when they've got interpreting spiderman noir under a specific cultural lens at the function [picture of me going insane]
I cant help myself.. what can i say. And since you've mentioned some research going on behind the scenes.. do you have any fun interpretations? Or even anything fun about the 1800s!
OH HI
Hm. I don't have anything as fun as historical dancing, but I suppose this does give me the excuse (thabk u) to blab about Noir's childishness.
(wow putting this under the cut bc it got longer than I thought it would LMAO)
I think what a lot of people (including Noir's contemporary writers and yes even the spiderverse interpretation) fall for when trying to read Noir's character is the imitation of his idea of what an adult is, that he hides behind. Like Noir's persona is incredibly exaggerated. He's playing pretend. Look here, he's practicing.
A lot of his persona as Noir is imitation! Imitation of his uncle, of Urich, of the violence he's been exposed to. He's running around in his uncle's old uniform. Fundamentally misunderstanding WHY his uncle had been ashamed of it and his role in the war.
And then he goes ahead and steals Urich's alias because it sounds Cool (which is such a teenage thing to do jesus christ).
But like that imitation of The Adult isn't something that's limited to that exaggerated persona that Noir encapsulates. Peter himself is trying So Hard to be grown up and tough and responsible that it loops back around to him being a brat who would try the three guys in a trench coat trick. He even gets beat up for it when trying to defend his aunt. And I mean I've posted about him being a brat.
About how he looks at Urich as a Prime Example of what a strong and knowledgeable adult is (which is part of why he reacts so volatile in response to Urich showing he's not exactly as morally righteous as himself, he's wounded and let down). Whiskey? Whiskey sounds like someone Mature and Cool would drink, I'll have it too. And then proceeds to throw his drink at Osborn and laugh about it. The illusion was broken for me then.
But well it's not broken for everyone. I mean like obviously I poked at the contemporary writers, but I'm more talking about the other characters in the narrative. Mainly Urich and Felicia.
Urich taking Peter under his wing isn't entirely under the motivation to nurture Peter. I think it Becomes that, but he's really envious of that kid. He wants to see him lose that hope that he once had (ruh roh the opposite thing happened, being around the kid made YOU more hopeful Ben. Guess you gotta be good. Hope you don't die now).
Urich really is exposing him to an extremely harsh reality, and taking him places where adults are typically only allowed. He's letting Peter get a glimpse into what it's like, which will eventually enable Noir's tool of violence. All these tests will accumulate into what Peter thinks someone powerful and strong can be and do.
Then his problematic relationship with Felicia (writers I'm malleting you for this). He's clinging to her adulthood and the safety she represents, and he's young but she sees some adult strength in him. I mean she trusts him with the blackmail Urich gave her, which she really. Shouldn't, even if that's what Urich wanted.
Anyway, strength is something she's been consistently drawn to her in her partners. Strength to feel as her own. Even if it's to hers and others' detriment. There's also a part of Peter that's drawn to Felicia because Urich was. He's still honing in the good parts of Urich he wants to be.
I think the one person in the narrative who doesn't fall for it? Is Aunt May. You could argue it's just her being naturally motherly, but for someone who was about to be eaten alive she's pretty frank with Noir. I think she can see that that violence and exaggerated grittiness comes from someone inexperienced and young. Even if she can't consciously recognize the similarities between Noir's persona and Peter's protectiveness of her. I don't think she wants to see that. I actually have a short comic script about that, but it probably will never see the light of day.
Ugh he's like a cat puffing up to scare away a predator. It's fake!!!!! It's all fake!!!!!! He gets intimidated by JJ, he never ties his shoes, gets powers and then immediately guns to beat the shit out of Osborn, sings about the sandman when he's getting his face bashed in, crawls to Felicia all pathetic and sad, and he made a costume to run over roofs at night in.
And it's funny how he's forcing himself to grow up, but also really sad because all the things he's being exposed to is already forcing him to grow up. He's witnessing things no kid should ever see or experience.
Then there's the time period to consider. The aftermath of WWI, being in the midst of the Great Depression, and WWII just around the corner. He's faced incredible hardship and is going to continue to face so much hardship, and he's going to mature faster than he ever should have. It should have made him crash and burn Hard when he became an adult, and to me he still does because I'm ignoring everyone after ewaof LMAO.
As for my research on the 1800s NY that's for my own spider iteration run I'm working on, so not too related to Noir until I reach the 30's :3
Hope that was satisfying!!
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Hello! Thank you so much for posting the guys’ voicelines! If it’s not too much trouble, could I ask for Yuri’s and Ritsu’s? I’ve been especially curious about Yuri’s since reading his line at the beginning of the game if you choose him lol Again, thank you so much!!
(i posted ritsu's separately!)
no anon you may not study yuri. yuri studies you. how dare you. bad guinea pig! you get no experiment tonight!
the rest of you, however, may come appreciate the good doctor with me. You can come too studying anon i won't tell yuri
some of his lines really kinda subverted my expectations of his character? /affectionate) like i thought he would be quite different! not to say his profile is dishonest, but. . .idk lol i love him he's. . .he's special.
Hello: (the first time the game is opened after that character is set as home screen NPC. Only happens once per day, unless the character is switched out and back.)
"What are you dawdling for? Change out of those rags and report to my lab immediately!"
You've Got Mail: (whenever there's something in the inbox, usually Arena rewards)
"What madness is this? Why do you have unread messages!? Check them immediately! Research is a race against time!"
Default: (requires no affinity, has no time constraints)
"You should feel honored to be chosen as the test subject of Dr. Yuri Isami, genius and visionary!"
"Jiro! Jiro!! What on earth are you doing!?"
he calls for jiro the way a parent calls for their kid who's minding their business in another room--
"Lowbrow schools of thought with the gall to oppose my research will bear a mark of shame for generations to come. One day, the world will be forced to acknowledge me."
i realized this early on since i chose him in the pre-prologue so i always had access to him on the home screen but. since anomalies have to be kept secret from the world he kind of can't be acknowledged for what he does in the long run, can he? since he specifically works in anomalous medical sciences much of what he does and works with has to be kept only within the institute's understandings. . . .
"I always preserve the lives of my patients. I cannot make guarantees for any other parts of them, however."
sure you're a disembodied head in a jar but you are a living disembodied head in a jar! don't worry they'll get you a new body!!
"I ask their cooperation for the sake of the future of humanity, and this is what I get!?
Jiro, how much do we have left in our research budget!?"
Affinity 1: (between 5am and 11am)
"What a bracing morning. Jiro, prepare my wake-up tonic."
is 'wake-up tonic' a fancy way of saying coffee or do you have some mixture of herbs and spices that wakes you up
Affinity 2: (between 11am and 4pm)
"Are you injured or ill? Oh dear, how unfortunate. I shall begin the experi—
Ahem, the treatment, immediately."
the way he says this is so incredible but tumblr will not let me upload the video for some reason he is so hype to try putting strange things in you.
Affinity 3: (between 4pm and 8pm)
"Jiro's not feeling well, you say?
Very well. I shall test my latest formula on him."
Affinity 4: (between 8pm and 5am)
"Oh, it's you. And here I thought I had a patient.
I am currently reviewing today's lessons, so please leave unless you're here for treatment."
he's very studious for a genius. not a lot of the ghouls actually go to class.
Affinity 5: (between 8pm and 5am)
"Wha... Wh-Where did you come from!?
Th-Th-Th-This!? It is a medical journal! The Ace Doctor Wows Minds In Another World Thesis!"
MY GUY IS READING ISEKAI MANGA ABOUT DOCTORS AND PROJECTING do you think he reads like hentai about doctors and scientists too. probably not right he's too haughty to think about things like that before they happen
Affinity 6: (between 4pm and 8pm)
"The only blood I stain myself with is that atop the operating table. On missions, I have Jiro to fight in my stead."
it's okay to say you're just not much of a fighter lmao
Affinity 7: (between 11am and 4pm)
"Anomalous medical science is uncharted territory. Should I become its pioneer, all will bow before my intellect until the end of time...
Ha ha... Ah ha ha ha ha!"
Affinity 8: (between 4pm and 8pm)
"Hmph. We have no time to spare on your drivel. Hurry up, Jiro!"
Affinity 9: (between 8pm and 5am)
"It's about time for Jiro's check-up...
Hm? Wake up, Jiro! I've discovered an abnormality already!"
Affinity 10: (between 10pm and midnight)
"Hmm, this case is somewhat complex...
No, there's no need for my expertise here. Jiro, prepare to operate immediately."
'this is too complicated for a human but not too complicated to be jiro's problem!' disregard that jiro may be smarter than him. . . .
Affinity 11: (between 5am and 11am)
"Prepare the new formula, Jiro. A specimen has arrived.
What? You're not here for treatment?"
listen sometimes you just wanna pay someone a visit! it's not my fault you live in a goddamn hospital.
Affinity 12: (between 11am and 4pm)
"I will soon be finished with today's lessons— then I shall return to the lab to confirm the status of my latest test subject."
this is between 11 and 4pm, so you're basically just hearing him talk about his plans for after school lmao just normal student things!!!
Affinity 13: (between 4pm and 8pm)
"Why yes, I attended every lesson today, as always.
All studies are linked, after all. Though it takes a mind such as mine to recognize that."
I DON'T THINK IT'S THAT HARD TO SEE THE LINK BETWEEN MEDICINE AND EVERYTHING. . .UNLESS YOU JUST DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT ILLNESSES OR MEDICINE. . . .
Affinity 14: (between 5am and 11am)
"What is that slovenly visage, worm? Tell me, do you have an excuse for looking more emaciated than me when I spent all night researching? I didn't think so!"
would you like my laundry list of reasons i look tired yuri because i can get it
Affinity 15: (between 5am and 11am)
"I must personally administer Jiro's shots three times a day. The treatment is rather unique, you see."
'you see i use my peni--'
Affinity 16: (between 11am and 4pm)
"You have business with Jiro? Not before bringing it to me, you don't. He is merely my assistant—as house captain, it is I who possesses the authority."
no talking to his son assistant without going through him first! sorry anon who asked for an appointment with jiro yuri has to approve it
Affinity 17: (between 10pm and midnight)
"I'm busy with my experiments. Go back to your dorm and ready yourself for your next appointment. Jiro, see her home."
i feel like he doesn't want you to see what he does to his other test subjects. . .not because they die or anything, they always live, it's just a little gruesome to see. He's not as rough with you. And he needs to make sure you keep coming back. And he needs to make sure you get home safe, so he's sending Jiro with you.
Affinity 18: (between 8pm and 5am)
"Even harmful anomalies can have use as medicinal ingredients...
This is the sort of immeasurable value my work provides."
isn't that common knowledge in the medical world though. . .i mean obviously getting the right balance is crucial but that's not an entirely new concept, 'let's use the harmful thing for something good'--
Affinity 19: (between 10pm and midnight)
"Don't forget that body of yours is a vital specimen! Is it not common knowledge that lack of sleep is the root of all illness!?"
DON'T YOU AND JIRO REGULARLY PULL ALL NIGHTERS IF NOT FOR DAYS AT A TIME?????? maybe yuri is just immune to illness. . . .
Affinity 20: (between 5am and 11am)
"Good morning, M...
M... M... My, what an adequate morning it is, no!?
Hmph... Don't confuse me like that..."
IF YOU DIDN'T CHOOSE YURI IN THE PRE-PROLOGUE IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW. . .when Yuri jumps he says "goodbye, mama."
In Japanese it's somewhat more apparent that he's about to call you 'mama' in the voiceline. Maybe it's just my interpretation based on lines 23 and 24, but I think something happened to his mother where he failed to save her with surgery and at higher affinity he begins to project that need to save terminal/cursed patients' lives on you in particular. And he starts to think of you the way he thinks of his mother, but also as his favorite test subject. That or it's a loop/timeline thing and you're actually his mother--do you guys think he'd be able to be convinced into mommy kink shit he clearly has mommy issues it might help
Affinity 21: (between 11am and 4pm)
"Mark my words, I'll have those pompous, preening parasites at Frostheim kneeling before me..."
man they do not like frostheim here in mortkranken. the fact that this is so high up is like. . .i wonder if there's some serious beef here.
Affinity 22: (between 4pm and 8pm)
"Jiro's gone!?
...So be it, then. I grant you the privilege of being my assistant for the day. Be grateful, worm."
jiro will come back when he needs his medication, it's fine! woohoo! do we get a nurse outfit!?
Affinity 23: (between 8pm and 5am)
"There is no life I can't save... There can't be...
I am Yuri Isami...the genius visionary doctor..."
it sounds like he's downright scared to fail to save a life.
Affinity 24: (between 10pm and midnight)
"My next surgery must be a success...
I... I cannot afford another failure..."
i am once again assuming his mother died on the operating table while he was trying to save or otherwise help her and he's extremely traumatized by it. on the other hand would he say 'goodbye mama' if she weren't still alive? maybe she's alive but she's in a coma or hospice or critical condition or something. and he's studying anomalous medicine to figure out how to save her.
Affinity 25(max): (no time constraints)
"You belong to me. I will never hand you over to another researcher...
(gasp) N-N-N-No, you've misunderstood! I-I just...!"
i'm literally the doctor's favorite lab rat because i am so obedient and intelligent and-- he blushes in the second line--he meant it as a test subject/lab rat or assistant thing but he also accidentally said how he really felt at the same time. . . . But you're his, he will be the one to save you, when he stands atop the world as world renowned genius anomalous medical doctor yuri isami you will stand by him as his proudest subject who's helped him confirm many theories and save many others' lives and he will work so hard to keep you well you are his and he doesn't want anyone else to learn what he can learn from you--
Spring: (March-May)
(between 5am and 11am)
"Struggling with pollen allergies? I have a new formula here developed in Mortkranken, shall I test it on you?"
(between 11am and 4pm)
"Hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm! Hmm hmm hmm! Hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm! Pa rum!"
so i don't know enough classical music to be able to tell what the songs he hums are, but if anyone wants to give it a shot i can try uploading the audios of him lol just lmk
(between 4pm and 8pm)
"Which house's ghouls are out in the field at present?
Oh my, I do hope they come back with some exciting injuries."
i wonder who his favorites to fix up are. . .on the one hand, he hates frostheim. so he might wanna be rougher with them or subject them to more unique experiments and make them admit his intelligence and skill. on the other hand obscuary must be the most interesting ones to work on since they're so unique?
(between 8pm and 5am)
"When did the cherry blossoms bloom...? The changing of the seasons seems rather superfluous when I am engaged in my research."
Summer: (June-August)
(between 5am and 11am)
"Jiro, make a record of today's temperature. We need to take the changing climate into for illnesses particular to summer."
(between 11am and 4pm)
"Darkwick will provide me the materials I need for my research, provided they fall within our budget...
But that is simply insufficient."
have you tried selling organs? taiga says it's very lucative. surely you have some lying around?
(between 4pm and 8pm)
"Hmm...hmm...hmm...hmm...
hmm hmm hmm hmm, Pa pa pa pa pa pa rum!"
(between 8pm and 5am)
"Why do you look so distressed? If the heat is proving too much for you, I can prescribe you something to lower your body temperature."
Autumn: (September-November)
(between 5am and 11am)
"Why must a peerless genius such as myself be saddled with performing piddling health checks for the new students!? It's asinine!"
aren't you the only legitimate doctor in this place by your own admission!?
(between 11am and 4pm)
"A trip to admire the fall foliage? Why yes, I am interested. After all, I'm sure Jabberwock's mountains possess all sorts of undiscovered ingredients. Let's get going."
just make sure you ask towa before taking anything. . .he might not appreciate you messing with his plants. . . .
(between 4pm and 8pm)
"Sports...?
Hmph, such nonsense is entirely superfluous to my life. Why needlessly expend energy in such a manner?"
(between 8pm and 5am)
"Hmm hmm, hmm hmm, hmm hmm, hmm,
hmm hmm hmm hmm hmmmm!"
Winter: (December-February)
(between 5am and 11am)
"Freude! Schöner! Götter! Funke! Tochter aus Elyyyyyyysium!"
HE IS SINGING ODE TO JOY IN THE ORIGINAL GERMAN.
(between 11am and 4pm)
"Eureka! A new formula utilizing an anomalous plant that only grows in subzero temperatures has been discovered,
by...! Jiro..."
c'mon yuri be proud of your vice captain!
(between 4pm and 8pm)
"Our research budget for the new year is nearly spent...
Come, Jiro! We're going to negotiate with the faculty!"
(between 8pm and 5am)
"I despise the snow. It brings nothing but revolting memories...
There, we're done with today's checkup. Any other questions?"
. . .what happened between Yuri and Jin. I NEED TO KNOW.
His birthday: (September 14th)
"You...remembered my birthday!?
Ahem... If you wish to give me a present, make it either a talented assistant or a useful test subject."
people don't remember his birthday much i assume. . .or they tend to stay away from him so much he just doesn't get much attention or appreciation.
Your birthday:
"I am here to celebrate your birthday. Do you feel honored?
I've prepared a new formula for you. Let's continue this in the lab, shall we?"
your birthday present is being part of more experiments! aren't you honored???
New Years: (January 1st)
"Happy New Year. I am on my way to make my first shrine visit. You didn't think me the type?
I-It's just a tradition!"
Valentine's Day: (February 14th)
"Hmm, my blood sugar was just starting to drop. I suppose you do have it in you to be considerate every now and then...
Pardon? Valentine's Day?
...(gasp)"
oh he has never gotten valentine's day chocolates before has he. or at least not recently.
White Day: (March 13th)
"I suppose I can concede you have proven yourself useful in the lab, worm.
...This is a token of my gratitude."
he didn't blush when he got the gift but he did blush giving you one so. . .i'm taking it this isn't obligation chocolate.
April Fool's Day: (April 1st)
"Hmph, did you honestly think you could fool me? I won't fall for your cheap tricks. I've already been fooled by Jiro seven times today!"
comically jiro's says he doesn't remember pulling any tricks on yuri at all. . .so yuri may be assuming anything he dislikes or is inconvenienced by is a trick lol
Halloween: (October 31st)
"Trick or treat! I have coordinated the ultimate matching costumes for Jiro and I... Yes, perfect."
the fact that he wanted to match costumes with jiro is so cute. . .like he really has this goofy side that doesn't come out much, but it seems like he enjoys celebrations and relaxed things, he's just too busy to engage in them. he likes isekai manga and holiday traditions and costumes. . .then again there's coordination and order involved in a matching halloween costume. so maybe he just likes the order and structure of it all.
Christmas: (December 25th)
"Merry Christmas. You can hand me my present at your earliest convenience.
You did prepare one for me, didn't you!?"
he's surprised you remembered his birthday and valentine's day but he expects a christmas gift???
Idle: (about 20 seconds without interacting with the game)
(below 13 affinity)
"I am a very busy man, so if you don't require examination, then we're done here."
(13 affinity and above)
"Hmph. You really think yourself important enough to make a genius like myself wait around!?"
Absent: (logging in for the first time in 2 or more days?)
"Where on earth have you been, worm!? Next time you plan on taking an extended leave of absence, I expect you to inform me in advance!"
THERE WE GO. after yesterday where tumblr decided to freak out on me and just fuckin delete it all i'm glad it's out of the way today lol. I REALLY LOVE YURI HE REALLY FEELS SO. . .PATHETIC. he's the self-reinforcing type who really feels the need to hype up his own greatness and reinforce his authority while, as you get closer to him, letting you see how vulnerable he is and how scared he is of failure. and at first you're a specimen and a lab rat but after getting close enough he shoos you away from his experiments and you can even be his assistant(in jiro's absence) instead. . .his profile makes him sound very in control and aggressive but he doesn't really seem that way in his voicelines i guess? and here and there he's goofy and caring. . .he's kind of a loser(affectionate)!
one of my favorite characters lolol i am so looking forward to the mortkranken chapter because that's going to be so dramatic i bet. . . .
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even if the dlc did make sense in the lore somehow (which it doesn't) it would still suck lmao. like the themes of the cycle of trauma and abuse is so overdone and it's tired. plus it's like 70% dark souls and bloodborne references. and we didn't even really get to meet the titular character. really makes me not want to play the game tbh.
Yeah I agree about the overused cycle of trauma thing somewhat, but y'see I think it could have been done fine if Fromsoft didn't completely flip Miquella's lore on its head:
In the base game Miquella rejected Fundamentalism and the Erdtree because it could do nothing to cure Malenia of her rot and he was appalled by the Erdtree/Marikas treatment of the Misbegotten and other races of the world. He literally created God Fuck Off metal to grant Malenia respite and could also clearly drive away the Frenzied Flame as well as the other Outer Gods with it's potential ... But now Miquella is all about following in his moms footsteps and being a brainwasher who wants to marry his brother???? Huh?????????????
Literally. How does Miquella creating an Age of "Compassion" fix the fact that his sister is infested with an Outer God and his brother is literally unalived cancer and spreading at an alarming rate????
I can somewhat understand the DLC stance where Miquella wishes to purge/atone for all the horrible things that his mother has done, but the problem is that it's conveyed in such a way that makes it quite frankly extremely weak storytelling and boring. Turning Miquella into a a fanatical Martyr really destroys the ideology of Base Game Miquella who did everything in his power to save the ones that he loved, creating a haven for the outcasts of the world, creating Unalloyed Gold to give relief to Malenia, doing all that he could with the Mausoleums and the Eclipse to try a grant Godwyn a true death. The whole "Miquella abandons everything" plot in the DLC in my opinion is EXTREMELY WEAK storytelling and a massive disservice to Miquella's base game character, and ngl, it only furthers my belief that Fromsoft had absolutely no idea how to handle Miquella's character.
Speaking of Miquella's character: Fromsoft did not need to go absolutely full fucking tilt on Miquella's Bewitching Powers to the point that it is his only goddamn personality.
The thing that pisses me off the most about how Miquella's character is handled in the DLC is that everything about him from the Base Game is literally thrown out the fucking window. The Haligtree, the Albinaurics loyalty to Miquella(i hate you gaius oh how i hate you), his character defining bond with Malenia, his relationship with Godwyn EVERYTHING he did to try and grant his beloved brother a true death, THE ECLIPSE!!!!
It just all means fucking nothing in the DLC. Nothing happens with any of the things that made Miquella so goddamn interesting.
Miquella the Unalloyed, the character that I fell in love with doesn't even exist anymore. He's now been replaced with Miquella the Kind, a character who was specifically crafted to give Miyazaki an excuse to shoehorn radahn into the story and to make it so there is a big-bad final DLC boss so that we kill Miquella so he won't have any large impact on the overall outcome of Elden Rings story.
But honestly that's just it though. That's where the problem with the DLC lies; the fact that Fromsoft had doubled down on their idea that their DLCs should be their own thing and isolated from the rest of the main story.
For a game as large and expansive as Elden Ring and for Miquella who in the base game his presence and importance could be felt nearly everywhere, keeping the DLC isolated was a massive MASSIVE mistake, and it only makes the story presented feel disconnected and unimpactful.
Now do I know anything about game design? No. Do I know anything about how hard it is to make games. Nope but I can imagine.
BUT.
I definitely think that Fromsoft and the DLC would have benefited immensely if it were delayed just a bit longer. I would not have minded in the slightest if the DLC was delayed 3 years. 4 years. IDC. The DLC evidently needed much more time to cook and to actually have been made with love and an understanding of its own lore.
And what's even more frustrating is that there are actually SO many ways they could've made the DLC and Miquella have weight on the story while keeping it mostly isolated from the main game; Just like how the Painter in the Ashes of Ariendel was creating a new world as the old one was burning away. Miquella and his Unalloyed Gold could have created a world where the Outer Gods no longer had any influence, just like how Goldmask and even Ainsbach said: "Create a world for men not the Gods."
Except well, that's honestly kind of impossible seeing how the story forces us to kill the one character who had the power to banish the Gods, and going off with Ranni into the Stars leaves the Lands Between vulnerable for the other Outer Gods to swoop in and lay claim to whatever they want, and also Death Root is still very much a problem, still spreading its cancer all over the Lands Between and even beyond time, meanwhile the story forces us to kill the one person who was trying to grant the cancers source a true death......
😒
And yeah
We never get to meet Miquella even though there is a SHITTON of evidence that he was actually helping us in the base game (see the spirit summoning bell, Torrent in general, cut quest/ending involving miq etc)
Just... Absolutely awful writing and sadly... This is what we got. And what an absolute fucking mess it all is 😔
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I think they’ve made Lucy look so stupid. It annoys me so much cause she was my favorite. Isabel, Noah, Nyla have allllll told Lucy UC work destroys your personal life yet Lucy is running around like she’s the exception. She’s not. It drives me nuts.
I'm not sure if you just needed to vent or if you wanted me to answer… But I respectfully disagree. I get not liking this storyline and how frustrating it can be or even how out of character it might seem. That's perfectly fine.
But I personally enjoy watching this journey. While I do believe that in the long term, UC is probably not going to be a good fit for her and the life that she desires, I love watching Lucy finding herself and trying to figure out a way to have the career AND life that she wants.
Let's get back to why Lucy became a cop in the first place.
I joined the Academy on a whim. I knew that my parents would hate it. But I had no idea how much I would love it. Being a cop is the first thing I've ever been serious about. (1.04)
I guess I've been adrift since college, trying on different hats and different personalities, and nothing's felt right, until -- until this. But I don't think the time spent trying to find myself was wasted. You know, everything I've done so far, the profound and the foolish, has prepared me to become a police officer so that I can protect those who need it the most and from those who would do them harm. (3.10)
By her own admission, she spent years trying to find her place, to find a job where she could feel fulfilled… So now that she found it, is it that hard to believe that she would do everything in her power to follow through? I know that she is talking about being a cop in general here and not UC. But at the moment, UC is what she wants to do… and honestly, she owes it to herself to try. Maybe she won't like it. Maybe she'll decide that it is not for her after all. But this is something she has to try for herself and decide for herself. Not because others have previously failed or because others told her to do something else - which is what her parents have been trying to do from the beginning by the way.
Hearing other people's stories are not the same as living that experience yourself. Sometimes you need to learn first hand. There's nothing wrong with that. She may be 30 years old, but she is still at the beginning of her career. She is still finding herself and exploring all avenues. As she should.
"Isabel, Noah, Nyla have allllll told Lucy UC work destroys your personal life"
All true. And yet, she is actively supported by people whose very own lives were destroyed by undercover work. Nyla has been mentoring her from the beginning. The same Nyla who teaches classes on how to learn from past mistakes. Who told Lucy on their first shift together to be better than her.
And what about Tim? He obviously believes that she is different (his words), that this could have a better ending. Otherwise he wouldn't have bothered taking that leap of faith. And more than Lucy herself, he knew exactly what he was getting himself into. Despite his past and own issues, he has been nothing but supportive and encouraging since she graduated. Did he underestimate the toll it would take on him? Probably. Is he hiding his own feelings on the matter? Most definitely. But the fact remains that he still chooses to believe that they can make it work.
It's no coincidence that the two main characters who had their personal lives so negatively impacted by UC work, are also the ones actively encouraging Lucy. I strongly believe that you are not bound by other people's mistakes and failures. Learn from it but don't stop doing something because other people failed. And that's what Lucy is trying to do.
"Yet Lucy is running around like she’s the exception."
Is she, though? So far, ever since s4, she hasn't been in any rush to do undercover work. The only times she was pushing for a UC op, was when she volunteered Tim as a hitman and as Jake. Which is hilarious when you think about it. Since we mentioned Noah, here's what he said on the topic : she could have done more missions. Now, granted, unlike him, she is still a P2 so that might hinder her. It's entirely possible that she didn't get more opportunities. But when she got one, like in 5.07, she was still being cautious at first. And in 5.21, she didn't hesitate to call off the operation at the end.
Not only that, but every time she meets someone who has done UC, she jumps on the occasion to ask them for their advices, for their different perspectives. And every time, those advices ended up with a 'maybe it can be different for you'. She is actually trying to learn from others so she can avoid making the same errors. That's not the act of someone who thinks she is better than everyone. Or who thinks she knows better. If anything, she seems to be taking her time : this has been her arc since s3. Even when she got accepted to the UC Academy, she went to see Nyla for advices. Sure, she was looking for some sort of absolution, but it's still telling that she went to her first.
"She’s not."
How do we know she won't be the exception? Why do we immediately assume that she can't succeed when the premise of the show is about a 40+ years old man who decided to become a cop and succeeded? Everyone was telling Nolan he was stupid and naive too. And yet, here we are. So why Lucy couldn't be the exception as well? To show that there may be a way? In the end, it's a story. The writers can choose the ending they want.
Do I believe she would love the full undercover lifestyle? No. Not for long missions. I can't see her enjoying leaving her life and the people she loves behind… leaving herself behind. Not for a year. And not without taking its toll on her. But that doesn't mean I find her stupid for wanting to try out anyway. That's just my opinion though.
Also, a career in undercover ops doesn't automatically mean going under. She could be a case officer. She could train new agents. She could do short(ish) missions. All of this could be a really good alternative for her.
Side note : I didn't touch on the logistics of long term undercover work on the show (or her being outed on a documentary) because, at the end of the day, no matter how complicated it could be, if the writers want her to do UC, they'll find a way. I just wanted to focus on Lucy's journey.
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