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You don't need to censor the word death on RUclips. That's just on TikTok.

8:08 during and even after richies death, especially after dirty girl having shown itself to be a fantasy and not reality, i legit though richie commited suicide out of guilt and we were merely watching the kids derail until either all of them ended up dead deranged in a mental hospital or somehow lobotomized.. maybe it still is a metaphorical peace but people in character have acknoledged the methods of death, that counters the metaphor and illusion, right?

i havent even started the video yet but im already thanking you for connecting the first opening scene corpse investigation to richies murder. Its chilling to know he got the worst of it when theres arguably two other candidates for "deserving the worst revenge"

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Poor Richie ,he was such a silly guy with the worst death. I did feel bad at Ruth's death but something about RIchie's always seemed so much more thought out on Max's part so this deep dive make things so much more interesting. Loved this vid ! :D

Additional fucked up thing: So Max sounds like he’s choking on his own blood as he’s dying so he: chokes/suffocates, has his nipples cut off, has organs probably spill out through a puncture wound, and is torn apart after dying. After yknow he finally faces one of his fears and feels like he’s overcome something before dying. Richie drowns to death, has severe wounds over his head and torso, has his nipples twisted off, and it’s implied some of his organs fell out. All this happens after Richie feels happy and accomplished over being in a situation he never could have imagined happening a few weeks prior. Max was loosely replicating elements of his own death for Richie :)))

Max is horrible 😞

I just watched NPMD and I totally want to get into this whole universe/series but idk where to start and what all to watch

Late to this but I should mention; a laceration isn’t *just* a cut. It’s a split caused by blunt force or tearing. So either Max was striking Richie with enough force to cause these lacerations, or tore them open with his bare hands.

I don't think Max was mocking Ritchie when he said "Of course not, Ritchie" as you pointed out earlier in the video, maybe you did that for effect, but I disagree. I think that Max knew that Ritchie was different from him and thereby cool in his own right. I think that Max use being genuine, and that probably hurt Ritchie the most, aside from the physical pain.

THIS IS LITERALLY INCREDIBLE!!!

Thank you so much for blessing me with this video! Your analysis is absolutely incredible! And believe it or not, this is actually the video that got me into StarKid (I’m now obsessed, and have spread my love for npmd to all of my friends) THANK YOU SO MUCH‼️ This show has helped me find my people and it’s thanks to you that I could do that :)

I watched this before watching the musical and then after I watched it after and im glad to say it makes way more sense now

I absolutely ADORE this video so much, and props to you for going deep into a character that's only been in 3 episodes because even if he was in 3 episodes, you analysed him so well and which, I just turn on this video whenever I don't have anything to do because I love it so much, I love Mylo with all my heart and I wish people knew that no, he isn't an asshole who 'deserved to die', he's a 14-16 year old who is insecure and absolutely did NOT deserve to watch his brother die and then die a few seconds later, I love this video so much, thank you for making it😭🙏🩷

Great video. This type of thing really makes me wish I could be in a production (or at least a read-through) of NPMD someday, all of the main characters are so complex and well-written it would be so fun to play around with the show. Also would love to see a Paul video at some point because I feel like there's a lot of aspects of his characterization that people overlook for some reason. I've actually been wanting to make a video essay about "Forever and Always" specifically bc there's a lot of fascinating implications that a lot of the starkid fanbase overlooks just bc it's not the "real" Paul (and the writers themselves, since imo one of the most fascinating Paul lines was actually cut from the youtube version but I still have the original script/screen-recorded the livestream). The Paul Clones are a fascinating mirror of his core attributes under wildly different circumstances and even if the clone idea wasn't part of the initial vision when writing TGWDLM I personally think it enhances his arc in that story. I haven't gotten around to doing my own video essay yet bc I've been super busy (I had another video essay I wanted to make about my favorite TV show and that project somehow morphed into a full on documentary that's taken multiple years lol) but if you'd be interested in chatting for your Paul essay maybe I can get my thoughts out there this way. In either case great video and I'm looking forward to more!

I can’t stand Mylo hate, I get that people would get upset seeing him belittling powder but they judge before they even get to know a character. Even for a side character, I relate to him a lot, like with the way he acts with his siblings or some of his personality.

The conversation with your sister was really wholesome and heartwarming. I’m really happy she’s on your side and questioning her role in your family dynamic in regards to how it might relate to you and presumably not trying to fill the stereotype. She probably battles the things installed in her, but she’s actively choosing to be better than that. That is a relationship you should cherish.

Max Jaagerman is the musical theater equivalent of Clay Puppington from Moral Orel. You’ve made a compelling case, and as a person who spent much of his youth trying to fake himself to find acceptance, I really enjoyed your perspective on MJ. You were right, a few lines can really open things up. Best wishes

Max Jaagerman is the musical theater equivalent of Clay Puppington from Moral Orel. You’ve made a compelling case, and as a person who spent much of his youth trying to fake himself to find acceptance, I really enjoyed your perspective on MJ. You were right, a few lines can really open things up. Best wishes

Since Max seems to be an only child it makes sense for him to be both Golden Child and Scapegoat. There's only one of him so he can't really be overlooked, but he's also the only one who can be perfect or fail.

Max loves having power over others, probably because he'll soon have power over no one & nothing. Death only gave him new power. He's such an uncompromising dick and we kinda love him for it. He's not "a bully", he's _"the bully"._

Great analysis, also loved the little face reveal at the beginning lol

8:30 you should make a video thats just you talking about this musical!

I feel like all the things that you said about Max was perfectly accurate, especially the "natural and exaggerated" section. But to me, it seemed like there was actually one person that unintentionally shut down his defenses completely: Grace Chastity. I feel like that when he convinced himself that Grace wanted to "be with him" he also seemed to have a crush (or an obsession, either way goes ig) on her. When he killed Richie, he felt powerful. When he killed Ruth, it was probably just by association. When he's about to kill Pete and Steph, he felt betrayed because Steph had inadvertently caused his death by inviting him to the house and Pete liked Steph, so again, it's by association. But Grace... he was automatically more receptive of her, so he doesn't even think of killing her. And when Grace actually does "confess" that she wanted him, he was shocked that he was correct... until after the deed is done and she admits that it was just to get rid of him. So that event probably hurt the most for Max, not just because he was wrong but it also seemed, in a somewhat effed-up way, that he was lied to by his crush, possibly the one person he had no personal or cliché beef with and the only person he seems to openly show any affection for.

I was thought the catalyst was Steph calling Pete a nerd. Pete says it's the first time someone has called him a nerd since Max's death(and even though it's not said, I took it as no one has used that word)....so in my head it implied the Max heard the word 'nerd' and it "awoke" him .

Max=Top, The Best Jager= Hunter

Saddest part is Richie going through all of that while his friends were very near, enjoying the game.

i always took richie’s ‘death’ scene a little differently. i think Max mostly wanted things to go back to the way they were. as such, i would like to submit my theory that he planned to bully richie back into the role max had given him, but not necessarily kill him. i think that we watch him get angrier and closer to that switch as the song goes on, but i don’t think he genuinely intended on killing richie until “im not a loser.” his reaction to that line is overwhelming and insecure; he’s lashing out. up until that point, i think he’s been using “die/dead” in a more metaphorical sense (see: dead in a social sense or ‘you’re dead meat’ before beating them without killing them) he plans on scaring richie and reinstating his power. even “until another richie comes along” could be in an attempt to get under his skin and tell him that he’s incredibly replaceable. even his position at the bottom of the hierarchy isn’t truly his, and max can do anything he wants to prove that. until richie says “i’m not a loser,” max genuinely believes himself to be in charge. he believes he’s regaining his power and that this moment will help reinstate the system he had set up. richie not only upsets the system with that line, he also says it at a time that makes it incredibly feasible for max to feel like richie is calling HIM a loser. max went to reinstate his system and instead had it flipped on its head without his approval.

This is such a good analysis of both Richie and Max!! I love this musical!!

Hate to note it but the idea that Max "loves the hunt" yeah, his last name translated from German basically means "hunter man".

Good video. He was such an interesting character, I was ready for him to have such a good character arc. I hope there's like a flashback in season 2 of like him being nicer. He's mean because he wants to prove himself to the group. It stands to reason he was probably nicer to Powder when it was just the 2 of them, and he had nothing to prove.

I think what hurts the most is that *I* can relate to max on so many levels. I have done terrible things in my past, and i admit that, i have made efforts to change and grow. I think what made Max most compelling was his lines in the 45 seconds of nerdy prudes must die where he goes on with "Who will pray for me" because i KNOW that emotion that fear that terror of being forgotten and left alone, never being remember for my actions or my life, just simply disappearing. THAT is one of my biggest fears. And for max it HAPPENS, he IS forgotten and everything is BETTER without him. I think there is so so SO much to unpack with him, and it breaks my heart because i see myself in his character so heavily yknow? Anyways I'll get off my soapbox now. Thank you for coming to my ted talk ❤

Max is an asshole but still human. He could have changed despite his own bullshit. However, the fact and where he died will make sure we'll never know what would become of him if he didn't take the fall for the nerds. Furthermore, I have a slight theory that the house corrupted his soul to the point that he became a merciless killer. The place is literally a summoning ground for the lords in black. What do you think is gonna happen when an angry dude dies there with the notion of being murdered by people he underestimated?

Also him yelling "I'm not a Loser" Just felt so desperate and his last vulnerable cry of some sense of bravery that those classmates gave him, Even stating "I love Living" And somehow chastity gets to live...

He’s bad for the fun of it because of a tragic event but still doesn’t get us to sympathize for him True 😊

amazing video!!!! keep going

Considering max can stop a bullet, i doubt he even used a weapon for the deep cuts in the chest and skull. He probably used his bare hands at such a speed that it cut through instead

Hot dang this is a good video

THINK ABOUT THE IMPLACATIONS

Can we talk about the "Someone goes missing every day in Hatchetfield" line? It is spoken as if it's a normal thing in the town. It also reinforces "Who will pray for you when you're gone?" None of Richie's friends knew he was missing until the cops mentioned it to them and no one knew Ruth was missing until Grace was told. The Mayor didn't even care Max was dead. He focused more on the football game. The Mayor didn't even care about his daughter even when she was endangered. He was more scared about the ghost and his own life. Even when the Mayor died, nobody in the town made a huge deal about it. Although Max was a horrible person and atrocious as a ghost, he was still a teenager, however the police dropped his murder case. There was no court trial or anything. Even if his death was an accidental, it still should be investigated further. Max even brought up his father would be disappointed if he ran away from a "Ghost" like a pussy which could indicate his father doesn't even love him. At the end of the play everybody is dancing and smiling as if nothing ever happened. Many people go missing in that town thus nobody will pray for any of them when they pass

something about the actual idea of his nipples being TWISTED off of all things... ough.. that honestly is more fucked up to me than the idea of him slowly dying, organs outside his body, bleeding from almost everywhere, only to have his face shoved into a toilet to finish the job, drowning him, destroying those last threads of life... but wow.... something about flaying will always feel worse to me than cutting or gutting.

Thank you for making this video it was very much needed in the world! And I appreciated the discussion of narcissistic parents because I've experienced that as well(I think I'm the 'lost' child too). Something you didn't mention that stands out to me about Max were the words he tells Richie to repeat in the song where he kills him. I feel like he perhaps chose those words because he wanted Richie to feel the same way that he did when he died. "Who will pray for me? When I'm gone? Or until another Richie comes along" Maybe Max had a moment of awareness at the end where his inner feelings of insignificance came out. And he realized that despite everything he's done to try and earn his dad's love and his peers respect, he's always felt alone. At the end no one truly cared for him and no one would ever mourn for him. And at that moment he might've seen himself as disposable, maybe to a certain extent he always did, which is why he had to make others feel disposable instead (until another 'Max' comes along instead of Richie). Of course that could be massively reaching/projecting but that's how I always interpreted that part

I have a theory that Mylo is Vander's only biological child (solely based on their similar appearances) and that Mylo is jealous of the attention Powder and Vi get despite them being adopted

I just watched this show today and I'm obsessed so when I saw this video I didn't even think about the deeper side of things and it's crazy how much detail was put in that I missed! This makes so much sense and makes me enjoy the musical so much more. Thank you for making this - Love it!

Richies opening song broke me. He mentioned that his pulse is dropping which implies that he did not die quickly, he bled to death and drowned slowly in the toilet bowl. He had to wait to die, when comparing that to Ruth who died relatively quickly (albeit still painfully) I don’t understand why people say Ruth was in more pain when she died.