PhnStr writes...

Hi Greg! How are you doing? I hope you're well.

By the time that you read this, Phantoms will have concluded, and hopefully we (the viewers) will all know what has really happened to Conner (i.e. how precisely he got into the Phantom Zone), as well as how he will get out (if he gets out... I mean, I imagine that he will, but as his circumstances are still somewhat mysterious, I do not want to assume anything).

At the time of my writing/typing, 420 has been released, so there are six episodes left. People are assuming that Phantom Girl managed to transport herself and Conner into the Phantom Zone, which certainly SEEMS like a safe assumption.

However, there remains the matter of the ash in the shape of Conner's body on the cave wall. I have brought this up online and have observed that the ash being in that shape would seem to suggest that Conner's BODY was indeed destroyed in the explosion. However, I have faced ridicule from some corners of the fanbase (only a handful of people, it seems, at least) who have insisted that the ash proves that Conner's body was NOT destroyed. I am not sure how they reached that conclusion. (I am also not sure why they insulted me when they typed this -- it is a sad sign of the toxicity of some fans they they feel the need to sprinkle their retort with rudeness and insults.)

This leads to wonder if you could clarify, please, whether the ash in the shape of Conner's body was intended to suggest that he was dead. This is certainly what I took from how M'gann and Garfield reacted at the end of "Involuntary" (M'gann facial expression and Gar's words), so I would like to think that the YJ crew did indeed want the viewers to see the ash as an indicator of Conner's likely demise. Could you clarify, please? I have a feeling that you will confirm that the ash was meant to suggest this (whether or not it was a red herring at the time) and so I look forward to your answer.

It really feels like my understanding of what happened with the ash on the cave wall is SO different to what others have perceived, so by asking you, I hope to bridge the gap in my understanding if possible... or at least highlighted what was intended to be conveyed in this scene.

Many thanks!