Max Hates His New Counselor.

Hi, it’s me, back at it again with another Varian post

I just…can we talk about this for a second? This is a moment at the end of Ready As I’ll Ever Be that’s very difficult to catch at a glance, but to me, it says a lot. These are all expressions that Varian makes just before the Final Battle- when he’s just finished preparing and is watching the automaton as it’s being lowered into the cellar.

In the first two images, he doesn’t look nearly as sure of himself as he does throughout most of the episode. In the second one, if you look close, you can even see his gaze has drifted to the side as though he’s contemplating something; possibly wondering if all this is really necessary and whether or not he’s actually doing the right thing, here.

But then, by the third one, his resolve hardens. He’s likely reminded himself of his (supposed)motivation to free his father and of the fact that he’s already come too far to change course. And we know what happens from there…

We’ve seen this kind of thing before, though; In the Alchemist Returns, he seems to be second-guessing his actions just before turning on Rapunzel:

It’s already made pretty clear that Varian is neck-deep in denial about who’s really to blame for his father’s condition, but he also appears to be wavering a lot in his resolution for solving the issue. Despite the bravado he uses when confronting the king and Rapunzel - bragging about how they’re “not in a position to demand anything” - any time he really stops to think about what he’s doing, his expression suddenly becomes hesitant and unsure. 

This, to me, reaffirms that the only real motivation he has for his actions is anger. He’s not thinking clearly; the logical side of him is still not completely sold on the course of action he’s choosing, but he’s letting his emotions override it (as distraught teenagers often do). Varian is not all-in with seeking revenge against Corona, but at this point in time, he views it as his only choice. Not because it makes the most sense, just because it satisfies his desire to deflect and refocus his anger on something(or someone) else.

Because where would he turn it on otherwise? Probably, himself.

Man, I just… realizing that Varian is eventually going to have to come face-to-face with his own guilt and accept the blame for everything that’s happened… Varian may be a villain (and I do personally believe he can be referred to as a “villain” at this point), but at the end of the day, he’s still just a grieving kid who’s too afraid to admit that his mistake may have cost his dad his life.

I truly hope he’s able to reconcile his relationship with Rapunzel and save his father. And when he does, I hope it’s his decision to make. 

I really want this boy to make a turn around of his own volition. Because, deep down, he knows that what he’s doing isn’t what he wants to do- what his FATHER would want him to do. And he needs to come to terms with it, and set it right (just as he said he was going to do in Let Me Make You Proud.)

I thought of doing this ever since I saw this scene!

That boy tired

David, waking Gwen up at 3 AM: Hey, Gwen. Hey.

Gwen: David? What's the matter?

David: Do you like me?

Gwen: David, I married you.

David: Yeah, okay. But did you marry me as a friend or -

Gwen: Go. To. Sleep.

Little Rapunzel and Pascal via @bobbypontillas on Instagram.

Can we just appreciate the back design for Raps coronation dress? I thought it was so clever and it would’ve been a nice touch if she actually wore it with her short hair. Also wooohoo SEASON 2!!

If Varian worked at a drive thru (Part 2) | Part 1

 Show: Tangled the Series 

 Audio: Chrish/mistachrish

Alchemist’s Log, Entry #103: Weird Rocks “I’ve discovered some strange-looking rocks near the border of the village. They’re black with a metallic sort of shine and unnervingly sharp. They also appear to grow in clusters, like crystals. I’ve never seen anything like them before… But the strangest thing about these rocks is that they just sprouted up out of nowhere! And they haven’t ceased growing yet. Each spike continues to grow, indefinitely.

So far, I haven’t been able to collect any valuable data about these rocks, but I’m going to keep trying. If more spikes like these begin to grow regularly, they could become a big problem for Old Corona.”

I wasn’t gonna post this until later, but hey, it’s a special occasion!

New Dream Playlist on Spotify

Rapunzel: Don’t be too hard on Varian, Dad.

King Frederic: I’ll be sure to do everything I can to get him help.

Me: Okay, but hear me out, you two. What Varian did was wrong, but if you had done that from the beginning instead of just as Varian said, abandoning and vilifying him, we literally wouldn’t be here right now.

Fred, you blatantly ignored a threat to your whole kingdom just because “magic makes me angry”. Rapunzel, you just abandoned your friend and never once went to check up on him after you had to break your promise to him when he clearly really needed you. And even once you discovered the truth about his father, you still left him instead of just going out there and being like “Let us help you” as a show of good faith. Then, as somehow the whole country was being told he attacked royalty and that making him unable to turn to anybody else for help, you both jumped straight to “he’s such a villain” when he ran with the few dwindling options he had left to him to try and save his father. You don’t get to act like you’re being lenient on him here.

Seriously, if you’d just made the effort to help him up front, we literally wouldn’t be here right now!! Don’t bother with these barn doors, the horse has already bolted. All three of you created this mess.