This is how I feel every time any of the Wellston children are explicitly stated to be a "kid" LMAO. They are children too, and here they are trying to change the world as best as they can.... But I'll always dote on them for being 17/18 yr olds like a grandparent would... cuz they're baby!
Hi, do you think that in 378, Sera intervened on purpose at that specific time so that John wouldn't end up killing someone and that causing him to spiral?
Hi! Short answer: yes.
Very long answer: Yeah, but also I also think that if Sera knew that John was going to be heavily injured, she would've rushed to help him sooner. But considering that she came to help not too long after Valorian was taken hostage, there is a good chance that she was watching them fight and waited until she had an opportunity to act. I do also think that Sera must've taken the time to head back to the motel to grab two of the disablers to use on Scorch and Cinder, but it probably only delayed her slightly in coming to assist John.
In episode 377, she didn't really seem all too worried about how John was faring on his own because she knew he wouldn't be struggling with using his ability. She assumed John would've been fine against those EMBER agents, so she wasn't rushing to go help him. On the other hand, you can see how worried she is for him in ep 379 as she tears down the road to get him healed as soon as possible.
She definitely didn't foresee John taking so much damage against Scorch and Cinder because if she had, she would've intervened much sooner and taken them out before they would've had the chance to hurt John even more. Neither of them are in a position to be letting the other act recklessly, especially now that they're in the real world away from Wellston, the protection of their friends, and support from Darren (which John points out in episode 380).
While John has definitely grown as a person since the start of the series, you can still see that some bad habits of his persist even up to this point in the series. In this case, John is still looking for excuses to hurt other people, but he is able to better justify his ruthlessness against EMBER and the authorities. All because they're horrible people upholding a corrupt system that only benefits a select group of the power-hungry.
Unlike his senseless violence streak pre-season 2 part 2, John actually has a valid reason to go after the authorities and EMBER: they ruined the lives of everyone he knows, especially his family's, Sera's, and his own. Sera's absence in that turbulent part of John's life lead him to almost throw his life away in an attempt to take down as many feds as he could (though it's unknown if he actually managed to kill anyone... I'm sure Uru would've mentioned it in the story by now if John actually killed a bunch of people). She wasn't there to actually stop him from losing himself, and John had made a deliberate choice to not "bother" her with more "unneeded" stress.
Old habits really do die hard... The most unfortunate part of that arc is that Sera definitely would've risked getting caught if it meant she could support John when he really needed her the most. But John chose not to seek Sera for reassurance and it led him spiraling once more (though he does notably treat his friends a lot better since the last time his mental health took a nosedive).
Obviously in episode 346, we see that hearing about John's self-destructive behavior ended up adding to Sera's stress greatly, and I doubt she is going to be willing to peel away from him any time soon, knowing full well that she remains his tether to sanity while he still grieves William's death. So now that John is within her reach once again, Sera is back to watching over John and upholding that promise she made to him way back in episode 230:
((Side note: Uru-chan makes it very clear that the main characters of unOrdinary are deliberately choosing a less violent way of solving their societal issues, in which I mean that the children are NOT killing anyone in their quest to make their world a better place. Kuyo and Blysenmi nearly kill Byron (Kuyo cuts down Arnold and that lady in ep. 333), Arlo and Blysenmi almost kill Farrah, and John and friends blow up a bunch of feds many times. Yet no one in the main cast has killed anyone as of the time I am currently writing this post (June 1, 2026). I'm glad that no one has actually killed anyone so far considering that our protagonists are 17-18 year old children who really shouldn't be desensitized to murder in a world already filled with so much violence. I enjoy that the children have more empathy to spare than the adults running around killing people without giving a fuck.))
Okay, back to John vs Scorch + Cinder fight:
With Sera's constant consideration of John and his needs in mind, I do think that she chose to give John an "out" when it came to dealing with Scorch and Cinder. John has every reason to be enraged at EMBER and the authorities, and Sera knows this as well. He brutalizes Cinder the most because she was within reach, and I know he would've done the same to Scorch if he was the one to get baited instead during the fight in episode 377. I really do think John meant what he said when he stated that he didn't care if Valorian got killed or not because it would've given him an excuse to kill both Scorch and Cinder. Considering he already broke Cinder's arms and shattered a bunch of her ribs (and did considerable damage to Scorch before Cinder got involved), I'd say this John is fully capable of killing people.
Sera intervening and giving John a disabler to use lets him remain "innocent" in the way that he wouldn't be haunted by the fact that he had taken lives during one of the worst periods of his life. The fact that John is an 18 year old teenager means that anything rash he does now would definitely end up weighing on him when he hopefully mellows out and his brain finishes developing. Sera is now around to pull John out of making extremely violent and rash decisions, so that's exactly what she does. Sera would never kill anyone, so she obviously wouldn't want John killing anyone either, no matter how angry and vindicated he'd feel after the fact. Wanting the best for someone is natural when you love them after all.
While I don't think Scorch and Cinder necessarily "got off easy" since they're now disabled and in Spectre's hands, they deserve every horrible thing that's bound to happen to them. After all, they did endanger a bunch of innocent civilian lives for the sole purpose of luring out and killing Valorian, who is also probably also a child or a young adult at most. If they can stomach killing children and innocent people, then they can stomach being lab rats or repenting for their actions that led them up to this point of their lives.
Judging from Leilah's reaction, you can tell that Sera and John both probably didn't think about the aftermath of protecting Eastbrook Town. Sera could only come up with the most convenient solution that would both spare John from becoming a murderer and ensure the two of them wouldn't be in danger after capturing Cinder and Scorch. It's an imperfect plan since Sera does dump the responsibility of dealing with Cinder and Scorch onto Leilah, but in Sera's defense, she is also a kid who sometimes will act rashly if it's in her current best interest (which is prioritizing John's wishes and well-being).
John does calm down very quickly after he disables Cinder, which does show that the development John's been having since season 2 part 1 ended continues to show the fruits of his and Sera's labor. The old John probably would've tried to kill Scorch and Cinder even if Sera tried to stop him, but our current John does a better job at listening to Sera and remaining rational despite the circumstances. I am proud of him!
Will Sera continue to try her best to be John's moral compass while keeping them both safe? I'd hope so! Even now she's still worrying about him because she feels responsible to keep steering him in the right direction, which includes telling him that he needs to ask Cameron for advice since he's vulnerable against EMBER agents and can't copy Time Manipulation.
It's not like John is incapable of thinking for himself either, but his grief will keep looming over him and temporarily blinding him from being rational when his emotions get the best of him. He still very much relies on Sera to keep him from losing himself, and it's nice to see that he does value her support--even if it's not explicitly shown in the story! Let's just hope Jera can make it out of this current arc in one piece ;w;
Shoutout to seraphina and her phd in "I can fic him"
Sera definitely saved John from going further off the deep end, but a good chunk of John's development post-king arc was a cumulative effort from everyone he knew. He got the closure he needed from Claire, support from Adrion, and encouragement from Sera and William. Ultimately it was up to John to act on changing to become a better person by listening to other people and ignoring his paranoia when not presented with the whole situation.
This isn't to downplay Sera's involvement in John's betterment because she did what Claire sadly couldn't: overpower John and force him to listen to her. She had to win the fight against John or else it would've just reinforced his belief that he was an irredeemable monster incapable of change. Sera really did sacrifice almost everything to try to save John because she knew that the version of him she got to know wasn't a fake. She knew that John was capable of changing and being better even though he relapsed at Wellston.
If Sera knew that John wasn't capable of changing, she wouldn't have even bothered to fight or believe in him. The emotional labor of facing yourself and moving forward past your mistakes is something only John could have achieved on his own. Becoming a better person is tough since you have to be self-aware and stop yourself from relapsing as best as you can manage, and no one is perfect in that regard either.
John finding the strength to change and move forward is what sets him apart from characters like Zeke, who keeps getting humbled but refuses to be any nicer to anyone. There's no such thing as a good or bad person, we're all just people who can do either good or bad things. John had to come to terms with that idea to separate himself from his past, since he truly no longer was the "monster" he thought himself as for years.
Anywho, Sera was the biggest anchor and support in turning John around to start accepting himself. She took the time to understand why he was acting so viciously and never held anything he did or said against her because she knew he wasn't in the right state of mind (not that anything he said/did was ok btw). And she stomped out the biggest concerns John had about losing control if it ever happened again:
"Every time you mess up... I'll be here to stop you. So you don't need to hide from yourself anymore."
John can't trust himself even now, BUT he knows he can trust Sera. So with her vow, he finds solace that there is a way out if he ever mentally declines again. And she's just as serious about it since she's still watching over him and doing anything in her power to allow John to keep working on himself (ex. trying to get his ability back, encouraging him when she can, making sure he doesn't go overboard). She's more keen on being proactive about making John open up when she notices that something's wrong, and he is also more receptive in actually telling her what's on his mind instead of bottling it all up like he used to.
While it is definitely not a good thing that John is STILL mostly relying on Sera to keep him sane and happy, it's definitely a step in the right direction for John. Having a support system and actually using it to your advantage for once is what sets post-season 2 part 1 John apart from his old self. He chose to listen to his loved ones and give himself some grace, and it all wouldn't have been possible without Sera's help.
While Sera isn't the only person to contribute to the "fixing" John efforts, her involvement and important to John's character development are undeniable. Without her, John would never have found the strength to move forward with himself and go as far as declare that he wanted his ability back or that he would become someone to be proud of. John and Sera both wouldn't be the same without each other, so acknowledging both of their efforts in each others' character development is essential to understand their characters !
((One of these days I'll make a post about how crazy codependent John and Sera are for one another, but that's for another time lol))
feeling extra productive today so here's another set of silly unO-themed text posts and whatever !!
unOrdinary returns on the 27th.... 9 days from now... yippeeee!!!! It's also turning 10 on the 24th! I'm so excited to see what horrible terrible things await my beloved children :3
the 2026 limbus comp*ny april fools event gave me some kind of weird baby fever so i ended up baby-fying the unO kids (I guess they'd be around like 5-6 years old idk)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BLYKE!!!! more unOposting from me on this very special occasion !
I find it funny that Blyke's default expression is something like >:\ even though he's quite normal if you actually talk to him. He's silly when he can't lie to save his life, and he's the most bully-able out of his friend group (has the best reactions to the silly antics Remi and Isen subject him to).
His friendship with Remi and Isen mean the world to me so I pray their friendship will last through season 3 and beyond the end of the series...! The trio that they are <3
Ah yes, the best part about having physical releases of unO is seeing the extra content at the end and seeing if Uru updated any of the art in the chapters adapted.
Vol 4 covers episodes 103-124 so sadly Seraphina is still kidnapped in the book canon and she won't be rescued until Vol 5 comes out and everything gets worse. Hang in there, book Sera!!!
Spoilers for the physical copy of unOrdinary volume 4 side/bonus/extra story... with pictures! (under the cut)
It's always so fun to have more side story content in unO outside of season-end special episodes. I predicted that we'd get another Blysenmi one since so far we've gotten:
Vol 1: Blysenmi + Sera
Vol 2: Reiyo + Remi + Arlo
Vol 3: Jera
Right now I predict that Vol 5 will give us either an Arlo or another Jera one (specifically to make things hurt more for us). Can't wait lol.
Other fun things from the vol 4 bonus ep ("Yearbook Special" is what I'm calling it):
^ Blyke and Isen continuing to fail at being photogenic while Remi outshines them both every time
^ Blysenmi group huddles xoxo
^ A very smug Remi and loser Isen (very surprised he thought her idea wouldn't work when it's no surprise that the security on a bunch of big institutions is pretty shit)
^ I can't tell whose files these are but I'll assume they're Isen's since he's the most tech savvy out of the three of them and was the one moving things around while Remi watched. Considering the "Costume plan," I wonder if they had to put on a play in English class or something. I see Lady Capulet... from 'Julio and Romiette' I'd bet (sorry I haven't read Romeo and Juliette yet). Ody I have no idea what that could be tbh, maybe something to do with the Odyssey?
Anyway, the French language in unO has been real since the LA ME shirt thing back in episode 8:
But can any of the children speak the secondary language they were forced to take in high school? Good question! Who knows... I know I sure can't <3
^ This teacher has thought bubbles that aren't the typical kind we see in unO either (the one with a bunch of lines or whatever, you'd know when you see it). Very inch resting... I don't think we've ever seen anyone think like this in the entirety of unO so far.
^ And Blyke being the worst liar ever as usual <3 because only he could blow a hole in the wall as a distraction and blame it on a bug. Not even a specific kind of bug... just a random bug... the wind... who knows...!
I'd say this Yearbook Special takes place after the events of Triple Threat (end of season 2 Blysenmi special episodes) + the vol 1 bonus episode (could've been any time during their 9th grade year), since I think yearbooks are typically done at the end of the school year? Not sure though, my high school only had a yearbook for a year when I was there.
Baby Blysenmi soooo silly it makes you forget all the shit they're going through in the current story (latest episode at the time of Vol 4 release is ep 381 on shart pass). I've missed their silly antics so much....
Well the yearbook switching did remind me of the Blyke prison break arc since it's Remi and Isen scheming and making moves while Blyke is relegated to be their outside support. Who knows, maybe a book-only reader will eventually read the Blyke Prison Break arc and go "wow that totally reminded me of the volume 4 Extra!"
Can't wait for volume 5 to hopefully come out next year!!! Will definitely be getting it ASAP to do this again lol. Maybe I'll do some overdue posts for the Vol 1-3 side stories but who knows...!
Further Thoughts on Seraphina [and John] during unOrdinary 375 and more (Spoilers still!!!)
Part Sera (2/2)
[Previous post focusing on John]
While John has always been my favorite character, I've actually come to realize that Sera has always shared #1 position with him in my heart. For the last 10 years, I've loved watching her grow through her hardships and realize that she couldn't live ignorantly anymore in a world where the powerful hold all the influence. I especially loved episode 375 because it showed us that despite everything, Sera still remains herself while managing to find the silver lining of the batshit crazy situations she keeps finding herself in.
I am quite happy for her to be able to talk to John about how light she feels being on the run and doing everything she wants to do with John at her side. But as I reread a good chunk of unOrdinary (like I usually do), I couldn't help but worry for her anyway. Is Sera really free or is that just another lie she tells herself to cope with how stressful the last half year of her life has been since the story started? Is she okay??
[Note: half of this post is summary but I am aware that not a lot of people have read unO as much as I have so please be patient...!]
Since the start, one of Sera's core character motivation has always been the desire to be free from the oppressive role society set for her. As she mentions in 375, she's been chained down her whole life by the expectations set by her parents, school, and society; we see as much throughout the entire story of unOrdinary. Back in ep 19 she admits that she stopped living for herself because of how much other people needed her to be perfect. It's why John is able to cut straight through her misery with his own ideals during the flashback of ep 37:
John tells Sera exactly what she's wanted to hear for her whole life: that she can decide to live the way she wants because if John with "no ability" can do it, why can't she? Inspired by John's words and his support, Sera abandons almost all of her responsibilities as the strongest student in Wellston, causing Arlo to resent her for not upholding the hierarchy. She's selfish and doesn't care about what anyone thinks because she's "free," but that was only one hurdle she had to get through.
When she's suspended for a month, her mother, Narisa, takes everything away from Sera and forces her to do pointless work and study. Weaponizing her disappointment, her mother constantly compares Sera to Leilah, who had also run away from her responsibilities and had left Sera alone to be mistreated and abused even harder in her absence. Driven by fear, Sera begrudgingly listens to her mother, but she eventually has enough of the suffocating environment of her home. She thinks about John for inspiration and decides to rebel against her mother to free herself once again. She's only able to succeed because she is able to best Narisa in the very same world where power rules over everything.
By this point, Sera's freed herself from most of her responsibilities and from her parents' clutches, but she becomes entangled in a worse web once she loses her ability and the world she once ignored turns around and bites her. Becoming a zero is a big turning point for her character because the violence she experiences opens her eyes to most injustices in the world--everything was way worse than what she would see when it was only John breaking his bones and getting hurt nearly every single day. She used to laugh whenever John would get injured because he wasn't miserable as long as she was with him to lessen the pain through her presence alone, but there was only so much she could tolerate herself when she wasn't able to protect herself anymore:
The hierarchy she temporarily escaped from made her the prime target of resentful students who projected their misery onto her. She's pulled back into the mess but thrown to the bottom with the only saving grace that her previous authority provided her being the connections she had only forged out of convenience. If she had been a true zero or even a low tier, no one would've come save her from being kidnapped and tortured by a group of students. That's just how their society is: even the weaker students perpetuate the cycle of violence that the hierarchy system produced.
Again, Sera is only really able to hang on because of John's presence (do you see an ongoing trend here?), and that's why her finding out that he's Joker is so world-shattering for her. Sera admits that John was such an inspiration to her that him being powerless with her was enough to keep her going despite how hopeless everything felt:
While she does eventually realize that John meant everything he had told her initially, Sera remains trapped by her powerlessness, watches John fall deeper into despair, and loathes the fact that she can't do a thing to save him... until she decided to sacrifice her own freedom for the opportunity to do so. With what little freedom she has left after losing her ability alongside any authority she used to have, she unknowingly casts it all aside because she wants to change the world and her first step is to save John. After all, what good is a world that isn't ruled through violence and power if the one person who helped her realize that everything needed to change isn't with her?
Thankfully Sera saves John and he's able to start improving as a person, but the cost is heavy. In the month that John is gone for, Sera has to work for Spectre (specifically for Orrin) and realizes that she's trapped and suffocating once again with Terrence constantly monitoring her every move. More stress is added when she discovers that Spectre is after Blyke and Remi, and she isn't able to get the Rowden trip rescheduled for their safety. Not only is she not in control of the situation, but she's also having to hide everything from John because she'd rather him be ignorant and safe than struggling and stressed like she and Arlo are.
Of course, her efforts to keep John away from Spectre are for naught because John stubbornly refuses to leave her side. Ultimately, he ends up losing his ability to fulfill the promise he made her to protect the Safe House (which probably also made her feel guiltier about his ability loss). But John's involvement and their near-assassination only continue to fuel Sera's desire to destroy the part of Spectre that's done nothing but ruin both her and John's lives. And it's only after John destroying Orrin's ability recovery machines and Sera sending Arlo/the Bureau after Orrin that she's able to regain some more freedom. The very last thing that stands in her way of being free once again is the Bureau, who is quite unhappy that Sera had stolen their ability converter research to provide to Spectre.
John, Sera, and Arlo are all hopeful that being pardoned by the Bureau will let Sera go back to living a relatively normal life, but the Bureau has no use for high tiers that can't be tied down to them. High tiers that don't obey the Bureau either are killed (Rei), are tortured into submission (John), or are blackmailed into working for them (Jane). There is no true freedom with the Bureau because it wishes to uphold the violent status quo that continues to oppress the weak and snare the strong.
And with one final act of rebellion, Sera destroys a whole cafe full of Bureau members and discards the opportunity for false freedom Valerie offered her. Unfortunately, Sera ends up fleeing Wellston and leaving John behind once again without a support system, which does feed into his suicidal rampage at the end of season 2. When she does see him again, Sera is visibly exhausted since she hasn't taken the news of John's rampage well at all, but she still doesn't stop in her tracks because Arlo and Blyke need to be saved. And Sera is unwilling to leave anyone else behind. Not if she has anything to say about it.
So where does that ALL that leave us for what Sera says in ep 375?
She broke free from her parents' clutches in ep 51; she broke free from Wellston after being exiled in 298; and now that she's a terrorist outlaw that the Bureau wants dead, she can do whatever she wants. She isn't wrong of course--that's why John asks her why she doesn't just get up and leave now that her ability is no longer compromised. But to Sera, being able to do what she wants to do is what it really means to be free. She doesn't have to worry about what people think of her or how she's going to survive with the whole world out for her. Just like when she was powerless, having John at her side is comforting enough to help her push through all the stressful situations they now find themselves in:
'I feel like I can do just about anything if you're with me.'
John has always been Sera's main pillar of support, and he's probably the first real friend she's ever made. Now that he's back in her life and they're free to do whatever they want, her mental health has improved significantly. She doesn't have to worry about him being on his own, and he's close enough that she can protect and reassure him if need be. The fact that she admits that being with him is enough to keep her going despite everything shows that she still heavily values John, and she makes it known that she really wouldn't be here without him.
The midnight convo Jera have in ep 375 is quite a romantic scene that further strengthens their unbreakable bond. It's them against the world and as long as Sera focuses on her goals/John/whatever else is in front of her, she can do anything she puts her mind to. No one's forcing her to do anything and she's delighted to be spending every waking moment with John again, just like they used to. Sera's free enough to do anything now, so what's really stopping her at this point?
But if Sera's free to do whatever she wants, why am I worried?
To be clear, I am not worried that Seraphina or John will die by the end of the series because I don't believe either of their deaths will serve a narrative purpose or contribute to the overarching themes of the story. The thing is that Sera has always been focused on what's in front of her, which can be an active detriment to her when she neglects herself in favor of her goals. That's right...!! The very thing that's been driving her forward could very well be her biggest weakness (besides John).
Throughout the course of the story, Sera has struggled immensely to survive being a zero, help John break free from his past, and deal with every danger that poses a threat to her or her friends. While she does end up being miserable and doesn't bottle up her feelings like John does, Sera always steels her resolve to push forward no matter what. If she can focus on what's in front of her, she can take anything that's flung her way because that's all she can do. She takes things one step at a time, but she doesn't stop for anything.
Seraphina, an embodiment of her time manipulation ability, reflects the concept that time continues to march forward no matter what. She can't rewind all of her mistakes and doesn't dwell on the what-if scenarios that could pose a threat to her. Instead, she faces everything head-on and if things don't go her way, she simply forges a different path forward. But this unstoppable force of hers isn't without consequence:
Just like most high-tiers saddled with a bunch of responsibilities (much like Arlo early on), Sera would rather sacrifice herself to shoulder every single burden so that the people she cares about won't be affected. She's always been following her desires to only focus on what's in front of her with not a lot of regard to her own well-being.
In the season 2 part 1 recap, she literally admitted that she didn't care about overexerting herself if it meant that she'd be able to get through to John. Sera pushed herself to the limit to save John and ended up unconscious for a while as a consequence; she couldn't even say goodbye to him before he left for New Bostin. You know it's bad when Arlo of all people (King of being burdened by too many responsibilities) had to keep telling Sera to calm down and give herself more grace (before John got embroiled in the Spectre shit and lessened her burdens for her) :\...
And unlike John, who isn't afraid to admit that he doesn't care about himself and would always prioritize Sera anyway, Sera's self-sacrificing attitude speaks more through her actions and her unwillingness to rest. She always places an emphasis on "not having enough time" because she's only using her time to get things done--not "waste" it on herself sulking/grieving or properly taking care of herself. She forgets herself in the midst of her ambitions, and that's how she's always been even since before the start of the story.
Regardless of the consequences, Sera strides forward.
Let's see... since unOrdinary started, Seraphina has experienced suffocating responsibilities, ability loss, severe bullying, world-shattering revelations, loss of agency, assassination attempts, being branded a terrorist, leaving her life behind, and nearly losing her best friend multiple times. We've seen her at her worst during the two months she didn't have her ability for, and we've seen at least one nightmare she's had (refer to ep 245 - it's the nightmare where John loses his ability). So it's not like Sera doesn't grieve when she's given the opportunity to, but I fear she isn't giving herself enough time to process most of the traumatic events she's experiencing as a 17-year-old girl who should've been normally hanging out with her best friend. Instead she's on the run as an outlaw alongside her best friend with grand, ambitious plans to change the world and restructure society.
A good chunk of Sera's mental health undoubtedly revolves around John. If he's safe, then she's fine, but if he isn't, then she's not fine. After all, she loves him immensely and would do anything for him, especially because he's changed her life so much for the better. She's quick to pick up when John's not feeling too well, and he's also quite attentive to her when she's not feeling great either:
During the season 2 finale (ep 346), John notices the bags under Sera's eyes and wonders if she's been taking care of herself.
Of course Sera hasn't been taking care of herself!!!! How could she take care of herself knowing that he nearly died in her absence and without her knowledge until after the fact??
(So far) We don't get to see how Sera reacted to the news of John's suicidal rampage, William's death, or the fact that Arlo and Blyke were captured trying to save John. But she took the news pretty poorly because we haven't actually seen Sera with bags under her eyes since she was feeling lost and hopeless post-John-is-Joker revelation (and Uru loves to signify a character's declining mental health via eye bags/dark circles). Sera probably cried a lot and blamed herself for not being around when John needed her the most, and she must've been anxiously waiting for him to wake up after Cameron saved his life. She cries when he wakes up and rushes towards her for a hug, and she tears up again when she tells him to never throw his life away again. Sera always falls apart when John isn't with her and isn't okay.
What we do see is how Sera reacted when she thought she lost John forever. She immediately loses her composure and snaps at both Kayden and Leilah with a ferocity we frankly haven't seen since ep 20 (when John outsmarted her over a slice of Triple Choco Cake and she beat him up):
"IF [JOHN] ISN'T HERE, THEN WHAT WAS THE POINT IN ANY OF THIS?!"
When John loses William and Sera thanks the Bureau at the end of season 2, he goes on a suicidal rampage trying to take revenge on the Bureau. What do you suppose would've happened if Sera had actually lost John in either situation?
[This is why I don't believe John or Sera will die before the series ends. John, under the full belief that he'd never see her again, tried to end it all while he was blinded by grief. John would rather be dead than live in a world without Sera; Sera probably would lose most of her ambitious momentum if John died. They're incomplete without each other, so I feel like it would be too cruel to subject either of them with an insurmountable amount of sorrow no therapy could ever fix.]
Remember: Sera's scheme to steal Orrin's recovery machines was motivated by her desire to give John back his ability, not her own. Again, what's the use of being in a world without the person who showed her what it meant to truly be free? John is essential for Sera's happiness, and nearly losing him THREE separate times during season 2 part 2 must weigh on her tremendously, even if she doesn't outwardly show it. She's usually so calm and collected, but who knows, maybe she subconsciously doesn't want to be apart from John anymore because she can't stand the idea of harm befalling him if she can't get to him in time.
For now, she's grateful that John is still with her and is willing to reassure him however many times she has to. While John will always tell her how much she means to him, Sera will always show him how much he means to her. Whether it be through another sacrifice or more words of reassurance, Sera will always prioritize John over herself no matter what. She's free to do whatever she wants (for) now, so who is going to stop her from loving John in the only way she knows how to?
"As crazy as it sounds... I don't mind the way things turned out."
After everything is said and done, will Sera be okay mentally? Her calm and collected personality is backed by John's presence giving her strength (yep, even after all this time), but there has to be a limit to how much she can handle, even with John around. Her brain isn't even fully developed but she's still taking risks and calling the shots... I can't help but worry for her.
Sure, when the series ends, she will probably be truly free in a society that isn't ruled by power and senseless violence (praying really hard for a happy ending). But the mental trauma that's been accumulating since the very start of the series will surely take its toll on her the moment she has a chance to relax and her body shuts down from not being in a constant high-stress situation anymore.
I doubt we would ever get some kind of epilogue that will show how our protagonists cope with insane amounts of trauma no 17-18 year olds should be going through (idk we'll see lol), so Sera is likely safe from being trapped once more in her own mind. But it is something to think about since the burdens of restructuring society and facing off against long-standing organizations are certainly not light ones a few people can carry alone.
I suppose we'll see what else the final season has in store for her, but until then, I will pray for both her and John's happiness... together!!!
Thoughts on John [and Sera] in unOrdinary ep 375 and its parallels with ep 283 (SPOILERS!!!!)
Part John (1/2)
[Next post focusing on Seraphina]
One of the first things that stood out to me while reading ep 375 was how similar it felt to ep 283:
There is only one bed
Sera tells John he can share said bed with her
John declines since he doesn't want to hit Sera because of his nightmares
John asks Sera how/why she's bothering with all this needless stress
Sera reassures John and mentions that she focuses on what's in front of her to avoid being stressed out
Compared to ep 283, ep 375 is a lot more romantically charged, which is quite pleasant for everyone who has been eating Jera crumbs for the last 10 years or so (don't get me started I could yap even longer about the ship itself /pos). But I'd also think about what Jera's midnight conversation has to say about their respective characters, especially with ep 283 in mind as well.
Let's start off with John:
John's always been worried about Sera's well-being over his own, even to the point where he would willingly bottle up his issues instead of bothering her. It's only natural that in a situation where they're either hiding or on the run, John would ask her how she's managing to not freak out or why she's still even bothering with it all when she has the choice to leave. But I dare say that while John genuinely does mean to ask Sera these questions, he's actually also seeking reassurance from her.
Sera is almost always poised and confident, while John is almost always angry and snarky regarding the circumstances they keep finding themselves in. But when things slow down a bit and he's able to think, John's insecurities start bubbling up to the surface.
In ep 283, he asks her why she isn't freaked out by the fact that Spectre's after them since they nearly got assassinated a few chapters ago back in ep 273. We don't get John's thoughts on what he could possibly be worried about but I think he was worried about his and (mostly) Sera's safety while hiding from Spectre:
Without an ability to defend themselves with, they're sitting ducks so they have to hide, and it's an unpleasant experience to be cooped up for days on end. But talking to Sera about how she's handling the situation they're in makes him feel better, so he thanks her for the reassurance. Despite the circumstances, he's happy to just be able to share her struggles so she doesn't have to be alone to shoulder the burdens of being stuck to Spectre anymore.
If Sera isn't stressing then there's no reason for John to be freaking out either; he finds comfort in the fact that she's able to face everything head-on even when she has no choice but to. The only person who really needs comforting is himself... Sera is fine after all (or at least is quite good at hiding her anxieties and woes)! But it's also because Sera is so brilliant, strong, and independent that John starts feeling insecure again later on in ep 375.
While Sera snoozes, John thinks back to how she figured out that Neil's been stringing them along with information and in typical John fashion, shits on himself for it:
"If it were just me on my own..." is where I assume he started thinking about the idea of being out here alone without Sera by his side. After all, she had already been separated from him for a few weeks after she had to leave school and then Wellston entirely. During that time she was able to regain her ability and get blacklisted even harder by the Bureau. There's nothing tying her down to Wellston, Spectre, the Bureau, or John anymore, so why does Sera still bother to deal with every mess coming her way?
Or as John not-so-subtly puts it, 'Why are you still here... with me?'
With his self-esteem still in tatters after all this time (can't blame him though), John can't understand why she's still putting up with him and his problems because Sera could go anywhere and start a new life, away from the Bureau, Spectre, her family... John. With her wits and power, she could just show up anywhere and make a life for herself where no one knows her, just like how Vaughn had after he disappeared for years and came back to participate in the education system. It's a valid fear that John has, maybe even subconsciously fueled by his misapprehensions of his mother's disappearance 15 years prior (leaving because her family wasn't good enough for them).
After all, Sera doesn't have to break Blyke out of jail, unravel the secrets the Bureau and Spectre hide, find Jane, or even be with John. And yet she remains because she wants to do all these things and change the world for the better, all while being together with John. No longer is she the Seraphina who cast all her responsibilities away and took her authority for granted. Thanks to John's influence in her life, she was able to change for the better even after all the horrible things she experienced while being a high tier and a zero.
You'd imagine that John should know that Sera loves him with all her heart -- enough to sacrifice everything for him over and over again -- so why would he have to seek reassurance from her in such a roundabout way?
Ultimately, John still is prioritizing Sera over himself. He doesn't ask her outright "how am I supposed to handle this crazy Spectre shit?" or "why do you bother still being here with me?" because he doesn't want to make their situation solely about him. I'm not even sure if he realizes that he's seeking her reassurance since caring about her is simply second nature to him.
There's nothing wrong with John seeking reassurance from Sera either since that's something he's always found comfort in: the idea that she's always going to be around to either stop him from another rampage or (in these cases) quell the gnawing voices in his head that make him feel worse about himself. Sera said as much back in ep 230:
Of course, Sera does comfort John by telling him that she's exactly where she wants to be and that as long as she's focused on what's in front of her, the consequences of her dangerous games don't really bother her. Unlike in ep 283, Sera in 375 is looking directly at John as she says "not if I just focus on what's right in front of me."
'I'm here because I want to be. That's just how much you mean to me.'
Sera unsubtly declares that she wants to be with John and that he is actually one of her top priorities. After all, the thing who just so happens to be "right in front" of her gaze that "keeps [her] going" is John. He's always been one of her top priorities from the start of the series. She's outsmarted lie detectors (Nadia), threatened Arlo over John's safety (even though she didn't have the full story lol), chose to work with Leilah to regain her ability to save John from himself, and so much more... all because she loves him fiercely. And John, who is eternally grateful to Sera for everything she's done for him, pays her back in kind:
Instead of repeating that he's glad that she's here with him even after everything, he simply holds her left hand and gently kisses it, reinforcing his devotion to her that he's always had. A kiss on the hand is a chivalric and romantic gesture, and it does encapsulate how he feels about her: he'd do anything for her.
Neither of them have to say anything because they're quite aware of how they feel for each other. They'd easily sacrifice everything for one another... that's just how Jera has been for a long time now.
John can't stop her from playing dangerous games and living life on the edge, so he might as well go all-in and stay as one of her main pillars of support. After all, Sera finds comfort in John's presence just as much as he finds comfort in hers. John is just more direct when it comes to how often he expresses his affections for Sera; and though he's more subtle when it comes to asking her for reassurance, John's love for Sera is unmistakable either way.
(Anyway I'll make a separate post eventually talking about how far Sera has come as a character because ep 375 was just as important for her specifically imo!!! Outside of the context that this episode was stuffed with Jera lol 10/10 chapter)
Edit: Here it is !!!
Part 2 / Part Sera (this one is also very long)
The new standees for Arlo, Isen, Remi, and Blyke have poses that are also in that "Learn to Draw unOrdinary" book (tho they've got different outfits) 🥳
John and Sera's standees (not pictured) are from a different official art but who knows maybe we'll see these poses again in merch down the line:
New picmix for him since the last one I made for his birthday was very silly:
fun fact: (if you ignore the canon story and its time progression) out of the main 6 Wellston children/royals, Isen is the 2nd oldest, right after John
elaine cannot catch a break even after all this time wtf...
the parallel is crazy though... threatened into silence by the strongest men she knows.... siiiiiiigh. i love john and arlo but phew... elaine definitely needs a break from all these people when the story is over
