I feel like maybe I have to accept the John I loved really is never coming back. I didn’t mind his dialogue being so repetitive during the Joker/King arcs because I know he was so trapped in his mind. While I always liked John during those arcs, it was because this new self took the character traits I’d loved in John as he was first established - sly, strategic, smart people management - and expanded on them in a toxic direction.
The current John stands in such contrast to that John, and not in a flattering way. Just like back then, he swears and incessantly launches excessive attacks. It was in such stark contrast to Seraphina in today’s ep… She had an actual conversation with Candice, she gets to be challenged intellectually with Spectre’s ideals. John? He has no ideals, no strategic approach, he just attacked. “Someone who kills, even his own allies, without batting an eye.” It’s a funny accusation for John to make. Since the end of s2pt1, he’s self-proclaimed to no longer be running on ideals. Everything he’s done since then is just in defense of Sera, in revenge for Jane and William… I feel so disconnected from who this character is.
I thought the story was going to address this vengefully violent John since in the back half of s2, it acknowledged that John had gotten more reckless as a fighter due to his suicidal ideation. I get that there hasn’t been a lot of actual story space passing since the end of s2. But I’m scared, because the story is not engaging with the question of whether John has killed. He’s in a situation where this violent behavior is encouraged, because he and his friends need to do it to survive, but at the same time, how is he ever going to reintegrate into society afterwards if he doesn’t learn self-control? He’s become the exact kind of brash character s1 John would’ve taunted into losing despite his strategy.
I guess I just misinterpreted the character. I’ll keep reading because I love all the rest but honestly, the John he’s become is not part of my top 3 anymore. I would’ve loved to see a conversation where he could throw in Liam’s face that Spectre had stolen the products of the ability his mother was experimented on for from him, or where he could accuse Liam for hurting innocents instead of trying to reach out to him like he and the rest of the Wellston kids did. My favorite thing about unOrdinary was how it prioritizes the idea over the fight.