My biggest critic of vlds2 is probably the superficial relationship created with ALL of the characters. (slight poilers)
They were shown to be seen as a family and a group that’s been through a lot.
But it felt so empty to me? Like, sure they’ve been through a lot as in constant battles but I didn’t feel anything towards them as a group. I still feel like they work in separate dynamics: Keith-Shiro-(Pidge?) / Lance-Hunk-(Pidge ?) / Allura-Coran. I put Pidge in parenthesis because they’re kind of developed in both, which is what they all should be.
As a group, no one really knows each other. Only Shiro knows about’s Keith’s past and it might not be all of it. Only Shiro knows about Pidge’s. Lance and Hunk have known each other for a long time, but the cast and even us don’t know the extent. Allura hasn’t really been shown confiding in any one except Coran, but she was developing with Shiro and Keith a little. Shiro hasn’t talked to anyone besides Keith about his past.
But none of them know each other, none of them know each other’s past or quirks or personalities at all. Keith probably thinks of Lance ‘annoying, flirts a lot’ and Hunk as ‘food, good friend’. (I put good friend because they did get some development together.) They don’t trust each other.
And the season also took out some emotional scenes for the group: reunion scene, telling the group Keith was Galra, etc. They showed us a few of them ‘bonding’ like maybe? the pool scene for Keith and Lance but ultimately it did nothing for their relationship. Or Pidge and Lance hanging out, I think was done better as they were actually enjoying each other’s time, but wasn’t in depth.
Take ATLA, we all know that each characters got their own multiple episode solely focused on them. Like the Painted Lady was focused on Katara, but around other people and they experienced it with her. On The Beach, it really showed the broken friendship the fire kids had despite it being a ‘filler episode’. We need more of these kinds of episodes in VLD. I felt like it was all just plot, plot, plot. It all went super quick, no focus on them as a group emotionally, so I had no sympathy for them at all when they were about to battle Zarkon.
Rewind back to when Allura said that they were like family to her. Where? Where do we see them in the kitchen, all having a good time. Where do we see, ever, Allura having an emotional talk with Hunk, Lance, Pidge. Keith still hasn’t interacted with people besides Shiro and Allura. For good relationships to be built, they are built on a foundation of trust. But we don’t see any emotional scenes of them trusting each other.
“It’s a kids show!” So was ATLA but they managed to make scenes so emotionally empowering.
Things I want in S3? I really do want Lance and Hunk development, but I want a team development. I want more dynamics being explored with each other and all together. I want to see the extent of Lance and Hunk’s friendship, Hunk and Pidge working together on tech, Keith and Lance pulling out stronger emotions then just constant rivalry, Lance and Pidge creating a strong connection with lost families. Possibly Shiro confining in the group, etc. I’m really tired of the comic relief of Lance and Hunk, but also tired of how not serious the other are portrayed. This is life or death, but it feels like they’re walking around a park.
I really feel like pacing is an issue, they said in an article they this season was supposed to explore their connection as a team, which I felt an extreme lack of. They were always focused on Keith and Shiro, but not the group.
tl,dr: I just want a stronger team development, for the show to be more serious, take it’s characters serious, fix the pacing issues.
(i’m not against voltron ! or shiro or keith !! i loved so many stuff in this season but this just rly bugged me rip and i hate discourse so this is jsut a meta ?? )
