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Post by Queen E on Jan 13, 2007 21:27:36 GMT -5
Erin: I loved this observation. I want to second this. I think you touched on a key concept--integrity. And I think that based on Peter's dream (in another episode), the heroes are going to discover that they are ALL integral to saving the world. I understand your annoyance with Mohinder's voice overs, but I'm OK with them because I think it adds to the mystical quality of the show. Great review, Erin!! Oh, yes. I am really excited to see what happens when they go all "Justice League," but I like how they are taking the time to develop them all separately...and how all the meet ups so far have not felt forced... And you've given me something to think about regarding the narration. Thank you, Fotada! I love writing them, and I always discover new things when you guys comment on them!
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Post by Lola m on Jan 15, 2007 13:31:15 GMT -5
Wow, Erin! Wonderful piece of writing here. I mean, you always make me think and bring out stuff I hadn’t noticed, but I particularly loved your writing in this.
Loved your dual themes of pairs/groupings of people and the choices they make – using the Saunders and the Bennets as examples to compare really fit the episode so well.
I especially loved your comments on Niki and DL and Micah. For example:
Yes! Excellently well-put! And I’m not just saying that because I also loved that scene – so beautifully shot and so . . . real feeling.
Also, I really appreciated the way you dug into the dynamics of their family and how the text and the cinematography created a fuller picture.
And I eetah Liz and Fotada’s appreciation for your closing comments regarding integrity – especially the idea of physical integrity and how this fits with Claire’s ability to self-regenerate.
Most excellent review, Erin!
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Post by Queen E on Jan 17, 2007 8:31:25 GMT -5
Wow, Erin! Wonderful piece of writing here. I mean, you always make me think and bring out stuff I hadn’t noticed, but I particularly loved your writing in this. Loved your dual themes of pairs/groupings of people and the choices they make – using the Saunders and the Bennets as examples to compare really fit the episode so well. *shuffles feet* Aw, thanks, Lola! It was fun to write. Both of those moments really popped out at me; in the first, the lighting was so obviously different between DL and Niki, it seemed not to be accidental. Niki's room was so "gold" it looked sunlight. Start of a new day, if you will. As for the conversation with Niki and Jessica, the whole time I'm thinking: "Oh, yeah, like THAT'S not going to blow up in your face." There is an episode of Miracles which deals with the same issue...an "alter ego" who actually represents a protective spirit of one departed. Of course, the departed don't exactly follow the same moral code as the living, and Jessica does not seem to draw any distinctions beyond "hurt Niki" or "hurts Micah" in exacting her revenge on Niki's behalf... Thanks! I've started keeping an eye out for intros of new heroes; they always seem to point to a thematic concern for the episode. I'm so glad you enjoyed and commented! Thanks, Lola!
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Post by Sara on Jan 21, 2007 20:06:45 GMT -5
So. I ended up going off into this whole tangent while writing one of my reviews this weekend, and decided it'd be better served by posting it here. Lacking the energy or desire to rewrite it, though, I'm just going to copy it here wholesale. Erin made an excellent point in her last review when she noted "You can see here, in her lack of response outside of a widening of the eyes, why her alter ego is so strong; Niki is easily paralyzed by indecision." Which made me wonder: when in the hell did that happen? After all, when we first met Niki she didn't seem to have any problem making decisions: she had no problem confronting Micah's principal over his decision to toss her son out of school, and barely paused a moment before insisting the guy return the "donation" she'd been told was the key to enrolling Micah—a pretty ballsy demand, all things considered. Yet now Niki can't make the no-brainer call to hop in her car and go after her son? It doesn't make a whole lot of sense... until you take into consideration what happened in Niki's garage. I'm not talking about what Jessica did to Linderman's men, as it's now pretty clear Jessica was a busy little bee well before that particular game of Tear the Limb Off the Thug. No, what's important about the garage and its aftermath is that it was the first time Niki became consciously aware that all might not be right in her world—that there was a very real possibility she was not only involved in incidents she had no memory of and apparently no control over, but could very well be the person committing these acts. From that moment on, Niki began to constantly question her perceptions, her judgment, even her sanity. Then, the coup de gras: Niki got to watch herself having sex with Nathan, something she not only couldn't remember happening but which was also a course of action she'd specifically, literally, turned and walked away from. Yet here she was, staring at proof positive she was not entirely in control of her own body or her behavior. And if it could happen when she'd had her mind firmly set against something, when she was trying very hard to be a good person, then how could she prevent it from occurring in a situation when the temptation to do the wrong thing was even greater? And from there on out, it was just one big ol' vicious circle: as Niki became more uncertain of herself, Jessica grew stronger and appeared more frequently; the more assertive Jessica got, the more indecisive Niki became...
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Post by Queen E on Jan 28, 2007 9:07:19 GMT -5
So. I ended up going off into this whole tangent while writing one of my reviews this weekend, and decided it'd be better served by posting it here. Lacking the energy or desire to rewrite it, though, I'm just going to copy it here wholesale. Erin made an excellent point in her last review when she noted "You can see here, in her lack of response outside of a widening of the eyes, why her alter ego is so strong; Niki is easily paralyzed by indecision." Which made me wonder: when in the hell did that happen? After all, when we first met Niki she didn't seem to have any problem making decisions: she had no problem confronting Micah's principal over his decision to toss her son out of school, and barely paused a moment before insisting the guy return the "donation" she'd been told was the key to enrolling Micah—a pretty ballsy demand, all things considered. Yet now Niki can't make the no-brainer call to hop in her car and go after her son? It doesn't make a whole lot of sense... until you take into consideration what happened in Niki's garage. I'm not talking about what Jessica did to Linderman's men, as it's now pretty clear Jessica was a busy little bee well before that particular game of Tear the Limb Off the Thug. No, what's important about the garage and its aftermath is that it was the first time Niki became consciously aware that all might not be right in her world—that there was a very real possibility she was not only involved in incidents she had no memory of and apparently no control over, but could very well be the person committing these acts. From that moment on, Niki began to constantly question her perceptions, her judgment, even her sanity. Then, the coup de gras: Niki got to watch herself having sex with Nathan, something she not only couldn't remember happening but which was also a course of action she'd specifically, literally, turned and walked away from. Yet here she was, staring at proof positive she was not entirely in control of her own body or her behavior. And if it could happen when she'd had her mind firmly set against something, when she was trying very hard to be a good person, then how could she prevent it from occurring in a situation when the temptation to do the wrong thing was even greater? And from there on out, it was just one big ol' vicious circle: as Niki became more uncertain of herself, Jessica grew stronger and appeared more frequently; the more assertive Jessica got, the more indecisive Niki became... Excellent point, Sara! I don't have a lot to add to this; you've pretty much summed it up. It's definitely a case of "This mind ain't big enough for the both of us." Jessica is pretty much of the "want, take, have" school, which not only makes Niki feel guilty, but also question her motives and decisions constantly, wondering if they are really hers.
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