Why Simon is one of the most complex, beautifully written characters in modern television: a thread

#InfinityTrain #InfinityTrainHBOMax #InfinityTrainSpoilers #infinitytrainbook3

Simon is by far *the* standout character in Infinity Train Book 3 in my and many others' eyes. His character has depth I rarely see in modern television, let alone modern animation. Here's why.

Unlike most cliche villains, Simon was *not* redeemed. Below I will state my reasons as for why I believe this was a great and necessary decision, but first I believe we should start from the very beginning.

I have a theory as to what his life was before the train, and it is as follows: his family was either abusive or neglectful, and he lacked trust in them and many people around him. He felt like he had no control over anything.

Upon boarding the train, Simon befriended Samantha, aka the Cat. In her he confided and placed trust. She reciprocated that for a long time, and he fully allowed himself to depend on her, like he was unable to with many of his peers. This was a big shift for him.

Samantha left him behind. She didn't know that he couldn't fit; she was too ashamed to come back for him, and is to this day, regretful. Simon, however, only sees his perspective: the cat abandoned him and didn't come back for any other reason than a lack of trust and care.

Once again, his trust was misplaced. Someone he cared about had left him in the dust- but then came Grace. Grace saved his life, and he clung to her like glue. She was his closest confidant. She was someone he could confide in. And he believed that she would never leave him.

Grace is not faultless. She planted the idea of numbers equaling power in his mind. His anger and resentment for Samantha fueled his will to hate and kill Nulls. His trauma and a license to cause harm created a dangerous mix. All the while, the Apex and Grace enabled this.

Finally, he had a trustworthy companion and friend. She would *never* betray him, right? The two of them caused trouble and took out their anger- Simon was second in command; he had a sense of control. What could go wrong?

Grace puts his views- the ones she helped plant- into question. She seems closed off to him all of the sudden. He's confused. Doesn't she trust him? This directly correlates to Hazel- part of the reason he's so sick of her. She, in his eyes, has caused Grace to lose faith in him.

He comes to know that Grace lied to him. He seemingly misplaced his trust *again.* He doesn't take it as a message that he's done wrong, he takes it as someone failing him.

At the end of it all, Simon had a need for control. All of his life, control was ripped out of his grasp. He was always helpless, and misplaced his trust in others numerous times. He needed to feel like he could control something, *anything.*

That's why he loves action figures. That's why he writes novels. These worlds are his and his alone. He controls every aspect- and that's all he ever wanted. The Apex also satisfied this need- while not fully in charge, people practically grovelled at his feet. It was a dream.

When Grace betrayed him, his control went haywire. The mix of trauma, and anger, and regret- it all exploded. He blamed and hated everyone around him. He returned to the Apex and took over completely. He attempted to get rid of his betrayer.

He turned down multiple opportunities to change- his past was too tumultuous. He refused to see past his reasonings. He was fully corrupted to the core with anger, now without anyone to depend on, and no one to anchor him in reality.

He never got a chance to grow up like a normal person. He was taught in his developmental years that hurting the things that hurt him was good. Nulls fell under that umbrella, and eventually, so did people.

His God Complex blinded him. He got too controlling, too reckless, too cruel. In the end, that's what led to his demise. I think that, despite everything, this was the *right* path for the show to take. Here's why.

Grace and Simon represent two diverging paths. Both are equally reckless and horrible at the start of the Book, albeit for different reasons. They enable each other's behavior.

Grace realizes and accepts her misunderstandings and her faults, although having some difficulty at first. Hazel and Tuba show her a more compassionate side of life- a side that reveals that her idea of Nulls was wrong. *She* was wrong, and with time, she accepts this.

Simon, on the other hand, refuses to see and accept these things. Every time a chance is provided to him, he refuses to rethink his hatred and traumatic reactions, even until its too late. He shuts those ideas down, and his views are so ingrained in him, he can't let them go.

In real life, there are people who are just so broken and so ruined by the trials of life that no matter how many chances or how many redeeming qualities, deep down they feel only hatred and no remorse. Some people simply cannot be saved, and Simon reflects this harsh reality.

That's why Simon is such a fantastic character. He's one of few villains that reflect this part of the real world. In the end, his shortcomings and his hatred caused his death, and some habits like his are impossible to unlearn.

Sorry if this is a bit hard to follow, but I hope I got my ideas across clearly. Its a bit long-winded, but I've been thinking about it a lot lol. I hope, for anyone who managed to finish it, it made you think too.