Have you read Tremontaine: The Complete Season One by Ellen Kushner, Alaya Dawn Johnson, Malinda Lo, Joel Derfner, Racheline Maltese, and Patty Bryant (2016)?
Equal parts social commentary and classic haiku, Gay Haiku (Call #: 811.6 D4449g) offers poetry fans and LGBTQIA readers alike with sassy observations and a bit of avant-garde spiritual enlightenment. This quick and easy read features one hundred and ten amusing haikus about the social and dating dilemmas of the author, Joel Derfner as he navigates life in New York City.
The wait is finally over! #Tremontaine season 3 is here and we can all inhale @ellenkushner‘s episode one as one would savor a cup of delectable hot chocolate. Don’t miss any episodes: bit.ly/tremontaine
This episode is mostly an episode to set up things to come, but that doesn’t mean that there was no tension present. The focus is more on our younger characters this time, and how they are starting to grow into their own roles and take charge of their actions. All in all, more good development stuff.
Tremontaine S3 E4 is out NOW in the Serial Box website!
New to the series? The pilot episode is available online for free!
Spoilers under the cut!
It’s like yesterday I was reading about Rafe and Kaab getting stupid drunk together while Micah cringes at them... Now they’re all grown up: having normal conversations with a guy without seducing him... yelling at trespassers... and holding family meetings to plan on how to avoid the entire clan’s downfall... Yes, my children are grown.
Before delving into my usual character-focused reviews, I just gotta say it was interesting to see the Night of the Flames festival as some kind of Halloween thing in the Riverside universe. I think the “caught your ghost” thing is their version of Trick or Treat? I live in the Philippines where Trick or Treat has never really been a thing (until recently, and mostly exclusive for kids in the upper middle class and above who live in more well-off neighborhoods) so the vague idea for me was that.
I expected a bit more mayhem from this chapter because it IS the Night of the Flames so it was surprising that it was as... relatively peaceful as it turned out to be. The mayhem was still there, I suppose, but the focus turned to the more subdued moments and it’s still effective.
Let’s do RAFE first because consequence-wise I feel Rafe was the most chill this episode.
Our boy takes a stroll around the City lamenting about his school. Yes, he’s got a goal now but he still feels Will’s loss deeply. What is the point in his school, a dream he shared with Will, if Will was not there to witness it happen?
Luckily, he gets a distraction in the form of our favorite Chartil Ambassador, who entertains him with interesting conversation for the meantime. It was amusing to witness Rafe’s train of thought as they started engaging one another in pure friendly conversation and he realized that he didn’t want to jump the Beautiful Unicorn Prince Charming Ambassador in front of him.
There were “having an almost offensively civil conversation" hahahah RAFE MY BOY WE’RE PROUD OF YOU.
Then there’s Florian. Ugh go away, Florian. Rafe is making a nice friend. Go away, don’t flirt with Reza either. Ew.
Reza thinks Rafe is interesting too, and recognizes loss in him as well. And it’s like some recurring theme now that everyone but Rafe knows that Rafe can do better than Florian.
If the haunted young man didn’t have the sense to keep better company than the popinjay who had spirited him away, however, then no matter how much room he had in him, nothing of any worth would fill it.
Even Reza, who was just at most a passing acquaintance at this point, knows. I thought this would go on for a while, but as it turns out, Rafe does find that sense in him not long after!
I guess the promise of enlightening conversation is more enticing than whatever Florian had in mind (we all know what he had in mind).
YES RAFE JUST LEAVE THAT MAN AND HIS DIRTY ALLEYS. PLATONIC CREAM PUFFS WITH THE AMBASSADOR IS BETTER. A++ WOULD RECOMMEND.
Again. Proud of you, son. Keep it up!
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Now, for TESS. I said in my previous episode review that the siege’s conclusion would have an aftermath and we see the beginnings of it here.
Tess feels the guilt of having made the decisions she (and her “council”) made last time. Which is... yeah, I guess she should. It was a pretty nasty thing. While Shade might have deserved it, it wasn’t the nicest message of solidarity, wasn’t it?
Yes, Riverside would stick with you, as long as you’re willing to die for Riverside too. Otherwise, you have no friends here. It’s all for Riverside in the end, even above your family or lover. It’s a pretty clear-cut but cruel ultimatum.
I also mentioned her reputation most probably getting a boost because of the Salamander openly displaying a form of allegiance with her, and we see that this episode too.
She prevents a gang of street urchins from getting them all in trouble, but still sends them off with a more ‘harmless’ plan, and puts a more responsible and sensible leader in charge. I want to see more of Charlotte! And they do succeed, and her message was received. Now they’ll have to wait for how the rest of the City replies.
While Tess’ loyalty to her home and her people is admirable, and it is one of the things I adore about her, I do think she is still being very extreme about her views here. It’s becoming clearer that for her, it’s almost a black-and-white situation. Riverside Against the World. She might have to reconsider this because I feel like this unchanging stance of hers might not be useful when she needs to make choices on the gray areas.
On a side-note, I live for Tess and Reza’s little friendship thing. Reza asking if he could visit from time to time is pure. <3
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MICAH is still precious. She continues to be precious. That is why IF SOMEONE HURTS A HAIR ON THIS CHILD’S HEAD I WILL RIOT.
I love that Micah is simply happy to be herself. I loved that she admitted that she once wanted to be like everyone else, but then quickly thought what if that someone else didn’t love Math? Nope. Micah without Math is not Micah.
SHE IS A PRECIOUS. MY DAUGHTER. I WANT TO HUG HER (BUT ONLY IF SHE WANTS ME TO).
And again. I do truly love Diane and Micah’s relationship. Micah comes up with a revelation and she had to tell Diane. She goes to visit Diane’s bedroom, doesn’t find her there, and climbs up to Diane’s... room at the top of the house (what is it called again? HELP).
Diane sets aside her work to listen to Micah as she tells her about her latest project. I do think it speaks volumes about their relationship with the whole conversation about how nobles are always faking their interactions and yes, Diane knew it was horrible and yes, Diane doesn’t really always enjoy these parties as well. And Micah is now allowed to call her just Diane!
It was endearing, and reading from Diane’s bit near the end, she truly does think Micah is delightful company, so far.
And then someone breaks and enters and SCARES MICAH.
Davenant, I SWEAR, I WILL END YOUR GOONS AND THEN YOU.
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Finally, on KAAB’s side, the pressure is on.
I can only imagine how hard it was for Kaab to reel in her emotions while they held a Kinwiinik funeral ceremony for Saabim. And then, in the family meeting that followed, she is faced with more pressure with the tough decisions to be made.
Kaab, who has always made her decisions using her heart, now trying her best to evaluate her past actions and make the proper choices. She said it determinedly last time - No posturing. Only results. But what if posturing is needed for the results? What if the posturing needed for the results goes directly against age old tradition and the memory of your late mentor who you’re trying to do good by?
“If our little bee wants to destroy this family with her impetuous behavior, that is her right.”
In the end, I think Kaab still does follow her heart, but this time with a dignity and determination supported by logic, which showed much growth in her part.
“If this family is willing to pour out joy to welcome a man—whoever he is—while we still mourn the loss of our mother in this land,” she said, slowly, deliberately, “then perhaps it ought to be destroyed.”
The choices were Impress The Batab With Our Family’s Strength vs. Show the Batab How Much We Value Tradition. And maybe she did, in her way, manage to choose both.
But that was only the beginning, and the inspector had said as much - he was still not satisfied. Kaab has to do her best now because more trials are coming, and I am rooting for our girl.
