I was listening to The Puzzle Song again and there’s so much that’s bothering me. [In universe. Out of universe I get the point the crew is trying to make and the message they’re getting across and I mostly agree.] [Gonna put it under a read more since it gets kinda long]
So Roman starts the song to try and diffuse the tension between him and Logan.
Patton jumps in and turns this into a song about expressing your feelings. Which, I mean is a good sentiment, but I feel kinda iffy about it. I don’t think that was the direction Roman was taking it.
Then Patton does his lil verse. Then Virgil has his part. We just had their arcs so those were just a basic summary of those.
Then it’s the Thomas and Logan argument. Both essentially accuse the other of not honest with themselves about something. Logan says that Thomas is dancing around the problem at hand with puppets and a song and unnecessary stuff when Logan believes that he has the answer. Thomas says that Logan isn’t being honest with himself about his emotions and his anger issues. Unfortunately, this is essentially the last we’ll hear from Logan [in the song] because he was right. Thomas is essentially ignoring him that episode. Logan doesn’t get to voice his opinion, so it makes sense that he’s frustrated about it. Sure, Thomas is also right about Logan ignoring his emotions, but it’s not really his place to force Logan to open up. [Which I think is the point Real-Thomas is trying to get across and I absolutely applaud that]
Then Virgil interrupts and I think their whole little speech to Logan is sweet, but misses the point. They don’t really reassure him that he isn’t a joke, you know, his biggest insecurity at this point. Instead, they tell him that a life without jokes is incomplete. Which only validates his fear about being a joke. They’re saying not to be afraid of it but he can’t really. At least not this way.
And then the part that bugs me the most comes next. Roman asks if he can “contribute to this weird, vent-ey song!” If you remember, Roman started the song. It bugs me that he now feels like he’s jumping in. I feel like [this is speculation here, I don’t really have evidence and I’m not saying this is definitely the case] his insecurity about his own talents and capability sort of made him forget that he started the song in the first place. That it was his idea. Instead, he ,at that moment, attributed it immediately as the others’ idea.
The next part is pretty sweet as the others reassure him that his fears are not real. You know, the thing they should’ve done to Logan. That slight bit of anger aside, it is a sweet moment where we see the others acknowledge his insecurity and do their best to cheer him up. Which seems to [temporarily] have worked.
Roman has been cheered up.
Thomas has been reassured.
Patton and Virgil are happy to have helped.
And Logan... got ignored. He wasn’t brought up again. The other four are celebrating what a success this song was without acknowledging the fact that Logan never got his true conclusion in this song. Which just solidifies his point.
Roman’s insecurity is brought up and temporarily addressed, but I feel like Virgil, Patton, and (character) Thomas assume it’s solved. As someone who’s struggled with major insecurity [as a lot of us have], I know that it isn’t solved that easily. If my insecurity was fixed the moment someone reassured me about my worth, I would’ve cured it many years ago. But it isn’t that easy. It’s a lot of work.
We see time and time again Roman’s insecurity popping up again without being addressed. Here’s a brief list of instances:
*Roman is teleported to the witness stand*
[Deceit]: Your name is Roman, correct?
[Roman]: The one and lonely! What? Freudian slip…
[Deceit]: (shrieking with laughter) I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself. Oh, you know I love you.
[Roman]: Oh, haha... Yeah, totally… um...
[Deceit]: [...] and you want that stuff that makes you happy, right?!
[Roman]: Do I. [he says with the saddest face imaginable]
Plus the fact that Deceit can manipulate him so much with just compliments.
In DWIT: These are a little more subtle.
[Roman]: Mm, I don't know.
[Patton]: Aww, are you hurt at all?
[Roman]: *sighs* My head's fine. More than anything, I feel like I was struck by a… realization. Like Einstein, with the apple.
AND THEN LOGAN JUST MOVES ONTO HOW THOMAS IS DOING. I get that his main concern is of his host, but Roman never gets to talk about his problem and none of the sides even considers how Roman is feeling other than physically.
[Roman]: *sighs* Yeah. It's a little like looking into a funhouse mirror, but instead of a giant head, or, like, long legs and a tiny torso, ... it shows you... everything you don't wanna be.
AND BOY HOWDY DO I HAVE THEORIES ABOUT WHAT THIS MEANS. They “fix” their problem with Remus by ignoring him. Like how Roman is being ignored. In the past couple of episodes, while Virgil, Patton, Logan and Thomas are debating serious topics, Roman primarily served as comedic relief and a source of fantastic one-liners. His feelings and his opinion and his function as a side didn’t really come into play. He could be feeling like how the others see Remus, a loud, attention-seeking source of unwanted ideas and opinions. Perhaps this has to do with his realization from earlier?
I don’t know. All I know is that Logan’s and Roman’s arcs are gonna be ROUGH