u/Suspicious_Yak7478

This is coming from a trans man, but... if people can accept Jax is canonically transfem because of that one post from Goose despite the text itself leaving room for interpretation, then they also have to accept the fact that, canonically, abstraction = metaphorical suicide.

And, listen. I love hearing all about different interpretations of what it means to abstract, but there are some thoughts I wanna share in regard to this topic.

In tadc, there are many hints that abstraction is supposed to be a metaphor for death (more precisely, commiting suicide):

1. I've heard people say it's a metaphor for a coma or hitting rock bottom mentally, but the way abstraction is presented in and out of the show highlights how it's permanent. No one ever mentions that there might be a cure or a character who will get brought back someday.

2. We can only assume how Caine reacted after he realized he couldn't delete the abstractions. Why didn't we see that shit lol. Even though the characters are made of code and can't die in a human way, abstraction is the closest thing to death they'll ever get. I'm genuinely pissed off because, uh... why the fuck did we see the characters' human counterparts anyway? Why was the PowerPoint slideshow necessary?! Because Gooseworx didn't wanna write her other characters other than her self insert?

It's been a few months, and I'm still so, so bitter about all of this. Jax's abstraction wasn't a consequence for her horrible actions, but her own decision after everything she put the others through. There isn't a redemption arc. Jax doesn't talk to anyone except Pomni, and even then, they don't talk about how she's treated both Ribbit and Kaufmo. Pomni simply hugs Jax, and she abstracts. That's it??? OK sure Goose

This is Poppy's reaction once she realizes that the Player managed to defeat the Doctor not really and take his Omni-Hand. While I agree this is a huge feat that should be recognized as such (we can even get an achievement that says "Savior of Safe Haven." The image shows the Player wearing a superhero cape and holding the hand of Bobby Bearhug), I heavily disagree with Poppy here. She's implying how none of them (including Doey and herself) ever managed to give any of the toys down here hope. Excuse me, what?

Based on what Doey says in Chapter 4's last VHS tape ("A Reminder"), Poppy was not only nice but also gave orders that made sense. There's nothing to imply she was a bad leader. The only reason the toys in Safe Haven struggled to trust Poppy again when she returned is because she had left them years ago and only came back ten years later. When Doey asked her why she left, Poppy simply said, "I had to leave, I had no choice." She didn't even explain to Doey how she couldn't come back for so long because the Prototype had put her in the case. If he hadn't, maybe Poppy would have done the right thing and returned, just like Doey did.

Speaking of Poppy... Does she want to burn the entire factory down because of guilt she personally feels? I think she feels guilty that so many had to suffer because of what her dad decided to do to her (reanimate her as this doll in a horrifying way) just because he couldn't accept her death. Poppy doesn't want to see the factory again. She wants the Prototype dead. She wants to save the orphans because they represent "real" humanity, while the other toys and Poppy herself represent the horrors Poppy feels she's responsible for. That's why she's willing to risk it all to save the orphans, that's why it seems like she cared more about the fact that she thought her plans were ruined than the deaths of Doey and her former followers back in the now non-existent Safe Haven.

Doey was an unsung hero.

He made that tape for himself, knowing something was up with his head ("It's been hard to... keep my head straight"). His responsible, selfless, caretaker side took over when the most reasonable thing to do would have been to leave this hell behind and be free. This side is represented by Matthew, but ever since Matthew's consciousness got fused with Jack and Kevin's, they could never truly be three separate people again, even though they weren't completely unified.

Doey (his Matthew side) chose responsibility over freedom. But, here's the thing. Doey (his Kevin side) also chose protection over cruelty and, thanks to his Jack side, cheerfulness for others' sake instead of despair over his own fate. Since all three consciousnesses are active 24/7 no matter who's fronting, and neither Jack nor Kevin interrupted Matthew's monologue, I think it's implied all three of them had agreed to stay. The common interpretation says: Jack & Matthew = good, Kevin = bad, and I can't tell you how much it bothers me.

I keep thinking... if these three hadn't become parts of a composite consciousness, I don't think Doey would have been this heroic.

Without Jack, Doey wouldn't have had this childlike hope, fun-loving energy we all love, and seemingly effortless optimism despite everything he's been through. Without Kevin, he would have been too much of a pacifist and wouldn't have had the physical strength to actually DO something about threats. Without Matthew, there would have been no one to balance out Kevin and Jack, so Doey would have been even more unstable.

All three of Doey's pasts were tragic, but all parts of him chose to do good (stay positive, be a caretaker, protect/use violence only when necessary). That's why I don't think it matters Doey is technically plural in the head. If personhood is defined by what you choose to do rather than what you are, then I can confidently say Doey was one good person despite his flaws (his sensitivity, overwhelming guilt, and anger).

Part of the reason Doey loves his family so much (aside from genuine love for them) is because they saved them in more ways than one, like he said during his argument with Poppy. This is one of the earlier signs Doey was a composite before the green tape ("1322 Report: Kevin") outright confirmed it. We also have the line where he says, "OUR Safe Haven is also yours," while gesturing towards himself.

Safe Haven was a mirror of Doey.

Inside his mind, three consciousnesses were trying to function together for 12 years (from 1993 to 2005) despite it being hard. Outside his mind, in Safe Haven, many traumatized toys were also trying to do the same thing. I think Doey's mind looks like the ball of playdoh Doey in the commercial turns into. You can still clearly see the red, yellow and orange patterns (just like you can tell who's fronting based on Doey's tone of voice), but they're all part of the same blue ball of playdoh and function as one.

I find it beautiful how Doey still decided to create and BE a safe place for others, even though he spent his entire existence feeling unsafe.

Doey, you're still the goat after all this time. Rest easy, big guy.

TL;DR: Poppy overlooked how much Doey helped give Safe Haven hope. His heroism came from all three of his fused consciousnesses (Matthew’s sense of responsibility, Kevin’s protectiveness, and Jack’s optimism). All three chose to protect others despite everything they’d been through. Safe Haven was a reflection of Doey, who was broken and complicated, but still chose to be a safe place for others