#ough Noel...

[absoluteocellibehavior]

Detective Noel and the Jewish Cycle of Exile and Return

This lil mini essay will already have the assumption that Noel is Jewish! If you are interested in my reasoning of such, this will take you to the post where I talked about it for the first time. Again, disclaimer that your homegirl is a Catholic, not Jewish, but does her damnedest to study other religions and associated cultures because the world is beautiful and diverse in it. I am always open to corrections or more insight and try my hardest to be as respectful about it as possible (albeit brief because this is Tumblr). Additionally, this contains spoilers about Part 52: The Wager so listen to that first.

A lot of respect needs to be had for the Jewish people. Probably some of the scrappiest and resilient people out there. I mean quite literally from the jump in Ancient Israelite culture, this tiny community was constantly either trying to be killed or assimilated by much larger nations. I mean, if you really want to take it from the beginning, the story of exile and return starts at the Garden of Eden in which Adam and Eve are exiled. This, and the eventual hope to return to back to G-d, sets the framework of a consistent theme of Exile and Return throughout Jewish history. We see this very clearly starting out with Abraham in which G-d promises to bless him and his descendants as a great nation. In addition to this, is the promise of a “promised land” in the land of Canaan. Therefore, Abraham and his tribe are called to travel out of their home in Ur in Mesopotamia to this promised land (remember this). Again, this narrative is continued in the Book of Exodus, where the Israelite people are enslaved under Pharaoh after the generations of Pharaohs had forgotten about their favor with Joseph and his people (the Israelites). The Israelites are released from their enslavement in Egypt after the Plagues and split of the Red Sea and sent to wander for forty years to the edge of the Promised Land. [It’s also fun to note that Moses’ taking into the house of Pharaoh and eventual joining back to his people reflects the story of Israel as a whole <3]. However, after all but two of the scouts that were sent into Canaan told the Israelite people that there was no way they were going to take over the land. This sparked yet another exile into the desert as a punishment from YHWH. Another forty years of wandering until the new generation of Israelites under Joshua were allowed to try to conquer Canaan with marginal success.

Two additional major exiles need to be noted. In around 734 BC, the Northern Kingdom of Israel was taken and deported by the Assyrians with the capital of Samaria being taken around 724 BC. Only the Southern Kingdom of Judah, who had separated from the other tribes of Israel prior to Assyrian occupation, remained mildly independent during this time. This changed when the Babylonians took over the Assyrians in the early 7th century BC, deporting political and religious leaders to Mesopotamia. Hey, you remember that place that I said Abraham was from? That’s right. Mesopotamia. Basically, some of the Jewish people (that of the Kingdom of Judah) were sent back to square one while others remained still in Jerusalem directly under Assyrian control (though there’s an implicit argument in the Book of Ezekiel that because *that* group of people returned to Abraham’s homeland and kept up with their religious practices that *they’re* the legitimate Jewish people rather than the ones that were held in Jerusalem. Crazy, I know). The Jewish people were allowed to return to Jerusalem (not any of the Northern Kingdom to their homeland) by Cyrus the Great after his defeat of the Babylonians in 538 BC. Again, this cycle of exile and return.

I’m no history buff but even in far more recent history of the Jewish people, this theme of a very small population of people (we’re talking only 15 million worldwide and 0.2% of the population of the world’s religious community), attempting to be killed or assimilated has not stopped.

So, what does this have to do with Detective Noel? Well, take a look at Noel’s life. He too has experienced this theme. He’s likely a child of immigrant parents who started fresh in Harper’s Hill. His life is entirely uprooted when he and his best friend are drafted for war. He’s able to return home albeit after a very important piece of home is ripped from him. It doesn’t feel like home anymore. So, he starts again in Arkham. For two years, that is his home. He has a stable job and close friends that are like family to him. Yet, he says what he thinks is a temporary goodbye to this family when he is sent to Egypt to join the expedition for the Grey Stone. He sends this stone to his partner back home and flees. We aren’t entirely sure how long it takes him to get back to the US, but we do know he spent two years over in Egypt and I’ve mapped a potential route he took to shake them off his tail before returning to the US (fun that Iraq and Iran are included in this as Mesopotamia covered that area).

What happens when he returns home? Home, again, is a nightmare. The little family that he had is gone. Roland is gone and assumed on the run from murder (Noel knows this can’t be the case). Delphine has been murdered. And he has no idea where Sarah is. Noel barely has time to scrap together what little of home he has left before he is haunted by The King in Yellow. He is again pulled from his home in Arkham down the Dreamlands. Where he is tortured and abused. A little glimmer of home is pulled out for him. Roland. Only for that to be literally ripped apart in front of him because he couldn’t convince The King that he truly didn’t know anything. Noel fights for any sort of control over himself in the Prison Pits wanting to spit in the face of this “god” that holds him. Since I headcanon him as both culturally and religiously Jewish, I think he sets his own clock. He keeps to his times of prayer and dietary laws even if that means going days without eating what they provide to him. He will not break. He will survive this. And he does. New York. Another fresh start. Home can change again, can’t it? A new name. A new job. Relying on no one but himself.

Yet again the cycle must continue. Kayne mentions an interesting thing in Part 52 when talking about Noel. A familiar place. “Threshold.” This could mean a couple of different things, but I find one to be the most convincing. There is an early Call of Cthulhu module known as “The Lurker at the Threshold” which takes place in a place known as Billington Woods. Billington Woods is north of ARKHAM. You know what else is in the woods north of Arkham? The Stanczyk mansion. You know… the one’s who’s undercroft currently holds Roland Cummings’ body??? YEAH. THAT ONE. Additionally, one of Yog-Sothoth’s is also known under the titles/names of “The Lurker at the Threshold” and “Charon” which makes me think that not only is our dearest detective forced to be back at Arkham, but he’s with YOG (though that’s not the important part here). He can’t escape it. He too is stuck in this cycle of exile and return whether he likes home or not.

[potato-lord-but-not]

Finished s1 of arcane and had the unshakable nauseating urge to draw the podcast men

[definitely-rubbish]

liam poznan :']

[flying-fangirls]

THESE BOYS ARE 👏 IN 👏 LOVE

[grayscale-sparks]

Do you have a headcanon for what kind of memory Charlie "memories are only memories until you're dead" Dowd was going to give up to the Order?

I think that Charlie had three options just like Arthur did.

The first one being the friends he made throughout his life- Adam, the epsilon crew, his coworkers in New York- but he knew how much a sacrifice meant. These loved ones taught him that after all.

The second would have been Roland. The man who picked him up and showed him family and told him “this too shall pass.” It would have been a hearty sacrifice.

The third option would be Noel Finley. The original. His childhood best friend. His first love. Noel taught him love and heartbreak and death and resilience. Noel gave him a future and a name whether he knew it or not. 

And as his hand hovered over that offering plate, he thought that giving up Noel Finley would be like giving back the mask he hid behind for so long. It’s why Arthur was only able to get him to snap out of the King’s control by using his real name. It’s why Kayne, whose whole deal is a chosen name, calls him Charlie.

I think his sacrifice was the memory of Noel Finley. The memory had haunted him for so long, and at the end of everything he was finally able to let go.

[nemesis-is-my-middle-name]

there are lots of moments that I enjoy thinking abt from Noel’s perspective (to the point that I actually have a half written retelling of 35 from his pov lol) but this one is an all timer. like I’m pretty sure this is the first kind of indication Noel has at all that John is having memory/focus issues,* and it’s bc the people he’s doing this dangerous cult infiltration with have to stop dead in the middle of an exposed hallway bc apparently the guy acting as the eyes suddenly couldn’t recognize him. like “This is Noel. You can’t be doing this to me now. Detective Noel, he’s been helping us.” is fucking terrifying to suddenly hear directed at one of the people who you are trusting with your life at that moment.

also he goes right into talking abt the king after this moment, and I wonder if that’s because he put together some version of “the king’s presence is having some kind of effect on him.” which. god that must have been a painful moment of empathy, huh.

*unless they told him abt it pre infiltration, which I doubt and would also be its own kind of Holy Shit moment bc John does NOT do overt vulnerability like that like. ever.

[dailykeiji]

said i'd draw him so here he is. The Rangher

[sweetestflow3rs]

seeing @ / teethingphase’s wren that has a stubble has NOT left my mind, and has me going “i should put leo in a stubble…. maybe a mullet too” cause i am nothing but predictable

[brainrot-hq]

Finally getting around to watching The Completly Made Up Adventure of Dick Turpin and my GOD is Noel Fielding so fine

[potato-lord-but-not]

FAROEVERSE DOODLES I can only think about her for 5 minutes at a time before I become unwell and need to lie down

(also in this au Arthur dies during the book incident instead of Parker (who probably wasn’t present), she’d been going thru his office trying to find a way to be helpful bc her father never tells her things and keeps his job from her and she found some things she probably shouldn’t have, Arthur caught her a bit too late)

((AND Jane is literally the exact same as John except her gender got transed in the opposite direction))

[absoluteocellibehavior]

I saw an ask on @potato-lord-but-not and now I've gone down a rabbit hole. There's currently a trend going on depicting Oscar, Arthur, and John as the Star, Moon, and Sun respectively. Now! What is Noel? He deserves to be in this. I personally interpreted this as tarot and not just the symbols themselves. Due to this, I'm making the pitch that Noel is Judgement! Here's a breakdown of each boi and their corresponding card: Oscar - The Star XVII - The Star is one that comes immediately after some of the roughest cards in the deck. It represents guiding yourself back to your true purpose and finding meaning in it. It's a pouring into both in inner wisdom and outer. I think this fits Oscar really well considering his turbulent spiritual past and finding a new mission through Arthur. Arthur - The Moon XVIII - OUGH! This one is fun! The Moon represents quite literally "being in the dark". It is the unknowable. It is the trusting of instincts and inner voices. There are things that cannot be known, and you are being pulled around by other sources and motives. Now if THAT doesn't sound like Arthur, I don't know what does. John - The Sun XIX - Now this one I struggled the most with relating but I think I've got it. The Sun itself represents overwhelming goodness and things looking up. Now, I think the meaning that it more applicable in this case is the concept of the "inner child". Especially in recent seasons, John is being able to grow into himself as a separate being than the King in Yellow. He's starting to enjoy things, find his likes and dislikes, and find meaning. Maybe there is not a present state of optimism, but John is beginning to display hope and positivity, seating him nicely with The Sun. Noel - Judgement XX - Judgement is the second to last card in the Major Arcana, representing a nearing of completion. It is taking both the past and the present in order to make the right choice and move forward. It is a renewal and a rebirth. Noel was left with mystery and pain from his past. Now, he is confronted with it with Arthur and things are beginning to come full circle. Additionally, Judgement has depictions of vulnerability in it which is present in both Noel's reveal of his alias and the acceptance of John being the King in Yellow. It should be noted that all of these cards are back-to-back in the deck representing their closeness in meaning and reliance on each other. Have fun with it and let me know your thoughts!

[lockingthedoors]

OUGH im sorry but the Noel “go to bed and your big brother will take care of it” interview and the Liam taped to the ceiling going quiet and then saying he liked it story. Do you pick up what im putting down…

[unknowingdice]

ough,,, detective noel the man you are,,,

Detective Noel yippeeeee

and, as promised, shirtless noel NOEL SCAR CHART

i’m already scared of the notes. please for the love of god try to behave yourselves

[john-does-middle-finger]

Part 52 Live Finger Reaction

except i have patreon so i've listened to most of this already (y'all are NOT ready for the interlude) and also i forgot to start typing until several minutes in lol

SPOILERS FOR PART 52 BELOW

i'm so proud of arthur for catching on so quickly. side note---i love the moments in malevolent when arthur knows more about what's going on than john does despite john having their sight. just a neat flip when you look back on the earlier seasons

"why am i here??" me every day fr john

need me a woman who'll put maggots in me

that's right john open your third eye

thank you harlan for our monthly arthur whimpering podcast

OUGH I FORGOT HOW BEAUTIFUL THIS MOMENT WAS. THEM BOTH SEEING THE STARS. I BETTER SEE SO MUCH FUCKING FANART OF THIS.

okay john maybe making trains is hard...

okay hamilton

which one of you was the damn fool that shot him then mr. "i thought you were my purpose"

arthur in hell for homosexuality (too many hoes in New York)

oh there he goes falling again. all men are the same.

it was difficult to put the nightmare together

BUT IM ONLY HUMAN AFTER ALL!!!

oh arthur...you weren't there for that poll buddy...

i love how gentle john is with arthur sometimes

fr? ong? just like that? we're awake?

arthur...snookums...dont...

it's not a rock. it's a stone!

harlan thank you for your footstep sound effects and also more of arthur laughing

oh lilith...

quick headcanon that arthur can generally feel where john is and every now and then he'll lean against him for a moment of rest. anyway. pick up that toenail or whatever

go on arthur. that's a fragment of a god! you can change her! make her a new person! give her a new name! name it spike or some shit.

maybe it was on purpose?? considering...idk. likely not though unless lilith really is that good at acting

go on arthur collect your freaky fingers.

nuh uh john that was a great idea and an excellent vote

sopping wet cat antoine

damn arthur you really do doomed yaoi with every guy you meet. except the yaoi is minimal and the doom is maximal.

arthur...i love you for caring so much

"was i kind?" HARLAN WHEN I GET YOU.

"a friend's love can carry you through the worst of life's trials and tribulations" I KNOW WHO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, ARTHUR LESTER. side note can we get this man a middle name i want to use his full legal name for science purposes and also to yell at him

JOHN we just had an IMPORTANT and LOVING character death DO NOT EVEN BRING THIS UP.

SEE JOHN. EARNED IT. IF ONLY...well...y'know...it lasted...no rest for the wicked or whatnot.

THIS REVEAL GOT ME SO FUCKING BAD BECAUSE WHAT DO YOU MEAN "maybe the blackstone was the friends we made along the way" WAS RIGHT.

YORICK. OH, YORICK...yorick i'm so fucking sorry

hello arthur, apologies for the deception. kayne here, vsauce stone! idk man

watching the wager (song) get released after the full episode dropped on patreon was so fucking wild

^watching people say "i hope we see kayne again soon!" after knowing the ending of this episode. my pookies...my blorbos...my yoricks...

"oh lose the get up honey" bro fr said "you're not going out in that."

footstep sounds x 2

yorick you never did anything wrong and i forgive you for everything except there isn't even anything to forgive! YORICK MY MOST DEARLY BELOVED

fruit of my loins. buddy you are the fruit

i believe you yorick

LEAVE THAT LITTLE GUY ALONE

YORICK. MY SHAYLA. MY SHAYLA. IT TOOK ME SO LONG TO RECOVER FROM THAT THE FIRST TIME. AND NOW AGAIN...oh my god...

listening to this on 2.5x speed is so funny. specifically because of kayne

me when im in a disguising my desperation competition and my opponent is kayne (im losing so bad)

arthur dont you ever fucking say that shit again.

KAYNE'S LAUGH IN 2.5x.

i was losing it at the description of the blackstone so fucking much

NOEL!!! NOEL! NOEL! NOEL! NOEL! NOEL! NOEL! NOEL! NOEL! NOEL! NOEL! NOEL! NOEL! NOEL MY FUCKING GOAT RAHHHHH

this poll. this fucking poll. had me stressing so fucking hard.

oh the fanfics are going to go SO fucking hard with this new arthur lore.

kayne i love your painfully obvious ploy at emotional manipulation because you have no actual power

i am so happy the poll ended up with lilith. choosing hope and all that yknow, as much as i love kayne

benevolent canon

arthur. arthur no. arthur you know these promises won't be enough. arthur please. ARTHUR.

was? am? john, my most dearly beloved

kayne please don't make life with soaking wet bloody dogs

MY SHAYLA

but kayne what is joy if you know nothing else? ugh

god i remember tweaking out so fucking hard during this ending. my shaylas. my pookies. everything.

"i forgive you" arthur i love you. john i love you. kayne i love you but i will never forgive you. still love your zest for...not really life but yknow.

MY SHAYLA x3

i was so worried john was going to make another deal here and i'm so glad he didn't.

anyways

the interlude is so fun harlan i'm begging you to release it soon (preferably tomorrow) (as a post finals treat) (for me specifically) (please) (please) (i need to yap about it)

[ireallyliketalldarksultrymen]

im bored soooooo

ough there’s probably a lot more but the poll would be a bit too long methinks

[flying-fangirls]

ahaha. haHA. HA. .

anyways Part 52 listening thoughts

there is no way that's Antoine right?

yeah no. Heyyy Lillith <3

girl the table? The maggot rerun?? Poor John...

woah Osc-

NOEL. NOEL NOEL NEOL

GUG PIT????

Antoine you dumbass boy

oh shoot wait I'm sorry for disrespecting you buddy. I meant: Jarthur you dumbass boys

Lillith honey please be okay please don't die :(

Ok wait but like. What the heck was that fragment that she dropped? Was it like, a Forgotten One? Is that why Arthur was able to straight up absorb it? (please I'm being delusional, this is how we get a Lillith return trust me)

"That may have been a bad idea" YA THINK??? Castle Kerringford Crew y'all need a hug STAT-

ANTOINE OUGH. That whole speech as he was dying, saying that cult Antoine was good and the happy version of our Antoine-- that was fucked up /pos

Oh John no that's not... I fear the baby's sense of mortality might've gotten a little fucked up somewhere along the way

DON'T SAY IT OH MY GOD BOYS-

it's a daddy-daughter showdown! :D

mmmyeah that makes sense for Yorick

*gasp* Kayne misogynist real??

Local fanfic writer who's been calling John "sunshine" for months gets to hear him canonically called "sunshine," but at what cost...

ANTOINEEEEEEEE

oh the Faroe card is CHEAP (but also very effective)

is John about to get Faust flashbacks....

Actually on that, I need someone to write a fic that's this entire episode but from John's perspective because my boy was going THROUGH it this entire time

"I never should've opened that book." ARTHUR.

NOEL

"Threshold"? What?? What???

alright actually on this: Kayne said Noel was "close to home", which could mean Arkham, Arthur's previous home. OR, it could mean the Dark World and John's "home" of his kingdom (not that I want our poor boy to have been running through the Dark World this whole time, buuuut at the same time that would theoretically let us see him sooner...)

whoagh wait Lester parents as cultists is canon, oh I love that tehe :)

"How many sad poems did you have to write to know why they did it?" UNCALLED FOR

"I'm going to kill him" HUH.

"That's the wager." HUH.

LILLITH NOOOOOOO

OHH KAYNE WHEN I GET YOU-

"Your Day of Wrath" oh.

so like. That was said at John. Yes sure kinda also at Arthur, but mostly at John. Like this implication that John brought about the inevitable reckoning of Arthur's death. Like this implication that John is in fact the horseman and herald of Death. And like the implication that he's simultaneously the all-powerful God himself during the Day of Wrath, the powerful being incapable of stopping himself from reigning destruction upon "evil".

Oh hey and also, while we're unpacking terminology: Da Capo. The fact that Da Capo means the return to the Dark World, the very beginning of John's story. The fact that Da Capo also means Kayne's plan to restart the world, to "take it from the top" so to speak. Yeah...

Ok maybe I'll get some more coherent thoughts or analysis up soon, but for tonight all I've got is rambling screams inside my head. This was... GOSH, it was a good episode. This is not only my favorite episode of this season, but easily about to shoot up into my top 5 episodes of the entire show so far. Not a second went by that didn't drive forward the emotion, plot, or momentum in a compelling way. The music, voiceacting, sound design, horror, ALL of it was phenomenal. This episode is such a perfect example of how amazing this show can truly be <3