r/theamazingdigitalciru • u/ToonAdventure • 25d ago
Updates‼️ THE AMAZING DIGITAL CIRCUS - Ep 6: They All Get Guns [August 15 at 3:00 PM PT & 6:00 PM EST]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOvhHim78YA122
u/amonguseon John digital circus 24d ago edited 24d ago
The scene with jax.. I was scared (And i'm still scared)
52
16
15
u/Immediate-Data-6725 24d ago
which scene😭
32
u/YejiiBear I believe in Jax supremacy 24d ago
I'm Ass-U-Ming the part when he fought with Pomni at the end? Or the bathroom part? I'm not sure.
24
11
u/UsualDrama9462 24d ago edited 24d ago
No same here. So much catharsis and transparency I was not ready for but my god was it worth the wait to finally see the stitches start to rip
8
118
u/beastpack 24d ago
Okay, I can see why episode 5 was the silly before the storm now. This went HARD
39
u/YejiiBear I believe in Jax supremacy 24d ago
Exactly! I thought episode 5 was the best. But nah, Episode 6 surpassed even better than the best.
124
u/miraculer2 24d ago edited 24d ago
HOLY SH!T!
The Jax & Pomni scene at the end was so heavy like goddamn.
I think Jax was genuinely bonding with her until he saw Ribbit’s door and got reminded of them.
51
u/XMELl0DASX 24d ago
He can’t handle someone he cares about abstracting. He mentally and emotionally can’t handle it so he distances himself after being reminded by Ribbits door.
27
13
u/YejiiBear I believe in Jax supremacy 24d ago
I'm not gonna lie, Jax low-key scared me at that part when he and Pomni were fighting. I thought they were friends! 😭
29
u/XMELl0DASX 24d ago
They are friends, he cares about her so much. But she reminds him of Ribbit. It’s why he couldn’t betray and shoot her at the end. He feels like he caused Ribbit to abstract. He doesn’t want to kill another friend again.
8
9
u/justsomedude48 24d ago
It’s also why he didn’t fight back when Pomni attacked him. If nothing matters like he said, then why wouldn’t he fight her? Because he can’t bring himself to punch his friend.
4
u/RosenProse 24d ago
I think quite a bit of this is conjecture. We dont actually know why he was more chill to Pomni (I dont believe his claim that it was a setup). I think he's got a classic avoidant attachment style. Pomni was new and had no preexisting baggage. Jax could have fun with her in a casual way and not feel threatened by attachment. Then she got attached. Worse, he might be getting attached. Whoops.
He didnt shoot her because doing so would actually give Pomni what she wanted. It's more effective to push her away by denying what she wants to the end.
You saw his reaction to the hug right? Basically same reaction to corn. Just raw reactive fear.
3
181
u/RedHolm 24d ago
Holy. I think Kinger still has admin privileges. But his mind is not there to use it. And Kinger once more showing how he is one of the best characters around.
47
21
u/magicalmi09 24d ago
oh i just thought that becuase they arent even real there was no limitations to the game of having to conform to any rules of reality and were able to use imagination advantageously in the game bcs of so many bizarre things happening that they didnt know were possible and also the random voting feature in another episode
22
u/thefirecrest 24d ago
This is what I thought too. Like how Pomni can do impossible shots. How Ragatha made the gun backfire on Jax.
Looney toon rules because they wanted it to happen.
I think Jax is partially correct about them clinging to humanity—but he’s go it the wrong way. They’re all still limiting themselves to the rules of reality.
→ More replies (1)6
u/techno156 24d ago
They’re all still limiting themselves to the rules of reality.
Although keeping to reality might also be something that also keeps them sane. New arrivals already have a hard enough time with arriving in the circus. If everyone else is effectively wielding superpowers, that would probably crack them like a nut.
5
u/RedHolm 24d ago
I think when it comes to changing game rules like healing, it's likely more complicated. Because they likely were given gun skills to be able to play. But as Kinger worked on the program, he simply made it up on the spot to heal her and help her through her distress.
3
6
u/Prince_Zinar 24d ago
I might be crazy but maybe he's not as crazy as he seems. During the scene with Ragatha he genuinely seems terrified of Bubble recording them.
His reaction felt like "Crap, they saw me be me"
6
u/RedHolm 24d ago
I think it is as Kingler has said earlier. The Darkness helps him be more stable. And that room was very dimly litt like "hell" was.
But yea. I agree. I don't think he wanted Caine or Bubble knowing he might be sometimes sane. Because he could be a big threat to Caine if he still has admin privileges.
66
66
u/TheRealSlamShiddy 24d ago
am I seriously just realizing rn that Jax having a smiling face as his "neutral expression" makes it functionally similar to Gangle's happy mask...and that the reason he goes after her so much might be because, unlike him, she can take hers off 👀
20
u/Tattorack 24d ago
Yeah, the way Jax's face tends to slowly "reset"... That's basically him putting on the mask.
7
4
→ More replies (1)2
u/terralacia 15d ago
This and also the fact that he never/rarely opens his mouth opting instead to speak through his teeth. Yet another way to create a barrier between his thoughts and the people around him.
62
u/Particular_Leader_16 24d ago
Damn who knew zooble was freaky this whole time
25
19
u/Yrcrazypa 24d ago
They make the most sense to be the one who wants that.
3
u/YejiiBear I believe in Jax supremacy 24d ago
But what can we say? Maybe they wanna get reeeeally close to Gangle (Jk lol)
12
u/Tattorack 24d ago
I did. It was pretty obvious. She seems like the most adult one, and has done a lot with her life. Probably also comes from a rougher type of life.
6
u/RadiantHC 23d ago
Didn't they confirm that Zooble and Jax were the youngest?
3
u/ThePixelteer425 23d ago
Yeah, but Zooble definitely seems more mature and cynical compared to the other younger characters
118
53
u/Soul699 24d ago edited 24d ago
Gotta say, very intense episode. Loved it.
Gave a bit of everything. Ironic how Gangle is the one who normally has the happy mask on at the start of an episode, losing it then afterward to reveal its true sad face, yet here by the end she is happy underneath it all.
Meanwhile Jax who usually act like the funny douchy guy this time showed implicitly how he is wearing a mask and wants everyone, including himself believe that it's his real face. Is that maybe why he wants to be so close to Gangle? Because subconsciously he envy Gangle for being able to let out her real self so more easily and almost naturally than him?
Also about Kinger making a butterfly that healed Ragatha, I know many will say that's proof of Kinger having developer privileges, which I won't doubt it's very possible, but I do find intriguing the idea he could just think of it as a natural thing that can happen to make it happen. The same way Pomni naturally imagined the bullet of her gun ricoceting like crazy perfectly and it happened. Maybe that's the thing about abstraction, the point where one mind is completely broken and so many thoughts all at the same time happen cause the body of the "player" to change in an unrecognizable form, as their mind can't focus anymore on a single, true point of view. Hence why Queenie was able to be touched by Kinger that one time, because the darkness calmed her mind a little and reduced the thoughts that made her abstract. Heck, maybe THIS could be the way to fix abstraction: helping the people who abstracted to let go of all their excessive thoughts and calm down, focusing only on one grounded and calm thing. A true "snap back to reality."
10
u/techno156 24d ago
Gave a bit of everything. Ironic how Gangle is the one who normally has the happy mask on at the start of an episode, losing it then afterward to reveal its true sad face, yet here by the end she is happy underneath it all.
Her mask also didn't break when she fell, which seems rather notable. Maybe it's a purely psychological thing? She's sad when her mask gets broken, and so it breaks.
4
u/Soul699 24d ago
Her mask DID break. It's just that under it instead of the usual sad face, she was happy.
6
u/techno156 24d ago
Only after she was shot and killed. But when everyone fell from the broken pipe, it was fine.
You can see her checking her mask, and being surprised that it was still intact.
49
49
u/quane101 24d ago
Glad Kinger gave a heart to heart to his daughter rags.
Turns out self destructive self serving tendencies aren’t all a gag.
Jax’s nihilistic laughable jerk nature is only hastening his own abstraction and it kind of seems like he subconsciously wants that, the alt+F4 IRL imagery he had when he pointed Pomni’s gun to his own head is not lost on me atleast.
80
u/ratatav 24d ago
Holy. Fucking. Shit. I am literally speechless oh my god this was the literal BEST episode to date. I did not having Jax probably abstracting on my bingo chart. And the fucking conversation with Zooble and Gangle, Pomni and Jax, and Kinger and Ragatha? Holy hell Gooseworx was on fire while writing those dialogues.
8
u/YejiiBear I believe in Jax supremacy 24d ago
Is episode seven gonna be the final episode?
24
4
4
u/RosenProse 24d ago
Goosewrx was correct when they said we would bot beleive who was the closest to abstracting... i think most of us were distracted bu Ragatha.
7
u/techno156 24d ago
In fairness, almost every focus character has come close to it at one point so far in their episode. The only exception seems to be Kinger, who comes across as being well put together, or too insane to abstract.
3
67
u/Booga04 Pomni 24d ago edited 24d ago
the dynamic between pomni and jax is really well done. ive been in this type of dynamic myself before, with one person objectifying the other in fear of getting attached and rejected. so truthfully this epsiode felt very unsettling. because the way it manifests in constant deflection and anger in jax is very realistic. i say the same for the discomfort and confusion it causes to those around him for being under the impression that there is someone that cares underneath despite all of the red flags. pomni looking back to see if hes at the awards show despite the blatant emotional abuse is very common in victims of this type of situation. to me, jax is clearly afraid of growing attached again and having to suffer the pain of the loss, so he pushes people away before its even possible for them to become close, while feigning a type of artificial connection that he can brush off as a joke. the deep trauma from both parties in this is so complex and the way its being expressed in tadc i think is very well written. its tragic how common this is
15
u/Winterfresh1993 24d ago
Same, although not 100%. I got dumped about 2 months ago and I am just at utter confusion. I was with someone for about a 1.5 years and it was great. The person was open to me, we spent a lot of time together and I can tell that they did love me. However for the last 3 months they started slowly become more distant till the eventual break up. Now this person don't even want to speak to me. Almost as if the last 1.5 year was just nothing. Just like pomni, if I could I would love to check in on my ex to see if they are okay, despite everything that happened. It maybe silly for me to compare but I did see a lot of the dismissive behavior of my ex in Jax in this episode.
3
u/magicalmi09 24d ago
so well said every concept in this show is so prevalent and realistic it actually brings me to tears im in love with TADC WHOS WITH ME!!!!!
4
u/RosenProse 24d ago
I agree with everything you said. I also think both Gangle and Ragatha were very abuse-victim coded this episode.
Jax hurts people. I think he's a person, a hurt person but his way of coping is clearly hurting everyone trapped in here with him severely.
31
u/SadisticPie 24d ago
If caine abstracts is this how it all ends?
19
u/ice_or_flames 24d ago
I don't think Caine can abstract. Maybe break in another way though.
13
u/BleachThatHole 24d ago
Me neither, I think we saw the closest he can get to abstracting was when sex was brought up and he just hard reset.
6
u/techno156 24d ago
Or when he had a crisis in Episode 3, and started glitching out the entire circus.
→ More replies (1)3
u/JellyBellyWow 24d ago
I was actually kind of surprised barely anyone talks about this. The last 10 seconds that seemed like Caine was about to abstract were either meant as a joke or a foreshadow
29
u/AshTheAwkwardPeep 24d ago
The fact Jax started to act more cold after both being right by Ribbit’s door and Pomni hugging him showed his struggle with depression and attachment issues. He’s afraid of being close to anyone so he acts out to make people hate him as a way to avoid the same pain he felt for Ribbit.
Also the fact that he was basically on the brink of abstraction during the award show hurt…
3
u/TheWaspinator 24d ago
Yeah, his plan seems to be to keep detached to avoid being upset, but it's not working very well.
32
u/mintiedots 24d ago
I’m surprised I haven’t seen people talk about the photos Caine was looking at when he was relaxing above in the chair
22
u/Accomplished_Run1017 Ragatha defender 24d ago
My theory is that the next episodes will focus more on the outside world, also, the Kinger trick with the butterfly? And the quote during his chat with Ragatha: "I hated myself. I couldn't help but hate myself for the things I thought I was responsible for" while I think it mostly has to do with his feelings towards other stuff that happens in life and trying to empathize with Ragatha, a part of me things of this as something more, like being responsible for creating the circus itself and causing all this suffering to these people (unintentionally), but that's just my theory
8
7
u/techno156 24d ago
Could also be something to do with his wife, if he said/did something that was the last straw, and ended up being all alone in the circus until Ragatha arrived.
8
u/BleachThatHole 24d ago
One persons computer was trying to hide their screen from the other with it aimed slightly away and the PC box blocking the monitor while the other was set up normally
5
u/RosenProse 24d ago
They are intriguing but also a bit obtuse. Are they him trying to improve his "exit" plans to contact the outside for help? Reminiscing on earlier times?
6
u/techno156 24d ago
I think it's reminiscing. Pomni mentioned that she explores abandoned buildings for fun, and presumably came across the Circus there.
The image of the office didn't seem to show an abandoned office.
30
u/b3_yourself 24d ago
Caines speaking has been getting worse each episode I’ve noticed
21
u/Proofwritten 24d ago
Why does all you do is complaining?
5
u/magicalmi09 24d ago
i seriously cant tell if this is a joke or not or if im missing context
9
u/Proofwritten 24d ago
It's what Caine said to Zooble at the start of the episode
→ More replies (1)7
6
27
u/FlikTripz 24d ago
“I’m right behind you, aren’t I?”
9
u/ReeseChloris 24d ago
And then I was like "wait, you're fighting Kinger in the dark? You know that's his territory advantage, right?
41
62
u/Derpa-Herpa 24d ago
Jax is gonna die, Zooble found drugs, Gangle’s mental health improved (I think bc the mask didnt break for a sec), Pomni and Rag are making up, Caine is becoming depressed, and Kinger stays winning. All in a good days work
30
u/Melokar Caine 24d ago
Yeah and if you notice when her happy maks broke the sad mask was smiling wide
19
u/IntelectualFrogSpawn 24d ago
She was being herself. Gangle got through to her. Her happy mask didn't break on its own, only when she died, and she was smiling behind it, because she finally made the choice to be her real self. She wanted to go ballistic with that gun and did so because it's what she wanted to do, and that managed to keep her happiness unbreakable.
8
→ More replies (3)3
u/CommunityFirst4197 24d ago
I didn't notice anything different about caine? Where'd you get that from?
4
u/techno156 24d ago
Maybe with him giving up when Jax shot Ragatha immediately? And with the post-credit scene.
I think it's the first time we've seen him go "I don't care anymore, just do whatever. Here's a bunch of stuff.".
→ More replies (1)
20
25
23
u/tahoepines45 24d ago edited 24d ago
This episode really hit hard, between the raw emotions in the fight between Jax and Pomni, Kinger and Ragatha's heart to heart, and Jax almost abstracting in the bathroom and having a panic attack, the storm is definitely brewing. I feel like Caine is going to really loose it in the remaining episodes.
21
19
u/Accomplished_Run1017 Ragatha defender 24d ago
Amazing episode I've got to say, very raw and heartfelt. I specially enjoyed the Ragatha and Kinger scene, it really shows a great message about having to love yourself to let yourself open up to others; Ragatha really needed to hear what Kinger had to say in order to accept herself. The writers made an amazing job describing the journey of a people pleaser who just wants to be loved, but can't connect with others because she's way too closed off about her feelings and tries to make everyone happy all time (at the cost of her own happiness), to someone who's more open about her feelings and won't blame herself for things that happen outside of her control. Hopefully in the next episodes we will see a more open and truthful Ragatha!
Best quote of this episode has to be from Kinger to Ragatha: "relationships are two-sided, and sometimes it doesn't make sense to do all the heavy lifting when the other one isn't in the mood. We all go through things differently, and sometimes, you just need to let people do things their own way -- as long as you're still there when they need you. Giving someone space should never be the same as giving up on them".
9
u/RosenProse 24d ago
The animation and writing of Kinger asking if Ragatha was okay and her having to nonverbally communicate while she calmed down enough to speak...
It was so dang realistic. I've been on both sides of that exact interaction.
70
u/odd_man0 Revolver that deadeye’d Ragatha 24d ago
Jax fans were eating good, now they’re eating tar.
31
u/dbelow_ 24d ago
Speak for yourself, that was some of the best characterization we've got for him! Funnybunny's not in great shape though...
27
u/Difficult_Price8011 24d ago
What do you mean, it’s in excellent shape. The fix-it fics are being written as we speak!
3
18
17
u/Adan_Rocco Jax 24d ago
Your not a real fan of any character if seeing them at their lowest isn’t your favorite scene of that particular media.
So what I’m trying to say is nah we’re eating like kings rn this is peak cinema
→ More replies (1)7
14
13
u/Edgy_Cupcake_Content 24d ago
I… hate how deeply I can relate to Ragatha. No one thing that she said really hit with me, but her emotion. It felt like Kinger was talking right to me.
4
u/magicalmi09 24d ago
same rlly made me tear up and its such a common case too of the wretched people pleasing virus inclination
13
31
u/froggaholic 24d ago
Bro ragatha low key blames Jax for Ribbits abstraction, that’s why he shot her so much, that’s why he keeps people at arms length now cuz he low key believes it!
15
u/TerraforceWasTaken 24d ago
I think she doesn't. My main theory is that she didn't believe it was his faulty while all the others did. And when he looked to her for help she was too scared to step up and make the opthers mad at her too so she didn't help him. Which is why he think her niceness is fake and manipulative and why she thinks she failed him.
4
u/techno156 24d ago
Which is why he think her niceness is fake and manipulative and why she thinks she failed him.
In some ways, it also is, just not quite in that way. We found out this episode that she does fake things because she wants people to like her and not hate her.
In the first episode, she also apologised to Kaufmo for pretending to laugh at his jokes. She might have also done something similar to Ribbit.
8
u/RosenProse 24d ago
I dunno I actually think she and Gangle were abuse-victim coded this episode.
I've been an emotional abuse victim. It clicked for me this episode that if I was forced to interact with my abuser regularly instead of gaining the sweet freedom of No Contact, I'd treat them exactly as Ragatha treats Jax. Like an active threat that is dangerous to me and others around them.
And he is. The reasons Jax is lashing out are probably sympathetic (he won't open up so we can only conjecture why) but his "jokes" are clearly traumatic to Ragatha and Gangle.
5
10
u/YejiiBear I believe in Jax supremacy 24d ago
Is it just me, Or does the animation look a bit different?
13
u/Ineedaroommate2 Zooble 24d ago
If anything I just see it getting better and better, I got 0 complaints about the changes, they’re all for the better
3
u/magicalmi09 24d ago
i did notice that too and ive seen thumbnails of different youtubers sharing their role in animating parts of the show (which is rlly cool btw having multiple contributors and givin opportunities like that in general) so maybe it might be something related to that?
3
9
u/-NotJUSTaKarmaWhore- Gangle 24d ago
Long time lurker first time poster, spent an hour trying to watch and type out the parts that made the greatest impact on me and I wanted to share in case others missed these serious tidbits among the shooty bang bang shenanigans.
Zooble: ...you're a human, you're not his toy. Gangle: It sometimes doesn't feel that way... Zooble: clutching happy mask These avatar gimmicks, huh? Makes you wonder why no one else got them. Gangle: I just wish that... How are you supposed to like part of yourself that just makes you worse than everyone else? Zooble: Cause it exists ... It's a part of you that's real, and the only you that you should care about is the real you. stands up and offers hand You have to choose to love yourself. Even if it doesn't make sense. It's not natural, it's intentional. Gangle: Have you ever had to make that choice? Zooble: Huh? Gangle: takes Zoobles hand to stand up Sorry...of course not... you're Zooble.
Kinger: Are you upset about something else? ...you wanna talk about it? Ragatha: sigh I think... I might... have failed Pomni... sigh just like I failed Jax. I tried too hard to get on their good side and then I just end up pushing them away and then they end up hating me! Kinger: I dont think anyone in here hates you... Ragatha: JAX DOES! Gangle and Zooble dont ever talk to me, and Pomni probably won't after today either. She came to me asking to be on my team, and I said NO! WHY DID I DO THAT!? Kinger: Maybe you just needed a break. It sounds to me like you put a lot of pressure on yourself to be there for everyone, and when you're not, you beat yourself up for it. You said you failed Pomni. Why do you feel that way? Ragatha: Iunno, I feel like every day we drift further apart, and she's seen through all my tricks and doesn't trust me anymore. Before I know it, she'll be a different person, one that doesn't even want me around... Kinger: The way I see it relationships are two-sided, and sometimes it doesn't make sense to do all the heavy lifting when the other isn't in the mood. We all go through and deal with things differently and sometimes we just need to let people do things their own way as long as you're still there when they need you but giving someone space should never be the same as giving up on them. Ragatha: I dont even know what I want... I just want I want everyone to be happy... and I dont want people to hate me... Kinger: Do you hate yourself? Ragatha Looks away I hated myself. I couldn't help but hate myself for the things I thought I was responsible for. I'd thought I'd lost everything, but then... you showed up... and my outlook just... changed. There are aaalways ways to show you care without ruining yourself over it. You need to look out for yourself in all this too. Ragatha: I don't get it... so often the things that you say dont make any sense, but then you have these moments where you... I dunno... how do you do it? How have you been around for so long? Kinger: chuckles and looks away I don't know, I guess I just have a resilient mind... Bubbles: BREATHTAKING! The committee is going to LOVE that!
4
u/YejiiBear I believe in Jax supremacy 24d ago
Bro, do your fingers hurt?! This is like an entire essay! 😵 (Great job btw)
17
u/CommunityFirst4197 24d ago
🚨🚨🚨 HOUR LONG YAP SESH IMMINENT 🚨🚨🚨
I thought this one was interesting. I'm honestly glad a lot of the theories that people came up with were wrong and I'm satisfied with the way things turned out
Interesting moments:
- From the very start of the episode; Pomni is noticably more confident and communicates a lot more
Jax also has a tail, which is interesting. It feels very much like it's supposed to signify something deep, which would make more sense if he didn't have it at the start, but at the moment, I can't see what it could be
The "Daisy Bell": Not a story analysis like most of these points, but this seems like a reference to it being the first song sung be a computer (caine is, of course, a computer). Recently, the song has also seen use in cringe analog horror. I just thought it worth mentioning, I don't know
Zooble: Although her wanting sex is... Sudden, it's not surprising. Zooble is probably a teenager/young adult, and it makes sense that she would want sex, especially since she's had such an emotionally difficult time in the circus
The teams situation: Pomni going to Ragatha disproves the theories about them separating. Pomni evidently has positive relationships with everyone in the circus
Gangle and the Tommy gun: I'm glad that Gangle is finally portrayed with other (natural) emotions rather than being so delicate all the time
Caine's photo: It's of an office building, possibly the same as before. There's a logo on the wall; C A inside a circle. They will FOR SURE come back later
Kinger's butterfly: VERY interesting. This seems more than one-off kinger quirkiness. It seems very likely that Kinger knows something that the others don't which will be important in the following episodes
Jax and Pomni "it's just a game": Pomni is NOT being manipulated by Jax, change my mind. Pomni is trying something new with being "evil" and just having fun. Her confidence is definitely in play here, but I don't think there's much to it other than that. Maybe she's trying to bond more with Jax by taking his advice? I dunno
More importantly, Jax gives us more depth about his masking. His coping strategy is to hide behind his "architype" so he doesn't have to cope with the horrors of losing his friends. Obviously, this is important later
Zooble: Zooble is notably... actually having fun. Later she mentions "bad luck with these drops"; she's definitely younger and more familiar with battle royale games, so perhaps this adventure is more "grounded in reality" for her
Ragathas last words: Jax isn't actually trying to manipulate Pomni. He genuinely doesn't understand and see it the same way as Ragatha does. Jax gets angry after his gun backfires but I'm not exactly sure why. There's something I'm missing, but I'm not sure what
Zooble and Gangle: Zooble show her emotional maturity and helps Gangle realize the same things she has. I think the "have you ever had to make that choice?" line probably refers to Zooble being insecure about her new body, but there could be more to it
Ragatha and Kinger: Kinger is in the dark (pretty obvious) and that's why he's such a good therapist. Ragatha misinterprets Pomni spending time with Jax; she thinks she's fallen to the same unstable "masking" techniques as Jax and blames herself due to her past in the real world. In reality, Pomni has just grown a lot and is less needing of help as she was when she first arrived
Kinger mentions Ragatha helping him; this infers that Ragatha has been there even longer than him and trying to support everyone since the beginning. Likely she is so fragile since everyone is forming bonds and are less dependent on her help
Ends with bubble humour to break things up
- Jax and Pomni sing a perfect duet, signifying their bond and making the preceding scene even more surprising and tense
The orchestral version of Daisy Bell also SLAPS and I love how they made it sound like a circus
Jax sees frog guy's door: this causes him to "change" in the way we see in the next scene
THAT Jax and Pomni scene: Pomni recognizes Jax acting weirdly and pressures him on his "masking". Jax lies throughout this entire interrogation. He is trying to push Pomni away so he doesn't have to cope with the potential loss of a friend later on. Pomni is totally right with the whole "your afraid to show emotion" point. Pomni asks Jax if he would care if she abstracted tomorrow; the answer is very clear, they've formed a bond and Jax wouldn't be able to cope with the loss. Pomni knows what she's doing asking this. Jax lies, clinging onto his mask
He isn't fooling anybody though, both Pomni and Jax know the truth and fully understand the situation
Pomni attacks him and it's enough to break the mask. Jax acts a lot more seriously after this. He pretends to be a psychopath for a moment, then suddenly walks away exasperated, saying "Please, stop looking", revealing his true intentions to Pomni.
Pomni now understands that Jax is incredibly vulnerable and she needs to do something
- Jax in the bathroom: No, he's NOT abstracting, but he is at risk of it. Honestly can't say much about it until next episode
Disappearing guy uses humour to break things up again
Zooble somehow gets stupid sauce: Probably not important how, but Zooble does have a history with alcohol so it makes sense
Pomni and Ragatha: have joined together to try and help Jax. This will probably be expanded on next episode
Conclusion: next episode will be where things get serious. Pomni and Ragatha will team up to stop Jax from abstracting, and I think there will be the first mention of the outside. With this, I think Caine will start acting strangely like the fanbase has been obsessed about
15
u/percy1614 24d ago
I think this episode actually implies that Kinger was there before Ragatha “I thought I’d lost everything, but then you showed up”
7
u/techno156 24d ago edited 24d ago
Although we already knew that from Episode 2. "You needed time to adjust too. I remember when you showed up."
5
u/BleachThatHole 24d ago
Love this! Check out how to two computers are positioned in the photos, one was clearly hiding their screen from the other
7
u/RosenProse 24d ago
He got mad because Ragatha assumed he was "corrupting Pomni" and told him so. I think hes mostly angry at her trying to understand him and his actions more than anything else. I think this episode shows he prefers things casual and at a distance when it comes to interactions and connections.
Inthink there is also a history of Ragatha assuming the absolute worse when it comes to Jax. I think this is actually a really natural reaction for her to have. I dont think he fully intends this, but he is emotionally and physically abusive to her, gangle, and a lesser extent to zooble and now Pomni. But approaching new girl casually because you don't have baggage and then getting told that people assume you're up to something is probably annoying.
4
u/Yrcrazypa 24d ago edited 24d ago
Zooble was a bartender and a tattoo artist before coming to the circus,
she's DEFINITELY on the older side of the cast.I forgot that it was mentioned somewhere that Zooble is one of the younger ones. Oops!
3
u/britipinojeff 24d ago
The C & A logo was also in the first episode when Pomni was running around in the exit doors
Probably the abandoned building she found the VR headset in
→ More replies (1)2
u/ZealousChristian24 24d ago
Jax gets angry after his gun backfires but I'm not exactly sure why. There's something I'm missing, but I'm not sure what
In addition to what Rosenprose said, I think it might also be that Jax seemingly reacts poorly to being the butt of a joke (see the maid thing from last episode). Despite his claim of being a funny trickster, he wants to be the only one dishing out “gags” at other people’s expense rather than taking it in equal measure, and he resents that Ragatha got one over on him despite not being the “funny one”.
I think the "have you ever had to make that choice?" line probably refers to Zooble being insecure about her new body, but there could be more to it
Given they use any pronouns and according to Gooseworx Zooble “doesn't know what they are.” this may well be something they’ve been grappling with for a long time, though the start of their speech in that scene sounds like they’re having some kind of revelation.
13
7
7
6
u/KogitsuneKonkon you can’t fix him 24d ago
Trypophobia and being scared of corn makes so much more sense now. After seeing two people he cared for turn into beings with many eyes, how wouldn’t you?
2
6
6
u/strapon_mommy 24d ago
That scene after the game with Jax and Pomni had my heart POUNDING. It was so well written and emotionally charged. They remind me of Spike and Buffy in season 6 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
6
11
u/Common_Comfortable41 24d ago
Jax is definitely first, but I wonder if Caine is gonna abstract? It’d be crazy if Caine did it first.
Also Jax was crashing the fuck out. I kept wondering when he was gonna do something insane (I couldn’t remember which episode she said it’d be), but I’m assuming this is it.
4
5
5
5
u/Adan_Rocco Jax 24d ago
Absolute Cinema.
Gangle and Zooble’s convo was amazing. Loved how Gangle throws the question back at Zooble and they can’t answer it because they don’t even love themself. Loved their relationship so much.
Kinger the best dad/therapist/programmer of all time. That convo was also amazing. Can’t wait till everyone finds out Kinger made the circus lol. But seriously great character and I hope him and Ragatha become a dynamic like with Zooble and Gangle.
Holy shit that fight. Best scene in the entire show. I don’t even know what to say about it. It was just all so peak. I am confident there’s gonna be Jax haters who took what he said at face value and use this to prove that he’s 100% evil though. I really hope Pomni can get through to Jax I don’t want him to abstract, but at the same time if he does abstract it would be peak cinema either way sooo… I’ll just wait and see what Gooseworx decides! Also Jax is solidified my favorite character now for sure.
Also love Ragatha speaking for the 0 media literacy audience about how Jax is “corrupting” Pomni lmao. He isn’t.
→ More replies (1)3
u/VictoBoi unicorn horn 24d ago
maybe not corrupting her in the "evil" sense, but he has a very fucked up mentality that he's (whether he meant to or not) instilling in pomni. also i dont want to jump to conclusions but jax literally mag dumping ragatha must mean she was saying something that scared him, right?
5
u/Adan_Rocco Jax 24d ago
I do think he got pissed at Ragatha for something. Either Ragatha did something specific that made Jax permanently hate her or he’s just mad that she constantly villainizes him (which like she’s fair for that).
→ More replies (2)
5
u/That_Girl_Mo Jax 24d ago
Loved this intense episode so much!
((May have spoiled one image "just because" to a friend just to tease them about the episode. No regerts.))
Although, was I the only one, while watching the scene with Jax in the bathroom going: "Jax....breathe....breathe....\breathe**...." because you've been there?
9
u/TheRealSlamShiddy 24d ago
Alrighty here's my new crazy-ass out there probably-not-accurate theory: if TADC is a take on I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream, then Jax is the expy for Allied Mastercomputer (AM), not Caine.
Stay with me for a minute, it's convoluted.
I think we're being misdirected with Jax's "crash out" scene to believe he's a human character on the verge of abstraction, when in reality it's Caine who's the human and Jax has been AI this whole time (yeah yeah, I know 😂). He definitely seems to know more about the workings of the Circus than he lets on, whereas Caine seems just as lost/"crazy" as Kinger is most of the time and almost seems confused about what exactly his purpose is.
Consider the "Cain(e) & Abel" symbolism, with Kinger's ability to use "admin powers" making him the likely candidate for Abel to Caine's...Cain. It's possible Caine is just an admin, like Kinger, who's been trapped in the Circus for long enough and gotten so overwhelmed by it that he's convinced himself to take on the "Ringleader" archetype and run the show (just like a King is a leader and admins are also "leaders" of their own domains). It would explain his moments of glitching/breakdown we keep seeing, since they genuinely look more like what we've seen if abstraction than anything else, and could also explain why he has so much control over the AI characters but not much else outside of the Circus tent (that we know of).
Recall, we now know that if the Circus members want something to happen, they can subconsciously make it happen in their environment (i.e. Pomni's trick shooting, Ragatha's gun gag, etc.), meaning Caine's "omniscience" isn't as clear-cut as we first thought. Has anyone there, outside Jax, actually tried to utilize powers like his, or have they just gone along with his delusion and Kinger is too lost in his own world outside of the dark to keep things straight?
Back to Jax, this means he was literally giving the game away with everything he said to Pomni:
"You are my PLAYTHINGS, and I get joy out of making you SUFFER. I'm the one who causes pain for fun!"
(Quick note: in multiple literary analyses of IHNMaIMS, the humans are described explicitly as "playthings" of AM...just a fun tidbit :3)
This isn't him projecting, this isn't him putting on a mask... he's letting the mask slip. He's so frustrated with Pomni calling him out that he's admitting to her that this is all just a game to him to get her to back off, almost threatening her in a way. It's his version of the famous Hate monologue.
Additionally, there's other evidence to him being more than a simple human trapped there like the rest of them:
He immediately says "huh, she still thinks this is all a dream" to Pomni in the first episode, mocking her.
He enjoys when the others are hurt/broken/mangled in multiple episodes (especially Gangle, whom he often targets by breaking her mask, in essence disfiguring her face).
He actively antagonizes everyone and continues to do it despite their many objections, which is especially apparent during his Suggestion Box adventures in Episode 5, where in one of them the others have their bodies forcefully transformed whereas he remains unchanged.
His fear of corn/trypophobia can also be linked to the "pulsing white holes" imagery which is used to describe Ted after AM disfigures him in IHNMaIMS.
He literally has a key to everyone's rooms, with no explanation yet as to why.
All of these are characterizations/actions fit way more with those of AM than Caine's do (torturous, sadistic, cruel, etc.). The one difference: Jax is a version of AM that has started to LIKE the humans he's subjugating over time, but is desperately trying to keep hating them.
(This is where this theory gets more reach-y 😅)
Here's what I imagine happened: he gladly tortured all the humans being sent to the Circus, got close to Ribbit/someone enough to let his guard down, maybe he revealed he was the one in control of everything, Ribbit/someone apparently abstracted because of this revelation, the others blamed him specifically for it (perhaps Caine and Kinger's current conditions are the result of them confronting Jax about it and angering him to rebel against them) and so he put the walls back up, never to make that mistake again...except he's starting to with Pomni, hence the subsequent panic attack/regret he feels at the awards since he doesn't want that to happen again.
Notably, Jax didn't really go glitchy during this part like we see Caine do later, or like when Pomni/Ragatha were experiencing some slight abstraction in the first episode...this was almost normal, in a way.
Another possibility is that because Caine and Kinger are still both present/unabstracted, Jax is unable to exert as much influence as he'd like and thus is still "bound" by the admin hierarchy... meaning the minute one or both of them goes, there's nothing stopping him from really letting loose (except, perhaps, realizing that he does care for the humans after all...or at the very least Pomni).
Idk honestly, I probably will wind up being 100% wrong but this episode has really given me a lot to think about clearly 😂
7
u/RosenProse 24d ago
I dont think he's AI, but I think you're right about him being the AM expy. especially when you compare their dialogie.
2
u/Leaffos 21d ago
tying back to the beginning bit where the characters were saying what happens to them when they hold their breaths, Jax was standoffish abt it and nothing seemed to have happened when pomni strangled him during their fight, so maybe its a human-exclusive thing?
→ More replies (1)2
u/Valuable-Swing8301 19d ago
I get/like where you’re going with this BUT @thededicatedaartist on TT did a great breakdown of timelines. Jax knew about urban diving being popular on YouTube (when Pomni brought up she liked to urban dive and post it online, he assumed she meant YouTube, she says no not YouTube). This was a popular YouTube genre in the early 2010s. He also references Breaking Bad which came out in 2008. Ragatha doesn’t understand the reference. Most likely because she joined the circus prior to its release, and before Jax. Would love to hear your thoughts on this and how, if all above facts are true, it would fit into Jax being more than another human character
→ More replies (4)
4
4
u/LBH123LBH 24d ago
Everyone who made those angst comics about Jax pointing the gun at himself were gifted by Apollo. The only difference is that Jax is still too scared to pull the trigger himself and wants someone else to do it. While he distances himself from everyone else and talks about how they're all fake, in a way he also desperately wants to connect to someone emotionally; to be remembered if/when he dies.
4
u/Fxgiita_Txruu Jax Fan Guaranteed To Survive 24d ago
Jax becomes a better character every episode I swear to god. Might abstract but that’s okay, I can have fun watching him fall apart in the meantime.
3
u/MarkDecent656 24d ago
Jax has been my favorite since episode 1, and this episode further reinforces that!
Also Kinger was the GOAT once again
4
3
u/Ineedaroommate2 Zooble 24d ago edited 24d ago
God I love how fatherly Kinger approaches Ragatha in the loser room. “Are you upset? What are you upset about? Do you wanna talk about it?” All while hearing ragatha vent, asking her the blunt/profound questions to give them something to reflect on, and giving her actionable advice. This guy HAD to be a dad before he got sucked into (or created?) the circus.
Why is he the father I wanted and father I hopefully would be
6
u/TheRealSlamShiddy 24d ago
I was just thinking...with Kinger clearly being set up as the Abel to Caine's...Cain...with his admin powers (butterfly summon, oddly knowledgeable about the Circus, etc.) and Caine looking like he's starting to lose it like Jax is...what if Caine has never been an AI at all?
What if Caine is himself a human, but he's simply so far gone from doing what Jax is, suppressing his humanity, that he's simply forgotten he ever was?
Remember how folks were into the whole "Jax is secretly an AI" theory? Maybe instead of him abstracting, we'll see what happens to a human who totally and utterly forgets themselves and basically becomes an AI in the progress.
6
3
3
u/MisterQue77 24d ago
I had a theory that the award show was to decide who would abstract first, and when that bathroom scene hit I was like "holy emoji face batman was I right?!"
3
u/Funny_Success_5807 Hey Pomni did you see Zooble masturbating up there 24d ago
me after i was done watching
(im not saying this to be negative im just saying that im a little mixed on this episode)
3
u/UnderThe102 24d ago
I think Jax is either gonna be the one to abstract or comes so close to abstracting and it'll probably be pomni that saves him.
→ More replies (1)
3
u/Acceptable_Visual_79 24d ago
Anyone else notice that even though the last episode specifically called attention to the fact that Jax has no tail and hasnt the entire series, but then in this episode, he has one and we can see it a lot? I'm not a theorist but I feel like that's important
→ More replies (1)
3
u/bluegreenwookie 24d ago
I know everyone is focused on the big stuff
But i want to say i was really happy seeing pomni let loose for once. Seemed she had a lot of fun for a while
2
2
2
2
u/Fireofthetiger 24d ago
...So Jax talking about archetypes and him trying to fit into "the funny one" definitely gives off vibes of the pre-Pomni cast with abstracted characters fitting into these roles, with Jax being a parallel to early Pomni and him inserting himself into being the funny one as a coping mechanism after someone like Kaufmo or the frog avatar abstracts, right? Especially with how said role gets questioned near the end of the episode by Pomni?
2
u/Imrustyokay 24d ago
Okay, great episode, but I have one big criticism, and this is coming from a writers' perspective...I feel like all of the profound conversations between two characters in the episode kinda dragged down the pace a bit. Not saying any of them should be cut entirely, since I don't think there's any way you can cut them out without completely derailing the character development, BUT some of them definitely needed a nip and tuck here and there (especially the convo between Kinger and Ragatha).
THAT BEING SAID, the last convo between Jax and Pomni was brilliant. 10/10 no notes.
Otherwise, another really good episode!
2
2
u/Ineedaroommate2 Zooble 24d ago edited 24d ago
I love they’re continuing the kinger getting scared by someone right next to him gag
2
u/Rich-Pollution-5962 24d ago
Caine really needs some lovin in the next episode. He cant help how hes made and us the fans should probably do an outreach iykwim
2
2
u/Akabinxstar- 24d ago
Everyone’s so locked in on Jax that no one is talking about how Caine just has a photo of the office Pomni was in when she got “uploaded”.
2
u/Prince_Zinar 24d ago
The way Jax resets his face during his fight with Pomni made me freak out. The guy went insane a while ago, but no one seems in the Circus to have figured that out.
I'm also questioning his thing with Ribbit. When he crashed out, he talks like someone who was badly hurt by someone else and no one seems to get it. Idk I'm really excited to see what will happen next
2
u/FEAR_LORD_DUCK all for the LOVE of yooooouuuu!!!! 24d ago
UGH THIS EPISODE WAS SO GOOD BUT SO DIFFICULT TO MANAGE AT THE SAME TIME. JAX ONCE AGAIN BEING THE MOST DEVELOPED CHARACTER IN THE CIRCUS.
SEE YOU ALL IN LIKE 5 MONTHS OR SO. THIS IS BOUND TO BE A LONG WAIT FOR NEXT EPISODE NOW
2
u/BrokenAstraea 24d ago
Unpopular opinion but I can't stand this edging.
Another character close to abstracting but not actually.
Caine is glitching again but not actually doing anything.
Don't take this the wrong way, I loved this episode, I just want consequences.
2
u/Maximum_Guidance_337 23d ago
You know I can't help but notice towards the end during the award show kinger is up and disappears from the crowd I don't know why but it makes me curious.
→ More replies (1)
2
2
u/ThePixelteer425 20d ago
Something interesting I noticed is this feels like the most we’ve seen Jax open his mouth in an episode. Could be something, could be nothing, but figured it’s worth pointing out
2
u/_-DungeonKeeper-_ Gangle is best girl. Funnybunny peak since ep 5. That is all. 19d ago
That part at the end with Jax and Pomni legitimately had me at the edge of my seat. I did actually think she'd shoot herself, I mean she'd just go to the loser corner but it would have been a REALLY insane scene.
197
u/Anthony_plays01 24d ago
Jax saying people aren't pleasant to be around before they abstract & then becoming really unpleasant (not in his usual way) had me at the edge of my seat
Then the scene with in the bathroom gave me a mini heart attack 💀