Hey there Leo, if it’s okay with you, I wanted to ask about your thoughts on that bedroom scene. I don’t know why it just doesn’t sit well with me- it’s just that to me keith seems too reserved and… sad… not relieved or open until the very end when the “as many times as it takes line happens”. Maybe it’s just me because I guess I expected a more im-so-relieved-youre-alive-hug scenario? something just felt off about that entire exchange and I can’t point my finger at what.

dent-de-leon:

I think a good way to read shiro’s bedroom scene is to compare it with Lance’s scene in Keith’s room. Because the fact that we get one almost right after the other is definitely intentional, and on some subconscious level, I think you’re meant to compare the two. It’s even a case of two former paladins talking with their lion’s successor. And while Lance’s talk with Keith is kinda touching and it’s really nice to see the two of them opening up more, I still think it has a distinctly different vibe from Kuron and Keith’s. 

For one thing, we start off outside in the hall. This is different from Lance’s scene, where we begin in Keith’s room and see the new red paladin just walk in. In the case of the latter, we feel like we belong there. However, with the former, we feel more like an outsider looking in. We hear just snippets of their talk at first, like we’re listening in on a private conversation, a fact that accentuates just how intimate and personal this scene is. It’s like the viewer is uninvited and these words are just meant for Keith and “Shiro.”

When we finally do see someone, it’s this extreme closeup of Kuron. This really highlights how downcast and drained he looks, how his hair is all long and matted and unkempt, how exhausted and defeated he is. There’s no closeup like this with Keith and Lance’s scene, a fact that really makes this shot stand out. It’s a sign that Keith and Kuron are more intimately familiar with one another. 

Another thing–in the later scene, when Lance walks in, he has to kind of give a reason why. Keith even points out it’s a surprise to see him stop by–“Must really be bothering you if you’re coming to talk to me.” This is not something that happens usually. And yet, Keith’s talk with Kuron bypasses this part completely. There’s no equivalent to Lance awkwardly knocking and trying to start up a conversation with Keith, because these two are already on a level where having quiet talks with one another is the norm. Because honestly, seeing Keith in “Shiro’s” room during his recovery is just something you’d expect. It’s not something surprisingly uncharacteristic or a shift in dynamic, so there really doesn’t need to be any explicit reason for it. 

Now, I’m certain that Keith’s place in the first scene is equal to Lance’s in the second. And likewise, Kuron’s role in the conversation is taken by Keith later on. So, let’s compare them. Keith removes his jacket before Lance stops by, and that doesn’t seem like much. But visually, we can see he’s kind of being more casual and open. He’s also wearing black instead of red, which equates to Lance seeing him as the leader–and by extension, the black paladin. But, that being said, everyone’s seen Keith without his jacket before. In contrast, Kuron is dressed down in an undershirt that makes him seem a lot more bare and vulnerable, because no one else has seen him when he wasn’t completely put together. 

Similarly, Kuron still looks disheveled and haggard. He doesn’t feel the need to cut his hair or shave in front of Keith, has no reason to keep up appearances the way he does with the other paladins. Around each other, they can just be themselves. This is emphasized by the fact that Kuron is still lying in bed, and remains painfully honest with Keith about his condition. He says, “I’ll try,” instead of some comforting lie like, “I’ll be fine.” He’s in a position of weakness, And Keith is noticeably standing above him. This makes Kuron look especially down and defeated, and added to that that Keith is put in the role of his caretaker, his protector–clearly, the lines between successor and mentor are very blurred. 

Typically, Keith’s position could be seen as having power over someone, as being some kind of aggressor. And yet, he’s taken on the role of Kuron’s guardian, his knight in shining armor. We can glean from Keith mentioning that the others would love to see him that so far they have not, that only Keith has been allowed in Shiro’s bedroom during this delicate time. That he’s the one who not only rescued him but is taking care of him, is staying at his bedside. There’s an intimacy here that’s quite rare. Kuron has really had it rough, but he still doesn’t hold himself back in front of Keith, doesn’t try to maintain a facade. He can allow himself to be exposed and fragile and he knows Keith would never take that trust and shatter it. 

Now, let’s compare that to Lance’s scene. Right away, a different dynamic is established. They’re both standing on equal ground, but still noticeably closed off and distant at first. There’s an uncomfortableness, an unfamiliarity to their interactions that you don’t get in the previous scene. Kuron lying down in bed with Keith standing over him undoubtably puts him in a more vulnerable position. But he’s okay with that because this is Keith, and Kuron trusts him to see this side of him. In comparison to that, Lance and Keith both seem very guarded around each other. Their walls aren’t down the way Kuron and Keith’s are. 

The tone is also very different. Keith and Lance, while discussing Lance’s insecurities, manage to still inject humor into the scene. For instance, the little thing Lance does where he adds his right index finger and then instead of taking away that finger he just fucking??? removes the pinky from his left hand?? And lmao it just like looks so out of place and silly and it’s really endearing and cute and I love it?? Like, little visual cues like that help to put the viewer more at ease. Lance’s expression is also gold. They’re covering a meaningful topic here, but they do it in a way where it doesn’t feel too heavy. 

Now, real quick let’s talk lighting. Kuron’s room is darkly lit, and everything is bathed in this abysmal, dark green hue. It doesn’t feel normal or comforting, it’s like…nervous anticipation. Like something here is very wrong and both Keith and Kuron are just waiting for the other shoe to drop. But again, this is a quiet, completely serious, bleeding open heart to heart in a dark lit bedroom. That feels way more revealing and intimate than two friends talking in a brightly lit, more casual atmosphere. There’s no sense of intensity, heartbreakingly overwhelming emotion, or overhanging danger with Keith and Lance. It’s two friends just having an honest talk and trying to help each other out. 

Also, the point of Lance’s talk is very different from Keith’s. Lance goes to Keith to talk about himself, to express his inferiority and do what he thinks is best for the team. So yes, he does this because he cares about the team. But this doesn’t manifest as “Hey, I know things have been rough lately, and we just got Shiro back and he seems really hurt–are you guys doing okay?” it’s “So, maybe the best thing I can do for the team is step aside.” Lance is a good kid and his heart’s in the right place, but at the same time, I think he kind of assumes everything is his fault somehow. So he’s being very understanding and trying to do something selfless, but really, this is more so about his own problem than Keith’s. 

Now, compare that to Keith, who’s asking Kuron how he’s doing, how he’s feeling, what the hell happened? Lance talks to Keith because he’s worried about the rest of the team, and is so wrapped up in his own insecurities he tries to take the blame for everything and reflects it all back on him. Keith in contrast, never makes the conversation about himself, and focuses completely on Shiro’s wants and needs, on trying to reassure him–something that Keith also does for Lance instead of the other way around. Now, this doesn’t make either Lance or Keith better or more caring than the other. It just means that the focuses of these two talks are very different with very diverging outcomes. Likewise, you can tell that Kuron and Keith are a lot closer by their conversation. It’s easy for the two to open up and reach out to one another. Keith’s heart also goes out to “Shiro” in a way that you just don’t really get from his interactions with Lance. 

Now, let’s talk about the end of both scenes. Because even then, there’s another parallel. Right when Keith is about to leave, we know Kuron calls him back. Similarly, Keith does the same with Lance. And then? Both Kuron and Keith make a kind of joke that’s meant to put the other person at ease. In the case of Keith, this is especially interesting, because Kuron’s just done this for him. So, when he sees things might end on a bad note, what does he do? Take a page out of Kuron’s book and try to cheer Lance up with a little joke. Now, that being said–while we know it makes Lance smile, there’s nothing that really grabs you about “Leave the math to Pidge,” in the way that “How many times are you gonna save me before this is over?” does. Again, Kuron’s talk with Keith is heavy. Even the humor is somewhat dark and foreboding. 

Of course, it’s also very deep and heartfelt. Kuron might not be Shiro, but he has a lot of Shiro’s memories. He remembers Keith always being there for him, remembers Keith rushing in to save him, remembers the overwhelming relief when Keith promises that he’ll be alright, that everything will be okay–that he’ll make it, that nothing’s going to happen to him. It’s incredibly sweet and heart-wrenching. And again, rather than feeling like something you’d hear about someone’s bro, this brings to mind a fairytale romance. Shiro teasing Keith about being his brave knight and always running in to save him. And Keith’s promise that he’ll rescue Shiro “as many times as it takes,” while looking back at Shiro with a smile so warm and fond and completely confident in their happy ending? Yeah, there’s just an aching tenderness to this scene that you don’t usually see. And it certainly feels more in line with something you’d expect from Shiro’s love interest. Regardless of intent, this scene really does read as romantic. 

There’s also the fact that, when Keith makes his promise to Kuron, he’s stepping out of the darkness and into the light. Kuron might be left behind there in the “dark,” but Keith is still shown as the person that can bring him back out into the “light.”