Ever Since The Release Of Jwct Season 3, I've Been Wondering Why Yaz Was So Set On Following Brooklynn

Ever since the release of jwct season 3, I've been wondering why Yaz was so set on following Brooklynn and saving her. Don't get me wrong – I'm not criticising my girl (I do criticise the way she talked about this with Sammy but not the decision itself), but I couldn't help thinking, "woah, she's very firm about this", and "but where does this decisiveness come from?"

I realized that, ultimately it is all rooted in "how everyone remembers Brooklynn".

We must take a couple of steps back and think about the flashbacks we got in jwct season 1/2. They say a lot about how the Nublar Five remembered Brooklynn, which memories were the strongest, or which bubbled up the most frequently.

Ben remembers Brooklynn as a friend who is a little bit adventurous, who listens to his crazy ideas, and who is a great companion. It is a fond and warm memory.

Sammy remembers Brooklynn in her family's house – Brooklynn is a part of a family, an obvious part of her life. (which makes her betrayal a "double" family betrayal – not only was Brooklynn a found family, but also Sammy remembers her in her biological family's space)

Kenji remembers Brooklynn in a moment that combines beauty, love, and heartbreak. His memories are bittersweet, very intense – but don't focus on regret (there's no "I could have done this other way).

Darius remembers love and guilt. Heavy cross to carry. He remembers Brooklynn through a series of his mistakes – the accidental confession, being late to the meeting. I think that this is also why he isolated himself so much – his grieving process was different because "his" Brooklynn was entwined with a negative perception of himself.

And then, there's Yaz. Yaz relates Brooklynn with her recovery, with working on her PTSD. Yaz remembers Brooklynn as someone who helped her when she felt misunderstood and lonely in her struggles. Yaz has been very visibly struggling with PTSD since jwcc, and it seems that while others learnt how to live with the trauma, she was still "stuck" – or rather, she felt stuck. Brooklynn was the one who helped her in a way that Yaz needed, and she was there at least during some part of her recovery.

Yaz remembers Brooklynn as someone who helped her, so it is very natural that she wants to return the favor – not because she feels she "owes" Brooklynn anything, but because helping is what defines Yaz's definition of "Brooklynn".