cass, helping to manage their emotions, cooling them down when necessary and supporting at their lowest - they both are gradually coming to that co-leadership model, mutually growing personality-wise, and I really like how slowly and naturally it was being established throughout the seasons, - but for the sake of Cass' own mental well-being I wish it happened earlier. By the look of it this loss is going to hit hard. Hope I won't be disappointed.

This last point - losing the battle in being the leader who keeps everyine safe, like an Atlas holding the sky, - is my favourite developement of the whole season, I think, because I don't see it all that often, but it's INTERESTING. Come on! True, I don't consume THAT much media, but I'd say it's not too little either, and this kind of character developement is rare. Because it means you'd have to let your best piece break and then what? Leave them? Restore? Set them up to the darker path? Turn into a villain? So many possibilities! But it's a risk, because what if the audience won't like losing their favourite? At least that's how I see the reasoning.

I can only think of two other examples with very similar qualities, character traits and positions being led a similar path - it's Arcane's Vi and Shiro from Voltron the Legendary Defender. They are both charismatic, glue/link everyone together, have this easy air around them - it's impossible not to feel good in their presence, same with Cass. Vi can also be pretty rough or crude at times. All are fighters. At the same time all three share the same leadership anxiety. They have big things to accomplish, people depending on them, either by their own miscalculated decision or by lack of other options, and don't really know how to approach this. Shiro didn't ask for a bunch of kids to lead into a full-blown war, he has a PTSD and ends up bringing quite a number of serious problems. Vi flings herself into the conflict between two city parts because her sister is in the center of it, but she drags a lot of people into it and makes a ton of mistakes. And so does Cass - they lead the breachers but clearly underestimated the risks and their own mental stamina. All three aren't going to give up, even when they really want to. All are broken by their decisions in various ways. This all is so raw and alive. I wish more creative teams explored this way of character developement.

And I'm looking forward to learning where Cass is headed, of course - now with those new losses and newfound strengths. Just... as soon as I pump up the courage because as much as I love it, heavy emotional stuff is, well, heavy.

By the way, I love how the podcast is structured - there are hints in the begining that start to make sense later, both Cassius' lines (mysterious so far, it's only clear they have amnesia and are talking to someone or somethig powerful? or, rather, influential?) and the backwards order of the worlds in the book Silas translates. So I think I'll just relisten to both seasons before I begin S3.