#Mr. Writing Room Full of Act Structure Enthusiasts and the Importance of Things in Threes

[triflesandparsnips]

Something something Ed seeks out or is confronted by his own reflections three times in ascending order of violent emotions (the hand mirror, the salver, the knife)--

And we see Stede being painted twice in his old life, not looking at the painter or the painting but at some distant other thing, and then finally seeking to see himself in the third appearance of his portraiture-- only to find he's been painted out.

I wonder if Stede will someday ask to be drawn, and how, and whether he will look at the artist while they work, or the other people in it (if any), and seek out the finished work and be happy to see himself reflected in it.

...and I wonder if Ed will avoid reflections now (remove the mirrors, avert the eyes, but sometimes he'll catch himself in still water and flinch away--) because he knows what he is, he made himself this way, he knows how others see him and he can see it in their eyes without needing any further proof (except what he sees in Stede's eyes doesn't seem to match, so better not look there, fuck, fuck--)

Stede will look so, so hard now, and Ed will look at anything but-- a switch now, from their season 1 selves, lasting, perhaps, until they can finally see themselves -- and each other -- fully.

(And maybe, after that, they'll be able to see themselves together.)

#to be honest #Mr. Writing Room Full of Act Structure Enthusiasts and the Importance of Things in Threes #strikes me as putting Stede seeking out a realistic portrait of his ship family and loves in season 3 #while season 2 would have more people painting Stede how they *imagine* him or how they *want* him to be rather than what he is #so if he was Too Much the gentleman in season 1 #season 2 would be Too Much the pirate #which might be its own kind of upsetting #meanwhile Ed seems more bookendish to me #I wonder if he's going to avoid physical reflections in season 2 #instead relying on (or listening to?) other people's ideas of him #such that it won't be until season 3 that he lets himself be drawn to (ahaha WORDPLAY) a proper half or full length mirror #so that he can see the Whole of Himself #instead of glimpses #nobody else in the reflection because it needs to be just him #but perhaps #Stede is holding up the mirror #and saying what *he* sees #'...you' #our flag means death #ofmd season 2 speculation #ofmd season 3 speculation