put a kettle on posted:

I think that this is a time when we see how amorally ruthless Julian can be without Ricky and Bubbles to distract and soften him respectively. After Jim betrays The Boys at the end of season 8, effectively stealing the park out from under Jules' nose, both Julian and Ricky pledge oaths to themselves over torrents of swearwords that they will have revenge. in Season 8.5 we see Ricky confront the reality of revenge and its incompatibility with his looming role as extended family patriarch while Julian sees no such resolution. Julian is on the warpath in season 9, lone commando style, diving head first into the greasiest poo poo. In the end, Bubbles' critique of Julian's decision to tacitly allow Ricky to rain piss all over the park is accurate. Julian knows he needs to utterly destroy the New Sunnyvale in order to claim what he always wanted, control of the Old Sunnyvale and he accepts that there will be collateral damage. Julian manipulates Jim in season 9 much the same way Jim manipulated Julian in season 8. I think this is true though; by the time Julian convinces Jim to sign over the park, Jim had already completely destroyed himself.