When EX's Eyes Glow White, That's Jeff The Minion Influencing Them (1016, 1017)

When EX's eyes glow white, that's Jeff the Minion influencing them (1016, 1017)

ok first off this is a sequel to this post , i wish i could say "this'll probably not make sense unless you read it" but that implies that the original post makes senseJBKHVCGFXGHDZ.

So! In the past 2 episodes we've had scenes where EX's eyes shift to white and gain a stronger glow, before shifting back. Some people have just said that this is them getting angry/feeling emotional, but I think that if we look at the scenes, ESPECIALLY in 1016, this white glow actually shows when Jeff is slipping things into their mind.

So! In 1016, EX is relaxing (specifically taking a break from their feelings of depression and isolation from being surrounded by useless wealth and craving wealth, but being lonely, unfulfilled, and unsatisfied (heh.Midas Curse EX)) in the Nether, helps their Strider friends back into the lava, and then exclaims "Oh, that's it! That's brilliant! That's genius! I have the answer now! How do we make diamonds? Compassion, kindness, charity!"

Then the background gets blacked out as it zooms in on EX, their eyes pulse white twice, and their tone shifts to sinister as they say "Yes, we must exploit the good will of the hermits.. We must indeed.."

(note how the background gets blacked out)

Before their eyes go white, EX isn't talking about anything nefarious. They're doing a gay little dance, just delicately put the strider back into the lava and referred to it as 'buddy', and said that they'll make diamonds through Compassion, Kindness, and Charity. Before their eyes go white, it doesn't seem like they're talking about the hermits kindness at all, they're talking about how they can make diamonds through Charity and Compassion. "Make Diamonds" is interesting also because that.. isn't EX's goal. That's just a part of their goal to exploit and take advantage of the hermits, saying that they know how to make diamonds through Compassion, Kindness, and Charity, (especially after they were just feeling depressed and worthless about how they have Money and Power, but they still feel empty) is a weird thing to say, when that is Not. Their Plan. at all

So Jeff just nudges them back into the "right" direction.

EX's eyes glow white and they clarify, (as the Nether, the place where they feel safe and friendly, literally falls away behind them), of Course they meant exploiting the HERMITS's compassion kindness and charity. They don't have any of those things, they're evil. Of Course they meant exploiting the hermits, that's their plan, why wouldn't they mean that? Note also how they go from using "I" (I have the answer now!) to "We" when their eyes go white, (though they're kinda just like that sometimes).

It's also important to note that Eyes Glowing A Different Color is quite literally how Jeff (and EX over X's) Control is shown in canon. In Evil's Fault, it's shown that Jeff's "never ending voice in EX's head" manifests as voices whispering to them as their eyes change color.

I want to say something about Jeff's control over EX (and likely EX's over X), Jeff can't force them to do anything. It doesn't just Make Them evil, we see in Evil's Fault that what it does is show EX clips of X not trusting them, and Zloy and Pix saying that they're cringe, while Jeff taunts them about how the only thing EX will ever be able to do is destroy the hermits, over and over again. But EX's fall isn't because of Jeff's powers, it's because Jeff successfully convinces EX and EX starts to believe it themselves and gives in. That's why EX can break out by (with the Dreamer's help) remembering that people do care about them, and that they can change.

Jeff and the Dreamer can't influence EX or anything directly, Jeff can't just possess EX and make them do things, both of them just need EX to be convinced of it themselves, by showing them their memories of how the hermit's feel about them.

So I think that if this white eye glow is Jeff subtlety shifting EX back to evil thoughts, redirecting them so silently that not even EX is unaware that it isn't their own thoughts, that would make sense and be consistent with Jeff's powers shown in Evil's Fault.

Finishing off, in 1017 EX's eyes change twice. First when X points out the shop doesn't use their CringeCoin, they go "WHAT?" and then their eyes glow white as they say "This is Unacceptable," and then continue on. It's notable that they go white right before EX gets Angry, they were just kindof bewildered before the white eyes and they get Aggressive. They go white again as they say "Something here has to change.. Everyone, Everyone must use the DerpCoin!"

While this isn't as big to me as 1016, I think the narrative of "White Eyes = Jeff influencing EX by going 'hey, that IS a big deal. you can't Stand for that. You should be angry" and nudging them towards hating the hermits makes sense. I think how EX interacts with the other hermits is very interesting because they clearly think that they all hate and are scared of them (asking every single hermits Are You Disturbed By My Presence? Do I Scare You? and them all going what? no i mean y. im a bit worried but you seem cool now), while the hermits have pretty unanimously been chill.

Could this be due to Jeff telling EX that they're only ever going to be able to hurt the hermits, they'll only ever be scared of you, they are your enemies, to drive them further into isolation and malice towards the hermits? I think that's likely, and the eye's going white in 1017 is Jeff trying to dig in the point of the hermits being Against them.

OK LISTEN. THIS ONE MIGHT BE AS INCOMPREHENSIBLE AS THE FIRST But I THINK THE WHITE EYES IS IMPORTANT. IN 1016, WITH HOW QUICKLY AND SUDDENLY THEY CHANGE HEELS, I THINK THAT'S OUTSIDE INFLUENCE. I JUST THINK THATS JEFF. THANK YOU FOR READING !