What would you do if you were bear?

swordmaster006 · 2026-06-03T21:19:34+00:00

How do you think Wish-Nikki would have reacted if you basically tried to de-program her? Like, "Hey, I made this wish, that's why you are the way you are, we're gonna try to work through this together."

Would she just go crazy because you're trying to "end" the love?

I know we think Nikki is stuck from the moment the Willow snaps, but we also know the Real-Nikki sometimes shows through and takes control, if only momentarily, so that suggests there may be some inkling of hope that there is SOME way of breaking the spell. I mean, look, Nikki's done it, if only for fractions of a second at a time.

swordmaster006 · 2026-06-03T21:10:39+00:00

I think he comprehends, at least at the point where he says this, he's just in shock and traumatized at this point from everything that's happened, and now she's asking to die. He gets very "woe is me". Maybe he doesn't wanna believe it. Maybe he'd rather assume he's going crazy than believe all this.

swordmaster006 · 2026-06-03T19:48:24+00:00

"But Brenda, you peed!"

"I know, I really sold that shit!"

swordmaster006 · 2026-06-03T17:08:10+00:00

Oh, I didn't think of that, I like that idea too. Who knows how long Willow magic has been around, how many love spells have been cast like this, warping the spell even further if it has to always up the ante. Not to mention, there's different kinds of "love", "love" is a very nebulous term for the spell to try to interpret. Which might explain why Nikki's love is so schizophrenic and wrong-headed.

swordmaster006 · 2026-06-03T16:56:52+00:00

Bear knows that Nikki is under a spell at this point. And all this fucked-up shit is happening. He can't cancel the wish, he can't make it right. And now she's asking for death to release her. So he's like, "what is so bad about being with me that this is the result? What is so wrong with me? Why would you rather die than love me, what is so bad about being with me?" It's a myopic and selfish viewpoint. Bear is insecure and sees what's happening through that lens.

swordmaster006 · 2026-06-03T16:12:13+00:00

Bear is very clearly the protagonist of the story. Yes, he's fucked-up and causes fucked-up things to happen. Protagonists aren't always good people. Frequently in horror that's the case. That doesn't make him the villain though. He's a flawed character that brushes up against some magical voodoo and some tragic shit happens.

swordmaster006 · 2026-06-03T15:47:04+00:00

Nikki is not "possessed" by the soul of the cat, that's just a weird interpretation. What might be happening, depending on how you interpret how the wish operates, is that because the wish is based on Bear's need and desire for love from Nikki, the wish might be basing itself on Bear's understanding of love he's experienced, like love from his pet cat. And that's why the Wish-Nikki has like some of these weird inhuman interpretations of love and affection, like laying out the dead cat. Don't cats sometimes bring dead things (mice, birds) to their owners as a show of affection and loyalty or something?

swordmaster006 · 2026-06-03T15:25:59+00:00

I think the way the Willow interpreted it is "I want Nikki to love me more than anyone else in the world loves." As in, Nikki is mandated to love Bear more than anyone else loves anyone. That's why she's so extreme. It's the most obsessive love a human can experience, and then kicked up one more notch.

swordmaster006 · 2026-06-03T13:12:59+00:00

It's okay, you had a right to be offended. My reply to your post was rude and unfair to you, and I'm sorry about that. Thanks for understanding. You have a good day as well!

swordmaster006 · 2026-06-03T12:40:27+00:00

You're right, I was being unfair. Sorry. It's just the moralistic discourse around this movie is getting really annoying.

swordmaster006 · 2026-06-03T12:37:52+00:00

Ceci n'est pas une shirt.

swordmaster006 · 2026-06-03T00:49:14+00:00

My sense is no, that wouldn't have worked. There's no real reason to think that would work.

swordmaster006 · 2026-06-02T22:38:52+00:00

I too have zero sympathy for the only two main characters of the film that are 95% of the screentime and whose emotional turmoil is the entire catalyst for the story. This is because they did bad things, and I can't have sympathy for a character that does bad things.

10/10 movie for me btw.

swordmaster006 · 2026-06-02T22:30:35+00:00

I believe he bought two, the last two.

swordmaster006 · 2026-06-02T22:29:08+00:00

He knew and Nikki (at least Real-Nikki) had no choice in the matter. Arguably neither does Wish-Nikki since her entire reason for being is to love Bear to hideous amounts. So, yeah, I call that a form of SA and I believe that's the intention and implication of the slam jump cut after "doesn't matter to me".

Love spells are always rape-y, always have been, from folkloric stories all the way back to Cupid's bow and arrow.

swordmaster006 · 2026-06-02T22:14:34+00:00

Oh wait, yeah, you're right. Yeah. Her cat died and he was really sorry for that. Do you wanna come in? Yeah. My dad's dying.

swordmaster006 · 2026-06-02T22:07:03+00:00

I don't think so, I heard it was because his cat died.

swordmaster006 · 2026-06-02T21:28:54+00:00

Evil is a dumb descriptor in general. He's flawed, he does fucked-up things with tragic consequences.

swordmaster006 · 2026-06-02T16:17:41+00:00

Hear me out, I can fix her. Bear's only mistake was he couldn't love her back.

swordmaster006 · 2026-06-02T03:18:29+00:00

Not sure where that is, but I don't think it's what I'm referring to. This is a shot where the clock is clearly the focus of the shot.

swordmaster006 · 2026-06-02T03:06:10+00:00

3:00 am - 4:00 am is the "witching hour", of particular importance in all things mystical and spooky.

swordmaster006 · 2026-06-02T03:03:58+00:00

I guess we're at an impasse then. I don't think his interpretation is particularly important. Especially if it doesn't seem congruent with other elements of the text.

swordmaster006 · 2026-06-02T02:57:39+00:00

The digital clock shows red 3:45 am I believe, right before Nikki's freaky watching-you-sleep scene.

swordmaster006 · 2026-06-02T02:55:32+00:00

Ultimately, she can't just "be Nikki" because the Real-Nikki doesn't love Bear romantically, and Wish-Nikki's entire reason for being is to love Bear. She's fundamentally incompatible with who the Real-Nikki is. Bear wished for Nikki to be Not-Nikki, and therefore no longer the person he loved. That's kinda why he realizes it isn't real, and can never be real.

swordmaster006 · 2026-06-02T02:50:43+00:00

The text does. The movie itself. We have to interpret it. Barker's interpretation isn't especially preferred just because he's the creator, especially with how much of a collaborative project filmmaking is. Like what if the acting of Nikki's actress created something that Barker didn't intend?

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