No spoilers will be marked. You have been warned.
- It seems absurd that no one would've taught Devo how to swim as a child, seeing as how they live underwater, especially since he was raised by the Benevolent Parish, who work with and create undersea technology. Surely someone would've taught the kid the basics at some point, right? Well, one common way cults (and abusers in general) keep their victims under their control is to make them feel powerless, and limit their ability to be independent from them. Cutting off means of transportation is one way of doing that; many abusive parents won't allow their children to learn to drive, or take away their bus pass or car keys for even the most minor of transgressions. Not teaching Devo how to swim could be one of many ways the Parish controlled him, by making him helpless in this one regard, and quite literally limiting his means of travel, thus eliminating one potential means of escape (even if it's an unlikely one). It is not difficult to imagine an abusive parent or caregiver saying something along the lines of, "You think you can survive on your own? You can't even swim! You won't last a week."
