So yeah. Today’s episode is heavy. And I’ve been excited for it for a few reasons. Let’s talk about everything!
First off: I was allowed to direct this episode, and that 3 minute segment of Joy inside her mindscape was directed/edited/planned out by me (with the help of 2 BAs - thank you Captain Sunny and Moonzy!). This was the first time I’ve ever directed anything ever + the first time I’ve ever edited something like that. I am insanely grateful for the opportunity and I am very happy with the feedback I’ve been seeing so far. There is a part 2, hopefully we will see it someday soon! I have been working on Joy and Mel’s lore for quite some time now, so I am more than thrilled to start being able to show them off some more.
I need to make this part ABUNDANTLY clear for people, because it is important to me.
As Joy said: Joy and Mel worked in a hospice.
Hospice is *very* different than hospital. It is something that is widely unknown about/undereducated about in the western world, and it is a topic that I am very qualified to speak about in real life.
Joy and Mel were designed to care for children who are on end-of-life care. Their location was an inpatient hospice facility; the purpose it served was to allow families to have a place for their children to receive specialized care at the ends of their lives. These children may have had incurable illnesses or disabilities that shortened their life expectancy; Joy and Mel were designed to care for children with intense medical and spiritual needs. They also offered respite services to give families/caretakers a break sometimes, but their main jobs were to assist children at the ends of their lives by making them comfortable whilst also creating a fun and nurturing environment.
The dream sequence segment had a *lot* of nuance/hidden meaning/layers to it. Every scene was symbolistic of something. It also showed a parallel that some of you may have picked up: the tune that Mel was humming…we’ve heard that somewhere before.
Mel went to maintenance…and started acting irritable? Something something brain fog…
Joy seems to…want to see the good in people, despite them having done horrible things. She seems to like to hold onto good memories, even at her own expense. Flaws are funny, aren’t they..
Sun meant well. But his bias of his own past experiences seems to be clouding his judgment.
I wonder who is lying. Is anyone lying? Mel said Joy harmed her, Joy said the opposite…but Mel said she wasn’t a murder but that she *almost* was, Joy recounted being nearly killed…
And…something about Joy wanting to rip her own chip out? Something about being overworked and unable to grieve…rock bottom…something…
Guess the full story still isn’t told.
Wonder what else they’re both hiding.
