Surprisingly enough, I've never talked about BFDIA 22's flag destroying scene here, considering it's one of my favorites in the whole season. Since today I am feeling very BFDIA-Book pilled, I think it's the best moment to do so.
Ok so, we all know Book allies with TB because she thinks that the challenge can't keep going on forever. She makes a logical point, because, sooner or later, it's gonna wear them out. However, there's another side to her argument. Remember that the challenge is centered around travelling with Leafy; as a token of friendship and gratitude, she'd place friendship flags if she liked the place. Friendship flags.
Book saw straight into Leafy's heart: she wanted friends.
But Book doesn't know anything about what happened to her. She doesn't know she was forcefully isolated, she doesn't know she needs friends.
So, Book jumps to the most logical conclusion: she's using the contestants' goodwill (and desire to win) for her own benefit. To satisfy her selfish needs. She's expecting them to give her their all, while she's gonna give nothing in return.
And, as we all know, Book is a person who wants nothing more than a safe, comfortable home, for herself and for her friends alike. She values trust, honesty, and kindness above all. All of these values are displayed in her attempts to get TB to get along with Needle, and to make him obey his end of the contract.
So, naturally, after realising that Leafy is actively going against these ideals, she turns on her and the challenge altogether. This is also why she doesn't want to recover her in BFDIA 23. AND THIS IS SO INTERESTING TO ME!! Not only because most people said that Book was one of the most likely people to forgive Leafy, but also because it really shows to what extent she's willing to follow her own ideals. Even if object society is to blame for her not wanting to hear Leafy's side of the story (since Freesmart had "instructed [her] not to make contact" with her), she charged head-on and did what she believed right, without any hesitation. And I love that!!! So much!!! AND WHILE I WAS TYPING THIS. Do you know what she would later do believing that it was the right thing, in the name of friendship?? THAT'S RIGHT!!! CLAIMING THAT TACO WAS A TRAITOR!!! ouuugh It All Comes Together...
Returning to the flag destruction scene, it is also a bit of foreshadowing for what's gonna happen with Freesmart in IDFB. We also get Book not knowing the other side of the story; in this case, she doesn't know that Pencil made alternates a thing because it would ensure the group's safety in the long run. However, and especially if she wins BFDIA, she's gonna realise that she doesn't deserve this treatment. That Pencil might have been using her and Icy for her own benefit. It's the same scenario all over again: she realises that she's just another step on the ladder, and turns her back onto a person who had (overall) good intentions. (I say overall in parentheses bc Leafy did want friends to prove that she's a nice person AND for actual friendship)
