#it seems like there's a mystique that's built up around this movie on tumblr

[fictionadventurer]

Rewatching The Muppet Christmas Carol after rereading the book has me wishing we could have seen Michael Caine play Scrooge in a more detailed and book-accurate version of the story. He's got the perfect face and demeanor for Scrooge as Dickens wrote him. There's a fierceness on the surface, and an underlying good nature that's just waiting to be let out. You can believe he was the young clerk who delighted in a good Christmas party, and believe that he's become the cold, hard, grasping miser who won't even spend money to give himself a good fire, and whose humor comes out in cruel witticisms. He would totally be the Scrooge who gets caught up in the the childish delight of watching past Christmas parties and playing along with the games at the present one.

Unfortunately, the condensed story takes the angle of "Scrooge has never liked Christmas". It makes young Scrooge someone who's worrying over what his employer spends to throw a Christmas party (rather than delighting in a simple affair that only costs a few pounds). Caine's Scrooge shows moments of childish delight, but he doesn't really understand the spirit of Christmas until the very end of his time with the Ghost of Christmas Present. And it's fine. Turning a Victorian book into a ninety-minute Muppet musical for children is going to involve significant changes. Caine did excellently with the material he had. I just wish he'd had the chance to do more.

[cowandcalf]

H50 9.02 - Steve’s Oath

It’s this one scene that won’t let me rest. It’s always there, at the back of my head, poking, nudging my thoughts. After I’ve watched the episode last Friday I was all in to write another one-shot with Steve’s thoughts, but it would have eaten up too much time and because I’m busy with other writing on my to-do list I’ll go with a post on Tumblr. I try to explain what keeps my mind busy after I watched this scene with Steve and Greer in the interrogation room for a second and a third time.

During all the episodes of the last eight seasons, I’ve never experienced this special feeling that has been stirred to life watching this one scene, watching Steve and his reaction when Greer talks to him about her reasons why she has chosen another way, to regroup with the enemy. It’s nothing new to Steve to deal with people who have turned their back on their belief and their oath but this talk shifted something in Steve’s soul.

In a former episode Steve talked about his country, his America he as given the oath to serve and to protect. He was referring to it as she/her - “You swore to protect her and defend her.” Something like that. It’s always a moving moment to listen to Steve when he talks about his country he would give his life to protect. And America isn’t just a country to Steve, no, it’s a purpose to live for. To serve is in his bones, it’s something ancient that buzzes hidden but rhythmically in Steve’s cells and pulses through his whole body. It’s in his genes. (I dare to dramatically emphasize it like that.)

I’ve spent a lot of time to ponder about Steve and his dedication to being a servant for his mother country. And I try to catch this spark, this notion which is there but so very difficult to form into words. I never will fully understand what goads Steve to freely hand over his heart and his soul and serve as a SEAL. I’m not good at Military stuff and all the Navy and Naval intelligence information, ranks and what comes with all the education. But I’m good at reading people and I’m good with emotions. I try to make my explanation work.

I dare to say that nobody, not even Danny, nobody but Steve’s SEAL buddies know and understand what moves Steve when it comes to America and his duty to protect her. Freddie Heart was in tune with the same dedication. Steve’s motivation could be compared to the knight of the blackboard serving their king, King Arthur.

The oath Steve has sworn stays above everything else - and I mean everything. This oath has this touch of divinity and I also dare to say, that the attitude, this inner need, which forces Steve to make such a choice is the glue that holds Steve’s soul together. (And I don’t know if Steve had had the choice to be a SEAL without being sent away if he had made that choice and if he had followed that path - a whole other thread to talk about.) It’s in his genes to bow to such a task in the way he does.

To be a servant needs humbleness, it needs a pureness of a kind that’s very rare. There is loyalty and honestly and never ever is there a rear exit and a chance to change the mind. It’s not about what they choose, this is about what they are - what Steve is.

I’ve read the Artus Trilogy by Gillian Bradshaw (one of the best ever) and there is Gawain (he reminds me of Steve) - and he stole my heart. His story moved me beyond words and the love he has for his king is so big, that I won’t find the right words to describe what drives him closer and closer to King Arthur, with this single aim, this intense wish: to be a knight for his king, to present him his life and to fight for him, to die for him. I’ve never found more accurate words which are able to describe this dedication, to paint the undying love with words, to let me feel this everlasting and divine love, this fearless strength, this stamina to stand proud for their king, to fight till the last drop of blood, to defend their king with every inch of their soul. In the end, Gawain he’s one of King Arthur’s knights, his closest and his most dreaded knight, who goes berserk in battle, feeling no pain, no fear, being inhumanly strong - to fight for his King. Just like Steve and the way he fights for his country and for his people.

Steve’s belief in his country, in his oath, in his choice is set in stone, immovable and everlasting. He doesn't have seconds thoughts. He has never had them.

Betrayal of trust, to sell out this said oath, this belief in America is unforgivable for Steve. Btw, if I had to describe America in a mystique way I’d say: she is this female, ageless entity, old and beautiful and precious, a wise lady who truly owns Steve’s heart (like Galadriel from LOTR). Once someone has crossed this line, there’s never a way back. Steve suffers every loss of his fellow comrade.

And Greer was such a comrade and even a special one because he had feelings for her. This group of unique members speaking a language of their own, trusting each other with their lives, blindly and unconditionally. This group is small - and it gets smaller and smaller. Steve doesn’t have new comrades. The tightest bond has been build during his training and education days, during becoming a SEAL and being sent on missions. The group members get diminished and each and everyone who is lost to betrayal destroys something in Steve’s soul.

Greer’s betrayal destroys a part of Steve. It came out of the blue, unexpected - detonating like a meteorite in his heart. I’m sure he would have sworn under oath that she’s an honest soul. I guess the shock to misinterpret her character was as big as a shock as to find out she works together with the Chinese. Steve tries to fight all the fallout. And in the end, there is disgust, antipathy, and a deep-rooted aversion. This chasm isn’t to pass ever again. Steve won’t let this person back into his inner world. It’s over - forever.

But Greer does not only cut deep into Steve’s soul by turning her back on everything his life is built upon, there is something else she causes - it’s way crueler (from my point of view): she’s planted a seed of doubt in Steve’s soul when she said: “You think you’re such a good guy, Steve. But you’ve done things. Bad things. You can tell yourself they were in the name of doing some greater good. But were they, really?”

I have to admit that Greer has a point with what she's saying. And Steve doesn't want to hear it. His doubts flair up, being there, hovering in the air for a fraction of a second and I can almost see him squash them down where they can never arise again. I get the impression that Steve has a movie, racing through his mind, with all the terrible things he'd done in the name of this greater good, in the name to defend America, his Lady. I got the impression that Steve watches all the action, all his past (or at least a part of it) from a different angle for the first time in life. And maybe it's also because he has suffered so many losses and so many betrayals: from his mother, from Catherine and now from Greer. He desperately needs to understand, what the hell is wrong!?

Freddie got killed in action and cut a hole in Steve's heart. So far, he has faced every tragedy but somehow Greer and her speech get to him. And I wouldn't wonder if, for the shortest amount of time, there was an understanding forming in Steve’s mind why she did it. Or let me say, he wishes to understand because everything else kills him and chokes him and he can't grasp the logic, the hurt, and the failed trust.

I can't get rid of the image of the "Last Man Standing" when the world went to shit and crumbles to dust and there's only Steve trying to find kindred spirits to not feel so alone anymore.

Something bad has happened in Marrakesh and Steve hates to be reminded and his question "You threatening me?" tells me about this bad shit, that something epic went down and it went south and somehow Steve was able to sit on that lid of that pandora box and kept everything hidden and stored away – until now.

Have you ever witnessed this odd, strangely unfamiliar expression on Steve's face? He seems torn as if the memories itself deform his face, and suddenly this onslaught of memories are attacking him from different angles. And the worst is to know that his ally has just turned his back on him, being a fraud and a terrible disappointment. Two heavy blows to his heart. Again, Steve stands alone, bereft of this invisible strength that always keeps him upright. It's part of his backbone, this belief in his country and in his oath and in his comrades.

I can't get rid of the feeling that Steve starts to think about his actions and if it was the right thing to do. I guess I could go on for another hour, but the most important fact from this scene is the way Steve's inner world crashes down. Losing Greer to the enemy has a severe effect on how Steve sees himself - I guess? At least I've got the impression that he's struggled a moment, stumbled and caught himself. He walks tall again, but there's this heaviness now wafting around his chest. Something is off, and it worries him deeply.

And Danny – Danny can't help him, because Danny doesn't belong to this world. The Navy is like a separate realm in Steve's mind and in his life. He only can share openly with comrades who have sworn the same oath.

I'm interested what others think about this scene. Have I exaggerated? Have I interpreted too much into that scene? And after I've written that long essay, I'm still convinced that this scene was so painful for Steve because again, it has caused a major shift in his tectonic plates within his soul.