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Thanks for posting the spoiler-free versions of these commentaries! I really enjoy the extra insight.

This episode really makes me step back and appreciate Wirt's arc thus far. He's set up with an interesting contrast: although very canny about fairy tale tropes, he has a tendency towards thoughtless obedience. Episodes two and three demonstrated that pretty well. Even though he's suspicious, he's either young enough or lost enough (or both) that he looks to almost everyone they meet for guidance. Not a very active character.

But that actually ends up working in his favor in episode four, in kind of a backwards way. The meta-ness of that episode makes it one of my favorites. Everyone seems well aware that they're in a fairy tale and so they're fixated on knowing their roles. Wirt doesn't know his. He's just lost and confused. But the second he's assigned one that makes sense to him, he steps into it almost immediately. If he's a pilgrim - a hero, in this case - he's got to take action. So he steals a horse, rushes off into the night, saves Beatrice, and even manages to get the directions they needed. And in the next episode, he's the one to solve the big mystery of the ghost.

But he didn't start taking action until he decided that was what he HAD to do. In a sense, he was almost ordered to become a hero. All the same, it really suits him! He's pretty good at taking smart action, balancing Greg's adventurousness and impetuousness with caution. Even Beatrice agrees.

But now that's a problem. Because if Beatrice was lying the whole time, then everything she's said is thrown into question. All those good vibes Wirt was getting about his heroic deeds are all gone and he's back at square one. And more suspicious of help than ever. But at least now he's aware of that obedient default! Or more aware of it. All we can hope is that he'll start taking more of an active role again - this time, of his own volition.

Super yes! Their relationship is really lovely and I'm glad the team took the time to examine it with this arc.

Some thoughts on Pearl and Garnet's conversation in the hot box:

Tnearg'f nqzvffvba gung fur ybbxf hc gb Crney sbe fgeratgu vf ernyyl jryy-qbar va ergebfcrpg. Abg whfg orpnhfr vg jnf jung Crney arrqrq gb urne, ohg orpnhfr Gur Nafjre unf fvapr cebivqrq hf jvgu gur pbagrkg sbe jul Tnearg srryf gung jnl.

Ehol, Fnccuver, naq Tnearg'f svefg vagrenpgvbaf jrer abg jvgu gur qbexl oveqzbz, ohg jvgu "gur greevslvat erartnqr Crney." Fur naq Ebfr jrer gur snprf bs gur eroryyvba. Tnearg'f svefg zrrgvat jvgu ure ba rnegu ernyyl rzcunfvmrf gung cbvag: fubja sebz n ybj natyr, Crney ybbzf nobir ure va n pyrne cbfvgvba bs cbjre. Rira gung fubeg pnfpnqr bs cvnab gung cerprqrf ure nccrnenapr vf zhpu zber guerngravat guna hfhny (gubhtu V qba'g xabj rabhtu nobhg zhfvp gb cvacbvag jul gung vf, nun).

Vg'f pyrne gung gur fgbevrf Ehol naq Fnccuver unir urneq hc gb guvf cbvag, nf jryy nf gur curabzrany fjbeqfznafuvc gurl fnj qhevat gur nggnpx, unir yrsg gurz jvgu n urnygul srne bs Crney. Naq vg frrzf cerggl yvxryl gung Crney jnf bar bs vs abg gur irel svefg trz gb wbva Ebfr'f eroryyvba. Fur cebonoyl unq n cbfvgvba bs pbafvqrenoyr cbjre va gur tebhc. Nsgre Tnearg wbvaf gur eroryyvba, vg'f abg fb uneq gb vzntvar gung srne qrirybcvat vagb erfcrpg naq rira njr bs Crney'f fgeratgu.

Nf zhpu nf V ybirq trggvat gb frr Tnearg'f svefg shfvba, gung fprar ng gur raq bs Gur Nafjre vf ubarfgyl bar bs zl snibevgrf va gur jubyr frevrf. Vg'f abg ubj V rkcrpgrq gur gvzryvar gb cynl bhg, ohg vg znxrf fb zhpu frafr naq cebivqrf n ybg bs hafnvq pbagrkg sbe Tnearg naq Crney'f qlanzvp.

Longtime lurker, first time commenter. Just wanted to throw my hat into the fray with one of my favorite SU fanarts



(Here's the link, if the image didn't show up: http://66.media.tumblr.com/24f3cbbb8c36528e62b864...

The artist is Jayd Aït-Kaci, my art idol/crush. I'd definitely recommend checking out her other stuff, though if you're looking for SU specifically, there are spoilers up to S2.