A Most Important Scene From Voltron Season 3
So⦠thereās something about this entire scene thatās had me pondering it all morning. Now, despite my writing tendencies or even which characters I would like to see together, most people who know me understand that while I write and post certain things, how I actually view the canon is separate. Like, I donāt watch Voltron for shipping and what characters do and donāt end up together is not why Iām into it. Iām very realistic about potential ships and do my best not to let shipping goggles cloud my judgement. After all, I may like to create, but I also analyze. And anyone worth their socks in literary/media analysis knows that itās about looking at what youāre given and not what you want to see (what we want to see gets into headcanon/prediction territory, which can be backed by analysis, but they arenāt the same thing). In other words, me fangirling about a ship and me looking critically at a piece of media are two very separate things.Ā
Therefore, this scene has left me in rather a⦠curious sort of hesitance? Because I find it hard to believe that Iām coming to the conclusions that I am?Ā
First and foremost, Iām glad that Lance and Keith are working together better and trusting one another enough to go to the other about their problems. I donāt care who you ship with who, itās good character development for them when we look back at where they started and does nothing but help the team. Keith admitted his faults to Lance when he pushed the team too hard and Lance went to Keith when he was insecure. These are not small steps for these boys and Iām glad theyāre finally becoming better friends. And thatās honestly all I thought I was going to take away from this season, if I even got that far.Ā
Until I saw this part of this scene specifically (Iāma use this screenshot a lot, lol) -
Ā - First of all, I want to look at how these frames with Keith are laid out. Keith is in the center of the frame the whole time, his posture is open, his expression is friendly, his smile is sincere. He is lacking in weapons or anything typically considered threatening. But what is probably most important is that weāre not just seeing Keith from Lanceās point of view, weāre seeing him through Lanceās eyes. Ā
There is a difference. For example, in these scenes -Ā
- weāre seeing Allura from Lanceās POV, but not through his own eyes. This is a very common type of shot when two people are having a conversation or even when multiple people are in the room. Itās like getting a third person description of whatās happening with weight on a certain characterās perspective. Sometimes itās not even that far and itās just convenient to look over this characterās shoulder. Versus when we get a more first person perspective when we see a character through another characterās eyes. Ā
We also get shots like this in this same scene -Ā
- This shot comes in concurrence with the one previously and can still be considered as coming from Lanceās perspective. So whatās the difference between this shot and the one of Keith? This shot is up closeāitās focused on Alluraās expression and what sheās saying. Sheās also not completely centered, but balanced in the frame for the viewer, not Lanceās perspective. Lance is listening to her, not admiring her in any way, shape, or form. In fact, despite Lanceās general attempts at constantly flirting with Allura, he is not looking at her at all in this scene as a potential romantic interest. This entire scene is focused on what theyāre saying and what that means. Not any kind of attraction between them.Ā
Which is what struck me as so odd about the way we see Keith through Lanceās eyes in episode 6. When a character is being admired by another character, getting a shot through their eyes of their subject from the waist up, or thighs up, or knees up, etc, is a very common way of displaying that admiration in a visual sense. Itās already clear from this scene that Lance views Keith as the new leader -Ā
- So even if Lance takes issue with some of the things Keith does, heāat the very leastābegrudgingly accepts Keithās position and is doing everything in his power to support him (as most of season 3 is evidence of). Which is why these frames -Ā
- took me so far aback. Honestly, I was much more expecting this kind of scene to be displayed from Lanceās eyes when his and Alluraās development took place. I even went back during their critical conversation to look for it. But there isnāt anything similar. Lance clearly respects Allura, but he didnātĀ āwaverā in looking at her so as to imply a different kind of admiration.Ā
Another character that gets this treatment a lot? Shiro. Shiro is their leader. Shiro is their security. Shiro is oftentimes framed in this manner when the other paladins are listening to him. But usually itās a group shot, and even if there are scenes with him and one other (maybe with Keith? Iām not going back to watch the whole series), his body language and expression are not so soft. There could probably be some shots of Shiro looking less severe when he speaks to Keith, but I never remember being this struck by a scene with Shiro that didnāt feel like anything more that admiration because heās their leader and/or idol and/or older brother figure (this goes for Pidge as much as Keith). Just as Iāve never seen anything to blatantly support Klance before. Like, Iām not playing favorites here. Ā
The point Iām trying to make is that, in seeing Keith through Lanceās eyes in this scene, weāre gleaning a LOT about how Lance views Keith. Not only is he listening to Keith, but weāre seeing Keith as more than just a face with words. It would have been easy to frame this scene like this - Ā
- I mean, even this is still⦠But the point is, there were a lot of ways to frame this that didnāt have Lance giving Keith thatĀ āadmiringā look that is oftentimes used in movies and animation. At this point, Keith is the center of Lanceās entire focus. The rest of the room is bare, Keith is what stands out most. But itās not just his words or what heās saying, itās his entire person. Itās his body, his words, his posture, where heās standing in the room.Ā
And then we get to his expression. This is so important. They could have given Keith more attitude, they could have had him lean back on one leg and cross his arms. They could have done LITERALLY ANYTHING ELSE to suggest that Lance was merely admiring Keith as a leader and friend, but they didnāt. They kept his posture open. They kept him still and centered in the frame. And they gave him the softest mother fucking smile that Keith has probably displayed in the entire goddamn show. And I donāt mean to say that he hasnāt given those small, soft smiles, because he has, but this one has teeth and is still soft. EVERYTHING about this frame is soft.Ā
And this is HOW LANCE is seeing Keith. We have the distance from where Lance is standing in the doorway to Keith to support this, as well as how he looks following, which implies that we were seeing Keith through him -Ā
- Heās looking over his shoulder, continuing the line of sight we the viewers were just privy to. And he reflects the same softness he has just seen in Keith.Ā
For fucks sake, all we need is an edit of that frame of Keith with a soft white background and some sparkles and weāre all fucking set! This frame -Ā
- was coded to be romantic. This is Lance not only admiring Keith, but seeing him in a ādifferentā light. I mean, look at Keithās hair for crying- UGH! Just add some wind and a few flower petals and- just- HOLY FUCK, LANCE! OGLE HIM SOME MORE WHY DONāT YOU! I donāt know if Keith is really this beautiful or not BUT YOUāRE DOING A GOOD JOB OF MAKING IT SEEM LIKE HEāS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CREATURE YOUāVE EVER SEEN, LANCE!
Seriously, this is probably one of the most sincerely romantic frames weāve gotten in the entire series. Itās also quite bittersweet. And, like, even if Lance isnāt aware that heās looking at Keith like this, we are! Weāre literally watching Lance form feelings for Keith through his own goddamn eyes. Ugh, gag me.Ā