I’d have an easier time writing my humcore paper if it was about Sydney and Vaughn. Seriously.
Okay, this one is going to be short because I have roughly 12 hours to finish/start a humcore outline about an essay I really don’t want to write, so let’s get on with it:
My initial reaction about this episode is that I really liked it if only for the fact that it was more about the emotions and character development than the action and spy hijinx. I can’t recall the last time I walked away from an episode feeling more that I felt the characters’ emotions than thinking, “Wow. That was freaking cool.” It’s not a reaction I’m used to having, but it’s one I appreciate after investing so much in these characters for the past three seasons.
I’ll move on to the bullet points just because I can already feel my thoughts jumbling up in my head, and I’d like to keep a semblance of organization here.
• Vaughn: Whoever questions Michael Vartan’s acting abilities needs to watch this episode. He did a great job with the monologue in the bar, and for the first time, I wasn’t focusing more on how hot he was but rather what he was saying. I didn’t like hearing Lauren’s name, but I’m so glad that the writers gave Vaughn a chance to talk about all that internal angst everyone knew he was withholding from everyone. Hopefully this will be the last we hear of her, and Vaughn (and all of us) will be able to move the hell on.
• Jack and Nadia: I may be biased, but I’m sensing more of a paternal bond between these two than Sloane and Nadia. I’m still a little wary to trust anything Jack says especially regarding Irina, but I can’t help but believe his story about the picture being of Irina and her niece.
• Sloane and Nadia: The idea of Sloane being anyone’s father still squicks me out, but I’d like to believe that he has Nadia’s best interests at heart. I still really hope that somehow Jack is Nadia’s father, though.
• Weiss and Nadia: Not so much in the way of the development of their relationship, but I enjoyed seeing them work together at the Apple Store (tm Regina). Also, I still love Weiss’s snark. (“So the mission was a bust.” “So to speak.”) His eye roll at the contact at the beginning cracked me up, too.
• Marshall and Mitchell: How adorable were those pictures?! So much aww-ness!
• Dixon and Vaughn: How fun was it to watch those two together? Them joking over the comm and working together in what I’m presuming to be the safe house was great. (“Vaughn, I hit you.” “Yeah, like a girl. Hit me again.”)
• The Vack: I really enjoyed the scene between Jack and Vaughn in the break room. (Side note: I always wondered if APO would have the coffee room the Ops Center never showed. Even spies need coffee, you know.) I don’t know why, but when Vaughn asked a question, and the camera cut to Jack just sipping his coffee, I laughed so hard. I guess it’s just the idea of Jack pulling the fatherly move of drinking his coffee while prodding Vaughn with his eyes to elaborate that cracks me up.
• Nurse Lady Whose Name I Forgot: My first reaction to her was that her accent was really good. I thought she’d be some throw-away extra with a small part, but I was happily surprised that her character evolved to be so much more than that. (Side Note #2: I would’ve given anything to be that actress when her face was thisclose to Michael Vartan’s. My jealousy knows no bounds.) She was a very good actress, too, and I’m not afraid to admit that I teared up quite a bit when she was dying in Vaughn’s arms. Such an emotional scene, but I had a feeling that Nurse Lady would get stabbed because it was just morbidly poetic that way. And this is the one time I’ll ever say this, but if I wasn’t such a hardcore S/V ‘shipper, I’d so ‘ship Vaughn/Nurse Lady. They had really good chemistry, and I can’t believe that during the scene in the bar, I forgot for a moment who Sydney was. =X
• The Whole Ice Substance Thingy: Freaky, freaky crap. The opening scene with the guy shattering scared the bejeesus out of me, and I was more than squicked out when they sprayed that stuff on the guys at the hospital.
• The Airplane Scene: Very, very, very sweet. I was a little peeved that Vaughn fell asleep right before Sydney said he should spend the night until I realized that it was sweet that the first time he’s been able to fall asleep was when he was with Sydney. She shouldn’t have let go of his hand, though. It actually prompted me to say to the TV, “What are you doing?! Hold his hand, damnit!” And yes, I talk to my TV. =P
• Sydney: She was in this episode, too, I think. ;) In all seriousness, I don’t think this episode focused on her as much as it focused on Vaughn, but I think he deserved this one episode to purge Lauren from his-and subsequently, everyone else’s-minds.
• Sisterly Bonding: I know they’re sisters and all, but am I the only one who finds it odd how quickly they fell into a domestic habit of kissing each other on the cheek as a goodbye? I mean, yeah, I’d do that with my own little sister, but we’ve known each other since she was born. Whatever. It was cute, so I’ll leave it at that.
• Next Week’s Promo: EEEEEEE! With the marriedness and the shower!spy!sex and the really big (yet fake-looking) ring and the domesticity and the living together and the me being incoherent! This is the one I’ve been waiting for. Thank goodness they moved it up. I’m going to try to lower my expectations for this one, though, because if I get too excited about it, I might be disappointed. Oh, and Claire, it looks like they just answered our earlier question regarding the shower scene for us. ;)
Overall, I really enjoyed this episode, and I have a feeling that the fans who are more interested in the deeper theme of character relationships did, too. I’m not sure if casual viewers feel the same way, but hopefully this will help them realize that this show’s not all about the glitz and glamour.
I was admittedly afraid of getting too attached to this show after S3, and I didn’t allow myself to hope for too much even after three good episodes in a row, but I think this episode is a sign that it’s safe to have S1 and S2-like expectations even if we’ll never get anything as amazing as S2 again. It’s good to have Alias back, though.
Also, all those people who claim to be fans and who complained about S3 and still complain about S4 need to just stop watching. They’ll obviously never be happy with what J.J. and Co. put out anymore, so why subject us fans who are actually enjoying this reset to the endless complaints? Whatever. [/rant]
ETA: A few things I remembered while working on homework: 1) Sydney’s “He can turn her” line was so sweet because she sounded so confident that Vaughn could do anything just because he’s Vaughn; 2) Um, that stock footage for the exterior of the bar was used at least twice with the first time being ‘The Getaway’ (you swear us obsessive fans wouldn’t have noticed); and 3) Is it sacrilegious to think a man dressed as a priest is hot? ‘Cause if it is, I’m so going to hell. =X
So maybe that wasn’t as short as I meant for it to be. Whoops. And on a related note, does anybody think that it’s borderline mean that the ABC Promo Monkeys used Alanis Morissette’s “Everything” (complete with the line of “You see everything”) for the new show, Blind Justice? I mean, I find it humorously ironic. I’m just sayin’.
Must. Burn. All. Humcore. Assignments. *bangs head on desk*
My initial reaction about this episode is that I really liked it if only for the fact that it was more about the emotions and character development than the action and spy hijinx. I can’t recall the last time I walked away from an episode feeling more that I felt the characters’ emotions than thinking, “Wow. That was freaking cool.” It’s not a reaction I’m used to having, but it’s one I appreciate after investing so much in these characters for the past three seasons.
I’ll move on to the bullet points just because I can already feel my thoughts jumbling up in my head, and I’d like to keep a semblance of organization here.
• Vaughn: Whoever questions Michael Vartan’s acting abilities needs to watch this episode. He did a great job with the monologue in the bar, and for the first time, I wasn’t focusing more on how hot he was but rather what he was saying. I didn’t like hearing Lauren’s name, but I’m so glad that the writers gave Vaughn a chance to talk about all that internal angst everyone knew he was withholding from everyone. Hopefully this will be the last we hear of her, and Vaughn (and all of us) will be able to move the hell on.
• Jack and Nadia: I may be biased, but I’m sensing more of a paternal bond between these two than Sloane and Nadia. I’m still a little wary to trust anything Jack says especially regarding Irina, but I can’t help but believe his story about the picture being of Irina and her niece.
• Sloane and Nadia: The idea of Sloane being anyone’s father still squicks me out, but I’d like to believe that he has Nadia’s best interests at heart. I still really hope that somehow Jack is Nadia’s father, though.
• Weiss and Nadia: Not so much in the way of the development of their relationship, but I enjoyed seeing them work together at the Apple Store (tm Regina). Also, I still love Weiss’s snark. (“So the mission was a bust.” “So to speak.”) His eye roll at the contact at the beginning cracked me up, too.
• Marshall and Mitchell: How adorable were those pictures?! So much aww-ness!
• Dixon and Vaughn: How fun was it to watch those two together? Them joking over the comm and working together in what I’m presuming to be the safe house was great. (“Vaughn, I hit you.” “Yeah, like a girl. Hit me again.”)
• The Vack: I really enjoyed the scene between Jack and Vaughn in the break room. (Side note: I always wondered if APO would have the coffee room the Ops Center never showed. Even spies need coffee, you know.) I don’t know why, but when Vaughn asked a question, and the camera cut to Jack just sipping his coffee, I laughed so hard. I guess it’s just the idea of Jack pulling the fatherly move of drinking his coffee while prodding Vaughn with his eyes to elaborate that cracks me up.
• Nurse Lady Whose Name I Forgot: My first reaction to her was that her accent was really good. I thought she’d be some throw-away extra with a small part, but I was happily surprised that her character evolved to be so much more than that. (Side Note #2: I would’ve given anything to be that actress when her face was thisclose to Michael Vartan’s. My jealousy knows no bounds.) She was a very good actress, too, and I’m not afraid to admit that I teared up quite a bit when she was dying in Vaughn’s arms. Such an emotional scene, but I had a feeling that Nurse Lady would get stabbed because it was just morbidly poetic that way. And this is the one time I’ll ever say this, but if I wasn’t such a hardcore S/V ‘shipper, I’d so ‘ship Vaughn/Nurse Lady. They had really good chemistry, and I can’t believe that during the scene in the bar, I forgot for a moment who Sydney was. =X
• The Whole Ice Substance Thingy: Freaky, freaky crap. The opening scene with the guy shattering scared the bejeesus out of me, and I was more than squicked out when they sprayed that stuff on the guys at the hospital.
• The Airplane Scene: Very, very, very sweet. I was a little peeved that Vaughn fell asleep right before Sydney said he should spend the night until I realized that it was sweet that the first time he’s been able to fall asleep was when he was with Sydney. She shouldn’t have let go of his hand, though. It actually prompted me to say to the TV, “What are you doing?! Hold his hand, damnit!” And yes, I talk to my TV. =P
• Sydney: She was in this episode, too, I think. ;) In all seriousness, I don’t think this episode focused on her as much as it focused on Vaughn, but I think he deserved this one episode to purge Lauren from his-and subsequently, everyone else’s-minds.
• Sisterly Bonding: I know they’re sisters and all, but am I the only one who finds it odd how quickly they fell into a domestic habit of kissing each other on the cheek as a goodbye? I mean, yeah, I’d do that with my own little sister, but we’ve known each other since she was born. Whatever. It was cute, so I’ll leave it at that.
• Next Week’s Promo: EEEEEEE! With the marriedness and the shower!spy!sex and the really big (yet fake-looking) ring and the domesticity and the living together and the me being incoherent! This is the one I’ve been waiting for. Thank goodness they moved it up. I’m going to try to lower my expectations for this one, though, because if I get too excited about it, I might be disappointed. Oh, and Claire, it looks like they just answered our earlier question regarding the shower scene for us. ;)
Overall, I really enjoyed this episode, and I have a feeling that the fans who are more interested in the deeper theme of character relationships did, too. I’m not sure if casual viewers feel the same way, but hopefully this will help them realize that this show’s not all about the glitz and glamour.
I was admittedly afraid of getting too attached to this show after S3, and I didn’t allow myself to hope for too much even after three good episodes in a row, but I think this episode is a sign that it’s safe to have S1 and S2-like expectations even if we’ll never get anything as amazing as S2 again. It’s good to have Alias back, though.
Also, all those people who claim to be fans and who complained about S3 and still complain about S4 need to just stop watching. They’ll obviously never be happy with what J.J. and Co. put out anymore, so why subject us fans who are actually enjoying this reset to the endless complaints? Whatever. [/rant]
ETA: A few things I remembered while working on homework: 1) Sydney’s “He can turn her” line was so sweet because she sounded so confident that Vaughn could do anything just because he’s Vaughn; 2) Um, that stock footage for the exterior of the bar was used at least twice with the first time being ‘The Getaway’ (you swear us obsessive fans wouldn’t have noticed); and 3) Is it sacrilegious to think a man dressed as a priest is hot? ‘Cause if it is, I’m so going to hell. =X
So maybe that wasn’t as short as I meant for it to be. Whoops. And on a related note, does anybody think that it’s borderline mean that the ABC Promo Monkeys used Alanis Morissette’s “Everything” (complete with the line of “You see everything”) for the new show, Blind Justice? I mean, I find it humorously ironic. I’m just sayin’.
Must. Burn. All. Humcore. Assignments. *bangs head on desk*