"Ding! Dong!" by kiki_miserychic, commentary by thuviaptarth

[thuviaptarth]

Title: Ding! Dong!
Vidder: kiki_miserychic
Fandom: Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
Link: http://kiki-miserychic.livejournal.com/142043.html
Commentary: By thuviaptarth

My apologies to kiki_miserychic and deathisyourart for missing the deadline.

Comments

[bop_radar]

Oh wow! AWESOME commentary! To a totally awesome vid too, of course. I must thank you so much for the depth with which you've explored it, allowing me to gain further insights as well!

she pimps her son out to metal; she pimps her son out to the future.
Eeeeeeeek! I confess that my own hesitancy with (and emotional avoidance of) some of Sarah's dream imagery, so beautifully highlighted and explored in the vid, may in part be a desire to avoid truly 'seeing' that point.

it's the imagery of birth, the pain, the water, the blood, the nakedness; but it's an image of powerlessness, too, Sarah alone, solitary, left behind.Mmm, it's such a powerful shot. I find it interesting that it's Sarah stripped naked, but with the remnants of violence (blood) still on her. She's trying to wash it all away but she can't. Sarah's exposed far more at an emotional level in her dream imagery--and she can't shake that either. The unconscious (water?) isn't an escape because it holds truths, but at the same time, what can you do but surrender to those

[thuviaptarth]

Thank you!

Eeeeeeeek! I confess that my own hesitancy with (and emotional avoidance of) some of Sarah's dream imagery, so beautifully highlighted and explored in the vid, may in part be a desire to avoid truly 'seeing' that point.

I think it's more what Sarah fears than what she's doing, or maybe it's what she's doing but not the only thing she's doing. But I am immensely sympathetic to and protective of Sarah, so.

One thing the vid really brings out for me is the modified Oedipal structuring of the show. I like to think that the show complicates things some and that it's heading for a non-Oedipal resolution -- a resolution about cooperation instead of competition, on all levels -- but given where it ended, I guess a lot of that depends on reader interpretation.

I find it interesting that it's Sarah stripped naked, but with the remnants of violence (blood) still on her. She's trying to wash it all away but she can't. Sarah's exposed far more at an emotional level in her dream imagery--and she can't shake that either. The

[bop_radar]

I like to think that the show complicates things some and that it's heading for a non-Oedipal resolution -- a resolution about cooperation instead of competition, on all levels
*nods* I think so too, or used to like to think so, but I agree of course that the ending leaves it an unknown. In some ways I'm comfortable with that, because I loved the moral ambiguities of the 'verse so much. But then I had faith they'd give us a complex ending too. *misses show again*

[ticketsonmyself]

This is a seriously awesome commentary. One note on spelling: it's Akagi, not Iyagi.

[thuviaptarth]

Thanks! That's what I get for relying on my memory instead of double-checking.

[kiki_miserychic]

It's extremely cool to read this, thank you. It was a great read and interesting to see someone's thoughts on it. I love your interpretations of things I intended and things I didn't. I didn't mean to set up for actual incestuous-ness, but to imply how messed up their relationship is. Within the vid I set up John to be a bastard, even though Sarah's whole life is seemingly about keeping him safe. At times he's more an abstract thing than a son to Sarah, who doesn't know how to be a typical mother, which muddles their relationship and blurs lines. That said, yeah, I can see Sarah's devotion as bordering on incestuous, so did Julie.

[thuviaptarth]

I'm glad it was interesting!

I don't see Sarah's devotion as incestuous in canon, although I do see a certain awareness of and discomfort with him growing up, in multiple ways. The way you constructed the vid reminded me of one of the key scenes in Rebel without a Cause--I don't know if you've seen it? There's a family dinner in which the teenage daughter tries to hug her father and he pushes her away, clearly discomfited by the fact that his daughter has breasts and he's noticing and doesn't want to notice. It is a horribly uncomfortable seen to watch for me.

But I sympathize with Sarah extremely! Adolescents want impossible and contrary things, and all the weight of that impossibility lands on Sarah, most of the time.

[kiki_miserychic]

I see them as emotional incestuous at times (actual isn't something I factor for John and Sarah). Sarah doesn't operate as a typical mother. With John becoming who he's destined to become, mothering isn't easy. Cameron's introduction sexualizes the protection of John in a way that Sarah didn't. Cameron uses that as she slides into the role.

I adore Sarah. In the show (but primarily in the vid) she does so much for John, yet he and Cameron bury her as if she should have stayed dead because she's replaced by Cameron as the protector of John.

I watched RWAC years ago, but I don't remember it well. I might look it up to rewatch.

[bop_radar]

she does so much for John, yet he and Cameron bury her as if she should have stayed dead because she's replaced by Cameron as the protector of John.
Just pitching in to say I adore Sarah too and that totally breaks my heart. Her emotional narrative is so powerful. I love John, I do, and I can see where he comes from also, but it's so hard to watch Sarah dealing with that, both at an emotional and strategic level and being harder on herself than on anyone else.

[deathisyourart]

Are you able to post this to the Dreamwidth community as well?

[thuviaptarth]

Done.

[deathisyourart]

Thank you very much! :)

[thuviaptarth]

I'm glad this was helpful! It is an amazing vid.