birdiethebibliophile:

For all the retconning that had to happen for TAZ to be a cohesive story, the fact that John (and the Hunger) didn’t appear as actual villains until The Stolen Century continually astounds me, because his influence and the fight against him is felt in every breath of TAZ.

I see his despairing influence in Isaak’s labored confession of Jack’s murder. I see it in Lucas’s desperation to save his mother, no matter the cost. I see it in Hurley begging Sloane to remember she’s not a killer. I see it in the glassy, mirrored surface of the remains of Phandolin.

On the other hand, I see the bulwark against the nihilism John represents as well. I see it in every “horseshit!” one of the boys yells when they’re confronted with what seems like a hopeless situation. I see it in the words of comfort they hand out – telling Roswell they made Refuge safe, letting Lucretia know she has faith in herself, promising Sloane they won’t let this happen again. It’s shown in the smaller moments, too; every time they lift each other up or laugh at a joke or work together. Their support of Noelle, Magnus making a ring for Carey to give to Killian, Taako teaching Angus magic, Merle deciding to go back to his family.

The power of how TAZ works as a story lies in the fact that the premise is about life and hope, and every word spoken that adds to that, every act that denies despair and suggests that all is not lost, every smile, every spell cast with the intention to help, every bond created, works against the villain before we even know his name.

We don’t see John and the Hunger themselves until almost the end of the story, but it doesn’t matter. We know our heroes have been fighting him every step of the way, whether we (and they) knew it or not.

We already know how the story ends, because how could it end any other way than with hope, after everything we’ve seen?

How could it end with anything other than the complete dismantling of destructive despair, the affirmation of joy, the promise of future days of happiness?

How could it not end with the triumph of love?