#exfil meta

[exfil]

always so fascinating to me that while none of the 141 ever directly disobey orders they do show insubordination by talking back but all in different ways.

while gaz shows his disagreement with sassiness (are we training right now, captain?) soap responds with rage (he's right here, you can't be serious.) while ghost mostly keeps his displeasure to himself and voices it off comms (bloody fucking hell).

but then these dynamics are so often flipped in fanworks (soap being sassy, ghost prone to anger and gaz devoted) which is so interesting and i think also because many people base their characterization of ghost and soap on the Alone mission which showcases their unique relationship rather than their usual rapport with the military hierachy and because most of the gaz back-talking happens not in the cut scenes but the actual play which is not easily accessible if you have not played cod yourself. anyway many thoughts on this

[exfil]

something that has always fascinated me about the dynamic between ghost and soap is how their vices perfectly complement each other.

soap is a good soldier because he is a righteous and committed man (let's get ourselves a win) but has a tendency towards anger (i will blow your brains out i swear i will do it) and wrath (are you serious he is right fucking there) while ghost is a competent and confident man (choices have consequencea) albeit with a tendency towards pride (pay attention you just might learn something) and arrogance (i have seen better - who? - me).

both of these characteristics could lead to tension within a unit - but they make ghost and soap work together perfectly because they enable each other. soap gets to overkill for ghost (about to play rough with the shadows - i like the sound of that) and ghost shows off for soap (gonna do this one my way, watch - fucking brautiful, sir).

even in moments where they try to reign themselves in, the other makes sure they dont have to - ghost validates soap's anger (it was the right call at the time - at the time.) and soap validates ghost's ego (you want to be better than me - i got my work cut out for me then).

what a perfect pair they make.

[exfil]

you know how ghost left soap in las almas and saved himself to the church even though soap got shot (so you left me - i'm used to working alone)? hear me out. i don't think ghost knew johnny got shot.

you see, when graves shoots soap, ghost is behind the car stabbing shadows, he only sees soap (go johnny, get out of here!) once soap is already on the ground. then, when he checks in with johnny after reestablishing contact (thought we lost you), he does ask if soap is wounded (you injured?) meaning he wasn't sure, and johnny denies it either way (i'm not a medic - what's the difference - i'm good).

when soap takes the stim, ghost blames it on the situation not a gunshot wound (graves tried to kill us, would stand to reason if you were a little off), and he frequently alludes to keeping soap uninjured (tryin' to keep you alive and get you here in one piece), talking about soap getting injured as a hypothetical (keep your blood in, you will need every drop). and if ghost didn't know johnny got shot, that changes the dynamic of the whole escape.

because soap jokes about ghost abandoning him (so much for no man left behind), and ghost plays into it (i'm used to working alone.) but if ghost thought soap was uninjured albeit without a weapon (you will need to improvise to survive), do you think he went ahead to the church to save his own skin?

or was he trying to ensure that one of them survives by keeping them apart (one of us has to survive to live the tale), taking the chance on where they would search first (don't make me bet against you)?

and if so, who do you think he was trying to save by choosing to stay in one spot, in range of the unsecured comms (i got company in the church and they are not looking for forgiveness)? himself? or his seargant?

(i like you alive.)

[exfil]

every time i think about the dynamic between ghost and soap in the ghost team mission i loose my mind.

ghost, a man with a well established ego problem (pay attention and you just might learn something), after managing to save a subordinate from an impossible situation in las almas through guidance alone (welcome to guerilla warfare), a subordinate that clearly looks up to him (i want to be like you when i grow up), that feeds said ego problem (fucking beautiful sir), that trusted him with his life despite just being betrayed (las almas can corrupt anyone - not us), who he watched grow under his command from a liability (keep up soap) to a cherished asset (a man after my own heart), a man that he literally told to jump (we stay here we're dead, now jump!) and who did so without asking how high, that got shot and looked for him first (fuck ghost where are you), that always makes clear that his allegiance is to him first (don't call me johnny, only ghost can pull that off),

he watched that man, his seargant, wearing a mask of his face, gearing up to kill graves like ghost asked him to (this happened on my watch and I'll need help to fix it), hesitate for just a moment.

because he wanted to make sure ghost was there with him (you coming, ghost?).

how do you think that made him feel?

[exfil]

me: so when gaz is introduced in mwi, price throws a man off a balcony. this sets up a motif of heights around gaz that sticks through him through all of mwii. be it shooting people through skylights (death from above) or getting the drop on them from the roof (sky is falling fucker), or hanging from a helicopter (i'm not dead, nik, i'm hanging from a bloody rope), or telling soap that he needs to jump into an elevator shaft (you have to move, sergeant! jump!), the sky and death from above are a reoccurring theme that surrounds the sergeant. you know?

the barista: i meant "anything else" as in any extra syrup for your coffee

[exfil]

one of soap's defining character traits is righteousness. be it helping his comrades in al mazrah over the mission objective (are you saying we shouldn't have helped?) or walking into a cartel villa unarmed to bring down el sin nombre (we came here to stop a missile, so let's stop it), it is clear that his main motivation is to do the right thing. so is the protection of innocent people - soap is almost always the one who articulates the involvement of civilians (what happened to the families here? / they're innocent people. / he's killing civilians - his own people.)

for soap, in this righteousness, and in the protection of these innocent people, the threat and execution of violence is the right thing. killing is not the avoidable means to an end, but the objective - as long as the people killed are evil (my job is to kill the enemy. guess what you are). he shows a clear favoritism for vigilante justice (you're going down for what you did / makes me want to commit a few war crimes of my own / you will hang for this) and has to be actively dissuaded from executing people instead of having them face due process on multiple occasions (you can't be serious he is right here / i will blow your brains out i swear i will do it).

and it is soap who decides who is evil and who is not. while he and ghost condemn graves' killing civilians as putting himself above the law (he is jury judge and executioner now) soap justifies the killing of dozens of mexicans without jurisdiction as part of a foreign army due to their cartel involvement (there are no civilians here). he never judges the violence of his own allies, only the lack of it (should have killed him when we had the chance).

a seargant hell-bent on doing the right thing but operating with both a brutal reverence to violence as the only option and a morality of black and white that does not survive closer scrutiny. he is clearly not a good person - if the amount of people he killed in cold blood is any indication - but he not only thinks that he is good but can tell whether a person is good or not to the point that he sees himself as a rightful executioner. now that's a character!

[exfil]

thinking about how soap and graves are in total sync before the betrayal in las almas. in agreement on how to proceed both with hassan (you can't be serious / let me finish this, actual) and el sin nombre (we came here to stop a missile, lets stop it / this is our one shot, so we take it) both rejoicing the same aspects of battle (it's a beautiful sight / you know i love that shit). easy comraderie, relying on each other (let's wrap this fucker up, graves / [soap], call me when you need me), complimenting each other (good eye, shadow-1 / need you with us, seargant), working in sync when disarming a missile (we gotta move, brother. alright?) casual touches and smiles on the bridge of the ship. seemingly aligned in motivation and action at every turn.

but then after the betrayal, and las almas, the confrontation in the tank happens. and it sets up graves and soap not only as enemies, but are narrative foils, interestingly enough, the contrast that becomes clear from their verbal spat is not about action, but about motivation. specifically, the meaning about being a soldier- they argue about the uniform (hiding behind that uniform / you wore that uniform), about loyalty to the army (i shed that skin / like a fucking snake) about being perserverance (you had to make your own little army because couldn't hack it in the real one) and about honour (knock that honour shit off, johnny).

and it reframes all their interactions before the betrayal - while they worked in complete agreement before, they arrived at the same conclusions from completely opposites angles. both see themselves as soldiers, as needing destruction for the greater good, even rejoice in it - but while both see violence as means to an end, but they differ but about the means. they don't disagree about the necessity killing, but about every aspect of what being a soldier while doing it entails. i'm up to doing my fucking job you should try it sometime. / my job is to kill the enemy. guess what you are. absolutely fascinating character dynamic, i wish we talked about it more

[exfil]

that ghost/soap dynamic take was SO GOOD. like finally some good fucking food. do you have anymore???

my thoughts on soap and ghost could fill a library but most of all i think about when soap clarifies that ghost waited for him in las almas, rodolfo says: of course, no?

and soap says no.

because for all his joking about no man left behind while trying to dodge the shadows - soap knows from al mazrah that his lieutenant is not a patient man (keep up, soap). that ghost is willing to put the mission above helping his men (first we clear for hassan, then we secure the crash site). because ghost made clear what happens when you help (are you saying we shouldn't have helped?): you loose your advantage (choices have consequences).

and at the same time, ghost says yes.

because somewhere between al mazrah and las almas, his commitment to a mission and himself (i am used to working alone) became a commitment to his team (no one fights alone). clipped commands (time to go, mactavish) became hushed banter (let's worry about you, johnny). and a lieutenant that let a helicopter with his men burn to catch a terrorist waits for his seargant (i was on the run. ghost waited for me). stays in the middle of enemy territory (i have company in the church and they are not looking for forgiveness) and patiently helps him through a hostile city because he wants him to survive (tryin' to keep you alive and get you here in one piece). choices have consequences - and after watching him get shot in front of him (thought we lost you) ghost chooses soap, consequences be damned.

of course, no? yes. (i like you alive.)