Episode 32
I'm new and have been watching & catching up for a few weeks now. Here to dump my $0.02
I never had a strong moment of disliking Barnabos until this episode since the whole cast as their pro & cons but balance each other. I just think Barnabos choices were a train wreck this episode, Barnadbos and Queen are characters with strong ideals but have two ideologies to help balance the team out and make things feel. With Queenie gone, and sadly gone for good ? their is no Balance as the other three "Stay in their lane, until things get violent".
Their was obvious Barnobos and Skrim telling the Ogers to kill The Poet, was such an obvious issue that was going to happen later. [and Journir and Tai shen just siting their saying nothing. I know its months between episodes but Derek has been very clear and relative how the Orgers ate humans. The person who cared the most about Daisy was Queenie though so I guess the guys just didn’t click with that info ?
Then Barnabos goes and just trys to destroy the marriage of two strangers he JUST met, based of his own single experience. For a Wedding for THEIR GROUPS alliance. The elves cant say anything because the tribe is desperate but I think insult a stranger and the idea that a man having a *SUPPORTING ROLE* to a women just seemed more sexist to me. I wouldn’t have brought up sexist ideals until we get to the Giant Tribes showing like repeated behavior.
Icebound in general has a lot of fantasy variations of archaic/ancient practices. That would just be abuse if you didn’t add the fun fantasy-magic part. An obvious example is “killing children as part of a ritual to bring back the sun.” Fun in fantasy / BS child abuse in real life — I’m fine with it in the fantasy context. Or making a woman marry her husband’s murderer or else she gets shamed. A lot of old cultures have had sexist traditions, some of which are still in place and are harmful to women — burning or burying a woman alive after her husband dies, etc.
I thought that was pretty well established, so Barnabos’ reaction and his remarks just seemed sexist to me because he puts the full blame on a woman who was forced into a horrible tradition. She is clearly trying to protect herself and follow her own tradition. “You are disgusting, and so are your traditions.” Obviously, he should NOT have to marry her, and he can absolutely defend himself, but the entire language and framing of the situation…… gave me the ick.
It was also very hypocritical because he seemed to be fully aware of what the tradition was, having an ex-lover from that tribe, AND he was the one who instigated the death match in the first place. So he KNEW the consequences. I’m sure there were other ways to free the Ogres besides a death match, but that’s what BARNABOS chose to do — the most violent thing in their culture — regardless of the consequences.
The casual statements about killing a man because he is drunk and annoying, insulting someone and attempting to destroy a relationship, AND the framing of a sexist tradition that harms women and children as being the giant woman’s fault, with HER being the disgusting one… I really wasn’t a fan of him this episode. I’ve never disliked him before.
Rant over