I need to call out the TADC fandom a bit here (Specifically about Jax)
I am writing this post to start a conversation, rather than blaming ''lack of media literacy'' or anything, because that's kind off a copout. I rather want to explain and inform instead.
Something I noticed is that people really cherrypick Gooseworx tumblr asks/posts, and especially about Jax. He is not a good person whatsoever, and Goose has said so herself, but he is genuinely painted as some sort of irredeemable monster, while he is such a beautifully complex and narratively interesting character with many many layers.
Especially these two asks are quoted a lot. And also misquoted a lot. Which has led to wild theories, like people thinking he hit-and-run a little girl?? And that's just based on his girly room and the flashbacks to him being in car, distressed, and one shot of a ''careful, kids play here''. That's a *wild* jump, and you'd have to think of Jax as a genuinely awful person to have done that and not really have that much mental distress from it. Let's also not question what a little girl would be doing unsupervised on a road in the dead of night btw.
In the show, it's clear that any guilt he experiences is directed towards Ribbit (and probably Kaufmo too), especially in regards to their abstraction. Nothing in the show has even remotely hinted at any guilt to something that happened outside the circus. That alone would make it unlikely. To me, it seems very straightforwards that he was running *from* something or someone. The flashes depict him going through a neighbourhood and leaving town.
Then there is the fact Goose herself said that there are lines he won't cross, while also having admitted he is an asshole and a bad person. We see over and over that Jax genuinely cares about other people, and feels bad about hurting their feelings, even if he acts like a cartoon bully by throwing people into deepfryers and out of moving trucks. Knowing he is quite soft inside, I don't think he would physically capable of leaving the scene after hitting a kid *just* because he is an asshole, not without clear longlasting effects. And if he did, he probably was running from something he was much more scared of.
''But he is clearly masking!'' He is, but we see it break, because Pomni is nice to him, and cares for him and tries to poke through. If that's enough to cause it to slip, I don't think it's reasonable to believe he tucked away the guilt about a hypothetical dead kid.
Jax is a flawed person, he does and says things that aren't okay, but he is also clearly damaged from something. Holding someone accountable for their actions while also acknowledging the person's issues that aren't their fault are two things that can and should co-exist. ''Hurt people hurt people.''
Which brings me round back to the flashbacks Jax had in episode 7. Usually the simplest answer is closest to the right one, especially if you lack context or further clues. If you hear hooves, usually it's horses.
Jax got a panic attack at the idea of actually leaving the circus, then the unprovoked flashbacks of the outside world, all in a car, distressed, driving away from civilisation. It completely reads as trauma, abuse or *insert any other negative association*. Followed by him pressing the button to stay in the circus, even though he spent most of the episode believing the exit wasn't real anyway. But he still chose the ''stay'' button, on the off-chance it was real.
He clearly was running away from something in the real world. At his age (he is 22 btw), it feels like it might be an abusive household, maybe abusive parents or another situation in that town he needed to get away from. Driving away from it and from the flashbacks, he did make it out. But now trapped in the circus, he is as far away from there as he can be, he is hidden. Going back to the real world means more running.
''Why is he such an asshole though?'' I'm not gonna explain the whole psychology to you, especially as there are definitely gaps in my knowledge, but this is from experience: sometimes when traumatised people finally are in a new environment and they no longer have to run or are the victim, they become the bully instead. As a way of regaining control. You've probably heard about the thing where bullies usually pick on someone to hide something about themselves. I feel like that's largely what Jax is doing too. He is overcompensating in the wrong direction, being mean so nobody will or wants to look deeper into what makes him insecure.
Even with all that explored, obviously it's still possible for Jax to be a supervillain. The thing that deters me from that thought completely is that Gooseworx on multiple occassions has said Jax is the most like her, or most relatable. Jax as a character is incredibly complicated, nuanced, grey. It's easy to relate to him if you peel back the outer layers. I don't think Goose would say this about a character if they were secretly the worst person on Earth, the way people are trying to make Jax seem.
There is a lot to say about Jax, but I think that might be better for a future post. I hope this gives some more insight.
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