So hot take time - I don’t think it was necessary for RJ and Master Finn to have repaired their relationship in Jungle Fury.
Be respectful members of the order and be able to work together for the greater good and stop Dai Shi absolutely. But that doesn’t mean that they couldn’t still have a strained relationship at the end of the day.
At the bare minimum it should not have been a half attempted hand wave. And yes I am aware that it was convenient set up for later plot points but that could have still worked, RJ could have still grieved losing his dad temporarily and still helped free the other masters because it was the right thing to do and shown that despite things still being strained they could set aside those differences and do what needed to be done.
Grief can be because you loved someone but it is far more complicated than that. You can grieve the good moments and the person you thought they were before things got to the point where cutting off contact was the only option left. RJ could have grieved the love there used to be and that Master Finn didn’t see him for who he truly was until it was too late.
I know from experience how difficult that decision is, and I also see how much push back you get for making that decision at all. It is astonishing how much other family members really dislike when you prioritise your own wellbeing and mental health. Not all of them but more than expected.
All of a sudden you have a decision that must be fixed and corrected, after all do you understand how much pain you are putting the other person through, you can fix that by forgiving them and letting them back into your life. I’ve seen someone I love’s pain be tossed back in their face if not outright dismissed for having enough, for doing what is best for them as they try to heal.
I’m so proud of them.
I get push back and constant reminders to reach out to older family members I have low contact with because while it is ok for them to not reach out apparently it is not ok for me.
RJ maybe laid back and easy going but his quick forgiveness of his father doesn’t make sense and does not sit right with me. Especially with how guarded he is, you can’t tell me one positive interaction is enough to lower his walls completely. Any reconciliation for RJ needed to happen on his terms and his terms alone.
Regardless of his own feelings towards his father RJ would have stilled helped Master Finn in One Master Too Many, because that is who RJ is. He helps those he can without hesitation.
Also if you or someone you know is estranged from anyone but especially family don’t be Casey (or Lily honestly). I can handle Casey being too excited to see that RJ was uncomfortable which had the unfortunate side effect of forcing RJ share.
I actually like that even in his excitement Casey was able to listen and that RJ didn’t have to support that weight alone and Casey did support RJ and decision he made which is good.
No my problem with Casey happens after with Master Finn. He shared how he learned how to skip stones so well from RJ which was relevant but then he tries to convince Master Finn that he is wrong about his son.
Do not do that without direct and clear consent from whoever broke off contact in the first place and even then proceed with extreme caution. It is not and will never be your job or responsibility to try to fix it. Support the person or persons you care about, if they eventually decide to attempt to assess if that bridge can be repaired it needs to be if they are ready.
So yeah I don’t think Master Finn deserved to be forgiven so easily. In fact I don’t think it was something RJ ever needed to do
