cadykeus-clay

[cadykeus-clay]

“Red book cover, red book cover.”

You know the book that Flint’s reading in the fort cell in 4x05? The red one that resembles his beloved copy of Meditations? This one?

It’s not Meditations. It’s The Pilgrim’s Progress…

… which, for anyone unaware, is a famous Christian allegory written by Puritan preacher John Bunyan in the 1600s, which sets out a prescription for how one ought to seek and attain salvation from a Puritan perspective (the only correct one according to them).

It stands in complete opposition to Thomas’ “know no shame” inscription in Meditations, encouraging its readers to feel ashamed about everything they do that might divert them from the straight and narrow. It also opposes Miranda’s assertion that “true love shouldn’t require suffering,” being very much on the “the truest form of love, love through suffering,” side of things.

Which brings us to Flint. According to Miranda in 2x05, Flint’s being driven to fight against England is, in part, a result of his shame. She perceives this shame to be that which Civilization’s judgements have burdened him with but Flint himself suggests that his shame is also the result of guilt over having not tried to save Thomas when he had the chance.

This is interesting because, though I do believe that Flint has largely made peace with himself by season four and has found a greater cause to fight for overall (which are not insignificant things, I want to be clear), it’s also true that he says to Silver in 4x04: “I think if [Thomas] knew how close we were to the victory he gave his life to achieve, he wouldn’t want me to [give it up],” suggesting that Thomas’ death is still hanging over him in a way that’s honestly not that dissimilar to how he started out. There’s still a shame-based aspect to his desire to fight in the sense of “I can’t give up this war because Thomas (and now Miranda too) died for this.”

All of this could easily be said to parallel the protagonist of The Pilgrim’s Progress being driven to undertake a perilous journey in order to rid himself of his burden of shame and finally find peace at the end of it all.

According to the Puritan teachings espoused in the book, believing that you are inherently unclean and sinful is paramount to your salvation so, in other words, shame is good and necessary. As I said, this is the complete opposite of the Hamiltons’ beliefs, but it aligns pretty well with the ideas that Oglethorpe professes at the beginning of 4x10 about how “human debris” such as Thomas and Flint are “anathema to the Empire” and how they “must cease to be… to be able to find peace.”

Plenty of people have pointed out that Oglethorpe’s prison plantation can be viewed as a metaphorical afterlife which Flint enters into at the end of the show (through a gate even, just like the entrance into Heaven), but I’d also like to highlight his having to walk down a literal straight and narrow path—again, like the protagonist of The Pilgrim’s Progress—in order to finally reunite with Thomas.

So, with all that being said, the message behind Flint reading this particular book in 4x05 seems twofold to me:

1. Despite doing his best to follow Thomas and Miranda’s example and cast off his shame, shame is still something that Flint is very much burdened by and which still influences his desire to fight against England, even into season four.

2. Silver’s orchestrating Flint’s being sent to the plantation in Savannah and reunited with Thomas aligns with the “happy ending” of The Pilgrim’s Progress, freeing him from his shame and allowing him to find the peace he sought at last. And yet, with the plantation itself being upheld by shame, by the idea that men like Thomas and Flint deserve to be cast out of Civilization, is this really the kind of ““peace”” that Flint wanted for himself? Can imprisoning him for life in such a place truly be said to be “freeing” him from anything?

By having this particular copy of The Pilgrim’s Progress superficially resemble Meditations despite it being a book whose values are entirely opposite from Thomas’ core tenant “know no shame,” the show presents us with a “fruit, fruit. tits, tits.” commentary on its own ending: Silver’s solution might look like a happy ending for Flint at first glance, but, in reality, it promotes shame rather than eliminating it.

#ohhh this is really interesting #i wonder if the intention was for the books title to be known or if it truly was a like . production oopsie that ended up having huge meta #implications if the title was that hard to see #black sails

[cadykeus-clay]

iconic fjord/nott moments that live in my head forever, feat. travis and sam being inhumanly quick:

"if you comment on my strength, i might throw you into the lava." "you couldn't."

"nott doesn't care about me, but i care for her." "i care about you, fjord." "tell me again."

[cadykeus-clay]

whooooooooo wants a vox machina dalen’s-closet-to-post-campaign time skipping poymachina (specifically half elves + percy) fic that’s kinda sad but mostly a comedy that i’ve been writing for my friend for . oops. 5 years ?

#3 days later promo reblog bc i forgot to do one until now i was in ohio being gay

[cadykeus-clay]

whooooooooo wants a vox machina dalen’s-closet-to-post-campaign time skipping poymachina (specifically half elves + percy) fic that’s kinda sad but mostly a comedy that i’ve been writing for my friend for . oops. 5 years ?

#if you havent finished vm and care about spoilers. maybe don't read it #there's a handful of late game moments that are Mentioned #though it only takes place purely during either 'one year later' or post campaign + oneshots #critical role #critical role fic #vox machina #alex writes

[cadykeus-clay]

As someone who works 8/9 hours from monday to friday, I'm genuinely curious about how y'all handle the (ever increasing) long episodes and how/when you choose to watch them.

#when i was in college id watch the whole thing live. #but now im an eastern time girly who wakes up at 5:45am for work. so #friday/weekend vod gang

[cadykeus-clay]

their friendship is so special and it means the absolute world to me - c3e32 / c3e49 / c3e59 / c3e63

#they are everything to me #critical role

[cadykeus-clay]

There is no joy like the joy of a writer who has just figured out that a throwaway line they put into the first few paragraphs of a story is actually the key to a major plot point and possibly even the theme underlying the entire thing.

Just…yesssssss.

#nothing better than turning a bit into heartbreak

[cadykeus-clay]

lebians.. les leb......lesbians

tentatively throwing in tags for once idk man.

#oh women #the dog tag pull i. awooo #critical role

[cadykeus-clay]

“𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒍𝒌 𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒚.”

yep it’s me back with more CR feels based on historical paintings 😅

This was actually requested by my partner for her birthday, and as she is the Keyleth to my Vax, how could I say no?

prints here! - my art tag

painted in procreate on ipad pro / do not repost / but reblogs are appreciated!

#WAAUGH #critical role

[cadykeus-clay]

Was compelled to drawl the twins in their punk phase

#i see i see the vision #critical role

[cadykeus-clay]

and in that moment, knows himself a coward

#what if i rewatched all of acofaf rn actually

[cadykeus-clay]

Empire siblings. I love them so much.

#oh i love these designs #critical role

[cadykeus-clay]

you guys arent even ready for the fic I'm about to publish (<< guy who is not going to finish it for another month minimum)

#im so vm brain lately ive been working a lot on a half elves + percy polymachina fic thats only . 4 years late for a friend gift exchange.

[cadykeus-clay]

#hm. what if the whole world blew up. #black sails

[cadykeus-clay]

the 100+ episodes of vox machina are their own level of insanity

#i just finished race to the tower #the fucking foreshadowing in that episode #im going to eat live electrical wires

[cadykeus-clay]

Champion of the Dawnfather

#WAUGH i am so close to their trip to v #elysium in my vm rewatch i am insane i am unwell

[cadykeus-clay]

dont ask me what this is girl i dont KNOW

#d20