I want to talk about baby Helena 🥺 I agree that her rebelliousness would have manifested differently when she was a child, and she might not have always been rebellious (or at least not “let’s tear down Lumon” rebellious). Mostly I think she just asked a lot of questions, which would have been perceived as threatening to Lumon’s ideology even if some of them came from a genuine eagerness to learn more. We see a bit of that in Helly in s1, when she’s constantly asking why things are the way they are and refusing to accept half-answers.
In regards to why Jame would have snuffed out the “Kier” part of her if he saw it as a positive - this is where things get real dark. I think he saw this rebellious, fierce part of her as magnetic and enigmatic, which would make her the perfect future CEO to follow in Kier’s footsteps. But I also think he gets a sick thrill from “taming” and controlling Helena…which could have manifested in multiple different ways. I think unfortunately the fiercer her spirit started the more pleased he was to break it. Which is why I think he’s so excited to “see Kier” in Helly. He wants to break her all over again.
I LOVE THIS. i think she probably grew up being told or at least treated as the heir apparent. this, combined with her thirst for approval, would've made her extremely eager to prove herself. as we know from helly (precisely because of the "let's tear down lumon"), she's ambitious! she goes all out on what feels right to her! and she absolutely refuses to cooperate when it doesn't feel right! this would go hand in hand with asking a lot of questions, needing to understand the what, why, how behind everything. except it's a cult, and cults thrive on obedience and conformity. so like you said, her attitude would have been seen as threatening. (and she wouldn't have even understood why.)
about jame... i fear you may be right, and that makes me so sad. we need to remember that he's an abuser, so of course he is thrilled by the appearance of another perfect victim, literally cut from the same mold as his first, his favourite. he might even be bored of helena now that he has broken her so thoroughly. it's so sickening...
