#anyways GOSH HMMM THE CHARACTER ARCS YAY

[imminent-danger-came]

So, this parallel, right.

That parallel and the 4x11 shadowpeach fight as a whole:

Macaque: "No that's YOU! You're the one always running off! Looking for more power, more sources of immortality—you're the one who wouldn't quit while were were ahead! Not the great sage, he's got to drag EVERYONE else into his mess!" Sun Wukong: "You're not in this mess, you're still free! Everything I did was for us!" Macaque: "You did it for yourself! You've become like this, obsessive demon! I told you going against the Jade Emperor was a bad idea, but no, Wukong doesn't listen to anyone! He just does whatever he wants! You put yourself here, not me."

(4x11 A Lifetime of Mistakes)

-

A large part of Wukong's motivation to keep getting more power was the freedom of it—the more power you have the easier it is to do whatever you want. It's easier to ignore everyone else and focus solely on yourself. It's also easier to ensure yourself and your loved one's are protected and have the ability to do what they want.

So, a punishment where the great Monkey King is imprisoned and trapped for hundreds of years? It's effective and tragic and fitting. Wukong wanted to have the freedom to protect the people he cared about, and in trying to reach for the power to do that, he completely had his freedom removed. He went from the mountain, to then the circlet, and then all of a sudden he had morals and was bound to those.

And then I think about his end of s3 choice to go face the Lady Bone Demon alone. Once again Wukong was trying to protect his loved ones (not to mention the whole reason he went after the Samadhi fire to begin with was to have the power, the freedom to stop LBD (which in itself is another case of SWK believing he needed to be stronger for such freedom)), but he also wanted to make sure MK and himself both had agency. He didn't want MK to have to fight LBD, and he didn't want LBD to end the world.

This is exactly the sentiment he tells Macaque in the 4x11 flashback:

Sun Wukong: "It's so we don't have to worry about anything or anyone ever again! Just living a lazy life, sitting in the sun, eatin' fruit, and doing whatever we want!"

But where does it all lead him?

To possession, imprisonment. Once again Wukong no longer had the freedom to do what he wanted (which is to protect the people he cares about). Once again in his attempts to help his loved one's, he only hurt them.

This can be applied to his relationship with Macaque, to MK in s2, hell, even Wukong trying to get the map in the first place left him powerless, which then led to him and the gang being imprisoned in 3x02. It's a familiar pattern, one we see with antagonist and protagonist alike.

MK in s2 trained to become more powerful, which in the end only strengthened LBD and forced him and his friends on the run. Mei in 3x12 protects MK by letting herself get captured and placed into LBD's crystal. Mei in 4x05 goes to protect MK, breaking her sword and leaving her vulnerable to being captured by Kui Mulang ("How am I supposed to protect everyone without my sword?"). DBK reached for more power and then became possessed by LBD, hurting his wife and son. Azure reached for the Jade Emperor's power and bound himself to that role, jeopardizing Peng and Yellowtusk in the process.

It's a cycle of reaching for power, endangering others, and then being imprisoned.

So anyways, here's why MK is going to lose control (his agency) next season and hurt his friends with his own- *get's shot*

#*cough cough* shut up this isn't similar to Callum and Viren from tdp at all. #Ignore everything I said about the reach for power to have freedom and that leading to consequences. Shhhhhhh #anyways GOSH HMMM THE CHARACTER ARCS YAY #I LOVE WHEN THEMATICALLY RELEVANT THINGS HAPPEN TO CHARACTERS #Like. It's not just ''Wukong got possessed'' it's how Wukong getting possessed plays into his character and the show as a whole #Which is why lmk is so good #A league above the rest #Ignore that this is also the exact same thing that happens to Callum with possession. Shhhhh. #But y'all get my point #So anyways in reaching for power and having the agency to protect those you care about #And continuing Mei and SWK parallels #I think it would be neat if Mei accepted the Samadhi fire again to protect her friends for whatever reason #It'd also be neat if she did it specifically to fight MK/get him back #Like teehee that would be so cool #Am I saying MK next season might very well parallel possessed Wukong? yes that's exactly what I'm saying. #lmk SWK #lmk #lego monkie kid #lmk analysis #you know what executive decision tag #hero mei warrior mk

[organic-guacamole]

HSMTMTS SEASON 3 EPISODE 4 REACTION

I'm late this time because I was in the hospital yesterday and recovering now but uh I'm here, enjoy.

of course they prepared fabulous just to be like "oh heyyy Corbin, what's that? why are we in poses at the pool? oh this is what we're always like!"

what is happening rn? why did EJ jsut do a 180 and making weird quips at Ricky- huh????

ah, a gap year.... this explains so much

a dance break 😃

sounds like a different song but yay everyone slays

How did they do the entire song without realising it's "just Dewey"

Kourtney/Dara is so beautiful. the outfit and hair is just *chefs kiss*

ooo neighbours heheheheheh I've read enough wattpad in the olden days to know what happens next

BRO WHAT CASWELL SUCCESS TRAINING SCHOOL WHAT IS THIS WHAT IS GOING ON IM SO LOST

RJ- Mr Corbin Bleu sir, it's actually caswen. according to the majority of rickyxej shippers

RICKY HAS A BIRTHDAY? IN SUMMER? idk he always felt like a February/March guy to me...

confusion was Kaycee like actually... nvm the con and AUs are messing with me...

the classic "rich person thinks all people have people to do things for them" trope

the cameraman is great. finally someone sees Carlos for the misogynistic womaniser he is😤😤(I don't think I need this but jic.../j)

CARLOS' STRAIGHT-DAR HELP WHO WROTE THIS SHOW.

because of the lust.

woah the canteen is kinda pretty

what is happening with EJ and Ricky in this episode im-

the cameraman's one liners are killing me here "big brother has been on the air for 23 seasons, they haven't even left the house yet"

STOP I STOPPED BREATHING WHEN EJ CAME OUT IN THE SUIT IM CRYING ROLLING ON THE FLOOR CACKLING HELP ME

why does EJ's hair like, look good styled like that um

stop it Ricky, gosh I hate this show🧍🏽‍♀️

why would he just randomly open the paper if he didn't want Gina to see the list I cannot rn

MadMad /ref

Ricky's little check to the camera was SO CUTE

JET!!!

HEY I HAVE THE SAME POPCORN CONTAINERS

since when did Ricky get so perceptive hmmm

Ricky and EJ and Gina and Jet and Ashlyn and Val is all just so much and idk what to do with it. please just calm down guys😭

good. we get to focus on Kourtney. get some depth in her character. we love Kourtney. what? am I understanding correctly? hsmtmts is getting a therapy arc? wish it had more build up but this is great.

why did they put all this on poor EJ? I can see the grey hairs sprouting.

oh no oh no oh no oh no EJ stop please I can't

that part made no sense actually

she sees a letter sticking out, picks it up, reads it in like 0.2 secinds, then asks the random girl walking by if she knew about it

um anyways I low-key hate the second half of this episode

and the whole episode just kinda threw in a lot of things that seem random? idk man this is weird

#hsmtmts #hsmtmts s3 #hsmtmts season 3 #ej caswell #ricky bowen #gina porter #carlos rodriguez #kourtney greene #ashlyn caswell #maddox hsmtmts #val hsmtmts #jet hsmtmts