DIRECTOR'S CUT: Villain Therapy: VOLDEMORT

Thank you guys for talking about fascism like this. I hope people get the parallels. I know millions of us do.

Rowling gave us an interesting allegory... But it's ironic that she fell so far down to the wrong side. I'm so glad the cast didn't fall with her.

Alright I know this is really old. But an I trained wizard is more dangerous, as they have zero control over what their magic does. Idk how cannon it is but fantastic beast kind of goes over it

Is it possible that who he is comes from a deep sense of worthlessness? Because as you said the only time he gets actual pleasure is when he hurts people who wronged him, since they made him feel less extraordinary, so that he can feel truly superior even to them. Also even as a child at the orphanage you see him talking a lot about how he is different and "special" from the other kids. So do you think all his narcissism and him being sociopath come from a deep sense of worthlessness that he was, after all, an orphan from birth which already could leave a kid with loneliness and without any real role model and the only thing he knows about himself is that he has special abilities.

I want a Harry or Dumbledore video

I can always tell when someone is lying just by looking at them. I can also tell when they are standing.

After is 100% scarier than Tom Riddle

OK, why did it take me this long to notice you have corresponding mood lighting on the rear movie seats in your episodes? Good ole' Slytherin green :)

Corrine, I was totally going to point that out. And the fact that you don't have to actually kill the master of the elder wand, just disarm them/best them in a duel. The power hungry in HP are so murderous.

DO A PALPATINE EPISODE PLEASE!! He is the biggest manipulator i think i’ve ever seen on screen

Dark wizards like voldemort canonicaly can't have patronus because they can't be really happy. JKR wrote a story about dark wizard who tried that and his wand produced maggots which ate him. But I guess dementors also don't have much to take from him (he doesn't even have much soul left in him for dementor's kiss, he'd barelly be an apetizer) so they wouldn't really attack him imho. As for Slughorn I don't think voldemort blackmailed him. Reason for him not saying anything is imho more about shame and guilt. While flawed Slughorn is generaly kind and caring and he is horrified by evil and violence. Personaly I liked voldemort more in first books and stories because at the end he kind of lost his manipulative power imho. As riddle he understood other people motivations and feelings but in last book he misses stuff that was quite obvious and imho becomes more cartoony and less terrifying. What I think about though is whether voldemort did have some humanity once. How his part of soul from diary talks about his father leaving his mother sounds almost human. He sounds slightly hurt. Dumbledore always suspected him but he gave him benefit of doubt (but still tried to keep eye on him).

“How do you teach morality to someone who lacks empathy” Just the thesis statement of the Good Place lol P.S. An episode on Eleanor’s journey from season 1 to season 4 would be awesome

There are expert in fascist supervillains: we are called historians and we do exist. Just maybe not on the internet or the History Channel

Yes, please do a Palpatine video!!! Movies do not say this but he grew up as a rich kid who used his family wealth to purchase sith artifacts to study them and he was VERY anti-social growing up. This would be great!

When are you guys going to do an episode on Hook? Maybe you did and I haven’t seen it, but I thought there’s plenty of good material there for either Peter Panning or Hook’s character.

Can we get a patron-only discussion of book Snape vs movie Snape? I'm rereading the series, as I finally allowed my 9 & 11 year old kids to read the series. (I wanted to wait until they could emotionally and spiritually handle the darkness of the second half of the series, since they'll rip through the books in a week or two.) I'm glad JKR clued Rickman in early, but that makes him so much more likeable than truly vile. I'm not sure how I feel about that. :)

I had this nested in an earlier comment, but wanted to make sure it's seen. Can we get a video, using JKR, of the paradox or dichotomy of LOVING a creation while finding the creator vile? JKR is not the first, nor will she be the last, whose personal life overshadows an amazing creation (see also Joss Whedon and Firefly / Buffy, Harvey Weinstein and anything his disgusting hands ever touched, Roman Polanski,etc.)

Do an Episode on Gantu's Methodology for catching Stitch in Lilo & Stitch! Is his plan for capturing Stitch a responsible one or did Gantu just get lucky?

Yes to a Palpatine episode!

If you do decide to do an episode on Palpatine, may I recommend as prep the YouTube video "How Liberty Dies: The Politics of Star Wars" if you haven't seen it? It's probably way more detail than you'd need but it's a fantastic analysis of how any ambitious fascist autocrat can exploit weaknesses in a political system, even a democracy, and take power from the inside. Chilling stuff.

It's a bit shitty of you to talk about Joanne Rowling, one of the most famous people to ever live's, work, especially in relation to narcissism and fascism, without acknowledging her personal rapid descent into narcissism and fascism in any way. Makes me scared maybe you all are on her side of wanting me dead, actually.

I do enjoy these movies, although I hate supporting Rowling in anything -- funny how they became her villain origin story! The Death Eaters seemed like such an obvious allegory for wizard Nazis until I reread the books and realized the wizards are wizard Nazis. I mean, the goblins are so clearly anti-semitic caractures of Jewish people... the original statue in the Ministry of the lesser sentient beings gazing adoringly at the witch and wizard... the "happy slave" house elfs... why SHOULDN'T the wizards also treat each other the same way they treat everyone else?

I am totally here for a Palpatine episode. Do eet!

My favorite observation regarding fascism was delivered by Alan, when he said that once the identified "other" is eradicated, then another "other" must be identified and eradicated, ad infinitum. As I have watched the current political gambits by politicians worldwide who rise and fall by fanning the flames of hatred against a chosen group of people, I keep thinking about the "Sorcerer's Apprentice" animation from "Fantasia." When the Sorcerer's Apprentice casts a spell on the broom only to have it over perform, he chops it into hundreds of pieces of kindling thinking he might stop it. And then those kindling pieces all come to life and become multiplying brooms creating unparalleled chaos! Oh... I have thought about the wisdom of that scene since I was a child! Thank you for an excellent episode about Voldemort. It also serves as an excellent lesson to us about our current events.

Now I wanna see you guys do an episode on Chef Slowik from The Menu.

Amazing episode. Also commenting on something that was said, I’d absolutely LOVE an episode on palpatine.

Just on the thought of having to deal with the outside of your group to get what you want and then protect your source of power from the next person, it reminded me of the 12th doctors speech in the zygon inversion. “When you have finally got it exactly the way you want it, what are you going to do with the people like you?” “ how will you protect your glorious revolution from the next one.” There is a lot more to it then this and Peter Capaldi does such an amazing job at delivering this speech, that I believe it is worth checking out.

YES!! Palpatine would be amazing. As would Vader since you’ve already done Anakin.

A Palpatine episode? Have even more of my money and start talking! Also: I'd be interested to see your take on Umbridge (if you haven't already covered her). There can be quite heated debates amongst Potterheads whether she is truly worse than Voldemort and not everyone says that he is the worse ot the two.

Yes give us the Palpatine review

Palpatine? Yes please!

JK Rowling said Voldemort cannot produce a patronus because he has no happy memories to draw upon to produce one. But if he did, I think it would be a snake obviously. Great video! One of my favorite villains because he's just pure evil and a fascist dictator. Do Palpatine next! He's more of a manipulative schemer person with Anti-Social Personality Disorder and a touch of Narcissism. He's clever, highly intelligent, and charismatic enough to gain a following of people to elect him Chancellor of an entire galaxy. He plays the long game, unlike other villains who want immediate power. It took him about 30 years to get to become Emperor. And that alone, he was like Julius Caesar and Augustus, turning a Republic into an Empire with one supreme leader.

Another amazing episode! As for how you can teach morality to someone with no empathy? Perhaps put them on the receiving end of the horrible things they like to do to others? See how they like it when they are treated the same way they treat others.

Excellent episode guys! A little unsettling with the parallels with today's USA... but great episode!

Palpatine, you say? DO IT.

I have not watched many movies, so I cannot think of a movie off the top of my head that would cover this topic, but I would love to see an episode on burn out. It encompasses the current season I am in, so any help would be awesome! Also, the Harry Potter episodes y’all do are the best!

Go for Papa Palpatine!

Oh, yes, please do a Palpatine episode...or series, perhaps. Surely there is no more villainous villain in all of cinema than Darth Sideous.

I was quite amused that the background is green.

yes for palaptine please

yes! Palpatine please