Catching Fire and the Curse of the Sequel

[@AllySheehan]

My interpretation of Peeta telling the world Katniss is pregnant was that it would help the rebellion of Panem's citizens who were not yet angry at the capitol. We see even the capitol citizens are outraged at the idea of sending her in, because they don't want harm to befall the supposed unborn child. Peeta didn't predict anything about treatment from fellow tributes, it was to aid their love story.

[@meredithnovaco]

Oh I totally see what you’re saying!! It makes sense that it was more to aid in the rebellion than the games - maybe he thought he could’ve even spared her going in at all if the capitol felt pressure from the people to save her. Thanks for watching and giving your thoughts, I love your content!!

[@AllySheehan]

@@meredithnovaco you’re so welcome!! Just my interpretation anyway, I think to how the outrage was perceived in the film when Peeta announces there’s a baby and the Capitol crowd members shout “STOP THE GAMES!!”, it was a pretty perfect mirroring for now with the overturning of roe v wade in the USA, how the supposed unborn fetus’s life had value, yet they had no problems with katniss going in to die!

[@AllySheehan]

@@meredithnovaco I think it’s also a continuation of Peeta’s “secret” that he shares in the first games, that he had a crush on Katniss and then saw how the people of panem didnt want the fairytale love to be broken apart by death, thus forcing the capitol to allow two victors. He knew how the public would respond to the idea of lovebirds (rather than enemies, which had always been the tributes way), and then again upped the ante by saying they were pregnant

[@hockeygrrlmuse]

Adding onto this, I think it makes sense that Peeta would have gone along with whatever Haymitch told him to do, and it's clear by the end of the book that Haymitch is more involved in the rebellion than anyone realized. Haymitch was the one who coached Peeta to reveal his crush on Katniss in the previous Games, and this very much feels like a parallel of that situation. Peeta is entirely determined to save Katniss and if Haymitch told him this would help her survive, he would have done it without needing to know Haymitch's ulterior motives.

[@Zaliyahh]

This is what I believed. I don't think it was a plotpoint to explain why the victors are nice to katniss. It was definitely to cause controversy on the capitol's end, among its citizens & among the district's citizens even.

[@randomusername3873]

The pregnancy reveal was to create malcontent. Maybe an attempt to stop the games, or at least create some backlash

[@LaurLumos]

I always assumed that Peeta told the world that Katniss was pregnant as a last ditch attempt to get her out of the games. It didn’t work obviously, but that was my assumption.

[@ohdreamaker]

same here!! it's been a while since i read the books so i could be totally making this up but i remember haymitch pulling katniss and peeta aside before they went on stage and telling them to do whatever they can in the interview to stop the games

[@lamyamcanthony8898]

interesting interpretation of the "katniss' point was x" moment, I always read that as an internal snarky response to what beetee had said, which started with "katniss' point was..."

[@izzilarkins3949]

same!! this felt like such an english class moment because it has literally never occurred to me that it could be a mistake - clearly we have the same sassy inner monologues as she does 💀😭

[@hannajeggings9619]

Same, esp because I refer to myself in the third person many times

[@IamEscBoy]

yeah, same

[@jbad3355]

This is exactly how I interpreted that too!

[@samthenotwinchester5518]

Yeah it’s kind of frustrating me that Meredith can’t even see the POSSIBILITY that it was a snarky thought, and instead made up a whole different book. It’s not that uncommon for people to refer to themselves by name in their own thoughts.

[@S0phia20]

I love the idea of a dual pov existing somewhere out there, but I don’t think that’s the reason for the “Katniss’s point.” I also highlighted this part of the book because I thought it was a cheeky response to Beetee assuming what Katniss’s point (exact wording) was. I thought it was a funny way of her talking about herself in third person being less intelligent than Beetee implied she was. In the context of what happened, it doesn’t make sense for anyone else to know what Katniss was intending to say except for Katniss herself. Lastly, this type of internal monologue happens again in mockingjay about 66% in.

[@hannajeggings9619]

Yeah, this is how I thought abt it too bc I do this myself in real life as do many of my friends 😂

[@erin_the_extra2329]

I was thinking the same thing! Because he says “I think Katniss’s point is…” and then she internally responds with “No, Katniss’s point was a lot more basic than that.” So she’s like sarcastically mimicking his sentence

[@Melissainsc]

This!

[@Katerine459]

A lot of other people commented on Peeta's "baby bomb," but I just thought I'd add what I think is Peeta's perspective in all this. From Peeta's perspective, he's the last tribute to take the stage, so he watched all of the other tributes take the stage, and watched the audience's reactions to them. This audience is made up of Capitol elite who could afford to be in this very exclusive audience. Collins made a point of talking about how the citizens of the Capitol were completely unprepared for the emotional onslaught that was all of these victors that they'd built parasocial relationships with over the years, one by one, taking the stage before being sent to their deaths. Katniss describes how almost every victor purposely built on that emotional connection, to the point where, when she herself took the stage in her wedding gown, the audience was wailing in despair. That was their goal... to get that audience to get upset, and maybe even angry, about the Games ending all these parasocial relationships they had. So Peeta's looking at this, thinking, "wait a second... if I play my cards right, I could actually get this audience to _call for an end to the Games."_ His goal, like the goal of many of the other victors, was to get the _entire Games_ cancelled. Or, barring that, maybe get Katniss exempted. It would have worked, too, if Snow hadn't been so hell-bent on eliminating Katniss.

[@officialmouse8470]

And if not to get Katniss out of the games, make it so that she has that much more of a chance to survive. If the audience believes that she is pregnant, they are more likely to give resources to her. Peeta was very smart when making this decision, because it at least makes it so that Katniss has a chance to survive with the resources given to her by the capital citizens in the game. That’s why, I think, they keep mentioning the baby. They know that people are watching and they are still playing into that idea.

[@EvaHoHoHo]

About Katniss never mentioning months (which you talk about around minute 5:00): I think she also doesn't really do time. Time as in X o'clock (until she gets to District 13, where she is "forced" to be places at exact times of day. they do what Americans call "military time" so like 0600). And that actually makes sense, because a) her family is super poor so she literally grew out without watches and calendars around and b) she's a nature girly and thinks of time as like "dawn" and "dusk". That may be why, when they are in the arena in CF and there's 12 gongs at midnight, her mind goes to Districts and it's only Finnick who connects it with a clock.

[@EvaHoHoHo]

Also, about your rant: I think you kind of misread that a bit: The paragraph before starts with another character saying "I think Katniss's point is..." and then goes on to explain something complicated. With "No, Katniss's point was a lot more basic than that", Katniss is being snarky. :)

[@hockeygrrlmuse]

^cosigned

[@hockeygrrlmuse]

AND I agree with your first point too. Makes sense that District 12 would not need calendars but would know certain types of time. It really tracks with Suzanne Collins' upbringing in a US military family, which I only learned about from Meredith's previous video on the first book.

[@the_blackpotatoe1268]

I liked you mentioning Peeta’s paintings. When I read the book, I always thought that the Capitol allowing his art was because they could sell it, or put it up in a museum to continually profit off the trauma of the tributes. To Peeta it is probably an act of rebellion, but to the Capitol it is another way of participating in the games. In one book, they mention how the arenas are preserved and turned into tourist attractions for people of the Capitol to vacation in, and do reenactments. I think this is similar to how they would feel about Peeta’s art. We also see the same thing in our society today, with big companies using social issues to market to the public. Collins was so in tune with the world.

[@KimM13744]

I think Peeta telling everyone Katniss is pregnant could be inspired by the French revolution, upper class woman who were pregnant were spared from the guillotine. But Peeta could just be trying to stop the games and wanted public sympathy so they would get more sponsors and possibly getting the capitol citizens to see how cruel Snow is.

[@SpookySkellyGurl]

I really don't think that was a typo, I think it was just Katniss referring to herself in the third person in a tongue-in-cheek way. That was how I interpreted it when I recently reread it, anyway.

[@AC-rc7gd]

Agreed. I just went to that page and Beetee is saying, “… Katniss’s point is…” and then she just referred to herself in 3rd person to say that wasn’t her point.

[@samoyed7895]

I thought the reason getting the high scores was bad was because it supposedly would out targets on their backs for the other tributes. Like basically giving them high scores would make the other tributes see them as a threat and want to eliminate them. Or would just make the other tributes resent them and want to kill them…it’s been awhile since I read the book.

[@l.tc.5032]

​@@zacharykhan8556 It's possible that haymitch wasn't privy to the escape plan just yet. In fact, it's my headcanon that on the day that Katniss and Peeta got their day off, that's when he was brought into the loop.

[@I.Read.The.Hobbit.In.1937]

In my opinion, the best sequels ever are Catching Fire and The Winter Soldier. They both have many similarities. Action, reoccurring and new characters, multiple antagonists, a really old main villain, a plot revolving around distrust, and most of all, they’re much darker than the original. In Catching Fire, there’s new rules, new leadership, gruesome scenes, and another big event. In TWS, there’s new rules, new leadership, gruesome scenes, and another big event (that oddly also includes an aircraft like in TFA). They’re both darker than the original, and that makes them more interesting.

[@Kuhboose1]

I think there was a passing mention in the book by peeta that the captiol wouldnt show his more horrific paintings, so they only show his nicer or tamer ones. I definitely think Rue's impact is intentional. I've seen a lot of people say that the rebellion started with rue, and while I think that negates katniss volunteering for prim, I do think the "fire catches" so to speak with Rue's death and people coming to know and love her through katniss. Other people have said it but pretty sure the "katniss' point" thing is most definitely katniss being internally snarky

[@yourlocalfatshionista]

I thought Peeta brought up the pregnancy to not only insight anger in the fans, but to get more sponsors

[@lmaolini]

he used it to try and stop the games, like all the other candidates did first and foremost. peeta was always shown as cunning and smart more than being someone who uses battle. it also shows how sick it is that everyone then seemed to care more about an unborn child than the child actually standing infront of them (sounds familiar hmm)

[@FIRING_BLIND]

22:33 so Peeta saying Katniss is pregnant makes sense. It shows his dedication to her, first of all. She wants to keep him alive, but he wants to keep her alive. He gives her surviving more weight, gives the Capitol citizens and sponsors more reasons to support HER because she now represents 2 lives, not 1. For Collins, this gives the excuse of why the other tributes/victors are so nice to her-it does give them cover, but Peeta didn't need to know the final twist to have incentive to say this-he had his own reasons, the rebels just capitalized on the opportunity he gave them.

[@katehengstler]

She gave Donald Sutherland a backstory of snow so I would say she definitely has had it all thought out and planned

[@abbythecat01]

Right around 17:00 you say that we should suspend our disbelief that Katniss was walking around on a broken foot. I felt I should mention that my mom broke her foot when she was a teenager and walked around on it for at least a week before she decided to go to the doctor. Idk why she did it. I think it was because it was the 70’s, and back then you were expected to be tough and “suck it up” if you had an injury that wasn’t life threatening. But anyway, I just thought I should mention that it IS possible if you’re determined enough. Probably a really really really terrible idea though.

[@kezylovespontins]

Second to this when I was 16 I broke my foot (2012 ISH) and walked around on it for three weeks including performing in guys and dolls as Adelaide dancing in heels 🤷🏼‍♀️ I was in agony but the first hospital said my foot wasn't broken and that the swelling was because I wasn't walking enough 🤷🏼‍♀️ it was broken... Smashed 😂 but it's definitely plausible for her to do so.

[@notahumanbeing6892]

My mom won a gymnastics tournament on a fractured ankle lol, people can definitely move fine with broken bones if they’re more minor ones. Ive broken a couple toes myself that i didn’t realize were actually broken until literal months later

[@Jack48766]

I just thought of Katniss using third person as her facetiously mimicking the tone of Beetee’s immediately previous statement

[@abbythecat01]

The reason why Katniss was portrayed as being pregnant is because the rebels wanted to use that to garner sympathy for her from the Capitol citizens. Suddenly, if the Capitol citizens think that she’s pregnant, they’ll not only be yelling and screaming at the Capitol to let her go home from the games, but they’ll also be more likely to sponsor her once she’s in the arena and needs someone to send her medicine or supplies or food and whatnot. At this point, everyone (Capitol citizens and normal citizens of Panem alike) is going to unite against the Capitol in anger that they’re sending a poor pregnant woman and an innocent baby to die in the arena. I wonder if Collins wanted to use this to criticize the pro-life movement as well, by showing that pro-lifers care more about an unborn fetus than they do actual living children. Because sending an unborn fetus to a fight to the death in the Hunger Games? Absolutely not, how dare you. But sending a 12 year old girl to fight to the death in the Hunger Games? Abso-friggen-lutely, how soon can we send ‘em in?

[@grayoliverr]

I think your spot on in terms of the intended result of saying she was pregnant, I dont think it has anything to do with the rebels. At that point in the story, peeta doesnt even know district 13 or the rebel movement exists. Yes, the hope was to spark outrage and garner sponsors for katniss and/or try and get her removed from the games entirely, but that was entirely Peeta's (and possibly Hamitch's) idea, not the rebels.

[@stinkyspicee]

I agree wit you on how planning your stories out and only writing up to that point can avoid meaningless filler/fan-service/w.e. I do however wish that more media would portray what happens "after the fall of the empire" type ish. There's so much there to dig into! How do you rebuild society from the ground up? How do you avoid the tyrannical oppression of those who came before? What past mistakes do you learn from? What new mistakes do you make? How do you ensure freedom? How do you go about actually solving systemic issues? I think we need that. Especially now. Not saying it needs to be with the Hunger Games. But I would love to see it happen in more stories!

[@meredithnovaco]

This is a good point, I’m trying to think of examples of a book doing that but none are coming to mind!! Maybe you could write it 👀👀

[@PaddleboardingFL]

fun fact there is actually a deleted scene from the film where Plutarch switches the cards before the announcement of the quarter quell

[@EllaBryant-n7y]

The only mention of months in the original trilogy is Katniss’ birthday, which is said to be in May

[@reveur2585]

38:54 same with Buffy! Season 6 was aimless but the musical scene is so iconic, its hard to be mad

[@rebeccarodger2636]

I both disagree and agree. Buffy season 6 is excellent and might be the best season of television ever made (I might be a sadist 😂) and the musical episode is absolutely iconic ❤

[@l.tc.5032]

I always thought Peeta 's fake pregnancy announcement was his way to try to get the games canceled, cuz everyone else was doing it so why not him?

[@SabrinaStole]

I think that the "typo" was not really another perspective. They wouldn't do that for less than a page. I think that it was showing how she is starting to feel like she's not the Katniss we met in the first book. In Mockingjay, that's when she starts to go insane and KNOWS she's not the same. This is before she realizes it.

[@titusklem6781]

I love this channel! You're so well spoken and it's great casual presentation, it's so refreshing to see this kind of analysis.

[@meredithnovaco]

Thank you so much!! This is so nice 😭 I have a lot of books I want to do videos on so this style will stick around for a while!

[@linettehernandez1235]

I think you’re so RIGHT ABOUT sequels really only being good if it’s pre planned. That’s probably because usually when there a stand alone the author tries to wrap up what’s really essentially needed to tell the story they wish to portray. So if the book does well and the author wished to all of a sudden write more…it’s difficult to make it as good as the first because realistically there was only supposed to be a first.. the story was already told. Catching Fire is my favorite from the 3, it kept me 100% on my feet and thinking about it for days and fighting to read it all in one day.

[@charlottelowe9718]

Absolutely love your theory on writing all three at once, but it was revealed that she only wrote the Hunger Games, but since it was so popular, wrote Catching Fire and Mockingjay

[@lindahorton7851]

Really? Recently I heard that Collins said that from the very beginning she knew that Prim would die, and that happens in the third book. But I've also noticed that sometimes author after comments seem to be inconsistent

[@Sam.Hendy28]

Catching Fire is literally my fav movie of all time

[@meredithnovaco]

It’s such a good adaptation!! They did a great job with it!

[@MurshaGames]

YAY another video!!! this is such a great breakdown, I feel like your vids just keep getting better and you keep ABSOLUTELY SERVING us the best info

[@meredithnovaco]

THANK YOUUUU ❤️❤️ you guys are the best!!

[@scottjs5207]

Christine was first person for the vast majority of the book until our main character gets hurt in a Football game, then the book goes third person until he recovers. It honestly worked really well and it was interesting seeing him from the third near the end of that section, and getting portions where Christine was doing her demon car thing... very brutally.

[@KassieR329]

Here before 1K I can already tell you're gonna blow up. Love your content!!

[@emelong3152]

I think a much better alternative perspective would’ve been Plutarch. Him trying to drop hints to katniss and working with the rebels while maintaining the facade of head gamemaker

[@meliahfronsoe6873]

It’s actually not a typo at all. That specific line of the book is just katniss thinking sarcastically. If I remember correctly, she had just explained a theory to her group and beete (if that’s how you spell his name) made her very surface level observation into something much more detailed and said something along the lines of “I think what katniss is trying to say is….” Where she replied in her own head “no actually katniss’s idea was much more basic than that” it’s supposed to be read kind of with an eye roll. At least that’s how I always saw it

[@jazmohawk7435]

This video is very well put together. I haven’t read the books bc I get sick easy but I have seen the movies. Thank you for sharing :))

[@meredithnovaco]

Thank you for watching!! Did you like the movies?

[@paigehalseywarren]

Katniss is deliberately referring to herself in the third person because it mirrors Beetee's statement. He says, "Katniss's point is (complicated, well-elaborated point)" and Katniss is mentally mocking herself by copying his statement but with a more accurate assessment. "No, Katniss's point was much more simple than that."

[@SakuSmile]

Meredith you're so cool I can't!! thank you so much for your videos, it's so interesting and entertaining to listen to you! wish one day I'll be able to say "yup, I've followed her since her first 1k subs!"

[@summerfishy]

About your question on if Panem/the districts have a calendar system- Katniss makes explicit mention of her birthday being on May 8.

[@merrillt8387]

You're making me want to reread!! I love this series!!

[@baileypercival7481]

For Katniss referring to herself in the third person, I dont think that was Collins making up another character's perspective just to get rid of it later on and forget the ONE line. I think Katniss, in snarky tern fashion, referred to herself in the third person. Like, when I read that line, I read it as Katniss reflecting on herself and her knowledge or lack of the arena.

[@notyournormalg1]

I don’t doubt that president snow doesn’t want anyone to have an actual idea of how much time has been between anything. They know the years by whenever the capital plans a Hunger Games.

[@grayoliverr]

they do also have calendars, or at least a way of tracking months, since Katniss says in the first book that on her birthday (may 8th) she gets her first batch of tessera, and on the 8th of every month she's entitled to get more. I reckon there just isn't much importance placed on dates in the districts outside of birthdays and other key dates like the reaping, and also distric specific key dates (such as the start of harvest in district 11)

[@Evelyn_Okay]

The reason the love triangle doesnt feel like a real love triangle is bc Suzanna didnt write it in the original manuscript. Her agent said no publishing house was going to buy such a gruesome YA book. Since Twilight was peaking at that time, Suzanne decided cram in a love triangle. Though her agent still didn't think it was enough to hook a teen girl audience, she submitted the manuscript to publishers anyway. Once it sold, she was able to make it more clear that Gale is symbolic of how the violence of war currupts young men

[@PaperRabbitsArts]

Katniss and Peeta getting 12’s is bad because it was done to put a target on them to the other non rebellion victors (1 + 2)

[@24evanesce]

The only time a specific date or month is mentioned is when they say Katniss's birthday is May 8, and Prim was also born in May.

[@thenerdychicano]

Great video and as always such articulate and digestible analysis. I may not like these books but you make it easy to watch a 40 minute video on them.

[@meredithnovaco]

Thank you!! I’m making another one on mockingjay soon! What didn’t you like about them? I’m always curious!

[@thenerdychicano]

@@meredithnovaco you’re welcome! I like the casual nature of your analysis. It’s easy to digest and very easy to follow. Literary analysis can be difficult but the way you present it is easier to follow. As I’ve said, I don’t read as much as I would like so following your analysis says a lot since the last time I read these books was when they came out.

[@lorenrow]

have watched a few of your videos and love them! just wanted to note that the way you used "trauma bond" is not correct. it's actually the forced connection that an abuser inflicts onto their victim. they use the highs/lows of abuse (love-bombing, then devaluation) to emotionally and mentally keep their victim hooked via adrenaline, unpredictability, confusion, and loss of self-esteem. it's been likened to addiction. a lot of people misuse it as "bonding over shared trauma" which dilutes its meaning.

[@g.e.t.w.e.l.l.s.o.o.n]

The “if it weren’t for the baby” scene’s purpose is to criticize pro-lifers. The capital is fine with children participating in a fight to the death for their entertainment. Suddenly the games are unethical and wrong when one of the tributes it’s allegedly pregnant. A lot of people in the US are pro-life until the kid is born- then they let the kid die from hunger, no access or healthcare, or gun violence. Suzanne was making fun of pro-lifers because they are pro life until they are signing off on money that funds bombs that drop on the heads of children that they didn’t want pregnant people to abort. I also think Peeta said that to not only try and stop the games but to laugh in the faces of capital citizens. He is on stage for an interview before he fights in a televised death match and drops a baby bomb. He called them hypocrites right to their faces and he did it with a smirk. I think he thought one last act of defiance couldn’t hurt since he thought he was gonna die anyways.

[@keittykit]

Not really backwards. Even Katniss realized that the high score isn't a great thing in the first book. It's just a matter of being over the top. Like the difference of "having emergency supplies" and "hoarding". One is good, the other is not. It went from "That's a tough opponent" to "Must. Kill."

[@raylynne5280]

I haven't read these books in yearssssss but I thought they explained the pregnancy thing, didn't Peeta say at one point he thought maybe they'd call off the games if they thought she was pregnant or at least incite something within the Capitol, making citizens think they're sending a pregnant woman into the arena? Did I make that up? Is that just why I thought he was doing it? I really thought he explained his thinking at some point

[@madd5194]

Thank you for starting a great discussion in the video and within this comment section!

[@idontuploadanym0re]

i mean, there are most definitely examples of sequels that are better than originals. take the original star wars trilogy for example. i think it’s pretty clear the common consensus is that empire strikes back is better than the original star wars/a new hope. high school musical 2 is also, from what ive seen, generally said to be the best of its own bunch. i wonder why it’s so rare though. it’s some sort of lightning in a bottle that’s hard to capture.

[@actress5256]

I think your draft theory is definitely a crack theory, but I would LOVE to read that version in a fic too lol

[@tessaarmstrong4770]

So regarding the page 336 thing: I did pull up the page and read the previous couple paragraphs to get a bit more context and I don’t think it was a typo or a leave over from a potential multi-perspective. Just before this Beetee is mansplaining something Katniss has said, and he uses the phrase “Katniss’s point”. I think she’s just having a sassy internal monologue quick call back to what was just said. Because no one likes being mansplained to by some genius guy when what her point was actually was more simple than what he was saying. But he’s probably also obfuscating because of the plan already in place. Just my interpretation.

[@jerryosborne9982]

I would love to see a prequel book that is haymitch’s story of when he was in the games

[@Tani0415]

Sunrise on the Reaping is coming!

[@flowood9783]

The only mention of a month i can think of is Katniss’s birthday, May 8th

[@raysadbury8907]

I love these deep dives so much!! Gosh I need so many more of these lmao, like for Divergent

[@brettglick8813]

You are right. She had every book written already, including songbirds and snakes in katnis's perspective. I READ PART IV THE PEACEKEEPER IN 2012 AFTER THE FIRST MOVIE CAME OUT. In songbirds and snakes, the peacekeeper is part 3. When I read the mockingjay, the peacekeeper is part 4. Has so many amazing details that songbirds and snakes does not not not The only thing new in Songbirds and Snakes is part 1. Everything else was already written. I CAN GIVE YOU SPECIFIC DETAILS NOT MENTIONED SONGBIRDS AND SNAKES THAT I HOPE GETS MENTIONED IN SUNRISE OF THE REAPING.

[@mckenziepearmain]

really loved hearing your thoughts again! i plan on reading the series all the way through again and i want to read it in the order you have and see if anything stands out to me that way

[@Noah_McLennan]

Somebody else may have said it, but Katniss says a month when she says her birthday, May 8th

[@oragnecabbage]

Hi! your video randomly showed up on my recommended, and i am so happy it dit. You're very well spoken and you explain things really nicely, so i will definetely be checking out more of your videos :)

[@meredithnovaco]

Thank you so much!! I appreciate it! ❤️

[@kayleighgould3793]

22:29 the way I thought she was really pregnant when I read it first the first time at 13

[@catelyngrace6903]

"I fucking hate Gale" 😂 same girl

[@bubblegum8959]

I think Suzanne does a brilliant job on writing the "trauma bonding romance" you know with Katniss and Peeta, Katniss never liked Peeta that way barely knows him except for that one act of kindness he showed her, but she felt like she was stuck with him, and felt like she had to love him to survive and while she was putting on a facade for most of it she did truly cared for Peeta, even though she didnt want to, it was a great way of showing the conflict of people bonding through something horrible but also showing that its not easy, her former feelings about peeta was fighting her newer feelings and i think that was Gale, Gale was there to fight her feelings for Peeta because "how can i like him when i like Gale, its impossible" but she then slowly turns into caring about him and this is why i was never 100% on team Peeta i was never team Gale, but it was hard to ruit for Peeta because the only thing that helped her care for him was the games and i think thats all it did i think she may have had a feeling here and there but i overall think the games just made her care for him and then being separated from him just made her care more, i think care and love got confused i dont think she loved him i think she only cared for him and when Gale inevitably no longer became an option she felt she had to be with him which wasnt a bad thing because she cared for him but id say it took them at least a year for her feelings to grow into love i think for most of we see of her and Peeta Katniss never loved him only cared until the end

[@AC-rc7gd]

Peeta was the only one she had stirring feelings for. I think that Katniss does love him in this book. She just doesn’t realize because she is so closed off she doesn’t want to think about it. She’s been on survival mode since 11 and keeping her sister safe. Romantic love has never been an interest for her before because she needed to work hard up keep herself, sister, and mom alive. Before the Quell she got to know Peeta more and was letting her guard down a tiny bit. But she’s so closed off that she doesn’t understand her feelings or how to handle them. They’re in the way of her survival mode mentality. Then she’s thrown back in the game. I think that’s when she’s truly able to accept and understand she loves him and has for a while.

[@kaylajones1689]

I have literally said the exact same thing about Supernatural so many times I thought I ghostwrote this video

[@eulyc.959]

I’m gonna disagree with being understanding about peeta being justified in being annoyed at katniss for playing the love angle. He had no right in being angry at her for it before his apology. as she was playing the game HE AND HAYMITCH planned for her and forced her into. He acknowledged that he was jealous and knew gale and her might have something, he says himself that he asked haymitch to train him for interviews separately to plan a love angle, doesn’t consult katniss about it. When she reacts negatively by pushing him, he is there when haymitch says that is going to be their survival strategy for the cameras. Peeta even says that Katniss didn’t say she was in love with him, so it shouldn’t be a problem. He came up with it, dude had no right to be mad because it was a game he planned with haymitch and forced her to play into. That’s manipulation to me 🤷🏽‍♀️ Gale was in love with Katniss and it’s understandable that he would also be hurt and upset. He didn’t go about the right way at all, and it’s not justified at all how he acted. but I can see where he is coming from too with his feelings

[@emilieschlichting6824]

She also wrote Katnis's instead of Katniss', which really bugs me, that it's so obvious, but isn't pointed out. But wouldn't failing to correct the perspective count as a mistake still..? It was still a typo missed by editor and author.

[@catelyngrace6903]

In my personal opinion I think the reason why sequels always suck is because there's already usually a fan base, so the author doesn't have to worry about trying to reel a new fan base in. I feel like it's all a lot of times a cash grab.

[@Katerine459]

Sorry about the multiples -- different topic. :) Regarding sequelitis, I almost completely agree with your assessment that good sequels are only possible if they were part of the original planned story. Though I can't completely agree, because... well... _Toy Story_ 2, 3, and 4 exist, as well as the _How to Train Your Dragon_ sequels. I loved all of the installments of the HTTYD movie series, and I actually like the Toy Story sequels more than the original. And I'm pretty sure that the first movies in each of those franchises were originally intended as standalone stories. So good sequels that weren't originally planned _are_ possible, though I agree that they are the exception rather than the rule. It would be interesting to explore why that is. What makes those sequels good when, looking at what sparked them, they really had no right to be?

[@gabrielleduplessis7388]

I feel I see two things. Presently, people just automatically hating a sequel even before they see it because they are tired of seeing reboots, sequels, and remakes and I get it. I get tired of not seeing a lot of original films too. But you shouldn’t just get mad at a sequel before you even see it. I feel sequels for creators provide the same feelings of fan fiction writers. They have the baseboard and characterization set up which allows them to create new storylines. I don’t feel every sequel is a cash grab. The second thing I see is with those who do watch them, but feel they weren’t needed. But I also see many people praise the sequels that they clearly see had thought and effort put into them. Catching Fire is one of them. Also Star Wars (first three, mostly), inside out 2, Harry Potter, etc. Long story short, my conclusion is yes, companies should take risks on original projects, but please don’t rip on a remake or sequel before watching it or just on the trailer alone. Sometimes trailers are deceiving.

[@poprocks6576]

I love this videos, I love all the videos I’ve seen so far, I love how you look through these books with metaphor it’s such a good way to deconstruct. I’ve seen other comments saying the same thing I’m gonna say BUT I think the reason Pita made up the baby is cause are you seeing the capital after that announcement. The capitals already iffy on this Quarter Quell with people they know being in the death games but now suddenly this isn’t just tragic it’s downright immoral. I’m sure you could propaganda a city into being fine with murdering a pregnant woman but it’d be VERY HARD. That is the iconic love bird from the last game now going back into the area with a kid you know the upheaval thatll happen that dies happen in the scene. The amount of gifts they’ll receive from outside? Pita is on some 3d chess political play, playing up the love story Snow wants them to and making it his own and using it against. Oh you want a tragic dramatic love story, I’ll give you a deeply tragic dramatic as hell love story.

[@Frozengreen757]

Does anyone know about the curse of the dreamworks trilogy? its where the first is good and then the second is an instant classic amazing and then the third drops off a bit but still better than the first by a little bit

[@LRCh_]

I really enjoy your analyses, and I love the effort you put into your perspective rant, BUT in that passage, Katniss is sarcastically quoting the previous line from Beetee "I think Katniss's point is..." science science science. And she thinks 'No, Katniss's point is a lot simpler than that.' I think it's pointing out the way men will refer to women in third person when those very women are PART OF THE CONVERSATION TOO, BEETEE.

[@AriannaWilliams]

Love me a good deep dive like this

[@meredithnovaco]

Love youuuuuu ❤️

[@merbear98]

Can’t wait for mockingjay!!

[@bridgetlynch2043]

An Outlander AND Supernatural reference?? Oh, let’s be friends lol

[@happycamper6298]

I love your videos and eagerly anticipate new content. On behalf of all abuse survivors coming to your channel, please stop misusing the term “trauma bond.” While you are obviously well read, well educated, and highly intelligent, you have this one wrong. Trauma bonding is very specifically about the relationship between an abuser and their victim. It is NOT about the relationship between people who have experienced a traumatic event together. Thanks for your attention to this point. I know it will help many of us hear what you are saying more clearly.

[@woahseph47]

What if it was prim on the outside…

[@venus67venus]

The second Book was the worst. The first half rules. Then Katniss just can't seem to understand that everyone is on her side, every new charaxter it's the same thing *you're our savior and symbol and I'm trying to hint this to you* and she's like *maybe? No definetly not, they probably hate me or are trying to brag, and im going to act accordingly* like sure act according to that but also get a hint

[@keittykit]

Girl just finished a death game a year ago and is thrown in again this time. Of course she's not gonna trust everyone. She's just a teenager and everyone is like "You're our savior". She can barely survive, so of course in her head she's like "how tf am I gonna save y'all? I can barely save myself and I'm trying to save my friend who I think is better than me"

[@venus67venus]

@@keittykit that's not what I was talking about. (The second part) I'm talking about how she doesn't believe that anyone is on her side no matter how obvious it is from the perspective of a grown up reader. But also you're right, of course she has trust issues. It's just to the point she seems dumber than in the first book. Especially since one of her strengths is sensing peoples intentions. Except Peetas of course. That was my experience while reading the books. It's nice tho to have real discussions in the comment section 🌸

[@mareeeeeeeeeeeeeeee]

38:20 I said basically the exact same shit to my gf

[@NataleeRose2012]

Catching Fire is my favorite of the 3. I think Mockingjay is meh, Hunger Games is good. But Yeah

[@XxheesyweesyxX]

nah catching fire was so fkn good

[@Mr__Dr]

Catching Fire is the only great movie adaptation out of the series!

[@meredithnovaco]

Ooh you guys should do a video on that!!! I’d love to see how it compares to the other two and why you liked that one the most!!

[@callumdrage5889]

But Catching Fire was the best in the series!

[@marilync417]

Aww man u dont care about the new characters like finnick and joanna? Lol

[@kellynaz9256]

i like your delivery but you miss hard on a lot of things. refer to the comments. but each to their own. interpretations are subjective.

[@piperlee2295]

you’re so pretty

[@dannydavideo3425]

Gales #1 Hater

[@trinityharriet7978]

😌 "promo sm"

[@lachlainegordon806]

Pg336

[@ericathesuckup]

I see other's have pointed this out but I agree Peeta's pregnancy claim was a last ditch effort to create enough public outrage from the Capitol citizens to try and get the games stopped from going forward. I feel like maybe that's more explicitly stated in the movie? I might be wrong though

[@hodeyfu7617]

The protagonists don’t have a solid victory. They barely made it through. It’s like Empire Strikes Back. It’s subverted expectations. The first book was much better, the second book just expands on the first and rehashes the first. But people are easily distracted, which ol is ironic based on the book.