things are bad all around
Jan. 8th, 2020 12:50 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kindkitVery quick TMA thoughts through episode 126, because it is late and I've listened to about a million episodes today and I really need to go to bed, but I have to say this:
PETER LUCAS YOU BASTARD YOU LEAVE MARTIN ALONE!!!
I went into S4 not having listened to the trailer, because I always skip trailers, so I had no idea what was going on until 126 when we finally get Lucas talking to Martin. And at that point I sawrydra_wong's comment advising me to listen to the trailer, so I did. I think it was actually more satisfying, emotionally, to hear it at that point. Oh, Martin, my poor woobie trying to be a hero. Of course Lucas got to you by saying that becoming an avatar of the Lonely would (somehow) ensure everyone else's safety, especially Jon's.
I admit to feeling a certain satisfaction at Jon's reactions to Martin's behavior, which went like this:
JON: Hi I'm awake. Why's Martin not here?
JON (a little later): Has anyone seen Martin?
JON (later still): I really wish I could talk with Martin . . . and the others, of course.
JON (eventually): Martin! Oh it's so good to see you let's talk how are you um why are you walking away???
I spent a lot of time in these episodes going, "Oh, yeah, NOW you appreciate him, NOW you want his company."
Also mentally yelling to all the characters: "Get Elias back! GET ELIAS BACK NOW! YOU STUPID, STUPID PEOPLE, GO JAILBREAK THE SLIGHTLY LESS MONSTROUS MONSTER SO HE CAN PULL ALL OF PETER LUCAS'S LIMBS OFF ONE BY ONE."
I greatly appreciate the shift in how the show is treating Martin's love for Jon. (Notice I do not call it a crush. Crushes are fun and silly and make you slightly giddy with happiness whenever you're around the person you have a crush on, even if it's not reciprocated. What Martin feels has never made him happy, not for a moment. And that level of transformative misery deserves to be called love.) It's not being played for comedy anymore, not even slightly. It's moved into tragic register, which makes me a lot more comfortable with its being probably unrequited. It has, Elias's last season threats to the contrary, given Martin dignity. It has also made him do something AMAZINGLY foolish and mistaken, but it's not pathetic anymore. A love that you're willing to sacrifice everything for, to sacrifice even love itself, cannot be laughable.
In conclusion: GET ELIAS BACK SO HE CAN BE A MAGIC PSYCHOPATH AGAIN AND SAVE MARTIN.
PETER LUCAS YOU BASTARD YOU LEAVE MARTIN ALONE!!!
I went into S4 not having listened to the trailer, because I always skip trailers, so I had no idea what was going on until 126 when we finally get Lucas talking to Martin. And at that point I saw
rydra_wong's comment advising me to listen to the trailer, so I did. I think it was actually more satisfying, emotionally, to hear it at that point. Oh, Martin, my poor woobie trying to be a hero. Of course Lucas got to you by saying that becoming an avatar of the Lonely would (somehow) ensure everyone else's safety, especially Jon's. I admit to feeling a certain satisfaction at Jon's reactions to Martin's behavior, which went like this:
JON: Hi I'm awake. Why's Martin not here?
JON (a little later): Has anyone seen Martin?
JON (later still): I really wish I could talk with Martin . . . and the others, of course.
JON (eventually): Martin! Oh it's so good to see you let's talk how are you um why are you walking away???
I spent a lot of time in these episodes going, "Oh, yeah, NOW you appreciate him, NOW you want his company."
Also mentally yelling to all the characters: "Get Elias back! GET ELIAS BACK NOW! YOU STUPID, STUPID PEOPLE, GO JAILBREAK THE SLIGHTLY LESS MONSTROUS MONSTER SO HE CAN PULL ALL OF PETER LUCAS'S LIMBS OFF ONE BY ONE."
I greatly appreciate the shift in how the show is treating Martin's love for Jon. (Notice I do not call it a crush. Crushes are fun and silly and make you slightly giddy with happiness whenever you're around the person you have a crush on, even if it's not reciprocated. What Martin feels has never made him happy, not for a moment. And that level of transformative misery deserves to be called love.) It's not being played for comedy anymore, not even slightly. It's moved into tragic register, which makes me a lot more comfortable with its being probably unrequited. It has, Elias's last season threats to the contrary, given Martin dignity. It has also made him do something AMAZINGLY foolish and mistaken, but it's not pathetic anymore. A love that you're willing to sacrifice everything for, to sacrifice even love itself, cannot be laughable.
In conclusion: GET ELIAS BACK SO HE CAN BE A MAGIC PSYCHOPATH AGAIN AND SAVE MARTIN.
no subject
Date: 2020-01-08 09:30 am (UTC)(I'm finally getting in to season 4 & am just a few episodes ahead of you -- very worried about Martin and Melanie and everyone really)
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Date: 2020-01-08 06:26 pm (UTC)https://worstwizard.tumblr.com/post/181814446993
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Date: 2020-01-09 12:45 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-01-08 09:40 am (UTC)I could see why you were worried about the potential narrative in which Martin is the Hapless Comic/Pathetic Sidekick With A Ridiculous Crush, it's a legitimate thing to fear -- and SO not the story they are telling.
At this point, it's Martin's choices and agency driving the overall plot as much as (if not more than) Jon's, and he's being a hero even if you think he's making a terrible mistake.
I spent a lot of time in these episodes going, "Oh, yeah, NOW you appreciate him, NOW you want his company.
How the turn tables, indeed.
no subject
Date: 2020-01-09 12:49 am (UTC)I am still kind of troubled that this is a story about unrequited gay love, but . . . yeah, Martin's not being laughed at or othered by the narrative, and that makes a difference. (Also, given what's going on, if Jon actually started reciprocating Martin's feelings it might break me more.)
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Date: 2020-01-09 07:39 am (UTC)WELCOME TO THE S4 LISTENING EXPERIENCE. *sobs*
"What happened, Martin?"
"You died."