I agree about the fact that the BW trio had the most balanced focus and development between all the casts, however, I still feel like Cilan is a bit of a "3rd wheel" mainly because unlike Ash or Iris, his goal wasn't explored that much (unless I'm remembering wrong), we don't even know any S rank connoisseur yet
I agree that from a goal standpoint he wasn't developed as much as the other two, but just having a rival and competing in the 1v1 tournaments every so often made him more dynamic than Brock imo. He's the only tritagonist to get a series-long rival. They definitely messed up the goal part but his character was more interesting and had more going on than Brock imo due to the rival and the tournaments.
I think they intended to make the Connoisseur an actual goal, mainly because in XY we had an actual connoisseur acting as a judge during a showcase, so the writers at least still remembered that this existed, however the execution never was that interesting. As fot the classes, I only remember that the connoisseurs needs to approve an evaluation in order to promote to a better class.
I still remember thinking the Connoisseur being a judge in a showcase was the perfect opportunity for Cilan to return, and I have no idea why they didn't. Back then, we were still used to companions returning only from the most recent generation, so I was expecting Iris or Cilan to return (and Cilan did in the Clemont and Bonnie special, but I want him to meet Ash) and thought that once XY&Z ended, there was no chance for Cilan to return. Journeys has changed that, and I hope that Cilan does return. Nevertheless, it was such an obvious and easy way to bring him back as a judge in XY, and they blew it.
I agree with what you said, but I'd like to say that Ash's and Cilan's dynamic also involved the tag battle thing. Unless I'm mistaken, they tended to tag battle more often than Ash/Iris or Iris/Cilan.
I actually don't remember many tag battles taking place in BW period tbh, but the one I do remember (BWS2-15) did produce this epic image, which I love:
It wasn't awful but the pacing and revelations were just ridiculously rapid and I think they needed some sort of real time dynamics to flow the backstory together.
They probably should start with some of the plots of the arc during S20, potentially during the Akala Arc because this was the first time all the group travelled and not only Ash got focus
Exactly. A properly done villain arc should build throughout the series, just like it does in the games. If you ignore the actual plot, the pacing of AG's arc was well done with Team Magma debuting in episode 2, and multiple appearances of Magma and Aqua throughout the series, culminating right before the seventh gym. TG was similar, multiple appearances culminating between gyms seven and eight. I think TP was meant to be similar, unfortunately the earthquake derailed that and they decided to put it fully after the league. Strangely, I guess they thought that was a good decision in BWS2EN and decided that TF should also only happen after the league? Not sure what that was about. Ever since BW, the villain arcs have just had weird pacing imo, and I fully agree that AF was just horrible. 11 straight episodes makes no sense. The events make sense, but should have been spread out over 3 years. Even Team Skull, which didn't have a super-proper conclusion, was better than AF bc of its pacing imo.
After the Whirl Cup, whatever Misty did is kind of a big blank to me, though it's been so long.
Misty after Whirl Cup was basically Clemont after his gym
). This might be why some are disappointed Journeys kept to only one companion, since Chloe could maybe have worked as the supporting member while Goh got the development arc.
