Baylan and Shin’s parting
The scene that has upset (me) or confused (also me) most people. A chunk of people, who I respectfully disagree with, have said that Baylan is “abandoning” Shin. While I agree she definitely feels abandoned, I do not believe that is or ever would be Baylan’s intention. I just don’t think it works.
There’s an obvious amount of care (love, you could say) in their relationship. They’re not your typical competitive Sith master / apprentice relationship or Jedi master / padawan where feelings like that were repressed. They’re not mercenaries who were put together for a job or purely for the selfish gain of power. Shin has been under his wing as his padawan, borderline his child, for a long time.
He’s very protective of her as we see most notably in episode 4 when he ‘kills’ Ahsoka because she threw Shin into a rock. That sort of protection that drives you to kill someone (I don’t believe his original intention was to kill her—it was that that set him off) doesn’t come from a lack of love or lack of a relationship.
Their first scene on Peridea is another to consider. They’re comfortable, open, and vulnerable. Shin’s tone when she says “I know no such stories (shoutout to the person who made that post about Baylan telling Shin stories about the Jedi when she was younger. i still think about you)” is a sarcastic tone, almost teasing. They both comfortably smile and are way more relaxed being around just each other. Shin asks him questions without fear and Baylan answers without hesitation.
So, no, I don’t believe he’s abandoning her.
Now, nothing is known for sure. What exactly does he hear? What exactly does he see? What vision does he have?
Hopefully we get that answer, but my (and maybe most of you) bigger concern is why part from Shin for a wasteland and some power (yes yes we know he wants the ‘beginning’ but that’s still kinda VAGUE)?
Again, don’t know the truth, just throwing out ideas. i cant wait to be wrong on every front and be completely humbled tuesday night lolol
For one, he’s sensed and understood her questions and doubts and is actually considering them. He’s recognizing “OK, she doesn’t see all that I do”. He isn’t saying “Nope, I’m forcing you to join me in this”. He’d be a jackass if he did that. Since he seems pretty sold on staying on Peridea for… whatever it is he believes is there, he’s letting her go so she can, in turn, find her footing and take her place in the coming empire. Yes, he doesn’t know if that’s even what she wants, but Shin hasn’t exactly told him what she would want. All she’s mentioned (I think) was about leaving Peridea since Thrawn is desperate to leave as well.
Either way, he’s considering her and letting her go her own way instead of forcing her into a future with him that she obviously isn’t interested in.
Two, Baylan actually knows a lot more than he’s letting on and sees something that is… dangerous. Something he doesn’t want Shin exposed to. Something he knows is dangerous and he’s trying to keep her from (so she doesn’t suffer the same fate as his last padawan—if it’s true, of course). This one seems more selfish than some other thoughts. It can even fit other fandoms—he’ll go into it guns blazing for himself despite its dangers, but not her.
Three, which is just a bit of a vaguer, rephrased Two, he can’t / doesn’t want to lose another padawan if he can help it.
“Oh, then why’d she even follow him to Peridea? Why’d Baylan even let her come if he was going to abandon her anyway?”
He’s her master. Of course she’s going to follow him. It’s the guy she’s known longer than anyone else in her life. Her master, her father figure. Why wouldn’t she follow him? Why wouldn’t she stick it out for him? And, again, don’t believe at all that it’s abandonment or even something that was planned. It seemed very spur of the moment—like an off screen decision being made in Baylan’s head. Parting from her wasn’t something on his bucket list he was waiting to check off.
Fourth, the “ambition” that Baylan said was driving Shin is her willingness (not the word im looking for please read my mind) to embrace the dark side compared to himself. If he truly wants to bring an end to the Jedi v Empire back-and-forth, he’ll stay more Gray. So, he parts from her to give her that freedom. It’s the thing that drives them apart.
There’s even more ways to try and understand why, im sure. These are just word vomits and nothing to be taken as truth.
While I don’t at all believe Baylan’s intention was to abandon her, leave her for dead, etc, I definitely agree that Shin does feel abandoned.
Was the decision easy for Baylan? Highly doubt it. I don’t think he would watch her go, take a deep breath in, and roll his shoulders if it was easy. I don’t think he’d look around after Ahsoka stole his howler and debate going back for her if it was an easy decision. I don’t think he’d wait on the hill to keep watch and protect from a distance if he didn’t care.
I think one thing is for sure. Baylan thinks he’s doing what’s best when it’s really not. Shin looked like a kicked dog when Ahsoka offered to help—and whether that’s because she was reminded of 30 minutes prior on the hill beside him, or 15 years prior when Baylan stood above her and offered his help that started them on their journey (yari put this thought in my noggin), it hurts all the same.
I just hope the finale clears something up
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Currently thinking about The New Inn and how Hob literally made Dream his own little corner of the waking world to come back to. This man literally bought a pub next door to The White Horse so that when His Stranger deigned it fit to see him again (because of course Hob didn't know he was imprisoned), he wouldn't have to look far from where they'd always met. He literally wrote instructions on the barrier of The White Horse directing him to the place he bought SPECIFICALLY for this, specifically for when Dream showed up.
And I hesitate to call it a home in Dreams regard, but I absolutely do believe Hob lives in a modest flat above the Inn. Part of this is because it makes financial sense- why buy a house elsewhere and have the extra cost of that + travel (home -> brief stop at the pub -> work -> pub for the rest of the day, waiting for Dream -> home). But also, living there means that when His Stranger shows up (because Hob knows he will, he wouldn't have bought a whole pub for the man if he thought he wouldn't), Hob will be the first to know. If he lives there, it doesn't matter if Dream comes knocking at 3 am, Hob will be there to open the doors for him. He asks his bartenders, daily, if someone unusual had come in - pale, hair as dark as night, beautiful as the sun is bright - and at this point they answer him before he even asks. Even if His Stranger was waiting until their next centennial meeting in 2089, just on the off chance that he wasn't...Hob would be the first to know of his arrival.
So anyway, while I wouldn't refer to the inn as Dreams home (yet...) I would call it Hob's, and he built it with His Stranger in mind. And I don't even think Hob would realise the gravity of this after Dream escapes from his imprisonment. Dream returned to his realm and found it partially deserted- his subjects had left in his absence (save for a key few), he returned and found his family had continued as usual (or as usual as the endless are) without him, the waking world only felt his absence because of the consequences it brought (people not waking up, etc).
Yet there is Hob Gadling and his inn.
There is a place, built specifically for when Dream returned to him. A small corner in the waking world where someone- no not just someone but Hob- had built him a pub, a resting place, with the intention of waiting for him. Hob had carved out this little place, so close to The White Horse, with the intention of making it easy for Dream to find, to come back. After so many people leaving him, or moving on, or just plain not knowing he was even gone in the first place- to come back and find a pub, dedicated to him and his companionship with Hob Gadling...thats gotta do something to you man.
So anyway, yeah. Thinking about how Dream feels when he meets up with Hob, after a century of imprisonment, to find that despite their last meeting...Hob had waited for him. And not only that, but he had built an Inn for him- had made a safe place in the waking world, anticipating his return. Hob had never lost faith in him, and Dream would never turn his back on that again.
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So I know we here at Startrekfandom love that "came back wrong but from the pov of the wrong" thing and apply it to many different characters and canon situations and I am far from trying to complain about it (I'm "came out wrong" trope myself so I was always gonna obsess over it) but having recently watched a very important episode (you'll know which one) for the first time I think there's a character who hits both tropes mentioned but llike, intertwined, opposite and subverted, and whom I wanna talk about.
Julian Bashir.
From his parents' pov he's "came out wrong but we got him help and he came back better" while from his own pov it's "came out 'insufficient', was destroyed for it, came back wrong and only later slowly came to terms with his new self tho never the process (justifiably so)" and it's heartbreaking because in a way, he's right! Jules Bashir died! His parents had an intellectually disabled child and decided to eugenics him! Julian is not the person he used to be and while I do love the person he is now, that doesn't bring back who he was! Part of me wishes we could've gotten to see Jules at least once and part of me hopes we never do because my heart would shatter.
This isn't a good comparison but nonetheless one I can't help drawing: it's giving similar vibes to anti-vaxxers. "I'd rather risk having a child who is dead than one who's autistic". Obviously this doesn't map over since Julian is still autistic and the procedure his parents subjected him to specifically targeted his intellectual disability and if any folks with id wanna comment on this I definitely recommend you listen to them over me, but it's a similarity I, as an autistic who has encountered anti-vaxxers again and again, can't help but point out. "Give me a normal child or give them death."
This may have been written about already but there needs to be stories about teenage Julian (after finding out and rediscovering who he was) practicing some good ol' recognition of the self through media. I need to hear about how he would encounter a story about someone who came back wrong (I'm gonna assume there's plenty of "wrong" pov stories floating around by the 24th century) and absolutely weep. I need to see Julian mourning Jules, taking years and years to process his feelings, experiencing guilt about how he, the imposter, didn't deserve to live Jules' life.
Came back wrong from the returned's pov but it wasn't an accident. It was done to you deliberately by the people who claim to love you. And now you are here, piloting the corpse of your predecessor.
Jules Bashir is dead. Long live Julian Bashir.
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