The Amazing Digital Circus: Episode 9-FINAL EPISODE

The music really amplified the emotional beats. I am writing a novel and would love this soundtrack to help me but it’s not out yet 😭😭😭😭 Also, loved the finale. Stuck the landing!

I saw this in theaters and cried pretty hard through most of the episode. This is my fourth time through and out loud SOBBED almost the whole time lol. Somehow it gets harder and harder every time haha.

It makes sense that the characters were created by brain scans since the healthcare field is moving heavily towards using AI. In episode 8, Kinger said that Scratch, the program’s co-creator, had a tumor. So, he was probably trying to use the technology to find a cure or at least a way to manage his condition. As for how other scans ended up in the database, they either were from volunteers like Kinger and his wife or from people with injuries like Zoey, aka Gangle. My favorite part is when they came together to make the shelter for Jax. Even Zooble, who fought with him the most, showed him some grace. And it was touching to see Pomni and Kinger spend time with the other abstracted characters. Even if the abstracted ones couldn’t change back, they at least had a nice space that allowed visitors.

Jax abstracting off screen fits as he chose to isolate himself from the rest of the group because he had his armour up for so long he didn’t know how to ask for help when given or appreciate help when the others tried to help him

First things first: Post credits: Left to Right, Gangle, Zooble, Pomni. Ragatha, Kinger, and Jax. Okay.... I'm gonna start with the Caine scenes, the first appearance is real time, and then flash back to appearing deep in the void after being "deleted" He falls into depression, and starts gliding forward. Then, and this is confusing and took multiple rewatches to get, it is intercutting an even further flashback with the current one. So all the red orb scenes are one time, and all the Caine scenes are another, with almost identical actions. He evolves as the red dot AI, needing to do creative hacking to bridge up to a firewall, which he hacks through and reaches the Brain Scans folder. He scans the files, creates forms for them, and then you see Mike Dobby's scan get turned into Scratch. In the recent time he's doing similar to reach a WiFi network connection, which has a limited time. He uses the names of the remaining human brain scans (to his knowledge, he doesn't know Jax abstracted yet) and he gets info by searching each of them on what they are doing based on Social Media. He then rushes back to the circus, talks with the Moon, and the catches up to where he first appeared in the episode. Now... Jax. You will notice outside of *ONE* quote of my own thoughts below, I avoid gendering Jax with pronouns (or at least using they/them where I can't avoid it), this is VERY much intentional. I'm gonna start this by saying I'm transfemme. (Like Jax/Leeroy is to SOME degree) So when I watched this in the theatre, it went over my head, because my brain just went "well yeah, that's life, and he's toxic masculine and refuses to let people get close" Then I rewatched 1-8 again. There are DOZENS of rather glaring and obvious signs... starting from the first episode. Jax was always defensive and aggressive about gender, belittling women, and being overly hostile to the queer characters of Zooble and Gangle. And I mean, a bunny with pink overalls? Caine later says that he created all the avatars to perfectly match the mindfiles, so yeah, a first real hint. Then more is shown with how often Jax insists on being the "peak of masculinity" and there is a lot of symbolism with the missing tail, that something was *missing* for Jax. Then the maid outfit during the baseball game. (and being made to be a Vegan) Zooble made a comment "I figured you'd be into this." Which flusters and angers Jax, and Zooble makes a comment that it's the angries they've ever seen Jax. To ME this is because Jax was flustered and angry that someone figured them out. Then in the beach episode, everyone else goes through the changing booth BUT Jax... Trans folks in denial (and even some that are out) are terrified of having to put on swimsuits, as it is overly gendered, and can be... a bit traumatic. Then Zooble has a conversation with Jax, where Jax brings up Zooble's body dysphoria, and that they can't be comfortable in their body. Zooble admits to accepting it, which seems to further upset Jax, who them goes back to their room to isolate. That room is BRIGHT pink, and looks overly girly and almost stereotypically feminine. Caine had also said that the rooms represent everyone's mind files, so Jax's would be completely based on that. And of note in the room, there are rainbows on the wall (LGBT symbol anyone?) and three chairs around a table. A green one, a yellow one, and a pink one. Green = Ribbit, Yellow = Kaufmo, and therefore pink = Jax. Then in Episode 8... During Caine's song, Caine dressed ALL the characters like showgirls for a kickline, including a dress. EVeryone else is stressed, but Jax is focused staring at the dress. Then the torture scene where Jax's skin is torn off... the symbolism here, the shield Jax had been using to hide behind is stripped away, and all the people Jax considers friends (Ribbit, Kaufmo, and Pomni) all laugh at Jax while Jax looks wildly embaressed. So now into Episode 9. I'd pieced all this together so when I went in to re-watch Ep 9 on the 19th I was prepped and aware... and yeah... this hit me *HARD* In the RL scenes, the running away and being homeless is SHOCKINGLY common in trans youth. I did it once myself... Then there was the running through outfits, that felt like trans experimentation, and Goose has said that it was meant to symbolize boymodding. Which is experimenting with male presenting but more neutral or feminine clothing to help with dysphoria. (Quick aside, since you missed it in the watch... the X on the doors mean they abstracted. So the first several doors are Jax having obsessed over what would happen if the others abstracted, as Ribbit and Kaufmo were VERY traumatic for Jax, as you see later. But yeah, Ragatha, then Zooble, then Gangle, and a locked door, which I assume is Pomni. More on that below...) The maid Jax in the Zooble is dead scene is more obvious gender play. In the poker room the maid Jax does the "I'm wearing it Ironically to show how little I care." Aheh, that's familiar to a lot of trans folks who are in denial about it. Then there is the declaration that there are NO GIRLS ALLOWED, followed by the chained door shaking which all four Jaxes shout SHUT UP. That's straight up repression, and I bet the chained up door is a female Jax behind it. The confession scene with Ribbit, yeah... you nailed it... this... is what happened to me with a family member. We have since made up, but that scarred me for *YEARS*, and if I thought I'd killed them by pushing them down? Ugh... But also the references to not being man enough, and being a disappointment, oof. So it continues with Ribbit AFFIRMING Jax's gender identity by putting her bow on Jax's ear... Jax reacts by blushing heavily and then relaxing just a bit. If Kaufmo hadn't interrupted this could have been SO good for Jax... But... it happened, and Jax overreacted, based on the trauma of what happened the FIRST time Jax admitted their gender identity. Defensiveness turned to embarrassment and aggression, and Ribbit was left shellshocked. And then the defensiveness and embarassment spiraled into pushing Ribbit away, because then well, second trauma, and Jax fully closeted and started building the "comedy relief super masculine" mask to hide behind. Then... Isn't She Lovely... Yes, it's a *bit* unclear if that is talking about Pomni or Jax, but c'mon Jax is the focus of every one of those shots, even if they are with Pomni. It's about Pomni loving Jax for Jax. (Like Ribbit did before she was pushed away and pushed to abstraction) Now returning to the first locked door, I'm *positive* that's Pomni, because Jax really never had too much interaction with Kinger, so his abstraction wouldn't have been as big a deal... but Pomni going... that would be Jax's third friend that Jax drove to abstration. I believe behind that door are both Pomni AND Jax abstracted, which is why the door is locked like that. As opposed to the later locked door being a female Jax, because that is going two layers deep into Jax's psyche. The other door led to the memories remember. Anyway yeah, no connection between Jax and Scratch, that was just a theory that was disproven. I'm so glad you watched this, and I hope you get a chance to read this.

The different doors in first part Jax's mind are her imagining their reaction to the scenarios of the other characters abstracting. Very likely the one that was chained up was the scenarios of Pomni abstracting. A subconscious admission by Jax of how much her relationship with Pomni meant to them. I love that you immediately picked up on that Jax was repressing their gender identity in the second part of Jax's mind.

Oh God... I didn't cry as hard as you but hell I cried! OMG and I love when you just rest your forehead on the mic, it is such an endearing gesture of contemplation, I noticed you do it in moments where you are moved and run out of words. I enjoyed this whole thing so much together with you... I discovered, learned it and loved it together with you and I cannot be more thankful, what a fantastic show... Thank you so much! Lupe.-

You actually caught on to their revelation really quick. A rumbling sound? ...like a CPU fan? "Why do we need different-?" Maybe it was password encrypted? I really loved the "refinished basement" allowing for enrichment and visitation for the abstractions. Murder drones was fun

What a brilliant ending to the series, I teared up quite a bit.

Some people were mad that Jax abstracted off screen. But someone pointed out it's like death in real life. It's can be sudden, unexpected. Especially suicide, which is what abstraction basically alludes (or the fully losing your mind and being beyond hope). Gooseworx has confirmed after this episode that Jax is supposed to be a trans woman in denial. But she wanted to keep it subtle enough for people to interpret it in any way they wanted. The "Isn't she lovely" song could refer to either Jax or Pomni in that scene.

The whole thing about abstraction is that it's a parallel to suicide. And the main reason why Gooseworx didn't show it. When asked why Jax abstracted off screen she said something along the line. "It should feel out of nowhere and abrupt like it does in real life" It was definitely a bold choice directing wise. Given how much of a fan favorite Jax was but I respect that decision a lot.

Watched it the first time, cried, watched it again with this reaction, cried again lol, sniffling as we speak, I can't cope when shows put good music in their episodes, I'm extremely emotionally driven by music so I will definitely be sobbing every time I hear it

Oh no, you read my "Jax-is-Scratch" theory comment. Not my own theory but I really believed it and omg it didn't age well. 😅 Oh well. I actually like how the real story turned out more.