I think there’s something up with the vote too. There were some moments that had me narrowing my eyes with suspicion cause it just felt a bit…off. Plus the conversation with August about the audition felt very much like it was hinting at something. The story is deliberate about getting it on camera that MC is still puzzled by how they were ghosted by the label. Interestingly, the band remains unaware of this conversation. Chekhov’s gun much?
I honestly have a whole theory about this that I’ve been ruminating on for a while.
*puts on crazy tinfoil hat*
What if the band wasn’t rejected by the label? What if they were accepted, but under one condition: MC will be the sole lead singer.
There were many instances this chapter where I got the impression that the band might be hiding something from MC. The staged scene, for example. They were avoidant and cagey about Seven’s departure to an unnatural degree. I used to think perhaps it was guilt that was holding their tongues, but clearly that’s not the case, as is evident by all the jokes and callous remarks they make about how much Seven hates MC. And if you suggest laying the entire ordeal to rest once and for all, Rowan says “I don’t know if things will get laid to rest exactly…” Sus.
The party flashback is pretty telling. Rowan seems assured that they have the contract in the bag, saying he “just knows”. When Iris voices her doubts, it’s mentioned that “something odd crosses her face”. MC notes how quick all their other rejections have been, but it’s been nothing but radio silence for this one. It really seems like Rowan and Iris know something MC doesn’t.
The timeline is a bit confusing so I went back to check, but it’s never explicitly mentioned whether the vote or audition happened first (but I could’ve missed it). All I found was that the party occurs “weeks” after the audition. So it’s possible it could’ve gone something like this: audition → band gets conditional offer → Seven gets demoted → party & Seven leaves → band ends up getting rejected anyway.
There’s a bunch of other things too, like Rowan interrupting MC from answering when Pope asks why they voted Seven out, Seven saying they gave up a lot so that MC&co can have the “perfect little band” they always wanted.
The most suspicious one is definitely the challenge scene. I found it rather bizarre how desperately insistent the band were about picking SV. Their reasoning about Seven having too much ammo doesn’t really hold up imo. Sure, Seven can throw emotional gut punches like no other, but they’re not vindictive enough to put the band’s career in jeopardy like that by writing something truly damning. You’d think people who were their best friends for a decade would know that. Seven had ample time in the past three years to smear the band publicly had they wanted to. They don’t even bring up the details when asked about their departure in the BotB interview. Plus, Seven hasn’t really been all that mean to the band and has barely talked to them iirc. So I fail to understand what exactly warrants the band’s fear that Seven is out to destroy them. Unless there’s something they don’t want MC finding out…
Given how this chapter seemed to focus on MCxBand dynamics, and how Amy’s been hinting at “revelations” and drama going from 50 to 100 in chapter 5, I’m poised to believe that there’s going to be a big blow-up between MC and the band. I think the episode with MC and August’s conversation will air (which we know the band decided not to watch this chapter, perhaps as a setup for max drama?), leading to Seven confronting the band and MC finally finding out.
I realise there’s likely a lot of holes in this theory and it’s probably all just wishful extrapolation and confirmation bias talking and me just reading too much into it, but the possibility of all the drama that could stem from this is so exciting haha