**This post will have spoilers if you haven’t read books 2-4 of The Wingfeather Saga**
So I was thinking about Wingfeather things and I accidentally realized something really significant about Janner.
Janner has the ability to remind someone of who they are. There is something about him that reminds people to have hope and courage, to be noble and hold on, to fight for the light. I think the first time this happens is with Sara in the Fork Factory, and this one is made abundantly clear to us because Sara thinks many times about “the light he left behind”. Janner reminded Sara that there is hope, that there is life still outside of the factory walls, and that they can escape the place they’re in. And that rekindles the light and hope in Sara’s heart and she spreads it like wildfire to all the children around her.
He does it at the end of book 2 with Kalmar (and then never really stops through books 3 and 4) when he brings his brother back from being a Fang. He tells Kal stories about who he was, about their silly adventures in Glipwood, and Kalmar breaks through the fear and hate and anger that fills his little Fang mind and comes back to himself. Janner reminds Kal over and over “Your name is Kalmar Wingfeather, son of Esben, High King of Anniera”. He helps Kalmar keep his mind through the Blackwood and the Deeps of Throg. Janner’s very presence helps with this when nothing else does.
Janner does this again for Artham at the beginning of book 3, when Artham has a panic attack and the Hollowsfolk start trying to kill him. Janner doesn’t have time now like he did with Sara and Kalmar, but he still manages to remind his uncle of who he is (their protector and guardian) when he just straight up jumps out of a tree and trusts Artham will catch him. And Artham does and his mind is cleared. I think this shows us that Janner just has an intuition for this, because here he doesn’t really have time to think.
The last one is a more of a joint effort, but at the end of book 3 I think it’s significant that cloven!Esben says his name. Esben has had loads of time with Kalmar where he could have addressed his son and told him who he was. But he isn’t able to speak until he sees Janner. And at this point Esben is dying. He could have said any of his kid’s names and Janner would have known who he was, he could have said Kalmar’s, he’s spent more time with Kal at this point, but he calls out to Janner specifically. And Janner hears him and responds.
The last and biggest moment this happens in is in book 4 when they’re fighting Gnag. Janner can hear and sense Gnag’s thoughts and he can also hear the truth about who Gnag is. And he connects the two. He is the first person since Madia Wingfeather to tell Davion his name. The other kids and Oskar jump on board here pretty quick so it’s easy to miss, but Janner was the one who told Gnag, point blank “this isn’t what you want, and this is your name” and spoke that name.
So yeah, Janner has the unique ability to give a person what they need to remember who they are at any given time. He awakens something in them that they’ve lost. He’s a catalyst for memory and change, for healing. And that’s pretty amazing, I think.
Alright I am back to talk about my boy Peet again, specifically how he was introduced in episode 2 of the Wingfeather TV show. He technically appears in episode 1, but it’s only for a few seconds (and I’ve written a different post about that here).
What I want to talk about is how his character is formerly introduced to the audience in episode 2, “The Mysterious Map”. Peet is in this episode for all of about two minutes but man did they pack a LOT into those two minutes. I’ve said before that every second he’s on screen in the first two episodes of the show is telling us something about him, so let’s take a look, shall we? (there shouldn’t be any spoilers for the books except maybe little teeny tiny ones, I tried really hard to make this accessible to new fans.)
We first properly meet Peet (and learn his name, if you’re new) when Janner goes into Glipwood Forest to retrieve Sara’s zibzy ball. Just as he finds the ball, a mysterious silhouette drops down behind him.
Now, the lighting here is really interesting, because while Peet is in shadow and we can’t see him, there’s still a sunbeam shining down on him. So while his entrance initially seems sinister the lighting is telling us otherwise. This is very much a hero pose that Peet is doing here, and, interestingly enough, he’s also bowing, which he does a couple times in the very short bit he’s on screen, which means it’s a significant detail.
You can see it even more clearly in this shot- the bowing and the sunlight streaming down on him. The imagery is telling us very clearly “this man is good, he can be trusted” (maybe even hinting that he has a noble heart, which anyone who knows the story knows is true). It’s giving us a positive impression of Peet before we know anything about him, even while Janner is still nervous. It’s telling us that while Glipwood Forest is dangerous, this man is not- at least, not to our heroes.
And then we cut to THIS and first of all, have you ever seen a softer, kinder expression on anyone? Second, he’s still in the light- actually, that’s a theme with Peet in this episode; except for the first couple shots he’s in he stays solidly in the light almost the whole time. It’s even giving him a bit of a halo effect here, which is more imagery associated with good, noble characters. He is good and the story wants you to know that- needs you to know it, because they don’t have a lot of time here and we won’t learn much about who Peet is and his motives until the end of season 1 (if they follow the book’s framework there, which I’m assuming they would since there’s no reason not to).
In a sadder frame of analysis, it’s also pretty easy to see that Peet is… not doing great. We don’t know much about him at this point, except that he wears socks on his hands and does amazing acrobatics, but when we first meet him here you get a better sense of his mental state. Not only does he have trouble talking to Janner and act confused (“Oh, hey Peet, what are you doing here?” “Where? Oh! Here. Me.”) he’s also got bags under his eyes (to carry all the trauma), his hair and general appearance is unkempt, and if you look closely you can see what are either splotches of dirt, bruises or scars on his arms and legs which just. makes me worry about him even more.
The way he talks to Janner is also important. He doesn’t say much, but his voice is very soft, he seems to be whispering at first, like he’s afraid of scaring Janner away (;-;) and he only talks a little louder after Janner asks him a question. The way he’s framed in the shots of this scene, how he talks and how soft and gentle his expressions are all speak to the fact that he is kind and good. At the same time we find out about his mental confusion when Janner asks him what he’s doing in the forest and he doesn’t know how to answer the question.
So we have a mentally unwell, kind, noble, sort of weird fellow, who for some reason appears to Janner in the woods. We don’t know why exactly he jumped down from the tree to talk to Janner, because he’s interrupted before he can explain what he’s doing there, but knowing what we do from the books an educated guess can be made that he was keeping an eye on Janner and the other Igiby kids from the woods (he was watching their zibzy game and you can’t convince me otherwise) and when Janner ventured in and seemed frightened, Peet jumped down to make sure he was alright.
So that’s one micro scene. It’s showing us Peet’s caring side, that he might be weird and wear socks on his hands but he’s also kind and gentle to scared children lost in the woods.
The second tiny scene shows us the other side of him.
So Janner’s kind of been being harassed by this little critter (I think it’s a thwapperfly) since he entered the forest. It flies over and dive bombs him while he’s talking to Peet and even right here you can see how Peet’s expression changes. Before he was all softness, but now you can see his face turn more serious. (He’s also still in the light here, though partially shadowed)
(Wait wait, and Janner in that shot and this next one is in the light and oh no, oh gosh, Janner’s practically glowing in the screenshot below and there’s a sort of subtle divide between him and Peet in the lighting which is showing us that Janner is Peet’s light, Janner is literally bringing him into the light without even realizing it just by existing- which is representing what all the kids have a hand in doing for Peet which is bringing him out of darkness and into the light and hope and oh jeeze, oh gosh, I need a minute-)
Peet tenses, and it’s hard to see here but his whole expression changes, hardens. Because now Janner is afraid and Peet can’t let that stand. You can watch him track the thwapperfly’s movement like he’s zeroing in on a threat (because he is).
The thwapperfly circles back around for another attack and Peet’s reaction is immediate and instantaneous. He places himself between Janner and the danger:
Notice how fierce he suddenly is compared to how he was a moment ago when it was just him and Janner. This is Peet in protect mode and it’s showing us a lot of things. One is that he is 100% ready to throw down at any moment to protect Janner and the other Igiby kids- even if the threat is insignificant! Because I really doubt a thwapperfly could badly hurt Janner but that doesn’t matter to Peet because Janner is scared, and Peet cares more about making this kid feel safe than if the threat is actually dangerous or not. We don’t know why yet but he is.
Second, Peet is a very effective fighter! He not only jumps in front of Janner with lighting fast reflexes, he bats the thwapperfly away the second it gets close, and he does it in a practiced, easy way that tells you he’s used to defending himself (or others). He never hesitates for a second during any of this, just does it. It’s the sanest and most purposeful thing we’ve seen him do and he does it to protect our main character.
(Wait, oh, wait, hang on, another thing- Janner’s in the dark now and Peet is leaning into the light. Peet knows what’s going on here, he knows why he’s protecting Janner, but Janner has no idea! Janner is in the dark about what’s happening! That’s so clever I’m just-)
And then Peet catches Sara’s zibzy ball out of midair and skips away cackling delightedly.
Also note that this is one of the times we see him walking out of the light, though interestingly he’s still not shadowed significantly. And it’s the moment where he slips from protect back into the silly Sockman. (from his true self and into what he’s been forced to become)
I’m almost at tumblr’s image limit and I still have a ways to go with this analysis, so I’m going to stop there for the moment to continue this in a second post. Feel free to comment with your thoughts! I’m having a lot of fun with this :D
Here’s part two of my post about Peet’s introduction in The Wingfeather Saga show episode 2 “The Mysterious Map”! (no spoilers unless you haven’t seen the episode)
So Peet and Janner leave Glipwood Forest and Peet grandly- but without words- presents the ball back to the assembled children outside.
also I have emotions about Leeli saying “Hi Mr. the Sockman!” and waving to him help
You could write a whole other essay probably about the kids varied responses in this scene. Most of them look bored or annoyed to see Peet, and interestingly enough, none of them are afraid. You’d think that a crazy guy who runs around fighting street signs (true story) and talking to himself in gibberish would make a group of lone kids a little nervous, but he doesn’t. Which, to me says that he’s presented such a harmless persona around town that the kids see him and are just like, “oh it’s that weird guy again.” (which is pretty much Janner, Tink and Leeli’s reaction when we’re introduced to Peet in the book).
Also I’d just like to take a moment and point out Sara’s face: she looks like such a little leader and so stern and almost fierce and it’d be adorable and funny on another kid’s face but Sara, hhhhh oh Sara and what that girl goes through, what she becomes, and getting to see the tiniest glimpse of that here is just *chef’s kiss* (all I can think of is the scene where she meets Artham in book 3)
ANYWAY so here’s the second time Peet bows
It’s interesting that he’s not smiling here. You’d think that, with the image he normally presents of just being a goofy crazy guy he’d be grinning or something. But he’s not. He just looks sad and tired. And this is after we saw him smile at Janner and even laugh a little after protecting him. (And in the first episode he also smiles at Janner) It makes me wonder if he smiled a little at Leeli when he came out of the forest and she said hi to him before looking sad again (because he knew he wouldn’t be able to stay with the kids long).
Because while Peet is always happy to see the Igiby kids (and hopefully they continue to show this) he’s unbearably sad when he has to leave them.
(also oh my goodness put him out in the light and he does not look well at all someone please help him-)
And then Podo shows up. And he gives this look to Peet:
Just a casual death glare thrown across a field, but anyway, look at the effect it has on Peet:
He goes from this, where he looks strikingly noble, head up, eyes lifted, eyebrows raised. He doesn’t look happy, exactly, but he looks almost… hopeful.
And then after Podo glares at him he shrinks back and looks like this:
He has visibly drawn in on himself- tucked his chin/head down, eyes downcast, shoulders hunched, eyebrows drawn together. He looks like a chastised child, like Podo just yelled at him instead of looked at him.
Obviously these scenes are telling us that Peet and Podo have a history together, and that whatever that history is Podo hates Peet and doesn’t want him anywhere near his family (Peet notably keeps a distance from the kids after this moment, he hangs back and only watches them longingly, with a deep sadness in his eyes). It’s also showing us that Podo has some sort of authority over Peet, an ability to cow him into submission. Because Peet isn’t a coward, we just saw that in the forest when he leapt between Janner and danger! And we know Peet can be fierce, because we saw how he looked when he did that. And yet Podo has made him look like a beaten puppy with just one glare.
Peet looks like he expects retribution for what he did (and he’s done… nothing?) and he’s right to, as people who have read the books know. And listen, Podo is a great character and I love him, but how he treated Peet is objectively awful and it makes me very angry.
Anyway, the kids have their farewell conversations (and Peet noticeably doesn’t fade from the background of these, you can see him hanging back and looking sad when Sara and Janner are discussing zibzy points) but Janner doesn’t forget whatever just happened. He looks back twice and finds Peet watching him from the trees with the most dejected heartbreaking expression:
And here’s my final note about the lighting: Peet is at the edge of the forest which is in deep shadow, but him and the tree he’s by are in the light. There’s still some faint glimmer of hope in him for a second, and he’s still solidly being framed as good and noble.
But then-
As Janner watches, he goes back into the dark.
Alright Mozie, you’re probably saying, explain the light and dark thing you’ve been going on about.
Gladly.
The darkness here represents a number of things. It’s showing us that Peet is good, yes, and it’s telling us something else too. Peet is lost. When he is with the Igiby children he is in the light, he can think, he can even be happy. When he doesn’t have them he is in the darkness, trapped in his own mind, a prisoner to his thoughts, trauma, shame and pain. He needs them to break out of that darkness. And they need him. Oh do they need him.
It’s showing us that the Igiby kids are his light, and without them he is trapped in darkness.
TLDR; The Wingfeather Saga show is showing us that Peet is a complex character in approximately two minutes by showcasing his kindness, protectiveness, mental instability, deep sadness, loneliness, the fact that Podo hates him, and his connection to the Igiby children.
Can’t wait to see my boy again and hopefully write more long posts about him! *hugs Peet*
