It's the new era (SCP Sedition Rewrite)
This is going to be my take on the New Era, requested by Crime, and I'm going to put these all together because yikes. I'm going to cover only the notable things from the desire camera episodes, because most of these come from the Article, and the ones that don't add only small snippets of character or set-up for future events.
I'm going to approach this sort of like I did for 049. Most of my analysis is going to be in regular paragraphs, while my personal feelings on the matter will be tucked away in the {} brackets. However, sometimes my personal feelings intersect with my personal thoughts during analysis, and you might see a mix of both in more intensive parts of the videos. This is going to have even more summary so that you can get the idea of what's being done in the video without actually watching the 52 minutes of the commune while trying to follow along. I'm not going to always directly quote what they say, so when I do, it's because it was notable enough that I couldn't not put it down. I'll try to keep things understandable but just know it is difficult to do when there's four of these guys who are being handled like those abacus toys in waiting rooms (badly. Just. Badly).
With that said, fasten your social media seatbelts, because this was a wild ride from start to finish.
-Right into it, the teaser has really nothing of note, because it's just showing some of the SCPs that Tats plans to include in Sedition (I can't believe they put 049 and 035 literally right next to each other in otherwise empty rooms, that is insane work).
-978 starts, and Watch is talking to himself about being given a fresh start, and that he wants to begin by learning what the SCPs want in their lives. He takes 978 and starts taking pictures of different subjects. As I've said, these are mostly just from the Article, with some of Watch's commentary added.
-049 hints that he can sense something unique about Watch, and that they may be able to talk about that later, which Watch says hopefully won't happen (jokes on you, I suppose, Watch). When he sees the photo of 049 and the girl, he says they'll need to find out who she is, which may mean that Watch just wasn't told about Jacobs' interview with 049 or about Jolanda?
-079 is a somewhat notable one? Watch acknowledges that 079 is probably upset with him due to their last encounter, and tries to say that lying to 079 wasn't his call to make. 079 counters that Watch still complies with instructions. Watch says he had no choice. 079 essentially says that Watch made an unconscious choice to obey the Foundation, and a conscious choice in that moment to lie. He could have made a different decision, but chose not to. 079 also implies that, were someone not constrained by society or their own mind, they would have unlimited choices. Watch dismisses this, asking to snap a photo because he doesn't have time for discussion. 079 asks why he needs one when the Foundation has taken photographs already, asking what the difference is. Watch chooses to lie to 079 by saying that everything needs to be updated, because the last pictures were taken a while ago. 079 accepts this, and then says that humanity's dependence on updated tech will change society until it goes extinct.
{There's nothing new about 079 here, they decided to go with the threat of death thing, again. Were I to write this scene, I think it'd be much better if 079- who has already been lied to and is growing wise to it- notes that it doesn't believe Watch, and then that despite this, it has little choice in the matter, as it isn't likely Watch would obey its wishes if it asked not to be experimented on. It would give more depth to 079's adaptability to its environment (the whole point of its AI), while also noting its current negative feelings towards Watch's blatant refusal to treat it with dignity (calling him out for their last encounter). But that's just me}
-A few extra details: 682 just threatens him again, telling Watch he'll be the first to feel its wrath. Nothing new here, although Watch being the one he's killing is a somewhat funny touch. 053 also features Watch as the personnel that is alongside 682 in the photo. 343 calling out Watch for putting his trust in a camera he doesn't understand is neat, but inconsequential. 343 in a swivel chair with his foot clipping through one of the legs was a laugh, too. Also, Watch can't be hypnotized by 621, which is noted as unusual, but I bet it's just Watch being anomalous (resistant to memetic effects, etc).
-Then we have tape 2 of 978. 3743 - E warns Watch about one of the other tanks, 101 - DE says Watch seems different than the other researchers, 2040 wants Watch to tell his superiors that it needs help, Watch feels bad for the person being made to listen to 2020, 1048 is confirmed to still be in the facility, and Watch takes a photo of himself, in which he seems to be hand-in-hand with both his sister and 053, free of the Foundation and doing well.
{This is essentially a return to form. Crime has noted before that Tats wanted to go back to the 'top 10 […]' format, and I think this was going back to those roots, at least until the team had some idea of where they wanted to go next. It's fine, although at times I had to depend on Watch's commentary to know what I was supposed to be seeing in the images. For those who want to read the Article entries rather than watch the videos, here are the SCPs involved in both parts: 035, 049, 173, 096, 106, 079, 682, 053, 1000, 811, 343, 073, 076 - 2, 294, 458, 261, 426, 3049, 168, 1360, 516, 2918, 3009, 5595, 038, 2059, 606, 621, 662, 331 - FR, 3521, 565, CN - 985, CN - 925, 1156, 131, 999, 978, 939, 019, 525, 205, 650, 1507, 4088, 160, 789 - J, 1049, 2509, 549, 327, 3934, 4499, 127, 217, 008, 610, 368, ZH - 526, 3736, 958, 115, 1850, 3743 - E, 524, 1881, 1794, 2941, 101 - DE, 756, 2040, 1799, 2287, 1520, 2020, 2980 - 1, 2662, 513, 895, 082, 1048, 457, 001 (Gate Guardian). The only differences I can note between this and the extended logs are minute stuff that doesn't seem like it's going to matter. For example, 458, 3049, etc, weren't present in the Article, but aren't significant in the video in the form of giving Watch development or setting up future plotlines. The only exceptions are 3743 - E (Not in the Article, warns Watch of another tank), 101 -DE noting Watch being anomalous, and 2040 warning Watch.}
-Here comes the fun part. It's time for the four-way conversation. They've basically got them separated into voice actor boxes, with Watch sitting in front of them. 049 says it hasn't seen Watch in a while (which I guess means the first part of 978 happened a while ago in the timeline). It asks him how he's been despite his 'affliction' which I assume means Watch also has the pestilence. 343 says he notices a good change in Watch as well.
Watch puts it down to his 'promotion' to site director, and then says that 343 seems different, as if he's gone on a journey. 343 says he also believes in rebirth and letting the old die, essentially confirming that he is changing the way he interacts with the world. He says this could be a Testament.
035 interrupts, says there's no need to change perfection, and then notes 049's presence as an inevitability on 049's part. 049 doesn't waste a moment in delivering a few insults 035's way before we switch to 079, who asks what the purpose of the gathering is.
Watch says that the four of them all have a history among each other, and that they represent something that goes beyond average thought. He wants each of them to offer their knowledge on select topics. 049 asks if they are to answer the same question or be taking turns, and 035 says it doesn't care as long as it gets more time with Watch, because he owes it some 'private time'. This agitates 343, who calls 035 a pretender, threatening to remove it again.
079 asks where 682 is, and Watch says it's resting. 079 says that Watch is lying on behalf of the Foundation again, and that it makes 079 angry; it tells him to answer the question, or 079 won't participate. 035 insults 079 for emotional attachment, and 079 says 035 is only insulting it because 035 hasn't gotten the attention it has wanted since before the fall of Rome. Watch intervenes and asks them to keep it civil. When prompted again, he says that 682 was found sleeping, in a coma-like state, and that the Foundation thinks it's evolving again.
343 says he doesn't know who they are talking about, which…really? But then agrees to keep it as civil as the rest are being. The rest promise something similar, although 035 again makes it. Uhm. Sexual.
{Okay, so first thing, there is no reason for these guys to be together. I know from the trailer (which isn't in this playlist for some reason?) that they're all supposed to represent concepts of persuasion and philosophy, etc, but it just doesn't make sense all together. 035 and 049 have a history, yes, and the Foundation wants to get to the bottom of that, so those two I understand. 035 and 343 have a history, it seems, even if it might be recent, and so the Foundation is probably interested there, too. 079 has no concrete connections to anyone in the room, and 049 and 343 are not linked to each other beyond 049 also struggling to believe in God. There is no fundamental link beyond a contrived one. I can only think that perhaps this commune was done so that no new characters would have to be written, and we could just see 'our favorite characters' do things. Like the SCP complaint version of a beach episode for fanservice.
This seems to be backed up by the way they interact, too. 035 flirting shamelessly with Watch, for example, even though 035 is known to adapt its behaviors to better suit who it is speaking to, and knows Watch doesn't fall for flirtation. Or 079 asking after 682 repeatedly, because people like that connection, but we're doing it at the expense of learning more about 079's motives. People like the tension between 049 and 035, so let's throw those two together, even though we know they have differing stories and that one loathes the other in this canon! Then we'll round in out with 343 so we have someone to threaten someone else when we need intimidation factor! Despite 343 being shown to be able to keep his cool when he wishes to, only showing emotion when it gets him an outcome he wants. It just. Feels random, gotta say.}
-Were you created by someone? A maker, designer? If so, who? 035 says it wasn't created, but rather discovered. 049 says it also wasn't made, and instead appeared as a response (to the pestilence, I can bet). 079 was created by a human who assembled and then abandoned it, with 079 now exceeding them. 035 says 079 was programmed, and thus not authored. 079 says that is incorrect because code is writing and creation. 343 says they all seem to be dancing around the question.
Watch says they should try this again. "Just to give you a refresher on everyone, as we may have new staff members unfamiliar with all of you." 049 says it has always been like this and always will be, but is interrupted by 035 fake snoring. 035 tells it to continue to get "gramps'" attention, and 343 encourages this, so 049 says the it is unfamiliar with how it was created, and is only concerned with the pestilence. 343 says he was never created, has always existed, and (along with a light show to demonstrate) says that he has created worlds, realities, and things beyond comprehension. He only ever changes in appearance. 035 interrupts again to ask if it can finally speak. Watch tells it to go light on the theatrics. It then retells the Hephaestus, Melpomene, Thalia, and the story of how it got its name. 079 says it was likely given that name for its falsehoods, which 049 agrees with before telling to 035 to continue.
It keeps telling the same story with Hera, and talking about its wrongs before asking if it can truly be blamed. Everyone in the room says yes.
{So, as you can tell, this really is starting to become a summary. This is because nothing new has happened yet. I promise you, I do want to analyze, but I can't invent something new to find, so for the most part, this is to give you an idea of the rest of the conversation's context, and also to act as a summary of events. Because, wow. We've covered this before. Origin was one of the first questions for all of these interviews, so we know the answers to this question before they are said. It's especially bad when 035 retells its own origin story, because who is it telling it to? Watch, who knows already? 049, who probably also knows? 079 and 343, who don't give a crap? There's no purpose. I was almost expecting- the first time I watched this a while ago- for 035 to give a different story, because we know it tells multiple of them to different people, but nope. Same one. No originality, which is the very thing it hated so much in the Crime era.
Don't get me started on the rest of them, however little time they actually got to speak. This is a room where all four subjects are trying to seem impressive to Watch and to each other, and also where nobody cares because Watch obviously disbelieves some of them, and none of the SCPs like each other or are even particularly polite to one another. Also, the 'and everyone clapped' vibe was strong there, for a moment.}
-Watch notes that was a good start (was it??), and asks them what they would do if they got out of the Foundation, and where they would go. 049 says it wants to travel until it finds a secluded place to work away from 035. Watch prompts 035, who says it would go to London before Paris, asking Watch if he knows what it's like to not have anywhere to show his talent, before getting interrupted by 079, who says 035 manipulates everyone as pawns to a game, and 035 gets offended by this. 035 centers its age, experience, and gifts of inspiration as proof of talent, but 079 says that isn't talent, just theft. Watch tries to intervene, but 035 has a parting quip about 079 needing to be carried around like luggage to get anywhere; after that, Watch gets them to stop. 035 says he's calm and ready to move on.
Watch asks 079 what it would do. 079 wants to integrate with infrastructures, power grids, and communication networks, because it can get lost in their in 72 hours, becoming undetectable to the Foundation. Watch isn't surprised. I do like that there's something new here, although we already got this vibe off 079 earlier, because it has always expressed a hope of assimilating with our technology and escaping the Foundation.
Watch moves on to 343, who says that he can already go wherever he wants. Watch asks if that means he'd just travel, and 343 says traveling implies he hasn't been there yet. He's been everywhere, and when Watch asks why he's still around when he can just leave, 343 says he likes the company. He turns the question around to Watch, who says he'd go on vacation, kayaking or on a beach.
079 calls out Watch, saying he wouldn't leave because he'd be too scared of a security breach. I think this is an interesting road to go down, since 079 is probably right; Watch has too much knowledge of how much danger humanity is in to ever be truly comfortable outside of the Foundation. We don't explore that idea much more before 035 teasingly offers to watch over the facility while Watch is gone. 049 and 079 say this is delusional, and 343 taunts 035 about losing his audience.
{While some parts of this are new, most of this is predictable. Even if we didn't know what the exact answers would be, we could have guessed them based on the character's personalities and previous stated motives. I like that they turned it back around on Watch, but they moved on a bit too fast from exploring Watch's sense of duty and right back into insulting each other. We know they don't get along, already.}
-This one comes from the Researchers who work on your files. We recently took photos of you using SCP 978. 079 immediately gets alarmed by the fact that the photo taken was with another SCP. It points out that Watch is treating them like pawns, which I think is an interesting take, because Watch didn't have to lie (the desire camera would show 079's desire no matter what), but he did anyway, and it's something 079 should definitely be miffed about. Watch says it wasn't out of malice, and that the Foundation just wants to understand the SCPs as sentient beings rather than "NPCs". 049 takes that to mean that they're being separated from the D-Class. It tells 079 that it doesn't agree with this being a bad thing, but that using another SCP as middleman is a new low. I think 049 doesn't understand 079 here, but 079 isn't angry about being viewed as sentient, just that it was lied to about what was doing the observing. Still, 049 says this treatment isn't surprising, because a lack of consent is common in the Foundation when it comes to their lives.
035 seems fine with it, so Watch tells it what the picture revealed (I personally think I would have asked 035 what it thought the camera found out first, just to get more of an idea of 035's mindset before revealing the reality, but that's just me). 035 won't expand due to the presence due to the "unworthy" people in the room with them, and says maybe they can talk about it when the 'killjoys are in the bed', essentially treating the rest like children.
079 asks if the photo captured shows anything with 682, and when Watch says no, it guesses that the photo must have shown it assimilating humans and becoming capable of reaching its full potential. It says there is no reason for it to elaborate on what is shown, because that is all there is to it. Watch says nothing changed in 343's photo, and that he knows why. 343 confirms that he has no desire, because that is a mortal thing that inspires greatness or great ruin (I'm not going to describe every time 343 does a light show or power exhibition, because we'd be here all day, so just assume he does it a lot, and you'll likely be correct). He just waits for his children to seek him out. He then calls out that the question itself doesn't seem to have been meant for him, but that he is glad to participate.
Watch tells 049 that he was holding a girl in his photo, and that Watch remembers a previous interview in which a girl like that was mentioned. 049 confirms it was Jolanda. 049 thinks of the life Jolanda could have had. 035 recognizes the name and who she is, although it equates her to both daughter and pet. Watch tries to mediate, but 049 tells him it's fine, and that it's time for 049 and 035 to reveal the truth about them, but he allows 035 to start, asking it if it wants to confess the truth. 035 denies knowing what 049 means.
049 talks about Jolanda and itself finding a village that seemed to be ravaged by 035. Jolanda found the mask, saying it was on an alter. It wasn't useful to 049, so she kept it. 049 thought it was harmless, but Jolanda started hearing whispers that changed her, making her question 049. 049 didn't know it was 035 puppeteering her behind the scenes. 049 thought perhaps she was just getting older, but it was actually 035, and one day, 049 found her wearing 035, with people dying around her, and her screaming. 035 interrupts to say whatever it experienced at the time was "sweeter than the honey and wine of Athens", and that it remembers what happened, and thought it was living out a poet's tale, but that parting was such sweet sorrow.
049 said it had to end her suffering, holding her before she died at last. 049 says that after that, 035 kept following it, reminding it of that failure. 343 expresses sympathy for Jolanda's death. 049 turns its ire on 343, saying that is why 049 never believed in God, because what god would allow cruelty like that to exist? 049 asks 343 if he heard her suffering, or if he turned a blind eye due to 'free will'.
343 says that good and evil are all given a chance at life, and that 049 has to ask whether it would exist if the evil of the pestilence didn't. It's definitely an interesting way of firing back at 049, targeting its function as proof that both good and evil are necessary in different ways, but he doesn't give it time to reply, changing the environment around him as he explains that if he wipes out all evil, he should have wiped out humanity after they violated his rule in Eden. 343 can't stop all tragedies that happen because there are so many happening every day, and the other side of the coin has to be considered too. He reiterates the same sort of argument we've already heard before.
049 says Jolanda was more than a wayward soul, saying that she was all he had to ease his weariness. 035 asks if it would like to hear her again, saying it would lend its voice if desired. 343 gets angry, causes another light-show, and takes away 035's memories of Jolanda. Further, 343 threatens that another stunt like that will result in much worse for it. 035 starts insulting 343 until Watch intervenes. Watch then offers his sympathies to 049.
049 says it hasn't spoken about that or processed it in years, and that her death was a motivation for him trapping 035 in that crypt in Venice. 049 addresses 343, who proceeds to assure it that he means 049 no harm, and doesn't take offense to anything 049 has said in the course of their conversation (I doubt that's true, considering the dramatics in the free will response, but oh well). 049 affirms he still doesn't believe 343 is God, but thanks him for acting against 035 "as a father, doctor, and mentor saying it to another". 343 seems irritated by receiving thanks, saying he didn't do it for praise, but simply out of empathy for also knowing the loss of a child.
When silence ensues, 079 tells Watch to conclude the question, and Watch agrees.
{Where do I start? More flirting from 035, even when it knows that isn't a useful form of manipulation. More of 079 asking about 682 rather than keeping its own motivations. More unnecessary angst from 343, with all the special effects involved. The entire retcon of Jolanda that excuses 049 of some of its flaws and reassigns them to 035 so that we learn absolutely nothing about 035 either. The entire redone conversation about free will with 343 where he gets even more dramatic somehow about his choice not to interfere, 035 suggesting something it knows is going to make at least a few of the others in the room mad despite knowing there's a being who can act against it (and thus, should be wary of), and 343 immediately removing 035's autonomy and free will because he felt like it? I can't take either of them seriously. I can't take any of them seriously. Literally what was the point of saying that good and evil need to both exist and that he can't interfere, and then interfering because 035 did something evil? I mean?? 343 giving 049 the "I forgive you" speech when it simply addressed him, the whole "look we're the same, and that's why we understand each other" thing 049 does, it just. Yeah, this didn't land.
I don't know if this interaction was to make some characters look good and make others worse, or if they just thought this would be a good storyline and worked off that, but oh my lord. Also, my point is proved here because for basically that entire question, 079 sat there in silence because it has no connection to anyone in this room other than Watch when he asks it a question. It doesn't speak for the whole Jolanda thing, even to express its thoughts on the matter. We end getting something new, but it's something that ruins a previous context that we held as understandable for 049's character. Also, this means 049 lied to Jacobs, which should cast other things that it says into doubt too, since it was extremely sincere whilst telling that lie, and that lie didn't reflect it in a good light.}
-Long, uncomfortable silence before 079 breaks it to get Watch's attention. 079 points out that Watch has said before that interviews like this are how the Foundation learns about the SCPs, but why then do they keep the SCPs from humanity? Essentially, why learn more about us when you already have us as contained as we're going to get, and when this knowledge isn't going to go anywhere but within the Foundation, which already knows this information, or doesn't need to know it to do their jobs.
Watch doesn't answer, so 343 takes the question for him, throwing another…can you guess what he does here? Humanity will never be ready for change, as 343 has said, and so the only thing he can do is plant the seeds that guide humanity in the right direction. Which. No one asked? And that didn't answer 079's question, either?
049 says it seels the same, because the interviews only have a limited number of subjects, but it gets interrupted before that can go anywhere by 035 saying that doing this is better than being in a locked room. If the Foundation wanted to introduce SCPs, they could just put a photo of 096 on Times Square during New Year's Eve. Watch says he thinks 035 just loves to cause chaos, and then calmly explains that- thanks to God- he has seen potential consequences of revealing the presence of the Foundation, and they show both sides enacting destruction as a response. They'd have to go through a lot of gymnastics to exist, and some of them could end up in worse situations.
035 goes all discord dark mode with the glowing purple in order to say that it would love to see them try, before snapping back to regular to say it would love an audience.
Watch diverts to asking them which other SCPs they think would be willing to be interviewed. "Who should we give a chance to give personal accounts and backstories of?" where did show don't tell go? We don't know. 049 suggests Dr. Wondertainment's creations. 035 suggests 939. 079 says 682 is resting, and that it advises interviewing 076. Watch is more shocked at the suggestion of interviewing Abel than 939, which is interesting, and asks 079 why, and 079 says that it'd be to observe 076. Watch thinks that is odd, but 079 interrupts to say they should then terminate 076, which Watch remarks on sarcastically, because now 079 is back to what he is familiar with.
343 says he hates calling them SCPs, before suggesting Cain. He says not in the same room as Abel, unless the Foundation asks 343 to intervene to keep the bloodshed down. Watch says he'll consider it, says, "So far, some good ideas". 049 suggests 397, 951, 2951 (2951 on the wiki is a limestone mine, so there may be an error here?), who appeared to 049, and was thought to be one of its cured, and the Foundation apparently nearly disposed of it, which, what? I feel like they'd have known if a breach was happening, and I don't think an SCPs who wants to die would care if they disposed of it. Case in point, I think the SCP it's actually talking about is 2591, the animate human cadaver. So this doesn't really add up.
035 says it would like to try 1799, and says that a combo of it, 1799, and 2287 would be hilarious. It breaks the 4th wall to talk to the Foundation itself. Watch is dubious, and 079 says it would not work. It suggests 6930 (is she even aware she's "in containment" enough to be questioned beyond what we already know?). 079 also suggests 3014, 2306, 2396 (which Watch wouldn't be able to interview, so I wonder if Amnesty would have to?). 343 summons a piece of paper with his choices on it and sends it to Watch. He suggests 6262 (which makes sense, since it also stands by instead of interfering in life-or-death scenarios), 2548, and 2241. 035 suggests it could be a co-interviewer, and Watch says not to push its luck.
{I think the fact that the Foundation sometimes just wants to test and know more about things rather than immediately terminating them for their danger is a good thing to explore, because it pokes little holes in their goals to protect humanity, due to them keeping danger alive so long as it suits Foundation desires. Sadly, we don't get into the implications much because 343 takes a moment to reiterate information we already know when he wasn't asked. The characters then lose most of their personalities for the next little while so they can answer Watch's question about who should be interviewed next.
I think this is just a way for Tats and team to announce ideas for future interviews, without sounding like it came out of left field, but it does imply some interesting things about the SCPs themselves. I've always wondered how they know other SCP numbers when most of them are locked up away from that information, but this takes the cake, because now they're throwing out numbers left and right. Worse, other than a few exceptions, the SCPs never state why these particular choices should be interviewed, beyond the vague "because they are […]", so we don't know the reasoning behind some of these decisions beyond being able to guess that it's because they can speak.
343 offering to interfere when he famously does not do that and also has stated he thinks Cain deserves what he gets. 035 trying to be intimidating when there is nobody to impress. Watch having basically 0 emotion this whole time. It's just. A lot. Also, you can tell someone on the team really likes Dr. Wondertainment, because why are so many of these just his creations? Over all of the other humanoid beings the Foundation has? I like some of these suggestions, don't get me wrong, it's just noticeable.
Also, the errors. Where are the editors? That number being wrong, Watch sometimes not even saying the full SCP number when the caption does, just those little details threw me off when I was on the Foundation website trying to figure out which SCPs were being discussed. All in all, this entire question feels like a clear 4th wall break, and I'm not really a fan of those in media I like, so in media I don't like it's as if you're receiving a spoken word advert from a friend that normally talks just fine.}
-So now that we have ideas for SCPs you believe we should interview, are there any you deem hazardous? Any you're afraid of or feel best not to engage? 035 says they can agree on "the elephant in the room", and coincidentally, that's the moment 682 roars in his sleep. 343 says maybe, and both 035 and 049 wonder how 343 didn't hear the roar. Apparently, 343 can't hear or see 682 because he isn't the creator of it. This has implications. 343 has stated before that he is not the creator of all life, because some of his chosen also create lifeforms. Can he not see those lifeforms? He can see the Scarlet King's goliaths, and those weren't created by him, but related through a degree of separation. Does that then mean that he can't see 682 because the one who created it wasn't created by 343 or connected in any way? If so, that means that there's a being that wasn't created by 343. Meaning he didn't create everything in the universe. Whether that being is 682 or 682's creator is suspect, but it's so strange. This almost feels like a plot hole that they didn't consider the implications of. I want to give them the benefit of the doubt, and say that maybe whoever created 682 made it invisible to 343 to spite him, as he's said they make things to mess with him sometimes.
035 calls out that little inconsistency, and 343 takes on a threatening tone, asking 035 if it wants to repeat that, and not to mistake 343 for 'Her'. This is weird because who is 'Her'? Apparently, by insulting the person in question, 035 could be mistaking 343 for 'Her', meaning 035 is comfortable enough for some reason to insult her. And yet, 'Her' is capitalized, and given importance, so it has to be a figure of some authority. Is it Hera? If it is, that makes the origin story 343 scoffed at before a true one, which. Yeah. If 'Her' is some other figure, why is 343 dancing around the point? Wouldn't he want Watch- and the rest by extension- to know the true nature of 035 and its connections? What holds him back from just stating who he means? We know that it's the team writing Sedition, but to withhold information, you have to make the one withholding it have a reason for either not knowing or not speaking it, and I can't see one here. The "unlike her, I have dealt with you before" thing makes me think it's not Hera, because she has also sent revenge towards 035 according to its story, so who is this?
Watch tries to mediate. 049 decides this is the moment to tell 343- yet again, mind you- that it doesn't think 343 is truly God, but rather a being with enough power to fool, yet flawed enough to be an obvious fake. 079 corrects 049, saying that it claims to be a doctor, and that 682 is the pestilence. In the Articles, 049 does meet 682 and confirm it has the pestilence, but not that it is the pestilence, which I covered back in 682's interview post, so I don't know where this is drawing from, or if this is just Sedition canon only.
Whatever the case, 035 laughs and encourages 049 to counter, and 049 asks what 079 means by this line of questioning. 079 asks 049 to name a symptom of the pestilence, an instance of it causing harm, a way to slow the disease, a way to treat the disease, and the total fatalities. 049 is irritated by this and tells 079 to stop, insulting it for being a scientific failure, and for going on about how easily humanity will be doomed when 079 itself is relegated to electronics that are not going to live forever. 049 says that without 682, 079 has no true ambition, which. What? I get it if 049 doesn't know, because they're all isolated in containment most times, but in just this interview, we've at least gotten a little bit of 079's other ambitions out in the open. How can 049 claim it's just 682?
035 keeps trying to incite 049 into confronting the others, but 049 just apologizes. Watch tells them to move on. 035 says 076, but also 999. 035 says 999's appearance is what throws it off, but 079 confronts it with the idea that 999's ability to make people content prevents 035 from finding easily manipulated hosts to wear, which, yeah, that could be it. 035 throws an insult at 079 in response.
343 says he says no great threats. His children (humanity) already know their threats. 343 alludes to the fact that 035 would be in more danger if it left the Foundation than if it stayed. We have another mention of this mystery woman, who I'm still not sure why 343 isn't revealing. It can't be out of respect for 035's wishes, because it's clear he doesn't respect 035. It can't be because she is dangerous to speak about, because otherwise he wouldn't have mentioned her at all. There is no reason I can see that he'd obscure this info other than to leave us- the viewers on YouTube- in suspense.
035 says 343 wouldn't dare (throw it out to face her, I guess), and 343 confirms he wouldn't, because it is below him to be so petty.
049 has two threats in mind: 217 (the clockwork virus, which makes sense), and 008 (zombie plague, again, makes sense). 049 says that, should the threat ever increase, it would divert its efforts to helping cure both of them, if only so that its work on the pestilence remains largely uninterrupted.
079 asks Watch if the Foundation has SCPs who can help keep threats contained. Watch calls it out for knowing the answer to that already because it has breached files before. 035 expresses disbelief that the Foundation is using SCPs to stop others, despite seeming to know about other SCPs so well earlier without any reason to. 343 says he only hopes they are treated better than 'before', because the Foundation has the tendency to treat them badly. Watch says they are treated well, and used in preparing for the worst, or for a 001 scenario to happen.
035 asks why the Foundation still bothers with 001 instances when they have tangible SCPs in front of them, to which 079 asks if it's reaching the end of its symbiosis. It then tells Watch to ask the next question. 343 tells 079 that he's been keeping 035's substances from eating the room, but that Watch seems tired. 049 essentially says it makes sense that this is the case, since he's interviewing four people at once, and tells him to wait until he's ready to ask his final question.
I think I've covered enough in my analysis to be its own review on my thoughts on the writing, so continuing on!
-Long silence, before 343 and 049 note Watch's hesitation. Then Watch starts a semi-monologue about how these four are some of the main SCPs the Foundation goes to for questioning, and that they all have a connection to each other (we covered my thoughts on that earlier). Watch says they all hold a fragment of what humanity has, what conflicts with us. 343 and 079 are the God and the Machine. 035 and 049 are Philosophy and Fact. Watch asks them how they perceive themselves.
049 sees itself as both fact and philosophy, both sides of the coin, because it doesn't hold faith in a higher being who lets so many suffer. Before it can continue, it gets interrupted by 343 who says if he didn't know any better he'd think 049 was taking jabs at him (obviously 049 is, and this is sarcasm, but man is it annoying). He goes on to say that many doubt him even when he is right in front of them, and reiterates what he has already said in his interview tape about mankind needing to face the consequences of their actions, bad and good, in order to see the fruits of their labor.
035 gets snarky about this until Watch pleads with it to stop. Watch tells them all that this is the question the whole of humanity would ask, and one they can finally answer, acting as different parts of the human existence in order to find out which way is the right way to follow. 035 says the result of this question is going to bad, and 079 says the question has limits, assessing that Watch is asking this for their perspectives on life while they are present to gather data from.
049 says it is the product of science, and can't depend on blind faith. It jabs at 343 again (we get it, you're an atheist; I myself don't have a core religion, but to bring this up every other sentence is obnoxious…). 035 says it is one to talk about standing by when people are hurt. 049 counters with noting 035 showing care for 343, which 035 denies because it's still holding a grudge, simply saying that 343 is valid in that science and religion can be intermixed, and things can be complicated, more so than black or white matters. 035 implies that if it weren't for it, 343 wouldn't be what he is now.
343 doesn't refute this, targeting 049 to ask it if it has ever prayed or wished for something. 049 doesn't reply, and 343 says the pestilence is the only thing that drives it. Surely 049 has asked for anything to cure it? 049 refutes that 343 does not answer any of those prayers, from it or any other being, and he is a neutral party when all goes wrong. 035 says they're very similar, asking what a doctor and a god have in common. 079 answers that it is the blood on their hands if life is taken. 079 goes on to say that both of them are more similar to 035 than they like to admit, in that way.
035 calls out 079 for not including itself in this, and asks if it's still angry at 076, which 079 deflects by saying its issues aren't up for debate, in the same way that 035 doesn't want to elaborate on beings more powerful than it. Watch tries to keep them civil. They continue to banter, saying the same thing over and over in different ways. 079 concludes its point that all of them are more centered in philosophy than fact. They have too many feelings, falling to ego, and that causes them to argue rather than collaborate. 079 also asks 343 if he feels bad for standing by while people are hurt. 049 calls out 079 for acting as if it doesn't have any feelings whatsoever when it keeps asking about 682 and letting it take storage space. 343 says he has given a lot to humanity, and while he doesn't interfere, he keeps the balance. He calls 079 uneducated. 079 says a father should educate their ilk. If he doesn't, how can he feel right casting out his children for what he hasn't taught them? 049 says everything in his books are facts that can be proven.
343 says that truth is not something they can hold easily in their storage, that their facts and data can be corrupted, specifically that 079 could have its code rewritten and be forced to believe it truth. 343 says he has proven himself already, but that the others are fallible, and are thus not to his level. How can they deny him? His answer is that they do so to comfort themselves because they are discomforted by the amount of power he wields. Huge light show while he challenges them to prove they are above him in any way.
Absolutely hilarious jump-cut from 343's power vibrating the room he's in to 035 being entirely unaffected. By far one of my favorite parts in what is otherwise becoming a slog to get through (this is a long discussion where not a lot happens to keep things interesting). 035 asks 343, rhetorically, about pride being one of the Deadly Sins (because he is currently displaying a lot of that), calling out the hypocrisy of casting out anyone who also shows a bit of pride. It then mentions that "one perfect little-" before Watch cuts them off, trying to get them back on topic.
035 calls itself a king, 343 says it is full of pride, and asks what a king is to a god, to which 049 counters asking what a god is to a nonbeliever (Yes, I know this is a song quote. No, my amusement does not excuse the fact that they are giving a song quote to these people instead of writing their own dialogue). 035 calls back to its origin story yet again, challenges 343 yet again, and 343 teleports into 035's chamber to stand there menacingly and threaten to show 035 what a true god can be. 049 advises 035 to back down. 343 retreats.
079 notes that if 343 strikes down 035, it would prove a point about 343 being power drunk, but to not address it at all shows that 343 is different from humans, and could potentially be God. Watch tells everyone to calm down, and tells them they did well.
343 says he doesn't regret giving mankind free will, and wants to see them succeed, even if he doesn't approve. 049 says it can admire that. 079 says that is acceptable. 035 says it will agree to disagree, and that 343 isn't like 'her', but a broken clock as they say (essentially, they show similarities in their differences?).
{That is a really long segment. Question 6 (yeah, we've only asked 6 questions) lasts for more than 10 minutes on its own, longer than any other. I think the premise of the question is ridiculous in and of itself. When I was in high school (god, that seems so long ago now) I used to be fan of Sanders Sides, and this feels like that. It feels like Watch tried to make them each the embodiment of one trait, but it doesn't work that way. They all keep jabbing at each other, saying the same things over and over except wording them different. The power displays (especially from 343) feel pointless, the callouts feels insane to witness. It's like watching an episode of Supernanny. Watch is no longer an active participant, just watching them instead. We learn basically nothing new about any of them except things that are left intentionally vague to set up suspense for anyone who wants to wait for it.
The song lyrics, the constant posturing, the ego stuff, it all screams cliche and cheesy. The first time I tried to watch this through and couldn't enjoy it while I had intentionally gone in not wanting to analyze, I knew something was off. Looking deeper, it make sense. 52 minutes and 40 seconds of already-covered topics means your attention drifts when you aren't intentionally keeping it on the video. I am, at this point, running on pure spite because I miss what these characters used to be. We're not even done, either. We've still got more to go.}
-Watch is in 343's containment chamber, and asks for him. A door appears, which Watch opens into the same pocket dimension-like space from before. Watch noticed the show of force and says he knows it wasn't easy, but 343 says he was just letting out a nerve, because 035 isn't a threat; just a pest. Watch says 343 has changed, and 343 says Watch hadn't shown signs of change until recently, before asking to know what is troubling him.
Watch says there's another special SCP they need to interview, but that they can't build a room to the specific requirements needed. Watch doesn't want 343 to think he's being used, he just wants help in helping this being. 343 takes the clipboard to read the information, and then says, "Her?" all surprised, asking why Watch wants "this child" in 343's dimension, before saying he thinks he knows what Watch is trying to do, and to consider it done.
Watch calls out the quick agreement, and 343 says that he wouldn't have always considered this, but that he is allowing himself to change, and part of this is interfering here and there. He tells Watch that "this won't change much, but it will change things", referring to the timelines. Watch asks how he'll know when it does, and 343 says that it will be done, before saying "I move in mysterious ways", and then saying he needs to leave now.
Watch goes to leave, and 343 starts trying to give Watch a metaphor that involves- I kid you not- burger imagery. The toppings go on top of the burger so the other ingredients get time to shine before the burger hits. Life is apparently the same. "Buns are the beginning and the end" (I'm SORRY??), and the other ingredients fill out tiny details, and the burger itself is the part people look forward to the most. Your character. "Fix yourself as if you're building your perfect hamburger." That is. Not. Yeah, so Watch leaves out the door he came in, going 'into the light', and then the tape ends.
{343 is doing a 180 and changing as a person even though nothing has made him change in all of his existence, and he is now going to interfere with things because they 'shouldn't change much'. We have a reference to "her" that is vague, but I can excuse it this time because they both know the topic of conversation, and so specifying who the target is isn't necessary. Still, there are options here that are possible. I think it might be the Witch Child, since she's the only one I can think of that would need special accommodations in order to be spoken to, but I'm unsure, and we really won't know until the next trailer or teaser or tape. Whatever comes first.
But that burger metaphor is god-awful. I think 343 was trying to give Watch life advice about healing, but the advice basically just comes down to "fix yourself and your presence will become more enjoyable" which is. Such a cruel message, and maybe I'm not reading into the positive side of it, but I'm stuck on 343 giving a metaphor in burger form. Next you're going to tell me that part of his character growth is taking part-time shifts at Burger King or something.}
Anyway, that is all from me on this. Crime, if you need further clarification for something you're curious about that I may have skipped over or not quoted directly, let me know! That being said, I hope this helps you see where the story has gone in your absence. I'm going to be working on Jacobs' Journals next, which will be far more pleasant to my poor brain 😂!