#spies are forever spoilers

[python-nebula]

Uh. SAF lighting/staging(/whatever else happens to come up) analysis be upon ye. This is a very loose definition of 'analysis' and is more like 'I wrote this with the power of Autism, Being a Film Student, and 'Song 2' by Blur', enjoy :)

^ These are the images I'm gonna be referencing, but I'm talking about the scene in general too. I'm gonna keep the main body of the text in white and my notes in pink :)

Ough okay so. The staging + body language. Owen is specifically placed higher than Curt because in his eyes, he has the upper hand. The slight low angle also lends weight to this and aids in making him look powerful. Because of this, his gun arm isn't raised higher than his shoulder level as it doesn't need to be, giving him a casual air, along with his pulled-back, loose posture and his head lolling slightly to the side.

Despite his body language, we can see from his face and words that he is actually very tense internally. This is probably a very deliberate choice on the director's part, as it emphasises Owen's demeanour of laid-back power (or at least, that's what he tries to present himself as).

This all contrasts directly to Curt. His gun arm has to be at a very high angle because of his positioning in relation to Owen, meaning his posture is very tense and his head is held rigidly upwards. Owen has been planning this meeting for (presumably) years, but Curt obviously hasn't. This is reflected in how they stand (as just explained).

He looks up to Owen, both literally and metaphorically. When they were together, they looked up to each other, and therefore were on equal footing because of their mutual respect and love. But now that Owen feels betrayed and scorned, that resect and love has become one-sided (but half-buried by Curt).

(A detail I like is that even though both actors are (I assume bc it's more common) right-handed, Owen holds his gun in his left hand, meaning the guns are level with each other, creating nice symmetry).

//

LIGHTING TIME. Oh boy, the lighting. Owen stands not only shrouded in stage smoke (giving him an etherial appearance), but also severe white light. This separates him and Curt, showing the now-clear stark contrast between them (whereas before they were both in normal light levels together).

It also represents how Owen has essentially become a ghost; he doesn't exist in his own identity to anybody other than Curt now (and Tati but she isn't in this scene). He isn't part of this world anymore, and exists outside of ever being in Curt's life again.

The light from around Owen casts down on Curt, almost invoking religious imagery. From both perspectives, it represents Curt's adoration and idolisation for Owen (both from being in love with him and from building a version of Owen in his head for four years), and need to 'save' him (his quote unquote 'Messiah complex' that his mother describes).

From Curt's perspective, he is gazing up at Owen, and is bathed in some of his light (he moves closer to Owen later in the scene, more into his light, symbolising his resignation to, and acceptance of, the fact that he can't save Owen. He moves past his memory of, and built-up mental image of, Owen). Up the stairs is Owen, the man he loves, and the light. Back down the stairs is his life without him; darkness.

From Owen's perspective, he knows that Curt feels this way about him - hell, he probably felt the same way about Curt, before the accident - but he keeps his distance. The light, for him, isn't holy light, but a barrier he has put up. In the scene, he doesn't move closer to Curt, he stays high up where he doesn't have to face the man he loves (loved?) and see the pain on his face from up close, see the tears (of anger, or heartbreak? Both, I'd say) that are probably forming in his eyes. Does he feel guilty or regret it? Possibly, considering he apologises several times to Curt in 'One Step Ahead'.

Either way, the stark white light isn't healthy for either of them. So they leave the light, together, when the shot rings out and the stage falls into darkness.

Okay!! This has been my over-the-top, unhinged, accidentally-a-character-study ''''analysis'''' of a single fucking scene from a spy musical that I've been a fan of for a grand total of 24 hours!! :D Please let me know if I made any mistakes, I'm not as knowledgeable about staging as I'd like to be, and as said, I also haven't been a fan for very long.

(I'm gonna post this now and stop adding more to it lmao)

Tagging @kairithemang0 @venomousray @consumingthecheese

[randsstuff]

hi spies are forever fans ‼️

[watchoutpaul-hemightkickyourhead]

midway through watching saf (spies are forever). Here are my notes:

Fucking badass curt

Oh they're (curt and owen) gay aren't they. Gonna be so mad if they aren't fruits

Joey's British accent, shockingly, not the worse one I've heard. Sounds very suffolk-essex border (similar to my accent). Not perfect but not bad. Like 7/10

It's time to save the woooorld again

ITS TIME TO GET THE GIRLL AGAINNNNN

ONCE A SPY ALWAYS A SPY FOREVERRRRRRR

"old boy". Thats it. Thats the note

Oh my fucking god curt that's why we don't litter

CURT WTF DONT LEAVE YOUR BOYFRIEND BEHIND

selfish git

Oh. Oh no. No curt.

Oh curt baby.

Oh he an alchaholic baby

HIM AND HIS (romantic) PARTNERRRR OWEEEEEEEEN

Oh cynthia i havent even met you and you're already a badass bitch

Slightly worse british accents but its chill

wowza he's (DMA) scary

Oh the bombseller is a vibe. Great song

Oh she pretty. Pretty Russian woman. SWEAR TO GOD IF SHES THE "BOND GIRL"-

Sorry hes late guys got a lot on his plate guys🎶

Sit down! Fuck you! You're fucking dead!

The smiley face was very important

So how, in the FLIPPETY FLAPPETY FUCK

Oh well aren't you the 𝒶𝓇𝓉𝒻𝓊𝓁𝓁 𝒻𝓊𝒸𝓀𝒾𝓃ℊ 𝒹ℴ𝒹ℊℯ𝓇

oh wowza he's (DMA) CREEPY

YESSSS the fucking 𝘽𝙀𝘼𝙍𝙍𝙍𝙍𝘿𝘿𝘿

YOU YOU GOTTA!

love that type of mother son dynamic

Tessa netting my BELOVED

Pay attention has gotta be my favourite song so far it scratches my brain just right

"Acctually holding LIQUOOOR" "im off it" YES POP OFF CURT BEAT THAT ALCHAHOLISM

barb hes gay give up

barb

barb hes a fruitcake stop

barb you dont need him ill kiss you instead

Candlestick? Apple? Fucking paperclip? Looks like a GUN TO ME

WHO DO YOU THINK WILL BE SHAVING YOU-HOOO

yeahhhh get that beard off

The beard looked uncomfortable to wear

OH CUUUURRT YOUR SO DREAAAAAMMMMYYY

Barb larvenour I LOVE YOU

Watching the rest soon!

[ohnoitsjetster]

[samuelandthesun]

Characters who haunt the narrative are all fine and dandy. Love them very much.

But what about characters who HUNT the narratives. Characters who are alive but see how the focus slips their grasp and just. Disappears from them. The spotlight is not on them anymore, and their story is getting told in pieces by others who didn’t know enough about them to get the full picture. Characters who chase after their goals in the background of a plot that doesn’t give them the time of the day anymore, but they still keep moving. Characters that keep coming back time and time again because they cannot give up their place in the story that easily. Characters who will not let go, even when they are let go.

I am, indeed, talking about Owen Carvour, but that’s another thing.

[kairithemang0]

Yknow what maybe my favorite relationship trope is "not actually divorced divorced gay men"

Maybe I just have a type for ships I dunno

[jingles-miserably]

british people be like you ijiot. british people be like licherally. british people be like A new world awaits us, Curt. A world without agencies, a world without spies, a world without secrets. british people be like That secret died the night you left me for dead. british people be like bo'ol of wa'ah

[not-sure-what-im-feeling]

Man it’s just like the range of Joey richter my DUDE

You’re telling me this man played a goofy little cop in a Disney channel show and a gay spy from the 50s who died twice and is trying to effectively establish his own world government?

Incredible.

[ultimate-tragic-couples-showdown]

Round 2a - Poll 6

Richie Tozier & Eddie Kaspbrak (It) vs Curt Mega & Owen Carvour (Spies Are Forever)

[bitter-goodbyes]

Finally watched Spies are Forever and omg???? I loved it????

[anendtopursuit]

if anyone is going to spy another day in london,,, me n my bf are going as curt n owen,,, and i am v tempted to make kandi bracelets to give ppl

[deadguydeathmatch]

Dead Guy Death Match Round 3 Poll: 4

[bigbraveboop]

"they love each other" mariah 😭

[ohnoitsjetster]

If I had a nickel for every time a Curt Mega character kissed a beautiful badass redheaded woman with a mysterious past who then immediately ended their relationship DURING the kiss, I would still not have enough money to pay for therapy

[teddybasmanov]

Good day only to agents whose beloved partners, who they thought were dead and/or gone, have resurfaced very much alive but working against them now.

[im-not-a-l0ser]

Hey, so I'm going to ask some questions reguarding Spies Are Forever, and I'd like someone to answer them, but i'm just saying like... y'know, spoilers I guess?

So... do people ship Owen and Curt like... during the events of the show? Like, after Owen 'dies'? Because according to what I've read on the wikia, I really don't know how someone could ship them.

Like, if Owen is a shitty guy now, who Curt literally kills, why would people ship them? Like, I understand shipping them before Owen 'dies,' but after? Like, sure, Curt might have feelings for Owen, but how can Owen chose something so terrible over staying with Curt.

Although, y'know, a good fic would be Owen being a double agent.

Keep in mind that I haven't actually finished it yet, I've just gone through the wikia. I'm only on Act 2 Part 2. But I kind of don't want to finish it, because I don't want to see Owen being a bad guy. I don't wanna see Owen get shot.

Also, I'm loving this vibe of 'its the 60s, and I need a beard so.... I guess this works, but oof ick.'