It will never be not funny to me that they really tried to get us to feel bad for Derek in season 6. Every time I watch that scene where Agent R tells Derek that he was the best father he could've been, I want to jump into the screen and violently beat them both.
Derek? The best father? The same man who gave his son life long self esteem issues? The man who called his son a monster straight to his face multiple times? That Derek?
I dont give a shit he "saw the error of his ways", he only did so when his son literally almost died, because shockingly, when you hide something like that from the people closest to you it can be used against you.
I think what gets me the most is the double standard, Derek gets to be married, Derek gets to have children while fully knowing the consequences, and Derek gets to have friends. But Aaron? Nah mate, you're stuck under constant surveillance for the rest of your life.
Aaron gets sick of it and tells his father to go fuck himself? Welp, guess your getting disowned and losing your inheritance. I guess Derek is fine with Aaron killing people as long as it isn't on his dime.
Fuck that man, little shit deserved to get pokeballed.
I swear to god if they start acting as if Garte's actions were excusable in ANY way I'm gonna be on the news. Zane's ENTIRE personality is built off of the CLEAR negligence of Garte. Garroth's complex is from Garte's standards.
He has been evil in every single universe that I'm aware. The subtext is there. His children aren't comfortable around him. I don't believe the universe where he experimented on one of his children and raised all 3 to have nuclear life problems is gonna be the one varient to be redeemed.
Zane had to GO OUT OF HIS WAY to ask Garte. Garte DIDN'T EVEN apoligize. Fuck Garte. Forever.
You know what? Fuck Aaron's dad too. Before his death, his agent tried so hard to convince us he was a good father, but that was just a lie. At least he sacrificed himself for his kid.
something I’ve only now truly thought abt and kinda wanna just ramble about that is extremely interesting to me is Zack and Derek and how they’re written as total opposites when it comes to their parenting, which makes their confrontation in s6 in the episode with Derek’s death even more interesting.
Derek was extremely protective to the point of not letting Aaron have any freedom due to his worry over his family and feeling responsible for what happens to them. He was controlling over Aaron’s social life and actions out of fear and enforced strict rules like having literal bodyguards while Aaron was in college to watch over him. Derek overlooked almost every part of Aaron’s life which led him to being closed off and viewing himself as a monster, and anytime Aaron found something that helped him push that belief away, Derek would usually not approve of it and try to take away, like with Aphmau.
Zack, on the other end, is almost entirely the opposite. He’s extremely avoidant to the point of barely being present. Obviously he wasn’t present at all for Aph, but when I say barely, I mostly mean Ein. Though he was only a caretaker, I’m using Ein as an example because of his connections with Aaron, and the fact that Ein and Aaron sort of mirror Zack and Derek. It’s very very implied through Micheal’s dialogue in s6, Ein’s entire character, and Zack’s general behavior, that Zack emotionally neglected Ein (at least that’s how I understood it). Zack’s avoidance left him barely watching over Ein and never teaching him right from wrong, likely disregarded his needs. Zack’s line of saying Ein was just “born a monster” is very clearly an excuse and a way for him to try and convince himself that this wasn’t his fault, because again, Zack is very avoidant—he doesn’t take accountability for his actions and refuses to acknowledge that things are his fault, such as Ein’s death and basically entire character.
Ein’s ideology of hierarchy stemmed from that emotional neglect as he never had anyone to teach him otherwise and only had his old school to base his morals off of, where he was the omega and constantly reminded of the hierarchy which exists. It also likely cemented the idea of worthiness in Ein’s head, as did Zack’s negligence, where he formed a mentality where basic respect and receiving care had to be earned through proving yourself worthy in some capacity. Zack’s avoidance bred the monster Ein became, and it’s that same avoidance that leads him to try and find some way around that and twist things into not being his fault. Because of Zack’s ignorance, Micheal used Ein to his advantage by giving him something Zack never did, that being attention. You can tell from one of the trailers of s6, as well as just bits of dialogue in s4 and s6 from Ein, that he is clearly desperate for Michael’s approval and follows him blindly because it’s something he’s not used to. Zack never gave him that, and therefore he became desperate to obtain it from Micheal, who fully knew that and used it to his advantage.
(With that being said I think Ein’s character could prompt a very interesting “Nature vs. Nurture” thematic discussion, and I honestly believe he represents both. maybe I’ll talk abt it more one day)
With that being said, though, one thing to note is that neither of these two are the “better” parent in my opinion. I see people saying they forgive Derek over Zack for certain reasons and vice versa (which is fine everyone is entitled to their own opinions), but I fully personally believe they were equally bad parents because they represent two ends of parenting. Derek is the most extreme degree of overprotectiveness while Zack is the extreme degree of negligence. Ein and Aaron are mirrors of what those styles of parentings have on children, and with how things turned out, it’s clearly not good. The fact is that most conflicts within Aaron and Ein’s characters could’ve been avoided with better parenting styles.
It makes their “redemption” in s6 make sense once you put them side by side. This isn’t about whether the redemptions themselves were good or if you forgive them, but they are objectively redemptions for both characters. Zack and Derek help each other realize the flaws in their parenting and how that had inevitably led to everything that happened. Derek realizes how controlling he’d been towards Aaron, and as a final act, sacrifices himself in a way where he can’t dictate where Aaron goes from here. By the end of s6, Zack finally takes action and doesn’t avoid his own mistakes anymore, choosing to fix things by helping kill Micheal—Zack saw Derek’s sacrafice and realized what deep care for a child looked like and finally realizes his mistakes with Ein, and to that extent Aphmau as well. Derek’s care for Aaron was an extreme, yes, but it ultimately was still care. Love doesn’t justify his actions, but it ultimately is still love in its own capacity.
It’s just so interesting to me man. It’s so cool how Derek and Zack being opposites in terms of parenting passed down onto Aaron and Ein. Ein is also avoidant of accountability where he believes he’s in the right because of his view of power and hierarchy, as well as also being avoidant in the sense that he often needs things to be done for him (fights in pdh, the forever potions in s4, the werewolf camp in s6, etc). Aaron, on the other hand, feels like a monster and constantly has a weight on his back to protect those he considers dear to him. Despite Ein and Aaron’s feelings towards their fathers (figure), they did end up mirroring them in their behaviors, even if in their own unique ways.
Hope that makes sense. Sorry if I don’t articulate my thoughts perfectly and maybe some stuff isn’t super accurate, but that’s just my interpretation of it. Just wanted to yap abt this bc it is sososo interesting to me. I legit just discussed this with a friend (specifically abt Zack and Ein and abt the emotional neglect) and realized. Oh my god Derek is the total opposite. Ty for reading!
i think this is my first actual MyStreet animatic?? which is crazy because i've wanted to make one since 6 yrs ago when i first watched those Reacting To Fan Art videos Jess used to make 💀
This PLUS the Vlad-Jab????? THEY’RE TRYING ALRIGHT??? Sure, Garté wanted to leave everybody behind, sure Zane’s contribution to the Relic Trio was “emo,” sure Garroth got never learned how to tuck in his ears and tail and put everyone in the spotlight because of it, sure Vlad didn’t even show up, sure Zianna didn’t really do anything plot important other than die that one time… but like- they’re adorable!
(jk they are amazing and Zane saved Garroth and Garté used up all his good deeds when he was a teenager and Vlad is having a good time somewhere else and Zianna made Garté stay and I love them so much)
hold on... does travis still have derek's relic in him? we never saw it seperate from him, and i'd imagine that we'd see him if he WAS alive like we saw zack elizabeth and garte in the post-credits. honestly, derek's probably definitely in a worser condition to aaron after being used as a relic. season 7 scene where it all comes to ahead and aaron and melissa say goodbye to their father....
