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darkestwolfx · 5 years ago

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Brains VS. Brawns - Re-Review #52

Look at MAX with his weapon of choice!

Right, now I’ve got that desperate exclamation out of the way, let’s get to the proper part of the review.

This is the final episode of series 2. Goodness grief, I cannot believe we’ve made it this far already. But we have, and so once again, I will give out one of my massive thank you’s to you all for supporting the Re-Review Series (even though the author has been massively busy in lockdown [ironic, right?] and so has given you some rather poor ones some days).

But, let’s begin with this shot of the desert, which somehow reminds me of TOS ‘The Uninvited’. What was it Scott said in that episode about unfriendly places?

Yeah, Thunderbird One got shot down in that episode... and in this episode, someone is also shooting at it, but with a giant, very dangerous - if you remember Brains trying to tell us all the possibilities back in ‘Power Play’ (or Battle of the Bad Guys Volume 1, as I like to remember it) - very powerful laser!

Yes, the desert is a very unfriendly spot.

So yes, this episode if where we get to see Project sentinel, a weapon that was beyond The Hood’s realm of conscience. Personally, I think The Hood would have definitely used that laser.

I thought this shot from ‘The Uninvited’ was relevant to show what I meant about the desert. See, unfriendly place. And I officially respect Adam Wilkin of the interweb for making this! It fits perfectly with my current line of conversation and really looks like it could have been a TAG episode.

Anyhow, moving on from my line of thought from the title card, let’s get down to business. And by that I mean the rescue business!

And let’s just casually take Thunderbird One out to the desert - even after everything we’ve just been discussing and looking at? Yeah, the desert and Thunderbird One aren’t friends, but folks, be reassured, we don’t get to see it shot down today! Live in reassurance that TB1 is fine. I couldn’t have a certain someone holding their breath all the way through the review to hear that nugget of knowledge.

“I’m tracking the source... oh no! We have a situation. A really, really big one. A massive laser satellite just showed up on scanners. Guys, I think The Mechanic’s Project Sentinel is online.”

Because these bad guys have really been quiet since ‘Home on the Range’ so what else could we expect for the series final? And if there was ever a time for the “we have a situation line” it was now.

“That laser blast revealed a hidden underground facility. my scans show one life sign trapped inside.”

Hmm... the cogs in my brain were already turning at this. An underground facility with no records available to John?

“John, where am I exactly?”

“I can’t find any record of it. Whoever built that place didn’t want anyone to find it.”

“Well, The Mechanic found it.”

Yeah, I was suspicious.

“Losing those power cells didn’t stop The Mechanic. He’s using the sun to power it now!”

Why would The Mechanic want to fire at the Sahara? Yeah, I was doubly suspicious.

Yep, and we’ve yet to find a way to stop solar power - especially if you’ve got your solar panels up in space right near the source. Let’s power the world environmentally and take a leaf out of The Mechanic’s books.

“Scott, the Sentinel is firing!”

Warnings are useful given in advance Brains!

I sort of felt that. It looked and sounded like it hurt... It’s always Scott isn’t it? I bet they’ll be more prompts going up after this reminder... I’m still working on the rockfall, they don’t give us (or Scott) much chance to recover here).

“That was way too close.”

Yeah, you’re telling me!

“It looks like the longer the Sentinel charges, the more powerful it’s laser.”

Basic solar energy principles, right there.

Throw back to Friday - you know, hypercars, Tycho, David Tennant - “he will knock four times”, remember that line (different fandom I know, but go with it).

* Knock knock *

And we only get two. Shame. See where my mind wanders?

“This is International Rescue. Open up. I’ve come to get you out of here.”

“Ah, Scott Tracy. It took you long enough.”

“The Hood!”

Bet no one saw that coming.

Oh, wait, me! I did!

Cue obligatory gasps.

*Gasp*

“The Hood!”

“What are you up to Hood?”

Punch him, Scott, please punch someone for once.

(Reminder that this show is universally rated).

Or not.

Just let The Hood walk right past you.

Universal rating.

There’s a parallel world somewhere - I like to think - where Scott does punch that smug face.

“Isn’t it obvious? The Mechanic is trying to fry me with a space laser.”

I know he’s the bad guy, I know we’re not meant to like him, but that line was humour central, I laughed massively. I’d forgotten it completely!

“I’m waiting for you to rescue me.”

“Us rescue you?”

“You are International Rescue, are you not?”

Sorry, you must have dialed the wrong number, this is International Gardening, supported by the one and only Ned Tedford. The only thing we rescue is geranium’s, definitely not super villains. Just imagine that world for a second.

But uh, no, this is International Rescue, reporting for duty.

“And that makes you think we’ll rescue you?”

“I’m counting on it.”

Remember that quality of Scott’s we love? The calm thinking, forward pushing, forgiving;

“Who you are and what you’ve done doesn’t matter.”

Yeah, well here it wavers, because it matters. This is the one (possibly there’s more on Scott’s bad list, but I think The Hood is probably the one he really can’t see past - I mean, he forgives Fuse, but I’m saying no more because we’ll get there later) person that Scott cannot treat with the same attitude he faces the rest of life and their rescues with. Everyone has their limits and for Scott, I think forgiving and saving the person who killed their Dad is just a step too far. And I don’t blame his lapse, it’s completely understandable. Put in his position, I think I would have been the same.

“Scott he has a point. We have a duty to protect people from harm. We don’t get to choose who that is.”

“Grandma...”

“But- just because we have to save him, doesn’t mean he’ll like it.”

I like her thinking.

“International Rescue, my life is in your hands.”

“Just make sure you remember that.”

Yeah, and then take shots at them again in Series 3.

Right, so summarizing up until here;

Let’s save The Hood - because morals demand it, rightly so - but that doesn’t mean we can’t imprison him at the same time! See, Scott is kinda getting what he wants.

“To The Hood. You can hide no more. Give me what you want or be destroyed.”

The Hood is controlling The Mechanic! But he’s refusing! I love it when someone overcomes challenges. So the whole controlling thing, definitely changes the playing board.

“I don’t think International Rescue will let that happen.”

“He’s right, Mechanic. Stand down.”

“I’m not after you International Rescue. I only want The Hood. Step aside.”

“As much as I’d like to, I can’t do that.”

“Then go down with him.”

He’s not actually a bad guy deep down. I knew there was more to this guy than we ever saw in ‘Earthbreaker’. And now, for one of my favourite events - the TAG game of Catch The Hood.

“Thunderbird One is about to be toast.”

“Maybe Thunderbird Shadow could carry the weight for a while.”

“What are you doing?”

“This is where you get off.”

Ding. Going down.

“Where are you going?”

“To Thunderbird Three. I’m going to take out Sentinel and The Mechanic before he takes out a Tracy.”

Got to love this boys spirit. That, and he hates to be left out.

“Alan, that’s a terrible plan. Firstly, The Mechanic will be operating the Sentinel remotely, so we don’t know where he is. Secondly, it’s a giant laser. Thunderbird Three would be shot clean out of the sky.”

Brains’ practically really is a good at being crushing. But it is practical.

“Let Thunderbird Four take the package for a while. I hope you don’t get seasick Hood, because we’re going all the way down.”

“John, this isn’t working. We’re in hot water down here.”

“Don’t worry, Thunderbird Four help is on the way.”

“Our turn to play pass the parcel. Parker, active the magnetic bumpers.

“Yes, M’Lady.”

“Here that Hood. You’re going for a nice drive in the country. He’s all yours, Lady Penelope.”

“Parcel received.”

Honestly, there’s no better way to document this scene really, save the scene itself, so I’m trying my best here.

“The magnets locked hon but gaw hit’s ‘eavy. hI do ‘ope hit will ‘old.”

“Parker, that magnet could hold a tractor if it had to.”

“We know that M’Lady, but The ‘ood doesn’t.”

Loved that laugh, Parker!

Meanwhile, on the chase;

“Can’t we just ditch The ‘ood? Better him than hus.”

“That’s not very International Rescue now, is it Parker?”

“No, M’Lady.”

But I’m with him.

“Thunderbird Two couldn’t sit by and let you have all the fun.”

No, and Alan tagged along. Virgil probably - wisely - pulled him off the island before he exploded.

“Magnetic coupling detached.”

“Got it.”

“This is the most fun I’ve had in ages.”

I’m honestly not sure the being chased by a giant laser part is fun... playing catch with The Hood? Yes, that’s fun. Better with no fear of being blown up!

Sorry, the game of catch distracted me, let’s get to the Brains part of the episode. Little bit of jumping around to be had.

“I wonder what it is The Mechanic wants exactly...”

Well, why don’t you go and find out.

There’s was a full Brains and MAX gear up sequence. About time.

“No, MAX. This laser’s far too dangerous for anyone to be on board. Rockets disengaged. That should let us slip through undetected.”

And they’re nearly detected! Contradiction number 1.

“Quiet MAX. There’s no one here, but we don’t know what kind of alarms there are.”

You know, the amount of times Brains has very definitely said (I think we’re on three) that The Mechanic couldn’t possibly be here, is really making me think The Mechanic is actually going to be here. Any one else?

Remember what you were saying to Alan and MAX about remote operating? That looks like The Mechanic to me.

“What are you doing here?”

“Well?”

“I asked first?”

“It’s my satellite.”

“Yes. Good point.”

Adored MAX, head turning, not sure where to look. These two were meant to be besties. It’s the joint speaking that gives it away.

“What could The Hood possibly have that you want so badly?”

Yes, let’s get to the point.

“It’s not what he has. It’s what he does. What he makes me do.”

“His cybernetic eye! The Hood is controlling you!”

Well done! It’s only taken 26 episodes! I mean, I guessed by around 13, but okay...

“Not always. I’ve learnt to fight it. That’s much easier up here. But I can’t fight him forever.”

“It doesn’t have to be like this. International Rescue can help you. I can help you.”

“No one can help me.”

Why does no one ever take the help first off! Trust in Brains mate! Sorry, Mr Mechanic, Sir.

“Maximum power!”

Yeah, Brains, I’m with John.

“The Mechanic is powering up for a single shot that will take out everything in the vicinity of The Hood. Brains, it’s now or never.”

MAX being such a hero fighting the Meccas.

“There! I’ve shut down his controls.”

“You’ve ruined everything! now I’ll never be rid of him.”

“Mechanic, trust me, as Chief Engineer of International Rescue, we will find a way to make sure The Hood never has control over you again. You’re coming with me.”

“You want to arrest me that much.”

“I’m not arresting you. I’m saving you.”

This is the start to a beautiful friendship. Just wait another twenty-odd episodes for it. Sit back, kick your feet up,

“The Mechanic is not fully responsible for his actions. He must be protected from The Hood. International Rescue will be in touch, I promise. Engineer to engineer.”

All’s well that ends well.

Speaking of;

“Hood, you’re under arrest.”

“Yes, please! Just get me away from International Rescue!”

I know they’ve just thrown him here, there and everywhere, but somehow I don’t think The Hood would ever take to arrest that easy. Not without a plan... and let’s face it, he had one in ‘Legacy’, what’s the bet he pulls the same trick?

“It seems like we can’t say it enough. Thank you, International Rescue.”

Yes, because not seem rude, but you would probably have lost the world ten times over with what we’ve seen of the GDF’s ‘show of force’ so far. They didn’t even notice when Captain Foster wasn’t Captain Foster! Really, The Hood should have set his sights higher and tried to play Colonel Casey. International Rescue might have been the only ones to notice.

“With those two in custody, all of you might just get a break.”

“Well, to be honest, I’m looking forward to some good old fashioned rescues for a change.”

“Sea quakes.”

“Rock slides.”

“Runaway asteroids.”

“Petty thieves stealing classified technology.”

“Unruly Ambassadors.”

“Dog sitting.”

“And fused power relays.”

And there you have it. What International Rescue call a normal Tuesday.

And we’ve reached the end Series 2!

Oh, wait, it’s like a post credit scene (only before the credits) and look!

Handcuffs on the floor and tied up GDF officers? Well, here we go again.

I mean, is anyone surprised that he found a way out? I’m not. And look at these people in purple! We haven’t had much purple yet in this show - besides the fact Grandma Tracy wears it all the time, so I feel a little like they’re stealing her signature colour. Couldn’t they have gone for black like every other bad guy in TAG? Apparently not.

“Everything has gone according to plan. The Tracy’s have taken care of The Mechanic and now, nothing to stop us causing global chaos.”

Is that a hint dropped there, you know like an easter egg?

But that is the end of Series 2. New bad guys to be introduced properly in tomorrows re-review!

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meeedeee · 6 years ago

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Vidding Linkspam May 28, 2019

I make monthly Vidding Linkspam posts on my Dreamwidth blog. Look under the “Linkspam” tag.

Announcements: Vid Recs: Submit Your Favorite Vids http://VidRecs.com Now open. Got Recs?

Announcements: LilacEdits — If you are a video editor on YouTube you can join... If you are a video editor on YouTube you can join my Multifemale collab I just started :)

Announcements: EoV | Elements of Vidding Contest | Round One: Why We Vid Remember that contest I was tweeting about a few weeks ago? Well, it's finally happening! Join now! https://t.co/9i9jK2UBZJ

Announcements: Looking for Vidders : Calling UK/Italian Vidders Looking for Vidders I'm at the early stages of developing a documentary on Vidding. I am looking for UK or Italian based Vidders willing to appear in the documentary and talk about their passion for Vidding. As a former Vidder I want to highlight how it can be entertaining for the audience to see their favourite shows in a new way and also how it offers the artists a chance to be creative as well. Many thanks, Carlotta Montella.

Conventions: FanWorks 2019 Vidding Panels! Vidding Panels at the Fanworks Convention, Aug 2019

Conventions: Looking for vids to Vienna Teng songs! https://fairestcat.dreamwidth.org/660760.html I'm VJing a Vid Show of vids to Vienna Teng songs at FanworksCon in August. I pitched it as "Come Out and Level Up: Narratives of Resistance as sung by Vienna Teng" but I'm taking a very broad definition of "resistance."

Meta: The mentor ship of vidding communities https://twitter.com/redimine/status/1128666188454801408 The mentor ship of vidding communities, either directly or through observation, is one of those things I really like about fandom I just wanted to draw attention to today. Thanks for the help and inspiration throughout the years!

Meta; "Vidding doesn’t have the accessibility of fan art or the group mentality of fan fic https://twitter.com/redimine/status/1131206313390805000 Vidding doesn’t have the accessibility of fan art or the group mentality of fan fic. Vidding asks a lot from it’s participants and, honestly? Unless someone already gravitates towards fan vids it can be incredibly hard to draw other’s interest.

Meta: "Vidding history is fascinating https://twitter.com/redimine/status/1131216530501451776 Vidding history is fascinating; in the begging my foremothers ran collectives because you'd need up to four or more VCRs and who could afford that?! Best to drag your fellow club members into learning how to trick technology into doing what you want.

Meta: vidders who see & hear music as movement & color https://twitter.com/Bonibaru/status/1132780458494910464 Reading it made me think of @Lumi_nation and other fellow vidders who see & hear music as movement & color, hear color as music, and so on. There are many of us. We don’t often talk about it outside of con suites and panels, but we exist in our special little universes

Meta: my youtube is almost to 500 subscribers... https://legalizesupercorp.tumblr.com/post/184993271630/my-youtube-is-almost-to-500-subscri… my youtube is almost to 500 subscribers....I’ve been making videos for like 11-12 years even though I took a break for like 4 years, but I’ve been working really hard, and even though I know that’s not a lot compared to the thousands other people have, but I’m really proud of myself for getting close to the milestone.

Meta: what is the ettiquette...… for making fanvids with fanart? https://skulkingwriter.tumblr.com/post/184443576987/dnd-and-other-mostly-audio-fandoms-wha… what is the ettiquette...… for making fanvids with fanart? What do you do, do you seek out and ask permission from each the artist to use their art in the vid? Is that a thing we do? Or do we assume if it’s online it’s OK and credit at the end? Asking permission seems like the polite thing to do. It also seems… very labour intensive.

Meta: making money from fanvidding is unethical. https://vimesbootstheory.tumblr.com/post/184950631342/hi-hello-making-money-from-fanviddin… #vidding #if I see another commissions post I swom to jon #it's not your goddamn footage

Meta: Vidder Feelings https://redscullyrevival.tumblr.com/post/185061507310/vidder-feelings I’ve got a lot of feelings about fan vids, as I am to have after finishing a project, and how it’s one of the

Meta: vid_bingo | Vidding Chatter https://vid-bingo.dreamwidth.org/3441.html Recently a lot of my DW and twitter feed have been discussing the Plotters vs. Pantsers approach to writing and it made me think about how I approach vidding. Sometimes I plan things out and sometimes I fly by the seat of my pants.

Meta: fail_fandomanon | FFA DW Post 1084 - Explain a canon from a vid/AMV https://fail-fandomanon.dreamwidth.org/368136.html?thread=2150748168#cmt2150748168 I think we haven't played this game for a while. 1. Someone posts a vid or AMV whether it be accurate ore misleading regarding canon content 2. People who haven't seen the canon watch the video and try to explain what the canon is about

Meta: fail_fandomanon | FFA DW Post 1086 - Explain a canon from a vid/AMV https://fail-fandomanon.dreamwidth.org/368886.html?thread=2153807862#cmt2153807862 Explain a canon from a vid/AMV Link a vid and others will explain the canon

Meta: Vidding Talk at Wiscon 2019 https://morgandawn.dreamwidth.org/1657257.html There’s nothing stopping fanvids, say, from being nominated for the Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form at the Hugos. — SamHainPress reporting from Wiscon 2019

Meta: The appeal of fanvids (post from 2007) https://emily-shore.livejournal.com/119154.html?format=light Working on my list of ten desert island vids got me thinking about what it is that I love about vids. For me, an important part of the appeal is the chance that they offer me to see through other people's eyes.

Meta: Humble Opinions on Good Vidding (post from 2007) https://vidding.livejournal.com/1032639.html?format=light In my opinion, to understand how you make a good video, you have to take a step back and not look so much at what people have done but why.

Meta:Understanding Both Halves of Your Audience (post from 2008) https://morgandawn.dreamwidth.org/792472.html I have this idea for a panel...Vidders: Understanding Both Halves of Your Audience. And it would be a vastly over-simplified panel dividing the vidding audience into two "vastly oversimplified and somewhat random but let's just play along" groups: Kinetic Viewers and Narrative Viewers.

Meta: I’m frustrated with a vid project so I’m gonna https://redscullyrevival.tumblr.com/post/184509182140/im-frustrated-with-a-vid-project-so-… I’m frustrated with a vid project so I’m gonna blab to myself even though I’ve got my outline and concept written - maybe I’ll find some vein I’ve yet to tap this time around, I dunno. .....I’m making a ToS Star Trek vid with the concept being three layers of how the women of Star Trek are often times “bad”

Missing — I know this is a really long shot, but did you... https://mollyamory-again.tumblr.com/post/184790779123/i-know-this-is-a-really-long-shot-bu… did you ever happen to see a Pirates of the Caribbean fanvid set to "Walk the Walk" by Poe? I loved it

Technical: Best editing codec working in Lightworks & Windows? https://vidding.dreamwidth.org/390754.html For vidders who work in Windows and use Lightworks to edit, what codec works best for your editing? And what software do you use to convert your various kinds of source files into that desired codec?

Technical: Keeping Track Of Your Source https://teamhousestark.tumblr.com/post/185083799421/fanvideo-makers @ fanvideo makers Especially if your fandom has a shitton of source material (say, eight seasons, lol) how do you remember what episode different things happened in? Have you watched it a ton of times, do you keep a wiki open when making videos, or what?

Technical: The Ultimate Guide to Get Started As A Vidder (from 2016) https://thedailyfandom.com/vidding-ultimate-guide/ We have done plenty of research and added our own experience as vidders to create this super guide to get you started in this wonderful fan activity. This tutorial will help both beginners with no notions of vidding and pro vidders who are looking for some complementary tips and resources.

#vidding #fanvid #fan vid

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enbouton · 7 years ago

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Better Call Saul Rewatch, Part 1/30: They Called Him Slippin’ Jimmy

Late last month, I decided to rewatch all of BCS and post about it, one episode at a time, every day during the 30 days leading up to the premiere. The elements of this plan that proved problematic were “post” and “one episode at a time”, but we’ve still got three weeks, so let’s do this. I’m not much of a critic; this is going to be mostly just a bundle of thoughts and observations. There will also be a key to references in the dialogue, notes on locations and the timeline, and probably a lot of gushing over beautiful frames, because there are many (see above! look at that! look at it!!!). The tag will be #bcs rewatch, for your following/blocking needs.

Uno (Season 1, Episode 1)

Written by Vince Gilligan & Peter Gould / Directed by Vince Gilligan

If the Cinnabon sequence constitutes fanservice, I don’t care, because it’s brilliant.

BCS uses a lot of intense chiaroscuro, and it starts in the scene at Gene’s apartment. Details— the ice in the glass, the white label on the bottle of Scotch— are highlighted, the rest of the picture is subdued. There’s also a gorgeous softness to the black-and-white images. Overheard on the TV as Gene pours: a woman cheerily saying “Well, from time to time, people make mistakes, that’s okay!”

There’s a bit of Breaking Bad-style handheld camera here, which stands out because it’s mostly absent from the rest of the show. In Gene’s living room we have the first appearance of glass block windows, about which blogger Marc Valdez wrote an excellent piece (Streamline Moderne and Jimmy McGill).

“No charge is too big for me!” says Saul, on the tape that Gene is watching in hiding with his blinds closed. :(

(In this episode, Jimmy’s personae are introduced in reverse chronological order: first Gene, then Saul Goodman, then James M. McGill Esquire, then Slippin’ Jimmy.)

It’s May 13, 2002, and the courtroom scene— beautifully paced, by the way— is one of the most distinctly Vince Gilligan scenes that ever Vince Gilliganed. The stenographer loudly slurping on her Big Gulp, the attorney using her legal pad to draw a shirtless man on a unicorn, the prosecutor silently wheeling in the TV in response to Jimmy’s argument, and most of all, the horrifying punchline.

When we first encounter Jimmy— as opposed to Gene or Saul— he’s pacing in the men’s room, muttering about how people shouldn’t be punished for whatever stupid things they did when they were young. Hmm. The three defendants sit there, chastened and nervous in ill-fitting ties, as Jimmy does an excellent job of talking around what it is they actually did. No one got hurt! It wasn’t trespassing, the business was open day and night! “I don’t think they deserve to have their bright futures ruined by a momentary, minute, never-to-be-repeated lapse in judgment,” he tells the jury.

I’m jumping ahead here, but where do you think Jimmy would have ended up if the whole Chicago sunroof incident never happened? I mean, he wouldn’t have gone to Albuquerque, he wouldn’t have become a lawyer… do you think he was happy just running small-time cons and smoking weed at age c. 30?

Anyway, as soon as we see the boys in the mortuary, let alone hear the sawing, we know the case is unwinnable. Jimmy collects his meagre paycheck and stalks out to his car. The show teases us a bit by putting a white pearlescent Cadillac front and centre in the frame before panning across to a battered 1998 Suzuki Esteem (aside: that car is awfully beat up for being only four years old). I love the car, by the way. The colour and the mismatched door are perfect.

The Kettlemans, who could have stepped straight out of an episode of Fargo (as Julie Ann Emery in fact did!), introduce the theme of denial of reality. They’re the innocent victims of a misunderstanding, you see. Craig’s business practices are “beyond reproach”. The missing money is a “discrepancy”. While Craig is amenable to hiring Jimmy, Betsy won’t have it; needing a lawyer would imply guilt, after all. Bob Odenkirk plays Jimmy’s barely-hidden desperation very well. He looks literally and figuratively hungry as Craig prepares to sign.

I want to take a moment to comment on Dave Porter’s score, which helps set Better Call Saul apart from Breaking Bad. The two scores are similar enough to provide continuity, but where Breaking Bad’s music is full of mechanical sounds, drones, saws and reverberations, the music of Better Call Saul has a much warmer timbre, more traditional instrumentation and a more naturalistic sound. (The best side-by-side comparison I can think of is “Dead Freight” versus “Border Crossing”— similar themes, similar rhythm and tempo, completely different feels.) The use of flute and harp stands out in particular— you’d never hear those instruments used in the same way in an episode of Breaking Bad.

One of this episode’s most effective individual beats is Cal coming out of nowhere and hitting Jimmy’s windshield, which manages to be startling even when you know it’s coming. It’s the distraction factor: preoccupy the audience with new information (Jimmy’s card was declined) and then fling a skateboarder into the frame. Jimmy, his windshield broken (can we call that a Breaking Bad reference?), limps home.

The lighting in Jimmy’s office is just gorgeous. This show unreasonably romanticises broke lawyers living in salon backrooms. We learn that Jimmy has a host of “past due” bills— wireless, Visa, library, Diner’s Club, phone— and then get a brilliant hook in the form of a check for $26,000 (dated May 9, 2002, for those of us tracking this stuff) that he promptly rips up, scowling.

Everything about the offices of Hamlin, Hamlin & McGill is so composed, right down to the five-note elevator chime. Blue and wood panelling predominate. I’ll have more to say about colours later on.

The boardroom scene is a beautiful piece of exposition, establishing characters and relationships bit by bit without spelling anything out. Chuck is someone close to Jimmy, and Hamlin, a senior partner at HHM, is giving Chuck money. He’s paying it into Jimmy’s account because Chuck isn’t capable of going to the bank, for some reason. Chuck helped build the firm, but he doesn’t work there any more and Jimmy thinks he never will again. Hamlin, on the other hand, believes Chuck can overcome his situation, and Jimmy dodges the question when asked whether Chuck really wants to be cashed out. The words “brother” and “illness” aren’t even used.

“If Chuck can call this an extended sabbatical, so can we”, Hamlin says— it’s not just Betsy Kettleman who’s engaging in a degree of denial (though the whole situation with Hamlin and Chuck’s illness becomes much more shaded and more complicated later on).

Let’s take another look at this incredible frame:

Kim and Jimmy share a cigarette. Seven words are spoken. Thus, their relationship is sketched out. See above re: exposition. We also see Kim literally clearing up after Jimmy after he takes his frustration out on the trash can, illustrating how they respectively deal with unfairness; he lashes out, she sets things straight.

Again in darkness, Jimmy arrives at Chuck’s house, stashes his phone and keys in the mailbox, and grounds himself on a piece of metal. (The air in Albuquerque is so dry that it’s very easy to build up a static charge. I was constantly getting zapped by door handles.) Chuck, noticing Jimmy’s discontent, instinctively asks him if he’s “in trouble”, which must sting.

Good Lord the lighting is beautiful.

Chuck does have a point about what would happen if he were to cash out of HHM. Jimmy doesn’t seem to see past the initial payout. What they’re really arguing about, beyond money, is whether or not Chuck is ever going to recover from his unspecified illness. The way his voice breaks on “I’m going to get better!” is rough.

“Your friend Kim— a promising career, over and done with.” Not to read too much into this phrasing, but it sounds almost like Chuck thinks that if Kim lost her job at HHM it would be the end of her entire career. As if the firm is only keeping her there out of charity.

“But Jimmy, wouldn’t you rather build your own identity?” Oh, Chuck, if you only knew.

The next scene plunges us into sunlight. Jimmy has tracked down the skateboarders and we get a foundational piece of his backstory: he used to make money running slip-and-fall scams on the icy sidewalks of his hometown, and now he wants the boys to take a hit from Betsy Kettleman so that he can parachute into her good graces. Jimmy, apparently, has been observing Betsy closely enough that he knows where her kids go to school, what time she leaves to pick them up, and what route she takes. I mean, okay.

The hit-and-run happens at 7th Street and Tijeras Avenue, very close to the school where Jimmy & crew film the flag in season 2, and a short distance west of the courthouse district and the Civic Plaza. This whole sequence is such a glorious comedy of errors, and it showcases perfectly Jimmy’s ability to think on his feet. I mean, it’s also true that if he’d aborted the plan when “Betsy Kettleman” had driven off, he never would have ended up hog-tied in the desert pleading for his life, but those are unknown unknowns, I suppose.

“You felonied my brother!" is possibly one of my favourite lines of the season.

Who among us saw Tuco coming? None. None of us. I gasped. It was very considerate of the show to release the next episode immediately.

Miscellaneous

While most of the addresses shown on screen in BCS are fictionalised, the address shown on Jimmy’s mail—160 Juan Tabo Boulevard NE— is the actual IRL location of the nail salon.

Items in Gene’s shoebox: the videotape, an old Band-Aid container, various photos including one of a man standing in front of a 1940s-style car, and a photo packet from a film lab in Portland, Maine

Broken windshields: 2

New Mexico Statutes violated: 3— § 30-28-2, conspiracy to commit felony fraud (Jimmy, Cal and Lars); § 66-7-202, failing to stop after an accident causing damage to a vehicle (Mrs. Salamanca); § 30-3-2, aggravated assault (Tuco)

Timeframe: May 13 to May 25, 2002 (see next post)

Music

“Address Unknown” by the Ink Spots (1939), during the Cinnabon sequence

“Milestones” by Shook (2014), as the twins attempt to scam Betsy

References

Network: a 1976 film about a news anchor who begins ranting about the state of the world during a broadcast. The character whom Jimmy quotes (”You have meddled with the primal forces of nature...!”) is a man who berates the protagonist for speaking out against his network’s corporate owners. Bryan Cranston starred in the 2017 stage adaptation.

Peter Minuit: a Dutch trader who purchased the island of Manhattan from the Lenape people for a sum equalling about $1,000 in today’s money

“Ergo, a falsis principiis proficisci”: “therefore, you proceed from false principles"

Trichinosis: a parasitic disease most often spread via undercooked pork

Starlight Express: an Andrew Lloyd Webber rock musical performed on rollerskates

> NEXT EPISODE: MIJO

#bcs rewatch #better call saul

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tdrcycle10 · 8 years ago

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Calling all amateur drag queens!

If you are interested in competing for the title of Tumblr’s Next Drag Superstar, it's your time to audition for your lives! Tumblr’s Drag Race is an online drag competition consisting of between twelve and fifteen competitors. Each week, the queens will compete in a Mini Challenge and a Main Challenge in a format similar to RuPaul’s Drag Race. One by one, queens will be eliminated from the competition until the final three are standing and a winner is chosen. Our goal is to give amateur drag queens a platform to practice their art, get exposure, receive constructive criticism from a panel of judges, and most importantly, have fun! This competition requires contestants to get into full drag at least once per week, sometimes more! Rules and regulations regarding contestant’s commitments can be found on the “Rules and Regulations” post on this blog. Your commitment is important, because winning surely does have its benefits. If you think you’re ready to snatch the crown, show us what you’ve got!

Audition Guidelines and Requirements:

o No professional drag queens (meaning consistently receiving regular, paid bookings for over a year)

o You must be at least 13 years of age (in compliance with the rules of Tumblr)

o This competition is open to all drag queens. Regardless of if you are an AFAB queen, camp queen, glamour queen, or an alien mannequin brought to life to destroy Christmas for everyone in the UK, all are welcome to show the judges what you’ve got!

In your audition, you will be required to:

1. State both your regular name and your drag name

2. State your current Tumblr URL

3. State your current age

4. Tell us where you live

5. Describe your personality with three interesting facts about yourself

6. Define your drag style in three words

7. Tell us what you hope to gain from TDR

8. Tell us why you should be chosen

9. Tell us what it would mean for you to win Tumblr’s Drag Race

~ Audition Requirements 1 through 9 should be cumulatively no longer than FOUR minutes. ~

10. Include a full, single-shot lipsync performance to a song of your choice

11. Include a 15 second runway walk

12. Show off your acting ability in 4-5 lines or from your favorite short monologue (think “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia” from “Designing Women”). Make it funny, serious, sad, whatever! Show us your acting chops!

13. Submit a face photo and full head-to-toe body photo to the blog alongside your audition tape. These photos will be used for the banner and cast photos if you are chosen. Upload these photos to a private album on Imgur.

Once you have finished making your video, you need to upload your audition to your personal YouTube account. In the privacy settings on your video, please make sure that the video is marked Unlisted. This ensures that nobody can see your audition tape unless a link is provided to them. Submit your YouTube and Imgur links to the Cycle 10 blog.

13. IN A SEPARATE VIDEO, tape yourself walking into the TDR "Workroom" (á la RuPaul’s Drag Race Episode 1). Pose, say your tagline, scream, whatever! Just like the show, you can voice over your entrance saying who you are, where you’re from, what your aesthetic is, etc.

Example: *Jasmine Masters walks into work room* I’M HERE! WE MADE IT BITCHES! *voiceover* My name is Jasmine Masters and I am 37 years old. DING! Jasmine is *forty snaps* it!

PLEASE EMAIL YOUR TDR WORKROOM ENTRANCE TO [email protected]

14. IN ANOTHER SEPARATE VIDEO, film yourself answering the following Meet The Queens questions:

How did you come up with your drag name?

What do you think is your very best feature or characteristic?

Who are your drag inspirations?

If you could identify with any one fashion collection from any designer and any year which one would it be?

If you could be any animal which one would you prefer to be and why?

Whats your favourite colour?

How long have you been doing drag?

Do you have any hidden talents?

What are your short term and long term goals in drag?

What was your favorite challenge from a past cycle of TDR?

What sort of challenges are you excited for? Which are you nervous for?

What do you have that the other girls won’t?

If you could combine three people together to make up your drag character, who would they be?

A catchy tag line.

PLEASE EMAIL YOUR MEET THE QUEENS VIDEO TO [email protected]

Lastly, please do not upload your audition video to your own blog. We want it to be a surprise to the Tumblr’s Drag Race community and don’t want it to be leaked early. Don’t spill the tea early, hunty!

ALL AUDITION TAPES AND PICTURES ARE DUE TO THIS BLOG (AND YOUR WORKROOM ENTRANCE DUE TO [email protected]) BY SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14 at 9:00 pm EST.

Final Audition Checklist:

~ Audition video uploaded to your personal YouTube marked as UNLISTED account sending the link to tdrcycle10.tumblr.com

~ Your TDR Workroom Entrance EMAILED to [email protected]

~Your Meet The Queens video EMAILED to [email protected]

~ A photo of your face and a full head-to-toe body photo uploaded on PRIVATE to Imgur, submitted alongside your audition video link to tdrcycle10.tumblr.com

Good luck, potential Cycle 10 stars, and for the first (but certainly not the last) time, DON’T FUCK IT UP!

#tdr #tumblrs drag race #tdr cycle 10 #tdrx #analyse thropic #auditions #drag #drag queen #baby queen #drag race #drag competition #lights #camera #action

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