Okay, I'm perfectly aware of the fact that I'm projecting and I could write and write about Mizumono, because I will never be over it (and Primavera) but for now I just want to say that I totally get Hannibal in this episode.
It is much safer to discard everyone oneself than being abandoned by someone you care about and crave their love and attention. If you are afraid of being left alone it is better to back off in order to suffer only by your own doings, believing that this way you are actually just protecting yourself.
And so did Hannibal in Mizumono. He could have done many other things instead of stabbing Will and killing Abigail, but he was so deeply heartbroken by Will's lies that he decided that if Will couldn't make a decision, he would do it for him by cutting him off, quite literally.
That's why Will looking for Hannibal is so important for me. This is a way of showing Hannibal that he is important for Will and Will, even despite the stabbing and killing their daughter, still can cheerish, love and care about Hannibal; that both of them have a lot of insecurities when it comes to abandonment, but if they go through their sharp edges, they are not going to leave one another.
Continuing the ongoing extended reply to this ask, I'm now at:
If you don’t mind, I’d love to hear your opinions on the Season 3 finale and the Season 4 premiere. Specifically, the conversation between Hotch and Morgan at the end of 4x01. I’m thinking about Hotch’s line: "My life matters to me and I have and always will entrust you with it. Would you do the same for me?" To be honest, I never fully understood why that line came up at that specific moment.
So! The Lo-fi/Mayhem arc, the foundation of so many Hotchgan headcanons. (Please insert all the swooning and hearts here.)
This is 3x20, because I have a lot to say, but next post will be 4x01, but oh am I excited about getting to that line in 4x01! (This is absolutely the Hotchgan goggles version of 3x20/4x1, just so everyone knows.)
We begin with Aaron getting a call. He's already there late at night, and he sounds friendly, knows the person on the other end of the line. They get on the plane and Derek brings up Kate, "I heard she can be a little bit of a pain In the ass."
Everyone else seems surprised that Aaron knows her, but Derek doesn't, and he has a habit of trying to ascertain Aaron's feelings with challenges. I'd like to think Derek knows Aaron liased with Kate and he's trying to tug at the line of that to get a read on it by throwing out a challenging comment. (What does he learn? He learns that Aaron knows a lot about her and is willing to defend her, and he files that information away.)
Then we move to New York, where all three BAU women immediately place Kate as a romantic interest to Aaron. (JJ says she looks like Haley. Emily says they liaised.) She is, as Derek stated, a little bit of a pain in the ass.
When she asks to speak with Aaron in private, Derek keeps watching, still trying to tug at the line of their relationship to get a good read on it. She asks about Derek and Aaron gets his "excuse me?" look on his face, which he generally gets before he defends one of his agents to someone.
The next time we see the three of them together is after another murder. Kate asks the older NYPD detective about Son of Sam, so I like to think that either Rossi or Derek (who are the ones the detective tells about being a beat cop then) told Aaron to suggest it to her to smooth things over a little. Then Derek says they probably won't get much from the footage and she is publicly denigrating.
I love the conversation that follows! Derek asks and you can see Aaron think for a moment before answering, and pause another moment before admitting that Derek's at the top of the list to replace her. ("We don't lie," he tells Jordan in season four, but even more than that he knows he has to be careful with Derek's trust specifically, and Derek will accept that Aaron sometimes doesn't say things only if he does say them when it's needed. Watch Derek's eyes move back and forth, reading Aaron's face before he says anything.)
Then he asks why Derek is surprised, but Derek is surprised because he clearly hasn't heard any whisper of this and it's not an SAC job like most field offices but an assistant director job (NYC, DC, LA), so he'd be leapfrogging right over Aaron in promotions. If Aaron is surprised to hear it from Kate, of course Derek is surprised! (I also like to think that whenever there are whispers of promoting Derek, Aaron very carefully squashes them before they can reach the team.)
He also compliments Derek! Before all the glorious tension in the rest of this arc, he says, "you're good at your job. People notice that." And, in the way of them, he says it almost like a challenge. Derek doesn't answer it, but he does soften a little, redirects the conversation to Kate.
They walk back into the building together, Aaron holds the door for all of them and then he and Derek stay together all the way to watching the video.
Then Derek suggests hitting the streets, explains why when Kate doesn't like the idea. That's not unusual: the BAU frequently demands to be involved, they push hard to get their way even against FBI offices. (Derek learned it from Gideon. Aaron no doubt learned it from him and Rossi and Max Ryan.) He doesn't say they won't deliver the profile; he says they could hit the likely areas afterward and the profile could be passed along.
What's unusual is that Aaron intervenes. He almost never does with any of the team, and he's worked with Derek long enough to know that at no point at least in the show has Derek ever run roughshod over the local authorities (or even Gideon, despite thinking maybe he shouldn't have been there and arguing with him frequently). He doesn't need to intervene--and quite frankly, it takes away from Kate's authority as well--but he does. Derek subsides, but it makes Kate look like she needs protecting and Aaron look like he cares more about that than the case, since he doesn't even address why covering the subway stops with people trained to recognize killers might be handy.
(Brief aside. Derek isn't in the hotel lobby later, so it's not a Hotchgan moment, but Aaron's voice goes so high when he tells JJ she could have told him. He's so upset she didn't trust him with the news of her pregnancy. And maybe, my Hotchgan brain says, a little shaky because he knows he just cost himself some of Derek's respect.)
Aaron isn't at the profile the next morning, but Derek is. Derek starts it, Derek defuses the angry cops (traditional to his usual canon role as the cop go between), Derek looks mildly irritated at Kate interjecting since apparently the whole point of not putting them on the streets was that they specifically need to the deliver the profile.
Then there's the next shooting. And Derek was right! He does overreact and he should drop it, but quite frankly the show is constantly validating emotional overreactions from the team, so it's not like they're the epitome of professionalism. (By the end of season 3, the team has allowed JJ's emotions to bully them into more than one case.)
And again, it should be Derek and Kate. But Aaron steps in, and not in the way he normally does, where he's sympathetic and trying to move forward. He pushes back, he mimics Kate, "we're here to deliver the profile," (not do anything else, though the BAU has been left to actually convince the cops she's alienated to work with them), and then he says, "It's not your place to have this discussion."
He is lucky at this point that Derek does not have a drink to throw at him. Like, yes, Rossi is right that Derek got too emotionally involved, but, "My place?" is the nicest response Derek could have made. "What the fuck did you just say?" would also have been completely in line.
On top of getting louder and aggressive, which is unusual for Aaron, who normally meets emotional outbursts by modeling calm, it's an incredibly insulting thing to say. Aaron in season one hands the reins of the case to Derek several times, asks for his opinion, treats him repeatedly as a senior member of the team. Derek at the beginning of season three is leading the team (not officially) and unhappily coping with Strauss.
Furthermore, while I certainly don't think the show intends to make Aaron racist, telling a Black man it's not his place is. Bad. (Had he said that to one of the women the show would have had him getting yelled at and of course proven wrong by the woman in question. He would have been called a misogynist. But not a racist?) He could have easily said, "This is not the place for this," which would have been fine. True! They could have adjourned somewhere! He could have suggested another task! He could have asked Derek to go talk to Garcia! Clearly, the goal is to point out that Derek doesn't run the NYC field office, but not in any way well done. (Also, a good team leader doesn't put his team down in public, also contributing to the not the place concept. The "you need to back off" could have been a "let's table this for now," and again it's a fascinating look into Aaron's own upset that it isn't!)
Then it gets even tenser. Derek's upset. He's upset that he just watched a murder, he's more upset that he feels like they could have done something, he's now upset that Aaron just said whatever the fuck that was to him, and he says, "seven bodies, man."
Here's what's interesting! Normally, when the team is too emotional, Aaron does the good psychology angle. He hears them, he know, he understands, and then he redirects their attention to what they can be doing and what he wants them to do.
He doesn't do that here. It shows how off-kilter his own emotional regulation is at this point, that instead of handling Derek like he normally handles the team, he leans in and snaps, "Which is why we need to stay focused."
Derek's eyebrows go up. Derek, as far as he can tell, has been focused. But--and I love this!--Derek gets very quiet to respond with, "From where I'm standing, all your focus is on her."
At this point he's talking to Aaron. Not shouting at a local agent who isn't listening, not emotionally distraught at his boss. No. This is quiet. Personal.
And it hits. Kate rolls her eyes, but Aaron is livid. He gets quiet, too. Again, it's personal now. "Take a walk," he whispers, and it's quiet. It's angry. "Now."
Derek goes, but it doesn't end the tension. Aaron leans against the desk, looking like he's gotten the wind knocked out of him.
further evidence that the long way down job was an ot3 episode: as eliot and parker are about to leave for the mountain eliot hugs hardison (who was trying to hug parker) and then gives parker a light pat on the back and an encouraging “let’s go” as they begin their ascent
so I watched the season 11 episode about imaginary friends for the first time yesterday and i just...am perpetually confused how so many people who watch this show MISS that the repeated theme of sibling trauma and dysfunctional family is written into SO many episodes? like where did the whole “family don't end in blood is the thesis of supernatural” thing even come from? like that was a one off random line Bobby said! I don't think this show is about found family! It’s about these brothers denying support and connection from every other person in their life (or imaginary friend, whatever) in favor of choosing family (and specifically each other)? It’s about Toxic codependency! If anything the thesis of supernatural isn’t found family but Sam and Dean’s repeated failure to actually participate in found family
I recently read a post (don't remember where or by whom) about how 1x08 Bugs is racist, mostly because the audience is meant to sympathize with the (current day) white settlers who are portrayed as innocent victims of a Native American curse. I just rewatched the episode and thought I'd share an alternative take. This isn't meant as a rebuttal against that post, because I do think it's a valid reading. In general, though, I find a lot of media analysis (particularly on this particular platform) tends to begin and end with identifying all the problematic elements of any given piece of media. While engaging critically with media is always a worthwhile endeavor, I think it's also worth considering more multivalent interpretations for the sake of embracing complexity. This is not meant as a defense of the episode, nor a defense of spn's ideological leanings in general--just adding my two cents for the sake of nuanced discussion of popular commercial media.
Audience sympathy/identification is a great thing to examine, and often very revealing about the underlying politics/agenda of a story. Another aspect that's equally important to consider, in my opinion, is the status quo, especially at the end of a story. In the horror genre, monsters and hauntings are often the product of a past trauma; eliminating that threat can sometimes equate to brushing the issue under the rug. The return to the old status quo therefore sometimes reinforces regressive, conservative values in horror (incidentally, this is one of my biggest criticisms against most blockbuster superhero flics, but that's a post for another day).
This is not what happens in Bugs, interestingly (and thankfully). It would have been reprehensible if the curse had been broken, allowing the (white) settlement to thrive on land tainted by a massacre of Native Americans. Instead, the Winchester don't even try to break the curse:
SAM: If we don't do something, Larry's family will be dead by sunrise. So how do we break the curse?
DEAN: You don't break a curse. You get out of its way. We've gotta get those people out now.
For Sam and Dean, this decision is probably more practical than out of respect to a Native tribe. Still, we're here to examine the meta-textual implications.
The Pikes (the white family) survive their harrowing ordeal thanks to Sam and Dean's help, but in the end, they are displaced from their home. It's not even close to comparable to the forcible displacement and massacre of Native Americans that the episode alludes to, but it's still noteworthy that they are not allowed to stay. The curse remains intact, ensuring no white settler will ever be able to take the land. Not only that: Mr. Pike himself vows never to let anyone else try to develop there either, meaning that the new status quo doubly reinforces the uninhabitability of the land (for white settlers), due to the crime committed there. The episode's "haunting" ends stronger than it began, completely subverting the norm of horror genre. The trauma of genocide remains alive, unhealed and therefore remembered, in the form of the curse.
Again, this is not a defense of the episode. It's certainly not "woke," and there are plenty of problematic elements to identify, which others have done a good job of. If there's any takeaway, I think it would have to do with early-2000s pop culture's imperfect reckoning with the US's legacy of genocide (one could probably make a similar statement about Route 666, which attempted to address the country's racism, but failed in a number of ways, most glaringly the portrayal of racism as the sole purview of the past).
Supernatural is nothing if not ideologically inconsistent and often contradictory, even within one episode. I'm just far more interested in picking apart those layers than in criticizing the show for being problematic or in trying to defend it from those accusations.
I’m watching the tail end of season 14, to try and understand the last season of Supernatural better... and it’s all /so much worse/ for TFW than I thought!
I thought I understood who had guilt complexes and WHY. Oh Sweet Summer Child that was me, mid-November-- NO. There is so much more.
Can we just talk about...
(spoilers for roughly eps s14.17 ~ s15.20 below cut)
Jack starts to lose his soul because he keeps having to save his family. He’s using the power to heal people and kill evil things (”the family business” !!)
Castiel, in DEEP DENIAL that there is a problem, tries to phone God to fix Jack’s soul, and then when Cas’s not around to help save Mary, has to admit to Dean he tried to run solo and f*ed up AGAIN.
(Somehow Mary Winchester gets the BEST FUNERAL AND DEATH ARC in the ENTIRE RUN OF THE SHOW! Multiple people come to her wake! She has appropriate, emotionally moving flashback moments in narrative with ALL relevant characters. They show the main characters’ mourning her; she is REMEBERED/REMARKED ON after her death.
This is AMAZING. I would say spn was trying to make good re: it’s entire history with misogyny, except it goes RIGHT BACK to that well after, so... *shrug*)
Heaven co-opts Jack for some Old Testament horrors. For added fun, it’s Cas who keeps having to explain the inspiration for the creative deaths Sam & Dean come across (*pillar of salt,* *consumed by worms,* etc), each time with the haunted 1,000 yard stare of a heavenly footsolider who remembers slaughtering Egypt’s first-born & etc the original go-around. Jack is doing this because he wants to make up for accidentally killing Sam & Dean’s mother by “punishing the wicked.”
Sam and Dean decide they’ll “fix” it by locking Jack away in the angel lockbox. Only Jack’s probably not going to want to be locked in a living hell for eternity, so they...lie.
They pray to Jack and then tell him they just want to forgive Jack, they have a way to “go back to the way it was” and Jack just needs to wait “awhile.” Jack trustingly climbs in, and they lock him up and throw away the metaphorical key.
(To reiterate: this is the closest thing Sam & Dean have had to adopted, chosen family EVER —they didn’t really know Adam— they RAISED Jack, and then they lie to him and cast him into an eternal living prison in a tiny dark box because...he was accidentally scary and killed some people. No one understood him, he wanted to do right, and when he tries to do better, others lie to him. It is bone-chillingly stone cold ugly of Sam & Dean and they don’t even give Jack a chance, really.)
Cas shows up and goes Full Dad Jacket on Sam & Dean over Jack: “You did WHAT?!”
Jack shatters the angel box and bamfs out of there (rightfully so!) Sam & Dean start looking for him.
Remember how Cas thought it was a good idea to: “Are you there God, it’s me Margaret?” earlier? Guess who finally shows?
(Guess who is going to burn out the eyes of the only son Cas has ever had right in front of him?)
(More ‘fun’ “Guilt!” hunger games: Guess who is going to have to burn that child’s body to a cinder in Hell when the demon possessing it turns on the Winchesters? Guess who is going to be rejected by the love of his life for being a screw-up while barely able to talk because of the horror and mourning of what just happened? Guess who is going to get to watch God play with their found family and the soul of that adopted son thought lost...because a fallen angel had less faith in love and redemption than a man who thinks he’s just a tool for saving others?)
(Guess, guess, guess. Guess what that self-hating man is going to get to learn right before that fallen angel decides to fix via sacrifice the things he broke, when he reached out to his Creator over his found family, before. Guess whether that that self-hating man feels what the impact of the offering deeply enough that he challenges a life-long lie he’s told himself and saves the world.)
(But not for himself. Or that lost sacrifice, or his son. Because you don’t get to keep the world if you save it; you only get to diminish and pass into the West. Or die on a nail and go live in your abusive father’s Heaven, ymmv.)
Now excuse me while I make a sound like a hot water kettle boiling off its last dregs of water and go try to throw myself into the SUN.
and some I-got-carried-away thoughts on Steve's character – meta-ish and super long
I wasn't sure what to expect from this episode and I got rewarded with so many magnificent details, especially with a lot of wonderful glimpses into Steve's personality when he's competing with someone. And this said someone is not only a former team guy but this someone also drives a Ferrari and has an impressive reputation and is a hidden fan of a so-called Steve McGarrett. Magnum is such a big fan that even his own team he's working with nowadays has heard all about the legendary McGarrett moves and ops and stories. And that speaks of such a high respect Magnum has for Steve McGarrett that everything else just fades away. Magnum's respect and the honor he feels for being with Steve is real. There's this deep understanding that Steve's ready to accept at the end of the day. But only after Magnum has proved himself being worthy.
But I'm not there yet. Whoa, getting derailed so fast right from the start. So that's what I'm gonna write about most in this review: Steve and his attitude, the SEAL spirit and a bit about Magnum because he's the reason Steve acts the way he does. And I'll write about Danny, about the omnipresent, strong, gorgeous, leaving-visible-dents-in Steve's-emotional-armor presence of Danny energy. God, those references about Danny during the entire episode…I loved those! The way Steve's partner came up and was mentioned every now and then was just a blessing for my McDanno heart.
And Steve's response to Magnum's actions also speaks volumes about the relationship he has with Danny. I hope I can get it out the way I feel it. I hope, in the end, everything makes sense.
This episode is fun to watch, Steve and Magnum are all about Alpha moves, flexing muscles and showing off, trying to make an impression on the other man – in a very silent, kind of cautious, intelligent way, of course. Like the archaic animals, these men are deep inside, well-hidden. They must mark their territory. They need to check the other out before they even think about being appreciative of each other. At least, Steve acts this way. Magnum tries to wrap his mind around the fact that he's actually working a case with the human legend he's fanboying over for years, apparently.
I grew up with Tom Selleck as Magnum and his trademark, the mustache, the red Ferrari and his stupid tight blue jeans with the belt. Anyway, Magnum, in my inner world is a tree of a man, tall and super hairy and intimidating. Higgins is a whiny, rich, wobbly guy with two wonderful Doberman pinscher. And I just needed some time to get used to a smaller Magnum, with no hairy arms and legs and a female Higgins with an impressive, wonderful British accent. And even though the Magnum Pi guys did a great job, they didn't grow on me. I appreciate Magnum (the new one) for completely other reasons that have entirely to do with Steve and Danny.
Okay, we have the first encounter of the two teams. I have to emphasize another important observation and it's an ongoing feeling throughout the episode. The H50 team, the ohana bond and everything they talk about are so rich in colors, so vivid and alive and so full of honest feelings. That's how I get the vibes. Higgins and Magnum are nice…they are okay…but they didn't manage to leave an impression…and I'm sorry but I can't really make it work. Their banter seems stages, not really coming from inside and from a place of true fondness. It's…just not flowing. At least, not for me. No offense, but I can't make it work with Higgins and Magnum.
That said, seeing both teams meet just highlights the significant difference in the spirit everyone emanates. And all the H50 ohana breathes a huge amount of charisma and freaking great vibes. And I love that!
When the H50 team digests the information of Higgins who has been an ex-spy, Steve eyes her with a silent jolt in his behavior. He takes her in with that measured look and it just occurred to me that once again he's confronted with a special female species. Tough woman, working for an agency, has been a spy once and it reminds him instantly, alarmingly intense of two women who have played a significant role in his life: Steve's mother Doris and Catherine Rollins.
Steve mentions that he likes "this one", pointing to Higgins and he lets her talk but the moment that it's out she's an ex-spy Steve takes a step back inwardly and he gives her a quick all-over. That's a fascinating moment.
Magnum: "McGarrett, I know that name, you're a team guy, right? I was a team guy, too."
And Steve's answer to that, completely flabbergasted: "Is that right?" (Because what the hell?)
Steve deals with the second, silent emotional blow within a few seconds. He's not prepared to meet a former SEAL. And because Steve's bound to every SEAL with a code of honor it's literally visible how his mind works overtime to get things right in his head. This Hawaiian-shirt-wearing-bare-legged-sun-tanned guy is a former SEAL?? And Steve's anyway a bit pissed because he got an anonymous tip from a male voice leading him in the right direction. And now, he's been told that it's this guy. Steve's not fond of such moments. And he stays skeptical although his inner conviction doesn't allow him to be distant. SEALs are brothers, no matter what.
There's more!
Steve warms up to Magnum. He addresses him as, "and you Mr. Private investigator you come with me."
Steve's forceful Alpha move number one is to convince Magnum somehow to let him drive the Ferrari. Okay, here's what I think about that.
It's about ranks and pack order. it's about the high respect Magnum has for Steve and because he's a brother, one of the reasons why legends get written. It's because of guys like McGarrett that legends live on. Because McGarrett is a freaking hero! And Magnum has no problem with all of this. He doesn't need to inflate his ego by fighting Steve. In fact, he understands Steve, he feels his brother and he lets him drive, bowing to the force of nature that is Steve McGarrett. Magnum pays respect to this man and honors his service just by this move. I might exaggerate a bit but seriously, that's how I see it.
And just for the record, Steve…oh well, Steve needs a boost for his ego. He needs to show that he's the Alpha and that's he has a say in this. He needs to know he wrestled Magnum into submission and is kind of blockhead, too busy to enjoy the moment and that he made it behind the steering wheel. He's so smug and confident and almost combusts with all the joy and the arousal to have his hands on the steering wheel of this freaking, awesome Ferrari-stud! Jesus! I know he's hard while he stomps the gas! Come on, Steve, admit it!
And Magnum has the freaking nerve to mention Danny (your partner) and tells Steve right to his face that Danny doesn't do well with riding always in the passenger's seat. But Steve's glowing and the hidden smile shines through when he confirms in this classical, smug way that Danny's okay with him driving Danny's car. That's almost the cutest thing ever.
Steve, dude!
And then, Christ! The 'white knight' conversation happens. I try to summarize this. Steve reads. He reads books written by former SEALs, or about the experiences of former SEALs.
Steve: "Entertaining but unrealistic though. There's no way a character that cocky would ever, ever make it through BUD/s."
He's seriously impressed that Magnum knows the author of that said book. In fact, Robin the author is Magnum's boss. And it gets better. The 'wight knight' has left an impression on Steve. Steve admires this guy!! This cocky guy couldn't have made it through BUD/s, nu-huh, no freaking way!
Steve: "So, you're sayin' you're the white knight?"
Magnum: "Well, that's classified. But I will say that the lead character is based on a heroic, charismatic individual who will do anything to get the job done."
Guess, what? Robin has been embedded with Magnum's team for the research on this book. So, Magnum answers with Steve's favorite line - that's classified! Come on!!! That's totally Steve's mojo! And Steve's face! I can't even. He looks at Magnum and all of Steve screams what the fuck, man?
And it dawns on Steve that this cocky bastard he thinks would never, ever make it through BUD/s is in fact – Magnum! The realization…hilarious! Steve's brain shifts into gear and he can hardly believe what he's just discovered.
Steve, with a soft smile: "…I might be in the presence of greatness right now."
Then, that scene where Magnum picks the lock with his tools and Steve watches. Steve plays the correct cop who seems to follow the rules. He lets Magnum open the door though, causing a crime but the important detail is the fact that Steve points to the badge to emphasize he can't break the rules.
I remember a scene where Steve and Danny stand in front of a closed door and Danny thinks about how to get in while Steve just kicks down the door. Danny yells at him and calls him 'a Neanderthal animal' but follows him regardless of what Steve just did. Steve loves to get Danny's attention no matter how this happens. Ranting always means caring and Steve bathes in Danny's way of caring.
Magnum finds the documents hidden under the fridge. Steve makes it up to him with his compliment. "Nice found!" only to pull the next Alpha move of hastily reading the documents written in Chinese, completely ignoring Magnum.
And that scene where Magnum disarms Steve, dislodging the clip of his gun because the perp told him so. That's also a great moment, revealing what Danny has known for a long time. Steve has feelings for his gun. Magnum does as he's been told and pulls the gun from the holster. Steve's senses are on high alert and he sells out Magnum to the perp. Steve searches for a way out, but his real concerns are on his weapon. The way the sheer disbelief shows on his face when Magnum carelessly throws his gun into the bushes almost hurts and makes me laugh at the same time. Steve can't believe how disrespectful Magnum treats his gun! That's such a great moment.
Steve's excitement about driving a Ferrari is infectious. I'm sensing Alex' and Chi's personality seeping through their characters of Steve and Lou when they whisper conspiratorially about how it feels to drive a Ferrari. There's so much passion, breathlessness, and this male want and I love that short, intense moment so much.
The other, sweet glimpse of how Steve feels about Danny comes next. The team watches Magnum and Higgins bicker (I'm not fond of that bickering, too staged, too little heart and honesty in it, doesn't catch my attention) but anyway, the team exchanges funny looks, and Lou asks if they are reminded of anyone by watching the argument of the other two. Steve doesn't even bat an eye, and no one can draw a breath and his reply follows like a shot.
Steve: "Danny and I aren't like that."
Steve instantly catches on who his ohana talks about. He denies everything about what they are teasing about. Steve utters his comment on the topic with a finale tone, like anything about him and Danny bickering is non-negotiable. His arms are crossed over his chest and his stance is wide and solid, unmovable. No one touches Danny! Forbidden territory. Period. And I love that moment, it doesn't even last three seconds but it talks volumes how Steve feels about Danny.
Now, let's talk also about this epic scene in the car when Steve gets a ride by Magnum's team.
Steve: "I would've called my people, but Magnum insisted on calling you guys."
Magnum wanted his team to meet this legend, Steve McGarrett because he knows how much this would mean to his guys! That's so cute and sweet and lovely and really, really kind and deep. I have feelings about this, Magnum genuinely admires Steve, being a SEAL with every fiber of his body and soul. Heaven help!
And before Magnum's team can catch up Magnum has a little chit-chat on his own with Steve and about being a SEAL and about…so much for "no man left behind". Again, some arm-wrestling to prove who's stronger but there's no heat behind that argument more like old buddies catching up.
And then…ohmygod!! TC is my hero! TC says one of the most epic sentences ever in this episode! I'm still reeling from those words. They are super great, sweet Jesus!
TC: "I'm sorry, but I got to ask. There's this SEAL named McGarrett that we always used to hear about. Fought in Operation Avalanche and the Battle of Garmsir. He also led the team that rescued those hostages in Karachi."
THAT'S PURE ADMIRATION RIGHT THERE!! Not only does this mean that Magnum has been gushing about McGarrett all the time because he's so fond of this guy and full of admiration, no, it also shows us what kind of hero Steve is. But SEALs don't talk about their work. They just get the job done and move on. They work in the shadows.
But Steve answers that kind of question…like:
Steve: "Yeah, yeah, that was me."
I mean…*LE GASP*!! WHAT?? How can he just give such a flat-out super direct answer and admitting every-fucking-thing?? I was like…BACKPADDLE! I CAN'T KEEP UP WITH WHAT JUST HAPPENED!
I mean. Whoa! From all the moments Danny has been asking Steve questions about his work in the Navy and as a SEAL there was always the same answer is given by Steve: "I neither can confirm nor deny it." Or my favorite one: "This is classified." And those answers always drove Danny up the wall and into more ranting.
Do you remember the time where the H50 team was allowed to join the operation room from an active SEAL operation? They helped to solve a case where a drug lord (I guess) was involved and they could watch the last op where a SEAL team took out the targets and killed all the tangos. So, and there was Danny asking Steve inappropriate questions about "Operation Strawberry field"…he was making fun of Steve in an odd Danny way. Joe White was quite fed up with Danny's attitude and he glared at him to get him to shut up. Steve seemed really a bit ashamed of Danny's disrespectful behavior.
Anyway, when Danny saw the live feed on how the SEAL team breached the house and how they were killing with precision and a tough skill set every target on place he suddenly went all quiet. He whispered to Steve: "You did that too?" with a tight voice. But Steve only said that he could neither confirm nor deny this question.
The realization of Steve's assigned task as a SEAL hits Danny like being clocked with a brick. But anyway, Danny has never admired Steve's SEAL career in an open way because he knew already then, that Steve's ego is about as big as Texas anyway. But that moment had an impact on Danny and he started to get the big picture.
Okay, let's go back to Steve's answer: Yeah, yeah, that was me. Maybe he said that because he still feels a bit intimidated and surprised by sitting next to the 'white knight'.
The way Steve's answered TC kind of caught me off guard. He's admitting so openly that he was the one leading those operations and he kind of enjoys the admiration (he soaks it up like a dry sponge…to be honest). He really loves being the center of the attention and that's a new one. It's touching how much TC and Rick are really into Steve and his way of being a real hero.
And then TC goes for the kill: "Man, do you realize this is the same cat that took out Anton and Victor, Hess?"
Hello?? TC addresses Steve as 'the same cat'…God! This is highly seductive and hot…as in stealthy, lethal, super primal jungle cat…I mean, what the hell, TC?
The guys are not finished yet.
TC: "This dude is a legit legend."
And here comes Rick: "You know, and I'm glad you brought it up because I-I just want to say, sir, it's an honor." (and he turns to look at Steve.)
Steve: "Thanks, bud."
TC: "We are in the presence of greatness."
(I'm so dead! This is so emotional and I love TC and Rick and Magnum, too because they are pure bliss for Steve's soul and heart.)
And it's not finished yet! There's this last scene where Steve thanks Magnum for working with him on the case. Steve had fun.
Magnum sees Joe White's picture on the wall and they talk about Joe. Steve is moved and there's a short flare of pain but the bonding happens over the fact that Magnum also knew Joe as one of the best instructors ever. And not only is Steve a legend but also in Magnum's eyes, he's also been close to Joe White. Magnum is a decent guy. There's no jealousy coming off of Magnum, only camaraderie and the joy to have gotten to know another brother. And I really love that about him.
I really appreciate the fact that Magnum offers Steve in a nice way to sit down and to talk. Let's grab a beer some time, referring to them as 'us team guys got to stick together' and Steve says 'yes' and not only that.
Steve: "Maybe you can bring those boys along. They're good for the ego."
And Steve shows Magnum the long-overdue respect by calling him the White Knight and telling him his secret is safe with him. Seriously, what a pile of emotions.
And that's such a sweet, honest thing to say and it's Steve who admits it. I just love this scene. And all these moments are also soaked with Danny's energy. First, Magnum wants to meet Steve's partner. Danny's kind of legend too, I guess. Who could keep up with the legit legend Steve McGarrett? This must be one of a kind. And Danny knew Joe White. Danny has been there when Steve just quit the SEALs to start Five-O. He has been with Steve all the time. Danny has helped him to adjust, to find his footing after being in the Navy for years.
And Danny has never been openly impressed by Steve's crazy. He always calls him out on his recklessness. He gives Steve a hard time and rants at him and tries to talk some sense into him. Danny has an unmatched backbone like no other and Steve admires that with all he's got.
And, of course, Steve wants to drag Danny along when they'll have that beer because he doesn't want to miss out on any of Danny's reactions when TC and Rick are all over Steve and fanboying like there's no tomorrow. What a show!
Okay, let's sum it up – it was a great episode with tons of hidden treasure I tried to dig up a bit. The last scenes are great, too. I love that Tani gives Junior a call and asks him out on a date. June sweet eye-widening speaks a silent, strong language and then…THAT CLIFFHANGER!! Oh god!!
Guys, that's it. I have nothing more to add only to emphasize how much secrets I've gotten to discover due to Magnum's attitude to treat Steve the way he did. And through Magnum Steve reveals a lot about how he feels about Danny and much more.
Here’s the thing: on the surface, 137 can look a lot like just another interesting episode with some interesting information and some callbacks to other episodes and fun historical details. But I think 137 has a lot more to say, specifically about the narrative of this season and the narrative of the series in general.
I’ve seen the question come up more than once: why isn’t the series about Gertrude? And I think the most recent episode answered that question.
Because I really DO believe it wasn’t a lack of bombs, it wasn’t a misplaced missile, it wasn’t ‘webbing’ on a radar chart: it was one person unwilling to let fear turn them into something they despised.
WHY a POW camp? Why wouldn’t they, say, go after people in an active battle? Wouldn’t the Slaughter’s ritual be in the middle of a fight? Why wasn’t it where bombs were ALREADY falling?
Because the point isn’t the violence. It’s being swept UP in the violence. It’s what people will allow themselves to become because they’re AFRAID. And our statement protagonist... wouldn’t allow himself to become that. He was a gentle soul, even after that hell. He was someone who marched himself into one of the most horrifying conflicts of this century because he didn’t want to hurt his father. He was someone who thought looking out for and sticking with his friend during his tenure at a POW camp was the most important thing. He did things FOR people. He did things out of CARING. He refused to be caught up in patriotism or self-defense; he did not and WOULD NOT see the justification that everyone else was drawn into to discount the sanctity of human life.
The Slaughter’s people went for POW survivors because they thought they were the MOST DESPERATE. The people who, of ANYONE in the war, would be willing to let their anger and rage and violence sweep them up.
Except someone DIDN’T.
Someone, one person, in the right time and the right place, said NO. Said ‘I am not afraid enough of my peers, of propaganda, of the drums of war, of violence against ME to decide that it’s okay to hurt other people’.
It wasn’t another FEAR countering a fear. It was human BRAVERY.
And Gertrude can’t SEE it. Gertrude doesn’t GET that. She’s too practical, she’s too hard. She’s let fear become her baseline, let it numb her until she doesn’t feel it but it’s underneath everything she does.
137 is the first ritual we’ve seen be broken up by someone who isn’t Gertrude in the current cycle, and it’s VITALLY IMPORTANT because it’s showing us the mythical ‘other way’ that we need. The REAL way. Facing that fear... and not letting it turn you into something you don’t want to be.
“Make your statement. FACE your fear.” It’s right there in the tagline. It’s right there in the first thing you see in the series.’
I’ve said before that as badass a character as Gertrude is, there is a reason that she died. There is a reason that Jon IS the main character, even if he’s lost. Because even though Jon doesn’t know what he’s doing, he knows what he’s NOT willing to do.
He’s not willing to let someone be consumed by their rage out of convenience to him and his causes.
He’s not willing to leave someone trapped and alone in the dark just because it’s scary and dangerous.
He’s not willing to let someone make the same mistakes he did, even if it means FACING how many mistakes he’s made.
Jon’s lost because he’s STILL LOOKING. He’s looking for the solution to the problem of the monsters and the entities and the fears he’s facing and he refuses to feed people to it. He’s refusing Gertrude’s solution, because he tried her plan (the Unknowing) and the cost was terrible. And right now, yes, he’s so lost that he can’t even SEE what he’s found, not yet. His eyes are still looking elsewhere, because everyone before him has set his expectations to the complicated and the esoteric so much that he’s missing the great big answer that is now literally at his fingertips.
The reason we’re listening to Jon’s narrative is, I believe, this group is going to change things. They’re going to break a cycle. And I think 137 is the beginning of that broken cycle.
