I've always wanted to make a little intro post, so perhaps today will be the day! Hiya, hey, I go by "Lyen" or "Lynher," and thank you for visiting my page!
On most social media, I am a private account main and am a huge lurker of fandom spaces! Being public intimidates me, but Tumblr doesn't have a private account option, LOL. However, I do intend on using Tumblr as my outlet to engage and ramble about medias I enjoy, so perhaps this will be good for me.
I enjoy using Tumblr as a space for me to primarily drop any art or ramblings (headcanons) that I create for characters of the media I like. Sadly, this can be quite uncommon because my most persistent and prevalent obsessions are my own OCs, which I sparsely posted online in various different locations.
β¦That is to say that most of my energy and art goes into my OCs, but any fandom works that I am proud of will be redirected here! What a long-winded way to say that my Tumblr page is a space dedicated to my fandom artworks and occasional ramblings </3. Once again, I thank you for reading, and I hope my works interest you!
There is definitely a more profound and complex explanation for Bridget's transformation into the (evil) Queen of Hearts in the original timeline, but my personal headcanon is that it was the workings of dark magic!
I apologize if I'm missing or overlooking anything or if this interpretation diminishes or takes away from Bridget's character, but my first impressions are that it's difficult for me to believe that Bridget went from "sweet-natured, bubbly, generous" to abusive and tyrannical because of one event. (Realistically, I believe there was more to it, but a lot of emphasis was placed on Uliana's prank as the reason she snapped, so that is why I am focusing so much on it!
My personal headcanon is that, following the prank, similar to Audrey's Queen of Mean transformation, an object endowed with dark magic sought out the heartbroken, emotionally fragile Bridget. Being under the influence of dark magic for so long (from Merlin Academy to Rise of Red) permanently altered the QoH irreversibly.
That's my headcanon and interpretation of her, at least! I would love to use this opportunity to talk about it with others!
A lot of emphasis was put on it because this was the starting point. The snowball that became an avalanche. If someone didn't throw that snowball, there would be no avalanche, so of course people are quite fixated on it because Bridget's descent to villainy, despite as you mention being more than just that prank, could've been easily avoided if that prank just didn't occur. It was like a nat 20 of the worst things to escalate despite how little it appears to be.
Though if we do follow this train of logic (something I prefer not to do, as Bridget's story is basically Carrie White, down to the fact that you go from this pristine and pure pink to a vivid, murderous red), I could imagine that Uliana's prank that turned Bridget into the monster could essentially still be in motion, so to speak. Like maybe the uglier effects of the curse, where Bridget looks inhuman, may have been lifted, but her nature could still be influenced by that prank, which also adds to the tragedy of why everyone's fixated on the prank, because Bridget now suffers from an eternal curse where she's stuck forever as a monster and can never look how she used to and feel how she used to. This could also be an explanation why she says she and Red will be ruling the world for a million years, because she also now can never die as long as Uliana's curse exists, and it's never going away. There is no true love's kiss for this anymore.
But that's just my idea; that doesn't make it look like Chloe in Wicked Wonderland literally copypasted Bridget's turn to villainy, where there's a cursed object that corrupts you out of your mind.
From my understanding and what I understood from watching RoR, prior to the prank, regardless of the prank, and after Castlecoming, Bridget was bullied and targeted by the VKs.
I actually thought that Red and Chloe would target Bridget and Ella more after they intercepted Uliana and the other VKs! (In other words, the bullying would get more intense.) From the VKs' point of view, these two random girls appeared out of nowhere, immediately sided with Bridget and Ella, and left right away after thwarting their plans. Clearly, Bridget and Ella must've planned this; they are to blame for why Uliana keeps getting humiliated!
This was why I was so concentrated on the prank in particular (^^)! I don't doubt at all that there were other challenging aspects of Bridget's life that led her down the path she took in the original timeline, but the fact that the prank served as the catalyst piqued my curiosity! I hope this makes sense as well!
Alternatively, the VKs might have been mandated to stop harassing the other students after Merlin discovered them in his office post their failed theft attempt. I thought he would have been aware of the problem prior to the film, but maybe this was what made him decide to intervene!
This was what led me to create my own headcanon, but I'd love to hear and read about other people's interpretations! I noticed that you had your own take of what could have happened in this specific scenario, and I appreciate you entertaining my thoughts!
While this is a nice train of thought, there's another factor to be considered: Charming's involvement. Since Castlecoming was Cinderella's ball, it means that most likely, once those 2 fell in love, Charming was far more proactive in potentially protecting and taking care of Ella, and with how Uliana got stood up to in the eyes of everyone, I'm sure this around people would push back more against her rather than letting her keep on her whole shtick.
Merlin's explanation also works. It should be noted that Merlin was rather oblivious to it, but Chloe and Red bringing Uliana to justice certainly changed things up.
There is definitely a more profound and complex explanation for Bridget's transformation into the (evil) Queen of Hearts in the original timeline, but my personal headcanon is that it was the workings of dark magic!
I apologize if I'm missing or overlooking anything or if this interpretation diminishes or takes away from Bridget's character, but my first impressions are that it's difficult for me to believe that Bridget went from "sweet-natured, bubbly, generous" to abusive and tyrannical because of one event. (Realistically, I believe there was more to it, but a lot of emphasis was placed on Uliana's prank as the reason she snapped, so that is why I am focusing so much on it!
My personal headcanon is that, following the prank, similar to Audrey's Queen of Mean transformation, an object endowed with dark magic sought out the heartbroken, emotionally fragile Bridget. Being under the influence of dark magic for so long (from Merlin Academy to Rise of Red) permanently altered the QoH irreversibly.
That's my headcanon and interpretation of her, at least! I would love to use this opportunity to talk about it with others!
A lot of emphasis was put on it because this was the starting point. The snowball that became an avalanche. If someone didn't throw that snowball, there would be no avalanche, so of course people are quite fixated on it because Bridget's descent to villainy, despite as you mention being more than just that prank, could've been easily avoided if that prank just didn't occur. It was like a nat 20 of the worst things to escalate despite how little it appears to be.
Though if we do follow this train of logic (something I prefer not to do, as Bridget's story is basically Carrie White, down to the fact that you go from this pristine and pure pink to a vivid, murderous red), I could imagine that Uliana's prank that turned Bridget into the monster could essentially still be in motion, so to speak. Like maybe the uglier effects of the curse, where Bridget looks inhuman, may have been lifted, but her nature could still be influenced by that prank, which also adds to the tragedy of why everyone's fixated on the prank, because Bridget now suffers from an eternal curse where she's stuck forever as a monster and can never look how she used to and feel how she used to. This could also be an explanation why she says she and Red will be ruling the world for a million years, because she also now can never die as long as Uliana's curse exists, and it's never going away. There is no true love's kiss for this anymore.
But that's just my idea; that doesn't make it look like Chloe in Wicked Wonderland literally copypasted Bridget's turn to villainy, where there's a cursed object that corrupts you out of your mind.
From my understanding and what I understood from watching RoR, prior to the prank, regardless of the prank, and after Castlecoming, Bridget was bullied and targeted by the VKs.
I actually thought that Red and Chloe would target Bridget and Ella more after they intercepted Uliana and the other VKs! (In other words, the bullying would get more intense.) From the VKs' point of view, these two random girls appeared out of nowhere, immediately sided with Bridget and Ella, and left right away after thwarting their plans. Clearly, Bridget and Ella must've planned this; they are to blame for why Uliana keeps getting humiliated!
This was why I was so concentrated on the prank in particular (^^)! I don't doubt at all that there were other challenging aspects of Bridget's life that led her down the path she took in the original timeline, but the fact that the prank served as the catalyst piqued my curiosity! I hope this makes sense as well!
Alternatively, the VKs might have been mandated to stop harassing the other students after Merlin discovered them in his office post their failed theft attempt. I thought he would have been aware of the problem prior to the film, but maybe this was what made him decide to intervene!
This was what led me to create my own headcanon, but I'd love to hear and read about other people's interpretations! I noticed that you had your own take of what could have happened in this specific scenario, and I appreciate you entertaining my thoughts!
There is definitely a more profound and complex explanation for Bridget's transformation into the (evil) Queen of Hearts in the original timeline, but my personal headcanon is that it was the workings of dark magic!
I apologize if I'm missing or overlooking anything or if this interpretation diminishes or takes away from Bridget's character, but my first impressions are that it's difficult for me to believe that Bridget went from "sweet-natured, bubbly, generous" to abusive and tyrannical because of one event. (Realistically, I believe there was more to it, but a lot of emphasis was placed on Uliana's prank as the reason she snapped, so that is why I am focusing so much on it!
My personal headcanon is that, following the prank, similar to Audrey's Queen of Mean transformation, an object endowed with dark magic sought out the heartbroken, emotionally fragile Bridget. Being under the influence of dark magic for so long (from Merlin Academy to Rise of Red) permanently altered the QoH irreversibly.
That's my headcanon and interpretation of her, at least! I would love to use this opportunity to talk about it with others!
I just want to preface that I think enjoyability and "objectively good" movie reviews should be separate while being fully capable of existing simultaneously with one another, πββοΈ! I just need an outlet to organize my thoughts!
PRIOR TO MOVIE THOUGHTS:
I wasn't a big fan of a certain fandom's portrayal regarding how Red and Chloe would act toward each other because of their actresses behind the scenes. Naturally, their characters and how they interact with each other are influenced by their actresses' level of comfort with each other, but they are distinct entities!
That is to say, I saw a lot of interesting characterizations of Hazel Hook before the film came out that portrayed her in this "savior" light (?) and I didn't really like that, so I felt like a contrarian to be so pleased with how Hazel actually is in the film, LOL. (I will elaborate on this point later!)
Despite its flaws, I enjoyed Descendants: Rise of Red because it was so lead-centric! (Err, something, something. 'Distinction between enjoyability and objective goodness. Something, something.)
In my ideal world, I would have loved to see more of just Red and Chloe working together against a common enemy. They're like soulmates to me, LOL. Their souls are linked; they've shared such a unique experience that I doubt anyone else could fully comprehend it but each other.
This is to say... I think the cast is a little too bloated now. I think the decision to try and include so many moving parts negatively impacted the story from the start, but I still found the characters to be enjoyable!
I CAN'T FIND THE TWEET ANYMORE, BUT I SAW A POST THAT SAID SOMETHING LIKE, "Disney saw everyone shipping Red and Chloe and said, 'Quick, add 7 brand new men to the script immediately," and I thought it was pretty #REAL, LOL.
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'SUBSTANTIAL' MOVIE THOUGHTS:
The pacing is kind of WACKY! Wicked Wonderland (WW) taking place the immediate day following the events that unfolded in Rise of Red (RoR) was kind of jarring. It was two years in real-time from the RoR to WW, so I forget this too, but realistically, Chloe and Red only knew each other for like a couple of days by this point.
I think it makes the points Chloe makes further down the movie a little drastic, but experiencing a life-changing event with someone can make you forget that you've only just met a few days ago, me thinks. It's not entirely unbelievable to me!
Undoubtedly, they've learned a lot about each other in such a short span of time! However, there are still aspects of each other that they haven't encountered yet, and I think WW addresses those elements.
During Perfect Princess, Chloe was able to identify everybodyβI wonder if she knew them beforehand in the old timeline!
Headcanon that I've adopted regarding Max and Red! I think that they were something like family friends! Grew up together but weren't particularly close, LOL. Regardless, I'd like to think Red knew enough of him to be taken aback that he's supposedly "evil" in this timeline, heh.
My personal headcanons:
Red, in my opinion, underwent the most drastic change from the original timeline, but Chloe was struggling more to cope with the pressure and subtle shifts.
I headcanon Red to have some avoidant tendencies; she appeared to be so scatterbrained throughout the film, solely focusing on the pressing matter at hand and saving her mother because she didn't want to dwell too much in the present moment. It was probably unfamiliar to her, and doing so would force her to process her emotions and thoughts, LOL.
THIS is much to Chloe's chagrin ("Can we talk about this afternoon? You kind of blew me off"), because she desperately needed someone to talk to! I headcanon Chloe to be the type of person who needs an outlet to process her thoughts and emotions; bottling them up inside makes her feel worse. I think that simply being heard would have helped to substantially alleviate a significant portion of her stress during this film.
I also think that Red's behavior can undoubtedly come across as selfish and dismissive, but I believe it is a flaw in her that stems from her upbringing in the original timeline rather than her being Heartless.
I forget if an exact timeframe was ever specified, but I wonder how much time has passed since the barrier was taken down and RoR/WW. Luis' reaction to the VKs ("Drop the act, Max. No one's buying it. No matter how hard you pretend not to be your father", it makes me forget that the AKs still hold some unsavory feelings towards the VKs.
("Our interests don't exactly align.") This is completely self-indulgent on my part, but I also believe Chloe's initial disposition toward the VKs stemmed from her desire to spend this adventure alone with Red, LOL. Soulmatismsβnobody else could possibly understand each other like they do! It was "their mess" to begin with. They can fix it together!
I believe that spending time with Red in the past and having the opportunity to understand her better would make her far less judgemental of the other VKs in the present timeline! Her personal beef with Hazel and Felix was most likely because she knew them in the original timeline... rather than judging solely on the basis that they're VKs... That's my hunch! BUT ALSO, both Chloe and Red react like ππ when the rest of the HKs pull up feeds fuel to my delusions, HAHA. She doesn't want ANYBODY ELSE, regardless of their affiliations, to join them; she just wants to go with Red!
Red's behavior towards the other VKsβ¦ I believe that because of her background as a technically former VK, she finds kinship and connection with them. I believe that's why she gravitated towards Max! I think it's partially "these are my people," but also the "being a villain / having these villainous tendencies is all I've ever knownβ¦" type beat. I think that is what Red was attempting to convey when she said things like "VKs got it" and "I'm used to their ways of doing things," which was not necessarily that she is and wants to be an evil villain but something along these lines. I hope this makes sense, π.
I WONDER what happened in this timeline that made Cinderella different than how she was in the original timeline. Was it Bridget's additional presence that caused her to become more strict? ("There are rules. Chloe. Protocols to follow." "We don't break rules, Chloe, even for a good cause.") I'm not sure!
I THINK THE MOST EGREGIOUS PART OF THIS ENTIRE MOVIE WAS THE FUCKING PORTAL IN CINDERELLA'S MIRROR????????????? You're telling me that the main entrance to Wonderland got closed off and the only other portal was wasted by Cinderella??? WHY DIDN'T ANYONE WAIT FOR HELP πππ? Everybody could've stormed the palace through her secret portal and caught Maddox off guard. OR, YOU COULD HAVE IMMEDIATELY PULLED BRIDGET FROM WONDERLAND AND INTO THE PORTAL TO SAFETY??? WHY DID THEY DO THAT? πππ
I absolutely love how dynamic both Luis and Hazel are! The following points will be referring to "Did You Hear About Them?"
Luis is likely optimistic by nature, but it's also probably a byproduct of the underlying high expectations placed on him, but I find it so refreshing that he is also a bit indignant in the way he defends his own worth and accomplishments.
Hazel is so fierce and threatening, and it's super obvious that she cares very deeply for her crew, but she's also so... SILLY? She's just a girlβ’οΈ; it's incredibly endearing!
RETURNING MY EARLIER POINTS! Chloe just needed someone to talk to and she really wanted to spend more time with Red (alone) π₯Ί.
The sequence following "Did You Hear About Them?" regarding Chloe and Red's talk:
C: "Well, you kind of blew me off. I thought we were going to figure this out together."
R: "It's not like that. I'm justβ"
C: "You don't want to listen to what I have to say. I'm not sure why I even came."
R: "I thought you came to help clean up the mess we left in our wake, Chloe."
I believe Chloe is venting right now; since returning to the present, she has been carrying a lot of emotions inside and hasn't had a proper opportunity to articulate them yet.
She is expressing her frustration to Red ("You kind of blew me off. I thought we were going to figure this out together."
Red, who has been trying to occupy her mind this entire time with saving her mom, finally takes a moment to try and open up. ("It's not like that. I'm justβ")
("I'm not sure why I even came.") IMMEDIATE TONE SHIFT! Red was on the verge of being vulnerable and opening up, but she quickly hardened and returned to the goal at hand!
I think it was this moment that they both realized that they still don't know each other completely!
R: "Right now that's Max. He's trying to help, too, and he's being judged for what his dad did, not who he is. Sound familiar?"
C: "Yeah."
Something, something, kinship! Something, something, Red finds kinship in Max and the other VKs. Chloe continues to suppress her feelings π.
C: "I'll go with you. It's my mess, too."
R: "No, I think he needs to hear it from me."
Urgh, I'm not sure why Red wanted to exclude Chloe from this part, but I think she was too in her head...? She probably blamed herself for the mess because having a loving mother was "what her heart most desired." None of this would have happened if it weren't what her heart desired. She probably blames herself heavily for everything she has ever done wrong. Headcanon adopted from this tweet!
Chess Board Sequence (and other adjacent moments):
HAZEL GIVING CHLOE A HARD TIME POST-CONVERSATION WITH RED (πππ). She's already having a hard time; oh my goodness gracious, she is not in the right mental headspace to be the receiver of all these jabs.
I find her interactions and dynamics with Chloe and Red to be particularly interesting. Belittling Chloe by implying she is beneath Red and telling her to get her head out of her tiara... she is hostile to the HKs; it's interesting, but totally in character based on how the HKs and VKs interacted with each other at the start! Red immediately backing up Hazel is also in character following the previous conversations, but it definitely doesn't hurt Chloe any less.
I absolutely adore how Red earns Hazel's respect through "Dancing with the Enemy"! The little jab "Oh, they listen when she says it (-.-)" was so silly, HAHA. #TBH, there was probably already a little bit of mutual respect between the two since entering Wonderland, but I like to think that this was the moment where she truly regarded Red as more than just an HK and a perfect princess. Better yet, I loved how Red took control and earned the respect of all the other VKs, too!
The Infamous Assassin Plant Scene. I loooveeee that Hazel and Red were on the same wavelength! They saw the assassin flower and knew exactly what to do! Musicals are silly, so I like to think of them as an alternative for exposition. I believe the song was intended to represent Red "explaining the plan."
In Red's mind, Chloe is most definitely not a helpless maiden in need of saving, especially after the events of RoR! She knows this better than anyone else! They traveled back in time and fought the old VKs! Red saw Chloe's sword-fighting abilities. She knows Chloe is more than capable of holding her own!
I read that scene as Red assuming that Chloe already knew the plan (catch the assassin plant with her dagger) so that Red could jump on it and take over the game. However, Chloe was disoriented and not in a good mental state, so she made a mistake, and Hazel, WHO SHARES THE SAME WAVELENGTH AS RED (!!!), took over and hooked it. It's ultimately a big misunderstanding!
White Rabbit & Post-"For Once in My Life":
Urgh. I wish Red's and Chloe's argument wasn't so surface-level? I understood the point of the argument and why it took place, but the topics brought up by both characters fell flat for me. It is entirely possible that I didn't pick up on important details for context, though!
I believe the bottom line was that Chloe was overwhelmed and ultimately lashed out; Red continues to dismiss her feelings, causing Chloe to become even more upset and flee. This makes sense to me! However, bringing up the different sides, doing whatever is most convenient, and referring to each other as villains? There must have been something underlying that I didn't notice, because it felt out of place. I THINK it was due to everything overwhelming Chloe, so she brings up everything that bothered her. However, because she brought up those less relevant details, Red began to respond with rebukes of her own, diverting the conversation away from the main topic that Chloe wanted to communicate, that being how Chloe is drowning from all the stress and pressure and just needed someone to talk to. I think I'm understanding it correctly? I hope I am!
"Heartless" and other adjacent moments:
There's a good chance I'm wrong about this statement, but I don't believe that Red did anything in this film to justify the others deeming her as "Heartless." I completely understand Max's feelings of hurt and betrayal upon seeing the original timeline and everything he had lost (and I believe I've already discussed all of my thoughts regarding Chloe). However, I wish she defended herself and mentioned how everyone else would have been utterly fucked if they remained in the original timeline. Both Cinderella and King Charming would have been dead. Fairy Godmother and Uma, too, probably.
What Red's heart truly desired most was a mom who loved her, but during RoR, in an attempt to prevent her mother from starting the coop and killing everybody, she tried to turn the clock back a few minutes and grab her cards; that was what she wanted to do. She didn't know that the Pocketwatch would make her rewrite the entire timeline. I don't think she's as selfish as the others depict her to be π.
Y'know, on the topic of people using Chloe as a pawn for their own convenience, I believe Max was actually the person who did so. (He was acting from a place of hurt, but he still did it.) He saw her involvement in time travel, wanted to use her for his own benefit, and took advantage of her vulnerable mental state.
Evil!Chloe kinda being Max's mad scientist creation, is so entertaining and interesting to me as a mad scientist enthusiast, hehe. The dark magic making Chloe evil-smiley and giddy scratches a little itch in my brain, and Max's reaction to her as something akin to a nervous smile makes me happy, HAHA.
Ending:
Evil!Chloe sure is hung up about being the omega of the two. (JOKE.)
Red being the only one who has the slightest chance of freeing Chloe from the grip of dark magic. Max had absolutely no chance, HAHA. Chloe becoming increasingly more emotional when Red focused her full attention on her... π₯Ή.
Oh, I would have loved a tender moment in which these two sang a reprise of "Fight of Our Lives."
"We might not be a team, but we have to try. Can I change your heart or just... change your mind? ...I don't want to be on opposite sides for the rest of our lives." Can a lyricist help me out here?
BIG OL' GRIPE that I had with the ending of this movie was how Maddox's and Max's traumas didn't feel properly addressed π. Maddox was probably gaslit to think he was crazy for his entire life, but there was merit to what he believed in and saw! It doesn't justify his actions as a villain, but it feels unfair to have him jailed up and thrown away like that. I'd love for Red and Chloe to have a more in-depth conversation with Max about his life in the original timeline! I believe that would give Max and Red a chance to bond. I think it would give him some closure at the very least.
I THINK I touched base with everything I wanted to discuss about this movie! I'll probably update it as it comes along if I have another thought that I forgot to mention, but this was a full-day activity for me, LOL. Thank you for reading this, dear reader!
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Miscellaneous
How powerful are the QoH's card set and magic?
Was the Jabberwocky mentioned at all?
I believe Red's attitude during the "The Queen of Hearts has been captured" scene can be interpreted in different ways. "Red's so high and mighty, expecting people to listen to her because she's a 'perfect princess' π" is probably what some of the VKs thought, but I think that she was attempting to exercise righteousness, LOL. "Give that back to me; it is not yours."
"OH MY HEARTS!!!" SOOO CUTE, BUT SCARING CHLOE AND RED, LOL. Luis immediately catching her when she collapsed, too. I'm thinking this crew of HKs were childhood friends?
Pink being friends with all the creatures of Wonderland is so cute!
Luis is so smitten for Red, HAHA. He was probably so confused when she lashed out at him during the backyard scene.
Does Chloe know to tinker with gadgets and gizmos? New headcanon unlocked, heh.
Alpha Red and Omega Chloe. π₯Έ.
Perhaps I missed something, but I didn't understand why Max suddenly became interested in Chloe post-"Dancing with the Enemy" π€. I understand why he sought her out after seeing the original timeline, but I'm not sure why he spoke to her currently! I'm assuming he doesn't vibe with Red because her mother banished his father and him to the Isle of the Lost, but what exactly about Chloe, the other half of the seemingly perfect princess HK, interests him? BIG FAN of how Chloe does NAWT fuck with Max, though, LOL; even as a villain, she doesn't.
Once again, Luis wants Red so badly, HAHA. He wants to spend so much time alone with her; it's kind of amusing. I like to personally interpret "For Once in My Life" as a song about Luis and Red discovering and navigating through their feelings for one another, rather than the first time they've ever felt love! (I believe this was how it was advertised?) That spot would go to Chloe (for Red), and Mirabel would never let any of the kids feel unloved!
IJBOL. THIS MADE ME LAUGH SO HARD WHEN I FIRST WATCHED IT. THEY'RE JUST GIGGLING AND RUNNING. FROLICKING. FHJKGSDFHGKJ.
Lovely post, though let me add my few cents to perhaps clarify some things.
Regarding Ella, I absolutely do think that Bridget being part of Ella's life for longer absolutely influenced why Ella is stricter with Chloe. Hints of it are in their duet "The Girl I Used to Be".
It's all curtsy, put it on, smile, wave
Lucky girl, be happy, behave
We need to put into perspective what Ella's situation would look like: she goes from a poor and abused girl who needs to make herself clothes from scraps and wonders whether or not she will be allowed to eat or sleep in a bed instead of a barn, and now suddenly Charming saves her after the ball, and she goes from rags to riches. Like, we kind of see how it's difficult to adjust to such a lifestyle through Mal in Descendants 2. I can imagine Ella also not being used to the life Charming is living while also openly detesting it, as she did in Rise of Red.
In the unchanged timeline, the original timeline, since Charming himself also didn't particularly liked being defined by his prince statue, I can imagine that him and Cinderella unlike Ben and Mal managed to meet each other in the middle for Ella to adjust but be rather lax, so while she still learned to be prim and proper, it didn't feel like a duty as Charming would've never expected it from her. All he wanted was to love her and save her from her terrible situation.
However, in the changed timeline where Bridget is still around, and she and Ella never grow apart, Bridget is the factor that changes things. Both Charming and Bridget are royalty, but whereas Charming never exactly wanted to be defined by his title, Bridget, despite not being like other royals according to Ella, still most likely knew how to be a proper royal, along with wanting to be a proper queen in the future. She would most likely know ins and outs regarding it and would most likely share them with Ella after seeing her struggle (think of Glinda's "Popular", except it's Bridget singing about being a "Royal") and Ella would follow her advice because she's her friend and she wants to cause the least trouble to Charming and his status and family (and while Charming didn't want to be defined by his title, he also didn't want to reject it either, so he would comply).
So of course you have Cinderella saying "she always wanted to be a true princess" because after Castlecoming, she would have wanted to fit in the new environment that saved her from an abusive household, and of course she would pressure Chloe to always be a perfect princess because that was the way to navigate Ella's new lifestyle. So even though Ella and Bridget kept their friendship, which was a good thing, the trade-off was that both Ella and Bridget let themselves be imprisoned by the conventions of being royals, so their duet is not them being imprisoned literally but indeed metaphorically.
This also might explain why Ella didn't immediately bring out the mirror. Cinderella is now focused on playing her part, so she's sticking to the rules way more than she ever did (and seemingly didn't use the mirror because of this in years). However, once Chloe puts herself in danger, Ella snaps out of it and considers going with the obvious solution, but also makes the mistake of going to the opposite extreme and going in alone and unarmed, letting Maddox take advantage of the situation and imprison her too. Charmings just don't know the meaning of nuance.
Regarding Chloe: Chloe brings up how she and Red's relationship started with Chloe describing herself as "goody-two-shoes that tagged along," by explicitly stating that's how Red sees her. Red, being defensive, would reply, "If the shoe fits," which was absolutely cold and brutal on Red's part, which is why Chloe would think Red is being 'heartless' because it was a hit below the belt for Chloe. You're right, Chloe is bringing out ALL of her frustrations with Red because Chloe thought that after time travelling, they're past the stage where they're too different to get along, but turns out they still aren't, and both girls lampshade this with this exchange. So it's a relationship regression for them, and they're both upset over it.
Mind you, Red didn't have an opportunity to explain her situation to Max, as he didn't even want to listen to her because, to Max, that's not even the point. Yes, everyone would be fucked under the tyrannical Queen of Hearts, but Max was always going to be fucked. Like Max wouldn't care that the world around him is falling apart because Max's true desire, what he would want, is to get his loving dad back, because Red gained a loving parent at his expense, and that isn't fair. What's worse is that Red didn't even come clean to him, and he had to figure it out on his own. If Red was sincere that she was to blame, especially when comforting him, he potentially wouldn't be this upset with her, but she didn't tell him the truth, so it felt like she was playing him while refusing to take accountability. To him, that's heartless too.
So yeah, both Max and Chloe are hurt by Red and in a very bad mental and emotional state over it. Max wants to lash out, and Chloe genuinely feels like her life fell apart, so even though Chloe knows that Max wants to take advantage of her and Max knows that what he's doing isn't any different from what he thinks Red did, neither of them cares anymore because of how hurt they are. Neither of them makes this decision in the right state of mind, because once both of them calm down, they literally don't proceed to continue further with it either. They just crashed out.
You did pretty well with your version of Fight Of Our Lives, as personally, I don't think you can really transform this song, it just doesn't fit like "figure it out together," but gold star for trying and coming up with something.
For the record, I'm pretty sure Red is going to help out Maddox and Max more. It is true that Maddox was unfairly gaslit, and Red takes accountability for it in the end, but at the same time, Maddox is still unstable and did horrible things. Having him jailed is less about kicking him while he's down, but rather protecting yourself from his very fragile mental state. I could imagine perhaps Maddox now living in a tower or a basement that could function as his house arrest, where he gets proper help this time, but is unable to break out of, so he wouldn't have any new crazy ideas. Perhaps Max also moves into the castle now, even though I'm pretty sure he, Red, and Pink are supposed to technically live at Auradon Prep anyway for the duration of the school year, though maybe they don't. For what it's worth, I'm sure Red will make things right in the end, even if offscreen, but it's for the best, as it would be one hell of a long conversation and a therapy session.
Queen of Hearts' cards are powerful; she controls the entire Wonderland and could even take over Auradon. She may not be as powerful as Hades or Maleficent, but she has the power and means to still overtake Auradon on her own and destroy Fae's wand, while altering the environment around her however she wants.
No, Jabberwocky was not mentioned at all.
Chloe's the straight-A student, perfect princess. She has multitudes of hidden talents by default.
Max was empathetic and tried to lift Chloe up after seeing her down. He said it himself, Red's just like him, and what did Red do? Comfort him. He also is not a bad guy despite being rough around the edges.
Ok, that's all I'm going to add. I hope it clears some stuff up.
WAOW! I'm still a noob at Tumblr, so I hope I'm tagging you correctly, but I just wanted to thank you for not only reading through my wall of texts but also for providing me with your feedback! These are all incredibly insightful!
While watching the film, I was wondering if there was a deeper purpose to "The Girl I Used To Be" other than to further characterize Ella and Bridget in the new timeline, but this was extremely helpful! Thank you!
I also appreciate your input regarding Chloe's and Max's perception of Red as "heartless!" I think I was too caught up in looking at her through the lens of the omniscient viewer and forgot that the other characters, from their perspective, have no idea about the internal turmoil and inner workings of Red! From their view, it would most definitely be very different.
"If the shoe fits," from Red, directed towards Chloe, THE DAUGHTER OF CINDERELLA, was so crazy-unhinged. It's no wonder why Chloe was so hurt by that! Red, out of anybody, should know. "I thought... I thought we were closer than this?" How could she say something, knowing that it was so personal, to hurt her so deeply?
From Max's point of view, when Red first approached him to talk about what had happened after Pink's outburst, he brought up time travel in front of the person who literally time traveled, and she said nothing. Truthfully, I'm not sure how I'd approach this topic if I were in her shoes! Changing time and reality is not something I would so easily share with others. (I'm thinking about how in common superhero stories, a character will gain powers and not reveal them to anyone, including their closest friends, but that's a whole other off-topic tangent in and of itself, LOL! It's lying by omission, but it's deliberately hidden for a reason. I hope this makes sense!) BUT, back to Max! Red came to "comfort" him and said nothing about time travel at all! Did she really care at all? Was she just trying to toy with him and laugh in his face?
IT MAKES SENSE TO ME NOW! Thank you for taking the time to thoroughly explain everything to me!
First, for such a sweet reply, and also for giving me a chance to actually think of the importance of "The Girl I used to be," as I have to admit that I also didn't really think of it until it came to me when reading your post, so I'm grateful for you giving me this opportunity, as Bridgella/Glassrose is truly gem to behold.
It's rather common to sometimes forget that characters involved in the story have a limited point of reference when the audience is privy to knowing everything, but anybody can make this mistake, so it's no big deal.
Genuinely, people never talk about how Red's comeback was beyond cold and brutal. It's always "why is Chloe so upset" and never "how could Red have said that". I don't entirely fault Red for it, though, but I wish more people would notice it as it's such a wham line and something that definitely solidified Chloe's assessment of Red being "heartless".
You hit the nail on the head with Max on this. Of course, Red didn't mean to toy with Max, but it certainly came off like that (and also not the shoes joke). For what it's worth, both Red and Chloe are professional enough to know to not spill the team on what they did, as they objectively know that realistically telling the truth could indeed cause Max's situation (and I did say that Max was hurt by Red not revealing the truth, but I can also imagine him getting upset even if Red told him the truth, maybe not to the same extent, but still) and it wasn't until Maddox's life was on the line, along with Red growing once more to recognize her own shortcomings and take accountability for it.
Overall messy situation, but it's so interesting to explore. Red really is a vigilante. Flaws and perks and all.
I just want to preface that I think enjoyability and "objectively good" movie reviews should be separate while being fully capable of existing simultaneously with one another, πββοΈ! I just need an outlet to organize my thoughts!
PRIOR TO MOVIE THOUGHTS:
I wasn't a big fan of a certain fandom's portrayal regarding how Red and Chloe would act toward each other because of their actresses behind the scenes. Naturally, their characters and how they interact with each other are influenced by their actresses' level of comfort with each other, but they are distinct entities!
That is to say, I saw a lot of interesting characterizations of Hazel Hook before the film came out that portrayed her in this "savior" light (?) and I didn't really like that, so I felt like a contrarian to be so pleased with how Hazel actually is in the film, LOL. (I will elaborate on this point later!)
Despite its flaws, I enjoyed Descendants: Rise of Red because it was so lead-centric! (Err, something, something. 'Distinction between enjoyability and objective goodness. Something, something.)
In my ideal world, I would have loved to see more of just Red and Chloe working together against a common enemy. They're like soulmates to me, LOL. Their souls are linked; they've shared such a unique experience that I doubt anyone else could fully comprehend it but each other.
This is to say... I think the cast is a little too bloated now. I think the decision to try and include so many moving parts negatively impacted the story from the start, but I still found the characters to be enjoyable!
I CAN'T FIND THE TWEET ANYMORE, BUT I SAW A POST THAT SAID SOMETHING LIKE, "Disney saw everyone shipping Red and Chloe and said, 'Quick, add 7 brand new men to the script immediately," and I thought it was pretty #REAL, LOL.
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'SUBSTANTIAL' MOVIE THOUGHTS:
The pacing is kind of WACKY! Wicked Wonderland (WW) taking place the immediate day following the events that unfolded in Rise of Red (RoR) was kind of jarring. It was two years in real-time from the RoR to WW, so I forget this too, but realistically, Chloe and Red only knew each other for like a couple of days by this point.
I think it makes the points Chloe makes further down the movie a little drastic, but experiencing a life-changing event with someone can make you forget that you've only just met a few days ago, me thinks. It's not entirely unbelievable to me!
Undoubtedly, they've learned a lot about each other in such a short span of time! However, there are still aspects of each other that they haven't encountered yet, and I think WW addresses those elements.
During Perfect Princess, Chloe was able to identify everybodyβI wonder if she knew them beforehand in the old timeline!
Headcanon that I've adopted regarding Max and Red! I think that they were something like family friends! Grew up together but weren't particularly close, LOL. Regardless, I'd like to think Red knew enough of him to be taken aback that he's supposedly "evil" in this timeline, heh.
My personal headcanons:
Red, in my opinion, underwent the most drastic change from the original timeline, but Chloe was struggling more to cope with the pressure and subtle shifts.
I headcanon Red to have some avoidant tendencies; she appeared to be so scatterbrained throughout the film, solely focusing on the pressing matter at hand and saving her mother because she didn't want to dwell too much in the present moment. It was probably unfamiliar to her, and doing so would force her to process her emotions and thoughts, LOL.
THIS is much to Chloe's chagrin ("Can we talk about this afternoon? You kind of blew me off"), because she desperately needed someone to talk to! I headcanon Chloe to be the type of person who needs an outlet to process her thoughts and emotions; bottling them up inside makes her feel worse. I think that simply being heard would have helped to substantially alleviate a significant portion of her stress during this film.
I also think that Red's behavior can undoubtedly come across as selfish and dismissive, but I believe it is a flaw in her that stems from her upbringing in the original timeline rather than her being Heartless.
I forget if an exact timeframe was ever specified, but I wonder how much time has passed since the barrier was taken down and RoR/WW. Luis' reaction to the VKs ("Drop the act, Max. No one's buying it. No matter how hard you pretend not to be your father", it makes me forget that the AKs still hold some unsavory feelings towards the VKs.
("Our interests don't exactly align.") This is completely self-indulgent on my part, but I also believe Chloe's initial disposition toward the VKs stemmed from her desire to spend this adventure alone with Red, LOL. Soulmatismsβnobody else could possibly understand each other like they do! It was "their mess" to begin with. They can fix it together!
I believe that spending time with Red in the past and having the opportunity to understand her better would make her far less judgemental of the other VKs in the present timeline! Her personal beef with Hazel and Felix was most likely because she knew them in the original timeline... rather than judging solely on the basis that they're VKs... That's my hunch! BUT ALSO, both Chloe and Red react like ππ when the rest of the HKs pull up feeds fuel to my delusions, HAHA. She doesn't want ANYBODY ELSE, regardless of their affiliations, to join them; she just wants to go with Red!
Red's behavior towards the other VKsβ¦ I believe that because of her background as a technically former VK, she finds kinship and connection with them. I believe that's why she gravitated towards Max! I think it's partially "these are my people," but also the "being a villain / having these villainous tendencies is all I've ever knownβ¦" type beat. I think that is what Red was attempting to convey when she said things like "VKs got it" and "I'm used to their ways of doing things," which was not necessarily that she is and wants to be an evil villain but something along these lines. I hope this makes sense, π.
I WONDER what happened in this timeline that made Cinderella different than how she was in the original timeline. Was it Bridget's additional presence that caused her to become more strict? ("There are rules. Chloe. Protocols to follow." "We don't break rules, Chloe, even for a good cause.") I'm not sure!
I THINK THE MOST EGREGIOUS PART OF THIS ENTIRE MOVIE WAS THE FUCKING PORTAL IN CINDERELLA'S MIRROR????????????? You're telling me that the main entrance to Wonderland got closed off and the only other portal was wasted by Cinderella??? WHY DIDN'T ANYONE WAIT FOR HELP πππ? Everybody could've stormed the palace through her secret portal and caught Maddox off guard. OR, YOU COULD HAVE IMMEDIATELY PULLED BRIDGET FROM WONDERLAND AND INTO THE PORTAL TO SAFETY??? WHY DID THEY DO THAT? πππ
I absolutely love how dynamic both Luis and Hazel are! The following points will be referring to "Did You Hear About Them?"
Luis is likely optimistic by nature, but it's also probably a byproduct of the underlying high expectations placed on him, but I find it so refreshing that he is also a bit indignant in the way he defends his own worth and accomplishments.
Hazel is so fierce and threatening, and it's super obvious that she cares very deeply for her crew, but she's also so... SILLY? She's just a girlβ’οΈ; it's incredibly endearing!
RETURNING MY EARLIER POINTS! Chloe just needed someone to talk to and she really wanted to spend more time with Red (alone) π₯Ί.
The sequence following "Did You Hear About Them?" regarding Chloe and Red's talk:
C: "Well, you kind of blew me off. I thought we were going to figure this out together."
R: "It's not like that. I'm justβ"
C: "You don't want to listen to what I have to say. I'm not sure why I even came."
R: "I thought you came to help clean up the mess we left in our wake, Chloe."
I believe Chloe is venting right now; since returning to the present, she has been carrying a lot of emotions inside and hasn't had a proper opportunity to articulate them yet.
She is expressing her frustration to Red ("You kind of blew me off. I thought we were going to figure this out together."
Red, who has been trying to occupy her mind this entire time with saving her mom, finally takes a moment to try and open up. ("It's not like that. I'm justβ")
("I'm not sure why I even came.") IMMEDIATE TONE SHIFT! Red was on the verge of being vulnerable and opening up, but she quickly hardened and returned to the goal at hand!
I think it was this moment that they both realized that they still don't know each other completely!
R: "Right now that's Max. He's trying to help, too, and he's being judged for what his dad did, not who he is. Sound familiar?"
C: "Yeah."
Something, something, kinship! Something, something, Red finds kinship in Max and the other VKs. Chloe continues to suppress her feelings π.
C: "I'll go with you. It's my mess, too."
R: "No, I think he needs to hear it from me."
Urgh, I'm not sure why Red wanted to exclude Chloe from this part, but I think she was too in her head...? She probably blamed herself for the mess because having a loving mother was "what her heart most desired." None of this would have happened if it weren't what her heart desired. She probably blames herself heavily for everything she has ever done wrong. Headcanon adopted from this tweet!
Chess Board Sequence (and other adjacent moments):
HAZEL GIVING CHLOE A HARD TIME POST-CONVERSATION WITH RED (πππ). She's already having a hard time; oh my goodness gracious, she is not in the right mental headspace to be the receiver of all these jabs.
I find her interactions and dynamics with Chloe and Red to be particularly interesting. Belittling Chloe by implying she is beneath Red and telling her to get her head out of her tiara... she is hostile to the HKs; it's interesting, but totally in character based on how the HKs and VKs interacted with each other at the start! Red immediately backing up Hazel is also in character following the previous conversations, but it definitely doesn't hurt Chloe any less.
I absolutely adore how Red earns Hazel's respect through "Dancing with the Enemy"! The little jab "Oh, they listen when she says it (-.-)" was so silly, HAHA. #TBH, there was probably already a little bit of mutual respect between the two since entering Wonderland, but I like to think that this was the moment where she truly regarded Red as more than just an HK and a perfect princess. Better yet, I loved how Red took control and earned the respect of all the other VKs, too!
The Infamous Assassin Plant Scene. I loooveeee that Hazel and Red were on the same wavelength! They saw the assassin flower and knew exactly what to do! Musicals are silly, so I like to think of them as an alternative for exposition. I believe the song was intended to represent Red "explaining the plan."
In Red's mind, Chloe is most definitely not a helpless maiden in need of saving, especially after the events of RoR! She knows this better than anyone else! They traveled back in time and fought the old VKs! Red saw Chloe's sword-fighting abilities. She knows Chloe is more than capable of holding her own!
I read that scene as Red assuming that Chloe already knew the plan (catch the assassin plant with her dagger) so that Red could jump on it and take over the game. However, Chloe was disoriented and not in a good mental state, so she made a mistake, and Hazel, WHO SHARES THE SAME WAVELENGTH AS RED (!!!), took over and hooked it. It's ultimately a big misunderstanding!
White Rabbit & Post-"For Once in My Life":
Urgh. I wish Red's and Chloe's argument wasn't so surface-level? I understood the point of the argument and why it took place, but the topics brought up by both characters fell flat for me. It is entirely possible that I didn't pick up on important details for context, though!
I believe the bottom line was that Chloe was overwhelmed and ultimately lashed out; Red continues to dismiss her feelings, causing Chloe to become even more upset and flee. This makes sense to me! However, bringing up the different sides, doing whatever is most convenient, and referring to each other as villains? There must have been something underlying that I didn't notice, because it felt out of place. I THINK it was due to everything overwhelming Chloe, so she brings up everything that bothered her. However, because she brought up those less relevant details, Red began to respond with rebukes of her own, diverting the conversation away from the main topic that Chloe wanted to communicate, that being how Chloe is drowning from all the stress and pressure and just needed someone to talk to. I think I'm understanding it correctly? I hope I am!
"Heartless" and other adjacent moments:
There's a good chance I'm wrong about this statement, but I don't believe that Red did anything in this film to justify the others deeming her as "Heartless." I completely understand Max's feelings of hurt and betrayal upon seeing the original timeline and everything he had lost (and I believe I've already discussed all of my thoughts regarding Chloe). However, I wish she defended herself and mentioned how everyone else would have been utterly fucked if they remained in the original timeline. Both Cinderella and King Charming would have been dead. Fairy Godmother and Uma, too, probably.
What Red's heart truly desired most was a mom who loved her, but during RoR, in an attempt to prevent her mother from starting the coop and killing everybody, she tried to turn the clock back a few minutes and grab her cards; that was what she wanted to do. She didn't know that the Pocketwatch would make her rewrite the entire timeline. I don't think she's as selfish as the others depict her to be π.
Y'know, on the topic of people using Chloe as a pawn for their own convenience, I believe Max was actually the person who did so. (He was acting from a place of hurt, but he still did it.) He saw her involvement in time travel, wanted to use her for his own benefit, and took advantage of her vulnerable mental state.
Evil!Chloe kinda being Max's mad scientist creation, is so entertaining and interesting to me as a mad scientist enthusiast, hehe. The dark magic making Chloe evil-smiley and giddy scratches a little itch in my brain, and Max's reaction to her as something akin to a nervous smile makes me happy, HAHA.
Ending:
Evil!Chloe sure is hung up about being the omega of the two. (JOKE.)
Red being the only one who has the slightest chance of freeing Chloe from the grip of dark magic. Max had absolutely no chance, HAHA. Chloe becoming increasingly more emotional when Red focused her full attention on her... π₯Ή.
Oh, I would have loved a tender moment in which these two sang a reprise of "Fight of Our Lives."
"We might not be a team, but we have to try. Can I change your heart or just... change your mind? ...I don't want to be on opposite sides for the rest of our lives." Can a lyricist help me out here?
BIG OL' GRIPE that I had with the ending of this movie was how Maddox's and Max's traumas didn't feel properly addressed π. Maddox was probably gaslit to think he was crazy for his entire life, but there was merit to what he believed in and saw! It doesn't justify his actions as a villain, but it feels unfair to have him jailed up and thrown away like that. I'd love for Red and Chloe to have a more in-depth conversation with Max about his life in the original timeline! I believe that would give Max and Red a chance to bond. I think it would give him some closure at the very least.
I THINK I touched base with everything I wanted to discuss about this movie! I'll probably update it as it comes along if I have another thought that I forgot to mention, but this was a full-day activity for me, LOL. Thank you for reading this, dear reader!
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Miscellaneous
How powerful are the QoH's card set and magic?
Was the Jabberwocky mentioned at all?
I believe Red's attitude during the "The Queen of Hearts has been captured" scene can be interpreted in different ways. "Red's so high and mighty, expecting people to listen to her because she's a 'perfect princess' π" is probably what some of the VKs thought, but I think that she was attempting to exercise righteousness, LOL. "Give that back to me; it is not yours."
"OH MY HEARTS!!!" SOOO CUTE, BUT SCARING CHLOE AND RED, LOL. Luis immediately catching her when she collapsed, too. I'm thinking this crew of HKs were childhood friends?
Pink being friends with all the creatures of Wonderland is so cute!
Luis is so smitten for Red, HAHA. He was probably so confused when she lashed out at him during the backyard scene.
Does Chloe know to tinker with gadgets and gizmos? New headcanon unlocked, heh.
Alpha Red and Omega Chloe. π₯Έ.
Perhaps I missed something, but I didn't understand why Max suddenly became interested in Chloe post-"Dancing with the Enemy" π€. I understand why he sought her out after seeing the original timeline, but I'm not sure why he spoke to her currently! I'm assuming he doesn't vibe with Red because her mother banished his father and him to the Isle of the Lost, but what exactly about Chloe, the other half of the seemingly perfect princess HK, interests him? BIG FAN of how Chloe does NAWT fuck with Max, though, LOL; even as a villain, she doesn't.
Once again, Luis wants Red so badly, HAHA. He wants to spend so much time alone with her; it's kind of amusing. I like to personally interpret "For Once in My Life" as a song about Luis and Red discovering and navigating through their feelings for one another, rather than the first time they've ever felt love! (I believe this was how it was advertised?) That spot would go to Chloe (for Red), and Mirabel would never let any of the kids feel unloved!
IJBOL. THIS MADE ME LAUGH SO HARD WHEN I FIRST WATCHED IT. THEY'RE JUST GIGGLING AND RUNNING. FROLICKING. FHJKGSDFHGKJ.
Lovely post, though let me add my few cents to perhaps clarify some things.
Regarding Ella, I absolutely do think that Bridget being part of Ella's life for longer absolutely influenced why Ella is stricter with Chloe. Hints of it are in their duet "The Girl I Used to Be".
It's all curtsy, put it on, smile, wave
Lucky girl, be happy, behave
We need to put into perspective what Ella's situation would look like: she goes from a poor and abused girl who needs to make herself clothes from scraps and wonders whether or not she will be allowed to eat or sleep in a bed instead of a barn, and now suddenly Charming saves her after the ball, and she goes from rags to riches. Like, we kind of see how it's difficult to adjust to such a lifestyle through Mal in Descendants 2. I can imagine Ella also not being used to the life Charming is living while also openly detesting it, as she did in Rise of Red.
In the unchanged timeline, the original timeline, since Charming himself also didn't particularly liked being defined by his prince statue, I can imagine that him and Cinderella unlike Ben and Mal managed to meet each other in the middle for Ella to adjust but be rather lax, so while she still learned to be prim and proper, it didn't feel like a duty as Charming would've never expected it from her. All he wanted was to love her and save her from her terrible situation.
However, in the changed timeline where Bridget is still around, and she and Ella never grow apart, Bridget is the factor that changes things. Both Charming and Bridget are royalty, but whereas Charming never exactly wanted to be defined by his title, Bridget, despite not being like other royals according to Ella, still most likely knew how to be a proper royal, along with wanting to be a proper queen in the future. She would most likely know ins and outs regarding it and would most likely share them with Ella after seeing her struggle (think of Glinda's "Popular", except it's Bridget singing about being a "Royal") and Ella would follow her advice because she's her friend and she wants to cause the least trouble to Charming and his status and family (and while Charming didn't want to be defined by his title, he also didn't want to reject it either, so he would comply).
So of course you have Cinderella saying "she always wanted to be a true princess" because after Castlecoming, she would have wanted to fit in the new environment that saved her from an abusive household, and of course she would pressure Chloe to always be a perfect princess because that was the way to navigate Ella's new lifestyle. So even though Ella and Bridget kept their friendship, which was a good thing, the trade-off was that both Ella and Bridget let themselves be imprisoned by the conventions of being royals, so their duet is not them being imprisoned literally but indeed metaphorically.
This also might explain why Ella didn't immediately bring out the mirror. Cinderella is now focused on playing her part, so she's sticking to the rules way more than she ever did (and seemingly didn't use the mirror because of this in years). However, once Chloe puts herself in danger, Ella snaps out of it and considers going with the obvious solution, but also makes the mistake of going to the opposite extreme and going in alone and unarmed, letting Maddox take advantage of the situation and imprison her too. Charmings just don't know the meaning of nuance.
Regarding Chloe: Chloe brings up how she and Red's relationship started with Chloe describing herself as "goody-two-shoes that tagged along," by explicitly stating that's how Red sees her. Red, being defensive, would reply, "If the shoe fits," which was absolutely cold and brutal on Red's part, which is why Chloe would think Red is being 'heartless' because it was a hit below the belt for Chloe. You're right, Chloe is bringing out ALL of her frustrations with Red because Chloe thought that after time travelling, they're past the stage where they're too different to get along, but turns out they still aren't, and both girls lampshade this with this exchange. So it's a relationship regression for them, and they're both upset over it.
Mind you, Red didn't have an opportunity to explain her situation to Max, as he didn't even want to listen to her because, to Max, that's not even the point. Yes, everyone would be fucked under the tyrannical Queen of Hearts, but Max was always going to be fucked. Like Max wouldn't care that the world around him is falling apart because Max's true desire, what he would want, is to get his loving dad back, because Red gained a loving parent at his expense, and that isn't fair. What's worse is that Red didn't even come clean to him, and he had to figure it out on his own. If Red was sincere that she was to blame, especially when comforting him, he potentially wouldn't be this upset with her, but she didn't tell him the truth, so it felt like she was playing him while refusing to take accountability. To him, that's heartless too.
So yeah, both Max and Chloe are hurt by Red and in a very bad mental and emotional state over it. Max wants to lash out, and Chloe genuinely feels like her life fell apart, so even though Chloe knows that Max wants to take advantage of her and Max knows that what he's doing isn't any different from what he thinks Red did, neither of them cares anymore because of how hurt they are. Neither of them makes this decision in the right state of mind, because once both of them calm down, they literally don't proceed to continue further with it either. They just crashed out.
You did pretty well with your version of Fight Of Our Lives, as personally, I don't think you can really transform this song, it just doesn't fit like "figure it out together," but gold star for trying and coming up with something.
For the record, I'm pretty sure Red is going to help out Maddox and Max more. It is true that Maddox was unfairly gaslit, and Red takes accountability for it in the end, but at the same time, Maddox is still unstable and did horrible things. Having him jailed is less about kicking him while he's down, but rather protecting yourself from his very fragile mental state. I could imagine perhaps Maddox now living in a tower or a basement that could function as his house arrest, where he gets proper help this time, but is unable to break out of, so he wouldn't have any new crazy ideas. Perhaps Max also moves into the castle now, even though I'm pretty sure he, Red, and Pink are supposed to technically live at Auradon Prep anyway for the duration of the school year, though maybe they don't. For what it's worth, I'm sure Red will make things right in the end, even if offscreen, but it's for the best, as it would be one hell of a long conversation and a therapy session.
Queen of Hearts' cards are powerful; she controls the entire Wonderland and could even take over Auradon. She may not be as powerful as Hades or Maleficent, but she has the power and means to still overtake Auradon on her own and destroy Fae's wand, while altering the environment around her however she wants.
No, Jabberwocky was not mentioned at all.
Chloe's the straight-A student, perfect princess. She has multitudes of hidden talents by default.
Max was empathetic and tried to lift Chloe up after seeing her down. He said it himself, Red's just like him, and what did Red do? Comfort him. He also is not a bad guy despite being rough around the edges.
Ok, that's all I'm going to add. I hope it clears some stuff up.
WAOW! I'm still a noob at Tumblr, so I hope I'm tagging you correctly, but I just wanted to thank you for not only reading through my wall of texts but also for providing me with your feedback! These are all incredibly insightful!
While watching the film, I was wondering if there was a deeper purpose to "The Girl I Used To Be" other than to further characterize Ella and Bridget in the new timeline, but this was extremely helpful! Thank you!
I also appreciate your input regarding Chloe's and Max's perception of Red as "heartless!" I think I was too caught up in looking at her through the lens of the omniscient viewer and forgot that the other characters, from their perspective, have no idea about the internal turmoil and inner workings of Red! From their view, it would most definitely be very different.
"If the shoe fits," from Red, directed towards Chloe, THE DAUGHTER OF CINDERELLA, was so crazy-unhinged. It's no wonder why Chloe was so hurt by that! Red, out of anybody, should know. "I thought... I thought we were closer than this?" How could she say something, knowing that it was so personal, to hurt her so deeply?
From Max's point of view, when Red first approached him to talk about what had happened after Pink's outburst, he brought up time travel in front of the person who literally time traveled, and she said nothing. Truthfully, I'm not sure how I'd approach this topic if I were in her shoes! Changing time and reality is not something I would so easily share with others. (I'm thinking about how in common superhero stories, a character will gain powers and not reveal them to anyone, including their closest friends, but that's a whole other off-topic tangent in and of itself, LOL! It's lying by omission, but it's deliberately hidden for a reason. I hope this makes sense!) BUT, back to Max! Red came to "comfort" him and said nothing about time travel at all! Did she really care at all? Was she just trying to toy with him and laugh in his face?
IT MAKES SENSE TO ME NOW! Thank you for taking the time to thoroughly explain everything to me!
I just want to preface that I think enjoyability and "objectively good" movie reviews should be separate while being fully capable of existing simultaneously with one another, πββοΈ! I just need an outlet to organize my thoughts!
PRIOR TO MOVIE THOUGHTS:
I wasn't a big fan of a certain fandom's portrayal regarding how Red and Chloe would act toward each other because of their actresses behind the scenes. Naturally, their characters and how they interact with each other are influenced by their actresses' level of comfort with each other, but they are distinct entities!
That is to say, I saw a lot of interesting characterizations of Hazel Hook before the film came out that portrayed her in this "savior" light (?) and I didn't really like that, so I felt like a contrarian to be so pleased with how Hazel actually is in the film, LOL. (I will elaborate on this point later!)
Despite its flaws, I enjoyed Descendants: Rise of Red because it was so lead-centric! (Err, something, something. 'Distinction between enjoyability and objective goodness. Something, something.)
In my ideal world, I would have loved to see more of just Red and Chloe working together against a common enemy. They're like soulmates to me, LOL. Their souls are linked; they've shared such a unique experience that I doubt anyone else could fully comprehend it but each other.
This is to say... I think the cast is a little too bloated now. I think the decision to try and include so many moving parts negatively impacted the story from the start, but I still found the characters to be enjoyable!
I CAN'T FIND THE TWEET ANYMORE, BUT I SAW A POST THAT SAID SOMETHING LIKE, "Disney saw everyone shipping Red and Chloe and said, 'Quick, add 7 brand new men to the script immediately," and I thought it was pretty #REAL, LOL.
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'SUBSTANTIAL' MOVIE THOUGHTS:
The pacing is kind of WACKY! Wicked Wonderland (WW) taking place the immediate day following the events that unfolded in Rise of Red (RoR) was kind of jarring. It was two years in real-time from the RoR to WW, so I forget this too, but realistically, Chloe and Red only knew each other for like a couple of days by this point.
I think it makes the points Chloe makes further down the movie a little drastic, but experiencing a life-changing event with someone can make you forget that you've only just met a few days ago, me thinks. It's not entirely unbelievable to me!
Undoubtedly, they've learned a lot about each other in such a short span of time! However, there are still aspects of each other that they haven't encountered yet, and I think WW addresses those elements.
During Perfect Princess, Chloe was able to identify everybodyβI wonder if she knew them beforehand in the old timeline!
Headcanon that I've adopted regarding Max and Red! I think that they were something like family friends! Grew up together but weren't particularly close, LOL. Regardless, I'd like to think Red knew enough of him to be taken aback that he's supposedly "evil" in this timeline, heh.
My personal headcanons:
Red, in my opinion, underwent the most drastic change from the original timeline, but Chloe was struggling more to cope with the pressure and subtle shifts.
I headcanon Red to have some avoidant tendencies; she appeared to be so scatterbrained throughout the film, solely focusing on the pressing matter at hand and saving her mother because she didn't want to dwell too much in the present moment. It was probably unfamiliar to her, and doing so would force her to process her emotions and thoughts, LOL.
THIS is much to Chloe's chagrin ("Can we talk about this afternoon? You kind of blew me off"), because she desperately needed someone to talk to! I headcanon Chloe to be the type of person who needs an outlet to process her thoughts and emotions; bottling them up inside makes her feel worse. I think that simply being heard would have helped to substantially alleviate a significant portion of her stress during this film.
I also think that Red's behavior can undoubtedly come across as selfish and dismissive, but I believe it is a flaw in her that stems from her upbringing in the original timeline rather than her being Heartless.
I forget if an exact timeframe was ever specified, but I wonder how much time has passed since the barrier was taken down and RoR/WW. Luis' reaction to the VKs ("Drop the act, Max. No one's buying it. No matter how hard you pretend not to be your father", it makes me forget that the AKs still hold some unsavory feelings towards the VKs.
("Our interests don't exactly align.") This is completely self-indulgent on my part, but I also believe Chloe's initial disposition toward the VKs stemmed from her desire to spend this adventure alone with Red, LOL. Soulmatismsβnobody else could possibly understand each other like they do! It was "their mess" to begin with. They can fix it together!
I believe that spending time with Red in the past and having the opportunity to understand her better would make her far less judgemental of the other VKs in the present timeline! Her personal beef with Hazel and Felix was most likely because she knew them in the original timeline... rather than judging solely on the basis that they're VKs... That's my hunch! BUT ALSO, both Chloe and Red react like ππ when the rest of the HKs pull up feeds fuel to my delusions, HAHA. She doesn't want ANYBODY ELSE, regardless of their affiliations, to join them; she just wants to go with Red!
Red's behavior towards the other VKsβ¦ I believe that because of her background as a technically former VK, she finds kinship and connection with them. I believe that's why she gravitated towards Max! I think it's partially "these are my people," but also the "being a villain / having these villainous tendencies is all I've ever knownβ¦" type beat. I think that is what Red was attempting to convey when she said things like "VKs got it" and "I'm used to their ways of doing things," which was not necessarily that she is and wants to be an evil villain but something along these lines. I hope this makes sense, π.
I WONDER what happened in this timeline that made Cinderella different than how she was in the original timeline. Was it Bridget's additional presence that caused her to become more strict? ("There are rules. Chloe. Protocols to follow." "We don't break rules, Chloe, even for a good cause.") I'm not sure!
I THINK THE MOST EGREGIOUS PART OF THIS ENTIRE MOVIE WAS THE FUCKING PORTAL IN CINDERELLA'S MIRROR????????????? You're telling me that the main entrance to Wonderland got closed off and the only other portal was wasted by Cinderella??? WHY DIDN'T ANYONE WAIT FOR HELP πππ? Everybody could've stormed the palace through her secret portal and caught Maddox off guard. OR, YOU COULD HAVE IMMEDIATELY PULLED BRIDGET FROM WONDERLAND AND INTO THE PORTAL TO SAFETY??? WHY DID THEY DO THAT? πππ
I absolutely love how dynamic both Luis and Hazel are! The following points will be referring to "Did You Hear About Them?"
Luis is likely optimistic by nature, but it's also probably a byproduct of the underlying high expectations placed on him, but I find it so refreshing that he is also a bit indignant in the way he defends his own worth and accomplishments.
Hazel is so fierce and threatening, and it's super obvious that she cares very deeply for her crew, but she's also so... SILLY? She's just a girlβ’οΈ; it's incredibly endearing!
RETURNING MY EARLIER POINTS! Chloe just needed someone to talk to and she really wanted to spend more time with Red (alone) π₯Ί.
The sequence following "Did You Hear About Them?" regarding Chloe and Red's talk:
C: "Well, you kind of blew me off. I thought we were going to figure this out together."
R: "It's not like that. I'm justβ"
C: "You don't want to listen to what I have to say. I'm not sure why I even came."
R: "I thought you came to help clean up the mess we left in our wake, Chloe."
I believe Chloe is venting right now; since returning to the present, she has been carrying a lot of emotions inside and hasn't had a proper opportunity to articulate them yet.
She is expressing her frustration to Red ("You kind of blew me off. I thought we were going to figure this out together."
Red, who has been trying to occupy her mind this entire time with saving her mom, finally takes a moment to try and open up. ("It's not like that. I'm justβ")
("I'm not sure why I even came.") IMMEDIATE TONE SHIFT! Red was on the verge of being vulnerable and opening up, but she quickly hardened and returned to the goal at hand!
I think it was this moment that they both realized that they still don't know each other completely!
R: "Right now that's Max. He's trying to help, too, and he's being judged for what his dad did, not who he is. Sound familiar?"
C: "Yeah."
Something, something, kinship! Something, something, Red finds kinship in Max and the other VKs. Chloe continues to suppress her feelings π.
C: "I'll go with you. It's my mess, too."
R: "No, I think he needs to hear it from me."
Urgh, I'm not sure why Red wanted to exclude Chloe from this part, but I think she was too in her head...? She probably blamed herself for the mess because having a loving mother was "what her heart most desired." None of this would have happened if it weren't what her heart desired. She probably blames herself heavily for everything she has ever done wrong. Headcanon adopted from this tweet!
Chess Board Sequence (and other adjacent moments):
HAZEL GIVING CHLOE A HARD TIME POST-CONVERSATION WITH RED (πππ). She's already having a hard time; oh my goodness gracious, she is not in the right mental headspace to be the receiver of all these jabs.
I find her interactions and dynamics with Chloe and Red to be particularly interesting. Belittling Chloe by implying she is beneath Red and telling her to get her head out of her tiara... she is hostile to the HKs; it's interesting, but totally in character based on how the HKs and VKs interacted with each other at the start! Red immediately backing up Hazel is also in character following the previous conversations, but it definitely doesn't hurt Chloe any less.
I absolutely adore how Red earns Hazel's respect through "Dancing with the Enemy"! The little jab "Oh, they listen when she says it (-.-)" was so silly, HAHA. #TBH, there was probably already a little bit of mutual respect between the two since entering Wonderland, but I like to think that this was the moment where she truly regarded Red as more than just an HK and a perfect princess. Better yet, I loved how Red took control and earned the respect of all the other VKs, too!
The Infamous Assassin Plant Scene. I loooveeee that Hazel and Red were on the same wavelength! They saw the assassin flower and knew exactly what to do! Musicals are silly, so I like to think of them as an alternative for exposition. I believe the song was intended to represent Red "explaining the plan."
In Red's mind, Chloe is most definitely not a helpless maiden in need of saving, especially after the events of RoR! She knows this better than anyone else! They traveled back in time and fought the old VKs! Red saw Chloe's sword-fighting abilities. She knows Chloe is more than capable of holding her own!
I read that scene as Red assuming that Chloe already knew the plan (catch the assassin plant with her dagger) so that Red could jump on it and take over the game. However, Chloe was disoriented and not in a good mental state, so she made a mistake, and Hazel, WHO SHARES THE SAME WAVELENGTH AS RED (!!!), took over and hooked it. It's ultimately a big misunderstanding!
White Rabbit & Post-"For Once in My Life":
Urgh. I wish Red's and Chloe's argument wasn't so surface-level? I understood the point of the argument and why it took place, but the topics brought up by both characters fell flat for me. It is entirely possible that I didn't pick up on important details for context, though!
I believe the bottom line was that Chloe was overwhelmed and ultimately lashed out; Red continues to dismiss her feelings, causing Chloe to become even more upset and flee. This makes sense to me! However, bringing up the different sides, doing whatever is most convenient, and referring to each other as villains? There must have been something underlying that I didn't notice, because it felt out of place. I THINK it was due to everything overwhelming Chloe, so she brings up everything that bothered her. However, because she brought up those less relevant details, Red began to respond with rebukes of her own, diverting the conversation away from the main topic that Chloe wanted to communicate, that being how Chloe is drowning from all the stress and pressure and just needed someone to talk to. I think I'm understanding it correctly? I hope I am!
"Heartless" and other adjacent moments:
There's a good chance I'm wrong about this statement, but I don't believe that Red did anything in this film to justify the others deeming her as "Heartless." I completely understand Max's feelings of hurt and betrayal upon seeing the original timeline and everything he had lost (and I believe I've already discussed all of my thoughts regarding Chloe). However, I wish she defended herself and mentioned how everyone else would have been utterly fucked if they remained in the original timeline. Both Cinderella and King Charming would have been dead. Fairy Godmother and Uma, too, probably.
What Red's heart truly desired most was a mom who loved her, but during RoR, in an attempt to prevent her mother from starting the coop and killing everybody, she tried to turn the clock back a few minutes and grab her cards; that was what she wanted to do. She didn't know that the Pocketwatch would make her rewrite the entire timeline. I don't think she's as selfish as the others depict her to be π.
Y'know, on the topic of people using Chloe as a pawn for their own convenience, I believe Max was actually the person who did so. (He was acting from a place of hurt, but he still did it.) He saw her involvement in time travel, wanted to use her for his own benefit, and took advantage of her vulnerable mental state.
Evil!Chloe kinda being Max's mad scientist creation, is so entertaining and interesting to me as a mad scientist enthusiast, hehe. The dark magic making Chloe evil-smiley and giddy scratches a little itch in my brain, and Max's reaction to her as something akin to a nervous smile makes me happy, HAHA.
Ending:
(giddily proclaiming) "A future where I'll finally be on top!" Evil!Chloe sure is hung up about being the omega of the two. (JOKE.)
Red being the only one who has the slightest chance of freeing Chloe from the grip of dark magic. Max had absolutely no chance, HAHA. Chloe becoming increasingly more emotional when Red focused her full attention on her... π₯Ή.
Oh, I would have loved a tender moment in which these two sang a reprise of "Fight of Our Lives."
"We might not be a team, but we have to try. Can I change your heart or just... change your mind? ...I don't want to be on opposite sides for the rest of our lives." Can a lyricist help me out here?
BIG OL' GRIPE that I had with the ending of this movie was how Maddox's and Max's traumas didn't feel properly addressed π. Maddox was probably gaslit to think he was crazy for his entire life, but there was merit to what he believed in and saw! It doesn't justify his actions as a villain, but it feels unfair to have him jailed up and thrown away like that. I'd love for Red and Chloe to have a more in-depth conversation with Max about his life in the original timeline! I believe that would give Max and Red a chance to bond. I think it would give him some closure at the very least.
I THINK I touched base with everything I wanted to discuss about this movie! I'll probably update it as it comes along if I have another thought that I forgot to mention, but this was a full-day activity for me, LOL. Thank you for reading this, dear reader!
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Miscellaneous
How powerful are the QoH's card set and magic?
Was the Jabberwocky mentioned at all?
I believe Red's attitude during the "The Queen of Hearts has been captured" scene can be interpreted in different ways. "Red's so high and mighty, expecting people to listen to her because she's a 'perfect princess' π" is probably what some of the VKs thought, but I think that she was attempting to exercise righteousness, LOL. "Give that back to me; it is not yours."
"OH MY HEARTS!!!" SOOO CUTE, BUT SCARING CHLOE AND RED, LOL. Luis immediately catching her when she collapsed, too. I'm thinking this crew of HKs were childhood friends?
Pink being friends with all the creatures of Wonderland is so cute!
Luis is so smitten for Red, HAHA. He was probably so confused when she lashed out at him during the backyard scene.
Does Chloe know to tinker with gadgets and gizmos? New headcanon unlocked, heh.
Alpha Red and Omega Chloe. π₯Έ.
Perhaps I missed something, but I didn't understand why Max suddenly became interested in Chloe post-"Dancing with the Enemy" π€. I understand why he sought her out after seeing the original timeline, but I'm not sure why he spoke to her currently! I'm assuming he doesn't vibe with Red because her mother banished his father and him to the Isle of the Lost, but what exactly about Chloe, the other half of the seemingly perfect princess HK, interests him? BIG FAN of how Chloe does NAWT fuck with Max, though, LOL; even as a villain, she doesn't.
Once again, Luis wants Red so badly, HAHA. He wants to spend so much time alone with her; it's kind of amusing. I like to personally interpret "For Once in My Life" as a song about Luis and Red discovering and navigating through their feelings for one another, rather than the first time they've ever felt love! (I believe this was how it was advertised?) That spot would go to Chloe (for Red), and Mirabel would never let any of the kids feel unloved!
IJBOL. THIS MADE ME LAUGH SO HARD WHEN I FIRST WATCHED IT. THEY'RE JUST GIGGLING AND RUNNING. FROLICKING. FHJKGSDFHGKJ.
Realistically, in a hypothetical "If Only" Glassheart scenario, the singer would be Red (naturally). HOWEVER! Malia Baker singing "If Only" has provided me with some Chloe Charming thoughts.
'Just to be completely transparent about what type of person I am (and what type of 'analysis' my mind likes to get creative with)... I enjoy media through the lens of hurt/comfort, so any analysis I write about it will always include some level of cheesiness. Furthermore, I am also a huge fan of when the more outgoing, friendly, and well-liked character (in the source media) is the one who is concerned and insecure about whether their other half reciprocates their feelings! (This will be relevant in the upcoming text!)
"When I was auditioning for Chloe, all I thought of was her mom and dad probably read her the story of Cinderella every night. So this is all that she knows. Like, "I'll lose my shoe one day, and then I'll have this happen to me, and it's gonna be the exact same thing."
β Malia Baker, Screenrant Interview
This warmed and touched my heart so deeply when I watched the interview! Chloe is just so cute; I love her optimistic, bubbly, and carefree disposition. I recognize it can be perceived as naivety, but I find it admirable, heh. She sees the best in the world she was brought up in.
"...which is such a shell shock when she meets Red for the first time. She's like, "This is the first person who hasn't been welcoming to who I am and what I care about."
This is until Red sort of shakes things up.
Side tangent: I love how feisty and indignant she also is! She's not just a one-note, "dumb" golden retriever that people sometimes characterize her as.
She regards the world in a positive light and stands by and stands for what she believes in. This is all to say, I don't think she's brain-empty, no thoughtsβ’.
I can imagine her thinking, in this hypothetical "If Only" Chloe moment, about how she's fallen for RED, a 'mean' VK. "How could this happen?!"
"Wow, that girl was super rude
What's her problem? What's her deal?
The only one worse than her is her mom."
(Chloe during "Love Aint It")
I have an overactive imagination and can make anything happen with my OTPs, so everything I say is a stretch, HDJSKFGSD.
NEVERTHELESS, I interpret these lyrics as indicating, from Chloe's perspective, that she has fallen in love with Red, but she's experiencing emotional turmoil deducing whether or not that is actually true.
A million thoughts in my head
Should I let my heart keep listenin'?
'Cause up 'til now I've walked the line
Nothing lost but something missing.
I can't decide what's wrong, what's right
Which way should I go?
"Am I in love...? Did I...? Could I really have fallen in love with someone like that? She's not bad at all, no... She's just so different compared to what I thought.. It's not at all like the fairy tales I've imagined would happen to me. What do I do?"
Am I crazy?
Maybe we could happen, yeah
Will you still be with me
When the magic all runs out?
This is probably my favorite part and the point at which I am the most delusional, LOL.
("Am I crazy?) β Is Chloe crazy for even entertaining this idea? A relationship between someone like Red and someone like herself? Would Red even choose her? After all, all she's proven so far is that she's a spoiled little princess (a fairy tale disaster π).
("Will you still be with me") β Who is she kidding? Red is only with her because of circumstance. Anybody could have gotten stuck with her in the past. It just happened to be Chloe; she isn't special.
("When the magic all runs out?") β And once they return back to the present, Red wouldn't want or have any reason to be around her anyway.
A vaguetweet 'niche' post regarding how much I enjoy this trope, JSDKLFGDSF.
If only I knew what my heart was telling me
Don't know what I'm feeling'; is this just a dream? Oh-oh
If only I could read the signs in front of me
I could find the way to who I'm meant to be, oh-oh
If only
(Chloe, hypothetically, during "If Only")
'Aaand the rest is just Chloe trying her best to sort out the confusing thoughts and emotions she's going through πββοΈπ₯Ή! Thank you for indulging me!
Realistically, in a hypothetical "If Only" Glassheart scenario, the singer would be Red (naturally). HOWEVER! Malia Baker singing "If Only" has provided me with some Chloe Charming thoughts.
'Just to be completely transparent about what type of person I am (and what type of 'analysis' my mind likes to get creative with)... I enjoy media through the lens of hurt/comfort, so any analysis I write about it will always include some level of cheesiness. Furthermore, I am also a huge fan of when the more outgoing, friendly, and well-liked character (in the source media) is the one who is concerned and insecure about whether their other half reciprocates their feelings! (This will be relevant in the upcoming text!)
"When I was auditioning for Chloe, all I thought of was her mom and dad probably read her the story of Cinderella every night. So this is all that she knows. Like, "I'll lose my shoe one day, and then I'll have this happen to me, and it's gonna be the exact same thing."
β Malia Baker, Screenrant Interview
This warmed and touched my heart so deeply when I watched the interview! Chloe is just so cute; I love her optimistic, bubbly, and carefree disposition. I recognize it can be perceived as naivety, but I find it admirable, heh. She sees the best in the world she was brought up in.
"...which is such a shell shock when she meets Red for the first time. She's like, "This is the first person who hasn't been welcoming to who I am and what I care about."
This is until Red sort of shakes things up.
Side tangent: I love how feisty and indignant she also is! She's not just a one-note, "dumb" golden retriever that people sometimes characterize her as.
She regards the world in a positive light and stands by and stands for what she believes in. This is all to say, I don't think she's brain-empty, no thoughtsβ’.
I can imagine her thinking, in this hypothetical "If Only" Chloe moment, about how she's fallen for RED, a 'mean' VK. "How could this happen?!"
"Wow, that girl was super rude
What's her problem? What's her deal?
The only one worse than her is her mom."
(Chloe during "Love Aint It")
I have an overactive imagination and can make anything happen with my OTPs, so everything I say is a stretch, HDJSKFGSD.
NEVERTHELESS, I interpret these lyrics as indicating, from Chloe's perspective, that she has fallen in love with Red, but she's experiencing emotional turmoil deducing whether or not that is actually true.
A million thoughts in my head
Should I let my heart keep listenin'?
'Cause up 'til now I've walked the line
Nothing lost but something missing.
I can't decide what's wrong, what's right
Which way should I go?
"Am I in love...? Did I...? Could I really have fallen in love with someone like that? She's not bad at all, no... She's just so different compared to what I thought.. It's not at all like the fairy tales I've imagined would happen to me. What do I do?"
Am I crazy?
Maybe we could happen, yeah
Will you still be with me
When the magic all runs out?
This is probably my favorite part and the point at which I am the most delusional, LOL.
("Am I crazy?) β Is Chloe crazy for even entertaining this idea? A relationship between someone like Red and someone like herself? Would Red even choose her? After all, all she's proven so far is that she's a spoiled little princess (a fairy tale disaster π).
("Will you still be with me") β Who is she kidding? Red is only with her because of circumstance. Anybody could have gotten stuck with her in the past. It just happened to be Chloe; she isn't special.
("When the magic all runs out?") β And once they return back to the present, Red wouldn't want or have any reason to be around her anyway.
A vaguetweet 'niche' post regarding how much I enjoy this trope, JSDKLFGDSF.
If only I knew what my heart was telling me
Don't know what I'm feeling'; is this just a dream? Oh-oh
If only I could read the signs in front of me
I could find the way to who I'm meant to be, oh-oh
If only
(Chloe, hypothetically, during "If Only")
'Aaand the rest is just Chloe trying her best to sort out the confusing thoughts and emotions she's going through πββοΈπ₯Ή! Thank you for indulging me!
some dandy's world gijinkas of characters i like :]
headcanons and extended text beneath the "read more" section!
my design thoughts (...IF you can even call it that!) for goob and scraps!
goob is the Fluffy craft... therefore his hair MUST be floofy! scraps is the Paper craft. i always envisioned her with a dark, choppy (like paper) bob.
goob has 1 monolid and 1 double eyelid! they're meant to emulate his silly O_o face!
scraps has stickers over her face and hair clips of assorted shapes in her hair! (paper craft things... it makes sense 2 me!)
goob's natural eye color is brown (the same shade as his roots and eyebrows), but he wears red and blue contacts! the stars on his cheeks are also stickers! he's matchin' with scraps x]!
i also headcanon them both with the vietnamese-chinese-american beam, because i am a goob one trick pony and i like to hit my favorites with my ethnicity beam πββοΈπββοΈπββοΈ
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yatta's turn now!
her hair is choppy just like scraps, but maxed out to the highest degree! i still imagine it being incredibly soft, though! i want to run my hands through her bangs to reveal her eyes....... WHICH BRINGS ME TO THE NEXT POINT!
she has super overgrown bangs that cover her eyes, but this is what i imagine her eyes to look like that "nobody: people with brown eyes when the sun hits their face at the perfect angle:" meme HAHA
i didn't do a very good at showing this, but she wears 2 sets of leg warmers. 1 pair around her legs and the other hair around her arms! she's a little quirky like that <3
she's also covered head-to-toe with bandaids and bandages! she's yatta the pinata⦠the object you beat up with a stick :(. she's always getting hurt!
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bassie's design was super inspired by friend, river's, bassie gijinka!! she's so gorgeous. i love her so much!
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bonus toon goob i drew with one of my oc! thank u for reading ;D!
hello there, @alevolpe... i have been a fan of your work for a little bit, and i love your portrayal and headcanons of the characters sm!
i always wanted to doodle your version of minako, and the opportunity came when i saw that you reblogged one of my older posts! thank you so much for the kind words, and i hope i could do her somewhat justice!
