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pan-xichen · 6 years

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In Defense of Season Seven

This season has so many incredible things to offer; the animation, the voice acting, the writing, the character development, like... I think it's one of the best we've had so far. I love season six the most because of how heartwrenching the last few episodes are but this season was still phenomenal. This fandom likes to focus on the negative more than the positive, even if the negative is a minority, so I'm gonna give some opinions on these negative things.

- "forced relationships"

Whomst?? Do you mean Keith and Acxa? Because literally Acxa saved team voltron and Keith didn't want to leave her behind because he's honourable and he felt like they owed her. Ezor and Zethrid teased Acxa about liking Keith but neither of them responded, and in fact Keith had nothing to do with their shit. They were just trying to mess with them. Even if there is some kind of attraction there it's on Acxa's part and is definitely one-sided. I personally think they could even be related, like... I know heteronormativity has us all expecting that when a girl is teased about liking a guy the two will end up together because we've been trained to think that way but really, I know they won't do that. Keith isn't just gonna like... open up to this chick he's known for ten minutes and want to be in a relationship with her. And there's no amount of friendship bonding they could do in 13 episodes that wouldn't make their romance feel clunky and rushed in comparison to the deep and meaningful relationships I love this series for. They've been building Keith and Shiro as a relationship since season one and it's been established that they're stronger now after their battle in season six. The only logical and sensical choice for a Keith romance is Shiro and I know Acxa coming in isn't gonna change that, regardless of how she might feel. Even platonically Shiro basically owns Keith's heart, man. No one is gonna replace that.

If you mean allurance, allow me to point you to the entire fucking series because they've also been building up since season one. Lance has gone from this flirty entitled brat to a respectful and dedicated person and honestly it's one of the best character changes in the series. He's loved - not liked because she's pretty, but loved - and respected Allura since season three and Allura has been falling for him as well. She had that thing with Lotor but that doesn't mean her being with Lance would be forced. Lance didn't feel entitled to her at all, in fact he was more worried for her safety than her and Lotor getting together. He wanted her to be happy because he loves her, even if that meant not being with her. That's huge. It's a great way to have a relationship build instead of the guy getting the girl because he thinks she's hot that we always get with m/f romances.

- "we were queerbaited with sh@dam/ad@shi"

No, we weren't. Y'all if I see one more fucking person saying this season was bad solely because Adam died I'm gonna throw myself off a bridge. Lots of people died. That wall was fucking massive. That's what happens in war (real slick also @ the person who literally accused Bex of defending the decision to kill a gay character when she herself is LGBT+). We literally saw the man for like three minutes of screentime and I don't understand why people expected to see more than that. Shiro is our LGBT+ rep, not Adam. Adam was a plot device meant to deliver the reveal that Shiro is attracted to men. He was never meant to be an important character nor was he meant to get back together with Shiro. There was no queerbaiting of any sort this season.

- "Keith swooping in and saving Shiro was Keith stealing his agency, he should've killed Sendak himself"

This entire show is about togetherness; facing the abyss alongside those you love. Shiro had to face one of his biggest demons this season, and with the theme of the show I'm surprised people think he should've done it alone. He ran head first into that fight with Sendak; no holding back, no fear. That's what mattered. He fought bravely and fiercely against his greatest rival and honestly the confidence he radiated in that scene inversely paralleled season one in which he fought Sendak one on one and ultimately lost. This time he didn't lose-- he had help. A major theme of his arc is learning that he doesn't have to face his demons alone, and it's entirely poetic that it was Keith who killed Sendak, in my opinion. No one else could've done that and had it feel so right. He's always tried to look out for Shiro, and he literally brought him back from the dead. He didn't stop Shiro from going into the fight, he just came in to give him a hand when it was too much for Shiro to handle alone. It was done really well.

- "Shiro isn't the black paladin anymore"

Okay, to be fair before the season even aired I was upset as much as the next guy but my upsettedness dwindled because I knew they wouldn't be sidelining him. The directors love Shiro so much, okay? Like... yes he's suffered but everyone has. So much thought and care was poured into his character and his arc and I'm so grateful for that. Being the captain of the Atlas is an incredibly important role, and the sole reason she can even transform into a mecha is because of his arm. He's seen giving orders not only to the paladins but to literally everyone. He's still very much a leader, even without the black lion. That's what his arc is about; that he's more than just the black paladin. He's more than the burden that was placed on his shoulders. Yeah they solidified a lot that Shiro was the true black paladin but honestly passing the torch to Keith doesn't bother me one bit. Keith has grown into his position so well and he clearly excels, just like Shiro always knew he would. Shiro has outgrown the role of black paladin and has moved on to the role of Captain Shirogane. He's incredible this season and I'm so happy with what they've done with him.

- "they queerbaited k/ance"

Uh... no. They said months back that they never intended for it to be canon and the fact that people got that vibe actually surprised them. Yes Keith and Lance got along this season but that just is a testement to their growth as individuals. They've outgrown the rivalry and I'm glad to see that. Lance can be Keith's right hand man and is content in that position and Keith trusts him. That's huge. I'm so happy they ended up like that and I'd love to see more of them being friends next season.

- "the writing was bad"

Okay, that's an opinion. You're allowed to have those. Thing is though, that it really wasn't. Because we've had such short seasons getting a long one where a lot of stuff happens has overwhelmed everyone who watched it all at once. It might feel poorly written to some because the focus is heavily on plot development and not relationships between characters as in previous ones. Essentially, shit got real this season and there was no time for that kind of thing, even with 13 episodes. With the battle for Earth over, the only big bad we've got left is Honerva, who has fucked off to who knows where. They'll definitely end up fighting her in s8, but s7 really had a "final battle" feel in the finale. I feel like a lot of the last season will be dealing with the aftermath of this one, to be honest. Characters talking things out, Allura and Lance becoming official, Keith and Shiro possibly also becoming official, picking up the pieces and rebuilding Earth like we already saw them doing, etc. It's gonna be less plot heavy and more "chill", I think. An interesting choice for the final season to be sure but the battle for Earth was so fucking intense it's hard to top that. Maybe I'm wrong but I feel like 7 is gonna be the most intense season of the show.

- "the sheith was OOC"

?? This one confuses me. Maybe it's because we had so much of it last season that the general lack of interaction between them got to some people but really? Pre-Kerberos backstory? Keith begging Shiro to fight and stay alive? Keith helping Shiro defeat Sendak? That moment where Keith is holding him and that look they give each other?? Like?? We were blessed and it was perfectly in character. Next season I think we'll see what Joaquim meant more that their bond is now stronger now that all the crazy shit on Earth has gone down.

Those are the only complaints I've really seen so far, but there are probably more. These are just my opinions on these subjects and of course not liking the season for any reason is your opinion if you don't. You don't have to like all of or even some of it. This is just my input.

#vld s7 spoilers #mullet speaks #sheith #allurance #dont mind me these are just my onions

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bushybeardedbear · 6 years

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Season 8 of Saltron: Laughable Disappointment

What follows is a stream of consciousness as I watched the series.

The TLDR? I am glad it's finally over and will always miss what it should have been.

It's another long one. But, I think it's the last one on this topic...

Maybe I can finally get back to writing fics. Who knows...?

I use the word mess a lot.

So, episode one. Months have passed as usual. And somehow the population of Earth, all crammed into a single base on the planet have somehow been able to produce an animated series. Earth is devastated, but there's still the ability to make cartoons. Somehow. It's as though the writers needed to tick off a “reference to the old series” and have only just been able to cram it in. Global devastation, billions dead. But hey. Cartoons. Yet another example of Voltron not knowing what the hell it's own tone is. Are we a happy silly space adventure, or are we supposed to be a bleak look at the horrors of war? Are we selling kids books and toys or are we forcing our characters to deal with global devastation and the loss of their lovers? Let's be both and excel as neither.

And for a show that isn't about shipping? Gosh they've already dedicated a lot of time to it, haven't they? Allura, Lance and Lotor, all major focuses of the plot. Oh and it's nice to see Romelle doing what Romelle does. Info dumping about the colony. “Before the Galra can reorganize.” Well, sorry Keith but it's been Five Years. Remember that time skip? If at least one group of Galra hasn't reorganized in five years, that would be absurd. If only there was some hint that the Galra HAD reorganized. Like a giant robot. Using the same magitech as the druids and Honerva. I know that as the viewer we're privy to more information, but sometimes they make the characters painfully stupid as to what's going on in their own reality.

Oh boy. An entire episode devoted to finding Allura a date outfit. For Lance. The boy with a lifespan of 80-100 years max. Whilst she could live to be 800+. We going to cover that? I mean, we had time to emphasize Pidge's age. We going to touch Allura's age? No? Ok, fine. We'll ignore it shall we? Do the writers assume people are too stupid to remember the show's own lore...? And look. More references to the old show. Remember the old show? Nostalgia points. Hey Pidge, having some fun being yourself? Well, make sure you give up something you love to make the popular girl happy. Arguably again but, doesn't seem like anything previously established or hinted matters. Nice. And I guess we know the names of Lance's family. Along with a nice bit of tell don't show. Lance is all talk and bravado. It's good of you to tell us that. Can't expect people to figure it out organically through storytelling.

And the only way they could figure out Honerva was behind a robeast...was via a cheesy death scene. Well, at least they didn't make the cast even more bloated and unwieldy. As for all the issues I've mentioned with Allurance before? Doubled down on here. Allura's not the strong capable leader we were shown, she was weak and in need of man to complete her. What a great 180 from powerful character to prize for toxic masculinity. And if you don't like the idea that pursuing a woman aggressively and jealously, even swooping in after a break up is toxic...? I don't know what to tell you. If you think this relationship happened organically and wasn't rushed? I don't know what to tell you. I don't think we were watching the same show.

However. I know me foreshadowing. Allura gives life. Allura and Lance photo. The flowers at her bedside last season that symbolize death. Let's see if they pull another “oh look, their relationship failed.” Because on screen romance is the kiss of death in this series. Also, the fact that so far nothing has even been hinted at Pidge's obvious crush on Lance... Yeah, can't say I'm surprised. I think maybe the writers forgot their own lore...

Oh, and off they go to space. What a great first episode. I'm so pumped to see the train wreck continue...

Is it just me... Or have they now made Honerva nothing more than defined by the men in her life...? So far her entire episode has been about how she serves no purpose without Lotor. Months she spent without purpose. This despite having knowledge of both Oriande and The Altean Colony via her mind link with Kuron... But suddenly, this fiercely intelligent multi-millenia old right hand of the empire...falls into a depression because her son is missing...? The most driven character in the whole series is just wandering aimlessly without the son that, let us not forget... She forgot even was her child for the majority of the show... I appreciate that they're attempting yet again to give the bad guys a little more humanity, but...There's a difference between a nuanced and rounded character and simply writing them to act differently at the drop of a hat. So, I get that they're pushing for her regretting that she had no connection with Lotor, that the act of coming back from the dead robbed her of motherhood...but in so doing, they're yet again doubling down on the fact that Lotor was always a victim of his upbringing. Or lack thereof. It feels almost like these sequences were written at a point before they realised they were going to make Lotor into Space Hitler. This screams redemption arc for a lost little boy being set up. Not the genesis of a heartless monster. Even their own backstory doesn't seem to gel with the show...

Well, I guess they answer the question of how the hell did a single nanny exist across multiple millennia. Dayak is a title, it seems. Not a name. That was a useful retcon I suppose. Maybe they should have thought more about their own continuity And yes, it seems everything Honerva is now doing she's doing for the sake of Lotor. Not out of her own capacity or desire. And Lotor, somehow bathing in pure life energy, is dead. And now, we have further proof that Lotor's story about being an essentially good person who had to watch a planet of his friends and allies burn. Again, this whole thing screams redemption arc. Where and how, after this entire process of being exiled due to his pragmatism, in being in reverence of Altea...did he suddenly turn Space Vampire feeding upon the very people he revered...? This episode gave the opportunity to make the Altean colony and Lotor using them as a vampire make sense. Instead it just raises more questions. It makes it seem even more likely that at one point Honerva was the one harvesting to make druids. That at one point Lotor was supposed to be redeemed. Then changes were forced. Or maybe a half baked redemption is still coming? Willing suspension of disbelief is utterly gone. The story is plainly a patchwork of mistakes piled upon mistakes.

A beautifully animated, beautifully scored and beautifully voice acted incoherent mess.

Still got time for that transformation sequence in the middle of an inconsequential battle that doesn't further the main plot and further doubles down on the problems caused by the five year gap. Do we really have time to rebuild the Voltron coalition and bring stability in seven episodes...? And what part of this actually benefits from the five year gap? “The Galra Empire is at war with itself” this scenario could have played out perfectly well during a civil war cause by Lotor's 'death' and Sendak creating a splinter faction. The five year gap was in no way necessary, as I mentioned in previous posts. And...do we really have time for an episode that's one long reference to Alien...? Even now at the half way point of the episode, it seems clear they're either going to find something that mildly advances the plot or else is utterly pointless. Do we have the time to waste on this when there are so many other plot threads that need tying up? Pidge and Lance's lion moments for one. Lance needs to use his sword. Ever again. Probably to save Allura, just to really hammer home that she's weak and incapable without him now. Whatever's going on with Keith is another. Maybe Axca will just info-dump an explanation. Or not. Are we just going to get a bunch of things unsolved? A bunch of things forgotten? Are they going to make this a to be continued in a new season...?

Well, there we go. The secret weapon made with distilled Altean quintessence. Now we know where it went. So it devours quintessence, slaughters Galra but just...pushes aside Paladins of Voltron...? Ok, so it's probably engineered to hunt Galra. Which makes sense, right? A Galra super weapon. That only hunts Galra. Ok, so now comes the info-dump retcon. Whereas previously it was created by the Galra base they were infiltrating using the Distilled quintessence... It was now found in the Quantum Abyss... And trained and engineered by Lotor to hunt Galra...? Sure. Whatever. It makes no sense and feels shoehorned into the plot. But sure. Rather than being pragmatically working toward an empire that didn't rely on using other races for Quintessence, Lotor was actually secretly making monsters to kill only Galra for the sake of genocide...? Nonsense.

“How do you know so much about it?” Good question Lance. And guess what? It's not actually answered in the show. Go back and watch the episode where Keith and Krolia found this thing. Any hint of it being a weapon Lotor created...? Any hint of it being anything except built or engineered on that base? I think you'll find not because they just forced this into the plot now. Who knows what purpose the creature was supposed to originally serve, if any, but this is obviously nonsense. And Lance is quite rightly asking, “How does Keith know so much about it...?” And it's because the writers needed to info-dump another retcon.

And just a small aside... Lance not knowing the difference between an Altean Hour and an Altean Minute literally contradicts what was established about his grasp of the time system seasons ago. He wasn't born yester-quintant. But now he's too dumb to remember time units. Because who gives a damn about continuity or character progression when you can just have characters regress...?

And why are they acting surprised that Honerva can build more than one robeast...? I'm so tired of seeing them all written as complete idiots. If Honerva has access to Altean Alchemy, and they know she does and access to the infrastructure and resources to build one robeast then it stands to reason she can build more than one... That doesn't even need a genius like Pidge to figure out. That's just common sense. That they've all now written to be bereft of.

And split up? Ok, so with so few episodes to go that likely means splitting focus from the Paladins and the Atlas on an episode by episode basis, most likely. Plus the obligatory “comedy” episode to waste yet more time that could be spent telling the actual story. Then everything needs at least an episode to wrap up...? Guess we're not getting the endings and tied up threads we were expecting. Or if we do it will be brushed aside. Like Keith's explanation of how he knew so much about the Not-A-Xenomorph.

Still, on the bright side? Only a few more episodes to go...

Oh wow. If the ongoing saga of the girl that used to be Allura who will live for millennia and the boy who will live for decades that used to be a character developing wasn't cringeworthy enough, now we have the characters just arbitrarily deciding to go to the one place in the entire Voltron coalition that the Robeast arrived at. Such a lazy plot contrivance. Lance is right. Why couldn't there have been some means of tracking a quintessence signature or some kind of magical anomaly intrinsic to the Robeasts that Honerva is creating? A magical element would have given Allura something to do other than pout. What they needed was something to give them a CLUE as to where they next need to go. Seconds, literally seconds after Pidge has pointed out the vastness of the universe and how unlikely it would be to find the robeast with not a single clue... They just arbitrarily decide to go to the planet it landed on!? What the actual hell, writers? Can I have a crate or two of whatever you were high on when you wrote this, please?

Transformation sequence. Because we need that eating up the run time don't we...? Yeah, it's a nitpick, so what?

Oh boy. Another planet massacred. Another group of allies lost. Cheap emotional tugging at the last hurdle when it's largely irrelevant. Not that I suppose it really matters. After a few months they'll be back on their feet and making cartoons again, just like Earth. After all, they probably all escapedor mostly did. It seems absurd that they couldn't have. They're one of the most technologically advanced species in the universe. Escape pods wouldn't be beyond them. Makes a damn sight more sense than last season where we're supposed to believe the entire multi billion population of Earth fit into those prisons. Billions are dead on Earth, remember? So, 'dead' Olkarion yet another example of the Paladins being given almost no hope of a happy ending short of a deus ex machina that will somehow undo all the damage. Or it just gets ignored. Because who cares about Billions dead on Earth? Or across the rest of the coalition...? Which raises another point... Why did nothing happen to Olkarion during the five year gap...? Did they even try to contact Olkarion when they emerged from the quintessence field...? Because it sure didn't look like it was devastated in their absence. It looked, until the robeast, pristine.

Continuity? What's that? At this point it wouldn't even shock me if they had Pidge wake up and say “wow, what a wild dream...” As the last second of the series.

How can Hunk still not be good under pressure, after he's shown multiple times...to be good under pressure...? To have developed as a character...? You know what, never mind... So wait, this whole episode was just to establish... That Honerva has access to a Teludav...? Is that really information that couldn't have already been inferred? An energy detected on the Robeast for example? Or just, I dunno, putting two and two together? What thematically was gained by Pidge's vision quest that couldn't have been delivered by some survivors? I know they're going for a noble sacrifice on a planetary scale, but... When the noble sacrifice is to deliver information that realistically could have been gathered in countless other ways... It just feels, like a lot of the plot now, forced.

Well, escape pods. Who could have guessed that? And the episode ends with them gaining a tracker. Something that was probably necessary at least on some level to make the episode make sense. Would it have been so hard to say that between Pidge and Allura they made a magi-tech tracker that just about detects the Robeasts and then the Olkari data makes it work perfectly? Nah. Let's just have them find the aftermath of a robeast attack randomly a split second after saying how absurd that would be...

Unique Energy Signatures Interesting. An energy signature that's unique.

And the robeasts have them. Huh.

You know what's really easy to spot in a set of data...?

S O M E T H I N G U N I Q U E

See, if you take the text so far as an example of background cosmic radiation and all the other stuff one might detect around Earth, the above two words would be a unique energy signature. Something not usually found in nature. Something outside the norm. Make's one wonder why there was no way to track these unique energy signatures before now. Say, with the Atlas or the established satellite networks around Earth. Makes one wonder why over months this data wasn't analysed. Of course, I'm assuming that anyone even turned on a scanner. Or remembered they had hands. Why would anyone think to scan space when a new an unknown enemy showed up. From Space. Don't be silly. That would require the application of logic.

And, I really don't care for the continued loss of time fixating on the MFEs and their wacky lunchtime with Axca... Or indeed all Axca's angst. Considering how much we still have to happen for The Paladins I'm not really feeling the need to develop a last second former general to be a half formed love interest for Keith. Basically following the same plot of learning to be more human and less angst ridden that Keith did. Well, this episode sure feels like filler. Random trap, with a bunch of old enemies. I mean, at least they remembered Alteans can change skin tone, I guess...? Just about the only thing that impressed me about this episode so far.

Well, that fight scene happened. Wait...left you...? The last we saw the two of them had blown up. And half of Zethrid's face is burned. Indicating surviving the explosion. Her entire crusade of gathering mercenaries, hunting Keith, the name of the episode being The Grudge... It all adds up to dead partner. But now Axca's saying... Ezor left Zethrid...? What the hell kind of absurdity is that...? She'll never take me back...? That has to be the biggest dumbest cop out... What could have been a really emotionally compelling look at a “bad guy” having more nuanced motivations... Made Zethrid look like she was having a tantrum.

And still, nothing of the wider plot advances. More filler.

Gosh, this mostly static series of shots of Allura telling us what's happening at Oriande sure is engaging. Thank goodness this isn't in a visual medium or we might have been shown this rather than told... And another big rousing speech about end the war. That will result in the war not ending, if any of the previous times were anything to go by. Except this is the last season, so... This time doing the same thing has to work.

Well, I'm surprised we didn't get two transformation sequences in a row. I would have thought that would be the best use of their time. Also, whilst I see the thematic necessity of Allura in charge, I'm not sure how the plot really justified it. And is it just me, or did Ezor always seem a bit...pasted in place and static...? Not even sure the voice was the same, maybe it's just me... Still no Lance and Pidge Lion connection. Just an aside really. Not sure if we'll ever see it at this stage.

And again, maybe this is just me... But surely we can only feel like every reality is under threat is a big deal once in the same show, right? One also has to wonder that given access to the same alchemical ability and greater knowledge, that Honerva could have retrieved the Sincline with... Another similar mech...? Seems like an unnecessarily massive ritual just to bring probably not Lotor back. Or was bringing him back just part of it and the majority was to collapse the white hole...? She's just controlling him...? Because why not. All this guilt and need to save her son, this massive magical ritual was just... To get a puppet Lotor and to kill the White Lion...? And damage reality in the process? Or is this just the classic trope of screw you all I'm destroying everything?

I mean, I know that these episodes want to keep you guessing, but... Maybe just a touch of explaining what all the bright beams of light and particle effects are would be good...? And preferably not sat at a conference table telling us but through the story showing us. At least the plot has advanced. I guess it's now time for the comedy episode to destroy the flow...?

Well, seems like another filler episode. I really wanted an entire episode dedicated to a secondary character when there's already plenty of Paladin's stories left to tell. And the interview format is still more excuses for tell don't show as people talk at the screen to deliver information without it seeming artificial. The absurd necessities to make the found footage format work always bugs me. There's no difference here. I'm just not feeling Cloverfield but Voltron. I can't deny that it's been animated well, but, I'm tired of filler. And this season so far has been the vast majority filler.

If you want to do dramatic framing and filming, keeping one character in shot and then another, then swapping back... Then clearly your camera has a dramatically appropriate setting that works in micro gravity. If you're going to do found footage, don't also drop the ball and include impossible camera movements.

Honestly, Coran retelling the whole series would have been more entertaining than what it has been so far. But for what it's worth, the world building, finding out Colleen Holt is a biologist / geneticist of some considerable skill? Yeah. Interesting. But...how late in the game are we to be finding all this out...? Doesn't world building usually happen throughout, dotted about organically? This all just feels like... Here's some stuff we never got to mention before now. All delivered in a really artificial seeming way...

Adjusting for long range parameters...?

You're in orbit. Your ship can communicate over light years with no signal delay. Orbit is not long range for The Atlas. Just say you're adjusting for interference...

Also, they are finding new and creative ways to have meetings around a big table. The most riveting part of this show. Watch in wonder as three static characters hover over an action scene interspersed with static. Wonder if next time we'll get to see someone make coffee for the meeting. Puzzle over the filler to plot ratio. Thank characters talking directly to the screen telling us the status of questioning prisoners of war that could have been delivered in countless other ways. Wouldn't that conversation with the Altean have been more interesting if delivered in the interrogation room rather than through two cameras...?

Still not going to touch the lifespan gap? Ok.

And holy crap use Hunk more. That desert part? Brilliant. An actual stand out moment that shows his compassion and his intellect. Not just being a big worrying goof who eats. Finally, something I can genuinely praise in this whole mess. They haven't ignored Hunk. That was a wonderful moment, breaking barriers with cookies. And so far, in terms of writing, 100% the best part of the whole series. One diamond in all the rough... Or maybe something of more value than a diamond. Like a good writer on the Voltron team...

“Winning prizes is my speciality.” Uhuh. Once someone has been rendered a prize I guess.

And now it's time for yet another filler episode interspersed with a little plot. Sorry, by plot I mean an info dump. This time from “Lotor” or a vision of him at least. Lecturing us about the void creatures. It's about time they got brought up again. But thanks writers for yet again delivering that information and story in the least engaging possible way.

It's nice seeing the characters have a little fun. I won't deny it. I personally don't buy how eager Pidge is to help Lance out on his shiny thing for Allura quest... But, at this stage I think I should just cast aside anything that might have previously been established about the characters and just assume stuff will happen at the writer's whims. If I'm lucky, it will be entertaining. Maybe the inconsistency comes from writing? Or animators not being given clear direction by writers? Or executive meddling. Maybe I also think it's cheating to use a robot arm that has no resistance in an arm wrestling contest. Shiro's body provides no leverage. It's all down to the hand unit, but nobody brings that up in the show. Even though they should.

Also not digging the using both the men in her life to tempt Allura. It kinda draws even more attention to how flighty they made her. How sudden and how jarring her reciprocating Lance's feelings was when they first seeded it at the Omega Shield. One big gesture to win his prize. It's all so skin crawling. So diminishing for both her and for Lance. Honerva, through the void creature, can presumably see this in her mind. Why else would she shift between the two men? It's almost as though the show itself is acknowledging they made Allura indecisive, flighty, weak to temptation and easily manipulated. And then she puts her hand to the glass. Then takes what is effectively a demon into her, that she knows allows Honerva to kill a host at will. I mean, at least they included her Mother, rather than Alfor. That's something I suppose, to indicate that her entire character isn't solely defined by the men in her life now. Though, it's small comfort. I mean, I get that she's being manipulated. I get that she's being tempted. But she's not Allura any longer. Allura was the incredibly strong willed last daughter of a dead world. A genocide survivor who came out fighting. The princess who gave up her last vestiges of her royal office for her friend to have an arm. The woman who killed the last remnants of her own Father's uploaded mind. Allura is strong willed. Stronger willed than any of us could dream of being. Or at least she was. Much as they now try to devalue her in the show... She united two thirds of the Universe under the Voltron coalition. Now what is she...? A damsel in distress who's going to need to be saved from her own weakness and a prize to the nice boy. And I'd put money on Lance using his Altean Broadsword to save her, just to hammer that home.

Of all the awful choices the writers have made, destroying Allura is probably the worst. You'd think I'd say Plance, but you'd be wrong. As I've always said, I'd rather not have it be canon at all than have it be badly written crap. So even if somehow Plance is super late end game, it will be just a shoddily written piece of crap on top of a giant shitty cake. So I wanted to take my victories where I could. I wanted to hope that maybe Allura could be Allura again at the last hurdle. Nope. Destroyed.

And credit where it's due? That overly bombastic anime-as-fuck arm wrestle, complete with foe with a heart of gold trope played for laughs? Yeah. That was fun. It's not like they can't do moments. I will admit that. They have some among the writing staff who make wonderful moments. It's just a shame those moments are mired in so much dross...

That touch of self awareness about the robot arm from Iverson I appreciated. Again. Moments. The entire concept of using a void creature combined with Voltron's joining of minds seems like the worst idea ever. It puts them all in jeopardy. Lance is being the only sensible one there. Which is rare to say. It also doesn't feel like he's doing it purely out of his feelings for her. Just common sense. Also, I feel like the Astral Lions moment would have carried a little more oomph if... Lance and Pidge had had their Lion Bond moment. I'm going to keep coming back to that. Because it feels very present in it's absence. It feels as if it has been either removed or else forgotten.

The battle with their alternate selves was fascinating. One of the few fight scenes that acutally wasn't boring this season. Though, Allura inevitably giving in to and using the darkness... What did I say before...? They've made her so weak. It took her lion intervening to stay her hand. And was it just me or was Lance using his broadsword...? With no fanfare...? No dramatically appropriate moment for it to materialise in a meaningful way...? It's just... There...? They establish he can summon it only under intense need, then never use it and now suddenly it's just... There...? Wow. I was giving them far too much credit when I assumed it was foreshadowing some dramatically appropriate moment. Sorry to anyone out there I said as much to. They just forgot about it.

This may be bad of me, but there's something distinctly Freudian about Lance wielding Allura's Father's Broad Sword... That just me?

So... They're continuing together on life's journey now...? And we're still not going to even touch on relative human to Altean life spans...? Really...? Ok...

And this is just another aside...

Their minds are all connected. So, Pidge doesn't need to explain anything except for the sake of the audience. That's fine and dandy. I'm used to Voltron relying on prodigious amounts of exposition. But why is Alfor surprised at the knowledge of Allura being possessed...? Angry? Sure. Concerned? Sure. Trying to convince her it's a bad idea? Sure. But...surprised...? How...? The plot would have you believe they're all profoundly connected on a far deeper level than ever before... And yet, somehow he's surprised at this knowledge...? Whatever. Plot right? Who cares. It's not like a team of writers have been paid a large sum for this to be a coherent story...

Should I just rename myself Bitter Bitching Bear?

Probably... I guess palaces in the mind would make a Voltron and Persona 5 crossover possible. Not that I would want to lessen Persona 5 in that way. Just an idle observation. And again, despite the mind connection, Allura is revealing things to Alfor that surprise him. I know it'd make conversations pointless and thus the whole show would be a hard watch... But still, why even pretend there is a mind connection if they don't even pay it lip service?

If I was taking a shot every time there was an unnecessary transformation sequence... In fairness I'd probably just be a little merry. But still, for a show that's being so rushed, they seem to have all the time in the world for transformation sequences and filler episodes. And really lousy looking CGI corridors. That was jarring. Also, Lance and Alfor being one and the same in the cockpit. Freudian symbolism intensifies.

Now, I'm just going to spitball for a moment. Allura is filled with an evil tennis ball from the void. She needs the evil ball to find Honerva. Yet we've seen she can remove the entities from Alteans. Admittedly, a dead one but, what's to say it's not possible on a living Altean? It's not like anyone tried.

Take the entity. Sever their connection. Ask the Alteans where Honerva is. Literally no need to put her sanity at risk. No need to have her willingly being possessed by a spooky space demon. Would it be as visually impressive? No. But it was an alternative that wasn't even discussed. Or considered. And it makes a great deal more sense. It also allows Allura to remain at least partially her incredibly strong willed self and not give in to the easy dark path. Yes, at this stage she's resisting. But let's be real. She's going to fall to the darkness. At least for a time. You don't foreshadow this hard about how bad the spooky space demon is unless you're going somewhere with it. Mind you, I've been wrong before about the writers doing something they're obviously building toward...

And now Lotor has gone from compelling conflicted character, to vampire space Hitler to a pile of gloop in a chair. Just one screw you after the next... Guess there's no redemption arc for him that doesn't involve a spatula...

Also, it suddenly strikes me that there's a whole lot of lazy asset reuse thanks to this episode's memory stuff going on. I'm also pretty sure I saw Lance's crazy gunning face against Alfor used elsewhere. Have the animators also given up? Well, with what they've been given to write, I wouldn't blame them. And...why is Zarkon's colour palette off...? His skin is literally the wrong colour... Come on guys, this isn't even funny... Why would Honerva remember her own Husband as the wrong colour...? Why would, what I assume is Zarkon's soul, be the wrong colour...?

Honerva's plan... So... Let me get this straight...

Honerva has Zarkon's soul in her mind. Possibly Lotor's somewhere as well, but that's just a guess.

She's made cloned bodies before. You see where I'm going with this?

Why destroy every single other reality, just to find the right one when she could just... Replace their souls in cloned bodies...? Or at the very least bring Zarkon back to aid her...? If Allura could do it it would be child's play to Honerva. Her motivation makes sense, but her method is utterly stupid. It makes her look stupid when she can't even use the tools at her own disposal.

What even is this daft speech and argument from Keith...?

Voltron is gone? Voltron is within us...?

Bollocks to your pseudo-deep emotional prattle. Just be sensible for once. The lions were never there to begin with. They were astral constructs. The lions aren't literally there so they aren't literally gone. You don't need a rousing speech about reaching for the lion inside you, because it's all in your heads as much as it's in hers... So stupid.

Also, pretty sure the entire blazing sword sequence was reused...

And something bad happened to Allura because she used the bad thing that was bad. Did we mention it was bad enough?

Well, here it is. The Big Robot they have to beat this season. Complete with seraphic imagery and form. That sure as hell hasn't been done to death, has it? And it's the board room of exposition again. Woohoo. And yet more Lance angst. And another Lance and Keith bonding moment. We get it, they're friends now. Ok, apparently removing the entity didn't kill the Altean...? So she could literally have just used their help...? Or even traced Honerva using one of the other's entity. And again, nothing was even suggested to do that.

I'm honestly not sure what would have been worse right now. The fact that Allura has been rendered bed bound and unable to do anything or if she'd been made a damsel in distress to be literally saved. Then again, I suppose there's still time for that. And in a sense, she is still in distress. Waiting to be saved by the plot. Oh, here it is. Lance going to awaken her with his love. Hooray. The damsel in distress is saved by the Nice Guy.

And the whole first part of the episode was literally just padding and wasting time. Are we any closer to finding out why Keith can do what he does...? Will we ever find out? Nah, I'll scratch that off along with Lance and Pidge ever getting their lion moments that everyone else got last season. But thank goodness we had time for all the pointless filler.

Ok... So, to be clear... At no point before going into the Astral Plane, did Allura think to remove the entities from the Alteans they have onboard...? I mean, yeah, sure, Allura getting controlled is one thing, she's just a plot device to be used these days and lacks any agency of her own any longer. But to have the irrelevant side characters not have their spooky space ghost taken out... When they know it directly connects them to Honerva... Even if they couldn't predict Honerva could control them, leaving them bonded with the entities was a stupid risk... Everyone is written like an idiot.

And, I'm not even sure how you can classify these void creatures as entities. They don't seem to have any will or agency of their own. They just seem to serve as brain bluetooth for Honerva and nothing else. Feels like they were supposed to be more than they ended up being. You can pretty much sum up the whole series as such. It was supposed to be so much more than it ended up being.

Now, I'm sure someone will point out that the Balmera we know is near Earth, so it shouldn't be here. Which is why they found a random new Balmera and new Balmerans. But, wouldn't it be more satisfying to have Shay and her formerly enslaved people being part of this final battle...? Wouldn't it be more compelling than watching New Balmera and the New Balmerans to see Shay and her long downtrodden people fighting back...? To just introduce a new Balmera with no previous stakes in the conflict is...mind boggling...

Mother and Son combined huh...? Freudian Symbology 3 – The Freudianing

Two episodes and then it's all over. Thankfully over.

And still time for another transformation sequence. We get it. Lions go click. I never thought I'd get bored watching a giant robot form... And at this stage, repetition seems to be a good topic. They're battling to save all realities. Again. There's a big space wobbly hole. Again. Only Coran with the power of breaking stuff can stop it. Again. I mean, I get this is based on a formulaic Japanese super robot show from the 80's, but it's current year argument... Can we maybe have something new in the season arc formula that isn't beat the big bad robot...? Right up until season 6 this show had so much potential and we've watched it all get squandered.

So...suddenly Balmera... That can travel at speeds at least as quick as Teludav...? Ok, sure. Whatever. And calling the other Balmera here...? Wow, wouldn't that have been more compelling if Shay, on her own Balmera previously wounded by Honerva, called out to the others? Wouldn't that have made this suddenly Balmera moment make more sense...? Nah. Screw sense. New Balmera and the New Balmerans happened. Then a whole bunch happened... It's like, they're missing all these obvious ways to tie things together using all they have in place... How can one writer never mind a whole damn team of writers miss something so elementary so repeatedly...?

At this stage, I genuinely think they stopped caring.

Deus Ex Balmera made Voltron and The Atlas fuse into a derpy generic looking Gundam.

You've got the rights to Voltron one of the most iconic combiner robots in history. Why the hell would you, for the final battle, turn it into yet another generic looking super robot in high heels!? Why!? Even that daft looking toy covered in blue bits was better than this...

Again, I can't understand how seeing two robots form a bigger robot is somehow boring... But they managed it... Makes me worry that the Voltron writers are apparently going on to do Spider Verse films... Somehow they might make multiple reality spider people boring...

And a big silly looking sword as well. Why not just cover it in belt buckles while you're at it?

And given this Alt-Reality Lotor and Alt-Reality Allura, they had the perfect chance to have them both be adorable little munchkins together. Couldn't even do that... And can we just stop with this? We get it, even if she wins she loses cause it's not really her world and not really her Zarkon and her plan was always doomed to fail... Yes, we get it. Hubris. Can we please just hurry up and end the series before I start listing all of the many plot threads you've overlooked...?

Ok, now the over-designed purple mess can fight the over-designed mess with a vaguely Voltron head. Then some shoddy deus ex machina will happen, probably.

Yup. Voltron just turns into a giant set of wings before ending up in the nexus of all realities. And Allura makes it all better with her magic. And predictably Allura makes the ultimate sacrifice because of course she does. Who didn't see this coming? And did she just magically make Lance Altean...? Man, I preferred Allura when she wasn't just a walking plot device. Though, now I think back, was she ever anything else...? How bad it's gotten makes me re-evaluate what it was... And finally we get everything tied up with a few sentences under some still images with the exception of Shiro's kiss, which was fine, but hardly the soul surging uplifting thing it wanted to be.

And that's that.

Previously, I was angry, I will admit that. And it was shameful. Now though...? I'm obviously bitter and sarcastic about it, but mostly a combination of relief and disappointment. Glad it's over. Disappointed at what it ultimately devolved into. Ironic as this may be, coming from a writer of shitty Voltron fanfiction... From season six onwards, this show has felt like shitty Voltron fanfiction. In essence, that's what it was. There are so many of you here on tumblr. who could have done a better job. A much better job. Maybe some of you will in future.

At least now, I can move on from the mess that the canon became. I won't waste my time hoping they'll make it better or wondering if they'll resolve every plot thread. Because I know they don't. I know they forget whole swathes of things they set up. And I'm sure people will point out more. I won't be writing fics trying to make them fit into the canon. If anything, I'll want to rewrite everything that went wrong from season six onwards. I will probably at least finish off some Plance pieces that I think The Garden needs now more than ever. Set in some of the alternate realities that didn't turn into this...utter mess... See you later, Space Cowboys. Sorry about the space dysentery.

Also, as one comment points out? That's not a gundam in my gif. But just a robot that looks silly dancing. pretty sure it's from a gundam series...but I only really know wing and beargguys. ...Here's a jolly thought. Altean Lance? He will live for centuries. Allura's last "gift" condemns him to spend nearly 1000 years watching his friends, his family over several generations, probably his entire lineage die and rot. All the while mourning her and never moving on. Fuck. This. Season.

#voltron #voltron legendary defender #voltron season 8 #voltron spoilers #voltron season 8 spoilers #spoilers voltron #vld spoilers #vld #bear is salty

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poor-sickies · 6 years

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my thoughts on s8

Ever since Friday, all I’ve been seeing on Tumblr is most people hating on this last season of Voltron.

While I understand some of the criticisms people are making (and even having some others myself) I did enjoy this season. After rewatching the whole thing yesterday, I now have a clearer idea of what I think about it, so I’ll be leaving my thoughts under the read more.

I just wanted to say that, liking it or not, I’ve had an amazing two years watching these characters grow and this story developing. Voltron made me want to start writing again, made me start drawing fanart for the first time ever, and made me want to connect with so many people on this website. Some of the best friends I’ve known I met because of our shared love for this series, and I’m forever thankful for that.

I’d like to continue my journey here with the least amount of negativity as possible. Even if the show did not correspond 100% with what I would have liked, I think that’s where the beauty of fanfic lies in.

Voltron is one of my favorite series ever. Is it perfect? No. There are inconsistencies, plot holes, some arcs that are rushed and not well thought maybe. But the world building, the characters, the story, it all made me fall in love with it. The creators and voice actors seem like genuinely amazing people, and I’m forever thankful for this reboot Even if it’s not perfect, even if there’s a lot I don’t agree with (and not only this season, I mean the entire thing), I still think it’s terrible that people are harassing the staff the way they are, and the way they have been from early on.

I like to enjoy my quiet and peaceful and respectful place in this fandom for a reason. Everyone is entitled to their opinions, of course, but voicing them thoughtfully and respectfully is a very different thing from bullying and insulting the staff, and everyone else who might have diferent thoughts. I will continue writing fanfic for this series for as long as it brings me joy, and having this blog and interacting with my followers here has brought heaps of happiness in some very troubling and sad times for me. All in all, the series is finished, and I can honestly say, I had a very good time watching it.

So my thoughts are:

> on Allurance: I started shipping it since s5, and even harder after s6. I think they had an awesome development throughout the whole thing, and I was so happy to see them dating right away on episode 1. We had the oportunity to see a bit of their relationship, and their moments were adorable. Lance was so worried, so supoortive and caring, and it brought out the best of him.

> on the Zarkon/Honerva/Lotor backstory: I’m really glad everything was explained in much more depth. I’ve started to feel a very deep compassion for these three that I didn’t have before, and Lotor’s death hit me much harder now that we got his and Honerva’s full backstory. Very cool of Voltron to have these three complex and well developed villains. I now want to write more for Lotor ahah

> on Allura’s sacrifice: I can’t say I was surprised, after those leaks came out with her statue in the back, but oh man, especially aftet that goodbye scene, it was a hard blow. I loved it storywise, but I feel so sad for Lance. Allura was never a character I really connected with as much as let’s say, Keith, especially for the first couple of seasons. I think it was only after s3 that she started growing a little on me, but even after that, she was always kind of indifferent to me (idk man, sometimes you just click with other characters more), but for some reason, I always did enjoy her arcs in the series - her journey on becoming a paladin, her struggle in accepting that not all Galra were evil and not all Alteans were good, the Oriande alchemy thing, her brief romance with Lotor, her slow burn romance with Lance, and this final sacrifice. It is always upsetting to see your favorite character go, I can understand that, but you cannot deny that she had a good run. A good story.

> on the ending: that’s where most of my criticism would come. I’m pretty sure that most of those stills after the credits were added at last minute, and on one hand, I would have liked it to just end with that final scene of them saying goodbye to the lions during the night. It felt like an amazing open end, with very beautiful and inspiring imagery. Concerning the stills, I’m a little torn - Pidge’s and Hunk’s ending felt adequate (and oh my God, Matt’s hair is so adorable, I don’t care what people say, I love him with any hairstyle). Keith’s ending, and the Blades becoming an humanitarion organization felt a bit off to me. It just doesn’t seem like the kind of work the Blades and Keith would engage in. As for Lance’s ending, I’m still considering it - I don’t mind it too much, but I still would have liked him to be happy with someone else, and end up doing something with a little more... action in it. I think my ideal ending for him and Keith would be for them to end up as instructors at the Garrison, or carrying on with whatever was needed in space. Being role models for the next generation would fit them both so well, and I would have loved to see that. Shiro’s ending was one that was very clearly a last minute addition, and that’s mostly what made me not like it. I can understand him wanting to step away from the action and rest (even though I would have prefered an ending similar for what I described for Keith and Lance), but just pairing him up with Curtis felt like a very rushed and not well thought move. I also missed a lot of Keith and Shiro interactions, I felt there were barely any this eason, and it saddens me a lot. I’m not a hardcore Sheith shipper, and I’m not even a hardcore shipper in Voltron, because I think there are so many good pairings that I find it hard to find one to cling to, but platonically or romantically, Shiro and Keith’s dynamic is one of my favorites, and this last season was definitely lacking. I did love that picture with all of them grown up. It was beautiful and heartwarming, and Allura’s absence still hurts a little, but I loved it all the same.

#vld #vld s8 #a speaks #not whump

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nibielis · 6 years

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Tea-ries time {Vld season 6 edition}

Okay it's 7 in the morning and I've been awake since five because my brain just decided it was FUN to just, I don't know, go wild?

So beware, from now on I'll talk about stuff happened in the season 6, you've been warned!

Ps. Please forgive my grammar mistakes~

Pps. This stuff is LONG. I am so sorry guys.

Tex-Mex aka The original Space Padre

I have this feeling he might still be alive, maybe he just faked his own death to find out where the hell Krolia went and that could maybe conclude Keith's family arc once they get back to Earth.

I'll exclude that Shiro and TexMex are related because why would young Keith demand to be brought back to the (foster) home if he had a relative?

Also, nice shot TexMex, you and Krolia are a powerCouple.

Ps. Who was baby Keith with the night you two reckless hotheads decided to blow up Galras?

Pps. They remind me of someone else, more of that later

Romelle is a babe aka everyone fears for their otp

I love her to death and I am so happy that they decided to bring her in the reboot of the show (she is one of the producer's favorite character from the original show) and I can't wait to have her be adopted by Krolia.

In regards to the title I have seen so many speculations about she and Lance ending up together (their ship name is Romance, okay? Okay.) but let me tell you why I wouldn't buy that: she is such an independent and strong woman who, literally, didn't trust a single word while her colony was brainwashed for generations. She is smart, she is strong and I believe love isn't in her focus. Maybe I am wrong but I wouldn't be disappointed if, for once, a girl is portrayed as happy and fulfilled even without a love interest.

As for Romelle and Keith...no guys. He checked Rolo with a sly smile, no reactions with allura, no reactions with any female alien. Nothing is set in stone but if something happens is with Lance.

I am a pretty little princess aka Shiro's back.

He is snow white, he was under the control of an evil witch, the team has a dwarf (Thanks M&M) and now he finally rests.

Also, he is now hired at the space Mall as a Santa Claus. Because they have Christmas in space. Full stop. (Thanks to @r-i-v-e-r for the best image ever)

Said that I believe that, once they get back to earth, the Holts will create a new arm for Shiro, I don't think he'll go to the Garrison to get it fixed.

It's gonna be something super cool infused with Altean magic to symbolize that he is now 100% out of the Galra's control

Klance is dead! (No, not really)

many and many words have been said about that already so I'll be quick. This season was around endings.

"This ends now" aka when Lotor completely shipwrecked his own ship (good job man, I thought you were smarter).

"You are my brother. I love you" aka when Keith finally stops being emotionally blocked.

And many more.

This season served to resolve loads of mess and 5 seasons of questions, you can't have rushed romance.

And, I love this ship, it's in my top 3 otp of all times, but this is a mecha show. I would love the romance but we can't expect Keith just going up to lance with a Shoujo Manga scene with blush, pink background and cherry flowers dancing in the wind (*cough*bondingmoment*cough*) we were in the middle of a mess, with Lotor literally committing a genocide. I bet he talked about Lance the whole time to his mother, he talked about the whole team, how they cried when he left. I am sure of that because he grew up. Those 2 years are not just "we are on a space time thing that makes time do weird stuff" but also a symbolic growth. He left as a boy who thought the only way to protect his family was to leave. He then found his mother, learned about his past and he understood. He grew up as a man that knows what he has, where his family is.

So I bet that once they are back on earth and s little bit more relaxed they'll have a proper group hug.

And, please, let's not forget what Lance said about Keith the second he saw him.

Also am I the only one that when saw TexMex and Krolia being so domestic thought "they look exactly like those aged up klance"

No? Just me? Okay

My Goldfish Space wolf is evil

okay hear me out, you remember when haggar just vanishes in thin air after Acxa shoots her?

And remember the comet/wolf crashing on the back of the space whale?

I don't want to say that Haggar is Keith's space puppy but it's Keith's space puppy.

Hunk is beautiful

Yeah, sorry, just needed to say that I love him. Plus team Punk goes strong.

And I want Shay back, can I have shay back?

Thanks

Conclusion

Said that this season was amazing, made me hold my breath, missed my boi Lance smile (well he smiled to Keithy boi eheh) and I wish his happiness arc comes soon~!

#voltron #vld #klance #keith vld #lance vld #season 6 #voltron spoilers #vld 6 #vld season 6 #shiro #haggar #romelle #this is a mess #enjoy my lack of sleep #voltron theories #voltron season 6

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dent-de-leon · 7 years

Note

If you were to take the information we have now, and write the entire rest of vld, how would you write it? Not as someone who ships things a bunch or has any bias or anything, but purely doing what's absolutely the best thing moving forward in the show. What would you do & what would be your primary focuses? (Again, not your ideal dream now- ideal for the show and to do justice to it's plot & characters.)

I mean, it’s kind of hard to say what would be “best” for the narrative from my perspective since it isn’t my story and I might be misreading things and not really see what it is the creators really want to convey. Since “what would you do with everything” is a huge question, this will basically be centered on characters and there development. But anyway, just from my own point of view, I guess here’s a few things–would move forward with the idea that Kuron is a clone.

I’d give him an arc where he struggles with identity issues and feeling bond to the empire. Throw in some mind control because that explains the headaches and things, but I’d have him fight it. Ultimately, when he realizes he’s a clone, he runs away to find out more information about Operation Kuron for himself (while ensuring he’s far enough away that he can’t be used to spy on or unknowingly hurt Team Voltron). Have him eventually sever his mind from the galra and be welcomed into the team as one of their own, becoming the Ryou of VLD.

On the other end of the spectrum, I wouldn’t give Lotor a redemption arc. I might be too influenced by older series but like, I just don’t feel like he could pull it off. I also don’t think he wants to. I imagine he’ll occasionally work with Voltron or even the BOM, but I don’t think their goals will ever properly align. He has his own agenda. Redemption arc also implies you admit you’re wrong, and I don’t think Lotor is at any place right now to feel that way. Even when the series ends, I don’t think he’ll feel like “one of the good guys,” more like someone who did what they believed was necessary and still remains a very guarded person.

Hunk needs another character focused arc, since the Balmera was quite some time ago. I’d like some followup on the potential of him being a diplomat that the writers had mentioned–and he was recording alien lines in one of Bex’s posts I think, so it seems that’s very possibly in relation to that? Hunk is interesting because he’s very amicable but also doesn’t trust others easily, he has good intuition like that. But the Balmera arc has also cemented his motivation as a character. He wants to help free others from Zarkon’s control. I’d like to see some more followup on that angle too, either freeing prisoners or leading revolts. Because that’s clearly something he really cares about. Hunk’s kinda faded into the background lately because he wasn’t involved in the lion switch, he doesn’t have a clear link to the galra empire like Keith, Pidge, Shiro, or Allura, so. It’d just be nice to bring him back to the forefront a little.

The fact that Allura says she doesn’t really understand her magic on Naxzela, in fact what she says specifically–“I haven’t been trained.” Okay so, let her train. Let her go on her own personal quest to find a mentor. Maybe one of the Alteans survived–hell, maybe Pollux exists in this universe and Romelle has similar enough powers that she can teach her. Or maybe one of the druids goes rogue and tries to teach Allura what they understand about magic and can theorize about other Alteans’ use of it. But let her have a proper teacher, let her learn, let her discover more about her people and her history. She was a princess, so why wasn’t she trained in the first place? Were there some aspects of her magic Alfor didn’t want her knowing about, and if so, why? At any rate, I think Allura deserves to know what it is she’s dealing with and have a fair chance at mastering it. Figuring everything out yourself can not only be extremely difficult, but also very isolating. Let her have some support there. Keith got to train with the BOM, I say let Allura train with another Sacred Altean (I believe that’s what Coran called them?)

I know everything worked out very well with Pidge finding Matt, and I’m happy for her. But I can’t help but feel like things will not turn out quite so well with her dad–and if the garrison is in on the galra empire’s dealings to some extent, she might discover some things about her dad she’s not proud of, and quite frankly, I’m Scared of it. That aside, I think Pidge will do more copiloting with Matt, and I’d also like to see her work alongside her brother with the rebels a fair bit. As for Pidge’s own journey, I think she’s done a lot of self discovery already. I like the path she’s on right now. If anything, I’d maybe like to see her grow more in tune with the rest of the universe like the olkari taught her, maybe expand a bit more on that philosophy and what it means to her. Interestingly enough, at the end of the day, if anyone is still a paladin (or something like it, depending on whether or not the Lions still exist) I think it’d be Lance and Pidge. I’d like to see the two of them continue to explore the universe and defend it together.

So on the note, let’s talk a bit about Lance. I’ve mentioned lots before how much I love his parallels with Alfor, and I think that’s very much where we’re headed. To me, that’s who Lance needs to be. Not the Black Paladin, not the leader of anyone. But someone who can carry on the legacy that Allura entrusted him with. His strength as a character was in learning to put others above himself and do what’s best for the team. That moment was really integral to him, and I think as time goes on he will continue to head down that sort of path. He needs to learn to see the bigger picture, to embrace his role as someone who’s strong enough to steady others rather than just focusing on himself.

Allura didn’t tell anyone else about her very personal connection to the Red Lion, Allura never said Keith was like Alfor, Allura never told anyone else the significance of her armor. She’s the one who helps Lance embrace his new role, and Lance in turn is the one who welcomes her to the team. So to get into that other part of the question about not putting bias on ships into it, it’s kind of hard not to, since the two things I really ship are also the ones that I see as most prevalent in the narrative and puts these characters’ best interests at heart. Lance is still so clearly in love with Allura. And when she smiles at him softly, or he tells her she’s the heart of the team and believes in her enough for her to awaken her own inner power, like–I think they’re meant to be.

They each help each other balance out their own insecurities and have grown incredibly supportive and protective of one another. I also think Allura feels like she’s able to be more open with Lance than the other paladins right now, seeing as she told him so much personal information about herself and her own beliefs. That sort of comfort doesn’t come easy, and they are growing very comfortable together. When Lance rushes to her side on Naxzela and helps her stand, lets his hand linger on his back a moment, she doesn’t pull away or feel offended by it (and we know from episode 1 she’d have no problem saying so). Instead, these types of things are comforting gestures. I think they’d be very good for each other. (Also on the topic of ships, just put me on record saying Hunk and Shay should be a thing. I think that’s a given.)

Also, would like more backstory about Coran personally, and maybe some flasbacks of him and Alfor. Let him and Allura mourn more and let them have those moments to just stop and breathe. I’d also like some sort of parallel to the original storyline where Coran believes his wife and son died but then his son sort of returns and that’s a whole thing. I think a more serious character focus episode like that would be good for him.

So now, let’s get to Keith and Shiro. Because the thing is, their stories are inexorably intertwined. If Keith’s been trying so hard to save Shiro, only to find out he’s still missing Shiro, well–I can’t imagine that would play out well. And I’ll just say right now, he’d be the one to either find or save Shiro. He has to, because that’s how the narrative sets it all up. Keith is the one who will never abandon Shiro, who puts his absolute faith in Shiro, who would go to the ends of the universe and back again just to stand beside him. And it would be remiss to mention them without noting that a great deal of the overarching story revolves around the theme that Keith will always be there to save Shiro, no matter what. This is it for him. No going back. “As many times as it takes.”

This would also serve to mirror two different storylines. Firstly, there’s the original Golion, where Akira (Keith) tried to save Ryou Shirogane at the very end. And in fact, when forced to choose between him or Voltron, he chooses Shirogane. Ultimately, Ryou disagrees with that choice and ends up getting himself killed, and it’s absolutely heartbreaking. You know, kind of like how it seems Keith would always choose Shiro over everything else. This singleminded dedication also mirrors Zarkon choosing Honerva over the rest of the universe. Both Keith and Zarkon are galra Black paladins who have sworn to do everything for the person they love. And whether you read Keith and Shiro’s dynamic as romantic or not, there’s certainly enough very intentional parallels with zaggar to indicate the former.

Also, going back to the question of what’s best for the story, and if we consider the possibility of lgbt representation–noting that Lauren said anything they intended for it was already there in that first season, then I think the thing that makes the most sense is sheith. Lines like “Your friend desperately wants to see you,” “Nothing was worth Shiro’s pain,” “How many times are you gonna save me before this is over?” “As many times as it takes,” “It’s good to have you back,” “It’s good to be back,” “This one’s for you, Shiro,” “Shiro was the one person who never gave up on me, I won’t give up on him”–they’re all very powerful. And incredibly intimate. To me, everything about their dynamic, including deep buildup and parallels, really lends itself to a more romantic relationship. To me, that suits the story more than it doesn’t. (And from a bi guy’s perspective who also struggles with the pushing intense emotions and relationships away like Keith, his side of things in particular really resonates with me.)

It’s also worth noting that this isn’t just a one way thing, and Shiro very much saves Keith as well in his own respect. He was Keith’s anchor, he was there when no one else was. He can trust himself to be vulnerable with Keith without fear, he can take solace in that comfort that still comes so easily. He can let his walls down around him. He can show signs of “weakness” and Keith will never think any less of him, Keith will still insist he’s the leader they need and it’s Keith who gives him more of that spark to keep fighting. They’re always validating each other, can seamlessly work together. And the fact that they alone formed Blazing Sword, Voltron’s greatest weapon, is a testament to their bond.

So anyway, if I can just return to this idea of Keith needing to save Shiro, or vice versa–thematically, I think it’s very important that’s the note Voltron ends on. Because Keith is someone who’s always suppressed his emotions, who’s been led to believe it’s easier to be alone than be hurt by loving others. And then you have Shiro, who now fears he’s a weapon, a monster, someone fundamentally unfit to lead or even unworthy of being a paladin. Someone who seems more afraid of letting others in, who keeps his walls up. And then you have Zarkon’s fate–this cautionary tale about how you have to make harsh sacrifices, about how loving someone too fiercely can be dangerous and even your ultimate downfall. That you have to think about this abstract “greater good” over personal loyalties.

But here’s the thing. Keith and Shiro can’t fall into the same trap as Zarkon. As the new generation, they have to be able to surpass their predecessors. And ultimately, Keith and Shiro should be able to save each other without the rest of the universe coming to some great cost, without losing fundamental pieces of themselves. Rather than being doomed by love, for Keith and Shiro, I think that will be their salvation. For them, I think that’s the lesson that they need to learn. That Keith doesn’t always have to suppress his emotions, that it’s okay to love. It’s okay for Shiro to let himself be vulnerable again, it’s okay for him to lean on others when he needs it–the way Keith always did with him. Neither of them have ever seen the other as a monster–even with Keith’s galra blood and all the galra have done to Shiro, even when Shiro and Keith were both so afraid of themselves. It’s a way to escape this vicious cycle set by both the old Voltron series and VLD Zarkon’s legacy alike, and I think it’s the kind of message that’s best to relay.

#sheith #voltron #allurance #keith #lance

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arbaguth · 6 years

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Your heart's a mess You won't admit to it It makes no sense But I'm desperate to connect And you can't live like this Love ain't safe You won't get hurt if you stay chaste So you can wait But I don't want to waste my love

(Sorry for my English, theories explanations are coming It’d make me really happy if you read !)

Okay, so basically, Jeremy Don’t-worry-you’ll-be-happy Shada said that there will be a Lance crying scene... at least it’s what I understood? I don’t have the source I’m sorry (but if you have it give me!)... So I guess, like s7 will be Lance arc, of course we gonna see him suffer in a way or another. My poor space boy ;A; I wonder what reasons would make him cry? I have many ideas.

___

The first one is the reunion with his family. Of course it would be so intense and I perfectly imagine him crying by meeting his family again after all the time he spent in space without communicate with them...

However, I think s7 is a bit soon, don’t you think? I mean, we know that the season will be a road trip, and JDS (as I can remember but once again I don’t have the source I’m sorry) said they will not arrive to Earth immediatly. So my theory is that the whole season (let’s admit it will be 7 episodes long like s6) will be a road trip and they just arrive at the end of the last episode... the pace will slow down, unlike s6 who was a rush. But that’s only what I think I can be sure! It rely only on my intuitions xD

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Instead of the “family reunion crying scene”, I imagine more a homesick crying scene. Like, as they are on the way to Earth, paladins are beginning to share some memories and it’s very painful for Lance... JDS said they might not arrive to Earth. Thanks to Jeremy, we know they will, but Joaquim did say that for a reason... So I guess paladins will have some serious difficulties which could make them loose hope. And Lance is the most homesick one. He was the only one who cried when everyone give their message to Sam Holt... so imagine what he can feel, on his way to join his family but they are way too slow, or they are inable to find a solution to reach their goal... You know, this sensation you have when you’re feeling both so close and so far? I can’t imagine how it must hurt Lance...

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The second idea I have (and I think the more likely to happen) is the guilt he feels. You know, for the Shiro thing. I T O T A L L Y imagine him taking all the responsability for Shiro turning mad and all the stuff that happens because he kinda knew but he didn’t figured it out. He was the first warned but he didn’t arrived to understand at time...

The consequences of that are very, very serious: Lotor ran away and finished his bad stuff, Keith and Shiro almost died, the castle is destroyed... can you imagine someone taking the responsibility of all this? awful... sadly, I imagine Lance this way (but I can be wrong, once again it’s the feeling I have).

Like, Keith saved Shiro, Krolia and Coran had their moment in the castle, Allura also saved the day, and Pidge litteraly saved everyone. So yeah, I imagine Lance feeling, more than useless, responsible for all the awful things that happened in the end of s6...

So, yeah, I 100% imagine Lance explaining himself with Shiro and telling him he’s sorry for not having figured out what happened although he was warned.

___

Speaking of that, let’s talk about this:

Jeremy God Dammit Shada again. He said something about Keith’s “attempt of suicide” (and oh my gosh my heart is breaking so hard writing these words), the one which happened in s4. So it can totally be another reason for crying Lance! I mean, he’s totally right. Guys, we, like... we are talking about Keith’s freaking kamikaze suicide action, this is quite violent. This, and the s6, where Keith was litteraly “I’d rather die than live in a world were Shiro is not there”. (for me this one has more the “suicidal vibe”).

Okay, you’ll tell me that Lance has also this thing. But I think Lance is more the, like, sacrificial one. In s1 he get burnt in an explosion because he protect Coran, and in s6, he... well, he basically dies in order to save Allura. But he was always acting on instinct, with this overprotecting vibe.

Keith is more “I deliberetely make the decision to die”. And look at s6, he could just have let Shiro and run away to save his own skin but he didn’t. Instead, he staid with him until the very end, even if he knew they had great chances to die...

So what about that? A scene between Lance and Keith (and maybe Shiro) where they, like, talk about all that stuff. I mean, Lance and Keith really bonded and they will bond even stronger in s7. Keith is litteraly Lance’s stability, and without him he’s lost. I don’t think Lance could now support the simple idea of Keith making the decision to jump in the void, not to save someone but just simply to die with them. It could be a reason for crying Lance, like a kind of “I need you please don’t” scene <3

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And this brings me to the last thing, my favorite part and the theory I’m on: LOVE. And more precisely, bisexual disaster Lance arc.

Come on, we all know Klance is canon. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡° ) So, when will it come out? Well, I guess Lance must make his coming out before. We know that s7 (or, I think more s7 + s8) will be Lance arc: if there is his sexuality arc (and I put my hand in the fire there will) in the show, it’s now or never. I’m truly convinced there will be a coming-out scene, and that will probably implies Shiro (remember this: https://twitter.com/artoflaurenm/status/796245419688738818 )

I bet there will be a scene where Lance becomes totally aware that he like also boys. And that can be very violent to come out to ourselves. It can be such a hard thing to discover that we are not like we always thought we are. I think Lance will have a very hard time struggling with himself and of course, he will need the support, care and love of his second family.

Especially in Lance’s case, like, he really was onto girls. Like if he was overcompensating something... he even thought things could be serious between him and Allura. I wonder, was he really in love or did he just thought he loved her in order to hide the truth? Well, I think he really loved her in a certain way but for the moment his bisexuality is in a subconscious level so he couldn’t know the truth yet... Now, did he realized there is only friendship between him and the princess? I think so: look at his face when he hugs Allura... this is definitely not the face of someone in love.

So I think s7 will be the beginning of his questions (and, PLEASE, don’t rush it! it’s a so much important part of his developpement ;A;). Like, he will become aware that somthing is wrong with himself and he can’t figure out what is it exactly, and then something, maybe in a conversation or something like that triggers then he’s like “...WHAT THE QUIZNACK” then he tries to deny it but it’s so painful and all the stuff which happens next.

So yeah, a coming-out crying Lance scene would be perfect and I’m totally on it. I really insist on this point, coming out to yourself first is the most painful part of the process. It can easily comes to tears! And I feel like Lance is the kind of people easily scared by his feeling, and he might try to deny it which can be a dangerous thing. I just hope he’ll come to term with all this stuff before it’s too late... ;-;

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Hell yeah, I really hope you understood me! I mean, I love making theories. I could watch a show or read a book hundred and hundred times just to find a little clue! Well, to tell the truth I suck at finding clues but I keep exercising ᕙ( ʘ ᗜ ʘ )ᕗ Also, I hope you enjoy the drawing xD

#VLD #vld lance #vld s6 #vld s7 predictions #Disaster bi Lance is canon #my dear boy #my sweet space boy #Don't get disturbed by what you want and go get what you need now

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blonde-batgirl · 7 years

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Day Two: Space

There’s something ironic about Pidge, of all people, calling Keith “the loner” in The Red Paladin (Season Three, Episode Two). Pidge might not be quite as much of a loose cannon as Keith (she actually told them when she was going to leave in Fall of the Castle of Lions, Season One, Episode Four, which is just basic manners. I mean, honestly, Keith…), but she does have loner tendencies. In fact, the (original) arms of Voltron both seem to have a liking for their own personal space.

Privacy

One of the first things we learn about Pidge is that she’s very protective of her privacy. We see this in The Rise of Voltron when she reacts explosively to Hunk touching her equipment (“Stop touching my equipment!”) and later to him rummaging through her stuff. She’s also the only paladin who takes issue with the mind-linking exercise in Some Assembly Required (Season One, Episode Two). Part of this can be put down to the fact that she is trying to keep her true identity a secret and doesn’t want anyone to stumble across it in her diary. However, we can infer that it is also a part of her personality because of her penchant for stealth. Adding invisibility to her lion was her own choice, for example.

It’s subtler with Keith in that it’s not his words but his actions that imply a need for privacy. Pidge is willing to reveal bits and pieces of her secret to explain her actions. Case in point, in The Rise of Voltron she tells Shiro that Commander Holt is her father so that he will understand why she needs to free the prisoners. She has to know that this will allow him to infer that she is really a girl named Katie, but she doesn’t care because they don’t have time to argue. She’s weighed the pros and cons and decided that it’s worth revealing. There’s a similar scene in Ark of Taujeer (Season Two, Episode Six) when the group are discussing how Zarkon is tracking them. Keith suggests quite confidently that he’s the problem. When he’s asked to explain it, he could tell them about the blade, but he doesn’t. Maybe he’s afraid that they’ll come to the same conclusion as he has, or maybe he just doesn’t want to be told that he has to get rid of it. Either way, he makes up some unconvincing guff about Zarkon imprinting on him…maybe… Keith’s identity arc is extremely personal to the point where none of the other characters know anything about it until the episode where his Galra heritage is revealed. Even then, it’s not his choice. The fact that he doesn’t confide in anyone – even though he tries to get answers from Coran (Greening the Cube, Season Two, Episode Four) and has the opportunity to speak to Shiro alone (Ark of Taujeer) – shows that this is intensely private to him.

Solitude and Loneliness

I think it’s important to remember that Pidge has essentially been alone for a year prior to the formation of Team Voltron. She couldn’t allow herself to grow close to anyone at the Garrison because she was couldn’t risk someone working out who she really was. In the first episode, Lance and Hunk find her scanning for alien radio waves on the roof. Given that she came here to find out what happened to her family, we can assume that she’s been spending a lot of her nights up here. Alone. Early on, she seems to actively distance herself from the others. For example, in Some Assembly Required, when the team are drinking space juice, Lance is sat with Hunk, Shiro is sat with Keith, and Pidge is alone in the centre. As a character, Pidge is naturally self-sufficient. There’s nothing wrong with her social skills, but she still seems to like her solitude – she apparently has no problem with the idea of going off alone in a pod in space (Fall of the Castle of Lions, Season One, Episode Four). Or, at least, this is the impression we get before Across the Universe (Season Two, Episode One). In that episode, upon finding herself alone, she says, “This’ll be nice. I’ll have some ‘me’ time. No one to annoy me.” She proceeds to make models of the other paladins out of rubbish and do silly impressions of her friends. To be honest, I’d call that character development. She’s grown attached to the others, and she misses them being around. Going back to Some Assembly Required, Pidge’s mind-meld vision is of her and her brother. She’s thinking of a specific person she wants to be around. The paladin models serve a similar purpose. I still think that Pidge likes her solitude (she certainly likes the idea of it), but she likes it to be her choice rather than something forced on her.

Keith likes the quiet (Greening the Cube) and, during the mind-meld in Some Assembly Required, he looks back on his time alone in the desert. I don’t think being alone is actually what bothers him. Keith is very independent: he lived on his own for a year, he trains alone in his free time (Crystal Venom, Season One, Episode Nine), and he’s perfectly happy taking the initiative to rush off on his own and chase a druid (Collection and Extraction, Season One, Episode Ten). What bothers him is the idea that he’s not worth staying for. That people have left before and they will keep leaving because he just isn’t good enough, because he’s let them down. He reacts angrily to Pidge planning to leave in Fall of the Castle of Lions, and Blade of Marmora (Season Two, Episode Eight) shows that he has serious abandonment issues. Letting down the universe is apparently not a problem, but when hologram-Shiro tells him, “You’ve chosen to be alone,” and turns to leave, that’s unbearable to him because his worst fear is coming true. Shiro is leaving because Keith did something wrong. Keith made the wrong decision. Keith was selfish. What all this really shows is that Keith has a low opinion of himself. Deep down, he doesn’t think that he deserves people who care about him. After Shiro goes missing at the end of season two, it’s somewhat implied that Keith withdrew from the others. In Changing of the Guard (Season Three, Episode One) his temper blows every time someone suggests that Shiro is gone for good. In The Red Paladin, he stands apart from the others, leaning against the wall whilst they’re sat on the sofas. It’s impossible to deny that Shiro is the character Keith is closest to in canon, and he seems to take his loss the hardest out of the entire group. But he’s not alone. He’s just angry. We see this in Changing of the Guard when he says, “Shiro is the one person who never gave up on me. I won’t give up on him.” It’s like he thinks Shiro’s loss is his fault, and giving up on finding him would be letting him down. Unlike Pidge, Keith grew up without the unconditional love of a family. Therefore, if he’s all alone – if he’s lonely – it must be his own fault for letting the people who were willing to care about him down.

Working Alone

Pidge is perfectly capable of holding her own when alone. Fall of the Castle of Lions and Tears of the Balmera (Season One, Episode Five) prove this beyond all doubt. The castle is occupied by Galra and she manages not only to evade them but also to stop them taking off and take one of them out. She’s excellent at acting on her own initiative. When the communications cut out, she doesn’t sit around and hope it fixes itself, she takes out everything inside the control hub. She uses the training deck against the sentries who come after her, weaponsising the maze. She uses the vents to get around unseen. Pidge might be small, but she’s incredibly smart. Between her stealth and her ability to use their environment against them, the Galra don’t stand a chance. In Collection and Extraction, she passes the time waiting for Shiro and Allura to call for an extraction trying to hack a drone for information. In Escape From Beta Traz (Season Two, Episode Ten), Pidge essentially plays mission control from a Galra computer she hacks her way into. Whilst giving Shiro and Lance directions, she also advances her personal mission by using the computer to search for information on her brother. Given all the time she spent undercover at the Garrison, Pidge is used to being self-reliant. Her stealth and initiative make working alone ideal for her.

Keith might not have Pidge’s brains, but he has incredible instincts and he’s a capable fighter. Often, going off on his own is a bad idea, but he does it with good intentions. In Collection and Extraction, for example, he’s right that getting information on quintessence would be useful, but wrong that he can take a druid alone. In The Black Paladin (Season One, Episode Twelve), helping Shiro is the right thing to do, but it leads to him taking on Zarkon which is possibly the worst decision any character has made in this show so far. And that includes all the decisions that Zarkon and Honerva make in The Legend Begins (Season Three, Episode Seven). I think Keith has a need to be constantly be doing something he perceives as useful. He can’t just sit and watch. He has to be doing. I’d actually tie it back into the abandonment issues I mentioned above. If he’s doing something, he’s being useful, and if he’s being useful people will stay. Like with Pidge, I think that Keith is used to being self-reliant. He doesn’t doubt that he can do things alone because he’s used to doing them alone. In Best Laid Plans, he takes on what is outright described as a suicide mission. He has Pidge and Shiro’s help to get in (one he asks for, one he’s given), but once he’s on the Galra ship, he’s on his own. Given the recent reveal of his Galra heritage and the uncertainty that was met with, I’d argue taking on that mission was about proving that he was still reliable. Loyal. Useful.

#Voltron legendary defender #Pidge #Keith #Pidge Ship Week #Pidge Ship Week 2017 #Pidge Ship Week Day Two: Space #In Which I Use Pidge Ship Week as an Excuse to Overanalyse Pidge and Keith's Canon Relationship #Intention Doesn't Equal Interpretation #You Can Interpret This in Whatever Way You Like #Patience Yields Queues #Mine

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bluebacchius · 7 years

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Voltron Season 4 Things!

**This is loaded with spoilers! it gets long so i did put a read more**

Hoo boy, the Voltron fandom is a shitstorm, why am i not surprised. I will admit, I’m not thrilled with Season 4, but I think it’s pretty toxic how angry and bitter some people are. Just for myself to process, I hashed out a lot of my thoughts on it, and figured I’d post them. I like to think that this collection of points helps paint a little more positive light.

Good Season 4 Things:

Keith joining the Blade of Marmora and learning lots from them

Keith looking badass in the blade suits

(Though there were issues with its execution too) if you paid attention, you can sort out some of Keith’s thought processes for why he’s doing this stuff. And I understand his motives

GROUP HUG, CANON GROUP HUGS

EPISODE 2 (the entire thing. it was the best episode) I am soooooo happy Pidge found Matt

They actually made this properly emotional and it was heartwrenching

I am soooo happy to see Matt’s a rebel fighter. That’s what I’d been hoping the whole time

Matt being thirsty for Allura

Matt being a giant dork

MATT

“What the Garrison doesn’t know, won’t hurt them.”

This was something not only Matt, but Sam Holt said

Also Pidge got to go on a solo mission and it actually had action

Hunk, Matt, and Pidge nerding out together

And honestly kicking Voltron’s tech/science capability up a giant notch

THE ENTIRE SCENE OF LANCE AND KALTENECKER

Ok i don’t care that was actually gold

Parts of episode 4 and the Voltron shows were funny

Lance’s lover boy aerial striptease

Allura being so salty when Coran tells her to be Keith

Coran like, idk flirting with Shiro???

Shiro does look pretty hot in this episode

I really like the concept of the Voltron Coalition. They overdid it, but...

I dig the various planets and species getting together and helping fight.

we get to see there are more badass fighters than just the Paladins

Lotor’s little story arc (i actually liked this????) so much drama

Um yeah so Lotor is basically space Prince Zuko which i’m ok with

Keith getting to fire that huge galra cannon (idk why I like this but i do)

Lance inspiring Allura and then Allura being able to save Voltron

Keith just ready to sacrifice himself ??? Um???

Not that I liked his almost-death but i like the character conflicts this brings up and i desperately hope it’s properly addressed (i can already feel myself writing a fanfic)

This season drove the plot pretty far and had more focus on what intergalactic war & conquest look like, which they’ve never done much before

The music was chill

There were some top notch animation scenes

If i’m not mistaken, they changed up the Voltron formation sequence animation a little bit

Getting to see lots of various aliens species

Not So Good Things:

How quickly they moved things as Keith left the team

Especially after the build-up that was season 3??!!!

The overall rushed feeling of some of the character development pieces

Episode 4 was Too. Much. It was funny for like 5 minutes and I get where they’re going with it but they didn’t need a whole episode of that

I was also not a fan of Coran basically going mad on the brain worm. It was also funny for a bit but started to get cringey and kinda unsettling

Lotor CASUALLY DISLOCATING HIS ARMS WTF (ok so this isn’t really a criticism because it served good purpose to his character but holy hell i like had to stop to gasp into my hands in disgust)

Hunk received 0 character development (as usual, but like, it felt worse this time)

The jokes on him in episode 4 were not funny to me

Shiro’s overall cold demeanor (I mean, this could be because he’s a clone but until “project kuron” is touched upon again this isn’t proven)

If he’s not then WTF WAS THAT

His reunion with Matt was so emotionless why

Are we just gonna forget Samuel Holt existed?

Despite Keith literally leaving to spend the whole season with them, we learned nothing more about the Blade of Marmora

We didn’t see any of their missions!!

What I’m Hoping for Now!!

That Lotor isn’t just manipulating them all for something he wants in exchange for that lifesaving move

If he is manipulating them, I hope it’s for a good/interesting reason or he wants something more interesting than just power.

Addressing the whole Project Kuron Arc. They wouldn’t have bothered with those details if it wasn’t important

Low-key still hope this Shiro is a clone and real Shiro is found. If not tho... I’ll settle I guess (but again then what the hell was the point of Project Kuron??)

Keith coming back and rejoining the team

I hope he gets to/wants to be a pilot of a lion again!!!

I hope that he and the team stop to address all the struggles and strangeness he’s gone through

Lance getting to show more of that leadership like he was in S3

HUNK, make Hunk a better and real characterrrrrr

More Matt! Maybe Matt & Shiro’s backstory? I’d love that

Keith & Shiro’s backstory??

Or Keith’s backstory in general

They can’t do what they did in seasons 2 & 3 and the vlog, then have him spend this whole time with the Blades and not touch on his background

I’d still like Keith & Lance to hug--not even a ship thing, I just want them to be friends

A longer season next time, so there can be more balance between plot-heavy episodes and characterization (or even filler) episodes

Even if that means waiting longer. i’m ok with waiting more between seasons if the seasons are better

That people will still make cool art and fics, even if they are angry or confused

Hey, fix-its and missing scenes are always fun content!

THAT THE FANDOM WON’T HARASS THE CREATORS/Dreamworks like jeez, guys, take a breath

ANYWAY, I might post my analysis on Keith this season because he’s my fave and I have some thoughts. Also I have Shiro theories still if any one wants to hear those.

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leonawriter · 7 years

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Last night I read a Voltron reincarnation AU - basically, they had vague memories of having been in this situation, flown these lions, before. There was a lot of hinting toward DotU compliant ships, too.

I went in thinking ‘hey, this could be really interesting if done well’, and I came out thinking ‘I would have done it differently’.

[cut for length]

The main thing I was unsure of was... well, not the shipping at all (which was only in hints, so that could even have been expanded upon) but the feeling like their ‘past’ selves were pushing them into becoming or wanting to fit into those past roles again, which made them having different roles feel awkward and stilted, sometimes creating tension in the team where in either canon, there isn't any.

There was not enough distinction between the past and present. Or, at times, too much distinction, enough that things were confusing for them.

In a purely self-indulgent version, I’d write it that perhaps DotU happened in an alternate universe - perhaps something like a Beta reality - meaning that we aren’t left wondering when, exactly, this previous set of Voltron pilots flew the lions, if the lions in VLD were only created during Alfor’s reign (as shown in S2 ep Space Mall).

Not to mention, in VLD? Zarkon has been reigning for ten thousand years, during none of which have there been any other Voltron pilots. No alternate Allura. And also in VLD, Earth has only just started developing space travel to the edge of our solar system. It’s unlikely we had space travel over ten thousand years ago, let’s be real here.

So. With that, we’ve got a starting place.

Going with the idea that if they are reincarnations then they’re the result of, essentially, a doomed timeline - possibly one where they failed somehow like in one of the comics, but with more widespread repercussions.

Next thing is understanding that the DotU characters and the VLD characters are different people. Sometimes, they might seem very similar! They’re supposed to. The VLD ones are based on the original DotU/GoLion/VF versions. But they are not the same. This is important, because although in the previous series Lance might have flown Red straight from the beginning and Keith was always the leader, here they are not best suited for those roles at the beginning, they’re kids, and if they are going to end up in different Lions (like in S3) then it’s because they’ve grown as people, and they’re better suited to those roles at that time.

Memories and deja vu would still happen, but... not in a way that would have Lance longing for Red, or Keith thinking up plans in way as though he’s the leader!

Lance is clearly happy and best suited to Blue, and yes, I can see him having moments of jealousy over Red, but it’s more the kind of thing where he’s seeing Keith as getting the most attention again, picked out for the ‘best’ things - ‘hey, I can fly a speedy Lion! I can rely on my instincts and prove myself! I can do this too!’, with a mix in of feeling like he’d done this before.

And as for Keith... I’m sorry, but I really can’t imagine him strategising competently in the first couple of seasons. I just can’t. We even see what happens when he tries (no, Keith, don’t rush the guards, we need to not hurt the Balmera). Maybe, though, he might look back on things they’ve done, and once the mission is over, be able to see what went wrong, and how he’d do it better next time, and sometimes have a sense of frustration that his mind isn't working like it somehow should, he should be able to do this, to think like this, why can’t he.

Shiro, I can see not having too many issues, though mainly because his memories/echoes from Sven are so similar to his own issues of dying/nearly dying/being imprisoned.

Pidge, I think, would probably try and ignore it all? She’s a scientific mind, down to earth and all, not one to put stock in the idea of reincarnation. Although, I do think she’d maybe have some gender issues here more than in VLD canon, where she really is some form of genderqueer due to DotU Pidge being male - but I think her preferred pronouns would still be female. And because I think it may even have been as early as DotU that introduced the idea that Pidge was from another planet (confirmed, by the wiki! Although in DotU Pidge wasn’t born on Balto, and I don’t know if it’s confirmed whether or not he was in Force), Pidge ends up going to Keith in the aftermath of him finding out he’s actually part Galra, to have some time bonding over being a different species, or remembering you were once - such as how Katie got teased and encouraged by her family for talking about Balto when she was little and it was all awesome.

Hunk might even have his echoes of having been a hotheaded ‘let’s rush straight in’ kind of guy make his anxieties even worse, being like, ‘er, guys, I have a funny feeling if I just rushed into that something bad would happen. Let’s not.’

Allura - now her, I can see taking all of her memories and listening to them. She’s attuned to the Lions and the castle, too. I could see her looking back at the castle on Arus and seeing the DotU castle, and hearing/seeing the word ‘Arus’ and thinking ‘I feel like this is safe/home’, and being sad to leave. I can see her becoming more at ease when she hears the new Paladins’ names, because those names feel familiar. I can see her feeling uneasy about Zarkon when she’s growing up, because he’s in her nightmares, but she doesn’t understand why - because he’s also her father’s good friend. She’d also feel a sort of kinship with Blue, which might be part of why she doesn’t just continue after Lance cuts in on her explanations, but she’s so involved in making sure she’s in control of everything that up until it’s needed, the idea of flying Blue is just a flight of fancy.

And... Coran? Coran I can see having feelings of wanting to keep holding onto everyone as long as possible, not wanting his princess to go into dangerous situations but, at the same time, understanding better than previous versions that you can’t stop her if that’s what she’s got her mind set on.

The bit I’d call this ‘self-indulgent’ for, though, is my ideas on shipping.

Like... the VLD characters aren’t just blank slates? You can’t just say that they’re always going to end up with the same people, even in a reincarnation AU. Some of them might even have dated before they find themselves with Voltron, and liked their partners, and split up for reasons entirely separate from ‘I have this feeling in my head that I’m not supposed to be with you and I’m waiting for That Special One In My Dreams’. And they might meet the one they were in love with in a past/other life and just... that’s not who they are now.

Sometimes reincarnation shipping works, and sometimes it doesn’t, and sometimes it just takes a lot of good writing to make it work. Simple as that.

My own personal take would be that... every so often, Keith gets certain feelings whenever he looks at Allura, and it’s, well, weird? Because it’s really more like he’s seeing someone else, not the Allura he knows. And when the moment is gone, so are the feelings, and it leaves him disoriented.

Allura even gets something similar, where she’ll sometimes look at Keith and expect him to say or do something other than what he ends up saying or doing, and again - she might have moments where it feels like there’s a crush going on, but then the moment will pass, or she’ll actually look at him, and she’ll go, that’s not the same person. Again, confusion.

I can see after a while, Keith actually asks to have a word with her, after they’ve all agreed that something is going on, and asks if she’s getting this as well. He awkwardly apologises, but explains that he’s, uh, it’s not going to happen. There’s a reason it’s particularly weird on his end. Maybe this other Keith and Allura were involved, but... this Keith? He’s kinda not into girls like that.

He ends up red in the face from having to say this in such a way for such a reason, but even though Allura stares at him for a few moments, she starts to laugh, and then they’re laughing together, because - let’s be honest, the situation is ridiculous.

After that, they end up as good friends, accepting that although their relationship isn’t the same as before, there’s clearly still some sort of understanding there.

Partially because of this, Keith is the one Pidge goes to with her gender issues after Keith accidentally admits his ‘other’ self was in a relationship with Allura to the team (and a jealous Lance, possibly in a similar situation to Arc of the Taujeer in S2). They’ve both got memories or echoes of being some sort of identity that they’re not that isn’t just down to where they were born.

(Lance picked up English far faster than any of his family expected him to, for someone with an often short attention span and some kind of learning disability. Same with Shiro, whose first language is Japanese, where he picked up English quite well, but also ends up translating Swedish in his head whenever he’s not paying any attention.)

#vld stuff #technically implied klance but I mean #I kinda see Keith as gay regardless if he ended up with Lance or not #sooooo #there is that #and this is just how I'D do it #not how I think everyone should

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