a little bit of a taz ending theory
okay so this could be completely wrong (and fuCK me I hope it is) but i’m starting to think that the way this is going to end is to wipe the hunger from existence
because like, let’s look at it this way. there’s always a third option, yes? this was referenced heavily in the refuge arc, aka, the arc with the temporal chalice that allowed for a new, better timeline that was fueled entirely by the emotion of want (hey sounds familiar right like UHHH)
as well as this, we always kind of got this. importance placed on returning to the old world, which was always treated as a joke but - lup really wants them 15 dollars. which is a funny joke! but also does represent an inner long to - i guess - return to their old world?? to find home again? and it’s repeated??? a lot???
and this most recent episode, with pan telling merle : “im not your pan but you’ll always be my merle” which is a lovely sentiment but also a Glowing Fucking Reminder that they ain’t right in this world
not the mention the literal hundreds of worlds, billions of lives lost to the hunger, gods, history, lore - even today we saw the effects of it, on the animal kingdom from the very first plane, and we were given absolutely no hope for them. just a cold and unkind death
we were given noelle, who’s death was originally caused by the ipre, dying once again in a way that felt just a little bit lackluster to kill something that was also created by the ipre
and as well as that im really really concerned about the fact that we were given a perfect ending. like. why ? would griffin give us that? why would he preemptively give us their happiness, why couldn’t he have just waited literally one more episode to see that scene? sure it was supposed to act as, i guess, a way of convincing - but there was no way they were going to do anything but take the third option anyway
and as well as that like. containing the hunger? just sounds like a real temporary solution? like, it’ll contain it, but for how long, and what about (again) the literal billions of losses of lives
and john’s message to merle. break the bonds. tell people what they need to hear. what does that mean? what do the people need to hear??? TELL US JOHN
BREAK THE BONDS/?? hey guess what the ipre spend 100 years gaining ITS FUCKIN BONDS BOYS IT’S BONDS
i just. i really feel like we’re having a way paved for a happy ending, and the ipre crew? they ain’t in it.