She Has So Many Doubts - Blog Posts

NOTHING LEFT TO LOSE ANALYSIS PART I

I just think that song is so brilliant because it’s so unique. Like how often do you get to have a duet between two characters who both turned on the same person and both became villains, but one has reformed and the other has only recently become a villain? I just LOVE how the song uses the same phrase for both characters but it has an entirely different meaning depending on their points of view.

I’m gonna break this analysis into multiple parts since there is SO much to talk about this song. (I MIGHT do a lyric analysis as well)

Special thanks to @whaleiumsharkspeare for helping me with this post. She has done an analysis of the song

Read the analysis here

Let’s Dew-this…

VARIAN’S POV:

Honestly, I find Varian to be the most interesting part of the song because he is reflecting on how his corrupt views and methods of the past and is now reaching out to someone who he sees is following the same destructive behavior, not wanting to see his former friend make the same mistakes he did.

In season 1 he took it too far, he crossed lines, used people, lied to himself that he was right. Now he’s seeing cass do the same thing and tries to stop her. He doesn’t want her to go down the same path of destruction he did. Also not to mention that she drugged him with a truth serum, that means that everything he’s singing in his verse is the truth. He reaches out to her (both figuratively AND literally). I mean…

Look at that. Even when he’s trapped in a cage he still reaches out to her. This boy is determined to reach out to Cass and nothing is gonna stop him NOTHING. I love how they are using Varian as an example for Cass to try to come to her senses. It makes sense if you really think about it, with Varian not only coming from that same dark path but also he used to look up to her and still wants to help her despite everything she’s done with him.

Varian also seems to be one of the first people to try and relate to Cassandra. He isn’t forcing this relatability on to her but rather, warning her. He isn’t saying “what you’re feeling is wrong” or “this isn’t who you are” he is instead trying to say, “I get it. You’re hurting and you think destruction is helping. It feels good, doesn’t it? It’s okay to change your mind, there’s always hope and a way back. It’s not gonna be easy but just try it. I will even help you” Also, it was revealed that Cass gave him the truth serum which means everything he is singing is true.

He doesn’t try to force their relatively situations on to her, he is saying it as a warning like you’ll regret this in the future and will eat you up in side like how he behaved I’m Rapunzel’s Return or Be Very Afraid. He knows/acknowledges that her feelings are real and that the struggle is real. Sometimes people hurting need somebody to just be in there with them in their suffering, listen AND understand the struggle.

While Varian does state that Cass is being irrational, and even stands up to her, he’s also trying to help her rationalize her feelings to help herself, to help begin the healing process.

I think that’s why his reaching out to her (both figuratively and literally) is so powerful. Even though he didn’t succeed in talking her out of the path of distraction he did show he cared for her.

Even though this is Cassandra’s verse, look at Varian’s expressions here…

He isn’t scared of HER he’s scared of what she’s BECOME. He doesn’t want her to go down the same dark path he did but, not he can see that she’s no longer in control, she’s crossed the line and is what he was afraid of her becoming.

Varian is looking at her in shock at how powerful Cass has become but also how much she is lost, it’s I’m a mix of shock and horror but, not of her but of what she has become. She has became what he was trying to prevent, he couldn’t talk her outta her destructive ways and now she has lost control. The one thing that he was trying to prevent and failed, especially in the bottom photo. Varian not only looks shocked but also sad in a way. He probably blames himself for not getting through to Cassandra.

Varian has failed in the past in the whole series (restoring the king/queen’s memories, the Quirinion everything). The scroll was his responsibility, if he found all 4 incantations he’d succeed but then Cass come. It just Cass and him, if he can get through to her then he’d be a success, if he can stop her then in turn he’ll also stop her destructive ways, If he gets through to to her then he’ll have his former crush/friend back. But he can’t, Varian knows Cassandra is dangerous, he knows she’s a threat he knows she has betrayed Rapunzel yet, he still sees her (in the song at least) as a friend who is hurting and lost.

CASSANDRA’S POV:

Cassandra doesn’t listen to Varian’s warning and she thinks since she already ruined her past relationships there is no point, even if she does change her mind. She’s not losing anything and has everything to gain and yet, she’s not truly confident because everything she shines is DEFENSIVE.

Her facial expressions change look at the following…

We see Cassandra looking at her self in the sword. On the left though, it’s almost as if she doesn’t know what she’s doing but, on the right, when Varian sings “Don’t you see, this path you’re on leaves a permanent mark, it feels good at first then it slowly turns dark” it changes to not mad more like serious. Almost as if she’s trying to not only convince herself but also, Varian that she is right. He’s singing at her teeing her that she’s wrong and doesn’t wanna hear it.

I think this moment when Cassandra points the sword at him it’s not actually Cass, I think it’s more like telling the viewers that Varian is right and that it’s not actually “Cass” how points the sword at him. This is also mere moments before she decides to get up and walk away from him and of course he follows her and runs after her. She’s in denial and tries to ignore him but she can’t, Varian is probably the 1st person Cass has heard “arguing” with her to stop. In many ways Varian acts like her moral compass in the song, she is obviously conflicted here.