My Thoughts on the Whitepine Finale and Series as a Whole
So I've been following "Whitepine" since its very conception two years ago and I just wanted to pour out my thoughts on the series, both positive and negative, since this series has been something really extraordinary and I really hope to see more like this on YouTube, regardless of whether Ivory or another creator doing the same.
What initially drew me to this series was watching Ivory's return video (if you want to call it that) and seeing what she said about telling stories. I really admired that and it's especially admirable how uncompromising this series is. It isn't tailored for the "algorithm" or anything and a step further than most content creators ever do.
The story is labeled as a "murder mystery" but this feels much more like a drama than anything else. This was really intriguing how this show has such unconventional twists to it. The murder of Mysticat, while seemingly the main conflict, is ultimately more of a vehicle for bringing much more psychological problems between the members of the Hemlocke household to light. These inner conflicts are much more intriguing than a simple murder mystery anyways and all the characters feel so practical for the world Ivory has created.
For me, "Whitepine" is a series about mortality and connection, how fragile life is, and the immense power that people have to either love or hate. Death looms over the whole show for many of the characters, whether that's Pyroscythe's grief from Mysticat's untimely demise, Clownpierce's vague trauma from his days as a soldier, Katje's desperation to survive, or Ivory's own desperate cries to save Serapter. The series ruminates on how these people handle their grief and thoughts of death, showing how death is an unavoidable constant of life. It's important to live with the knowledge that it can be snuffed out in an instant. Pyroscythe's pain shows that pain of loss in losing Mysticat, his trusted friend, that he relied so heavily upon and while it's obvious death causes suffering, the way in which Pyroscythe's grief is shown is what's so moving about it. His feelings remain within himself, locked away, and only through Ivory's support does he feel safe to open up because of his father, Zombie, causing him to close up. Credit to Pyroscythe himself for giving a pretty good performance, he sells the grief pretty well.
However, Ivory being there for Pyroscythe shows that while those who were lost aren't replaceable, there will be new, interesting faces to meet and understand. Life is always changing and it's part of life to appreciate our loved ones while we have them and to reach out to those new faces when given the chance. This love of life oozes out of a majority of the series. Many shots and scenes are dedicated to Ivory performing menial tasks for the Hemlockes and while they don't seem particularly stimulating on the surface, Ivory always meets a kind face or learns something important (whether that's shadowing Serapter on her first day or Ivory meeting Reddoons, who later gifts Ivory a pocket watch). There's beauty to be found even the smallest of things and this series really speaks to me in that way. The subtle glamour of it all in the music further dazzled me.
However, that's not to say there's only beauty as the cruelty also bleeds through in this series. Ivory's own struggles of voicing her true self is a debilitating, difficult process that takes so much mental strength from her to do. Even by the show's conclusion, Ivory still isn't completely confident in her voice but in Serapter, she has found a person to listen, that enjoys her company. Through Serapter and the other kind voices in the show, Ivory has found that she has value. A dusty, unused piano that no one cares for becomes her safe place for expression. Life is mysterious and it surprises us in ways that we don't fully understand, like this piano, trash for many but a sanctuary for one. However, this unpredictability isn't to be ran from, it's part of the beauty that makes up existence. With every cry of suffering like the burning of the Hemlocke home, there comes a response of beauty to meet it like Ivory eating ice cream with Serapter which fittingly ends the show. It's a hopeful ending, not devoid of obstacle, but one that's connecting. Even through fear of death and turmoil, the human spirit endures.
However, this beauty that life is only found with morality. With the great capacity for loving relationships, also comes the capacity for evil and cruelty, manifest in some of the characters like Zombie, Bormethius, or even Clownpierce. Zombie, atop his empire of wealth and status, distances himself from the importance of human connection and resultingly pushes his family away from him, causing them to resent him. In a particularly upsetting scene, he chastizes Vi cruelly, calling him a disgrace, which is the last thing he says to him, fittingly echoing to the idea of mortality. Bormethius is also misguided in the ways that he attacks Ivory out of some personal bias and hatred, abusing his authority as a detective to do so. Even Clownpierce subdues his own trauma and it flares up episodes like with Minutetech.
Besides death and connection, this series is also undeniably about queerness and the difficulties with queer people in society. I think this could've been explored more thoroughly but it is addressed with Ivory at the end of the series, where it's a simple acknowledgement from Serapter, which is what it should be. Unfortunately, not everyone feels this, particularly those immersed in societal tradition like Zombie, who makes Pyroscythe particularly adverse to proclaiming his homosexuality. I do really appreciate how Ivory makes queerness feel very prevalent in the world she's created, like queerness is so deeply a part of Ivory, Pyroscythe, Bitotter, etc (which is obviously true but I'm glad Ivory emphasizes how natural it is) and society is suppressing it, keeping it under lock and key.
However, one criticism I do have with this is the contemporary language used to describe the queerness. Describing someone as non-binary in a period piece is obviously inaccurate and that's a little flaw with this series. There's a level of disbelief that needs to be held just with the medium being Minecraft which I'm willingly to forgive as not everyone has the means, desire, or comfort for live-action performance and expression. However, where I take issue is the casual modern slang in a supposed period piece. The proper language around the queer people (like non-binary describing Bitotter) isn't too bad as Ivory clearly values proper education around queer individuals which is very respectable. However, where it loses me is when a character says a phrase that I'd heard from someone on the street nowadays and especially the gamertags!!! It completely takes me out of a serious scene to hear "Clownpierce" or "Mysticat." Some names like Ivory, Zombie, or Izzy aren't bad but some definitely stick out like a sore thumb and it makes me wonder why fictious names weren't used. This isn't detrimental to the series by any means as this series is very cozy to me and it feels a lot like a cozy fireplace and conversation with friends. So, the casual language isn't too damaging to the emotions of the show even in scenes of peril or drama, then it can be a bit difficult to be immersed in the scene when they're saying Minecraft usernames. Other than that, the acting isn't exactly professional and that's completely fine, the amateur nature of some of the actors really makes the 'homey' vibe of the whole series so I'd say it's to its benefit most of the time.
Speaking briefly on some highlights of the acting, Ivory is really amazing as an actress and I was particularly moved by the colors of her emotions in the last episode. Ivory is pretty quiet for most of the show and it takes a good eye to really see some of the subtle color in her acting for most of the show, which is really impressive as it really matches the character. The bolder colors of her expression show a lot in the last episode and it really adds to the weight. It really felt like she was crying over a friend who might die and it really felt like she was flooded with happiness to see Serapter alive and recovering. Zombie and Boremethius also give impressive performances that deserve praise and the whole cast deserves praise too for participating in something so innovative for YouTube content.
Overall, that's the impression that I have for "Whitepine" and that's respect for Ivory for taking great idea and having so much fun with it in this Minecraft series. It's really amazing and a testament to how creative people can get with the limited resources they're given. Can't wait to see what Ivory does next and even if she doesn't make another project after this, she should be proud of the excellent story she told and hopefully it inspires others in the space to make their own stories. I certainly wouldn't be opposed.