A Distant Shore thoughts
Alright well I wanted to talk about a distant shore over the weekend since we didn’t have a new ascension episode come out but for some reason I just never got around to it. I don’t know for me this episode like exceed my expectations. Like I remembered that I liked this episode but it’s literally been 5 to 6 years since I actually sat down and watched the whole show
As I have said like multiple times in other tags I do have quite a few thoughts on this episode but I’m gonna try not to make the post too long. So a very brief synopsis but the episode starts with a man named Gar Revelle telling about the burning world aka the surface. He talks about riches and adventure and is trying to convince people to come to with him on this journey.
I’m really shortening the story here but Eli tries to find out how Gar knows about the surface and he tries to do it alone but his friends come along only to get into a shoot out. He sends them back to the hideout and finds out how Gar knows about the surface; through his great uncles journal. Eli steals the journal and makes it back to the hideout only to be followed by Gar and his followers. The episode ends with Eli burning his great uncle’s journal and telling his friends about the surface
There were so many little moments in the episode that just shows that slugterra can have some deeper topics. Like when Kord says we trust you Eli we just wish you could trust us to Trixie not even believing Eli at first after he just told them one of his families greatest secrets to even Eli saying the that shane gang is his family. That scene where Eli has to burn his great uncles journal was so heartbreaking to watch. Like how he can’t even look at it and how Burpy closes his eyes it’s so heartbreaking
All these moments and more show how close they are too each other and how much they care for Eli. I mean they constantly talk about how they are a team and that it doesn’t matter what they are fighting for they just want to remain together. I feel like that’s such a weirdly strong message for a kids show for ages 6 to 10. Maybe I’m reading way too much into it but this episode seems to be about not pushing people away and that it’s okay to open up your darkest secrets with the ones who care about you. And I don’t think I’m wrong in that assumption if you consider Eli’s father
I find it interesting that this episode came right after inheritance because it almost mirrors what happened to Will and Tom Por. Again brief synopsis but Will Shane was keeping secrets from Tom Por who Eli stated was a good friend of his dad’s until he betrayed him. Will was keeping secrets from his friend and when his friend confronted him he lied and instead got into an argument with him and from the looks of it either killed Tom Por or greatly injured him. All of this just to keep the Shane secrets well a secret.
Will values keeping the secrets of the Shanes more than his friend which is heartbreaking. I feel like you can even see it in his face where he knows that this is the way that things have to be. I don’t think he wants to get into a duel with his friend but if that’s what it takes to keep the shadow talker a secret then that’s the way it’s gotta be.
Eli almost does the same thing even in that episode with the shadow talker when he hides it behind his back but his friends say it would be better if they all helped him out together as a team. And the same happens in this episode. He tries to hide what he’s doing to his friends and he tries to push them away but they don’t listen and they even want to fight for him even if they don’t know what it’s for. Like damn that’s loyalty.
I think this shows that while Eli and Will look scarily similar they do have very different personalities and different approaches to how to be a Shane. I mean the core principles are there but Eli tries to open up. You could argue it’s because he’s a kid but I think it could speak to Eli having such good friends and wanting to keep them around. Like Eli was left all alone for so long on the surface after his father disappeared and his mother left him that maybe that’s why he wanted to open up to them because he was afraid to lose them. He would rather risk a few people knowing about the biggest shane secret as long as he’s not alone.
But Will didn’t do that he pushed them all away and that caused him to do almost every thing by himself and make impulsive decisions like with Twist’s and Dana’s father. It’s a little messed up that Will expected that Eli acted the same way he did but maybe that’s the only way Will knew. Maybe if Will had a Shane gang his approach would have been different but he didn’t