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OFMD S02E06-07
Oct. 19th, 2023 09:35 pmSpoilery reactions are
I wish someone had whispered in David Jennings' ear that a little fanservice is welcome, but there's such a thing as too much.
I've been jokingly telling myself since about episode 5 that this is all a hallucination Ed is having in his coma. I don't believe that's true, but I'm starting to wish it were. The show is choosing what's fun--like a big queer party with Izzy in sort-of drag performing Edith Piaf*, and Stede suddenly becoming a (somewhat) fabulous pirate, and Stede yanking Ed into the room and kissing him and finally taking him to bed--over what's true for these characters, and I don't like it. (*I would have loved the party scene in the proper context, like if it had been built up to over this whole season.)
I don't like that we get the funny torture, or that we get it at such length. I don't like how the show is pushing Ed and Stede from one emotional crisis to the next instead of letting their relationship develop. I don't like that, because the fans love Izzy, now we're getting yenta!Izzy congratulating Ed and Stede, with apparently sincerity, on their first night together. I don't like the weird retcon of Jim and Oluwande's relationship, where without even a conversation they're siblings instead of lovers. (It's not the end of their romance I mind; I hate how it's been handled.)
How on earth did we get from the dark, hard, truthful storytelling of the first three episodes to this nonsensical meringue, all air and sweetness? (And, okay, some torture and explosions.) I don't mean that truthful storytelling has to be dark, but the lightness and silliness have to make sense for the characters and the story. Consistency of characterization and tone can't just be thrown under the bus for the sake of an awesome party scene. The pacing has to be right, too. In the episodes since Ed came back from the dead, everything has felt rushed. Too many big events and big emotional turnarounds in too little space, with no room to breathe or think. (I could believe it as the emotional frenzy of people desperately trying to convince themselves they're happy, but I don't think that's how the show is presenting it.)
In S01, there was a pretty clear throughline about what it means to be a man, and how men can try and sometimes fail to unlearn toxic shit. That's been dropped (prematurely imo) in S02, and I couldn't tell you what story this season is trying to tell. There've been some transcendent moments, but as a whole it's an incoherent mess.
I really hope OFMD can pull itself back together in the final three episodes of this series. But, as I said at the beginning, at this point I might even welcome "It was all a dream!"
under the spoiler cut, with an additional warning for possible harshing of squee
.I wish someone had whispered in David Jennings' ear that a little fanservice is welcome, but there's such a thing as too much.
I've been jokingly telling myself since about episode 5 that this is all a hallucination Ed is having in his coma. I don't believe that's true, but I'm starting to wish it were. The show is choosing what's fun--like a big queer party with Izzy in sort-of drag performing Edith Piaf*, and Stede suddenly becoming a (somewhat) fabulous pirate, and Stede yanking Ed into the room and kissing him and finally taking him to bed--over what's true for these characters, and I don't like it. (*I would have loved the party scene in the proper context, like if it had been built up to over this whole season.)
I don't like that we get the funny torture, or that we get it at such length. I don't like how the show is pushing Ed and Stede from one emotional crisis to the next instead of letting their relationship develop. I don't like that, because the fans love Izzy, now we're getting yenta!Izzy congratulating Ed and Stede, with apparently sincerity, on their first night together. I don't like the weird retcon of Jim and Oluwande's relationship, where without even a conversation they're siblings instead of lovers. (It's not the end of their romance I mind; I hate how it's been handled.)
How on earth did we get from the dark, hard, truthful storytelling of the first three episodes to this nonsensical meringue, all air and sweetness? (And, okay, some torture and explosions.) I don't mean that truthful storytelling has to be dark, but the lightness and silliness have to make sense for the characters and the story. Consistency of characterization and tone can't just be thrown under the bus for the sake of an awesome party scene. The pacing has to be right, too. In the episodes since Ed came back from the dead, everything has felt rushed. Too many big events and big emotional turnarounds in too little space, with no room to breathe or think. (I could believe it as the emotional frenzy of people desperately trying to convince themselves they're happy, but I don't think that's how the show is presenting it.)
In S01, there was a pretty clear throughline about what it means to be a man, and how men can try and sometimes fail to unlearn toxic shit. That's been dropped (prematurely imo) in S02, and I couldn't tell you what story this season is trying to tell. There've been some transcendent moments, but as a whole it's an incoherent mess.
I really hope OFMD can pull itself back together in the final three episodes of this series. But, as I said at the beginning, at this point I might even welcome "It was all a dream!"
