Their dynamic shifts as they confront "what if" scenarios, suggesting that their current paths—and their isolation—are choices they are actively making, rather than just circumstances forced upon them.
The episode excels at contrasting different reactions to the high-stakes environment of the school: [S1E7] Rise Above
Similar to other intense psychological dramas like Severance , the episode plays with the idea of "memory bleed"—how past trauma and rituals (like Willie's pacifism or Marcus's grief) sink into the subconscious and dictate present actions. Deadly Class Episode 7 Review: Rise Above | Den of Geek Their dynamic shifts as they confront "what if"