What is your favorite character trait of Nicky? What do you like most about him. And the same for Joe, what's your favorite thing about him? I love your analysis and posts
I’m a big fan of Nicky being protective and the tank of the group. I already went off on a whole ass tangent about him in another post, so I’ll spare you for now. Like he has a big heart and he cares for people SO MUCH. So much that he puts himself in danger to protect everyone else. Like he’s taking bullets for Andy (and Joe, cause Keane was TOTES about to shoot Joe before Nicky threw himself on Keane and then caught a bullet for his troubles!) He’s sleeping between Joe and Danger. He’s covering their six. He’s doing this unnecessarily extra slide:
No one else is doing it like my protective boy! Joe said it best when he said “He think’s your a mouse Nicky.” Nicky is a fucking tank and I love him. the end.
OK. lol got that out of my system 🙈 🙈 🙈
Now, Joe’s turn
You ready for this? I love how much Joe CARES about his family.
First of all, I can not for the life of me find it but I swear I saw someone saying that Al-Kaysani loosely translated to one who is kind? (I’m sorry if I got that wrong.) Edit: I miss-remembered, it was actually in reference to the comics where when Joe introduces himself to Nile he adds “called al-Tayyib” to the end of his name. According to google Tayyib means good natured. and al-Tayyib means good natured one, or the good. Like literally this poet introduces himself as Yusuf (...) the good. Knight!Nicky who??? Joe is over here serving us epic chivalrous vibes.
now what I know you’re all here for Lo going way over the top while analyzing this movie.
Let’s go in order shall weeeeee????
Look at this face???? That is the DEFINITION of heart eyes. He so gosh darn happy to have his family together again!
When Nicky is praying (sleeping?) on the helicopter I feel like Joe’s smile is such a sign of reassurance. Like he’s so ready to give Nicky a little pick-me-up going into what is probably a very stressful mission. There are children’s lives at stake. And from what we know about Nicky (empath!Nicky for sure) I’m sure Nicky’s really worried. Joe gives him a little smile and I read as more assuring than flirting. But maybe that’s just me.
Next we see Joe acting as a spotter for Nicky.
Spotters are pretty important for snipers, I’m no gun expert but from what little I’ve read up on them one of the most important jobs of the spotter is to protect the shooter. And like, of course Joe would be spotting for Nicky, they work in tandem in basically everything they do. but the fact that it is a thing for Spotters to be looking after their partner has me all types of warm inside.
We talk a lot about how much Nicky seems to really care about people. (“We could do some good” + “So where are the girls”) But it’s so obvious if you look for it that Joe is freaked out by what he’s seeing. His face when he’s sees the pile of shoes, and his disgusted relief when talking about hem later really shows me a caring/empathetic guy who is shaken by the thought of those kidnapped girls.
Nicky is the knife, we know. (heck I even participated in that joke lol) but I think we don’t give enough credit to the fact that while Nicky is protecting Joe’s front, Joe is protecting Nicky’s back and he’s fucking nuzzled into Nicky both times we see them sleeping.
Joe is the first person to suggest finding Nile, and pushes back against Booker objects, even before Nicky does.
Joe is also the first person we see talk to Nile. Obviously we can assume and have some info about deleted scenes that Nile met them and had conversations before they actually sit down to eat. But Joe still takes the lead on answering Nile’s questions.
He also delivers this gut punch of a line after helping to tell Nile about Quynh:
Sure, some of it is fear that it could happen to him or Nicky (or the rest of them) but that’s also someone he knew for 500 years, a member of his family.
I already talked about my take on the lab scene as it relates to Marwan’s acting, (I love how quickly Joe goes into make-Nicky-laugh-mode.)
I’m gonna skim over the big fight, even though there are some peak empath!Joe moments. (reaction to Nicky’s death is the obvious one)
Ok and the last moment I’m gonna point out. Even though Joe is very obviously pissed at Booker, he still turns around for one last look. And Booker reassures him with a nod because I think he knows how much this hurts Joe to leave him. (Booker & Joe are best friends, we all know it’s my brotp by this point lol)
Just like Nicky’s anger is still there even if it’s less overt than Joe’s. Joe’s empathy is there, even if he tends to mask it with sarcasm and jokes and winks.
tl;dr: Nicky: his protective streak Joe: his empathy
No I’m not JUST being contrarian to what most of the fandom is saying about each character.... but I also low key I am