laithology
Lance: so keith, what did you get for me for my birthday?
Keith: me
Lance: wh-
Keith: -puts a bow on his head- im the present
klanceconsumedme
theashesofthefirststar
At the beginning of the series, we know that Lance is hyper aware of Keith. From what Keith’s opinion on him is, to what Keith is doing, down to Keith’s hair cut.
And of course, a lot of this is based in feelings of inferiority. But it’s also based in admiration and the desire to stand beside Keith as an equal.
“We did it. We are a good team.”
Lance sees that Keith and himself can work together well, and in the second season, he’s vocalizing his admiration and fondness for Keith, even if its only to a stranger.
He also realizes that he does care about Keith’s well being.
Which, admittedly, Lance is a genuinely caring person who seems concerned with everyone’s well being no matter how well he knows them. But it’s still important, because at this point, they’ve been no less than agnostic towards each other.
What’s also important in season two is that Lance all but says he’s sees Keith as a selfish person when Keith was thinking of leaving Allura behind. And in season three, he states that he sees Keith as essentially hungry for leadership, to the point he’s willing to lie to get it. He thinks Keith sees himself as above everyone else, especially him.
Here’s the thing that you have to understand about Keith and Lance’s relationship. So much of it is based off of a false
narrative built up in Lance’s head. Even more so, a lot of the assumptions Lance has made about Keith are fueled by his own feelings of inferiority, an inferiority that Lance doesn’t deal with well. An important thing to remember about Lance is that he’s not always the most self aware. Or more so, a big theme in Lance’s arc is him not knowing himself or his place, and you can see that in how he deals with his emotions. If he doesn’t understand how he feel/likes how he feels, he often won’t regard them.
In season three, Lance’s arc thematically revolves around him coming to terms with how he sees himself and how he sees the others around him - specifically Keith.
In season two, Lance was questioning his
importance to the team, but during the events of season three, Lance’s
selfless nature conflicts with his feelings of inferiority and he’s
forced into recognizing his own sense of low self worth. Towards the end
of the season, during the bedroom scene, it’s no longer a question, but
an answer.
Lance finally recognizes what he considers his own
sense of value to be, something that a lot of rejection forced him to
come to terms with. This is also the season where his out look on Keith starts to change. All of his assumptions he once held about Keith are knocked down. Lance begins to sees Keith as someone more human. He’s uncertain,
he’s grieving, and is also capable of realizing his mistakes and putting
the team first. Most pivotal of all, he sees Keith as someone who
genuinely tried to comfort him and thinks of him as a necessary part of
the team.
This is probably a lot for a person like Lance, but the change is there, and Lance will have to reconsider everything he thought he knew about Keith/his feelings regarding him.
Hence this scene, where we see the change through Lance’s eyes:
And then season four rolls around.
Remember that when Lance doesn’t get how or why he’s feeling something, he’ll often plays it off. So when Keith starts splitting his time between the Blade and Voltron, despite being very obviously the most concerned- if his facial expressions and constant questions of Keith’s whereabouts are anything to go by - he downplays it. He says it because Keith is messing up their shows, but I think anyone paying attention can tell that it’s more than that.
Then Keith leaves, and again, Lance is obviously the most distraught about it. Where the others are shown to be sad or proud, Lance is animated in a way meant to show hurt/rejection/frustration. He, again, plays it off because he doesn’t understand his own emotions about the situations.
“Who am I going to make fun of?”
This is when something strange begins to happen. Its subtle, but there is certainly a divide between Lance and the rest of his teammates. It’s a constant theme, him feeling a distance between Pidge, Hunk, and Allura and himself. Pidge and Hunk because they’ve grown so close and often misunderstand the reality of Lance’s feelings. Allura because of her relationship with Lotor
Although, I’d argue the distance between Lance and Allura isn’t entirety because of her relationship with Lotor, seeing as this divide started before Lotor was even in the picture back in season four. We’ve also seen Lance expressing insecurities that Allura didn’t pick up on in the training room, not by any fault of her own, but because there is that divide. Allura is essentially the leader of the movement that will free the known universe and the only hope for preserving Altean culture.
Rather this divide will persist is hard to say - Although, since a big part of Voltron is about reuniting with your family you once lost, I do think Allura will go on to lead the new Alteans. But either way, although we do see glimpses of Lance feeling like the outsider of the team before season four, It’s important to note that this distance Lance is feeling between him and the rest of the team becomes truly prevalent and visible to the audience once Keith leaves. It’s not just him feeling left out, but instead, the audiance actually seeing him being - inadvertently - left out.
And this makes sense, because despite Keith and Lance’s antagonistic moments, the two are often seen as a pair. When Keith doesn’t understand something, he looks towards Lance to explain. Lance is always there ready to tease Keith in someway. Lance is often running after Keith, trying to keep up with him or trying to pull him back. He was Keith’s right hand. This gives the line “Who am I going to make fun of” more depth, because yeah? Who is he going to tease? Who’s going to be by Lance’s side?
Keith and Lance never seem to be far from each other in the earlier seasons, but one day, Lance looks to his left, and Keith isn’t there anymore. As Jeremy said, it leaves him with a void. It leaves him irritated, but he doesn’t understand why.
Fast Forward to season six and Lance is absolutely gobsmacked at the difference in Keith’s appearance. Visibly, in a way that no one else is. This happens again when Lance steps up to greet Keith and ask if he’s really Keith’s cooler more grizzled older brother. And again when Lance literally can’t find his chill, questioning Keith about where he’s been and why he came back, essentially, so different.
Partially, it’s for comedy sake, but I really don’t think they’d reinforce Lance’s hyper awareness of Keith without any reason. Especially when you consider just how upset Lance was when Keith brushed him off.
Especially when you consider how discontent yet confused and closed lipped he was about Keith’s absences on the team.
Were not done though, because there are a few more interactions that really stand out. Keith hails the castle of lions and Lance expresses relief and happiness that directly parallels a scene between Allura and Lotor during the D&D episode.
Then we have the end of episode one season seven. I’ve seen a lot of people say that Lance was flirting with Keith because of the whole finger gun under the chin thing. And you guys might be right, but for credibility sake, it’s important to remember that Lance doesn’t only do that when he’s flirting. He also does it when he trying to show off.
But even if he’s not flirting, he’s most certainly is showing off. Keith directed a question to the entire group and Lance answers it directly to Keith. He’s trying to impress Keith specifically. There’s no other way to look at it.
This is important because Lance hasn’t really tired to impress anyone like this in a long time. It’s very reminiscent of the earlier seasons when Lance was less sure of himself and his feelings. And hmm, what feelings has Lance been shown to be unsure about? Especially in regards to Keith? (see everything written above)
If this had of happened once or twice, I could’ve passed it off. But between Keith returning to the team and episode one of season seven, they’ve made a point to emphasis Lance’s hyper awareness of him five different times. They made a point to emphasis how upset/confused he was when Keith left. They made a point to emphasis the growing loneliness he felt after Keith was gone.
It all comes down to emphasis, and yes, I understand that Lance’s feelings regarding Keith haven’t been as openly expressed as his feelings regarding Allura, but that’s part of the point. It took six seasons and Lotor sweeping in for Lance to finally understand/vocalize just how serious his feeling for Allura are. Compare that to his vlog. Lance obviously has feeling for Allura, but he tries to play it off and cover it up, because he’s not ready to deal with the emotions he feels or the idea that Allura might not feel the same way. LM confirmed that Lance’s over the top flirting was something he did because he didn’t want to get hurt.
Similarly, one of the writers said that Lance wasn’t ready to go there emotionally with Keith - in regards to the bonding moment. Which makes sense, because Lance also used/uses bravado with Keith in a similar that he did with Allura and with the other girls he has flirted with.
Meaning, if Lance doesn’t understand something or isn’t willing to deal with it, he just… won’t. He’ll hide it beneath bravado. But everything that happened in season three, and then Keith leaving, has forced Lance into considering that there’s something up with his feelings about him, something that doesn’t quit fit. Now that Keith’s back, Lance is more aware of him than ever. At some point, he has to deal with what ever it is he feels towards Keith. Narratively speaking, it’s has to happen. It’s been set up to happen.
What really solidifies this for me is this moment:
They could’ve reinforced Lance’s persistent crush on Allura in so many different ways, but they did so in a way that parallels a moment between Keith and Lance. Allura even said “We did it" just like Lance did to Keith during their bonding moment, but then Lance adds the “I think we make a great team” part (while cradling himself) They did so in a way that would remind us of Lance opening up to Keith while implying romantic subtext. While implying that, even just subconsciously, some part of Lance hasn’t let go of that moment with Keith.
I’m not saying I know for sure that Keith and Lance are going to end up together. Or that I know for sure what’s going to play out between Lance and Allura, but what I do know is that Lance’s arc is about not only discovering his place on the team, but also who he is as a person and being true to himself. It’s about understanding his own emotions and resolving them.
And there is most certainly something unresolved about Lance’s feeling towards Keith.
langsty-mc-langstface
Keith: wow that manoeuvre was incredible
Lance: that’s why they call me the Tailor
Keith: the what now
Lance: the Tailor it’s my nickname from the garrison because of how I thread the needle
Keith:*realising the smol boy he had a crush on wasn’t actually called Taylor and is now standing before him after making pubity his bitch* IDIOT!
*later*
Hunk: look buddy I don’t know what happened but Lance is pretty upset about you calling him an idiot he won’t even leave his room
Keith: not him idiot me idiot! Me gay idiot!
Hunk: oh let me guess you finally realised Lance has had a crush on you all this time
Keith: HE WHAT!
Hunk: oh… shouldn’t of said that… welp enjoy this information I gotta go stress bake
kiriquirk
marymerry
shiroheartneel
kiu1023
ruinedchildhood
