Episode Notes: Sentinel "Spare Parts"
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
( Read more... )
This is not in real time; we don’t know how long Naomi has been waiting at the PD, but it’s probably several hours. Naomi sees her adored child taken away at gunpoint. She calls the police, probably gets shunted from pillar to post until she fetches up in Simon’s office. In the meantime, she’s hard no news about Blair, who, for all she knows, could be lying dead in a ditch - She’s found out he’s running around doing all manner of highly dangerous stuff for an organisation - the police - she mistrusts, and all the time, waiting, waiting, waiting… Then Blair breezes in, probably with a big grin, as if nothing happened - and she flips. It’s a release of anxiety, nothing more - kind of like Jim when he’s upset or pressured.
I’ve heard Blair described as abashed, ashamed, embarrassed int his bit; I don’t see that at all. I see a man who knows his mother is hurt and angry and is trying to make her understand - that’s why he turns to Simon for support, from an independent, third party. He never, at any time, seems put down or cowed by her, just unhappy.
You also have to put yourself in Naomi’s counter-culture, original-hippie shoes. If Mom really was a protester, back in the sixties, it’s very likely she’s been arrested, probably beaten and generally ill treated by the police, so to see Blair working there could be seen as A Very Big Deal to her. OK, I admit, her reaction might not be the perfect way for a mother to behave in front of her adult son and his friends, but I think it’s totally understandable and very *human*, and actually, a nice bit of writing and acting from all concerned.
Clearly they talk it out and come to an understanding, because the next time we see them together, they’re laughing and joking. And by the end of the ep, she’s saying she’s proud of him - so she’s obviously come to terms with her son working with the ‘pigs’.
Just the way I see it.
TBH, Naomi's such an inconsistent character - 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.
But I've always felt there was something *deeply* sinister in the father thing - something I'm currently developing in a fic. (o:
Nice caps, btw. Pretty, pretty - makes all plot holes and writery transgressions forgiveable.
Reply
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.
.
Reply
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. :)
Reply
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 waiting at the PD, but it’s probably several hours.
You're absolutely right that we're not working in real time. But I disagree about several hours. Jim and Blair had one thing to do--make contact with Francine and Gary, that was it. They did so. After dropping DeLucca wherever he needed to wind up (since he was in the truck with them afterwards he clearly needed a ride), they probably went straight to the station. It might have been an hour or an hour and a half, maybe, but I doubt it's been much more than that. What would they have been doing with themselves?
Naomi sees her adored child taken away at gunpoint.
Yeah, and I get that that would be really upsetting. However, she also knows that Jim is a *cop* so there must be more going on than she's imagining that he's not making efforts to stop it. So if she stopped to think for even a minute it might have floated across her mind that there's more going on here than she realizes.
(And it might also have occurred to her that *she wasn't supposed to be there*!!!)
Then Blair breezes in, probably with a big grin, as if nothing happened - and she flips.
Actually no, Blair walks in, unharmed, in a serious discussion about the case with Simon and Jim. He's not breezy and no one is making like nothing happened, but they are moving ahead with an investigation about which she knows nothing.
Which, yeah, that would be disturbing too, actually. Point.
I’ve heard Blair described as abashed, ashamed, embarrassed int his bit; I don’t see that at all. I see a man who knows his mother is hurt and angry and is trying to make her understand - that’s why he turns to Simon for support, from an independent, third party.
I think he does look embarrassed, but that's probably just you and me reading the body language differently.
I like the explanation of why he turns to Simon. And, also, if she's been hanging out in Simon's office for some undefined period of time she's probably made some sort of connection with him. So he's going to seem more accessible and possibly more trustworthy than Jim. That makes a lot of sense.
Reply
We don;t know how far they had to travel, how long they had to wait, how long the meeting lasted... Could've been an hour or could've been a lot more.
"Yeah, and I get that that would be really upsetting. However, she also knows that Jim is a *cop* so there must be more going on than she's imagining that he's not making efforts to stop it. So if she stopped to think for even a minute it might have floated across her mind that there's more going on here than she realizes."
I doubt if many people think that rationally under those circumstances.
I guess we see the character differently and will have to agree to disagree. Whatever else she may - pr may not - be, she was a single mom to Blair, and Blair turned out rather well, IMO.
Reply
That's an *excellent* point too! She's stressed and angry and scared and just not being really entirely...well, heck, maybe she's not being entirely herself. I mean, hell, when they do meet up back at the loft later, she's surprised at herself for how she acted. So maybe her outburst at the station wasn't really up to what she considers her own standards of behavior.
Good point!
Whatever else she may - pr may not - be, she was a single mom to Blair, and Blair turned out rather well, IMO.
Yes, that is true. I really do wish they'd given us more about how Blair was raised. How much was he with his mom? How much did they travel? Etc.
Reply
Hmmm, maybe. Though the impression I get of her is that she was more of a "lifestyle" hippie (drugs, love beads, free sex, meditation) than an actual unwashed, sitting at protests type hippie. I don't see her being the sort of practical thinker who would engage in useful, organized social protest. But that's probably just me being uncharitable because I don't like her.
Anyway, she knows that Blair works with the police. She's known that all along. This is not surprising information for her. So why hasn't she worked through her issues about it before? And if she's just venting steam (and I *really* like this explanation a lot) why is she doing it in public?
Clearly they talk it out and come to an understanding, because the next time we see them together, they’re laughing and joking.
Well, after she's meditated for some unknown number of hours...so she's had time to work things through. Then things are ... not quite relaxed, but no one is still upset anymore.
Just the way I see it.
For all that I'm arguing with you here (because damn it I *don't* like her), I think you make some *excellent* points. I really appreciate the thought that she's blowing off stress and anxiety, that really does change the tenor of the scene a lot to me. And even if I think she could handle that (a lot) better, it's not really fair to expect someone to think things all the way through when they're stressed and upset. So thank you, you've given me a new way of looking at a scene that's always been a serious *wince* scene for me.
TBH, Naomi's such an inconsistent character - 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.
Fair enough, but, as starwatcher307 pointed out, a lot of the fun of character discussion and fanfic is taking the canon we have and making sense out of it. I prefer not to bring in extra-canonical reasons (like bad writing :) ) for things.
But I've always felt there was something *deeply* sinister in the father thing - something I'm currently developing in a fic. (o:
Ooooo!! You'll be announcing this fic when you've got it done, yes? Because I'd *really* love to see this!!
Thanks so much for commenting and for giving me so much to think about!
Reply
I suspect everyone's thoughts on Naomi hinge on whether or not they like her, and I pretty much do. She's dippy and maddening at times, but I think there's an awful lot of her in Blair - the *many* parallels between the characters fascinate me.
The thing is, whatever happened to Naomi, to get her pregnant, to decide to keep her baby (when she had other, easier options), then deny telling her child who his father is (I don't buy that she didn't know. Even if she was banging a lot of men at the time, Blair has fairly distinctive looks that must have, at least, clued her in!) - suggests that Something Bad' happened at some stage. I would think she's had a pretty hard time, especially when Blair was small.
Whatever else, Blair clearly adores her, and she him. I like their relationship a lot - I love the scene when they're walking down the street, laughing and joking ('every man you meet'); they seem so easy and happy together. I just think that - exasperating, maddening dippy hippie or not - it says a lot about Naomi. And whether it's down to the writing, or Leigh Taylor-Young's performance, Naomi's not a character you can ignore! She probably stirs up more controvery in the fandom than practically anyone other than Alex.
"Ooooo!! You'll be announcing this fic when you've got it done, yes? Because I'd *really* love to see this!!"
Well, it's (still! )o:) owed for Moonridge; I'm still writing it, but as soon as I'm able, I shall be posting it and shouting loudly about it, yup (o:
Reply
I agree that the parallels between the characters are fascinating, but I also am intrigued by the differences. Parents only have so much influence over how their children come out, of course, but there are both intriguing similarities and intriguing differences between them.
would think she's had a pretty hard time, especially when Blair was small.
That's quite possible, probable even. Certainly the "no visible means of support" trick is tougher with a kid in tow, so she might have been scraping more for money. And I actually could see that Something Bad happened to her and sort of...helped shape her into who she is.
I'm even more intrigued to see this fic you're writing now, because there's so much *meat* there. Nice!!
I like their relationship a lot - I love the scene when they're walking down the street, laughing and joking ('every man you meet'); they seem so easy and happy together.
Easy and happy together, but he's also not sad that she's planning on leaving. Which I think is very interesting. He loves having her there, for a couple of days, but he also loves getting back to his normal life, I think. Which is always the case when guests come anyway.
Naomi's not a character you can ignore! She probably stirs up more controvery in the fandom than practically anyone other than Alex.
That's very true! :) She's definitely open to a lot of different interpretations. And I think people play out their own mom-issues on this relationship. (I know that I can't entirely divorce my interpretation of Naomi from knowing how I'd feel if my Mom did shit like that. And she's the sort of mom who might.)
Reply
Hrm...Do we really know that she's "known all along"? I'm genuinely asking here, because you're so much better with the details than I am...but I don't think we really have any clear indication of how much or how recently Blair's been talking to his mother. And it could be that she's only just recently learned about Blair's whole involvement with Jim, and the diss, and the fact that this has been going on for months, and she didn't know....and this is what prompts her sudden visit to Cascade, territorial hackles up and needing to know what her baby's gotten into. It might even help explain (but not forgive) some of her outrageous behavior here.
Reply
And youre right, that would explain a lot.
Even if he told her about his new friend, possibly his new roommate, he might have "neglected" to mention the whole cop aspect until recently.
I *really* love the idea that she's coming in with her territorial guns a-blazing because she just found out about the cop thing. This might also explain why she did so much tracking down of numbers associated with the Cascade PD. So she found out about Blair working wit hthe pigs, then tracked down phone numbers for the department he works with, the detective, etc. etc.
::hugs you::
Reply
Leave a comment