Can I just say how much I HATE how they handled Veronica’s assault? I don’t care if she drunkenly said ‘yes’ and Duncan is the goodest good boy who ‘just’ made a mistake.
She was SOBBING when she found out what he did. And we’re supposed to just believe they got back together? No. Way. She wouldn’t even date Troy after he’d stolen drugs. How is it logical for her to go back to Duncan? As a character?
What he did was already irredeemable.
And Veronica’s character-someone who was waxing on about not fitting in as 09′ers, knowing all the gritty details of that life, suddenly wants to be the poster child for that? Her character would not say no to the case in the first episode of the season. Yes, she might want to rest after what happened, but at her core she’s a character who still wants justice. Not a job as a waitress.
Also was it implied that Logan had an affair with Beaver’s mom? After what just happened with his own dad and his girlfriend? That would be like Duncan trying to juggle heavy objects near his head by the poolside right after Lilly’s death. Does. Not. Compute.
The gap between the 09′ers at the start of the season didn’t make much sense, either.
Rob was already, in the early phase, showing his poor writing skills and his knowledge of his characters.
As promised, I’m going off on this finally. I know, it’s been out ages, and I’ve just learned upon looking up the author, that in about a month, they’re releasing a new novel called The Return of Daud, so hold onto your pants for THAT exciting ride. (Please add your deepest, dripping sarcasm to that statement.)
Spoiler alert for those that haven’t read this yet. But you’re not missing much if you don’t. There’s some really cool tidbits about the Tyvian continent itself, weather and geography, but that’s all I keep it around for at this point. This is long, so the rest is under the cut.
To begin, the book is vague. Like, really vague. Perhaps deliberately so, so to keep from spoiling anything for the unreleased-at-time-of-book-publishing game, but if this is meant to be a bridge, linking up the two games, what is the point of keeping it intentionally vague? It hardly links anything, and Dishonored 2 doesn’t even draw any sort of reference to it that I’m aware of. And you think they’d mention fighting a madman from Tyvia at SOME point.
The characterization is bland at best, and intolerable at worst. Emily is a hollow, unrelatable character who seems to do little more in the plot than disobey Corvo’s directions, climb over rooftops, and get herself into dangerous situations that require Corvo’s rescue to get back out of. Corvo himself is a stressed out worry-wart, who’s most worrying trait in the novel is regretting letting Daud live while they try to figure out who the mysterious man bringing the heretics back is, all while trying to maintain two positions at once.
The main antagonist, known only as Zhukov, has some extremely confusing motivation, which is mostly revealed in haphazard, non-linear flashbacks, and almost never outright to his second in command, Galia. His motivations, in addition to being confusing, are extremely misguided. At no point does he actively lash out against those that wronged him, the High Judges of Tyvia. Everything Zhukov does in Dunwall, he could have done right in Tyvia, and it probably would have been a WAY more interesting novel, honestly. Show me all the shit he learned as a Hero of Tyvia, his contacts, his hidey-holes. Give me a Tyvian uprising and then crush it, come ooooon.
I find Galia an almost intolerable character, which is a shame, because better written, she could have been incredible. She’s got a short-temper and patience, she’s eager to learn and become stronger, bold, brash, and clearly cut out to be quite the leader in better circumstances. All of these things are not necessarily bad, but she’s written so poorly that it all comes off very childishly.
Her short temper is displayed as she stomps about petulantly, demands things of Zhukov when he tests her patience, sniping at Rinaldo, who only wants to look out for his friend. Her eagerness is power hungry and greedy, taking all she can get as soon as she can, clinging to Zhukov for even the tiniest taste of power. That power is rather like a drug to her, as being in its presence is described as making her feel good. She’s reckless with her powers and on missions, and really comes off as an inferior, off-brand Billie Lurk. It’s almost a relief that she gets killed by Zhukov in the end. (spoiler alert)
Back to Zhukov, and Tyvia itself, I can’t help but see a whole lot of parallels to the Soviet Union. I know I’ve joked about it in my tags before, but digging deeper reveals a lot more than I initially saw. Starting with Zhukov’s first appearance at the Golden Cat, he’s described as wearing a “...dark woolen great coat with red epaulets and brass buttons.” (Corroded Man, The, pg 40) Woolen great coats are excellent cold weather garments, but the addition of the epaulets and brass buttons makes this clearly a military type uniform, and Russia is absolutely the first place I think of with that kind of military uniform. However, it really only gets more ridiculous from there. A wide brimmed hat and snow goggles with red lenses “...each nearly as big as the saucer from a fine Morley tea set.” (Corroded Man, The pg 40).
As big as a saucer from a tea set? Has Adam Christopher ever SEEN a tea set in his life? Even delicate china tea saucers are HUGE when applied as lenses. Zhukov is walking around with glasses nearly the size of a pair of CDs. With the large collar of his coat pulled up and the equally ridiculous wide brimmed hat, lenses that large are going to be nothing but in his way whenever he turns his head. They’d catch on his hat and collar every time. Speaking of the hat, I don’t think Christopher has ever tried wearing a large hat like that in blustery cold weather. Certainly not in the gales that come “Screaming out of glacier valleys”. Wide hats catch wind and go blowing away, or keep all that cold right on you. They don’t insulate much at all. Yes, it’s supposed to keep the glare of the sun away, but that’s what proper snow goggles are for, you know. (Plus the whole ensemble brings to mind Alucard from Hellsing. Big coat, wide hat, red glasses. Come on, you know you see it too)
Questionable fashion choices aside, Zhukov frequently declares himself a “Hero of Tyvia”, and the meaning behind that is revealed, again, in a non-linear flashback. A Hero of Tyvia is someone given the task of peacekeeping in Tyvia, to keep the people happy and unaware of the less than pleasant things in the government. You know what the title Hero of Tyvia sounds a lot like? Hero of the Soviet Union, an extremely prestigious award in the former Soviet Union for heroic deeds in service to the Union, only revokable by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet.
Funny how Tyvia is ruled by a “quasi-military tribunal”, a council of 16, referred to as the Presidium, and overseen by the three High Judges, one of whom, I shit you not, is called Secretary Kalin.
Kalin, Stalin, anyone? How about this? Georgy Zhukov was a real person, and an incredibly successful general in the first and second World Wars, and was known as “the man who never lost a battle.” Georgy Zhukov was awarded, you guessed it, the Hero of the Soviet Union not once, not twice, but FOUR TIMES. He got to be so popular, that eventually Stalin was threatened by him, and demoted him to a regional post to get rid of him.
Corroded Zhukov serves as a Hero for twenty years, until he’s convicted (correctly) of treason, and granted “freedom” by, oh yeah, Secretary Kalin. Georgy Zhukov, after Stalin’s death, comes back, but is eventually given the boot for putting the interests of the army before the Party (The Soviet party, for those of you not up on your Soviet Union history).
As an added bonus, in the scene where Kalin condemns Zhukov to a life of “freedom”, they address each other as “Friend Kalin” and “Friend Zhukov”. Yes, capitalized.
Hey, Adam Christopher, the whole ‘Comrade’ joke is getting really old, and after a discussion with a Russian friend of mine, most Russian people in their mid to late twenties and younger don’t really get the reference anymore. Yeah, the Americans and the British get it, but I think everyone’s over it. There are better stereotypes than outdated Soviet Union jokes, okay?
At least there seems to be no references to vodka anywhere.
And I hate to tell you this, but your stories/writing makes absolutely no sense.' This is a private messaging from an author who got a negative review from me. I wrote 29 fictions, I don't believe she read all of them, but childish people who can't stand criticism often react this way. The story is about a beautiful and rich OC with the typical westero's name: Ezralaya, a badass sassy character who calls Jaime simply 'Kingslayer' because she is courageous and different. Cersei is a bitch. Jaime's love from her is wavering and uncle Kevan is like 'boy tell me when you want to leave the Kingsguard' because honor?loyalty?love? A shallow story.
Thrones Season Five is driving me crazy because I don't believe that it couldn't have been awesome. I don't believe that they couldn't have condensed and still hit every single emotional beat. It's like they don't know how to do it or they're such children and enjoy going against the book so much that they don't even care it fucks them in show.
King's Landing example. Once I saw they were bringing back the Queen of Thorns and aging up Tommen I thought Kevan was cut for sure. And they didn't really need him to be honest. But no! Of course he comes back even though I can't see how it's anything but a waste of character and space (hello, Sand Snakes). Not only that but they call back Littlefinger from the more important storyline (and whether I think he should be in the Vale or Winterfell he should definitely be with Sansa!) and his presence only muddies up the waters more. They finally use Qyburn to visit Cersei which is stealing a scene from her Uncle so why bother with him?
The Queen of Thorns has been absolutely ineffectual. And I'm sorry but I can't see story wise why they aged Tommen up- the only point has seemed to get him into bed with Margery and unlike the little kid who didn't have a clue now he's a sexed up teenager who doesn't have a clue. It's just a mess. They are trying to condense but they don't seem to have a know (or care) how and that's just only one muddle of a storyline.
I would have left Kevan out completely and had the Queen of Thorns and Pycelle absorb the role of getting the realm back together, plotting to save the alliance and defang Cersei. Kept Tommen as a barely felt presence and a young kid and bloody hell I would have left the Littlefinger bullshit with Sansa where it belongs and where maybe it could have done some good!
Which brings me to Davos who should have been having a kickass season but hasn't really done shit. Why not have Jon tell Stannis at least one of his brothers is still on this side of the wall and he gets sent on his mission at the same time he leaves the Wall? He could still get the good-bye scene with the Princess and it would require Jon remembering his brothers but still it would have been something better than he's done all season which is a whole lot of nothing.
I mean I really hate saying this but when I hear people say oh well, they couldn't have done any better I feel bad because at this point I can think of a lot of people who could have done it (at least the writing part) so much better.
In which I am not sold on Spoiler shooting Fitz and in general think that was a really dumb episode of Scandal.
Spoilers.
Verna. ::sigh:: I don't even really know where to start with this character because she's a mess. In the end, she wasn't even a character, she was a plot point. She didn't have any hopes or wants or needs-- she didn't have motivation. Everything she did was driven by what the plot needed, no mater how contradictory her actions were.
I'm seriously supposed to believe that the same woman who saved Quinn Perkins TWICE-- once in an obvious and blatant abuse of her power as a Supreme Court Justice-- is the same woman who was so desperate to protect her legacy as a Justice that she tried to have the President assassinated?
Every member of that little conspiracy group agreed that if they had just left Lindsey Dwyer to the justice system to be convicted and executed, all their problems would go away. There would be nothing left to tie them to the software company that rigged the voting software. But Olivia and Verna worked to save her-- TWICE-- despite knowing that this could lead to what they did coming to light. Why? Why did she do that? The safe assumption is that she, like Olivia, believes that their are lines that shouldn't be crossed. That innocent people didn't/don't deserve to die to cover up their mistake.
But then she tries to kill the President. She tries kill the President because she either so wants her legacy as a Supreme Court Justice protected that she doesn't want the election rigging scandal to come out, or she believes that to reveal the scandal would destroy the country that she believes it can't come out no matter what the cost. Doesn't matter, really. Either way, she believes that killing someone to keep this secret is totally okay.
If Verna believes that innocent (and until last night, Fitz was largely presented as an innocent-- not to mention the White House staffer who got caught in the crossfire) people don't deserve to die to protect her secret, why did she try to assassinate Fitz? Especially in a way that led to more casualties that just him? And if she believes that this secret needs to be protected at all costs, why not let Quin Perkins hang? Because letting Lindsey Dwyer go the way Hollis Doyle and Cyrus wanted her to would have gone a long way to solving their problems years ago.
And, like, we never see what causes Verna to have this change of heart. Most of what we know of her, that canon defying nonsense, was revealed after Fitz was shot. So, like, we have Veran 1.0 who saved Quinn and seemed like she was involved with the election rigging somehow but didn't really agree with it. And then we have Verna 2.0 who sold her soul for a Supreme Court seat and would do anything to protect it in a way that geared her towards the reveal that she shot the president. And there's nothing that really brings the two arcs together in a way that allows me to see this character as anything other than a badly handled plot point.
It doesn't help that the character could have been so much more. I mean, ignoring Patrick Keating for a moment... (Look, I'm big on canon, but I understand that some things fall through the cracks in a TV show. But I also think that two seasons, of which the first season was only seven episodes and you're not even halfway through the second season (at the time it was revealed that Verna, not Keating, was Grant's first nominee to the Supreme Court) isn't long enough to forget or wipe away what happened in the second fucking episode ever. Here endth the rant). I really think that the Supreme Court Justice who was part of an election rigging Scandal would have been way more interesting (and would have brought about fun allusions to the 2000 election) than the woman who sells her to get a seat on the Supreme Court.
I do think I'm going to be enjoying Fitz more in the future, though. One of the problems I've had with the character is largely what I felt was the show's insistence that I view him as some sort of paradigm of virtue when he wasn't. And now they can't because he just murdered someone. He doesn't get to walk above the other characters anymore. He's come down to their level and that, I think, is going to make a much more fascinating arc than the golden boy who needs to be protected all all costs.
Also, I hope we're closing in on a reelection arc (especially with the ten month time jump... we must be getting close to at least starting to have a conversation about that). Because that... that I think is going to make for a really interesting story.
