A Fall Theory On Neverland And Youth

A Fall Theory on Neverland and Youth

There is potential in the entertaining possibility of contrasting the brothers’ “dotage” and apparent age and appearances with the Lost Boys’ youth. We already know Rafal gets tired of the youth and life around him. We’ve already seen him feel at ease in an old body, and compare himself to the reclusive Rabid Bear Rex.

Rafal: These Id-driven freaks!

Rhian: [sigh] Be polite, Rafal. You were a child once.

Now, briefly onto a concept of Freudian childhood since I find it relevant. Not all children are cherubic. Some are Id-driven little freaks! Through no real fault of their own. They just haven’t been taught societies’ standards. It is parents and society that form a child’s Superego after all. The Id is the only structure we’re born with, and has no need to develop.

Next, it’s a common-enough refrain that children are cruel, merciless, and demanding. (If you’ve ever read the impactful short story “All Summer in a Day” by Ray Bradbury, that’s a good point of reference.) They exhibit unsociable behavior. There’s even such a thing called Peter Pan Syndrome. Thus, I would think everything is a game in Neverland, or so treated as a game by its inhabitants. If anything, I think Neverland politics are probably some ludicrous version of Never politics but burlesque and childish. It was said to be founded by Nevers. Probably, it’d be a wild mix of obvious egocentrism, greed, all about gain and profit (the pirate element to it), deception, living in the moment, probably involving some measure of hedonism, impulsivity, incivility, actual antisocial behavior, and zero trust among all parties. So basically, children exploit each other, and have no loyalties, except to themselves. Children are fundamentally unreliable. Driven entirely by instinct, consumed by it. The Pan is probably an amoral being.

And, Soman has such vivid characterization always. It must be in his nature to be edgy. It would be nice, nay, immensely satisfying, to see "child" characters that aren't paragons of purity and innocence but in fact, something of the opposite. This is a fascinating idea, partly derived and interpreted from the retelling of Peter Pan from Beasts and Beauty or something I heard about a particular view on children, being bloodthirsty, backstabbing, demanding retribution, being uncivilized and wild without any parental or societal influence to form their morals in a vast, isolated wilderness, in a world that isn’t ruled by the tyranny of adulthood. Although, this idea may actually belong to J. M. Barrie. Soman probably draws from it. I've never read the original Peter Pan, so I wouldn't know.

The ghost of Rhian, bleeding sarcasm: You don't say?

“I had a brother once.”

— Rafal

I love playing the brothers in a minor key, in the key of angst.

A Minor Fall Theory

This is all based on a series of Soman’s Instagram stories, pictured below.

First off, the excerpt from Beasts and Beauty specifies that the young mermaid (the Little Mermaid, in the original context) is besotted by a prince she knows nothing about.

I also remember Soman doing a Twitter poll a while back about whether a group of mermaids of various genders should be referred to as “mermaids” or “merpeople.” I suspect that Soman’s #secretproject is another non-SGE book, or potentially related to promoting the tv adaptation of Beasts and Beauty. This photography exudes the same atmosphere as the pre-launch Beasts and Beauty photoshoot. It is probably more likely that this secret project is not Fall-related. Yet, it could be.

For some reason, I have it in my mind that Rhian and Rafal will have numerous near-death encounters in Fall, and that one could be drowning, in pursuit of Hook’s ship and their students, or Neverland, likely. Or, to otherwise act as a callback to the scene in Rise where Rafal and Hook nearly drown. But knowing Soman (or rather, his writing, to be exact), he will probably turn all this on its head because he is a time-tested master at subverting readers’ expectations. (Though I don’t think the short story in Beasts and Beauty is directly related to Rise’s canon, it could be referenced, or a looser connection nonetheless.)

If the brothers do nearly drown and are indeed saved by a mermaid, probably a merman, given Soman’s costume, they could easily be mistaken for princes with their attractiveness and Everboy-like suits. Besides, Rhian “prefers the company of men,” and Rafal, among other characters, could outwardly be interpreted as a “psychopath,” even if he isn’t one.

From this previous Instagram post of Soman’s, I assume that the character described could be a minor character. Rhian and Hook are too egotistical to be self-conscious in this way, I think. I guessed Ferret-boy, from the Pirate Captain’s school in Blackpool or a young King Midas potentially. It could also be a merman.

I think the mermaids, fairies, and Nymphs in SGE have formerly been a bit more creature-like than entirely human, so I wonder which angle Soman will choose to portray mermaids from in Fall, if there are any. Likely, his mermaids will have a darker J. M. Barrie bent to them as SGE tends toward. The way modern audiences think of mermaids is a stark contrast to Neverland mermaids, which, I believe are a more… belligerent and vicious sort.

Also, oddly, the patch of glittery blue on Soman’s chest reminds me of when Hook breathed a piece of Rafal’s soul.

I feel like "Shut up, Rhian," said in a flat, tired voice is the most on-brand, Rafal-like thing Rafal could possibly say, given how his predominant emotion in Rise is likely being irritated by Rhian's misplaced trust toward the wrong, strange men and distrust toward his own brother (the irony!). Not to mention the paranoia and sheer anxiety Rafal feels. If only he had told Rhian about the prophecy.

It's funny, as in both laughable and suspicious, that you can't call any of the main trio of heroes well-adjusted or emotionally stable. Agatha comes close, I suppose. (After her self-worth arc.) But the other two (Sophie and Tedros) are train-wrecks, and all three are control-freaks. Plus, you can't really call any of them complete or ideal heroes either, except possibly for Agatha.

And, well, ok, I admit it: Tedros is an archetypal hero. He's supposed to be a hero, to represent the image of an ideal hero. But does he live up to it? No, he’s a bit of a bungler.