Epiphany

[wren_kt7oz]

This is something that I posted to the bj spoilers board, and now I'm putting it here as well.

It's my interpretation of what I think that last scene in Babylon means.

Open to all comments (even the rude ones).

Comments

[elaere]

I have no idea what that scene means, I haven't seen it. I haven't seen the season. I don't feel any need to interpret something that I don't know the whole of. But something of your assessment rings true to me: you write that Brian represents "the unapologetic gay lifestyle

[wren_kt7oz]

Ela - this was really interesting. I didn't get a chance to respond yesterday when I first read it, but I've been thinking and thinking about it, and I think that in many ways you are right.

I think that very often the writing does force the characters into boxes so that the writers can use them to represent different facets of "gay life".

Gale and Randy, as you say, can often work past that to the heart of the characters. And Hal has not. I have no idea what the heart of the Michael character is.

So often we're told that he's the sweet one, the "everyman", the boy next door. But I find him almost totally unpleasant.

But that's another story. ::g::

[elaere]

You write that you "have no idea what the heart of the Michael character is." I agree. Perhaps that is what is so annoying about Michael. He is like an empty box: all the facets are there, but why? Michael has all the features the boy next door should have, but has nothing else. He doesn't have anything real inside of that package. I blame Hal for that emptiness; I don't see him loving the character. He doesn't give a part of himself to Michael. Is it because Hal can't identify with a gay character? I choose to believe so. He has been the only one of the grew that has repeatedly pointed out his heterosexuality. Why does he think that it is necessary when he is acting in this show? He is afraid of something, and I think we know what it is

[wren_kt7oz]

I have to admit that I simply can't stand Hal. It started with merely disliking Mikey, but now I can't even stand to look at photos of the man

[sandid]

Wren, long time. Hope all is well.

It was interesting reading your assessment of the end of my dream. lol

True, I did not consider the ending from that angle. I missed it. And like so much else that CL didn't say and I missed. Other's will miss it too. Still it was somehow soothing to me.

I'm going to go read SF, the BJ/LJ and then read your comments again. A little digestion is in order.

[wren_kt7oz]

Hi Sandi!

To be honest, I missed it totally myself.

And then I found myself thinking about the scene where Babylon is magically restored, and it occurred to me to start thinking about why it needed to be restored. (I know ... duh!)

And that made me think about the whole thing from a totally different angle.

I mean ... it's so easy (especially not having seen the episodes) to focus in, even in the bombing, to what it meant for bj.

But people died in that bomb blast. In a bomb blast that targeted a fund raiser for fighting the anti-gay marriage lobby.

That's a huge thing to have happened.

We saw celebrating in the streets when the gay community were saved from Stockwell, who was benign compared to this.

I think people just aren't getting it.

But I'm hopeful that more will when they see the whole of the episodes, and not just focus in discussions on the details of the bj stuff.

We'll see.

I might feel totally diffent about it myself when I actually see the episodes.

[sandid]

It gave me hope when I felt like I had none. I've been giving it a lot of thought since then.

Yes, it will still be a huge disappointment not to have big lovey scenes with my favorite boys. But, I'll live as long as I feel they could still be together. I think? lol

Rebuilding- I guess that's what everyone has to do every time we are knocked down.

I've always had a hard time with gay bashing. How someone can so easily cross that line and hate enough to become a criminal themselves? Hate is awful. Mini rant....sorry

Still thanks for the differing assessment. It helped ease my upset stomach.

[wren_kt7oz]

Yes, it will still be a huge disappointment not to have big lovey scenes with my favorite boys. But, I'll live as long as I feel they could still be together. I think?I think this is how I feel about it too

[budboi]

Hi there Wren

[wren_kt7oz]

Oh, yes. I agree.

I mean, for me, from episode one, it was Brian and Justin who hooked me in. But the show ... having this show, getting it on screen and keeping it there for 5 seasons ... that's huge. Simply huge.

And although there have been bits along the way that I simply hated (end S2, for one) and some that I didn't think were very good (end S4), there have been so many wonderful moment in there that to carp on those seems petty.

All that being said, I don't think that C/L are the greatest writers in the world, and I think sometimes, when they sacrifice character to plot they undermine the show. And sometimes they are so heavy handed in making their points, that even I, who agree with them, feel irritated by the way they do it (Deb and the border guard in S4).

But overall, the show still stands as an amazing achievement.

So ... guess we just have to enjoy the last season, and, as for bj, like you I also

*choose* to believe they will be together again and soon in NY.

Sigh.