@kavinsgay
I especially liked the ending, because [SPOIL ALERT] usually when the character knows that they’re meant to be sacrificed to one angry god despise they didn’t asked for it or choose to exchange their life, well they find a way to escape him ou kill him or are just terrified about him (angry god trying to kill me, yeah ok it’s terrifying).
But here she’s just not okay with it, she embraces it. She was looking for her missing part all her life, in reality and in the red forest dimension. When she meet the rabbit god in his teacher form, he is not angry with her, he looks sad. He was promised something, and something that allows the cycle to be complete, so it doesnt feel like “angry sacrifice”, but more like a promise of life. He could just “take her”, but she didn’t understand yet who he is, and he doesn’t want it that way ; this god waits for Ostara to want him. The sister was not hurt in the forest during the equinox, and he will not hurt her either. He respects Ostara and her gift.
And when she undestand that the rabbit god want her, she feels complete. She find her answer, her sister, her purpose, all in the rabbit god. For once, we have a character that is willing to be sacrificed for the greater good, because it has always been her purpose and it’s a relief for her to be finally able to know it, to know her ending.
So yeah, I like it.
that’s actually a good point, i think what you’re describing would have been a neat and tidy way to wrap up the show, i think that coming to that acceptance is an interesting concept that they should have spent way more time establishing. because they spent a long time establishing that this was a cycle/circle and at the end ostara would sacrifice herself for life to go on but at the same time, none of the people involved seemingly have their own free will? which i think is another interesting concept but the two together make astrid’s decision to sacrifice herself feel hollow even if the rabbit king waited for her because did she really make that decision herself?
this is honestly where i think they lost me because the tone of the shows first 5 episodes didn’t feel right for that hopeful ending, the tonal shift from the dark mood they spent the first 5 episodes building only to have the ending be her sacrificing herself felt strange. it honestly felt like existential horror to me because i didn’t think there was the proper amount of build up of her reaching the point you’re describing. especially considering she leaves her daughter behind in the process, it makes it hard for me to bridge the gap between the two ideas if any of what i just said makes any sense.
(but also sidenote, I think i would have enjoyed an ending much more if the rabbit king was anyone but henrik? because then there would be no direct link(especially because he’s her teacher/an adult she trusts) into ida’s life because that inadvertently makes the rabbit king seem pervy to say the least rather than a wronged god.)
I agree, there was 2 tones and the transition doesn’t go smoothly. What I said early only applies to the ending (or the end of the ending). The part of Astrid’s acceptance of her Ostara’s status was dropped a little too fast when the main point seemed to be the searching of Ida. I really liked the concept but the transition of “where the fuck is my sister” to “she’s with the rabbit god, he wants me too, let’s gOoOo” is sloppy.
Some things felt unnecessary ; like the rabbit god was angry when he doesn”t get Ida’s baby. Why kidnapp the other teens ? What are the others families doing? If the point is to get Astrid, having Ida is enough (and it also punish Lene because she is the one who modified the deal). The other teens are useless in the story ? Except the 3 “friends”... I’m not sure I get why Falke is so stressed and crazy when he talks to Astrid, tho. Maybe I’m not remembering right.
And we are so focused on the cycle thing/rabbit god that we are not even really investigating why Astrid have these red forest visions, like ok it’s a connection with the rabbit god but how ?
Some backstory with Astrid’s daughter would have made the sacrifice and the fact that she abandons her more logical : as viewers, we somehow understand that she didn’t get love from her mother and is somehow replicating this or that when she lost Ida she could just not be emotionaly involved in any relation, even with her own child, but what if she didn’t felt any bond because she has always been antipating the fact that, as Ostara, she’s going to leave ?
As Ostara, was Ida seing the red forest too before Lene modified the deal ?
AND HENRIK BEING THE RABBIT GOD IS TOTALLY PERVY omg I’m glad I’m not the only like wtf people if it was for the purpose of the rabbit god monitoring his gifts he could have been anyone else ? Or a shadow man, a dream, scaring only Ida or Lene (and Astrid) ? I’m a teacher myself, I was offended D’: