bixbiboom:

Matthew.

bishakaste:

can someone please stop her

yfere:

I’m sure everyone’s exhausted this topic already, but part of what fascinates me with the difference in Fjord and Caleb’s leadership styles is how Caleb, beneath everything, never really hesitates or questions his decisions, not until after the act is done. He is Caleb of the executive decisions, Caleb of the calculated risks, and he needs to be occasionally browbeat into like, checking in with the rest of the group before doing The Thing He Knows Is Right. This guy said he was confident when he was younger, but in a way he remains a very confident person.

Fjord, on the other hand, often seems incapable of taking a step unless it’s approved by the majority. He hedges his bets constantly, and often waffles in his decisions. In an uncertain situation (think Fluffernutter) he relies not just on his authority, but asks for a vote. With Captain Avantika, he asks for everyone’s input constantly, he follows the group-approved plan even when he’s uncomfortable with it. In the temple with Uk’atoa’s seal he allows himself to be delayed so that he can listen to Caleb’s advice. Were their roles reversed, I have no doubt Caleb would have brushed straight past and dived into the well, Fjord’s advice be damned. 

There’s no doubt a lot of their history that plays into that–Caleb was raised with strict hierarchies, with tyrannical and dictatorial people in charge of him. Fjord was a sailor, working on ships that are by nature reliant on community cohesion–everyone has a role to play, and everyone must work together and be heard or everyone dies. This is also, funnily enough, why it’s pretty ideal to have Fjord lead the Mighty Nein with Caleb as a second in command. Fjord’s leadership will prioritize the needs and feelings of the group, will build group cohesion. Caleb is a more controversial figure, and would introduce a great deal of friction and factionalism in normal situations. But in a crisis, the kind of martial law leadership that Caleb is best suited for is a good thing, a necessary thing to have on your side.

Needless to say, I’m also interested in the possibilities–some of them already playing out–of these two rubbing off on each other. Fjord being pushed to take risks, to act only on his own initiative, Caleb having room to soften up, to become an emotional touchstone for the others. I just have a lot of feelings for these two making it work.

kanafinwhy:

I’m still stuck on the fact that Travis Willingham has two separate backwards caps this week that he swapped out in the middle of the episode (in a moment of Stress™??)

WHO DOES THAT