Ep. 02: Clevatess

If you had any doubts over Clevatess continuing to be interesting beyond its premier episode, I can assure you those fears can be laid to rest. The second episode picks off right where we left off, with Alicia, Clen and Luna on their way to a slave market. If this sounds dour, you are right on the money. The show does not hold back in exploring the way that people are willing to exploit each other for money or to inflict misery. Nor does it rush to let our heroes just instantly kick ass and take names. This is a slow burn. But I’m getting ahead of myself, let’s break things down…

At the start of the episode, Clen (that’s the name Clevatess is going by in his human form, if you missed that last week) explains to Alicia that he is not used to his human form yet, and as such it is making him a bit more vulnerable. He also points out that this doesn’t bother him, since he wants to experience a variety of different human situations. Including this one.

I love the way that Alicia implores him to not decide his overall view on humanity based off of what he sees here. She’d be right, if he was only focusing on the bandits and their violence and abusiveness toward the people they have captured. But what I really liked about this episode is that was not the direct focus for Clen.

Instead, the person Clen learns the most about bandits from is Nell, who has begun being a wet nurse for Luna. What I found genuinely interesting about this is that Nell’s story is not cut and dry. She is not technically a slave. She was born into the bandits–presumably as the result of abuse from a bandit or slaver, from how it is described. But she views herself as part of the unit, despite everything she tells us about her experiences makes it clear that is not the case.

We get another awkward, funny, and perfectly timed breast comment from Clen. Usually stuff like this makes me roll my eyes, but here it is well timed and well used. The scenes with Nell, highlighting the abuse of her and her mother, are rage inducing. Clen’s cluelessness over how weird and potentially offensive what he is saying is works to counter that, and made continuing Nell’s story more palatable for me. Because all that she has been through is damned grim.

She has experienced the loss of at least three still born babies. Which is heartbreaking, but in a sense this tragedy is its own silver lining. It ensures these children did not get used to continue the cycle of violence shown here. But at the same time, the loss of a child is one of the most harrowing experiences a woman can have, and my heart went out to Nell. The fact that she finds the nursing of other babies a solace and reason for living in spite of her personal tragedy is both touching and heartbreaking. I’m glad that something has helped her hold on, yet equally enraged at the reality I can imagine those children will grow up to face.

Clen is in need of a wet nurse for Luna, and asks Nell to join him. On a pragmatic level, my feelings on this are a bit mixed. I certainly don’t think it would be wise or safe for her to remain with the bandits. But given that we’re not sure how old Luna is, and that we don’t know the normal length of time a baby is breastfed in this world, that offer would only be good for a maximum of two years.

I continue to stand by my take that Clevatess is not a malicious creature by default. But he does not have a lot of understanding of the reality of humans. Working with him could be a good temporary reprieve for Nell from the bandits, but she would need to formulate a plan for her long term survival. And we would need to make sure she is not going to be pursued and murdered by these people for breaking from them. Of course, we also need to get past that pesky reality that our main characters are still slaves themselves. Something Nell points out to Clen when he makes his offer.

Of course, given who Clen actually is, and how confident Clevatess tends to be, the distinction between him viewing himself as free to make this offer despite being a slave, and Nell feeling unable to take it despite thinking she is free, shows the difference in their character and mindset.

And if you wonder what Alicia has been dealing with all this time, her situation has been no picnic either. The bandits have pieced together that she is a Hero who survived the fight with Clevatess, and they want her to return to Luna Mountain to collect the weapons of her fallen comrades. So the bandits can sell them, or use them as a basis for making fake replicas. This is gross on so many levels. The defilement of her kingdom. The insult to her fallen friends. The risk of any of these cretins getting hold of something that could anyway damage one of the Beasts.

But like Clevatess, Alicia’s resolve has not been shattered. Not only does this experience show that she has retained her mettle in spite of her own situation with Clevatess. It also allows for progression with her feelings about the way that she has been revived. When a particularly disgusting bandit prepares to violate her in front of his comrades on a bridge, Alicia decides to take full advantage of her new form and makes a leap for it, sending herself and this prick off the bridge and toward the stone below.

One thing I do wonder, as I consider what Clen might take away from this overall situation, is whether his relationship with Alicia will be at all changed by it going forward. On one hand, Alicia and her people came to his mountain with the intent to wipe him out. That was wrong. But on the other hand, Clen has now witnessed the treatment these bandits have toward Nell. Experiencing something like that may leave its mark on him as a person.

I find it interesting that the show was patient and took its time, really letting the horrors of a situation like this sink in, rather than rushing to resolve them. Clevatess is used to being an all powerful beast, but through this situation he is getting to witness the vulnerability that some people face, and the way others can turn to cruelty when corrupted by power. Human malice and hatred are not just directed at beasts, but can also be turned on their fellow man.

I won’t lie: there were moments during this episode that had me yelling at my TV screen. I’ve never been one to advocate for turning away from dark themes in fiction, but that does not mean they are always easy to watch. I think this episode struck a solid balance between showing what was necessary to let us understand how dire the situation was, without exploiting any of these story beats for empty shock value.

Clevatess continues to be one of my favorite new shows this season, and with any luck, next week this heartbreaking situation with these scummy bandits will take a turn for the better. But those are just my thoughts. What did you think of this episode? I’d love to know, so feel free to leave a comment.