#trs 1.05

[pirateherokillian]

365 Days of Colin Characters - Day 329 [Gordo Cooper - The Right Stuff]

[pirateherokillian]

365 Days of Colin Characters - Day 34 [Gordo Cooper - The Right Stuff]

[pirateherokillian]

Captain Gordo Cooper (12/🚀)

[pirateherokillian]

Help. This is an attack.

[pirateherokillian]

Because Life Magazine shelled out all the money that made that happen. And I made Life happen. And I didn’t do it for me, alright? I didn’t need it. I did it for all of you and for the good of this program.

[pirateherokillian]

Heyo! If you don't mind answering this, what were your thoughts about the seance/meeting bit in episode 5 of TRS?

You know, I think it’s fitting that it took me until after seeing 1.06 to answer this because the latest episode actually plays right into what I’ve been wanting to say in regards to this question you sent, at least as it pertains to Gordo.

Because the thing that stood out to me most from the séance was how so quickly John threw them all under the bus in order to keep himself up on this purity pedestal, most notably Gordo.

Gordo who has, essentially, been the mediator between John and the rest of the guys. Gordo who has shown genuine interest in talking with John and accepting him and doing right by him. Gordo who has shown his appreciation and thanks to John already for what John did for him. He’s gone out of his way, likely at the expense of how the rest of the guys see him, to include John and have him be a part of the group.

And John threw that back in his face for some holier than thou, I’m the best points. Which of course, as we saw, backfired terribly. 

The séance itself blew away any veneer that was left on John Glenn. We saw, quite literally, that he does think himself better than all the rest of them (which takes me back to the scene in 1.02 where Gordo pointed out specifically to John that he and the rest of them didn’t go to a finishing school and that they aren’t these prim and proper type of men... when you look at the séance in the context of that scene... oof!). And he’s willing to throw anybody, even those who have actively been on his side and respectful and grateful to him, into the crossfire to make sure it’s clear he does. 

So the séance pulled away the veil between John and his arrogance/pride/self-image, and very clearly damaged (how much is yet to be seen) the influence he had on Gordo and the goodwill that had been between the two men.

And this is where 1.06 comes into play... because this was the first episode, since his introduction on the show, that we’ve seen him lose control of himself again. There was a reference to it a little in 1.02 (’this is the worst I’ve ever felt’/’I can practically smell the rum coming out of you’), but it’s taken five episodes for Gordo to lose it again. 

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that we see this breakdown with Gordo after what happened with John in the séance. Because it was clear Gordo had some level of admiration for John, saw him as someone to model himself after, and not just because he was a good pilot. He was trying so hard to better himself and...

John just up and tells them all he thinks they’re shit, essentially, and he’s the better man out of all of them.

That had to be a blow to Gordo.

And I think that played a massive role in why we see Gordo the way we do in 1.06 (there’s also the stuff with Trudy from 1.05 that I think is contributing here, but that is a WHOLE other discussion best saved for a separate meta).

[superchocovian]

jake_mcdorman Episode 5 🚀Find out how many Bibles we sold tonight on The Right Stuff @disneyplus (x)