Thursday Night Subtext-a-gogo
Sep. 4th, 2003 08:28 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ealgyldenI'm really sugar high, I've been bored all day, and it was a great night in slashy-repeat-land. That's a combination that leads to babble. Just to warn you.
Okay, too late. Soooo...
"Random Acts of Violence":
Okay, the A plot annoys me, because there is no way Gil should have let Warrick work on this case after he learned about Warrick's personal connection to the people involved. And naturally, Warrick screws it up because he can't look at anything objectively. The whole season was like that, and it really got on my nerves- this week Catherine screws up because of a personal connection to a case, next week Sara screws up, then Warrick screws up... Gil, being Gil, screws up his personal life for the sake of a case rather than vice versa (in "Lady Heather's Box"). Only Nick manages to do his job without histrionics and conflicts of interest- he's not a very melodramatic guy, and anyway he was lucky to get ten minutes of screen time an episode, poor guy. Not that I want a "Nick screws up a case because of a personal conflict" episode, but an occasional Nick-centric A-plot would be nice.
But for now, the B-plot in "Random Acts" makes me more than happy. It’s a second-stringer fiesta, with Nicky, Vega and David all getting to glow with the confident competence they have but which their bosses always seem to miss seeing. Nick has a really good rapport with cops- he has good people skills in general, but of the younger CSIs he has the greatest ability to communicate and work comfortably with the enforcement branch of the Law (presumably because he used to be one of them). The programmer and dot com jokes are really dated, and I hate the ending of this plotline. The janitor guy seemed so sweet, with his "grabby tool" and his "nobody ever notices me." I almost wish he'd gotten away with it. Not that I'm in favor of manslaughter (not usually, anyway). But I wish they'd at least taken him out the back way or something.
Nick looks good in the tight knitted shirts they had him in this season. His really long eyelashes showed up particularly well in this episode, too. Good-looking man, yes indeed.
But the real reason to love this episode has to be, "I thought we had a relationship." And Nick doesn't say, "Greg, what are you talking about, man?" Oh no, he just hurries to reassure his guy that of course they have a relationship. He just needed the help of a real geek for this case. No need to be jealous, Greg; Archie’s fun and smart and useful, but he’s not you. Love, love, love!
And since Nick and Greg are so obviously meant for each other, can I have Archie? He is just the cutest technogeek on TV. His little, "You gotta get a girlfriend," "You first," exchange with Nicky was very cute, if misguided. Poor Archie and his non-functioning gaydar. Of course, he missed Nick and Greg's "state of the relationship" discussion because he was off in Nerdvana, so he’s missing some information. I guess he just hasn't clued in yet. I'll teach him! Lemme play, pleeeease?
"Forever":
Not one of my favorites. Poor, poor horse. People really suck sometimes. The teen suicides are sad and the mom is a whackjob. Nick has some great "ew" and "huh?" faces, though. And Elaine Hendrix (Harper) has made a nice little career of playing spoiled, rich bitches. Nicky was so not impressed with her. Moneyed, man-eating blondes hold no appeal for our loyal Texan. He has a labgeek.
"Are You Now or Have You Ever Been?":
Shallow moment first- I really like Martin's hair in this one. It’s very cute and spiky. Danny's, not so much, but Danny can overcome things like doofy-looking hair with ease.
Okay, this episode is pretty much all of Martin's mistakes coming back to haunt him. All it needs is Joseph Deemer from the pilot to make the nightmare complete. Everyone else's mistakes pop up too, but repressed, overachieving, tormented Martin is my boy, so I’m going to babble about him. He's already off-balance after losing Andy Deaver's testimony (and I really wanted to give poor, broken Andy a hug. I hate Graham Spaulding. My least favorite character all season), and then Farrell shows up, invoking Anwar Samir. We see that name hit Martin, hard, just for a minute, and then the walls go up. But the damage is done, and he’s bleeding. Farrell doesn't gain himself any ground by mentioning Victor right off the bat, either. And then the expected accusations and the blame don't come, so Martin tries to throw himself on his sword. No luck, Victor's taken away that option already.
But now Danny's hackles are up, and all that nice trust they've built up all season gets buried under fear and anger and jealousy and who-knows-what-all. No fight yet, but it's coming. So for now it's off to court, where Martin finds out that Jack, a man he admires terribly, a man he's willing to fight his father and the OPR to protect, has lied to him and has made him look like a perjurer. And so it's back to the office, where Danny, angry and defensive after having his own mistakes thrown at him (and at Jack), is on the attack. He has a great advantage when it comes to wounding Martin; he knows him. So naturally, he uses Victor as a weapon, and it works. Martin is at a disadvantage through the fight, because at first he doesn’t know where all this is coming from, and then it turns out that it’s his father, as usual, and this time from this person who has become so important to him. After Danny storms off, Martin is left looking shell-shocked and pale. What’s left to lose?
So off to confront the man himself. Another unpleasant revelation (that Jack's downfall is the cost of Martin's salvation), another nasty fight, another bid for freedom from Victor's shadow. Man, I just hurt for him all through this episode. Everywhere he turns, he's either being confronted by his mistakes, his shortcomings, and his guilt, or is being saved or damned as Victor Fitzgerald's son, the one thing he doesn't want to be defined as. My poor Martin.
But! The TV universe loves a rebellious son, and the fight with Victor allows Martin to get his head above water at last. Jack owns up to his lie (at the cost of losing Spaulding, though, which ticks me off. I want him back next year. As a horribly maimed dead body in a crossover with CSI), and, even better, at some point between scenes Danny realizes that his poor, tormented Martin isn't a traitor. So he proposes. And lo, there was much squeeing throughout the land. Victor shows up long enough to do a bit of "saved you again, son, and it all worked out according to my evil scheme, so let's hear no more about it. I'll tell your mother you're looking well," like he says every damn time, before he gives Martin to Jack ("he likes you better anyway, so here, he's yours"). And they all live happily ever after, except for Spaulding, who is immediately crushed by a meteorite, and Victor, who's an aging WASP in a government job, and is therefore unable to feel happiness.
Martin had a helluva week. That boy deserves a pint of Ben & Jerry's and some vacation time in the Adirondacks with Danny. They can try to fish (city boys, how well do you think that would go?), they can wonder if they’ll be eaten by bears, they can take long walks in some truly beautiful scenery, and they can have lots of make-up sex. Hell, they’ve earned it.
And now to switch my LJ back from this weird new default. I fear change.
Okay, too late. Soooo...
"Random Acts of Violence":
Okay, the A plot annoys me, because there is no way Gil should have let Warrick work on this case after he learned about Warrick's personal connection to the people involved. And naturally, Warrick screws it up because he can't look at anything objectively. The whole season was like that, and it really got on my nerves- this week Catherine screws up because of a personal connection to a case, next week Sara screws up, then Warrick screws up... Gil, being Gil, screws up his personal life for the sake of a case rather than vice versa (in "Lady Heather's Box"). Only Nick manages to do his job without histrionics and conflicts of interest- he's not a very melodramatic guy, and anyway he was lucky to get ten minutes of screen time an episode, poor guy. Not that I want a "Nick screws up a case because of a personal conflict" episode, but an occasional Nick-centric A-plot would be nice.
But for now, the B-plot in "Random Acts" makes me more than happy. It’s a second-stringer fiesta, with Nicky, Vega and David all getting to glow with the confident competence they have but which their bosses always seem to miss seeing. Nick has a really good rapport with cops- he has good people skills in general, but of the younger CSIs he has the greatest ability to communicate and work comfortably with the enforcement branch of the Law (presumably because he used to be one of them). The programmer and dot com jokes are really dated, and I hate the ending of this plotline. The janitor guy seemed so sweet, with his "grabby tool" and his "nobody ever notices me." I almost wish he'd gotten away with it. Not that I'm in favor of manslaughter (not usually, anyway). But I wish they'd at least taken him out the back way or something.
Nick looks good in the tight knitted shirts they had him in this season. His really long eyelashes showed up particularly well in this episode, too. Good-looking man, yes indeed.
But the real reason to love this episode has to be, "I thought we had a relationship." And Nick doesn't say, "Greg, what are you talking about, man?" Oh no, he just hurries to reassure his guy that of course they have a relationship. He just needed the help of a real geek for this case. No need to be jealous, Greg; Archie’s fun and smart and useful, but he’s not you. Love, love, love!
And since Nick and Greg are so obviously meant for each other, can I have Archie? He is just the cutest technogeek on TV. His little, "You gotta get a girlfriend," "You first," exchange with Nicky was very cute, if misguided. Poor Archie and his non-functioning gaydar. Of course, he missed Nick and Greg's "state of the relationship" discussion because he was off in Nerdvana, so he’s missing some information. I guess he just hasn't clued in yet. I'll teach him! Lemme play, pleeeease?
"Forever":
Not one of my favorites. Poor, poor horse. People really suck sometimes. The teen suicides are sad and the mom is a whackjob. Nick has some great "ew" and "huh?" faces, though. And Elaine Hendrix (Harper) has made a nice little career of playing spoiled, rich bitches. Nicky was so not impressed with her. Moneyed, man-eating blondes hold no appeal for our loyal Texan. He has a labgeek.
"Are You Now or Have You Ever Been?":
Shallow moment first- I really like Martin's hair in this one. It’s very cute and spiky. Danny's, not so much, but Danny can overcome things like doofy-looking hair with ease.
Okay, this episode is pretty much all of Martin's mistakes coming back to haunt him. All it needs is Joseph Deemer from the pilot to make the nightmare complete. Everyone else's mistakes pop up too, but repressed, overachieving, tormented Martin is my boy, so I’m going to babble about him. He's already off-balance after losing Andy Deaver's testimony (and I really wanted to give poor, broken Andy a hug. I hate Graham Spaulding. My least favorite character all season), and then Farrell shows up, invoking Anwar Samir. We see that name hit Martin, hard, just for a minute, and then the walls go up. But the damage is done, and he’s bleeding. Farrell doesn't gain himself any ground by mentioning Victor right off the bat, either. And then the expected accusations and the blame don't come, so Martin tries to throw himself on his sword. No luck, Victor's taken away that option already.
But now Danny's hackles are up, and all that nice trust they've built up all season gets buried under fear and anger and jealousy and who-knows-what-all. No fight yet, but it's coming. So for now it's off to court, where Martin finds out that Jack, a man he admires terribly, a man he's willing to fight his father and the OPR to protect, has lied to him and has made him look like a perjurer. And so it's back to the office, where Danny, angry and defensive after having his own mistakes thrown at him (and at Jack), is on the attack. He has a great advantage when it comes to wounding Martin; he knows him. So naturally, he uses Victor as a weapon, and it works. Martin is at a disadvantage through the fight, because at first he doesn’t know where all this is coming from, and then it turns out that it’s his father, as usual, and this time from this person who has become so important to him. After Danny storms off, Martin is left looking shell-shocked and pale. What’s left to lose?
So off to confront the man himself. Another unpleasant revelation (that Jack's downfall is the cost of Martin's salvation), another nasty fight, another bid for freedom from Victor's shadow. Man, I just hurt for him all through this episode. Everywhere he turns, he's either being confronted by his mistakes, his shortcomings, and his guilt, or is being saved or damned as Victor Fitzgerald's son, the one thing he doesn't want to be defined as. My poor Martin.
But! The TV universe loves a rebellious son, and the fight with Victor allows Martin to get his head above water at last. Jack owns up to his lie (at the cost of losing Spaulding, though, which ticks me off. I want him back next year. As a horribly maimed dead body in a crossover with CSI), and, even better, at some point between scenes Danny realizes that his poor, tormented Martin isn't a traitor. So he proposes. And lo, there was much squeeing throughout the land. Victor shows up long enough to do a bit of "saved you again, son, and it all worked out according to my evil scheme, so let's hear no more about it. I'll tell your mother you're looking well," like he says every damn time, before he gives Martin to Jack ("he likes you better anyway, so here, he's yours"). And they all live happily ever after, except for Spaulding, who is immediately crushed by a meteorite, and Victor, who's an aging WASP in a government job, and is therefore unable to feel happiness.
Martin had a helluva week. That boy deserves a pint of Ben & Jerry's and some vacation time in the Adirondacks with Danny. They can try to fish (city boys, how well do you think that would go?), they can wonder if they’ll be eaten by bears, they can take long walks in some truly beautiful scenery, and they can have lots of make-up sex. Hell, they’ve earned it.
And now to switch my LJ back from this weird new default. I fear change.
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(no subject)
Date: 2003-09-05 04:27 am (UTC)See, here's where I prefer to hear the sarcasm in Archie's voice when he snipes at Nick under his breath as he walks away, because personally I think everyone in the lab is on to Nick and Greg, they're just too blind to realize it. I like that theory so I'm just going to go ahead and deny deny deny.
We see that name hit Martin, hard, just for a minute, and then the walls go up. But the damage is done, and he’s bleeding.
God, that looks kills me. It's the Little Boy Lost laid bare in front of us for a split second before the walls go up. And the best part is that the subtlety of that scene speaks volumes about Eric Close's range. I honestly don't think he's gotten parts that challenge him enough to really show what he can do; I'm glad they're giving him a little of that on WaT.
(no subject)
Date: 2003-09-05 06:48 am (UTC)Heh, I like that much more. Denial is our friend. Archie has shiny powers that melt my brain, so having him and Nick and Greg all in the same scene is just not healthy.
And the best part is that the subtlety of that scene speaks volumes about Eric Close's range. I honestly don't think he's gotten parts that challenge him enough to really show what he can do; I'm glad they're giving him a little of that on WaT.
I really agree with that. As an actor, EC is generally very still, very quiet. Little things like quick changes of expression and aborted gestures tend to jump out at me, because that stillness means I end up watching him very closely (and then when Martin does something big, like yelling at Danny, I flinch hard. It's such a rare occurence). This is a great episode (and a great show in general) for EC, acting-wise, but character-wise I just wanted to make it all better again for Martin. He's attacked from all sides at once, poor guy.
(no subject)
Date: 2003-09-05 01:40 pm (UTC)Can I say this? I LOVE YOU! That was great. Ahem. I apparently have too much free time and can spend it all reading subtext reports and acting 12. Ahem.
I felt a bit for Sam too, in between yelling at the TV going "How can she think she likes Martin? They have NO CHEMISTRY!" Oh, wait, I was just yelling that in my head. Out loud I ranted about dating co-workers after getting out of a shitty relationship didn't seem to be Sam's thing. My mom agreed.
As for Martin/Danny. Every scene between them makes me smile. A lot. Even when they're mad at each other. I love it.
And there was something else. Cannot remember. GAH. I'll post with another comment if I remember.
(no subject)
Date: 2003-09-06 02:49 am (UTC)Heee! Ahem, hmph, I wouldn't know anything about that. This is very serious, I'll have you know. (now just let me slip some magazines over this notebook that says "I <3 Archie 4 EVA!!!" all over it- I have no idea where that came from, la la la).
Ah, you reminded me about poor Sam. I'm not a big fan of hers usually, because they write her so badly, and I hate The Affair (as I'm sure you know. Hell, I'm sure everybody knows), but I felt really, really bad for her in this episode. She's just so unhappy about this whole mess with stupid old Jack- if they had to do some version of The Affair plot, I wish it had been that she'd had an affair with some other higher-up, and Jack was her friend and confidant during it (and maybe his wife had gotten suspicious because of that), because Sam really looked like she needed that hug at the end, and I wish it had come from a friend rather than an ex-lover. Poor Sam. I think it would be good if she and Martin could eventually be friends (despite the fact that, you're right, they have NO CHEMISTRY), because they're both such messes, emotionally. Walking wounded. He could be her stable good listener, and she might be able to help him loosen up a little, so he and Danny could have that conversation they so obviously need to have.
Man, I love this show.
(no subject)
Date: 2003-09-06 03:14 am (UTC)Aahah! That totally goes with my I <3 Tony Hawk phase I'm going through. Or 'I must watch I Love the 70s/80s' cause Kevin Wiseman is on. And so on ... *cough*
I think it would be good if she and Martin could eventually be friends (despite the fact that, you're right, they have NO CHEMISTRY), because they're both such messes, emotionally. Walking wounded. He could be her stable good listener, and she might be able to help him loosen up a little, so he and Danny could have that conversation they so obviously need to have.
Amen to that. And about the hug thing. That bothered me the first time I saw the ep and then the last. I mean, of all the people, why did she have to go see Jack at the end? I mean, hell, doesn't she have other friends? That's another thing that bothers me about both Sara and Sam, although with Sara it makes more sense. But Sam? She's a new york girl (or so I'm lead to believe) and she really should have more friends. Seriously.
(no subject)
Date: 2003-09-06 05:24 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2003-09-06 02:05 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2003-09-06 07:17 am (UTC)Now, Jack? I didn't like him at all in this ep. I really hated the revealing of the affair, something I thought was kinda forced and weird and just crappy. I mean, why take a supposedly strong female character and then compromise her by making her have an affair with her married boss. I mean, geez, that's just sleazy.
Martin had a helluva week. That boy deserves a pint of Ben & Jerry's and some vacation time in the Adirondacks with Danny. They can try to fish (city boys, how well do you think that would go?), they can wonder if they’ll be eaten by bears, they can take long walks in some truly beautiful scenery, and they can have lots of make-up sex. Hell, they’ve earned it.
I like this. Can we have this? I'd pay.
(no subject)
Date: 2003-09-06 08:27 pm (UTC)Me too, me too! These last three episodes made me really dislike Jack, and it's taken most of the reruns to remind me of why I had liked him in the first place. But now I'll end up going into the new season all, "Grrr, Jack's a big jerk, grrr, so selfish and untrusting, grrr." It's really too bad.
And this whole mess with Sam, argh. I want to like Sam, I really do. She's smart, she's determined, she's fierce, she's dedicated... and she gets awful treatment at the hands of the writers. Almost all of her plotlines detour through her bedroom at some point. It isn't fair. I really hate the whole affair plot-twist.
I like this. Can we have this? I'd pay.
Hee! Maybe they'll include it in the deleted scenes when the series eventually hits DVD. Yeah, that's it. *g*
(no subject)
Date: 2003-09-08 01:17 am (UTC)Hee! Maybe they'll include it in the deleted scenes when the series eventually hits DVD. Yeah, that's it. *g*
Yes! Hope springs eternal.