While rewatching "The Gaslight District", I focused on Ken's speech during the "the human death ceremony". Thought this would be interesting to discuss.
We all saw Mel's terrified face during the speech (my poor scared baby), and many reacted with: "Damn Ken, you went too hard!" "It's okay Mel, Dad didn't mean it!" But what if he did...?
At the start of his speech, Ken looks at Mel to ensure she's listening before turning away. His delivery is intentionally harsh, precise, and terrifying (that sinister smile says it all).
Not to mention how Ken's shadow watches with visible pleasure as Mel flinches.
Yet when the speech ends, Ken calmly softens and nudges Mel to smash the egg with "Now, just like you planned" - emphasizing this was always her idea.
Why would Ken do this? It's protection. "If my child sees how rotlings revel in speeches about killing false human, she'll become more cautious." Ken remains a parent who views this trauma as "instilling protective fear" - a harsh but potentially lifesaving lesson.
I love this interpretation because it highlights Ken's imperfections (not all parenting methods are good) - which makes his character so compelling.