#chekhov's bucket i guess?

[8bitsupervillain]

Higurashi When They Cry Hou Ch. 8 Matsuribayashi pt. 10

I wonder why MangaGamer decided to release these chapters individually later on. Do you think it just comes back to money again? Umineko has four episodes per arc release, so I just wonder why didn’t Higurashi get the same treatment I wonder. It’s not particularly a big deal, but it’s just something I wonder. Especially since Rei, and Hou+ have three or so chapters a piece.

Mashed Caterpillar, and Drowned Ducky, I would assume. A bit more elaborate than I would have assumed these punishments to take, Drowned Ducky especially. I figured it was just getting your face shoved into a bucket of water. Not shoved in a locker and then potentially drowned that way.

Not to detract from the horror, or to linger too long here, I admit that I was curious how these punishments were portrayed in the manga adaptation. This probably says something about me but I couldn’t help but laugh at the notion of someone getting killed by chickens. It just seems too silly to me, I’m probably wrong here, and there are numerous deaths via chicken in the world on a yearly basis but it just seemed really silly to me.

I know it’s probably meant to augment the horror of the situation, but the Xs just detract from it I think. You’re probably meant to mentally supply what the torture actually is, but I just find the constant XXXX-ing to be somewhat irritating. Eventually when Takano briefly remembers the torments in a much later section it’s mentioned outright that she was forced to clean this toilet with her tongue. In the manga she was dunked headfirst into this toilet as well. No clue about the anime, but I’m going to just go ahead and assume that it’s a similar situation there.

Again, it’s never explained how much time has passed since the failed escape attempt, and when Hifumi found her. In the broad scheme of things it doesn’t really matter I suppose, whether it was the very next day, or four months later, Hifumi Takano did wind up finding his former students child and adopting her. Which I suppose helps sell why Takano is so dedicated to honoring the memory of this man she calls grandpa.

Well it’s not quite being given your last name by an Imperial officer, but I guess it’ll do. Also, surprise, Miyoko was Miyo Takano the whole time!

That’s a nice gun you got there Mr Chekhov.

I get the feeling that this breathing exercise demonstration is more to inform that Hifumi might not be the brilliant scientist Takano views him to be. That his “eccentric and silly” breathing technique is actually representative of him not being all there mentally.

What follows is a brief description of Hideyo Noguchi’s research into yellow fever that eventually took his life. Yet despite dying during his research into yellow fever in North Africa, Hifumi has a great respect for this researcher. So, wanting to be as good a scientist as his hero Hifumi routinely takes trips to Hinamizawa to research the Hinamizawa Syndrome parasite.

His old pal Koizumi is here to inform Hifumi that he’s wrangled up some interested people who might be willing and able to pay Hifumi to research Hinamizawa Syndrome in earnest. So gussy up your science documents, you’ve got financial backers to impress Hifumi!

During their time they had a jaunty and lively 1980s movie style cleaning up the research montage, until finally two weeks pass and it's time for the presentation.

[official-kenralie-fanbase]

hello i would like to see your list of Characters Who Might Die from the fitz ask if you dont mind :)

Ooh yes I would love to list the Characters Who Might Die :D

tw for death obviously and going under a cut for space

So most book series in which characters die have The Big Death. How I've found it usually goes is that several minor/secondary characters die along the way, a couple per book, then a LOT of secondary characters die in the final book, along with The Big Death- a major character- like the love interest, best friend or parent of some sort, or even the protagonist (looking at you Veronica Roth). KOTLC is following that rule to some extent. There have been several deaths but none that were too incredibly devastating. It is a middle-grade series, and there hasn't been a character death in every book, so I'm guessing there won't be as many deaths in the finale. But there will probably be a couple along with The Big Death. And I have several ideas on who that may be.

Okay so this will be in most likely to least likely (excluding villains- I highly doubt either Fintan or Gisela will end the series alive)

Lord Cassius. Honestly, I debated a lot on whether I should put him in the "good character" category because I despise that man. But out of everyone in KOTLC that isn't directly evil, I think he is the most likely to die. He might not be The Big Death, especially if anyone else on this list dies, but it's still worth noting. Gisela will probably go after Keefe once she realizes he's not going along with her plan, and Lord Cassius will die saving his life. They'll have a super emotional father-son moment where Cassius says something like "I always loved you Keefe" and gets some inkling of a kind of redemption arc before he dies.

Oralie. She is the single most likely candidate for The Big Death, in my opinion. There's honestly been a lot of foreshadowing for her secretly being a really great fighter- "never underestimate the quiet beauties", and "I think you might be the strongest of all of us", among other things. I think she is going to jump in at the crucial moment and end up fighting someone- likely Sophie's father if I'm right and he's a part of the Neverseen- to save Sophie. OR, for an extra dose of angst, I've had the idea lately that she might die to save Keefe, actually, not Sophie. She'll see Sophie and Keefe's relationship and realize how similar it is to her relationship with Kenric, and end up dying to save him. There might be a line like "I couldn't save Kenric, but I can save you." And then of course there will be a heartbreaking scene as she's dying between her and Sophie where Sophie forgives her or something, and I will be sobbing buckets in my college dorm room.

Ro. You know that rule in the Spiderman movies that if a character says "With great power comes great responsibility" they're going to die? Well, KOTLC has its own version of that: all of the important characters that have died have given Sophie something before they died: Kenric gave her his cache (through Oralie but it still counts), Calla gave her the Panakes tree (the cure), Mr. Forkle gave her his Wanderling seed and his device for keeping important things. All of these things have had varying impacts on the plot, but all very important. And Ro gave Sophie her dagger, Hope. There's no way that this isn't going to be important (Chekhov's gun, anyone?). Ro's told Sophie how Keefe feels about her and given her something to fight with- so everything she was hiding has now been revealed. I think she's very likely to be The Big Death- Sophie and Keefe both care about her and she's the exact type of character to dive into danger to save these kids.

Tiergan. Honestly, he is the exact type of character who might die. He's just minor enough of a character that it wouldn't break the series, and just major enough of a character that he has The Big Death potential. He's always been there and has given a lot of crucial intel to the series but has never really been involved in a big battle that I remember (correct me if I'm wrong). And he's incredibly loyal to these kids- like 1/3 of the main kid group has been adopted by him. He could very easily die to protect them. And looking at the characters that have died so far- Kenric, Calla, Forkle 1- he would fit right in the mix.

Wylie. I have one main reason for this: He's the only member of the main kid group (besides Rayni but she's too recent of a character to kill off) that isn't technically a kid. Yes, there is one actual kid on this list, but I highly doubt that Shannon would kill too many literal children because she hasn't yet. Most of the kids are safe in my opinion (Dex, Keefe, Linh, Tam, etc.) besides the one mentioned below. Wylie, on the other hand, is 20, and close to a lot of the kid characters (Solreef family <3). Even though I don't want my boy to go through anything else... he might very well die for *angst* purposes.

Fitz. This would probably be the worst option on the list, especially if it's done to resolve the love triangle. But... I can see it happening. He's both smart and loyal, and he cares very deeply about his friends. There are several characters I can see him sacrificing himself for: Sophie, Keefe, Biana, Alden/Della. If it's done, I really hope it's not to resolve the love triangle and that he has some excellent development before it happens. Shannon is a good enough writer that she could make it absolutely devastating without having anything to do with the love triangle.

Lady Cadence. This is kind of a shot in the dark but it still has its merits: She's contributed enough to the story that it would be a major setback if she died, but that's precisely why I think Shannon might go in this direction. Like I said earlier, Shannon hasn't actually killed off too many characters. If Lady Cadence was The Big Death and not a more prevalent character, it would be in keeping with the death level in the rest of the series.

Livvy. Same reason as Lady Cadence: A good character whose death would be a setback but wouldn't ruin the plot.

Alden. I don't want those poor Vacker children to have to go through anything else, but once again, Alden might very well be The Big Death. I don't really have any specific reasons why, just a gut feeling. This is the least likely death on this list, but I think he's important enough of a character to several of the main cast that he might die as a sort of "apology" for all of the mistakes he's made.

Honorable mentions, or characters that might die without being The Big Death: Blur and/or Wraith, several of the Councillors, Trix, Woltzer/Lovise/Bo or another bodyguard

Sorry this turned out to be so long! I have a lot of things to say lol If anyone wants to know any more predictions/theories I have, just let me know!

[mimiplaysgames]

So... Who is going to die in Kingdom Hearts III?

Speculation over the course of how Kingdom Hearts III will play out has been buzzing lately due to certain comments that director Tetsuya Nomura has made during a panel at the latest KH3 demo event (I will spell out those comments after the jump in case anyone just doesn’t want to look at anything spoilery). Now, fans are left to ruminate over the pieces and the reasons why x and x character may kick the bucket.

In this specific discussion, what I have to contribute is the writer’s perspective. Here, I will not attempt to convince anyone as to why x and x character will certainly die. I am instead going to gather supporting arguments for a major character’s death and its disputes, leaving the choice up to whichever lovely person ends up spending the time to read this. The writer’s perspective is one that is certainly overlooked. Instead of only relying on lore and literary analysis, the writer’s perspective is useful in understanding how the Death of a Major Character works, and how it relates to character and plot development, which, unbeknownst to probably many people, are MAJOR factors in deciding who is going to die.

This essay will first define what makes the Death of a Major Character tick and other core writing concepts, and then we will go through each major protagonist and the arguments for/against their deaths based on overall plot progression. What I hope to achieve is to stir discussion. I would love to read anyone’s suggestions or ideas about other arguments or lore that I have overlooked!

All information used in this is canonical, official, and known to the public. No leaked information was used.

So... who will die?

WARNING: Spoilers for the entire series. And one for Game of Thrones and Harry Potter.

ALSO WARNING: Very, very long.

First, a writing lesson! How do you kill off a major character?

1) Death is always foreshadowed. Yes, it is. It doesn’t only serve to create tension or danger as an element on its own. It is a writer’s job to plant seeds of awareness of such a possibility - for the basic reason of avoiding pissing off consumers/readers/viewers/players. Which is bad. All creators/writers/directors/designers strive to avoid doing this.

But wait, what about surprising deaths? Always foreshadowed, too. It can be simple and seemingly innocent, such as a character telling another character to “be careful.” Or it can be unrelated, such as a character reflecting on the loss of something that has nothing to do with death, or a character reflecting on their own dreams for the future. The latter two gives off a sense of heaviness without directly meaning to be. But it is always foreshadowed.

The reason for this is while consumers/readers/viewers/players enjoy being surprised and to be on the edge of their seat anticipating what is coming next, they DO NOT ENJOY being tricked, manipulated, deceived, or betrayed. Death is upsetting, for reasons that are human and natural to all of us. Death of a major character that consumers have gotten attached to is upsetting. Death, being the ultimate finale, robs a character of any promise that we expect them to achieve. Which leads me to the second reason...

2) Death should have meaning. What does this mean? How do you define what makes a death meaningful? Two ways: symbolically and logistically.

The symbolical reason could be anything. It could be a direct symbol of a theme, or a concept. It could be literal of a conversation that same character had moments earlier. It could be a representation of the psychological development of another character related to the dead one.

The logistical reason is related to plot development. The death of one character should make a tremendous impact of the course of another, major character’s development to the point that it affects the plot, or it should dramatically change the course of the plot progression overall. The most shallow plot-related reason to kill off a character is to exemplify the severity of a battle. Challenging a living character’s development and changing the plot structure should be long-term in order for it to have actual meaning.

Robbing the significance of the death of a major character would leave the consumer to accuse the death of existing purely for shock value. As you can probably guess, this is bad. This would upset the consumer purely for the reason of upsetting and emotionally manipulating them - and they are smart enough to realize this.

**If you are on the avant garde side and think that these kinds of rules are limiting of creative expression, I invite you to think about Ned Stark’s death from A Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones. George R.R. Martin is called a genius for not only challenging our understanding of what it means to define a main character, but for challenging our understanding over how characters are protected by Plot Armor. What you will find is that he did not pull this off by ignoring the above two rules. He just toyed with them. This is an example of how a writer effectively breaks the rules.

**Considering how I said earlier that consumers do not enjoy being tricked, we should quickly cover Nomura’s comments. He said that the ending of KH3 will be difficult to swallow. He said that resolving the fight against Xehanort will have severe consequences, and that “Light will be defeated. [The game] will have a darkness to it.”  This was done during a panel discussion, a PR event. This is essentially a business promise to consumers of what to expect in the final product, much like how a writer plants seeds of awareness that death is coming. I have noticed that there are some people who are denying his statements by saying he is trying to trick us on purpose as some sort of stunt. This would put him in a precarious position which could threaten his career, actually. He will then be accused of lying. Overall, while this certainly may be a possibility, it’s a really unstable method that may bring him more consequences than he would expect. I honestly wouldn’t bet that he is lying to us. But what I will do is cover an alternative possibility as to what may happen in case there is no major character death.

Now that we have discussed the mechanics of death in modern storytelling, let’s cover two other concepts: Chekhov’s gun and consequentialism.

-Chekhov’s gun is a term that is credited to Anton Chekhov, a renowned Russian playwright who was at the height of his career in the 1880′s. It essentially states that elements of a story have to be necessary, and that you cannot deliver false promises to readers (remember what I said about consumers hating to be tricked?). The reason it is called Chekhov’s gun is because of a specific example he used: If you were to describe a gun in an earlier chapter, it must go off at a later chapter. Otherwise, forget mentioning it altogether (the only exception in modern storytelling is that a detail mentioned should have something to do with character development - but even so, this character development should have relevance to the plot).

What this means is that story elements that are alluded to need to be resolved, or not be mentioned at all. And if Nomura cares anything about essential elements of storytelling, he will stick by this, unless he wants to throw it out the window for who knows whatever reason.

-Consequentialism is the idea that a character will be important enough to affect the plot in substantial ways. I do not mean as a tool or a plot device either. I mean in such substantial ways that if they were erased, it would demand the majority of the plot to be rewritten. A consequential character is one whose actions actively change the plot or create new scenarios. Consequentialism is very important in determining who is going die because this is normally our first cue as to when a character is finished. In other words, when they stop being consequential, we subconsciously realize that they are no longer useful.

Now that we have covered some core writing concepts, let’s go over a couple of major themes of Kingdom Hearts, which should be considered when mulling over major character deaths.

-Sacrifice: This is present in every. Single. Game. Particularly the willing kind. Sora sacrificing himself to save Kairi, and Riku sacrificing himself to save Sora in the original game. Naminé sacrificing her desire for friendship and connection for Sora, and Riku sacrificing his most precious memories to keep the ones he made in Castle Oblivion in CoM. Roxas and Axel sacrificing their existence for Sora, and Riku willing to sacrifice his friendship in order to keep doing his thing in KHII. Xion sacrificing her existence for Sora in Days. Aqua sacrificing her life for Terra, Ventus choosing to sacrifice his, and Terra’s life being taken away from him in BBS. Riku willing to sacrifice his life for Sora again in DDD.

There is a clear give and take with all of these examples (Sora seems to be the winning character in many of these). Sacrifice is given in order to gain something. A willing sacrifice is indicative of the strength of the heart. This essentially means that if a major character is going to die, it is mostly likely going to be sacrificial, and it will be for a reason.

-Obsession leads to destruction: Obsession or a narrow-mindedness towards a goal or idea essentially leads to destruction of the character who is obsessing or destructiveness of those around them. Riku’s descent into darkness. Terra being possessed. Sora losing his Mark of Mastery exam. The Foretellers turning on each other. Xehanort, being the one to obsess the most, is the sole reason for the destruction of all the worlds (which essentially means that this will be also be a factor in his own destruction).

This could be a compelling reason for why a major character would die. Yes, this implies that a major character would struggle with darkness, but we already know that Kingdom Hearts defines character development through a struggle with dark elements of their own character (darkness in general). Meaningful and deep character development doesn’t exist in any other way in the series.

-Memories hold our bonds: This is certainly indicative of normal human behavior. We form relationships through the memories shared (ex. see Naminé and her lack of friends; see Xion and her lack of existence; see the fact that Xehanort lost his memory and it barely affected his ambitions because he has no friends). To lose memory means that the friendship is therefore broken, and it becomes non-existent, as if it never happened. This is not related to death directly, but it is something to bring up.

Now it’s time to get into the meat and bones of all of this, and the reason why you’re reading this essay in the first place. First, a disclaimer: As stated before, I am not attempting to predict what is definitely going to happen in Kingdom Hearts III. I am merely collecting reasons for/against character deaths. This is meant to be a reference, a resource for readers, to either contribute a different perspective or to ignite further discussion. Look at it as a starting point, if you want.

Let’s move on to the characters. First, our main contenders.

Sora

Support for: No, NOT OUR PRECIOUS. But seriously, considering how so many characters have sacrificed something for him, where is the return on investment? WE KNOW that Sora is willing to sacrifice himself for others. He always tries, that’s what makes his heart so strong. From a theoretical standpoint, Sora is the main hero - the one to go on the longest journey. According to Joseph Campbell, the professor of literature who wrote The Hero of a Thousand Faces, the hero’s journey is marred by a significant event that depicts the death of the hero as the end of that journey, which is found in the majority of mythologies and most fantasy stories. Just think about any fantasy hero who went through a literal death or a symbolical one after his achievements. Furthermore, Sora views the Keyblade as a tool to give everyone else a chance to be happy. Who is one of the people that he wants to make happy? Roxas. We already know that messing with hearts in general bring grave consequences - we haven’t seen something positive come out of that. It is also implied that he needs to wield darkness to do it based on the trailers. What if bringing Roxas back means that Sora can no longer exist? Or, try a different scenario. What if sealing Kingdom Hearts requires a blood sacrifice? What if using the Key to Return Hearts requires a sacrifice? If Sora had the choice to make another person happy, and bless them with a peaceful life, HE WILL DO IT, no matter the cost. He views himself as part of something bigger. He already has an understanding, then, of how big this truly is. He is the one character who will be the quickest to give himself up for others. Furthermore, Sora will eventually achieve Mastery, since he is on that path anyway. Beyond that, what is left for him?

Dispute(s): Despite what Campbell says, many contemporary stories usually reward heroes for their good deeds. It’s a particularly cruel disposition to kill Sora, considering how benevolent, kind, warm, and necessary he is. He accepts others as they are, with no judgment and no expectations. He is the healing source that others need. If anyone needs a connection or a bond to get them through things, it’s Sora that they can rely on. If there is a character that is the true representation of happiness and hope, it’s Sora. I understand that Nomura said that the ending will be difficult - but Kingdom Hearts is not a nihilistic series. In other words, the tone and mood of the series is not designed to bring us a completely destructive and hopeless ending - this is the same as tricking the consumer (hence, why tone is so important in writing). I am aware that this point does not protect Sora from death, which is indicative of how hard it was for me to find legitimate reasons against it - however, I will get back to him at the end of the essay.

Riku

Support for: No, NOT OUR OTHER PRECIOUS. Riku is Sora’s foil, Sora’s shadow, Sora’s other half. Symbolically, Sora and Riku are two halves of the same coin. Nomura makes tremendous strides in showcasing this throughout the series, and repeating the significance of their friendship. You do not have to be a shipper to notice this - Nomura makes it a major theme and to deny this is to ignore the primary source material. The two even appear together in any game they are a part of - even if separate, one is doing something for the other. In other words, they cannot be separated even when fighting or when physically distant. The reason why I mention Sora is because Riku considers himself as someone who has to look after him. If Sora were to do something reckless such a sacrificing himself, Riku is the ONE true appropriate character to stop him and take his place. This may be the series’ intended sadness - that death would finally separate the two, as a response to their friendship being such a main element to the story as a whole. It’s not only this factor: Riku’s character arc for the most part is already finished. He has become Master. He has built a resistance to darkness. Aside from his missions, what is there left for him to do? The trailers even show him forsaking his Way to Dawn in exchange for a new Keyblade as representative of his finished development. And still so, he keeps being reminded by Ansem that he will fall anyway. Furthermore, I understand the implication of the fact that they are never separated - it implies the possibility that BOTH of them may die together.

Dispute(s): It is a particularly bitter pill to swallow to kill off a character like Riku. Of all the characters, Riku is the one to offer a sacrifice the most often. While his sacrifices are nowhere near as tragic as the ones given up by the Wayfinder trio, it’s the consistency of his offerings that add a tragic and hopeless element to it. It’s the concept of how he has given up so much already - so why ask him to give up more? However, considering that I am starting this argument with an emotional appeal, it shows that I had trouble finding legitimate reasons against his death, too. But let’s think of a different scenario. Since Riku is Sora’s other half, it stands to reason that Riku is also a fitting replacement as a leader and main hero should Sora sacrifice himself (which is still a separation of the two). But I will get back to Riku at the end of the essay, as well.

Terra

Support for: Whether you think that Terra is a manipulated victim deserving of compassion and understanding or you think that he’s a genuine idiot in desperate need of redemption, Terra is indisputably a wildcard among the cast. The series has been blunt about Aqua and Ventus’ whereabouts, but purposely kept mum about Terra’s. This secrecy lends to several different and conflicting theories about his whereabouts and his return. He is the one character closest to Xehanort, and therefore may play a large role in the death of the primary antagonist. And while Terra sacrificed his body and ability to live, it wasn’t done so willingly - it was taken from him by force. So where is his contribution in accordance to one of the main themes of the series? Let’s consider a couple of scenarios, such as the theory that Xehanort is still using Terra’s body. Considering that the Master has failed in expunging Terra’s heart from the body, what if Terra was the one to bring Xehanort down with him, in some heroic suicide? Another theory suggests that Master Xehanort and Terra-Xehanort are two of the 13 Seekers of Darkness, as though they are separate entities. If that is the case, then we know that Terra’s whole body and heart have traveled in time to be one of the 13, so what does that mean for Terranort’s elimination? If Terra is Ansem’s Guardian, then that is a fractured heart given up to darkness. Since that has already been destroyed before, destroying it again would be inconsequential to the plot as a whole, so this particular one wouldn’t matter to the overall plot. Keep in mind that these are current theories based on current information. Considering the instability of the lore of the series as a whole (aka, all the retconning), it is quite possible that Nomura may come up with elements that we are completely blind to in order to make sense of Terra’s return and eventual sacrifice. But the main reason why he is associated with death is because Xehanort will eventually die - and Xehanort is an obsessive character, whose own obsession puts Terra at risk.

Dispute(s): Considering that death should have meaning to it, there seems to be a robbery of it by finishing Terra off. In other words, what is the point exactly of Sora and/or Riku going through all the trouble of saving Terra if he is going to die anyway? It’s labor with no reward, which cheats the consumer (especially a video game player, whose storytelling experiences are tied with achieving goals in a game). Furthermore, unlike the Destiny trio, the Wayfinder trio haven’t received the reunion that they so desperately want. We know they want this, and we have an expectation that it will happen, and while it may be tragic to take this away from them, it is taking it away from them purely for tragedy’s sake (shock value/emotional manipulation of the consumer). Continuing on this trend, there are certain suggestions that Terra has a definitive role to play that will rob him of meaning if he were to die. He promised to set things right to Aqua and Ventus as his lingering and fractured emotions and thoughts stayed with his armor. Aqua sacrificed herself for him to give him a fighting chance. Robbing him of both his promise and his chance ruins the promise made to the consumer that it will happen.  While this does not necessarily protect him from death (meaning, he could die after he fulfills his duties), the probability of him dying lessens to a significant degree if he is brought back to redeem himself because his character arc suddenly switches to being the fixer as a foil to Xehanort - unless of course KH3 makes subtle threats to his life again, in which case Xehanort has reason to kill him if he is an efficient foil.

We have gotten through the most likely characters, so let’s continue on to other contenders.

Ventus

Support for: Ventus is easily the largest question mark in the entire cast. What started out as a simple concept has become complicated as KHUX dropped a bomb on us and revealed that Ventus existed during an age eons ago. We don’t know what Ventus knows. We don’t even know if it’s the same Ventus as we recognize him. Undoubtedly, according to Chekhov’s gun, whatever Ventus knows, or whatever his contributions are to the events in KHUX, they will be tied to his role in KH3. What remains to be seen is how this is related to the possibility of Ventus dying. What we do know, however, is that he is willing to accept death if it means that it would benefit the worlds. What we also know is that Ventus’ plot progression cannot be discussed without the inclusion of Vanitas (quite a strange conundrum - what did Ventus do in the past to be able to give birth to such a spiteful, angry, hateful darkness? Yes, I am aware of the novels - more on that later). I will discuss Vanitas a bit more in detail next, but it depends on whether Vanitas can be purified - or will Ventus have to kill (at least a part of) himself? The union of Ventus and Vanitas also keeps being implied to being (somewhat) catastrophic. We don’t know it as anything else otherwise. So if their union is no longer necessary to form x-blade, then what does it mean now? If he is not necessary, then why is Xehanort trying so hard to find him? Not only this, but considering Ventus’ immaturity, and inability to gain personal experience because of sleep, this puts him as the one most vulnerable to be obsessive to fix a problem or to hyper-focus on saving Terra and Aqua (and obsession leads to destruction).

Dispute(s): As part of the Wayfinder trio, Ventus will be motivated to fight for a reunion, which keeps being referred to (and therefore it will happen). Not only this, but we know now that Ventus and Vanitas are not necessary anymore to form the x-blade, so therefore are no logistical means for Ventus to die either (under the ignorance of his involvement in KHUX). While the union of Ventus and Vanitas was implied to be harmful before, now that they are no longer the means of forging the x-blade, there is a possibility that the danger of their union is now just a red herring. It could be reduced to nothing more than Ventus needing to keep control of himself (much like how Terra needs to regain control of himself).

Let’s divert our attention to quickly cover...

The Case of Vanitas

Vanitas is in a precarious position, being that he has two distinct characterizations. The primary source material (the games) depict him as sadistic, unsympathetic, and incredibly spiteful. If he was acting selfishly - if he wasn’t following Xehanort around - Vanitas could be described as a sociopath. The secondary source material (the novels) depict him as a victim of horrible abuse with his own twisted perception of the world and of his relationship to Ventus. He has a need to merge with Ventus in order to feel whole (we have to keep in mind that we CANNOT call the novels an adaptation - that’s an abuse of the word and its definition). These kinds of characterizations are incredibly different and seemingly conflicting. They certainly can work together if KH3 plays its cards right and spends the screen time. However, for the majority of players who have never been exposed to the secondary material (and if KH3 never explores it), a redemption arc for Vanitas will not make sense. What does this mean? Death. In relation to Ventus, we can see this as Vanitas having to “die” as we know him in order to be whole again, or Ventus possibly dying in order to rid the world of Vanitas. Vanitas is also an obsessive character, who, similar to Xehanort is to Terra, puts Ventus at risk through his own obsession.

Let’s get back to our main focus.

Lea & Isa

Lea and Isa’s history is parallel to Sora and Riku’s, where Nomura explores how he defines a friendship that failed to stay together. I am not going to suggest that both of them have to die together, but being that they are linked, I am hoping to tackle our last likely contenders all at once.

For Lea -

Support for: Ah, to kill off our lovable, red-headed, fiesty know-it-all is an easy way to make players sad. It would certainly have a tragic element to it considering Lea’s history and how he was forced to work for Xemnas. But more importantly, it’s his role as that extra, new Keyblade wielder. There are 7 Guardians of Light, and while most people will include him on this list, his gray morality and overall consequential role to the plot dilutes the definition of a Guardian in comparison to a character like Terra. I am not suggesting that Lea is incapable - merely that he is an oddball in comparison to the rest. He is also just so willing to be sacrificial as well - he considered sacrificing his life for Roxas, and ended up doing so for Sora. The other characters will spend time questioning his morality, and what better way to prove the strength of his own heart? It may not even go down this way. He could be collateral damage in the final battle, á la Fred Weasley.

Dispute(s): Killing him off may subject Nomura to a certain anger from the fandom, partly because there isn’t a real convincing foreshadow to his death. While yes, he will always be there to get have his friends’ back (even if it means standing in the way of fire), many suggestions related to Lea are arguably related to hope. This promise of having his friends’ back was made to Roxas, indicating a role that Lea will play in getting Roxas back (or at the very least, a factor in Ventus’ development). We also know that he is slowly remembering Xion, and so his existence will play a factor in this, too. In other words, Lea is very much the support character that many of the others will need to rely on. The suggestion that he may be collateral, especially if there is no meaning to it, would easily put him in the shock value category. In other words, what purpose would killing him serve? What message does that send? Also, the term “lea” means “an open area of grassy and arable land (suitable for growing crops).” Lea is the earth that supports the Salt Ice Cream trio, who also have not been given their reunion (more on Roxas and Xion later).

For Isa -

Support For: The name Isa is the Arabic form of Jesus, and a name like this is quite on the nose. While we may use literary analysis to sympathize with Isa as to how he was manipulated into the Organization, and how he is being controlled by Xehanort, Isa is not designed to be sympathetic. He is bossy, mean, rude, cold, and jealous. He has done nothing so far, like Riku, to redeem himself, and this puts him the gray area of being irredeemable so close to the end. His bond with Lea is deeply fractured, as they are two former friends fighting on opposite sides of a war. If Evil Jesus, Our Lord and Savior, were to fix this fracture, considering that he does not show qualities that would paint him as deserving of Lea’s loyalty, a willing sacrifice for the purpose of saving or protecting Lea seems fitting in this case. His death would also support Lea’s survival.

Dispute(s): He is another character that I had trouble finding legitimate reasons to spare, but let’s consider the mark of the Recusant’s Sigil on his face. Any other time we see this sigil, it’s through a temporary means - clothing, magic attacks, or a rearrangement of a name. Isa is the only one to bear it on such a permanent level (by normal human’s standards). The series makes a point, however, that even the body is malleable. Since we do not know the full role the Recusant’s Sigil will play in KH3, and how Isa in particular will relate to this, sparing his life can enrich our understanding of it. However, I recognize that the Recusant’s Sigil theory supports the idea that he will save Lea (and thus betraying the Organization), which fits the idea that he will die more so than he will live. I also recognize that Isa is not necessary at all to understand the meaning of the Recusant’s Sigil - that falls directly on Luxu and the Master of Masters.

But wait, x and x character are not on this list! What gives?

Let’s trudge through the last few characters, who are either highly unlikely to die or fit into a weird definitive space.

TRIGGER WARNING: Keep in mind that I will cover two very controversial characters in this section, and I WILL address their controversy and lightly touch upon why they are controversial. You know who these are. If you are a fan, keep in mind that I am discussing the writing process - colloquially yes, but academically. I have to be critical where it is appropriate and required. I expect this to be understood.

Kairi

Support for: Let’s get two concepts out of the way: First, Kairi is the kind of character that writers will create to fulfill incredibly specific purposes That’s putting it nicely. If you want me to be frank and use my education* to define her, she is a plot device. This cannot be disputed considering the massive amounts of evidence - but that’s an entirely different, very long lecture on its own. All writers create plot devices - many will spare a character from fulfilling that role by creating an object instead, like the One Ring, the Elder Wand, dragons - but in Kingdom Hearts... well congrats, Kairi. Her whole existence in KH3 is going to be tied to the summoning of Kingdom Hearts, due to her being a Princess of Heart. This does not mean that she is consequential to the overall plot - it only means that, for Xehanort, she is one of the tools needed to forge the x-blade (consequentialism, agency, and character development in relation to the series are also entirely different lectures on their own - if anyone wants to learn more, I’d be happy to indulge). Furthermore, she is the only character to not have sacrificed anything. Secondly, let’s go back to Chekhov’s gun. The one element that every game alludes to is Kingdom Hearts. It is discussed among other characters what they think it means, or what they think it does. But the truth is, we have never seen it in action. Definitions of Kingdom Hearts come from an age of fairy tales, diluted from time and misunderstanding. So, we don’t actually know what it does or what’s inside aside from a vague description that it’s the light of all worlds. It has been unattainable to us this entire time. This heavily suggests that it will be summoned so that we can finally see it. It means we will get a chance to see the x-blade in ACTION, since we don’t know what that looks like, either. And for Kairi, she is going to be consumed. We don’t know if that means death, per se, or if she and the other Princesses will be part of a ritual. Nomura did say that light will be defeated - since Kairi is indicative of pure light, then his statement pretty much defines itself. However, considering that it seems so certain that she will be consumed, why is she in this category?

Dispute(s): I have mentioned before that the series is not designed to be nihilistic, hopeless, or full of despair. An ending like the summoning of Kingdom Hearts with no resolution is the same as betraying the consumer - it is unsatisfactory, given the amounts of efforts players have put into achieving happy, bittersweet, or hopeful endings. We may witness a catastrophe happening, and the 7 Guardians may fail to stop the summoning (thus, Nomura’s statement about light being defeated can be interpreted this way), but it cannot stay a catastrophe. This robs all of the main characters from their goals. If catastrophe was truly the ending that the series was pertaining to, it would have been foreshadowed through its tone already, beyond the Master of Master’s Book of Prophecies. Tone is everything. And it’s a Disney game. What this essentially means is that we will see a reversal of fortune in relation to this in some form. Maybe the worlds will all blend together, or maybe they will stay apart. Who knows. But it’s definitely not all death and despair. In relation to Kairi, it means that she may have to be saved by Sora and company (which may end up leading to Sora’s death) as a means of sealing Kingdom Hearts. In other words, she’s a retconned key to unlock Kingdom Hearts, and a retconned key to lock it back up again (going back to calling her an object and all - and if it wasn’t her, it really could have been anybody). Going back to her lack of sacrifice, it makes no sense that she would willingly sacrifice herself to choose to summon Kingdom Hearts. Not only this, but if pure light is needed to rebuild the world (and since we know of no other young children), the light of the Seven Princesses may be necessary here. I do recognize the possibility that Kairi may choose to sacrifice herself for Sora, but since she has no character development, this truthfully is going to hold little value to many fans since there has been no foreshadowing to this. There would also be a lack of meaning here in comparison to a character who is already closely tied to the theme of sacrifice (such as Sora, Riku, Ventus, etc).

What I mean to say is that MEANING can only be created through characters who are active in the plot and undergo well-developed character development. This is because this gives us, the consumers, a reference point so that we can determine what is meaningful in relation to the events in the overall personal journey that a character went through. And no, training to fight is not personal development. That is shallow development, because actual personal development would deepen and challenge our understanding of her. In other words, she will be the same person despite her training, because training is not a personal trial for her - she will continue to be someone who loves her friends, someone who wants to be involved, a broken record, etc. This is emphasized over the fact that Kingdom Hearts defines character development to be tied to struggling with darkness considering how all the other characters developed. She’s pure of light with no darkness. This means that sacrifice or death for her is just not fitting to give to her as a role and cannot create meaning, unless you want to make this a symbolic tie to how light in general has disappeared. It can very easily argued and challenged by skeptics though that this is still a shallow symbolic tie because her light doesn’t MEAN anything in terms of behavior, psychology or plot development. It’s just a broad, vague concept that was ignored for most of the series. This is inconsequentialism. This also suggests that if she were to die, it would be meaningless (therefore, shock value).

Meaning for her specifically doesn’t exist, but it does for Sora. What this means is that yes, she can die, but it holds no message for us as consumers. It would be a plot device to drive Sora, which is something that I don’t think Nomura will go for, mainly because Square is already aware of the backlash that can happen by fridging a female character for the sake of a boy. Especially a flat character. That suggests that she has no purpose to exist except for Sora, and Square already went through this song and dance with all the controversy surrounding Final Fantasy XV. Fridging her also cheapens her death from any real meaning because it’s all meant for Sora’s development without saying anything about her, since she has no development. Again, this is shock value - especially if it’s going to happen in the end of the game.

It terms of actual meaning and consequentialism, this brings me to... 

Aqua

Support for: I found little in support of her death. Considering that there is no foreshadowing to it, and that despite consistently wanting to give up in the Realm of Darkness, BUT SHE NEVER DOES - the only way for her death to have any meaning is if Terra and Ventus were to die as well. Then she could rejoin them in the afterlife, and that could be their reunion. In this vein, yes, this would essentially mean that Terra and Ventus are safe from death through their association with her.

Dispute(s): Aqua defines herself as a wayfinder to others, someone to be a guide. In relation to Sora and Riku, she is the ONLY other character to fit as a leader. She is incredibly consequential to the plot, being that she is the only one who knows what happened to Terra and she is the only one who knows where Ventus is. In other words, she is one of the most important characters to the plot progression of KH3. Plus, any references to her character progression have been positive, about how she will push forward, how she will be a light to others. Yes, she could die after the fulfillment of her duties, if Nomura really wants to be depressing, but this could draw possibly the most ire from fans. This would be mainly because of the lack of meaning. What is the point of saving her if she is going to die? Hasn’t she suffered enough? What about the Wayfinders? Isn’t their purpose to represent an unbreakable connection? What is the point of that connection if she dies? It is not that she is more deserving to live than other characters, such as Sora or Riku. It has more to do with the reality that we expect the Wayfinder trio to reap some sort of reprieve after all they went through. We expect this because the series has always given back to those who have sacrificed enough. Killing her would therefore be done for shock value for the purpose of saddening fans. Since this is still a Kingdom Hearts game we are talking about, just because it will be a darker game doesn’t mean that the game is going to be a total curveball. Unless of course, Nomura wants to change the tone of it and turn it into a curveball for the purpose of shocking fans - which will not fly by many. Fans are smart enough to notice.

Here is where I get apprehensive, though - Nomura has already shown to be emotionally manipulative, so it doesn’t mean that Aqua is totally safe. Which brings me to...

Roxas & Xion

Support for: So, I have just finished explaining how the series is forgiving to characters who are sacrificial enough, and of course these two will spring to mind. Of any character that underwent a death already and been revived in some form, Roxas and Xion are two who have yet to come back. There are many fans who think they shouldn’t. Fans like these are aware that their return may serve no purpose. This is the concept of consequentialism in action. Roxas was consequential until he wasn’t anymore. Xion was inconsequential to the plot as a whole, which means that her character had only one specific purpose: to be emotionally manipulative to the player (do not take this as criticism of her if you are a fan - if she serves no role to the plot, then this is the only reason left for her existence. I am speaking of the writing process here, not her personally). Inconsequentialism is the fancy academic term why some fans accuse their return as fanservice. They are asking: what purpose do these two characters serve? What meaning does their existence, their living, really have? The truth is that it will all be tied to Sora. Xion is tied directly to Roxas and her return would not be possible without him because no one remembers her. Sora wants Roxas back. How does this relate to their deaths? If we can assume that bringing Roxas back (and therefore Xion by extension) is risky, then that means that their return is in conflict with Sora’s safety. But this is conflict beyond just the surface-level understanding that Sora is in danger - here we have inconsequential characters threatening the existence of a consequential one. Overall, on paper, it sounds like a bad idea. So what does death look like for them? Either Nomura will make Sora fail to bring Roxas (and by extension, Xion) back, or he succeeds at a huge cost to himself, and Roxas and Xion will make the willing sacrifice to spare him.

Dispute(s): Roxas and Xion really fit into a strange space, because much like how meaning is stripped if the Wayfinder trio die, there will be a feeling of emptiness if Sora put all this effort into bringing Roxas back only to be fruitless in his efforts. It also contradicts the concept of Chekhov’s gun entirely - especially in Xion’s case. For a character that the plot says everyone forgot, BBS, Re: Coded, and DDD all make an effort to remind us that she still exists. She will return, and because this can only happen through Roxas, Roxas will return (unless Nomura really just wants to toss this concept out the window, of course). I have already mentioned earlier that Riku serves to be a fitting replacement as leader in place of Sora should Sora kick the bucket. Roxas is a character that can appropriately fit this role as well, a counterpart to Sora. Another scenario is that Sora finds a different way, a way through light, in order to bring them back so their return doesn’t have to threaten him. We do not know if the Key to Return Hearts will be used to bring Kingdom Hearts back to its former glory, or if it allows the wielder to split hearts into two with no consequences, or how data plays a role in building Roxas and Xion bodies. All of these are possibilities.

Naminé

Support for: She is another character that exists in a strange cloud of space. Unlike Roxas and Xion, her return is not guaranteed, given that Kairi has no expressed interest in finding her. Other characters seem to go on the assumption that she is gone for good. The last time we saw her, it was a data-copy. Instead of really dying, evidence points to her never coming back at all.

Dispute(s): It seems a bit out of character for someone like Sora to never consider bringing her back in some way, even though there has been no indication that her heart is with him. If he wants to make everyone happy, then surely isn’t Naminé included? He also wanted to thank her personally, as indicated when he chased her in DDD, only for it to be a dream. If she doesn’t come back, then he never gets that chance - although that could be a tragic reality as a consequence of messing with the heart. Being that there has been no indication of her coming back, this is a small tragedy that can certainly happen, since we are not expecting her to.

And here is where we finish with going through all the characters.

Well, what if no one dies?

Ever since these kinds of doomsday comments by Nomura, it has been a doomsday response by many fans. Which is ironic, considering that death really doesn’t mean much in Kingdom Hearts, even for someone like Ansem the Wise, who was right next to an explosive device and he survived anyway. So what is left? Here is one idea that I will argue may happen, which include arguments as to why I personally believe that one or both of them may die:

Sora and/or Riku will lose all their memories

I write this under my personal expectation that if any characters are going to be the ones to sacrifice the most, it will be Sora and/or Riku.

In Kingdom Hearts, losing memories is worse than losing a limb, and is equivalent to dying. The whole purpose of existing, and the whole point of having a heart is to feel feelings and to build relationships with one another. Sora and Riku are two characters whose friendship we have watched develop the longest. Sora has been together with Donald and Goofy almost the entire time. Similarly, Riku is tied to Mickey. This tie to the most iconic Disney characters of all time is indicative of just how their characters define the meaning of Kingdom Hearts as a whole. If you want to pick something to be representative of all of Kingdom Hearts’ themes, it’s them. Like a Greek choir telling us the story. Like Rosencratz and Guildenstern, but way more involved (sorry, obscure Hamlet reference). What I am saying here is that many fantasy stories will rely on characters that act as twins, or represent twin-like concepts, whose relationships are indicative of how the nature of the plot is going. Examples? Merry and Pippin. Cersei and Jaime Lannister. Fred and George Weasley. C-3PO and R2-D2. Cecil Harvey and Kain Highwind. With characters like these, you look for when they are separated, when they are together, how they are feeling, what they are facing, their commentary on the events around them, the decisions they make, etc. The genius of Kingdom Hearts is that it’s the main heroes who also fulfill this role. It’s a lot of pressure.

One of them losing their memories severs the friendship that we have spent the longest observing. We know that this will be considered a huge loss to either of them. If both of them lose their memories, it severs their many connections to EVERYONE else. It has meaning because it’s a testament to what the cost of protecting the light is supposed to mean, especially from characters who have done so much for everyone else already. This testament is especially true for Sora, whose entire purpose is to build connections and to heal others - to make them smile, and it acknowledges that his heart is connected to everyone else. His friends are everything to him, and losing his memories is therefore a huge loss.

This testament is true for Riku, who for Sora is a figure meant to look after him - someone that Sora has expected all his life to be there, and to lose this friendship would be a tremendous loss to Sora if he survived it. It holds meaning because far beyond anything we have ever seen Kingdom Hearts do, this is truly the meaning of death and loss, done in a way that is meant to make us able to recognize that, yes, this is very bad. It is a resolution that would acknowledge why Nomura puts such a strong emphasis on the two of them, including how he tried to tie “Dearly Beloved” to them. Death or loss of memory is truly tragic in this case. It can be argued that loss of memory is worse than death, because at least the dead are grieved over.

So, that’s all that I have. I would LOVE to hear other people’s ideas for other alternatives to death! Who do you think is going to die and why? What kind of lore would you tie into those theories?

If you read all the way here, THANK YOU for getting through this monstrosity!

*In case anyone wanted to know my credentials, I graduated with a degree in Creative Writing/Literature and Psychology from a prominent and respected university in this field in Florida. 

[anythingstephenking]

The Morally Grey Mile

Strap in for another grim tale. At least men are the ones getting fucked in The Green Mile, amirite ladies? No, still not cool? Ok then.

I suppose it is a disservice to call The Green Mile solely a “grim” tale, but because the core story focuses on an innocent man headed to the electric chair, it is pretty damn grim. If you haven’t read the book you’ve seen the movie but spoilers anyway - the innocent man dies and it sucks for the reader. It’s certainly more complicated than “bad wins” but a real bummer all the same.

Backing up a bit. The Green Mile was King’s first attempt at a serialized story release. In the book’s forward, King tells us it’s story of inception. Through a series of fortuitous events and a conversation with business associates about Charles Dickens, King concocted the idea to release a story in a series of “chapbooks”. Apparently Dickens released some of his stories that way, and they were so fervently popular that a band of dingdongs pushed each other off a dock and drowned while awaiting a shipment of Dickens into Baltimore Harbor. I imagine if the Harry Potter books were released that way I would have ended up in the harbor too. No judgement, zealous Dickens readers, I get it.

Logically, if it worked for 19th century Dickens, it would surely work for 20th century Stephen King, right? 

(cue Mr. Burns fingers). 

A single book released in installments monthly, garnering 3-4x the cost of a single paperback. Good for you SK, good for you. Cause turns out, the constant reader ate it up and bought ‘em like hotcakes.

Cause that’s the thing - this is a really really good story. Not because it’s beautifully written like Cujo or Firestarter or mind-bending like The Dark Tower books, but because it is a real page turner. I credit the format for that - you can tell it was written in a plot-driven, cliffhanger kinda way. In the same way serialized TV (before binging took this joy away) would leave you wanting more week to week, The Green Mile leaves each installment in a way where you can’t imagine not picking up the next one.

Per my contractual agreement with myself, I am required to reach each and every page of this story, but I’m a strange bird and the rest of the world isn’t a weirdo like me. At the end of the day, the narrative structure here really works and I plowed through all 6 installments in a day or so. Those reading in real-time (and not binging like me) waited a month between each publishing, from March through August 1996. There was no dock delivery in Baltimore in 1996 but I imagine if there was, the crowd waiting for each would be large.

So the narrative approach works, but what about the story itself? My analysis comes back slightly muddy but mostly positive despite some hard to swallow flaws.

I can’t claim to know what death row would have been like in 1932, but I’ve watched enough PBS documentaries to know what it’s like now. The group held at Cold Mountain are described as killers, yes. As rapists and wife beaters and arsonists. But they also come across like a rag-tag group of buds that should have their own reality TV show. One of the prisoners, Del, raped and murdered a young girl then accidentally killed a bunch of other people trying to cover his tracks by setting the building on fire. But he’s got this cute, somewhat supernatural mouse named Mr. Jingles that does tricks. Ain’t it cute? Then he fries and literally catches on fire in the electric chair.

I understand the intention of the tale - humanity lives in all of us. Empathy shouldn’t be reserved just for some. Death is final and it comes for all of us. What I struggled with was trying to understand if this was blatant reference to King’s personal stance on the Death Penalty (against it, obvs) or something more subtle. Should we take away that killing is wrong no matter what? Or that there is more nuance at play here?

Because there’s more happening on the green mile than just murderers dying (no matter how dramatically) in the chair comically nicknamed “ol’ sparky”. We’ve got John Coffey in chains, convicted of raping and murdering two 9 year old girls. JFC. I just can’t.

But he did, and he will die for his crimes. Here’s where the controversy around this novel begins. John Coffey is a large black man with magical powers. Spike Lee specifically calls out King publicly for this “magical negro” trope, which honestly I can’t disagree with. Dick Halloran from The Shining and Mother Abigail from The Stand fall neatly in this bucket as well. But even as I type this I know I am cherry-picking; I’ve read plenty of King stories with mystical beings and they’re mostly white (or more often other worldly). But King’s repeated use of the n-word and other racial slurs in his writing is real cringeworthy. As I move further towards his 21st century writing I keep hoping this will stop. It hasn’t yet, as of 1996. But King and writing about race is an entirely separate post for another day.

Back to The Green Mile; we learn that John Coffey has special healing powers when he cures the head guard, Paul Edgecomb of a UTI by grabbing his crotch. Normally this type of behavior will get ya thrown in the hole, but Paul’s so grateful he lets it slide.

Once we learn of the healing powers of Coffey, it doesn’t take Sherlock Holmes to solve the mystery. While getting arrested he cries “I tried to stop it but it was too late.” Everyone involved in the investigation assumes he means he tried to stop himself from murder but couldn’t; anyone with half a brain can deduce that someone else killed the girls; he tried to heal them. He was too late.

We’re set off to learn who really murdered the girls, but this revelation takes a backseat, at least in my mind. For me, the big mystery is; will John Coffey get executed? I’ll be honest, I hadn’t seen this movie, so I didn’t know. The phone the governor used to phone in stays-of-execution was mentioned early, so my Chekhov’s Gun senses lead me to believe it was possible. Why bother if not? Well the phone is mentioned at execution time, only to say it won’t ring. And of course it never really was a question - Coffey is a black man in the south, convicted of murdering two girls in 1932. Of course no one’s coming to save him. It’s sad. Real sad.

We’re given solace in the fact that Coffey claims he’s ready to go - his powers are too much and he’s tired. This is a nonsense cop out that provides relief to all those that understand the truth, allowing them to go on living, loving their wives and kids and casseroles. John Coffey should not have died. The end. 

Things are wrapped up in a bow with the end stories of everyone involved and their timely and untimely deaths. I guess that’s it; life sucks, then you die; death can come for you in any way, without discrimination.

I earmarked what is one of my favorite lines I’ve encountered so far in King’s work.

“We had once again succeeded in destroying what we could not create.”

Executing anyone (murderer or not) takes a toll on most of the prison staff. I just loved this so much on so many levels; they are men without the ability to create life; they are not god; they are mortals stealing mortality. So beautiful.

So, it’s no stretch to call this the brother of Shawshank, but at least we get a female character in Paul Edgecomb’s wife. I don’t remember her name so that’s not great. But she was a woman and she at least was there, so it gets knocked up a few rungs from Shawshank IMHO.

I’d have to say this is one King novel that really perplexed me. I suppose I got into the routine of enjoying typical good-vs-evil tales where the good guys eventually overcome. For me, The Green Mile wasn’t green at all but a wavering shade of grey I still can’t see properly.

(Side note: As I sat down to write this, I thought to myself “I’m not sure what I’ll say about The Green Mile.” Turns out, quite a bit, this is probably one of my longest entries. Who knew?)

8/10

First Line: This happened in 1932, when the state penitentiary was still at Cold Mountain.

Last Line: I know that, but sometimes, oh God, the Green Mile is so long.

Adaptations:

Like it’s brother Shawshank Redemption, I had never seen this movie before. It made it’s run through awards season in 1999, mostly for Michael Clarke Duncan’s portrayal of John Coffey. Who later tragically died of a heart attack with his girlfriend Omarosa (of Trump WH fame) which I didn’t know, but good golly, that is another sad story for another day.

Listen, this is a highly regarded movie that’s on many top lists, so I won’t stab into it too hard. But it is SO LONG.

Frank Darabont got his panties all in a bunch when folks told him a 3 hour running time was too long, claiming that if 2 hours was the correct length of a film that cinema classics like Lawrence of Arabia were invalidated. Well guess what? I’ve seen Lawrence of Arabia, and yes that shit is too. damn. long. As is The Green Mile.

One would think that with 3+ hours of material, the character development would be on point. It’s not really; the prisoners are mostly glossed over (even more so than in the book) as lovable murders. Wild Bill is the exception (overacted by Sam Rockwell), and he serves as the sole real “bad guy”. 

Edgecomb and his other prison guards are painted as saints (again, minus one guard who takes on the “bad guy of the good guys” role). If the book was grey the movie is much more black and white. Tom Hanks for president for sure, the guy is a national treasure. But they were one step away from giving him an actual halo. As someone complicit in the murder of an innocent man, I just can’t declare his character for sainthood. The real Tom Hanks, a million times yes. Paul Edgecomb? Nah.

The movie is fine. I approve of Darabont’s relationship with King and have thoroughly enjoyed their previous collaborations. I was sad to see that he let his film rights to The Long Walk expire last year, picked up by New Line and James Vanderbilt (of Vanderbilt fortune... old money... sigh) who penned Zodiac, which leaves me slightly hopeful but assume it’ll trickle back into development limbo for the remainder of eternity.

I’ve already finished my next read, Desperation and after I slog through the 2.5 hour ABC miniseries (UGH) I will keep trucking. New Year, more pressure placed on myself to plow through the back half of King’s bibliography.

[deansawthetvglow]

Being part of an international gay conspiracy? I guess I can Chekhov that from my bucket list.

[ashroadtrek-blog]

Shore Leave

Air Date: December 29, 1966

Writer: Theodore Sturgeon

Director: Robert Sparr

Shore Leave is an interesting episode, an entertaining episode, but is it a good episode? I don’t know. There’s a long sequence of fisticuffs between Captain Kirk and the facsimile of an Academy bully, a knight is shot with a six-shooter, a tiger and a samurai - plenty of action, not much brains. 

We open with an unexplored planet - and for once it’s not a desert! Well, okay, it’s southern California desert to be fair. 

Then again, there is a distinct difference between the original and remastered versions...

So we meet Yeoman Rand’s replacement, Yeoman Barrows, in the opener. Kirk is short with her (as usual), she starts massaging his back and he changes his tune...until he realizes it isn’t Spock doing it. 

No wonder people got gay vibes from them...

Spock says that after what the ship and its crew has been through in the last three months, they need some relaxation (not Spock though - wasting energy is highly illogical.)

So this episode takes place in February of 2267. Looking at my source, some of the episodes that took place in the three months prior to this one include Court Martial, The Menagerie, Dagger of the Mind, and The Conscience of the King, with nothing notable occuring in December but Charlie X having taken place in November and The Naked Time having occurred in October; though Balance of Terror was the previous episode, it actually took place in December of 2265.

These people need a break.

(When this season is done I intend to compile a chronological order of episodes.)

Sulu and Bones check out the planet, and Bones runs into a man in a rabbit costume, followed shortly after by Alice.

His reaction is about the same as mine would be - “did I just see that? Does this planet have vaporized LDS in the atmosphere?”

Never take too much LDS

Kirk thinks Bones is joking about the rabbit - wait a minute, Spock is there, and his mom used to read him Alice in Wonderland...

Shhh! Soft reboot!

Spock confronts Kirk about him needing a vacation by reversing the psychology - Kirk demands this crewman who is under all sorts of pressure and overwork get down to the planet and enjoy himself right this minute now that’s an ORDER! Spock gives him the name of the crewman...well played, Spock. Well played. 

So then there’s a menacing shot of a gun under a hinged rock. I’m sure that’ll never show up again. 

It does. In fact, Kirk later uses it to blow away a knight that kills Bones.

So why isn’t it called Sulu’s Gun?

"If you say in the first chapter that there is a rifle hanging on the wall, in the second or third chapter it absolutely must go off. If it's not going to be fired, it shouldn't be hanging there."— Trope Namer Anton Chekhov (From S. Shchukin, Memoirs. 1911.)

Ironic that the first actual gun that counts as a Chekhov’s Gun in Star Trek appears 14 episodes before a character named Chekhov does. 

We’re given a few shots of a couple of crewmen throughout the episode, token lower deck redshirt-tier characters who are named but barely characterized and only shown because we know they aren’t going to kill Kirk, Sulu, Bones, or Barrows. Hell, they didn’t even Yar Yeoman Rand, she just stopped appearing after Balance of Terror. 

If you’re a sharp-eyed viewer like me, you’ll recognize Angela here on the right as the bride-to-be from Balance of Terror. It may strike you as odd how she’s apparently moved on again so quickly, but again, this episode takes place about 14 months later so the grieving process is likely finished. Mildly (at best) interestingly, she also appears in the final televised episode of Star Trek, Turnabout Intruder as a communications officer. Sometimes when canon isn’t as solid as you’re used to, you dig up every connection you can.

Mama Kirk has to make sure his people on the surface are safe, so he leaves Spock the keys and beams down to the planet. 

(WHERE THE HELL IS MY SHUTTLECRAFT?)

Now we get the first of several long running scenes. Seriously, there’s more running in this episode than a Tom Cruise movie, they made the cast work on this one. 

Finding the source of the gunshots, it’s Sulu with the old fashioned gun. He’s talking about it very lovingly, he even implies that he collects old weapons. Bones rolls his eyes (Bones is one of those alcoholics that thinks he’s collecting) and Kirk takes the weapon. 

I wonder why...

Then Kirk begins talking about this upperclassman at the Academy who was always pulling old-school ‘oatmeal bucket over the door’ pranks on him, some asshole named Finnegan. Bones laughs at Kirk for being a grim cadet, which fits in Gary Mitchell’s description of Lt. Kirk as a stack of books with legs; Kirk was a serious student at the Academy, and the maverick hotshot of the Kelvin films didn’t come into being until the TOS films got rolling. (I mean yeah, he did the Kobayashi Maru but it’s a streak of mischief, not a natural inclination towards it.)

Enter: Finnegan

Finnegan goads Kirk into a chase, and with information presented at the end I came to the conclusion that Kirk wants nothing more than to slingshot around the sun, go back in time, and beat the fucking shit out of Finnegan. 

He’s asking for it!

Someone who ISN’T asking for it is Yeoman Barrows, whose screams and torn uniform imply that the Don Juan she conjured up tried to rape her. I guess Sulu fought him off, but then Sulu takes off after him? I really, really try to keep Takei and Sulu separate (I am not going to talk about recent allegations regarding George Takei), but between this and his interactions with Riley in The Naked Time...I’m reading Sulu as gay. I’m not really sorry, and he is with a man in Beyond, so...

Moving on.

Kirk goes off in hot pursuit, but then he’s stopped by a flower...and Ruth!

Is this the legendary blonde scientist who Kirk almost married in his Academy days? Kirk says he hasn’t seen her in 15 years, and if he’s 2 years into his 5-year mission on the Enterprise and served in Starfleet since he was 20 or so...

Nah, I still prefer to think the unnamed woman Gary Mitchell aimed at Kirk was Carol Marcus. As I said, you dig for any threads of continuity you can.

So Kirk totally forgets Sulu, he’s almost drunk with seeing Ruth, and Spock reports he’s found evidence of stuff that’s only there to keep the plot moving. Barrows makes a big deal about how enchanting the planet is (which I find funny because I lived in SoCal and while it’s great, I wouldn’t exactly call it enchanting) down to conjuring up a laughably costume-ish medieval princess costume.

It becomes clear Bones is going to bone Barrows. 

This man may belong on Pimp Space 9...

There’s a tiger, and a samurai, and a knight, and an old fashioned fighter jet! This episode partly runs like it was written on the fly and guess what? It was! Gene kept re-writing it on set as it was being filmed. 

So the knight kills Bones, and Kirk kills the knight. Barrows goes into hysterics because she conjured the knight and Mama Kirk tells her to buck up and do her duty. He’s not gentle, but this isn’t a gentle situation. Angela dies too because of the airplane. 

We then enter a long sequence of Kirk chasing and fighting Finnegan. I got the feeling it was long because it was padding out the episode, but it is a pretty satisfying fight. Kirk keeps demanding answers, but Finnegan refuses to give them to him. Finally, Kirk puts Finnegan down. 

Spock asks if he enjoyed it. Kirk did, Spock is not convinced; Kirk kills, Spock judges. 

Another running scene where basically everything comes after them, they meet at the glade. Apparently Barrows conjured up a repaired shirt, but Kirk can’t be bothered. Some asshole alien shows up and explains everything, then tells them they aren’t ready to understand his race yet; Spock agrees (of course he does.)

Sure, you can use my planetary holodeck for all your sex and violence desires

My favorite scene is at the end, when Bones shows up alive and well with two bunnies on his arms and a story about their wondrous facilities underground. Barrows is not impressed, but given the choice between the cabaret girls and Barrows, I’d probably choose Barrows as well. 

Now I understand why they call him ‘Bones’

Kirk almost declines shore leave when Ruth reappears. When Barclay did it, it was creepy; you just don’t go LARPing your work-life fan fiction at your job after all, that’s some Dwight Schrute-level weirdness right there. But on a planet in deep space, run by some aliens who let you play with their crayons but otherwise don’t think you’re ready to hang out with them after school, well...you can do that sort of thing. Let’s hope Ruth never finds out - although I like to imagine Finnegan never moved past lieutenant and Kirk pulled strings to have him working desk duty on a Neutral Zone outpost. 

Wait...

In the end, the crew returns to the bridge after an unknown number of days on the planet to Spock’s eternal judgement. Worth it.

Rating: 3/5; Don’t Rewatch

While Shore Leave proves to be an entertaining episode, it’s a fairly shallow episode that has nothing under the surface (excellent facilities notwithstanding.)