*stars* so much went down during all in that it could be its own show?? like so much is getting cut and fused for time and the way I've had to tie motifs together so that it's anywhere approaching coherent thematically makes me feel like I'm about to lose it. like. *this is some of the most immaculate motif work I've ever done for a show and it's going towards the amphibia musical that I'm never even going to see put to music. tragic.* but it also takes so long that it's going to take *ages* for it to be ready, because most of the episode got jammed into one *crazy long* song??
well, actually it sorta got all fused together with beginning of the end into this one crazy number that captures the whole start of the invasion in this *bonkers* villain song that pulls double duty as a recall of where everyone's development started. it calls specifically back to the way their motifs and characters were used in reunion and true colors while calling forward to the hardest thing. it's really neat and fun because amphibia specifically wrote all its finales to parallel each other, and a lot of the way I write for shows is foreshadowing, motifs, and parallels?? it makes things fun.
because, like. okay so not everyone does things this way, but the way I write for theater is all based around the evolution of characters as demonstrated through motifs. a motif represents *something* in theater –– a person, an idea, an emotion, it doesn't matter. it always represents *something*. and the best way (in my unprofessional opinion) to show an evolution is to show the evolution of a motif. the example I'll use here is Sasha, because she's the simplest I've written into *this* show.
Sasha starts out thematically represented by the guiding star/Polaris, because she's constantly trying to be in control. she doesn't recognize this as a negative thing, so this motif starts off as something positive. it starts out as *good*, even –– she's guiding the way. she's leading. the motif symbolizes her leadership qualities, the way she is a fixed point in space. she doesn't move, she doesn't budge, and she's always there to light the way. but then things go on, and it becomes clearer and clearer that her leadership is because she has a need for control. Polaris does not move as the world spins on its axis, and it is the point around which the whole sky moves. she asks too much from people, pushes forward, even when everyone else is ready to move or change course.
and then reunion happens. and there's a *lot* of motifs that get used heavily there –– Sasha comes into contact with Anne, who by now has had her own lil' baby motif arc. and they start using each other's motifs in their confrontation, and Anne throws in the barest hint of Mizar & Alcor –– twin stars, two faces, orbiting one another. she uses it when standing up to Sasha, in brief passing. and then they're moving past it.
season two we see Sasha moving away from Polaris –– she's got no army to help lead, to start. she's instead faced with what Anne left her with (Mizar & Alcor) and the total rejection of that idea of having to choose who she's gonna be. but it starts to creep in thematically, and it's still in line with all her previous motifs and symbolism (she's got a lot of stars. like. A Lot tehe). but then she gets through barrel's warhammer and doubles down on Polaris –- which ties in with her whole Percy and Braddock situation. the third temple shows a dramatic shift in the way she handles motifs. she uses an extensive amount of Mizar & Alcor to sort of show "hey look I'm choosing to be better" and it shows the best qualities she offers. her unwavering determination when she makes a choice about who she's going to be and what she's going to do, her strength, that sort of thing. but Polaris creeps in again at the end, as it does through the rest of the season until we get to True Colors.
True Colors is the last time we see Polaris in full force, but it's also more of Marcy motif central, so. it also shows how the motifs for each girl goes together?? but then Mizar & Alcor come in full force for season 3's appearances, as she chooses who she wants to be and keeps on choosing a path forward. I could go on and on and on but this is getting long and probably boring.
*and this is the most simple motif evolution I've written for this stars forsaken show*
this is sort of the last moment of pure Sasha™ we get in this show. I mean she'll get a moment or two, but it'll be in the midst of group songs?? and it *directly* follows the core calling back to season one Sasha's motifs and themes. it's not *great*, but it's the only thing I have approaching done for all in. everything else has been condemned to the land of anne(drias) motifs (which I'm still sorting through and cleaning, because they now share several) and/or villain song hell
