(Spoilers for gotg vol. 2 ahead! Tread carefully!)
I want to talk about something I noticed the second time I watched the movie. Let’s talk about this moment right here.
The breaking of Peter’s mask.
We learned in the first movie when he saves Gamora that Peter’s mask allows him to survive in the vacuum of space. He’d be just fine flying around out there as long as he had a way to propel himself around, such as his jet boot attachments or one of Rocket’s Aero-Rigs.
The first time I saw vol. 2, this moment held no serious significance to me other than Peter losing a piece of what makes him Star-Lord. His mask is iconic, it’s safe to assume that he’s had it for most if not all of his adult life, and I imagine it’s one of a kind as well, or at least hard to find.
The second time around watching vol. 2, everyone watching knows that by the end of the movie, Yondu is dead. Here’s why I want to point out this 3 second moment. If Peter’s mask hadn’t been broken, he could have used it to exit Ego’s atmosphere safely and Yondu could have used the space suit Rocket gave him. Even when the Aero-Rig stopped working, they would have been perfectly safe floating there until Kraglin and the rest of the Guardians could get close enough to pick them up. They both would have made it off the exploding planet alive, if not for this moment right here.
There was literally been no other way for both of them to make it. Rocket only had the one space suit left, and we saw they only had 6 at the start of the movie to begin with. Drax used one when he went out on the cable and blasted the last Sovereign ship before the Milano crashed on Berhert, and once Nebula and the Ravagers captured Rocket and Groot, the Milano is left on Berhert still in pieces. Taking into account the damage to the Milano after it crashed, those last 5 space suits probably were destroyed.
During the fight with Ego, it’s shown that both Rocket and Peter already had an Aero-Rig on. They probably haven’t taken them off since the fight with the Abilisk. Rocket was never relieved of his utility belt during his capture on the Eclector, and we never see him put anything into the pockets, so my guess is that he always kept spare Aero-Rigs and space suits in that pocket in case of emergencies. Better safe than sorry right? He probably always had one or two sets, if not enough for the original 4 guardians and himself. The set that he gave Yondu would have been Peter’s if Yondu hadn’t been there.
On a related note, do you think Rocket stays up at night, lamenting the fact that he hadn’t made more suits and rigs? Cursing himself for the fact that he only grabbed one set of spares. If only he had had 2 sets, instead of just 1. He could have saved both of his friends, instead of handing the last set to Yondu and knowing someone wasn’t going to make it back, and seeing the look on Yondu’s face, and knowing that it wouldn’t be him.
I’d like to think that at some point, Rocket tells Peter about what Yondu said to him before he went after Peter.
“Nah I ain’t done nothin’ right my whole damn life, Rat… Ya need t’gimme this…”
And Peter just nods, because he’ll never forget what Yondu told him either.
“I’m sorry that I didn’t do none of it right. I’m damn lucky you’re my boy.”
Rocket didn’t know Yondu like Peter did, but that didn’t stop him from missing him and wishing that somehow, Yondu could have saved Peter and himself.
I like to think that the reason that the wrapping paper on the cassette tape that Peter’s mom gave him was so worn out was because Peter sat on the Milano during late nights when he was just drifting through space, running his thumbs over the wrapping paper, trying to decide if he should open it or not. Remembering that he didn’t grab his mother’s hand, and watching as she flatlined right in front of him and he was powerless. His mother’s last words ringing in his ears. And then he reads the letter over and over, still unsure of whether or not to open the present.
‘When my father left, did he tell Uncle Owen that he was gonna come back?’ Beru frowned slightly, then said, ‘Oh, Luke. You know it’s best not to wonder about such things.’ ‘But did he?’ She shook her head. ‘No,’ she said. ‘He didn’t. He didn’t say anything. He just left.’ Luke bit his lower lip, then said, ‘I’d never do that. Leave without saying good-bye, I mean.’ Beru smiled. ‘I know you wonldn’t.’ (The Life of Luke Skywalker by Ryder Windham)
In case you don’t know, there’s a house in Anistar City that contains an elderly man who lost his wife; he asks you if he can look after a Pokemon level 5 or under for a while because he’s been very lonely without his wife and wants the company of an energetic Pokemon.
If you return a few days later, the house will be empty except for the Pokeball containing your Pokemon and this letter, along with a Comet Shard (an item that can be sold for 15,000 Pokedollars) he left for you as a sign of gratitude.
If you don’t think the idea of a lonely old widower being kept company and getting joy from your Pokemon until he peacefully passes away and rejoins his wife isn’t heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time, I don’t even know what to say to you like omg
“They are closer than friends. Closer than brothers. Though Obi-Wan is sixteen standard years Anakin’s elder, they have become men together. Neither can imagine life without the other. The war has forged their two lives into one. “
Imagine twelve year old Harry not even knowing how awful his childhood with Dursleys had been until he gets to the Burrow.
Imagine him seeing Percy asleep with a book on his lap, and being baffled that a kid might feel comfortable enough in his own home to be so vulnerable in the living room.
Imagine Molly coming up to the attic to say goodnight to Ron and Harry, and Harry glancing at Ron when he hears her footsteps, trying to figure out what they had done wrong that day.
Imagine him asking George who does all the house chores, and thinking it’s a joke when George answers, “we all do.”
Imagine Ginny pestering Arthur with questions over the Daily Prophet, and Harry trying to shoot her warning looks to stop it! but then Mr. Weasley looks up and patiently answers every single one.
Imagine Bill popping in for a visit one evening and Harry being floored when Bill stops to chat with him.
Imagine Fred chasing after Harry in the yard, playfighting, but Harry actually begins to run for real fear of being hurt.
Imagine Molly burning something on the stove my accident and tossing it, imagine Harry mentioning to Ron, offhandedly, “she could’ve given that one to me, it’s what I eat at home when I mess up dinner” and not knowing why Ron is horrified.
Imagine Harry seeing what a normal, functioning family looks like, and realizing the absence of love in his own life.
“What Harry found most unusual about life at Ron’s, however, wasn’t the talking mirror or the clanging ghoul: It was the fact that everyone there seemed to like him.” – Chamber of Secrets
