Episode Notes: Sentinel "Spare Parts"

[sara_merry99]

That squeaking sound you hear, as I'm getting prepared for watching here, is me flossing all of my preconceptions about Naomi right out of my head. I'm trying to go into this episode without *anything* cluttering up my reading of her here. So ::squeeksqueek::, I'm forgetting everything that comes up in later episodes, fanfic, etc

Comments

[mab_browne]

I'm terribly conflicted about Naomi, but you can see where Blair gets the ability to bulldoze, obfuscate and laugh in the face of danger. *g* It seems to me that they have quite a few traits in common. To be honest, I find the face-off in Simon's office far more unforgivable than the events that precipitate everything in TSbBS. But I guess we have to take Naomi partly at Blair's assessment, and clearly he adores her, even if I doubt that he's blind to her faults

[starwatcher307]

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you can see where Blair gets the ability to bulldoze, obfuscate and laugh in the face of danger. *g* It seems to me that they have quite a few traits in common.

Yep. Seeing Naomi explains a lot about Blair.
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[sara_merry99]

I'm terribly conflicted about Naomi, but you can see where Blair gets the ability to bulldoze, obfuscate and laugh in the face of danger. *g*

This is true, he's clearly been quite shaped by his mum. As are most poeple.

The face-off in Simon's office is...awful--but gillyp makes some interesting points about what she's gone through between seeing her son drive off with a woman with a gun.

But I guess we have to take Naomi partly at Blair's assessment, and clearly he adores her, even if I doubt that he's blind to her faults.

I imagine that seeing her every six months or so for just a couple of days takes a lot of the pain out of her flight and dip-shitty ways. He adores her--yeah, certainly he's all beaming smiles and hugs when she shows up, but he's not at all sad when she's about to leave either.

Naomi is clearly a lily of the field, and I've often played with the idea that there must be a trust fund or something similar in her background.I'm kind of liking the "no visible means of support", living on the largesse of her lovers idea

[mab_browne]

Somebody, I can't remember who, unfortunately, put forward a convincing case for Naomi being bi-polar.

[sallymn]

I find Naomi a great character, but an appalling human being, both self-absorbed and solipsistic to an amazing degree. Yes, Blair loves her - she's his mother, and he does have an huge capacity for affection - and she loves him as far as she's able (which isn't that far, given her canonical behaviour every time we see her) but I firmly believe that - like me with some of my relatives - he loves her much more and much more easily at a distance :) And that there were other relatives (maybe the uncle with the trucking firm) who gave him what Naomi couldn't.

And no, there's no way she's ever struggled for a crust or a dollar (which would indicate that as a child Blair didn't either, of course).

But of course, this is just my opinion and I could be wrong...

[starwatcher307]

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I find Naomi a great character, but an appalling human being, both self-absorbed and solipsistic to an amazing degree.

Exactly; she's open-minded in the abstract, but incredibly dictatorial when it affects her personally. What bugs me is, she doen't see the dichotomy there, is absolutely clueless (or acts like she is) that she's riding roughshod over everyone else.

And no, there's no way she's ever struggled for a crust or a dollar (which would indicate that as a child Blair didn't either, of course).

I don't know. Someone once suggested that maybe she's not attending all those retreats; maybe she's teaching a number of them. And every man she hooks up with probably foots the bill... I think she could be this blythe, and still be cash-poor.

Hmmm... but it is fun to think that Blair has some kind of trust fund behind him. There's a fic there, somewhere; Blair steps in with a big donation to help someone. Anonymously, but Jim or MC find out... Okay, that's going in my ideas file. Maybe you'll read it in a few years.
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[sara_merry99]

What bugs me is, she doen't see the dichotomy there, is absolutely clueless (or acts like she is) that she's riding roughshod over everyone else.

Well, yes, because she knows what's best not just for herself but for *everyone* and, indeed, the entire planet. That level of certainty is not entirely *sane* in my opinion, and I'm brewing a notion as I respond to people that perhaps it's an open secret that Naomi does actually have some mental condition. Which is why Blair goes along with her nonsensical blither about the harmonic convergence (nonsensical even if you believe that stuff) and having a personal best at meditation (quoi???).

I don't know. Someone once suggested that maybe she's not attending all those retreats; maybe she's teaching a number of them. And every man she hooks up with probably foots the bill... I think she could be this blythe, and still be cash-poor.It's possible...but I don't actually know that I'd consider what she does to get all those men to support her "work". Though I suppose if you're doing it for a

[sassyinkpen]

I don't know. Someone once suggested that maybe she's not attending all those retreats; maybe she's teaching a number of them. And every man she hooks up with probably foots the bill... I think she could be this blythe, and still be cash-poor.

I always liked that idea, and the feeling I get from her is that she's had to struggle from time to time in her past, which is part of why she acts the way we see her now, and part of why she is/was so free and easy with men - for survivial. Because it's better to sleep around and charm a few hapless men then it is to starve or get arrested or whatever the case may be. I also think Blair was born of this phase and that's why she won't/can't tell him who his father is (though I think she has a pretty good idea, and could at least narrow it down to a couple...which she might have told Blair, so there seems to me to be some compelling reason not to)

[mostcrazylady]

After watching Naomi in the 3 episodes where she appears, I can understand all the Evil Naomi fanfics out there. I get the impression that Blair goes months without seeing her, then she breezes into his life, stays just long enough to disrupt everything, then goes merrily on her way leaving Blair to clean up after her.

Blair probably goes along with her because he knows that she will do whatever she wants no matter what he says. He knows that she's only going to be there for a couple of days and arguing is just not worth the hassle.

My guess is that Blair knows his mother's history with men and he doesn't want Jim to get hurt by her.

[starwatcher307]

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Blair probably goes along with her because he knows that she will do whatever she wants no matter what he says. He knows that she's only going to be there for a couple of days and arguing is just not worth the hassle.

Yep. So Blair is free to do whatever he wants, no matter what she says.

I get the impression that Blair goes months without seeing her, then she breezes into his life, stays just long enough to disrupt everything, then goes merrily on her way leaving Blair to clean up after her.

It may help explain Blair's flexibilibility; he probably learned to roll with the punches very early.
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[sara_merry99]

It may help explain Blair's flexibilibility; he probably learned to roll with the punches very early.

I was just thinking that same thing. And it's probably why he found a nice for himself in anthropology--because he's good at rolling with the punches and fitting into the expectations around him.

[sara_merry99]

I get the impression that Blair goes months without seeing her, then she breezes into his life, stays just long enough to disrupt everything, then goes merrily on her way leaving Blair to clean up after her.

Yeah, that does seem to be pretty much the pattern. Though in this case she does actually help more than she hurts so she doesn't leave much of a mess for Blair to clean up. Go her!

Blair probably goes along with her because he knows that she will do whatever she wants no matter what he says. He knows that she's only going to be there for a couple of days and arguing is just not worth the hassle.

That's probably true. I can definitely see that. Just roll with tide until the tide rolls out again. Actually we see that in a great deal of Blair's personality. :)

My guess is that Blair knows his mother's history with men and he doesn't want Jim to get hurt by her.

Well and he wants Jim for himself. :) But yeah, I think so. I don't think he's worried about Jim hurting his mum, but Naomi definitely could hurt Jim.

[chriselora55]

Lovely screencaps. I do like the barechest Jim ones.*G* (Like you, I'd forgotten those scenes.)

I must admit I'm not particularly fond of the Naomi character. She tends to grate on my nerves. For all her 'Peace and love and letting things go', she ploughs on with her own way regardless.

Blair loves her (absence makes the heart grow fonder.)and has developed his own method(s) of coping when she's around. (and when she's not, which would seem to be a lot of the time.)

Poor Blair, Jim and Naomi yanking his chain when he finds them up in Jim's bed.

An ok episode in parts.

Thank you for sharing.

[starwatcher307]

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She tends to grate on my nerves. For all her 'Peace and love and letting things go', she ploughs on with her own way regardless.

That's what always bugs me; she talks a good game, but doesn't necessarily practice what she preaches. "You have the right to live your own life -- as long as it meets with my approval." (My mother has a similar attitude.) As you say, Blair's learned to cope (as have I). He just does what he wants; she'll natter, then they'll kiss and make up, and she'll be gone. No problem!
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[sara_merry99]

That's what always bugs me; she talks a good game, but doesn't necessarily practice what she preaches. "You have the right to live your own life -- as long as it meets with my approval."

Yeah, my mom does this a bit too. And I find it *spectacularly* annoying. Though I have to say my mom might clean when she comes to visit, but she'd never rearrange the furniture. (Though she would explain to me ad nauseam and at length about why her furniture layout is superior to mine.)

He just does what he wants; she'll natter, then they'll kiss and make up, and she'll be gone.

Yeah, I guess. I still find it annoying. And I'm really buffaloed by Jim's reaction to all of it. He's way *too* calm.

[sara_merry99]

I must admit I'm not particularly fond of the Naomi character. She tends to grate on my nerves. For all her 'Peace and love and letting things go', she ploughs on with her own way regardless.

Yeah, she's very bull-headed in an extremely annoying way. Because for all her "I hear you"'s, it's not that she recognizes alternate opinions, considers them and disagrees. She just doesn't even *get* that maybe her dippie-hippie ways aren't for everyone.

Blair loves her (absence makes the heart grow fonder.)and has developed his own method(s) of coping when she's around. (and when she's not, which would seem to be a lot of the time.)

I imagine that Blair had to be very grown up from a very young age to counterbalance that his mother's such a dingbat. I bet he was the one keeping track of day to day details like when he needed to be at school, doctors appointments (when they had insurance or someone who would pay for their medical care), etc.

An ok episode in parts.Yeah, pretty much. It raises a lot of interesting questions, answers a few

[gillyp]

People always raise the scene in Simon’s office as an example of Naomi's EeeeVil, but I find it totally understandable

[starwatcher307]

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at the GMOH, Garett said they would just bang out a 'clever Mom / dippy Mom' scene, depending on whether they needed her to be Hillariously funny Idiot Mom (roll) or Exposition Mom and never really bothered to develop the character or the Sandburg's back-story.

Oh, now that's very interesting; thanks for telling us. But still, the fun of discussions and fanfic is to try to weave all those inconsistencies together. And people are inconsistent; the same person can react differently in similar circumstances, depending upon other factors of which we're not aware.

But I've always felt there was something *deeply* sinister in the father thing - something I'm currently developing in a fic.

Ooh, sounds like fun.
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[sara_merry99]

And people are inconsistent; the same person can react differently in similar circumstances, depending upon other factors of which we're not aware.

This is an excellent point to keep in mind in all of these character discussions. Though reconciling the inconsistencies is, as you say, the fun. :)

Response--part 1

[sara_merry99]

Please bear in mind that I'd already gotten a pretty firm notion of Naomi as the sort of person who puts bumper stickers on other people's cars before we even got her to Simon's office.

People always raise the scene in Simon’s office as an example of Naomi's EeeeVil, but I find it totally understandable.

I don't find her evil. I find her unspeakably annoying. I find her overbearing and pushy in a floaty sort of way. I find her self-righteous and arrogant.

She's just one of those people who's *positive* she knows the right way for everyone to live and disagreeing with her about this is only, in her mind, proof that you don't know what's going on and need her to step in and make things right. I expect that if she had a magic wand, *everyone* would be living in communes, meditating, burning sage and attending spiritual retreats. The ones who protested would get signed up for extra meditation time because obviously they need to get more in touch with their inner peace.

This is not in real time; we don’t know how long Naomi has been