MAG 172: STRUNG OUT DEEP DIVE BECAUSE MY AUTISTIC ASS CAN'T STOP THINKING ABOUT IT
STATEMENT RECAP:
This is a statement taken by Jon as the archivist during the apocalypse aka season 5. The statement is about the web fear entity and takes place in one of its domains. The statement is about 'The tragedy of Francis, a comic puppet show in all acts' and is about Francis, a recovered drug addict. This web domain takes the form of a large theatre with multiple 'shows' going on at once. The statement begins with Martin and Jon talking. Jon stops, saying he needs to record a statement to Martin's dismay. Jon suggests Martin 'takes in a show' while he waits. Martin doesn't find this funny, he seems upset at the prospect of Jon needing to record a statement as they are almost out of the domain.
Jon starts to record the statement. It is presented as a stage play with a laughing audience. It the 49, 067th act of the play. Upon the stage there is a table, which holds a bottle of alcohol, and a box of cigarettes among other paraphernalia. Above the stage there is hooks, they are described as being hungry. Francis, who uses they/them pronouns, enters stage left begging for it to not happen again. There is a pause for laughter which the audience fills. The spider, who is offstage, urges Francis to walk away, before digging a hook into their leg. Throughout the play various hooks get imbedded into Francis, they allow the spider to control them. Other 'characters' make brief appearances from offstage. Francis' parents insult them, a friend tells them how they never smile when they are sober, a lover tries to get them to take something with her. Francis repeatedly tries to get away but is manipulated by the spider into staying. As the play continues, Francis is forced to sit at the table full of temptations, the spider puppeteers them into drinking from the bottle which is full of spiders. The spider's abdomen bursts open, covering Francis in spiders and the scene ends.
As the statement ends, Jon begins to narrate the next scene but is snapped out of it when Martin slaps him. Martin explains his actions before telling Jon he went exploring while Jon recorded the statement. Jon asks him if he was compelled to do so but Martin doesn't know, he refuses Jon's offer if 'Knowing' the answer. Martin asks Jon what the Web wants but Jon doesn't know. He knows that the Web has a plan but he can't comprehend it, nor can he locate Annabelle Cane, a powerful web avatar who had contacted Martin. They both agree to leave the domain.
AUTISM RANT TIME:
The Web as a fear entity encompasses two main fears: Arachnophobia, and the fear of being controlled or manipulated. It can manifest in many ways but the examples which apply to this statement are spiders and addiction.
There are many interesting things to talk about in regard to this statement. Firstly, I really like how it handles the web and its relationship with addiction, I just think that this is such an interesting concept for a statement and some absolutely beautiful writing on Jonathan's part. The phrase 'the world's a stage' comes to mind when thinking about this episode. To have the words of people who are meant to be part of your support system used to manipulate and guilt you while simultaneously facing being manipulated into falling to the familiar vices of a previous addiction in front of a laughing audience is chilling. This is further built upon by the repetition of the phrase 'pause for laughter' throughout the statement.
Another interesting thing to highlight is how the spider urges Francis to walk away while also giving them no chance to do so as the hooks incapacitate them. The web entity had no attempted or planned ritual as it preferred the world as it was before. Afterall, what's the point in trying to manipulate people if they don’t have the autonomy to be able to resist. This is illustrated in this statement as the spider can only physically manipulate Francis, through puppeteering them, rather than controlling them through guilt and fear. There is a certain violence to this statement that the web usually didn't have to resort to in the pre apocalypse world.
Additionally, something I would like to highlight is that Martin didn't know if he was compelled to explore the domain. Was his curiosity his own or the webs influence? In mag 167: curiosity, a statement about Gertrude Robinson's time as the archivist, we learn about her web aligned assistant Emma Harvey. Emma's curiosity was what lead to her experimenting with the fears and their effects on her colleagues. The combination of these two statements also serves to highlight the connection between the Web and the Beholding, especially in Jon's case. Jon was curious about the supernatural once he was forced to admit it's existence. This curiosity led into a need to know, a hunger for the truth. He became addicted to the pursuit of knowledge so badly that when he failed to continue his truth seeking crusade he would experience withdrawal symptoms like any other addict, causing him to become consistently sicker until he indulged. The Web also has links to addition in Jon in other ways as well. Jon had previously been a smoker, having quit after the death of his grandmother, but it tempted back into it by the web, using a lighter with their symbolism, at various strategic points eg: when it allowed Elias Bouchard murder Jurgen Leitner while Jon went to smoke in order to calm down and process what he had just learnt.
Furthermore, we know that the Web has influenced Jon from essentially day one. From marking Jon as a child with the 'A guest for Mr. Spider' Leitner, to the tape recorders, to the lighter, the web has always manipulated him. This then stands to highlight how Jon went straight into another statement after finishing this one, something he wouldn't normally do. Though as repetition is part of the web's method of manipulation, this could be more to manipulate Francis, then it was the archivist.
AHH I LOVE THIS STATEMENT SO MUCH GANG THERE IS SO MUCH MORE I COULD ZOOM IN ON BUT I LITTERALLY DO NOT HAVE THE TIME RIGHT NOW. PLEASE TELL ME THAT SOMEONE ON TUMBLR LOVES THIS EPISODE JUST AS MUCH AS I DO
