RWBY Volume 7 Episode 8 Reaction

[@lhhOriginalGrey]

They are all a different response to trauma: Weiss is fight Winter is flight Willow is freeze Whitley is fawn

[@seraphimrosenhart173]

Oh my god, you're completely right! I never realized that before! Great writing in some ways tbh.

[@WalterWhite-jz7ct]

Willow being a far more tragic figure than one might gleam from that conversation is such a huge piece of backstory for weiss. An alcoholic who never had gotten the help she needed, only concerned herself with getting her Kids out, by whatever means neccecary. She gave up on life but still cares about her Children... even if years of neglect and alcohol make it impossible to show

[@LordAerono]

That ending ...that is one of the most innocuously horrifying things I've ever seen. I remember watching it for the first time and thinking "OK Watts, you made it cold enough to snow, what's the big....Mantle's in the arctic. Oh. Oh no."

[@jessc.994]

And then the reaction of the child who excitedly goes “hey mom! It’s snowing!” and not realizing what that means for them.

[@Hawk_of_Battle]

I feel like it goes over a lot of peoples heads whenever I see others reacting to it. Like, the man just clearly shut down the heating, for an entire city. That's... yeah... that's a scary level of control in itself.

[@WalterWhite-jz7ct]

"Without heating or projected Aura, the cold of Solitas can kill you in a matter of hours." Weiss Schnee, V7

[@austin-1993]

​@@Hawk_of_Battle To be fair I didn't think it was all that clear. I myself didn't realize what he did until later probably because I forgot how much control he has over the city network.

[@grantharriman284]

I absolutely LOVE the detail of Willow Schnee saying that Weiss left Whitley alone "with US." She is under no illusion that Jacque is the only problem in this family. She makes no excuse for her complicity in his abuses. She knows she should have done better, but it's too late to fix now. That one hits hard.

[@jonathanrobinson198]

In Whitley’s defense, he would’ve been no older than eight when Willow starts drinking because of the argument that happened on Weiss’s birthday and even after his sisters left, we know they did things that upset Jacques; who we’ve seen hit his kids no problem. So he’s just in a house with terrible parents and dealing with whatever mood his dad is in as he steadily gains more responsibilities that used to be his sisters’. As someone who grew up with two older sisters myself, it’s a “tad” aggravating when they make choices for themselves without considering the fallout that happens on who is left in the house. It’s not Winter and Weiss’s fault their family is a mess, but they’ve also done no favors in making it not as bad as it could’ve been for the three of them.

[@josephcirrincone9596]

Exactly I LOVE how well you explained that fact about Whitley

[@jakest123]

Exactly. Whitley knows that going against his father results in violence and bad mood swings, so he's learned to "appease" him and stay in his good books, thereby going against his sisters who kept making his father angry (which could be expressed onto him too, given how Jacques gets pissy at Whitley in episode 4). Each of the Schnees is a different trauma response. Winter is flight, because she left early on. Weiss is fight, because she challenged her father for the right to go to Beacon and constantly stands against him. Willow is freeze, because she stayed where she was (probably "for the kids") and became a shell of herself. Whitley is fawn because he learned the best way to survive was to appease his father.

[@galonski64]

I've always defended him from the start. he was a jerk yes, but we can easily see how he became that back before Weiss escape, with the way her father acted. Winter left, then she did, and he was left all alone, making sure to never anger father.

[@pumpkinwarrior7138]

I agree with everything besides the sisters thing They’ve done no favors but I wouldn’t expect abused children to do anything but flee for the heavens as soon as they can and I can’t feel any sort of negativity for that action only for everything after

[@jonathanrobinson198]

@@pumpkinwarrior7138 As an outsider looking in, yeah. But from the perspective of someone who’s in the exact same situation, they’re being left to the wolves with no consideration. On top of that for Whitley, he knows Weiss choosing Beacon was a deliberate choice that we know made Jacques mad. Some resentment is understandable considering his siblings didn’t just leave and that was the end. They left and still did things that ended up influencing inside the house that they didn’t have to deal with. Once again it isn’t really their fault but that doesn’t stop any frustration go away.

[@MegumiMary]

"Without heating or projected aura the cold of Solitas could kill you in hours" Classic Checkov's gun from the start of the volume

[@DevilSlayr]

I really like Winter and Pennys relationship. Winter is a human trying to become a robot and Penny is a robot trying to become human. Winters trauma has lead her to believe that she can only be useful as a tool or specifically a weapon, while the last thing Penny wishes to be is just a weapon.

[@josh_miester_x511]

She wants to be Suuupeeeermaaaaaan.~

[@jasonl8681]

"you left him alone...with us." it's a short line, says a lot though.

[@WalterWhite-jz7ct]

Yeah, that line does so much heavy lifting in how Whitley had to endure being left by both of his sisters in what is, essentially, a broken household

[@VampTwinkie]

You have to cut the brother a little slack considering both the first and middle child went renegade, that means the father is on his ass 3 times as much to ensure he stays in line, the manipulation he's going through right now is scary to think about

[@jessc.994]

One tiny moment I love is Qrow passing on the drink. He’s doing so well with being sober.

[@WalterWhite-jz7ct]

Well overdue but it's so good to see him sticking to it

[@TMAC_burninator]

Winter didn't think Penny wouldn't understand because she isn't human. Winter even reframed it as being because they were in her old home with all of the baggage associated with it.

[@JJR93]

It is what Penny assumed at first, so it was good for Winter to clarify that it was a deeply personal thing and her history with her family and that house. Penny is so sweet & innocent and doesn't see anything wrong with speaking from the heart, doesn't understand (or agree with) Winter's self-reproach.

[@LordoftheSwamp1269]

Few things this chapter; 1: That hood ornament on that hover limousine is that of a Raptor. That's a reference to the unused RWBY Raptor that Monty Oum wanted to use as Team RWBY's pet. 2: Willow Schnee makes her grand debut. 3: Whitley didn't have much of a choice. It was either fall in line or be subjected to more cruelty. 4: The Cold of Solitas will Kill you in a few hours without heating or projected Aura. Watts cut off the heat in Mantle, making the rain into snow. That's not a great sign.

[@Andrew1990M]

To be clear, Winter wasn’t implying Penny wouldn’t understand because she is a robot. Winter doesn’t see Penny that way. It was more the fact that Penny, regardless of what she is, didn’t have the traumatic and complicated home life that Winter did. She has a father that loves her.

[@undeathghost5627]

Yup. The reason it doesn't feel like it briefly is because, logically, Penny's first instinct is to assume she is being treated like a machine. Winter is actually a good friend to Penny and understands she isn't heartless though.

[@wootcat]

I love the delivery of Weiss's line "It's okay, Mom. It's fine..." when replying to Willow's excuse for not being at the party. You can tell that is a line she has delivered many, many times in her past.

[@madhavmandava]

I think Willow is applying that Whitley is not a bad kid ...but was left with a Bad influence....that influence is Jauq

[@josephcirrincone9596]

Exactly correct

[@zyouri121]

Whitley is also a victim of Jacques, so saving him would benefit everyone

[@thechristiandino]

The only praise I'll ever give Jacques is that they have written him so well and the VA does such a good job making him so deplorable and hateful.

[@undeathghost5627]

Glad someones saying it. I love Jacques as a character. Hate his guts. But the entire Schnee family is extremely well written.

[@othergrimm6592]

Also, as horrible as he is, he's not wrong about anything he says about Ironwood here.

[@undeathghost5627]

@@othergrimm6592 That's what makes it sting for Winter so much. She looks up to Ironwood and he's being made to look a fool by the man she resents more than anyone else

[@ramsde68]

One really important thing to remember about Whitley, think about who Weiss was when we first met her. She was... not a nice person at the beginning of the show. She was on a not so great path and held a lot of prejudices and superiority. Of course Ruby and the team slowly broke that down and we see the wonderful woman she became. But Whitley never got that. He got a horribly abusive ass hole of a father, and a drunk mother who's given up on life. Whitley never got the found family to correct all the misconceptions he had in the world that Weiss got. Does it excuse him being the little punk he is? Not at all. But this makes us think what happens to Weiss if she never gets a group as caring as team RWBY around her.

[@shadowangel3995]

I love Winter nicely telling Ironwood, “FU.” When he suggested that they should smile for the cameras.

[@shade4108]

The "it's showing" line is worse than you realise, the city is built in an article tundra meaning it's always freezing, so the city needs a way to walk from building to building so the entire city is heated and it was just turned off When you spend a long time around someone so toxic without anyone else to help, you slowly become toxic and this process happens faster with children

[@Hawk_of_Battle]

You are correct about Jacque; he married into the family and took over the company from Wiess' grandad, Nicholas. But also remember; Jacque Schnee wears a clip-on tie. Never forget!

[@brookereacts]

Gotta disagree with "you made your bed lie in it" about a 14 year old abused kid who feels abandoned by his sisters. We see that Jaques physically and emotionally abuses his children yet people only seem to have empathy for Weiss and Winter because Whitley isn't the perfect victim. I feel like many people forget how Weiss acted when we first met her but she was a snooty, self righteous, racist, who thought she was better than everyone else. It was getting a way from her father that allowed her to grow and change. Whitley was left alone with no escape, thus no ability to see different perspectives and grow as a person.

[@JJR93]

The way Willow just looks at Weiss as if to say "who are we kidding here?" and just drinks straight from the bottle.

[@RyderDunei]

I don't remember if you have already watched it, but the World of Remnant episode about The Schnee Dust Company explains why Jacques holds such power instead of Willow (Weiss's Mom). Also, I've heard it said that each of the Schnee's affected by Jacques represent the 4 stress responses: Freeze, Flight, Fight and Fawn. Willow, Winter, Weiss, Whitley.

[@BGTitanAvatar]

I love (and hate) that coming back home really messed with Winter. She’s probably not been back since she joined the academy and likes to think that she’s broke ties with that part of her life. But being back in this house with all its bad memories just put her back in the mindset of being a kid under Jacques’s thumb again, with him having all the control and lording over everyone (but especially her). I do love that when she said that Penny wouldn’t understand, and saw that Penny thought she meant because she was a robot, Winter made it clear that wasn’t the case. She just meant this was her trauma and she let it get to her. I also just like this little bond Winter and Penny seemed to have formed. It’s good. Winter sees Penny as a person and they both needed a friend. The scene with Willow is so good. Like it makes me viscerally uncomfortable at points. I think that’s the voice of Winry from FMAB (Caitlin Glass) doing Willow and I would’ve never recognized her. And in defense of Whitley, something to point out. Each of the Schnees outside of Jacques show traits of the four fear responses. - Weiss is Fight. She's been doing everything she can to fix the Schnee name and what it means, going against her father in any way she can. - Winter is Flight. She ran from home and joined the military, but has done little in the way of actually facing Jacques head on. Still has moments of defiance but overall avoids Jacques at all costs. - Willow is Freeze. It's pretty self explanatory but she has completely shut down. She's resigned herself to the situation, and regardless of if she could leave (which with how obsessed Jacques is with reputation and such I'm almost certain he's done something to make it incredibly hard to, or in the beginning before the addiction it was about staying to make sure the kids were alright but once the addiction really formed there was no way in hell in a divorce that she'd be able to get custody of the kids. This is all just speculation on my end however) she at least feels stuck (but noticeably even she musters up small little defiances: the cameras). - Whitley is Fawn. I'm sure you could guess but this is the case where in order to survive, the scared individual starts to mimic and even assimilate into what the abuser wants. They want to be the favorite, they want to be seen as not a threat, they want to be seen as an ally. And regardless on if he was a baby when Winter and Weiss left, he is still very much a child and is still very much a victim of Jacques. There's about a five year gap between Winter and Weiss but only like a two/three year gap between Weiss and Whitley. And lastly, Watts turned off the heating grid in a city that already had a hole in their wall that Ironwood refused to have fixed and whose voice was denied into the council while people are still being slaughtered in order to frame Ironwood/Atlas, who they already feel like don’t care about Mantle in the slightest (which isn’t untrue if you ask me. I mean, they didn’t even update the code in Mantle when they did Atlas and that’s how Watts was able to weasel his way in again like for fricks sake). I’m sure this won’t make tensions any worse than they already were.

[@spadeas49]

They're so much little things to love in this episode. Even if we love to hate him, we have to admit that Jacques is pretty great at manipulating, either be the discution or his daugther by poking right where it hurts. Speaking of Winter, her exchange with Penny is very informative, Penny is happy to see emotion being let out, while Winter try to be emotionless, who is the most human between the two of them then ? Now, the olive on the martini, Weiss and her mother. Even if it hurt, I always love these scene because it show so much with little. The way Weiss hurt her mother when she say "at least some of us try to fight", then Willow grab the bottle and take a big sip, that hurt Weiss in regard, she later see what she did and end up helping her. They're both broken, Weiss is healing thanks to her team, but both still care for each other and want to be a family again. I still think that it is a great demonstration of direction from CRWBY.

[@SnKanon]

I meaaaaaaaan, I think we all remember the old cute racist Weiss, no? Little brother deserves a chance to change just like her-

[@agentmaryland1239]

At the very least, Weiss' mother admits they were both terrible parents when it came to both sisters and Whitley.

[@Kaizelot]

Speaking of whitley just remember how everyone hated weiss on the first chapters on volume 1, and also have you noticed all 3 kids have a name beginning with W? Winter, weiss, whitley, and the mom Willow

[@lincolncrandall804]

Whitley is still a kid since his age range between Ruby 16-17 and Oacar who's 14-15 and it definitely makes a lot of sense to with an alcoholic mother and abusive and one of your sisters in the military and the other at a school on completely different continent would definitely cause any impressionable kid to be an ass

[@daysand123]

Yeah that bombshell basically told Weiss her position was nothing special. Her and winter just had the abilities to leave while Whitley was basically forced to submit and adapt since she even went to Beacon. Go back and you'll realize the only time he got antagonistic towards her was when she directly accused him of wanting her to be stripped of the family name and his only response was basically saying she already did it with her own actions. Go further back and realize Weiss was not a good or nice person in Volume 1 and Winter certainly didnt act nice in the company of others when she was introduced. Neither seemed to like him bjt apparently his father did because he didnt have the abilities his sisters had and yet they left him to basically be groomed for a position he likely didnt want either yet he didnt have anything that would allow him to just break away and make his own life. The self hatred and balls it took for Weiss's mom to call her out by saying she and Winter left Whitley with the worst parents and no way out is a slap in the face with a rubber glove full of piss and vinegar. It goes the extra mile of saying just because youve changed doesnt mean your previous actions arent undone.

[@ISAFMobius18]

Fun facts Fact 1: One of the cars that arrives at the manor has a hood ornament shaped like a dromaeosaur, most likely a Velociraptor. This is likely a reference to RWBY Rex. Fact 2: Dustin Matthews noted that, when Winter slams her fist onto the table, the camera is angled in such a way that it looks as though Winter "crushes" Jacques. This, along with the shot of Weiss through Willow's vodka bottle, are his favorite shots in the episode. Fact 3: At the table, Jacques' chair is larger than the other characters'. Fact 4: Another power move of Jacques was to only give a few people wine as well as not giving any food to Penny. Fact 5: Miles wrote the gag of Team JNPR sabotaging Whitley's conversation with Weiss and expected it to take only a few seconds, but as more people worked on it the longer it got. Fact 6: In addition, Miles wanted to portray when Weiss is talking to Willow that she doesn't really know how to act around an adult with such an adult issue Fact 7: None of the Writers initially expected Penny and Winter to have such a deep bond during this volume.

[@cakekiller1051]

i love crow and clovers developing relationship. he finally has a friend he can be around

[@nathanielreik6617]

It's true that Whitley wasn't an infant or anything when Weiss left but he was still a fairly young teenager (an important time in his development) and for over a year was living with the only family being an alcoholic mother and his father. And then when Weiss returned she already noticed he was acting different (she said as much in the second episode of Volume 4 when we first met him), and then Weiss left him alone again for several months and during that time the only really good person and influence left in the house, Klein, was fired. So we don't know for sure if Jacques was abusive at all to Whitley (Weiss mentions that she had a "difficult" childhood with her father often returning home furious from all the White Fang problems) but he definitely wasn't a good influence, probably "rewarding" him for behaving how he wants him to and now since he is the heir to the fortune there's a lot more pressures on him to perform a certain way or else be punished. Also we saw how Weiss was in Volume 1, just think if she hadn't gone through all that character development. Whitely hasn't had that chance.

[@bethaofhouseblackwood234]

Cant wait for episode 11, the way she just comes in and leave ruby on her knees 😂😂

[@TheSapphicRaven]

not only does jacques bleach his hair and eyebrows too look more like a schnee, i should inform you his tie is also confirmed to be a clip on one

[@whyizayah9808]

Hi, first like to say that you for your wonderful reactions. Secondly, although I agree that Nora is being the comedic relief as some points, I feel like it’s almost criminal to ignore the HUGE tone shift of her character this season. She has been so vocal about the citizens of Mantle and their well-being in many episodes, and I’m not sure if you understand the reason why (but maybe you do). But she knows what it’s like to be in a position of helplessness and desperation (bc she grew up poor and most likely alone). I love how she stands out this season, and expresses herself-she’s more deep. And by making her past mean something to her and to the viewer, we can see Nora as someone less chaotic and happy and more determined and three dimensional.

[@Emerald-t7k]

oh man it is gonna be a LONG time before I forget sobbing over Weiss and Willow only to burst out laughing at "he loves cake" 😂😂😂

[@valathor95]

It’s funny in a morbid way that I’m watching this on Father’s Day. 😂

[@andrewsenecal6686]

Same here😂

[@XOISHTAR]

Watching this episode after vol 8… certain events and character’s actions definitely hit different.

[@iamthespid6596]

So close to Volume 9 😃

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

Can’t believe it. Been such a long journey 😅

[@JJR93]

Willow Schnee voiced by veteran anime voice actress Caitlin Glass, voice of Winry Rockbell in Fullmetal Alchemist among many other notable roles.

[@ImpeccableZentertainment]

I grew up with an abusive father and it took everything I had to not turn out like him. So i undrstand Whitleys position

[@arcadius2569]

It's always harder when you have kids. By keeping Whitley under his wing, he gets two prisoners.

[@WingManFang1]

Boy you can really see the difference in the family dynamic between Blake and Weiss’s families here… literally night and day….

[@WalterWhite-jz7ct]

Weiss admited that her Father only married her mother for the Schnee name, during her conversation with Yang in V6 (one of the only ones in the whole series... they all needed more 1 on 1 convos, ngl)

[@cybersonic8472]

While the wealth comes from her Father, he was working in the business and took it over before her father died

[@gohanmoreno7]

Whitely is not an adult, he is at least 2-4 years younger than Weiss, and he grewup with a cobtrolling father, you cant seriously say "he is not like he was an infant" he is at a certain point, he is still a kid in all countries of real life, teeneagers are not adults, he just acts that way because he thinks that way he will survives and have no other choice, he is not mature enough to realize that he is.

[@rapture-citizen6949]

I think there was and is a big personality difference between Weiss' parents. The mom seemed like she started off soft/kind hearted in the marriage. She probably believed it was a real marriage of love. Jacques has always been a manipulative narcissist and only married her for money, status, and power. That probably broke her and made her feel powerless and worthless. Plus there's a strong suggestion he was abusive to her in other ways (the conversation about how she installed cameras in every room).

[@AZDfox]

God, the way they use Jacques with Ironwood is a masterstroke. We want to root against him, which causes us to completely overlook all of Ironwood's red flags.

[@MinisterEvil]

Maybe what Whitley has done so far is the only thing he COULD do. We know Jacques is abusive and we know the mother is still there despite being turned into the mess that she is. Whitley right now is no older than 14, despite his age not being confirmed. I would like to see just one 14yr old boy rebel against their parents and watch it end well for them. In our society, their best case scenario would be for CPS to take them and then they end up stuck in the system. Worst case scenarios are abundant. In the case of Remnant, we don't know if they have such thing as CPS (very doubtful because spoilers, but even if they did, Atlas doesn't seem to have anything even similar); so without CPS to take Whitley away from abusive parents like Jacques or negligent ones like Willow, his only choice for his own safety was to fall in line. That being said, you are correct that he hasn't done anything unforgivable. The worst he has done is have an attitude, and even then, if you dissect it, there has always been an apparent not bad intention when addressing Weiss... like when he told her that he was going to town and wanted to see if she wanted anything. He didn't display any ulterior motive then, and the offer was still a gesture of good will, but at that point, we were all already biased against him and didn't want to believe that maybe he wasn't so bad... his pompous attitude does block from seeing him any inherent good in him, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist. The best indicator of what he's been through was when Weiss lost her title as heiress in volume 4. She confronted Whitley about him knowing all along. His response was "It is foolish not to do as dad says," but the main giveaway wasn't the line itself, but the facial expression and tone of voice with which he said it. It was like he was speaking from experience when he said that, and remembering unpleasant memories in the process.

[@goldenpaladin]

I feel sorry for weisses mom we dont know what all weisses dad did after he told her he only married her for the company i like to view the sdc as a bridge once so beautiful but now rusted over time

[@ayumuchan3541]

its not really how long she left but more so the moment she left, her mom is implying Wiess was gone when he needed her the most. This the "turning point" in his life and the only one he sees most is his father as vile as he maybe. As for the mom, yes she has freedom, but she is seeing James a military general get a target panted on him by the very man she married. Her life would be hell if he knew she was leaving. She not only has money but she carries the status of the Schnee name with her. Not something she could drop if she wanted too, and that's something very valuable to him. Money, power, and the fame of the name. Remember it is HE who took HER name, he would lose it if they split, and he is not someone that likes losing things.

[@beesdiorrr]

You're back!! I was so excited when I saw this.

[@artistanthony1007]

You 2 are not ready for what new type of Grimm Volume 8 introduces, prepare yourselves.

[@sowde3645]

13:28 the cake is a lie

[@squidmom3162]

Again….I feel like people are never fair to Whitley. literally what has Whitley done to Weiss outside of an occasional snide comment? Like literally name two instances and I’ll admit I’m absolutely wrong. 19:20 ….did they just say an abused 14 year old “made their bed” if everyone gave up on them including their own family….because he…..?

[@yxungghxsty9656]

This is the last rwby reaction I'll get to see from you guys for a while. Tomorrow I'm leaving for basic training in the Air Force. IDK if you guys are gonna see my comment but just wanted to say that I'm glad you guys are loving this show as much as I do, and I hope you guys continue making such amazing reaction videos! ❤❤❤

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

Thank you for your service and good luck in basic training. Our videos will always be here for when you get back 🤗🙂😎🤘

[@yxungghxsty9656]

@@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2 Thanks, you guys are the best! 🤩

[@JJR93]

Good luck in Basic. Once you graduate and begin working as an airman, I think you'll find the military is full of weebs who love anime and there are probably a lot of RWBY fans among them. I'm always running into active duty military people using their leave time to attend anime conventions.

[@Osma777]

Personally, I think that the brother looks good with purple hair :D

[@axxjazz.]

i'm gonna say it, s7 is the best op

[@jeffreysmith236]

Right now your hope is shattered, in this pointless Ever After. We didn't know how true this was.

[@goldenpaladin]

My favorite fight in the next few episodes

[@Icecreamcvnt]

Oh things are gonna get worseeeee in Vol 8

[@muzzaXD]

17:55 tbh, I see how this happened. When Weiss left the only people she could get ab impression from was his dad, so that's why he is such an a*hole sometimes :(

[@JustCallMeDija]

Jaqcue Schnee married into the Schnee family, and obviously Willow found out. I think he did a lot of harm to her and broke her to the point of no return. Winter and Weiss fought back and left the Schnee family name behind. Winter's in the military, Weiss is a huntress. As for Whitely, as hated as he is, he was young and was left with Jacque which meant his father had more influence on him and changed him. But, he's still young and can have that redemption.