Thoughts about Masculinity and U.N.C.L.E
Just a few thoughts I wanted to toss out there, nods to the cousins that had lj entries to this, but in threads too old to add to.
Illya in many ways is the more traditionally masculine, in that he's more likely to directly blow up the problem. Napoleon is frequently charming the Affairs to their successful conclusions.* However, Napoleon reads as the more masculine because Illya so indiscreetly leaves evidence of his mind lying around, and Illya is shorter and blond. Napoleon has this coy way of bubbleheading manfully and then laserlocking on insightful generalship.
Mr. Waverly often seems like he wants to call him on it, except that it works.** And Mr. Waverly plays a version of the gambit (avuncular, sentimental grandmother...) and he forgives his trespasses in others.
Illya also has a different view of women, that's part decorum (slapping Napoleon to turn while the girl of the week removes her stockings), part distrust (Angelique) and unabashed in not cutting them any slack.
Of course, the bit with Illya at the home of the woman approached by the Nazi art ring plays rather contrary to fanon. It just shows initiative on her part, since she happens to have an agent on her couch, she might as well enjoy her superior stereo. One could imagine some highbrow chatting setting it up.
I wonder how much the fond Illya crushes were the result of him being a different sort of presentation, and yet manly and geeky?
*However, there is an ep where it's Napoleon up on the tower planting the bomb. Either Illya was better to cover him than the other way around, or was it which stuntman they could get?
**Of course, when it blows up, like with the humidor caper, Mr. Waverly gets to further train Mr. Solo.
Illya in many ways is the more traditionally masculine, in that he's more likely to directly blow up the problem. Napoleon is frequently charming the Affairs to their successful conclusions.* However, Napoleon reads as the more masculine because Illya so indiscreetly leaves evidence of his mind lying around, and Illya is shorter and blond. Napoleon has this coy way of bubbleheading manfully and then laserlocking on insightful generalship.
Mr. Waverly often seems like he wants to call him on it, except that it works.** And Mr. Waverly plays a version of the gambit (avuncular, sentimental grandmother...) and he forgives his trespasses in others.
Illya also has a different view of women, that's part decorum (slapping Napoleon to turn while the girl of the week removes her stockings), part distrust (Angelique) and unabashed in not cutting them any slack.
Of course, the bit with Illya at the home of the woman approached by the Nazi art ring plays rather contrary to fanon. It just shows initiative on her part, since she happens to have an agent on her couch, she might as well enjoy her superior stereo. One could imagine some highbrow chatting setting it up.
I wonder how much the fond Illya crushes were the result of him being a different sort of presentation, and yet manly and geeky?
*However, there is an ep where it's Napoleon up on the tower planting the bomb. Either Illya was better to cover him than the other way around, or was it which stuntman they could get?
**Of course, when it blows up, like with the humidor caper, Mr. Waverly gets to further train Mr. Solo.