Thinking about The Knife being used to save Benji, because yes it is the knife that changed the course of Donloe’s life and paved the way for this all to happen, but more than that it’s the knife that KILLED Sarah, one of Ethan’s doomed teammates that first night of tragedy that so deeply scarred Ethan into the profoundly traumatized man he is today who is terrified of losing people
That knife killed one of Ethan’s team, and then thirty years later it saved the life of another
[ID 1: Screencap of Paris in profile as she looks intently at something offscreen. the overlaid article title says "Cute, nearly 3-pound killing machine cat has returned to Texas".]
[ID 2: Screencap of Donloe wearing a cozy looking jacket and framed by a bookshelf. the overlaid textpost says "Where's that tweet about people still living long fulfilling lives even through the fall of the roman empire because i think about it constantly".]
[ID 3: Screencap of Grace in winter gear mushing a dog sled and looking overwhelmed. the overlaid textpost says "i can't do this anymore! i mean i can, and i will, obviously, but i can't fucking do this anymore!".]
[ID 4: Screencap of Benji with his head tipped back and mouth open, looking disheveled. the overlaid textpost says ""You're losing blood" no I know exactly where it is. The floor. Don't ever underestimate me".]
[ID 5: Screencap of Bledsoe looking at Ethan. the overlaid textpost says "Having someone match your wit or your weirdness without hesitation is actually so fucking comforting and fun".]
[ID 6: Screencap of Briggs holding up a black and white photo of Degas. the overlaid textpost says "Walking around my neighborhood wearing my sick as fuck custom T-shirt that says "I STEAL EVERY FRIENDLY CAT I MEET WITH NO REMORSE I DO IT ALL THE TIME DON'T CALL IT A COMEBACK I BEEN HERE FOR YEARS KEEP THAT BEAST ENCLOSED LEST YE FACE MY LIGHTNING CAT GRASP" and smiling politely while my neighbors' indoor-outdoor cats gently trot down the sidewalk towards me as the neighbors themselves read my shirt with a growing sense of panic.".]
[ID 7: Screencap of Luther looking over his shoulder with an exhausted/frightened expression. the overlaid tweet says "god had to nerf me in some ways because he knew i would be too powerful".]
[ID 8: Screencap of Ethan looking seriously at someone offscreen. the overlaid textpost says "(guy who is cursed) yeah I'm sure all of these things that are happening to me are just the consequences of my actions".]
[ID 9: Screencap of Ilsa and Ethan in Venice, with Ilsa smiling at Ethan. the overlaid textpost says "i really love when a character, calmly and completely earnestly, is like i’m not important, i’m no one really, just a blade that people use and throw away. no one remembers me for long after i leave their life. and then you look at the evidence and it turns out that every person who meets them becomes permanently obsessed with them, for better and for worse, and the character has somehow completely missed this fact".]
Oh my god you know what made me sob in the theater during final reckoning? The fact that what Ethan did to Donloe saved his life. Ethan's lived all this time believing that all of his actions have had negative consequences regardless of the eventual positive outcome, but here's a man who was given a whole new lease on life because of him and not only is he sitting right there in one healthy piece thanking him but he's there to save Ethan's ass in return. And it's like seeing a new color for Ethan because the only interactions he's ever had post-mission with anyone he'd come across during have been nasty fights where he's reminded of all the lives he's ruined.
He gets to actually see the positive impact he's had on the world in the flesh-literally-in the form of someone who knows who he is and is allowed to know who he is and is still friendly and congenial and appreciative despite it. It just sort of makes Ethan believe that maybe he really is a good person, maybe. Just for a moment.
God FUCK that scene hit me so hard I care about him sosososo much. What an incredible perfect beautiful finale to the series final reckoning was. I was literally having heart palpitations during the credits.
I love how William Donloe calls Benji 'friend' within minutes of meeting him. I can imagine after years of shady CIA guys, meeting Benji, his team and their good intentions must be a breath of fresh air. I think he perhaps refers to Ethan as 'friend' too, on the plane, but I can't quite remember for sure. There's something so pleasant about the way Donloe talks to those he trusts, and I'm very soft about that. I didn't expect to enjoy the reappearance of Donloe so much.
It's also very relatable to see Benji and immediately think 'ah yes, a friend'
so i’m rewriting dead reckoning and final reckoning and went to the reviews to try and see what people other than me thought wasn’t good about the movies but all i got were racist people?? so im coming here—what things did yall have issues with in those movies and what would you change?
