Lego Monkie Kid Season 2 - Tumblr Posts

I made another video!!!!

Posted on Youtube originally but also i made a cool captioned version on tiktok I’m proud of :)

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRv4K9ee/

Lego Monkie Kid Rewatch: Season 2

Episode 8 and 9

I forgot how much I liked the Spider Demons, especially Huntsmen. That guy I think got the closest to redemption.

Like... look back at episode 8. Huntsmen calls Sandy an errand boy like its a bad thing, like its a demeaning role for worthless side characters. Sandy's response is just so wholesome, he sees errand boy as valued and important. Sandy is doing this for a friend who needs his help and who appreciates his work. Errand boy for Sandy isn't degrading, its an opportunity to help.

But for Huntsmen?... Well just look at how he reacted when Sandy asked why he was an errand boy. Sandy hit his insecurities right on the head.

The Huntsmen does not feel valued, he feels used. He does not feel important, he feels worthless.

Back in the lair how does his Queen treat him? She orders him around and threatening him if he steps a single toe out of line or tries to voice an opinion. And how does he get treated after getting the Lady Bone Demon what she wants? He gets demeaned, calling him a pawn, and then coldly dismissing.

It is in this moment we see hope for the Huntsmen. He pauses, thinks about Sandy, thinks about the offer of friendship and the opportunity to be part of a group that cares for each other.

And then look at his expression. The yearning.

He is taking Sandy's words to heart. Given more time I really believe we could have had a redemption arc for him.

I'm heart broken he's more than likely dead. Lady Bone Demon really is the most terrifying and devastating villain the show has ever created.

Lego Monkie Kid Rewatch: Season 2

Episode 10

Reasons why I believe Sandy is the original Sha Wujing and not a reincarnation.

So, Monkey King pops back in to rescue MK from LBD right at the last second, right? He's visibly dinged up and seems to be in pain despite not being a part of the fight between MK and LBD. Pigsy, as a frustrated parent whose watched his kid stress overwork himself for weeks trying to be enough for an absent Monkey King only to then get beat up by some crazy overpowered ghost lady, starts laying into Monkey King.

And then Sandy shouts. Like really shouts at Pigsy to stop.

At first, I was like that feels overkill and a bit out of character. Pigsy wasn't being that loud and our gentle giant tries so hard to keep calm and be reasonable. Even when having war flashbacks and fighting the Huntsmen who was hurting all the woodland creatures, Sandy didn't quiet yell that loud. What gives?

But then Sandy says in a much more calm voice once everyone is looking at him, "I think we should give Mr. Monkey King a chance to explain."

And it clicked.

If this is really Sha Wujing, then he would have gone through this before during the Journey to the West. Monkey King acting impulsively and trying to eliminate dangers on his own without telling anyone, Zhu Baijie making assumptions and blaming all their problems on Monkey King for their most recent demon trouble, Monkey King getting pushed away by everyone and the journey becoming that much more difficult because of the division.

A lot of the pilgrims struggles stemmed from lack of communication and trust.

And now Sandy/Sha Wujing is seeing the pattern repeat. It probably scared him. So I don't think his reaction is overkill or out of character. It makes perfect sense! He shouts at his friends because he is desperate to stop the cycle before it begins. And we are so thankful for it! Sandy nips any misunderstandings in the bud with one sentence.

"I think we should give Mr. Monkey King a chance to explain."

Sandy I love you! There is not enough Sandy appreciation out there. Thank you for all you do to keep the group together and everyone mentally and physically healthy. Thank you for keeping the show from playing out one of those real annoying misunderstandings that could be easily solved if everyone just talked but end up driving the main conflict and making audiences cry in frustration.

Sandy is the best.

Lego Monkie Kid Rewatch: Season 2

Episode 7, The Shadow Play

I know I'm backtracking a bit, but this episode is just so ripe with angst and reveals such interesting things about Macaque and MK's character.

Before we dive in, I kindly ask you to throw away any notion you have that Macaque's words and opinions about other people is gospel truth. The guy is cool. His SSS (snark, sarcasm, smugness) levels are off the charts. His voice and design drips favourite character. But that doesn't make him right all the time, especially about other people. This simian's perspective on others is flawed. Like, VERY, DEEPLY FLAWED!

Now that we have that out of the way-

We open up with a very tired and anxious MK. Thanks to a certain SOMEONE, MK is plagued with dread that he isn't strong enough or good enough to be Monkey Kings successor.

He has also had the pleasure of seeing a hint of the danger to come and does not feel anywhere close to ready to protect his family. So MK has been training non-stop, sacrificing activities and hang outs he usually enjoys to try and be better.

Then in saunters Macaque, steals MK's friends and then proceeds to unload his deepest insecurities in true theater kid fashion.

Performance!!

MK walks out of the theater with Macaque's tale of abandonment ringing in his ears and calls Mei (who of course does not answer) and says "You guys just left me back there."

Just to be clear- MK's friends are gone and what does he think? That they left him! Also remember what happened in Sleepbug when MK walks into the shop and doesn't see his friends. He immediately says, "They've abandoned me."

No joke. That's what he thinks. A rational and well adjusted person would see their friends and family not around and think "Oh, they must be doing something else or had other plans."

But not MK! Our dear boy has self confidence issues (as Monkey King pointed out in s1ep1) and part of this lack of confidence manifests as a fear that the people he loves most could grow bored of him, stop caring about him, not see him as worthy anymore of their time. He fears abandonment.

Macaque doesn't see that, though. He sees MK's inaction to find his friends as MK not caring about them. He legit thinks MK didn't even "realise they were missing."

Why did Macaque think this? Why, when he was obviously spying on the kid (you saw that shadow slip by when he was calling Mei too, right?), did his brain jump to 'kid doesn't care about friends.'

Because Macaque is blinded by his own faulty perspective- in which Wukong is a power hungry peach brain who only cares about himself. And he projects that onto MK because he thinks that MK must be just like Wukong.

(Thus falling into the same trap that nearly everyone else falls into, including MK… That MK is just another Monkey King).

'Wait', you say. 'Faulty perspective? No, Macaque is totally right about Monkey King. He did abandon Macaque in search of more power and was only thinking about himself!'

Ah, I see you failed to throw away your pesky lil notion that Macaque as a cool character and thus must always be right. Here, let me help!

Remember how Macaque describes his story?

"You saw a story about a hero who got handed everything, who didn't have to work for anything? And you thought you were the other guy?"

Did you catch it? The hero got handed everything? Didn't have to work for anything?…

… How many years did Monkey King have to train to learn the 72 transformations and immortality? How many demons and celestials did Monkey King have to fight to gain enough respect for everybody to stop trying to pulverise him and destory his kingdom? How long was the Monkey King stuck inside of a burning cauldron for him to gain his fiery red, golden eyes of truth? How many demons and trials did he have to go through in his journey west to become a better person?

What about Monkey King's entire life does Macaque think was easy?!

Just because Monkey King is overpowered now does not mean he had it (or even still has it) easy.

Macaque is just so, so bitter against Monkey King that he lets that anger and rage literally overshadow how he sees the rest of the world.

So yeah. Moral of this story is MK has some serious insecurities towards feeling of worthiness and belonging (no one who feels they belong thinks they have been abandoned at a drop of a hat, this poor kid) and Macaque projects his own insecurities and bitterness onto the world around him.

The way a lantern projects its shadows across a stage. How poetic.