Home
Creators
Search Recent Random
Posts
Search DMs Popular Hash Lookup Tags Random
Importer
Import FAQ
Register Favorites Keys Review DMs Logout
Community
Telegram ThePornDude
Home Creators Posts Import Register Favorites Logout

RWBY v8 chps5&6 Amity & Midnight (Patreon)

Published:
2026-04-18 16:00:16
Edited:
2026-05-02 21:27:16
Imported:
2026-04
Tags:

Videos

  • 641274522.mp4

Downloads

Content

I Feel BAD For Her!!

JOIN US ON DISCORD! (18+ Only). Find out how to join here: https://support.patreon.com/hc/en-us/articles/212052266-Getting-Discord-access

Wanna learn more about our show? Click here: https://linktr.ee/dragonflycreates

Check out my work schedule / flow here: https://trello.com/b/L0TNVZRA/wee-lass-reacts-workstack

Get merch with a 15% discount from my store for being a Patreon member. Use the code WEEPATREON15 and purchase here: https://weelassreacts-shop.fourthwall.com/

Files

Comments

Taigan

When Elijah watched midnight, she wanted to make sure you heard the clock chiming midnight when Cinder killed her stepmother. She was worried you wouldn’t with your bad ear.

Isadora

So much Cinder lore this week! First Morgan, now Mosco. I love how they tie together the phrase "without you I'm nothing", but while the evil stepmother definitely forced Cinder to say it, I doubt Salem knew that much about Cinder to have her say it too; it has probably been so ingrained in Cinder's mind that as soon as she recognized a familiar behavior, she started saying it again. Salem is a much better manipulator though: right when Cinder was about to snap and rebel against her "jailer", Salem stopped and started praising her again, ensuring she had her loyalty once more.

Annieme

My favourite running gag rn is “jimmy Jim james jimerson mcjimbob”

Adrian ruiz martinez

FUCKING NICE GHOSTBUSTERS 2 REFERENCE!!! NEVER THOUGHT OF THAT!!

BGTitan

Ep 5: Taylor McNee (Penny's VA) did phenomenal this episode. Her last few lines where she's fighting the virus, ending with "I love you" is one of the most heartbreaking deliveries. She really showed her stuff this episode. In this moment, Watts didn't actually betray James. He did exactly as he was asked, gave Penny a virus that was going to make her go to the vault. Like he said Penny's probably just rebooting at the moment. James is just mad that he's not getting his way immediately. As he's made abundantly clear, he wants Penny under his control and taking his orders now. Something subtle I do love about Winter’s appearance in this episode is that you can clearly see she’s uncomfortable with Watts being there. She stares at Penny’s weapon first, partly because she’s worried about Penny because they are friends. But then we get the shot from her POV of Watts and James (and Harriet) and the look on her face says it all. Another thing is that she clearly still isn’t fully recovered from her fight with Cinder. Hasn’t had the time to really rest because of everything going on. So those black and red additions to her outfit are literally braces holding her upright and together. Like girl is not okay. Ep 6: 17 is the age you can join the Huntsman Academies. Rhodes (the Huntsman training Cinder) is kind of the definition of what the other Councilman said last volume. What people intend and what they do aren’t always the same thing. Rhodes thought he was helping. But I don’t know what he expected to happen when he taught a girl that was being abused (though he most likely didn’t know the extent of it) how to fight. He really just expected her to hang in there for seven more years, while he came and went about his life. Not to mention, he frequently visits an establishment that doesn’t allow Faunus. … A product of Atlas indeed. A subtle detail is that when the sisters come running in to tell the Madame about the sword the curly haired one is like “cool Cinder’s about to get in trouble” while the other is legitimately concerned and scared. I like how this episode also just shows the constant cycle of abuse. Madame and Salem to Cinder to Emerald. Although Salem is smart enough to sprinkle in kindness and understanding so that Cinder doesn’t completely turn on her. And it doesn’t absolve Cinder of all her crimes, just gives us the context of how she got this way. It's like Neo. Cool and sad backstory, still not a good person. Also, I remember that the episode description posted before the episode aired was simply ‘it’s time’ and everyone was sent into a full panic and dread mode. And then of course Salem says the line itself and we’re all just like… well shit. And we see yet again the biggest flaw with Atlas technology. The entire idea of if one part goes down, the whole system can’t sustain itself. This has been a reoccurring thing with Atlas. We saw it with the CCT system. We saw it with the shields back in V6 during the fight with the Leviathan. And we see it again here. Freakin Atlas, man.

Adrian ruiz martinez

You know, the song for the cinder vs her master fight, is technically the first licensed song used in the show, it was originally made for casie lee Williams (the vocalist for every song in rwby)'s band ok goodnight's album.

Suplee215

Cinder is certainly out of line currently but I can't blame a abused child slave for killing her abusers or for deciding to fight society. Even the Huntsman who is supposed to help people just played along with society just kept her where she was. You see a child being abused like that? He had the power to do more than he did and with great power comes great responsibility. At the very least he could have reported her abuse to the authorities as slavery was outlawed and this is basically that. Theres a reason they hid the shock collar. If he didnt want to do that he could easily take her and run. I am 90 percent sure what the hotel did to her was illegal but accepted by the higher class and he didnt do anything to just not rock the status quo and I dont think thats good enough for a Huntsman. Basically something should hage been done when she was 10 years old.

Robert Hunter

I had mentioned earlier that this volume was the most intense, now it begins. Brace yourself, Mosco!!!

JAMES D'ALESSANDRO

Jimmy Jim Bob is not smart. Salem would reach them no matter how high he takes Atlas up. If she can create the Hound she could create Grimm that can get up there. I guess he doesn't really now that she can do that so maybe he isn't that dumb but fuck that guy anyway

I-Superpanda-I

I don’t quite think that the Midnight episode is supposed to make to you sympathize with Cinder but it serves as an explanation to put future and past events into context. NO SPOILERS

Spadeas

In the words of our lovely robotic redhead "it will be like Beacon again".

bloodyshadow1

the problem for Rhodes (Cinder's teacher) is that Cinder wasn't just an employee at the hotel, she was the woman's adopted daughter. It's not an excuse for not doing more, but there's a differnece between giving a young girl a job vs taking someone's daughter (abused and adopted but still legally her daughter) along with you. If he took her, he would be in legal trouble and we don't even know if child abuse is illegal in Atlas or Remanent at all so he wouldn't even be able to have grounds to stand on. It wouldn't be a hunter saving an abused child, it would look like a strange man abducting a child. While I agree he could have done more, my brother and I have a saying when we talk about shows and stuff, that at the end of the day, not everyone is gonna be a hero, most people probably aren't. There's horrific things going on in the world, not matter what people feel and say, most people will just look the other way because it doesn't affect them. and for what it's worth, he was there before the stroke of midnight on her 17th birthday to take her away when she was legally her own person. he did what he thought he could, it wasn't enough, but it's more than most people in the fandom who condemn him would have done, probably more than what I would have done if I'm being honest. at the end of the day he was just a man and did what he could, it just wasn't enough

Phoenix_mercury

The patrons clearly weren't the best people anyways considering they're frequenting an anti Faunus hotel

Zirkumflex

When Penny speaks, she speaks very proper and never even uses contractions. So her "I don't know" when she was being hacked, was almost like swearing for her. (She has also earned her swearing privileges with all that shit happening to her, so just let her say fuck. It would be extremely appropriate)

Suplee215

Probably not. It does depend on the situation but the hotel looks too fancy for the customers to not have other options. That said, if the majority of places have a "no faunus" sign then some customers might not have the choice but to go to tbe establishment. But Rhodes is a huntsman and they have power and privilege in this society so at the very least for him yea. Just customers dont always got the luxury of being able to avoid every place they disagree with.

bloodyshadow1

I mean it was an atlesian hotel, clearly fancy, no faunus was probably the norm not the exception

Luminaxtea

Rhodes might stand out because he's the first person who ever treats Cinder kindly, but even he is not a very good guy. He frequents an openly anti-faunus establishment, even before he started training Cinder, and didn't even do the bare minimum as a Huntsman and report the abuse. In a way, he kind of reminds me of Clover. Both seem to come from a place of privilege and it's led them to be complacent with their society's failings. When the system has always worked for you why would you doubt it when it fails someone else?

Suplee215

Going to the hotel might be justified. Its possible he goes there to keep a ear to the ground or that every hotel has that same sign. Certainly wrong for not doing anything about cinder though. Waiting out an absuive situation for 7 years is not acceptable.

Taigan

There’s a quote from the 1986 film Manhunter that neatly sums up my feelings about Cinder. “My heart bleeds for him, as a child. Someone took a kid and manufactured a monster. At the same time, as an adult, he's irredeemable. He butchers whole families to pursue trivial fantasies... As an adult, someone should blow the sick fuck out of his socks...”

Liam Gradwell

I do feel sorry for Cinder. Still think what she’s done is beyond forgiveness, but I do get why she’s the way she is. Personally, if I was the huntsman seeing Cinder being abused and then take revenge, I’d take her in. At least I could feel like I tried to do right by her. ❤️🤍🖤💛

Suplee215

We know that slavery was outlawed after the great war. The way cinder was treated goes beyond child abuse and into slavery with the level of control and everything. Sadly jts an abuse we see in real life where adoption agencies are used to traffic kids that are forced into slavery. He would need tk prove thats whats going on but the collar is hidden fkr a reason. And while not everyone is a hero, huntsman are. Thats what they signed up for. With no government allegiance so they can work indepdently

bloodyshadow1

I mean they're not heroes though. Sure they're seen as heroes and encouraged to be, but we see several huntsman and huntresses that aren't heroes, especially in atlas. They're job is to fight monsters and be bounty hunters, maybe bodyguards, a lot of the timevthat translates to heroics, but deeds aren't the same thing as being a hero

Tammy Ragsdale

Think someone else mentioned it, but Watts actually did exactly what James wanted him to. James is just impatient about it and gets mad. They want Penny under control and at the vault. It's a little hard to tell, but Winter is still hurt. Impossible as it sounds, she's moving even more stiffly and standing even straighter than before. She's wearing a back brace as well as one on her injured arm. It does sort of blend into her uniform, though, so it is kind of hard to see at first. I like the way they handled Cinder's backstory. It gives you an idea of why she is how she is, but it doesn't really excuse her actions. And it's 100% on the huntsman, Rhodes, for just leaving her there. How do you not just pick the kid up and take her away from her abusers? Why are you staying in a "no faunas allowed" hotel, anyway? How can you tell an abused kid, don't worry, you can leave here in seven years and just think it's going to all work out. None of it excuses Cinder's actions or her sense of entitlement. That's on her.

Zirkumflex

We kinda knew Cinder's backstory beforehand with her being based on Cinderella, but seeing it was still heartbreaking. It does not excuse Cinder's behaviour, but it certainly explains it. Note that the huntsman that trains Cinder is named (in the credits) Rhodes. His semblance is to coat his skin with metal. As we all know there exists an X-Men with the name Colossus whose superpower is exactly that. Combine for a fun reference.

Evil Queen

Can someone make a compilation of Mosco giving James longer names each time? 😂

Ryan

Ankles!? SCANDALOUS! Chapter 5: Get ready for MaidenBowl II! How far they've come ... the long walk to the vault back in season three nearly broke the animation engine. And now they're a one on one dog fight between flying superheroes. The thing about Ruby's message getting out is we don't see if Raven got it - or how she reacted if she did. But with her semblance, she could have brought reinforcements in seconds. An entire tribe of bandits. Granted how easily Yang tore through them, they would most be canon fodder. But with Raven there, it'd be two on one maidens. I wonder if the full message included Ruby calling Raven out for her "unfinished business" with Cinder. Grimm juice? Yummy! Chapter 6: Loving the 1920s art deco production design of the hotel. It's an interesting choice to give us Cinder's full back story now, after she's too far gone to be redeemed. The most she can do now is pull a Shadow Weaver and turn on Salem at the last minute. And there are so many "what could have been?". What if she had made it into the academy? Would she have been Winter's roommate? What if it had been Team STRQ that tried to help her? What if the Huntsman didn't take her under his wing? What if Cinder had become a vigilante, instead of a villain? I can't believe she was the only child trafficked to Atlas as slave labor. What if, what if, what if. But it's too late for what if. The clock strikes twelve... It's time...

Suplee215

The word "hero" is a bit subjective. They are not strictly monster fighters though. Their job is to help people. Objectively. Both against grim and against human criminals. Thats a major part of the early seasons and later. They are basically first responders. Yes, not all Huntsman live up to it but theyre supposed to. With great power comes great responsibility and Rhodes failed at that and he deserves the blame.

Jyoster

Cinder doesn't deserve forgiveness, but I wouldn't wish on anyone what she went through. If only someone kind could've guided her away from the harshness. And while Rhodes was kind to her, he did show he has his faults, most prominent of which being him trying to take Cinder down when she killed the stepsister and stepmother. Sure, she should be held accountable for that, even if it was out of self defense, but don't treat her like a criminal with her being that young. Also, a kaiju-sized whale made landfall on to Atlas. And we still have the rest of the day to go for the rest of the volume. And [not so] fun fact. The next episode was the last episode we had before the midseason break, which ended up being longer than usual thanks to Covid. We went little over a month without Rwby, it stressed a lot of us given what was happening in the volume. And it was the first of 2 midseason breaks, so yeah...

Rixec2

Cinder's mentor, Rhodes, wanted to help her, but unfortunately, his biggest flaw was not wanting to challenge the status quo. What Cinder's stepmother was doing? It was all legal. Slaves were no longer legal after the Great War, but a loophole in Atlas allowed them to adopt orphans and have them perform "chores", and the shock collar was just discipline. It's horrific and evil, but it was legal. And Rhodes did not want to challenge that. He simply wanted to do things in the legal way. Just let Cinder grow up to where her stepmother could no longer force her to do it. While it sounds easy on paper, the reality is far crueler. Cinder was still forced to endure all that for years. All chipping away at her body and mind until she reached a point she could no longer take. While we don't know if her stepfamily's actions justified killing them in that moment, after everything she suffered, it's easy to empathize with why that point was reached. Unfortunately, Rhodes still wanted to keep to the status quo, and that meant arresting Cinder for murder. He did care for her, but his unwillingness to bend caused his death and made Cinder fall down a dark path. Cinder is still in no way justified for all she did afterward, but it's easy to empathize with how it happened when no one was there for her.

Taigan

Mosco, not as a spoiler, but because I feel you need the warning, there is a very brief reappearance of The Apathy at the start of the next episode. Given your… visceral reaction to their appearance I thought you should know.

WolfieOo

Love learning you are Chaotic Good. Same here. But yeah, it's a hell of an episode. So this time (the first despite multiple rewatches) I noticed Emerald took hold of Cinder's grim arm, sort of like how Blake had grabbed Yang's robot arm. Almost like they were trying to show they didn't care about the state of the body, they cared for the person. Unfortunately, while Emerald might like Cinder a lot (not sure love, but crush for sure), Cinder does NOT feel the same way. She doesn't want anything but power for herself. She hadn't cared about either Emerald or Mercury when she was stuck out on her own, she cared about revenge on Ruby. Sure, it played into larger things, but literally, it's a selfish world view from good ol' Cinder. Fun to watch you react, as always.

Ann_Temki

Fun fact: on the old RT website you could see the thumbnail and description like two days before the episode came out. So for those days before “Midnight” the fandom was panicking over the description just saying “It’s time.”

Moonas

I love how u talking over monologues with "stop, don't do it" x9 like that will change anything.

Bowser's Rage Stage

Here's the thing about Cinder's backstory they hint at but don't outright address: Cinder was originally from Mistral as per her own words, and we see here the hotel she was taken to is in Atlas. She was straight up trafficked across borders and enslaved, which makes this situation so much more fucked up. As for your question about why Rhodes or any of the other customers did anything about Cinder, I would remind you that these guys are willingly staying at a segregated hotel that excludes Faunus, they're not good people who would stick their nose out for someone (or at least not in any actually helpful way).

Sweg Money

TECHNICALLY based on the RWBY timeline slavery was illegal at this point so this should have been illegal. I have always felt this was an indictment of Atlas sliding back into the Old ways which is consistent with the SDC use of faunus labor.

Jittercritter

If I had to guess I’d say Rhodes may have even been in the kind of boat Cinder is in now as far as Emerald goes; he may have been trying to take Cinder under his wing only partly to guide and help her but MOSTLY to use her for his own benefit, just like she’s doing to Em. It would explain why he didn’t *actually* help her, but instead chose to groom her for the academy role. He may have been planning to send her to an academy to infiltrate it like Raven and Qrow were sent by their clan.

SPS

36:55 outside the obvious of "if you're abusing your kids, adopted or not, you wind up in prison" (lets say they are too well connected for that) a minor can apply for emancipation at 16 in all us states.

Suplee215

One thing about Cinder's story that I think is an important metaphor or insight to real life is the 7 year wait. A lot of kids and teens in bad situations are told to just prepare for life as an adult to escape whatever they are in. Told "tough it out and itll get better when youre older". But people don't always got time to wait. Cinder spent almost half her life at that hotel after her abuse was discovered.

Suplee215

"Adoption" is a easy way to hide slavery. As long as no one is paying too much attention she will just look like one of the daughters helping out. The fact the shock collar was disguised makes me think itll be an issue if discovered and the situation as a whole will be. As long as the clients are apathetic to anyone else itll work and I think thats easy to assume of both the elites of mistral and atlas.

Suplee215

Is it canon that the situation was legal? I can see either working. If illegal, itll be hard to prove it as the legal adoption is covering it up and clearly shes wealthy. As for Rhodes, I just had a thought of "what would Qrow has done in that situation". I think that really works well to see the flaw in Rhodes' plan. And also why qrow is considered top tier as a huntsman.

CrowOfAFeather

"I love you Neo, but please stop." She's an antagonist hell-bent on revenge, I don't get why you'd think she'd stop and suddenly become good. I'll never get tired of Neo getting her ass handed to her by Maria, it's about time someone gets to humble her a bit. Maria's Semblance is the perfect counter too since Neo's dirty tricks won't work on someone who can sense attacks "almost before they happen" as Maria put it. Cherry on top with Penny absolutely blasting Neo and destroying her Aura completely! Penny and her dad's conversation always gets me. He's just worried about his daughter at the end of the day and you can't blame him for that.. Cinder's backstory is horrible. I wouldn't want anyone to go through anything like it and, while it definitely doesn't excuse their actions (much like Neo's doesn't excuse her crimes or Adam's his) it's understandable to see how she ended up the way she did. I can't imagine what she went through afterwards before meeting Salem or what her initial experiences with her was. I never got the vibe from Emerald that she had romantic feelings for Cinder. We know she's loyal and "owes Cinder everything" as she put in V5. I dunno, I think it's more a sense of wanting to repay Cinder than wanting to bed her lol. She doesn't care about salem tho.

Dafydd Mac an Leigh

So that shock collar left a distinct mark around Cinder's neck. Is that why nearly everything she wears involves a high collar or a choker or some other means of concealing it?

Suplee215

Maria also has an advantage because she is blind. She literally cannot see Neo's illusions. Most likely the tech eyes dont see them either.

Mare

She also misses details by talking over monologues too I noticed. There are times I wished she would read the comments when people attempt to fill her in with context and/or corrections within the narrative.

Mare

Those scars on both Blake and Weiss were a result of having been injured when their aura was depleted. Much like how Yang had lost her arm while attempting to attack Adam in V3. Here's what Miles and Kerry says about that during an interview with Afterbuzz: (https://youtu.be/wdUMisVDijM?t=50m56s) Miles Luna: [On aura] We establish in the tournament fights that every hit can drop it and some hits can break it. It just so happens that Adam's attack was so badass that in one hit it managed to break it and do damage all at once. It was just super powerful. Kerry Shawcross: Yang had also been fighting off-screen too.

SauceyRed

HOW DID I MISS THIS, I'M 9 HOURS LATE GRAHHH!!! Finally we've gotten to Cinder's backstory episode!

TheRavenWanderer

Tbf, the ending was a legit reason to panic lol

supersoaker

13:15 ninja nan's still got it

Cinder's Apologist

Penny being more human... funny you should say that... sorry to say but Neo is first and foremost a chaos gremlin. why did she pal around with Roman? he wasn't exactly Mister Upright Citizen! she loves the mayhem for mayhem's sake! tbh I was somewhat amused at how you were so focused on the message that you didn't stop to weigh in on the cameos, aside from the legend Shopkeep and Glynda lol. and yes, Weiss truly has come a long way! yeah it's fun to realize how dangerous Ironwood was all along precisely because his methods don't exactly sound as bad at first. but to the discerning eye, they were always little red flags that just got bigger and bigger... SO! I was a bit nervous how you would react to 'Midnight' given the (admittedly predictable) hate for Cinder, but then I was quite relieved to see you recognizing how fucked up that backstory was... how much it fucked up Cinder and turned her into what she became. as for the huntsman (Rhodes), to be very blunt: he represents those who benefit from the status quo and prefer to uphold it even when it is clearly harming others. he is a huntsman who gets to hang out in a swanky hotel regularly, in Atlas of all places, so why would he jeopardize that for something as inconvenient as a child being abused over roughly 6 years? (yes, he should absolutely have gotten Cinder out of there, but doing so requires enough moral backbone to defy a society that clearly turns a blind eye to child slavery. and that is VERY relevant to some very specific problems in our real world...) you are correct in that this tragic backstory does not justify all the actions Cinder took in prior volumes. but I cannot emphasize enough that her story is a scathing indictment of a society that didn't just let her fall through the cracks, but chooses order and stability over the hard work of doing what is right and just. one more quick note: the way that Cinder reacts to the huntsman's touch? doesn't really seem like she's fond of it. not saying it meant nothing to her, but there is a level of discomfort suggested in her body language. and now the fun part begins! *SCREAMS OF TERROR INTENSIFY*

Cinder's Apologist

big agree all around. Neo getting humbled in a fight is priceless. Penny and Pietro is always a good punch to the feels. always happy to see somebody get it regarding Cinder's backstory: doesn't excuse later actions but still explains A LOT about why she turned out this way. as fun as the romantic angle can be, it's definitely more of Emerald craving some sort of motherly figure or just a semblance of family.

Cinder's Apologist

yepppp this and everything else above. one of the biggest takeaways when you put all the RWBY lore pieces together - the main show and the WOR shorts and so on - is that the world order that these kids are growing up in is deeply flawed, hence Salem's ability to divide them so effectively. but more to the point, people really need to pay more attention to that point about slavery: just because it was formally banned does not mean it actually stopped everywhere. as noted above, it clearly didn't stop wherever the SDC had reach, nor should we believe it stopped in Atlas or in Mistral which was already established as not being easily governed - ergo ripe for traffickers.

Cinder's Apologist

like Raven tried to convey to Yang and Weiss in volume 5: not all huntsmen are out to make the world a better place. many are in it for fame, for money, or to just get stronger. and clearly, many don't care to change a broken society when they can benefit from it.

Arashi

Say hello to Atlas Huntsman Rhodes. Based of the Wonder of the Ancient World the Colossus of Rhodes. His semblance is to made a coating of metal over his skin. As for why he didn't do anything for 5-6 years.... Political power, social influence and money. The Madam had them, he did not. Complain to her, he's barred from the hotel. Say something to 'authorities'... she's 'high class' and Cinders just a Mistrali orphan. Which also probably plays into why she couldn't run away, the situation is pretty beat-for-beat to human trafficking of Cinder. She /had/ no identity in Atlas. That's also assuming he does know how much the abuse is, I think no one but those four know about the shock collar, so Rhodes thinks is emotional abuse (already bad enough) but not physical torture for 'infractions'. And in the end, Cinder solved her problems by murder, making his next actions locked. Deserved or not, she did kill people.

Arashi

And Neo is used to fighting people bigger then her. She pretty tiny, but Maria is even more tiny.

Shaky Tail Studios

"Was that a fucking shock collar?" "... Yeah?" "... Good job kid, let's go get ice cream."

James Pagel

I mean to be fair the hard light towers defending atlas were also shielded it was just that the grimm liquid was SO crossive that it burned though the shield to fast and then with it now inside it could spawn the grimm under the barrier

Shaky Tail Studios

Anyway lots of fun and interesting tuff these episodes, I loved seeing Neo getting handled by Maria all her usual bullshit was turned against her, being a smaller, agile fighter who relies on counter punching, she had no recourse and them got blasted by Penny XD Also big oof on Cinder, she had a good plan but Penny is the only one who could see through Emerald's Semblance and she was thus not braced for the counter attack. I love everyone's expressions during the broadcast. Also huge OOF on Penny's seeming last words. when it comes to trusting Watts I am unsurprised Ironwood does so, he thinks because he can order Watts executed anytime he wants the man is controllable and he wasn't even smart enough to have Mantle's security upgraded despite knowing the risks, clever he is not. I do think some give Winter too much grace for her willing involvement in this while only focusing ire on the Ace-Ops. and let's be real here, Clover straight up tried to merc Qrow while Tyrian was a threat he'd 100% have supported this plan with his whole ass and empty head. I loooove Cinder's backstory and your reaction to it. The entire thing is peak "Yeah, this is exactly the kind of life that would shape a person like you" sort of feel. Like, barring Salem she may legit have the most fucked backstory of any of the characters. Like, genuinely Cinder's world view is entirely Hobbesian, she can't believe the worlds operates any other way at this stage. Every interaction & relationship is just a case of exerting power over someone or having power exerted on you, concepts like mercy & kindness are fake/delusions. I love a thing someone noted about the potential of the Grimm arm being a repeat of the collar, namely: If the grimm arm is a repetition of the collar, it’s the collar that couldn’t stop her from wrapping her fingers around the Madame's throat. How aware of that Salem is we don't know. Also gosh Rhodes, I think people try to way over complicate his situation. We know slavery has been illegal since the Great War 80 years ago. Madame being Cinder's guardian doesn't change the shock collar or that she fucking purchased her from trafficker's in Mistral. Worst case scenario e could have smuggled her out of there and somewhere else, but that would involve disrupting his own comfortable life of living at a Faunus hating hotel. So he doesn't, instead he does just enough to allay his sense of guilt while expecting Cinder to live as a tortured slave for seven god damn years! She was as old as Ruby was in volume 1 when that ended! &him attacking her, aaah, peak lawful over good, like Madame and the girls are dead. Cinder is not posing a treat to him. He could have tried to talk, but noooope! Also fascinating character detail about Cinder is how she internalized her enslavement and trauma, "Because of you, I am everything" she needs her suffering to have had a point. She needs that sense of destiny because otherwise all that pain was just pointless. She and Mercury are a lot alike in these regards, same for pain and violence being all they know and being too afraid to leave it, no wonder she approved so heartily of him killing Marcus.

Verdigree

That song, Awake, is the FIRST music not specifically written and composed for the show, it's actually by Casey Lee Williams's band, "Ok Goodnight", I like it a lot

Tigerhawk

Anex, do put it in the bloopers.

Verdigree

You can really see the tragedy of the lack of communication, because of how unity was torn apart, you have these various plans ticking away like clockwork and crashing into each other, Jimmy doesn't even know Penny is LITERALLY being Atlas, the Titan of Greek myth, holding up the world on her shoulders until she's sabotagued, the advantage of Salem is it's so much easier to break than to build

Phoenix_mercury

She doesn't read them now because people was spoiling stuff🤷 we use the discord to fill her in instead

GlitchedLetters

As explained in the WOR Kingdom episode, Atlas and Mistal were the two kingdoms that genuinely sucked for Faunus and anyone of the lower class. Atlas threw Faunus into the mines and forces Mantle to be dependent on them, while Mistral just straight up allows discrimination and slavery still. Rhodes is a prime example of someone whose help only "created a monster". I do believe he had hope Cinder would make it those 7 years without retaliating, but this is a similar mindset many people have about victims in abusive environments: for children, they'll eventually grow old enough to leave their abusers, and for domestic abuse victims, when they get out of the relationship. This mentality often just leads to more bystanding than helping someone. So, as you heard, the clock chiming when Cinder commits her first murders was to indicate that her torment was over, much like the spell fading away. But in Volume 2, during the Beacon dance and when Cinder sneaks into the CCT Tower and goes against Ruby, after she leaves the virus made by Watts for the Fall of Beacon, you can also hear the same bell chiming. She also changes her outfit from going undercover to a dress while leaving a glass mask behind. Many realized that the chime of the bell and the presence of Salem in Vale was the end of their era of peace. The Whale Grimm is based on Monstro from Pinocchio, since its technical title is Monstra, but some believe there could be connections to Moby Dick as well.

JHens

While I don't argue that Cinder is most definitely selfish, I do think she cares about Emerald and Mercury on some level. Perhaps I am reading too much into it, but I always thought it was interesting that she recruited emerald who was a starving (likely) orphan and Mercury who was abused by his family figure. Both things that her experiences would make her see a part of herself in their struggles.

Phoenix_mercury

Pretty sure(at least name wise) Rhodes is a play on the whole "the road to hell is paved with good intentions" tho considering he only learned about cinder by frequenting an openly anti Faunus hotel I'd say it's debatable how good he really was and how much of it was just a "see I'm doing what I can"

Todd Lucas

For some reason, every time you call General Ironwood "Jamie"....I feel like it is insulting the only Jamie that truly matters.... James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser. :)

BGTitan

Pretty sure Maria can see Neo's illusions. They are physical, not mental like Em's. They literally shatter if hit.

BGTitan

One went down and the rest followed.

CrowOfAFeather

Oh absolutely! I just meant that Neo can use it to mask herself too. She did it to Yang on the train, where she looked like she was just standing there but then struck her before Yang could land her punch, seemingly still just standing there.

vercingetorix

To quote Farran (bestworstcase) over on tumblr: "There's a reason that scene is bloodless. No blood on her hands. No blood on her snow-white shirt. No blood on her blades. No blood on the floor. Cinder is INNOCENT in this moment. The narrative impresses this upon us with one of the most potent symbols it can. Her hands are clean."

John Hannon

Not to excuse racism, but I'm pretty certain there weren't a whole lot of non-anti Faunus hotels. The fact that he frequented one where he witnessed an abused 10 year old is problematic, but he negated some of that by supporting her. The issue is that the system there apparently doesn't care that she's abused. I would hope in today's world, he could have reported it, even offered to foster or adopt her, maybe even pulled a Jean Valjean and "bought" her, but I feel like given the fact that she had burns all over her neck from the torture, and a huntsman who managed to talk her down, bring her in voluntarily and vouched for the fact that she'd spent most of a decade being treated like a slave, they'd have gone easy on her, maybe released her to his guardianship if he'd taken a moment after walking into the room and tried talking her down.

John Hannon

A lot of the "loyalty" you see from characters you would expect better from like Marrow and Winter is a bit of the sunk cost fallacy. They've spent their lives fighting on behalf of Ironwood, it's really hard to take the life you've built and throw it away on a hope that not only are you right, but that being right is enough to win. We're seeing a lot of Generals in the US who are stepping down because they recognize that what's happening in the military is not right, but these are people who will never go without because they have retirement and no matter what mess is made, America is solid enough it's likely to survive. Imagine how hard it would be when you know that Ironwood is going too far, but you're not sure where the line is between too far, and awful, but necessary. I like to think I'd be the voice of reason in a room like that but we saw what happened to the councilman who spoke up.

Suplee215

Opps. For some reason thought that Neo's semblence began as objects that cant be interacted with. No yea they certainly do have mass to them, my bad.

spacebunnywitch

one of the grimm getting up out of the whale vomit was an Apathy, sad it was missed

Zora Brightwood

James really thought that Atlas was safe, but dummy was proven wrong.

James Pagel

Oh I'm not defending the stupidity I'm just saying they learned somewhat that the towers would need to be defended

TheRavenWanderer

He's probably just following the old saying "When in Rome, do as the Roman does." Bottomline is he's a huntsman, not a figure of any political influence that could've amended the law against faunus. Besides, it could be the only hotel in the area he's working in.

Jittercritter

This might be a pessimistic assumption but my honest guess for the huntsman that trained Cinder is that was in very similar shoes to the ones Cinder is in now with Emerald. It’s POSSIBLE she truly cares about Emerald, but ultimately her main focus is her own interests and how Emerald can serve them—she helped Emerald only enough to help herself. I’m assuming this guy left her in an abusive situation because she was entirely reliant on him, which means once she was old enough to technically be free she still wouldn’t be—she would inevitably be extremely lost, confused, angry, misguided, etc and would turn to him for everything. He would have someone on the inside in a Huntsman academy (probably of his choosing) to puppeteer as he saw fit—frankly it would not surprise me if it turns out he worked for Salem and Cinder ended up working for her because either someone else from that order investigated his death OR Cinder herself started investigating her mentor and found Salem herself. Considering how big cycles and repeating patterns are in this story, especially abusive one, this feels like the most likely explanation to me.

Jittercritter

I would like to point out that the shield is also almost definitely what kept Atlas’ artificial climate circulating around the city/floating continent, like a massive greenhouse. So in addition to the Grimm, it’s now getting increasingly colder and harder to breathe 👍

Chiefr51

Cinder would've absolutely snapped this episode. It shows the parallel of the torture and abuse Cinder experienced under both Salem and that Atlesian woman. I think that part where it flashes back to her enduring the electric shocks as she strangles the woman is supposed to show Cinder on the verge of actually snapping and becoming an enemy of Salem. But just like how Mosco said with Ozpin, Salem has thousands of years of experience manipulating people, she knows just how low she can bring someone down, when to stop, and to use it as a way to strengthen someone's loyalty to her. It's twisted, and really clever.

TheyWereMarried

I want Cinder and Emerald to join the good side and end up together

Symbolic Remnant

Rhodes’ job was so fucking simple: “Hello, Police? I discovered that the owner of the Glass Unicorn Hotel are engaging in at least one count each of slavery, child trafficking, and torture. You have 24 hours to send a police raid or I start serving my local community a bit more directly than you’d like.” But nooooo, the lobster bisque was too tasty and the affirming admiration of the other clientele was too satisfying.

John J Ronald

I agree with you about Rhodes....guy did the BARE MINIMUM to help Cinder. He knew she was being constantly abused but the most he would do is give her some combat training on the side, instead of, as you say, notifying the authorities, or buying out her contract, or just plain spiriting her away to another kingdom altogether. Him being Mr. Law in Order at the end is hogwash, look at the society you're upholding...they're racist, child abusing trash, or they at least tolerate it....Rhodes gifting Cinder that sword was a supreme lapse in judgement. She lives in essentially slave conditions, of course she was bound to revolt if given the means. Rhodes should've fled with Cinder and booked the hell out of Atlas and made their way to Vale. He could've plead asylum for Cinder to the Vale government for what she suffered in Atlas. I can imagine an AU where she even enrolled at Beacon and was Nora's bestie and Senpai because of their shared background of growing up in poverty in Mistral but with Atlas ties as well. Cinder might've always been kind of an arsehole, kind of like Bakugo of My Hero Academia, but I could see her with the good guys had things panned out differently. I don't think she was irredeemable even where the memory cuts out. I don't blame her for stabbing Rhodes....sure, he dropped his weapons and pushed them aside, but he's a big hulking man and she's a 15 year old girl, about Ruby's age from the Red Trailer....Cinder doesn't know his intentions, he's given no indication he won't arrest her which is basically a death sentence....he might even sexually assault her for all she knows. There's more to Cinder's fall and corruption by Salem than what we've been shown. Salem does show herself to be a MASTER manipulator in the Throne Room scene, however...using an expression of kindness and empathy to rekindle Cinder's loyalty to her. Something Cinder fails to do with her own minions, with predictable results. There were more moral failings and corruption we're not privy to that gave us the adult Cinder we now see and despise. It's okay to feel sympathy for the poor abused child Cinder and still deplore the adult she is now.

John J Ronald

Ironically, the shock collar is what trained Cinder how to activate her defensive aura. Also, personal head canon....but I believe that shock collar was a Dr. Watts invention and he's absurdly proud of it and it made him an obscene amount of money, to the disgust of his fellow Atlesian scientists and engineers including Pietro.

marnacles

I absolutely love the scene where Salem is confronting Cinder. It’s such master manipulation. Torturing her as punishment, reminding her of all the times she’s dealt with the same, all the fighting she’s had to do in her life, and right when she’s about to tip over the edge and turn on Salem, Salem apologizes, admits she was wrong and Cinder deserves more, that Salem is going to give her just that. In one move Salem reignites Cinder’s rage and drive, and reaffirms her loyalty.

Robert Morgan

Has she made the connection of the Ace Ops, to Aesop's Fables at this point? Just recently joined the patreon and I'm catching up.

Vince

My favorite meme is the one with the giant book that says ‘RWBY’ above it next to the tiny thin little book that says ‘RWBY if Rhodes wasn’t such a fucking cop’ *Show me the lie*