#tss theory

[let-roman-bite-someone]

ah, you know what my first thought was when i got to this scene?

when logan started off as the side who tried to approach problems as fairly and open-mindedly as possible, and encouraged thomas to not jump to conclusions or assume ill intent.

but he gets ignored, underestimated and sidelined so often that he himself started giving in to the cognitive distortions.

[lookupthewordjokeinthedictionary]

Hihi, remember how in DWIT Virgil told Remus that he thought he was a terrible disease? Probably because he made Thomas uncomfortable?

What stops Virgil from having the same mindset pre AA? What if the reason he put on a dark persona in the first place was because he saw himself as the villain, as the terrible illness?

After all, he made Thomas uncomfortable as well, that's his job!

Oh, and what stops him from believing it in the future? Especially now that he doesn't have Patton's support, he's lost his "dark side friends" and Thomas seems to be spiralling down a dangerous road because of him and Roman?

Hihi!

[radioactive-yuri]

not thought out at all but i find it interesting how roman is the only 'light' side who actually has the color white prominent in his outfit. logan's color scheme is obviously dark blue and black (very interesting choice), and patton's is light blue and...grey. virgil's is purple and black with notably hints of white in it. to me, patton's hoodie being grey reads as a slight jab at the fact that morality is inherently subjective and can lean in either direction depending on personal biases and beliefs. virgil having his hints of black and white entirely seperated instead of blending into a grey could be because he sees his past as a dark side as inherently seperated from his present as a light side; to him, the two are fully seperate with no room for ambiguity.

but roman's color scheme is red and white. i think this is because he's not actually a fully realized, entire side onto himself: he's half of creativity. him and remus were supposed to be one full side with both dark and light aspects to it, but because they were split into two, those two became literally black and white.

well. either all that, or thomas just has a limited wardrobe to work with

[i-am-bitterly-jittery]

I would like to suggest aromantic Patton

He doesn’t know what Thomas meant when he said “I just felt something for someone else that I had never felt before” in Moving On pt 2, and during the Five Years Later video, he didn’t seem very enthusiastic about Nico

I propose that while Patton deals with a lot of the feelings, he doesn’t necessarily enjoy or understand them

[theelmoarchive]

Sanders Sides theory (rant). I know im mainly a mh acc here but I have thoughts i need to get out there

(just fyi this theory is Roman centric, I know most TSS people nowadays are talking ab Orange and Logan so if Roman's not interesting then continue on 🔥🔥)

(Also slight TW, talking ab the sides "ducking out" and depression themes, so yeah👍👍)

Okay so. I was scrolling through Sanders Sides theories and found that no one seems to have this theory, even though I thought the Roman angst enjoyers like me would be writing this all over the place but. Ig that means I need to talk about it.

I've had this theory for years now, since the day I first watched SVS Redux.

I think Roman is going to duck out.

I dont know if I have to explain why but. I mean, just looking at the explosive end SVS Redux had will tell you a lot.

He doesn't belive Patton when he tells him they love him. He thinks Thomas has lost all faith in him in favor of the person Roman views as the epitome of evil. He's been switching views left and right to stay on Patton's side (because Thomas prides himself on his morals), but he always ends up doing something wrong - he always ends up as an antagonist. He no longer believes that he is the one thing that being has kept him stable since "Am I Original?" - Thomas' hero. The only side he has a stable and positive relationship with is VIRGIL of all people. And tbh that could quickly be ruined too. Logan is second, though, but that's EXTREMELY fragile, as we've seen.

Roman always does something wrong and it will and has sent him over the edge. From Roman's perspective, with a very flawed view of everyone around him, he is inherently the thing that flaws Thomas.

+ Roman is really dramatic obviously, so ofc he would do this.

When you look at Virgil's reasonings for ducking out, it seems plausible after everything Roman has gone through recently, too. I mean like:

"I quit. Decided it wasn't worth it anymore"

Why would Roman keep fighting a battle he knows he will never win?

"Well, It didn’t seemed like I was wanted. You all made that pretty clear any time I showed up."

Again, from Roman's perspective, he is constantly and consistently antagonized.

"If I wanted to stand around being insulted, I would've shown up I would've shown up in person like I usually do."

[same thing]

"I actually think you were right to not want me around."

Roman fears that he is becoming the villain (as we see in SVS, SVS Redux and DWIT).

(In fact, Roman has already said something quite similar to that last one in sentiment.

In SVS Redux, Roman says this, which is pretty funny because of the dramatics and the stupidity, and does get shot down quickly, but I am begging you to listen to him.

"The blame falls to me. If you're missing that do-gooder drive... I think It's because I'm in the driver seat... And I'm an awful driver... Perhaps... Perhaps I should let Patton take the wheel.")

(2nd sidenote to the Virgil quotes, can we talk ab Thomas' acting again I just love how tired Virgil is in AA. He's so. Troubled. I love him.)

WAIT ALSO I FORGOT TO ADD THIS UNTIL I WAS AB TO POST IT-

"I've always aimed to protect you,"

THIS!! First of all his face makes me so sad BUT SECOND OF ALL yeah. Roman core idk what else to say, you get it right.

"I thought I was your hero."

So yeah.

Anyway, I think the episode where Roman does this will be centered around depression. Without Roman, Thomas is depressed. Let me explain this further.

Roman is Thomas' creativity, imagination, ego, passion, love, wills and wants, hopes and dreams, aspirations and enthusiasm.

Without any of that, what is left? A guy who can't even will himself out of bed, but can still feel the nagging voice of reason and logic telling him how unreasonable he's being. A guy who cant will himself to talk to friends, family and loved ones, but can still feel sorrow for letting them down and worrying them. A guy who can't will himself to pursue creative content that he relies on for a living but can still feel anxious about letting millions of people down and never being able to create again. A guy who cant even make food for himself or brush his teeth, but still knows he NEEDS to take care of himself. A guy whose only creativity is activly trying to disturb and scare him.

So yeah thats really awesome idk.

Furthermore, I think the sides might be SEVERELY impacted.

It has been said many times over the series that the sides are purely figments of Thomas' IMAGINATION. so. Without Roman, I doubt anything would be left. Obviously, if Roman does duck out, I don’t think they'd all immediately just cease to exist because an episode still needs to occur, but I find it likely that they'd all start slowly fading or maybe even "malfunctioning", glitching, putting them on a timer to get back Roman and making it far more tense.

Is this theory weird?????? I feel like it's the natural progression TO ME but I've seen no one even getting near this and im just confused ghfhfhfh. Maybe it is kind of weird and im just too much of a Roman enthusiast. SORRY I LOVE ANNOYING WEIRDO FREAKS!!!! AND IF I WAS HIM ID DUCK OUT TOO BECAUSE NO ONE IS APPRECIATING HIM ☹️☹️☹️ EVEN THOUGH HE'S LITERALLY WHAT MAKES THOMAS DO THINGS. 🙄🙄🙄🙄

Anyway.

I also think it fits really well because of Prinxiety's parallels, such as:

(using the ship name just as a duo name because that's what I usually do I am not trying to push the prinxiety agenda although I am a fan of it ghfyfgfh)

"Thanks everyone... Well, almost everyone."

And

"I mean, it's cool to see you all trying to be helpful. Well most if you, but-"

The only difference in these two is obviously that Virgil just silently ducks out, while Roman has the entire "You make us better" speech, probably effectivly saving Virgil and Thomas, because it seems like Virgil was going to insist.

(Also another sidenote that I think everyone will agree with: WE NEED A "YOU MAKE US BETTER" SPEECH BY VIRGIL FOR ROMAN that is all)

Also. Who can forget.

Virgil saying that he tried to "duck out" and then

"That's a thing you can do?"

😐

Do you understand what I'm saying. Do you. Huh.

Okay anyway.

Idk how to end this I feel like theres still more I wanna say but i forgot. In conclusion: prin up that xiety. Reminder that FWSA was real and not a fever dream. I lied this is actually prinxiety propaganda.

But Hey That's Just A Theory. A really quite depressing and sad theory. Thanks for tumbling down a hill with me 🫶

[bailey-orphic08]

Virgil's Gift: An Analysis on It's Symbolism and Possible Foreshadowing

Obvious spoilers for Thomas' newest Sander Asides video: What Makes the Perfect Gift? Go watch it if you haven't.

.

.

.

So the yearly Sander Sides Christmas special dropped hours ago. (Yippee!) And there's a surprisingly large amount to be said for it to be a 13 minute long Christmas special. In fact, I'd say it's the most story focused episode since Can Plushies Improve Our Health?, and that was an ad for the Sander Sides plushies. There's just so much to talk about this episode. There's the implications of Janus and Remus being invited to play Secret Santa; the mystery to what Thomas' message was with his gift to Nico; the underlying tension between all the sides that reminds us of the angst we've already seen and how things still aren't completely alright and that the worst is yet to come; and, most notable of all, the question as to WHY THE HELL REMUS WOULD WANT TO F*CK ANDREW JACKSON??

But the most interesting thing to me is Virgil's gift to Logan, his reaction, and how it reflects Logan's current situation.

Virgil gives Logan a newspaper, claiming that it seems like something he would like. Logan however, does not read newspapers and is very disappointed by the gift. Remus and Janus make some comments on how unthoughtful Virgil's gift appears. But at the end of the episode, Logan finds out that the newspaper actually has a secret message and is the first puzzle of an entire scavenger hunt, which excites him a lot.

This is by far my favorite part of the episode. Not only is it heartwarming, it also symbolizes how Logan has been treated as a whole, and may even foreshadow future events in the series.

When Virgil gives Logan the newspaper, Logan is very confused, and asks him why he would give him a newspaper. Virgil replies, "Cuz' you're the Mr. Smarty Pants of the group. You like reading and all that." Logan is still confused though. Yes, he likes to read, but that doesn't mean he will read anything. Roman chimes in with Virgil, reinforcing that they think Logan will like it. Logan says, "Is that all I am to you? The reading guy?..." And Virgil replies, "I don't know man, give it a read! I'm sure it has something you like."

This entire interaction represents how Logan has been ignored and misunderstood throughout the entire series. Virgil gives Logan a newspaper, something he doesn't actually want, because he assumes he will like it since he likes to read in general. He made an assumption on Logan's personality based off things he already knew, something Thomas and all of the other sides have been doing since the beginning. Throughout the entire series, Logan is considered the smart one of the group who always provides information and exposition, and little else is expected of him. In ACCEPTING ANXIETY part one, Thomas assumes that Logan knew what his problem was because he provides, "the explanatory exposition in [the Sander Sides] videos because all the other characters are too zany or relatable." And in Selfishness v. Selflessness, Logan is benched after providing information that supports both Patton and Janus' sides because they assume he has nothing else to offer. Time and time again Logan is reduced to his function and the traits that go along with it, such as liking to read. And why these things about him are true, he is far more complex that who they see him as. But, as Virgil didn't seem to care to get him something he would actually like, they don't seem to care to learn more about Logan...

They do care though. And that's shown through the twist at the end. When Logan discovers that it's a puzzle, Virgil jokes, "And you thought I would just get you a newspaper. Tsk. What do you take me for?" Though it appeared Virgil didn't put much consideration into the gift, and though Logan believed Virgil didn't, he did, because he truly cares about Logan. And throughout the entire series, though they don't always listen to him, Thomas and the sides show that they care about Logan. Patton is always nice to him, Roman, while the most harsh to him, does secretly respect him, and Thomas, as shown in the song, "Incomplete," is not only aware that Logan has feelings and is more than just logic, he wants Logan to accept it as well. He also seems empathetic when Logan is disappointed with his gift. This represents how Logan's insecurities get in the way of him being fully accepted. Logan is convinced that Thomas and the sides will only ever see him as his function, and that they do not care about his other traits. This is one of the reasons he represses his emotions, and is shown by how quickly Logan believes Virgil got him a newspaper simply because he likes to read. Though Logan may not realize it, Thomas and the sides love and accept him fully, and Logan needs to see that.

However, it seems that someone doesn't want him to see that...

And that's where the foreshadowing comes into play.

After the conversation Virgil gives Logan his gift, Janus chimes in, saying, "Wow Logan, looks like Virgil put a lot of thought into that one!" He emphasizes how little consideration Virgil's gift seemed to have. In doing this, he reinforces the idea to Logan that Virgil didn't care enough to give him a gift he would like, even though that's not actually true. And if he his doing this intentionally, he may also be reinforcing the idea that they don't care about him.

And Remus soon after joins in, proposing, "Kinda makes you wanna scream, huh?" This is obviously a callback to Logan's outburst in Working THROUGH Intrusive Thoughts. In that episode, Remus showed great excitement towards his outburst, implying that Remus wanted him to get upset. And now again, he suggests that Logan should get angry about it. It is very clear that Remus is trying to make Logan lash out on purpose.

Based off this, I believe that in future episodes, we will see the dark sides, or Remus at least, try to manipulate Logan into believing that Thomas and the sides don't care about him. In doing this, they'll persuade him into joining their side. Perhaps they'll make him a puppet for the Orange Side, or if Logan is the Orange Side, they will make him embrace it. Of course their plan won't work out though. Because even if the do get Logan to join them for a little, the other sides will show that they care. And perhaps if they do, Logan will finally be able to see that, and he will finally be able to accept himself.

[cloffmoff]

TSS SEASON FINALE MENTION!! My guess is that the ‘wild idea’ is going to center around logan or maybe janus, just because they seem to have the most going on that thomas would want to remind people of in order to ‘bridge the gap’ for the finale. HOWEVER, i realllllyyy want this video to be about patton and virgil’s relationship…i feel like their relationship has been slowly deteriorating in the background of every video since like Moving On (as many fanders have noticed), and i would love if that was brought to the forefront, if even just a little bit, because i think the arc is super interesting and deserves its time in the spotlight.

Or, i would also love a closer look into how patton sees nico, as it’s been implied patton doesn’t trust him/doesnt like him/isn’t ready to move on.

in conclusion, WE NEED MORE PATTON ANGST. YES I KNOW HE’S NOT THE MOST POPULAR BUT PLEASE THOMAS HES SO COOL IN MY HEART 😔😔

[arrowintheoak]

Having a not great morning so now y'all get my Sanders Sides Logan and Orange theories (or at least however much I actually feel like writing)

If you're curious about any, I'd be happy to yap in direct response to questions etc, but I'm probably gonna summarize a lot in this because I don't like yapping into the void for too long, haha

Theories below the line, I didn't want this to get too long and it inevitably will

• Orange is going to represent something along the lines of anger/wrath/rage -- I think this is one a lot of people agree with, but I've heard some people say other things, so I figure it's worth mentioning

• Janus and Remus have been intentionally trying to force OJ (I like to call Orange this to shorten it and bc I think it's funny) into a more influential position in order to force his reveal

• Logan is going to play a pivotal role in his reveal -- This is another thing I think is widely agreed upon to some extent, but I've got specific things I think are notable about it so

• OJ's name will be Sirius for several reasons (based on the name origin, and the multiple jokes and references to be made from it, plus it follows the naming rules and is based in Greco-Roman mythology/philosophy like the rest)

• OJ's reveal will be the turning point in Logan's character arc, after which things will start to resolve for him -- I have also heavily overanalyzed Logan's playlist that Thomas made a long time ago, he said these playlists follow their arcs and I mapped the whole darn thing out, haha

There's probably more but I have a headache and can't think of anything so this is what y'all get for now

5 is a good number to leave off on anyway, I like 5

[analoceits]

it always been a little weird to me that the twins are named roman and remus. one of the founding twins of rome.. and rome??? that isnt exactly matching.

(and ik the canon reason is just that remus wasnt being thought of when they named roman but shh. we're having fun here.)

but i think i figured it out. just.. imagine being patton. king, one of the four people you know, just.. split into two people. and its kind of your fault. and one- one scares you. one is bitey and agressive and ranty and bad. but the other- the other is almost king! maybe its not perfect but- maybe its just king with the bad parts taken out.

and so he looks at the one that doesnt scare him, and he calls him by kings name; roman. meanwhile, janus whisks away the second twin - and he already knows king is gone. the name feels fitting when he whispers it; "remus", a part of rome that defined it.

[st7arlights-side]

Theorizing Pt 1: repression

UP AHEAD: so much rambling about Orange. written very late at night and not the most coherent, sorry. (also, all uses of Thomas are referring to c!Thomas)

okay everyone talks about the dark sides being their opposites, opposing colors, colors on opposite ends of the wheel, but wanna know another term for it? complementary colors. I think the idea of "totally opposing, entirely contrasting, nothing alike" is not really accurate to the lore that we have been given? It's clear that it's important that all sides are accepted, and that there is no "solely good" or "solely bad" trait. Everything has complexities and different aspects to it, and the sides are no different.

I've never been particularly fond of the idea of wrath/anger/cruelty being orange because it seems like a scapegoat? I am more in favor of it representing regret (as most appearances of it are present in scenes or conversations with regret present) [forgot where i saw the theory first :sob:] and passion (impulsive acts based in emotions, a contrast to Logan's character while simultaneously rounding him out and forcing him and thomas to accept the parts that aren't all logical) [theory from @/dillydallydove] as these have more dimension and seem to fill out the gaps in the sides a bit more, especially considering the general theme going with remus, janus, and virgil. These are aspects that Thomas represses, and he knows them by names that aren't really accurate to their full purposes. He knows Janus as deceit, while he is more accurately described as self-preservation. He knows Remus as intrusive thoughts, when he is more accurately described as his repressed creativity. He knows Virgil as Anxiety (which is fairly accurate, though it still minimizes his functions) though he might be more accurately described as caution? fear? an aspect of self preservation? Regardless, perhaps orange could be known as wrath or anger because that's what he manifests as, but that doesn't mean that this is accurate to who he is as an aspect of Thomas. Remus is intrusive thoughts because that is the only way he can get recognized, the only way he breaks through the suppression. Janus is known as deceit because he has to manipulate the other sides to get them to prioritize Thomas's self-interest (as well as his personal responsibility to protect Thomas from what he can't handle at the moment; deceiving himself, sure, but at it's core, preserving his presently fragile mental state).

What emotion, what passion, does thomas repress the most? he's clearly open to expressing love and joy and, more recently, stress and anxiety, even some hints of sadness showing. but what has he been repressing the most? his anger! his frustration! his (and his sides') sense of inadequacy!! Orange is being seen in these contexts because that is what he isn't allowing himself (and the sides) to express as themselves.

Sanders Sides' whole thing is accepting the different parts of yourself, with underlying themes of c!thomas's upbringing causing him to repress, deny, or otherwise have an unhealthy relationship with "bad" aspects of himself (which, boy do i have some ideas for possible explorations of OCD in this, especially with the prevalence of intrusive thoughts- and the ways Thomas and the other sides change their language around Remus to prevent him from "getting ideas"-). Orange could be treated as a character foil to Logan, or Orange could be like Janus, but instead of protecting c!T from things he can't handle, Orange is the result of that suppression. Like how remus formed from thomas (patton) forbidding Roman from having "bad" ideas, orange could be formed from thomas (logan) pushing down "bad" feelings, feelings of passion that don't directly help other people.

Of course, this brings me to how Janus (a "gatekeeper" of sorts for Thomas) would interact with orange. this is reaching more into prediction territory. I suspect that Janus wants orange to emerge, as prolonged repression is harming Thomas (which i'm pretty sure he alluded to at least once, though i'm blanking on when). (also, an aside, is it not concerning that during the christmas special, Janus, c!T's self-preservation, was increasingly inebriated?? ooh and the occasional gags about Logan drinking wine too-) Notice how Janus has been watching Logan? this plus the general willingness to exclude Logan (further pushing his frustration and feelings of inadequacy) makes me suspect that he (as per usual) knows more than the rest.

I... don't really have a conclusion. I think Orange isn't an embodiment of aggression, moreso a result of repression? I guess? And I'm concerned about... yeah everyone involved, but especially Logan and Janus.

[justyourtypicaltuesday]

Can Roman Mythology give us insight into who Orange is?

(Note: To minimize confusion, I will be differentiating between historical/mythological figures and their Sanders Sides counterparts by coloring each mention of a Side in their respective color.)

Ever since the fact that three (or four, depending on definition) of the known Sides have names rooted in Roman mythology was brought to my attention, I've been meaning to do my research and explore how this could hint at the next plot point- and given my recent fascination with WTIT, I thought giving my thoughts on Orange theories couldn't hurt.

If you didn't already know, Virgil is named after the famous Roman poet because Joan and Thomas wanted his name to fit with Roman, like Logan and Patton's go together as Logos and Pathos. In addition to this, Remus was named after the Roman myth of Romulus and Remus, in which two princes disagreed on how to found Rome and Romulus had Remus killed. And most intriguing of all, Janus is named after the Roman god of doors, duality, beginnings, transitions and famously has two heads (which the half-human, half-snake face is reminiscent of).

While this is all very intriguing, I started doing research into these Roman myths to explore possibilities for Orange's character. So, I started by looking at other Roman deities closely related to Janus, and two names came up repeatedly, Juno and Diana. Juno is the Roman equivalent of the Greek goddess Hera, and Diana the same for Artemis. Juno and Janus in particular have a strong relationship, often working together to bring in a new month with a new moon. The epithet Juno Covella- to "oversee, help and protect the moon during difficult labors," and that during these rituals Juno "had the function of aiding and strengthening the moon / when her force was supposed to be at its lowest." Additionally, in Virgil's "The Aeneid"; the protagonist Aeneas has to flee Rome because of a storm Juno created. He's led to Carthage, which is historically Rome's sworn enemy, but he starts to grow an attachment to the people there. While the rest of the story (which I've spared for the sake of brevity) may be a concerning parallel to Virgil's character development, the main character having to flee his home for its rival is a dead ringer for his story, and in this comparison, Rome would be the Others. If Rome was home of the Others, Juno would be one of them, and therefore could realistically be a contender for Orange.

Depending on the source, Janus and Diana (sometimes called Jana) are a pair of deities, or Janus is the son of Trivia, an epithet of Diana. Either way, the two are closely linked. Given Diana's equivalent to Artemis, she is associated with hunting and the wild. However, something particularly interesting about Diana is she is sometimes referred to as a "triple goddess" - referring to three aspects of herself. Diana the Huntress, Diana the Moon, and Diana of the Underworld. Virgil often would call Diana by the name Trivia in his works- referring to three-way crossroads. In legends associated with Diana, she is shown to have the power to assign and rearrange authority, and is heavily associated with a woody grove named Lake Nemi. She was even sometimes worshipped as "Diana of the Wood". Given the WTIT endcard completely centred around a tree, this makes for an interesting observation...

And if you think I'm reading too much into things here, maybe you're right. But during this research, I found that Virgil is an anglicization of what was most likely originally Vergilius or Virgilius. This being Virgil's original name would fit with the naming convention of Janus and Remus, and there's evidence Virgil was mocked for his name sounding like virgin. Sound familiar?

"Shouldn't it be something like Virgin?"

I'm not saying that my theories are flawless, or even likely. In fact, Thomas has no obligation to continue the theme of Roman mythology in characterizing the Sides. But given the current pattern, I wanted to take a stab at what a possible Orange inspired by Roman myth could be. And here's my answer:

- Name beginning with C or D to continue the trend of naming each side with a unique letter.

- A "last resort" - a push of energy to get through a difficult, desperate situation.

- A metaphorical hunter, a "tamer of the wild". A calculated aim and precise with delicately honed skill.

- Assigns authority and place. Possibly responsible for assigning the Duke and the Prince, and who is regarded as a Light or Dark Side.

- A guide through difficult crossroads and a bringer of well-meaning change, often in partnership with Janus.

- Symbols of the moon, lakes, trees, and the underworld.

Take what I've said with a pinch of salt, as this is mostly the result of a few Google searches and internet rabbit holes late at night. I am not a historian and I'll never claim to be one, but it doesn't mean I can't have some fun and learn something in the process.

[let-roman-bite-someone]

oh btw i study forensic science and there’s this neat little legal term called the “fruit of the poisonous tree”, referring to evidence that is illegally obtained. and idk why but i feel like this term is gonna come up in a future sanders sides video, it’s so janus-coded.

[lookupthewordjokeinthedictionary]

A mini essay on Janus and his whole "society" speech (And the ties with third wave feminism and Audre Lorde).

Audre Lorde was the first person who coined the term 'self care'. She said, in her cancer journals, a book she wrote while battling cancer herself, that self care is an act of political warfare. As a self proclaimed poet, philosophist, lesbian, warrior, socialist and feminist, she was the first who made the point that taking care of one's self, immediately contradicts what society is nurturing us to do.

A direct quote from her is:

“Caring for myself is not self-indulgence. It is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.”

Now isn't that exactly Janus' speech in SvS? I'm not sure where Joan and Thomas got the inspiration for his character, but it wouldn't surprise me if it was from her.

Janus is self care, denial and deceit. He hates society because he understands that it immediately puts you in a disadvantage. Because society prides it's "boogey-man" more. What is the boogeyman? Laws.

"I don't want Thomas to be disadvantaged all for not following the rules made in the name of a lie"

This is what Janus said. He fears society because he understand, better than any other side, that society is based on selflessness. Society is based on putting others first. And by extension, keeps you repressed by telling you that the time will come, when your needs will be met.

However, that is a lie. That's why self care is an act of political warfare. And that's why it's so dangerous to completely misunderstand the word self care to mean indulgence instead of preservation. That's why, when we practice self care, we should uphold our personal needs as a community higher than the "boogey-man" that is Laws. That's why Ms. Lorde moved the black feminism movement forward to the third wave.

A little tss crit, if I may:

The current characterisation of Janus isn't only very OOC (something which I hope only goes for non-canon content), but very disrespectful to the nuance that is his character.

He is a "morality fighting snake", he is a "lying fibber", but he loves Thomas. A lot of people have made the analysis of his playlist and his actions to mean just how much he wants Thomas to be safe, to be happy, so I will not go into it right now.

And even though it's safe to say that all Sides do care for Thomas, because that's their job, you can see how differently they care for him, and how Janus just does the most.

Patton, on the other hand, cares for him probably as much as Janus without actually listening to Thomas. He does what he thinks is best, based on his beliefs and not Thomas' needs. And as we've seen before (POF) this was detrimental.

So, even though I've been waiting for the season finale for 4 years, and I really hope that Mr. Sanders knows how to write his own aspects of his own personality, I want to remind the fan base who will listen, abourg the duality of Janus' character and how his "society" talk isn't just a 'funny haha' moment, but a very helpful insight into his true character and intentions.

[tommyssupercoolblog]

MY NEW SIDE/ORANGE SIDE THEORY

I hear a lot of people saying that this new side has something to do with anger or being angry, but actually i don't think that's true- close though.

throughout the series Logan has been super insecure about having feelings, and insists that he's purely logical and doesn't have them. Anger just happens to be the emotion that's easiest for him to crack- if you were trying to get him to emote somewhat, prove that he isn't purely logical, that's just the easiest gateway because it's the emotion he cracks under the most.

And we see this new unknown side- or hints of him- in the episode about lee and mary lee's wedding, when patton is insecure about his status as morality and what to DO about the situation, or why Thomas is upset.

ROMAN has also been shown to feel inadequate and actually have a very bruised ego, and to become easily self conscious and worried about being the best or most loved side. He struggles to take criticism and has breakdowns over failing or being unpopular, second best, etc

I think, similar to how virgil is anxiety, this new side is connected to insecurity, inadequacy, falling short of who you're "supposed" to be, etc, and that remus and janus are using Logan's feelings about not wanting to feel (and his anger issues) to force Thomas to confront these issues.

it's not about anger really, it's just about every way that each side (and Thomas) feels they're falling short.

and Logan is a perfect gateway for bringing this all to the front (pun intended haha plural moment)

[prodigal-explorer]

i think other people have talked about this before but i strongly believe that janus sent remus out on thomas to punish roman for choosing the wedding.

[i-am-bitterly-jittery]

What if the thing Virgil’s mad at Janus for is just imitating Patton in CLBG?

Janus as Patton says “it’s me! Aren’t we friends?” but doesn’t clarify that he’s Patton, and Virgil seems to already know (or at least suspect) that he’s really Janus

So what if it’s Janus saying to Virgil as Janus “aren’t we friends”

Virgil says “I’m not so sure we are.” and that doesn’t seem like something he would say if he thought he was talking to Patton, but it’s also not as aggressive as he usually is when talking to Janus

Maybe that was Virgil’s breaking point in his relationship with Janus