Viren season 6: this could have been an email

If Viren was going to use Dark magic almost immediately after saying he wasn’t going to use dark magic anymore, what was the point of having him say this if it wasn’t going to mean anything.

And No him using it for Soren is not Viren realizing that Dark Magic can be used for a good reason. Because then you admit that Viren has never done anything good when he used dark Magic

On top of that, the relationship between Viren and Soren is badly written. Point blank. I don’t understand why people put much thought into it, when the writers themselves have put zero thought or care into this relationship. And this season highlights just how much of an afterthought it actually is in the series.

Viren being alive in season 6 was a giant waste of time. He did absolutely nothing and nothing was gained or done. There was legitimately no point. If he died in season 5 Claudia still continues to spiral, Sorens character stays exactly the same, and Viren character dies with a semblance of good writing. Just a little bit, because they fumbled his character hard.

You can erase viren from season 6 and the only thing you have to change is to give the series actual stakes by killing people in the Kingdom. Not even the kingdom, the castle. Why is it that this series has no stakes. Like Viren dying means absolutely nothing because he was killed off like 3 times already and he's not even a major factor in the plot.

But coming back in season 6 wasn’t needed. People harp on and on about redemption, but how is this a good redemption? Because he died being a servant? Because he apologized to the son that meant nothing to his character but to show that he’s evil? That’s not a good redemption, because it wasn’t earned. None of it was developed or earned. And no, having one random epiphany isn’t good enough, and isn’t good writing for a redemption. Especially with the way Virens been written.

Redemption for Virens character, can only be done through Claudia. And it can only be done through Claudia, because Claudia is the biggest part of Virens entire character. His relationship with Claudia, is the most important aspect to his character. Not Soren and not Katolis. Him leaving Claudia, ruins any type of redemption he could have, because it shows just how terrible of a person he is by leaving her behind and vulnerable. He can’t have redemption by leaving her behind with zero remorse. He can’t have redemption just because he apologized to soren, because he still left one child behind to suffer with no remorse or care. Saving Katolis isn’t redemption, because he refused to do anything to save his daughter.

(I take that first part back, redemption can't only be done through Claudia, it has to start through Claudia. Virens redemption only works, once he starts through Claudia.)

There is no good redemption for Viren, because the writers failed his writing with how they made him leave Claudia behind to suffer with no remorse.

And what’s worse, is that in Viren dying by uttering the words he’s a servant, the series is literally telling us that nothing Viren has done was for the kingdom and that when he dies he finally gets it. The series is literally telling you , that Virens character was never complex. He was always a black and white character. He was strictly evil. All those things they brought up that can make him compelling, well he didn’t do it for the good of others or the kingdom. He did it because he wanted power and status. That’s it. Because now that he’s dying for the kingdom, he’s doing it for a good reason. Because the only way dark magic can be good, is if you kill yourself.

We really didn’t need him in season 6. He could have left a bunch of letters for Soren and Claudia and gave it to Terry or hidden them somewhere in season 5. Locked them in a chest and gave Terry some instructions. That makes more sense than whatever was done in season 6. You can get the same exact results if you made him hide letters around. It ain’t like Sorens character changed or developed since Viren died. It ain’t like Claudia is dealing with his death all that well still.

And when I think about it even more, legit Viren didn’t even think about Soren when he came back at the start of season 6, nor was it his reasoning for going to back to Katolis . Do not try to claim that Soren was also included in his trip to Katolis to make up for what he did, because that’s a headcanon not supported in the show.

This show isn’t subtle about anything. The way Viren left Claudia, which is a whole ass problem in itself, wasn’t subtle. It was heavy on the nose. So why would it randomly be subtle that Viren totally also wanted to go back for Soren when the series has done asolutely nothing for us to think Viren cares.

He doesn’t say, “I led my daughter down a dangerous path and left my son behind and hurt him.” He doesn’t say, “Claudia, i failed you and your brother, I don’t know how to help you, but I have to go to him.” If the series did this, him leaving Claudia behind makes more sense. Because he’s leaving one child to go to another. If the series did this, then the whole thing with Soren has an inkling of buildup. Not a lot, but it's more than what was actually done.

The series does nothing at all to indicate that Viren wanted to apolgize to Soren or right his wrongs concerning soren. Especially When he’s never cared anything about Soren before. No that scene in volume 5 does not tell us that Viren does indeed totally care about Soren now all of a sudden. Especially when we know that Viren never asked to see Soren at all in season 6.

Soren went to Viren in season 6. Viren did not ask for Soren. Ezran did not tell Soren that Viren has been asking about him. So no, Viren did not think of Soren when it came to his atonement in Katolis. Soren had nothing to do with him coming to terms with his evil actions. Viren very clearly had no intentions of ever seeing Soren again. If Soren never came to him, nothing would have happened.

Now let me organize my thoughts better, and try to write it in a way that makes sense when it pertains to both Soren and Viren.

Let me start with Sorens Character first.

Soren hates his father. Point blank. It’s fine if he does. But if he hates Viren, then why should I care about them seeing each other? The series doesn’t give Soren any nuanced thoughts on Viren. It’s not like Soren cares about his family after season 3. So how does seeing Viren benefit Soren in any way?

Why do I want Soren to have anything to do with his abuser? What does seeing Viren meant to accomplish and do for his character? What narrative purpose does this have? What character purpose does this have?

When he thinks he kills Viren in season 3, all he says is that he had too. That’s it. That’s all you get from that. He drops to his knees. And people want me to think this meant anything?

And then after season 3 Soren never cared about his death. In fact he straight up calls Viren evil. This sentiment never changes. That’s why I’m confused as to why anyone thought he was going to bring up Viren after season 7, or that his thought or feelings would be any different than what they’ve always been. Especially when his thoughts on Viren never changed throughout the entirety of season 6. In fact, we don’t even explore Sorens thoughts or feelings. He’s angry. We know he’s angry. We know he thinks Viren is evil. so why would he have any positive thoughts or feelings? Why would he bring it up when he never brought it up before? Why would I think that Soren would have any changing of feelings, when the story has never focused on that at all throughout the entirety of the series.

And then, When he speaks to Claudia in season 5(?), not once does he ask her how she’s feelings about Virens death. Not once do they talk about it. Not once do we see him have any feelings about it. At this point, Soren is glad his father is dead. He’s glad his evil abuser isn’t around to abuse him and be evil.

When Soren sees Viren alive, all he does is scream in terror. And because this is never followed up on at all, then I can say he’s screaming because his abuser is back to abuse him again.

At this point, Soren and Viren meeting doesn’t have any build up on Sorens side. Soren doesn’t care about it. Soren has no positive things to think about or say to Viren. Soren hates Viren so much that the first thing he says concerning Viren to Claudia is that she doesn’t have to do what he wants anymore.

The series has made it clear, that Soren hates Viren and that there’s nothing there to the relationship on Sorens side. There’s no nuance. No complexity. No nothing. So why would anyone want Soren to see his abuser? Why would anyone want soren to meet up with his abuser? Why should I want them to meet? Why should I care.

So I ask again, how does this benefit Soren’s character? How does Soren’s character develop from this? What closure does Soren have when he was fine the entire time before season 6? What does Soren gain?

The only benefit to Soren’s character that is gained from Viren, is being fake deep. And all that is to tell us how much of an evil terrible person Viren is.

And then, Soren randomly changing his mind about dark magic, makes no sense. No this wasn’t Soren realizing that Dark magic can be used for good. Because he never once comes to this conclusion or thinks this way, even when dark magic saves his life. Soren doesn’t have a positive thought on dark magic, and we know he doesn’t because his talk with Claudia. And there’s no reason for him to think Viren or dark magic is a good thing, when he thinks it brings nothing but trouble and problems and hurts people.

There is literally no development or thought out put that scene at all. Because it just makes Soren seem like a hypocrite. Which, honestly makes sense when it comes to the heroes. Hell the series is painting Viren as the worst character in the entire show. Even worse than the dragons. And he’s treated that way too.

And when it comes to Viren, that last scene goes to show just how little Soren actually cares about Viren. That last scene just shows us how Soren does not care about Virens life or his well being. Because Soren didn’t go to viren to try to evacuate him. He didn’t go to viren to make sure he was alright. He only went to Viren to ask him to use dark magic, and that’s it. No amount of care or anything.

and why should Soren care about Viren or his well-being. Viren was his abuser. But you can’t pretend Soren is a good character who can befriend the dragon that crippled him, and then show how little he regards Virens life.

Now let’s go to Viren

Outside of telling the audience that Viren is a terrible person, what relevance does Soren have to Viren as a character?

Seasons 1-3 tells us that Viren hates Soren and would 100% be okay with him dying and would prefer him dying if it meant power.

Then season 4 tells us that Viren doesn’t care about Soren at all as he never mentions him, and even says that he would rather spend his last days with Claudia.

Season 5 forced a vision at the last minute of an entire season where Viren once again does not think about, does not care about, and does not mention Soren. They force a vision that tells us that the relationship between Soren and Viren wasn’t always bad. But this comes out of nowhere and makes no sense because again, there’s been zero implication, build up, or development of that relationship. In fact, it makes Virens writing even worse

And then despite that forced season 5 interaction, Viren still does not mention Soren at all nor does he ask for Soren in season 6.

I said it once with Soren and I’ll say it again. How does talking to Soren benefit Virens character when we know that Soren means absolutely nothing to Viren? Why do I want to see Viren speak to Soren, when the series never developed a relationship between them for me to want to see it? How does speaking to Soren enhance Virens character in any way, when there’s nothing between them that makes Viren’s character anything but a monster?

Here’s the thing, I said the epiphany in season 5 makes Virens writing worse, but it’s actually season 6 that makes Virens character worse. And it makes it worse, simply because of Viren not caring about Sorens life and how he valued his wife over Soren as his son, except he did and then he didn’t.

Let me explain.

You cannot have Viren save Soren’s life despite the fact that his wife did not want him too, and then have Viren not care about said life and even remark that he would oprefer Power over Soren’s life, solely because his wife left him.

A lot of people will claim that it shows Virens downfall. Except it doesn’t, because after Lissa left the abuse started immediately. After she left Viren stopped caring about Soren’s life.

What it says, is that Viren valued Soren’s life, until his wife left him and then he didn’t. But why did he value Soren’s life over his wife’s happiness, if his wife’s happiness meant more to him than Soren’s life. Do you see where I’m going with this. Do you see how this doesn’t work unless you go all in on it and don’t just randomly throw that in with zero thought about how it looks.

These things do not work unless you go all the way in on Viren hating Soren. I mean you have to legitimately get to beyond fire lord levels. You have to go to the extreme and have Viren hate and despise Soren for this to work. Because if you don’t, it does not work. And we do not see this. The most you get is him telling Claudia that Soren’s life means nothing to him. But you cannot have any interactions with them, that’s isn’t Viren absolutely hating Soren and showing us how much he absolutely hates soren.

And you can’t undo that with a random flashback.

This is why that whole redemption and scene do not work. Because the series did not put in any work to have Viren actually Acknowledge what he did to soren, and the series doesn’t not give viren an actual scene to show us that he decided he wants to Apologize and make amends. He just does it, and then nothing comes from it at all.

Now, let me talk about that whole death scene and the attack on the castle. Because this scene was so bad and fake deep. I talked about it a bit, but it was so bad.

The line, i’m a servant makes no sense. these were worlds that Harrow said to Viren in the first season when Viren was trying to save a harrows life. The context of this scene is that Harrow blames Viren and him using dark magic for everything wrong that happened and why he is being assassinated.

So why is Viren mirroring the words that Harrow used, and we’re meant to link those worlds back to Harrow, after using dark magic, when Harrow did not like dark magic and blamed him and it for all the problems that faced him and humanity? How is that meant to mirror that, when it goes against the entire scene it’s meant to reference??? It’s not a scene to say, Dark magic can be used for good and Viren is using it for good because he’s a servant to the kingdom. Because it would have to imply that Harrow is wrong, when the series has never presented Harrow as in the wrong and the scene itself doesn’t prove Harrow wrong.

And no the scene does not prove Harrow wrong about dark Magic, unless you admit that every single time Viren used dark magic before this point, wasn’t for the kingdom. This means that finding a spell to feed thousands of people, wasn’t for the kingdom.

I seen someone claim that the words was meant to reference his family. But that doesn’t work or make any sense, because 1. That implies that saving Sorens life wasn’t for a good reason and 2. He literally abandoned Claudia with no care or remorse. How is he a servant to his family when he actively abandoned his daughter and didn’t care about how she’s doing???

That scene does not work, because it implies that nothing Viren has done, was for the kingdom or for the good of anyone. It implies that up until that point, he’s only did things for himself. That he’s finally dying as a servant, when he never was one before. He was never a servant to the kingdom, because he didn’t kill himself using dark magic.

In the end, Viren did not need to be in season 6 because it served no purpose. It didn’t add to Sorens character. It made Viren’s character even worse. And there was no development or build up for any of it to even happen.

Viren only came back in season 6 because there was fans saying that Viren and Soren needed to meet each other again. Nothing more nothing less. And you can’t tell because they legitimately did not build the relationship between Viren and Soren and never built up them meeting and what their characters would gain from it.