12 Monkeys, S03E03: Enemy
Jan. 17th, 2023 03:39 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
annavereA nearly perfect storm of concepts I love, the effect being spoiled by a pair of ugly scenes in the middle.
Alright, so one of my very favorite tropes ever is the villain caught by the heroes and questioned. The duel of words, no holds barred as each side seeks the upper hand, the villain supposedly helpless, the heroes conflicted about what to do next, and the whole lot connected by some nasty history and preferably a greater threat bearing down on them all. This is it, a Top Five Trope for me. It doesn't matter if the villain begins to relate to the heroes given time (chipped Spike), or even prove himself the better man via some specific dying act of grace (Merle Dixon) or is pure souless malevolence (Angelus in a cage). It's a great way to delve into character motivations and contrasts, peel back layers and push emotional buttons.
So the early portions of Olivia's stay at Raritan were magnificent, and this despite her being a completely uninteresting character heretofore. Her accusations to Cole of his failures, with her and in his mission, and the way the actress inhabited the part, were electrifying. Alisen Down finally got to demonstrate some range (she must have been so thrilled when this script landed). Then her battle with Katarina held me equally rapt, the way she zeroed in on Katarina's astonishing level of hubris (probably because she knows what that's like, trying to end the world and all) and just kept relentlessly pushing her about Hannah.
Unfortunately, this is 12 Monkeys and Olivia is not the psychological cat amongst the pigeons, she's been taken in by (borrowing a Rewatch phrase here) Team Worst Good Guys. My love for the captured villain trope is reliant upon the heroes being heroic, and not embarking upon a round of mad scientist torture because someone says something mean to them. That takes all the fun right out of it. Katarina doesn't even have an in the heat of the moment excuse. It's pure premeditated sadism based on nothing. Olivia wasn't even threatening Hannah, she was just insulting Katarina's mothering skills (which, let's face it, are not her strong suit).
The torture scene went on so long and I kept staring at the other characters, angry, waiting for one of them to stop it. Finally, Hannah did, and tried to appeal to her mother's better qualities by saying how despite the Doctor Grimm stories "I know that's not who you are." Katarina seemed kind of repentant afterward. She retains her complexity, if nothing else.
Then Cole decided to pop Olivia in solitary and leave her to eat rats for three months and was acting like this was somehow better than what Katarina was doing and... No. How about no.
What the whole situation needed was Eckland. Or for them to listen to Jennifer, who offered sensible warnings throughout which were ignored. Jennifer knows more about Olivia than anyone in the building except Ramse. Sensibly, no one was trusting Ramse this week (until they did) but they decided not to consult their second expert because they still don't respect Jennifer. Hubris making the rounds again.
Jennifer also was the first of them to offer some human sympathy to Ramse. Thank you, Jennifer.
Ramse also faced off with Katarina. They haven't let their shared antagonism out to play in a while, so that was nice to see again (well, I say nice...). Again, bringing Hannah back while others continue to bury their loved ones is a bad look on Mission Control and continues to drive wedges.
Ramse also finally got another balcony scene with Cole, first in ages, in which he said "Whatever future happens, I want you to know that you are my family in all of 'em." <3
It was then revealed that Ramse has switched sides (again) and is out to murder Cassie. Again. The brick wall in this preferred pairing looms. They already had a murder-suicide scene and that's what got me started, so it's hypocritical to protest another planned murder - though I'm sure it's gonna go worse this time, because otherwise why go there again? And betraying Cole yet again. Oh, my heart.
Meanwhile the B plot involved a truly marvelous Deacon character study. I was genuinely surprised when he turned out to have survived getting stabbed by ten people, cardinal rule of television notwithstanding - the man is made of iron. Then he went into shaggy beard isolation and did battle with his father (again, using only words plus angry chin ups). So much backstory revealed so effortlessly, and with his father as his own mirror image until the epiphanic end. I can add conversations with dead or absent people to my list of favored tropes.
And then he got the chance to be the knight in shining armor and save Cassie. The way it was framed with Olivia's narration, I was expecting some kind of cruel twist, but the scene was played straight. He got to save Cassie and then her throwing her arms around him removed the remnants of bitterness from their last scene together. Happy sighs. A victory was needed and I love how the unloved underdog (whose absence nobody has given a toss about) is the one who provided it.
Maybe, anyway. They weren't actually shown escaping Titan. Next episode and all that.
Alright, so one of my very favorite tropes ever is the villain caught by the heroes and questioned. The duel of words, no holds barred as each side seeks the upper hand, the villain supposedly helpless, the heroes conflicted about what to do next, and the whole lot connected by some nasty history and preferably a greater threat bearing down on them all. This is it, a Top Five Trope for me. It doesn't matter if the villain begins to relate to the heroes given time (chipped Spike), or even prove himself the better man via some specific dying act of grace (Merle Dixon) or is pure souless malevolence (Angelus in a cage). It's a great way to delve into character motivations and contrasts, peel back layers and push emotional buttons.
So the early portions of Olivia's stay at Raritan were magnificent, and this despite her being a completely uninteresting character heretofore. Her accusations to Cole of his failures, with her and in his mission, and the way the actress inhabited the part, were electrifying. Alisen Down finally got to demonstrate some range (she must have been so thrilled when this script landed). Then her battle with Katarina held me equally rapt, the way she zeroed in on Katarina's astonishing level of hubris (probably because she knows what that's like, trying to end the world and all) and just kept relentlessly pushing her about Hannah.
Unfortunately, this is 12 Monkeys and Olivia is not the psychological cat amongst the pigeons, she's been taken in by (borrowing a Rewatch phrase here) Team Worst Good Guys. My love for the captured villain trope is reliant upon the heroes being heroic, and not embarking upon a round of mad scientist torture because someone says something mean to them. That takes all the fun right out of it. Katarina doesn't even have an in the heat of the moment excuse. It's pure premeditated sadism based on nothing. Olivia wasn't even threatening Hannah, she was just insulting Katarina's mothering skills (which, let's face it, are not her strong suit).
The torture scene went on so long and I kept staring at the other characters, angry, waiting for one of them to stop it. Finally, Hannah did, and tried to appeal to her mother's better qualities by saying how despite the Doctor Grimm stories "I know that's not who you are." Katarina seemed kind of repentant afterward. She retains her complexity, if nothing else.
Then Cole decided to pop Olivia in solitary and leave her to eat rats for three months and was acting like this was somehow better than what Katarina was doing and... No. How about no.
What the whole situation needed was Eckland. Or for them to listen to Jennifer, who offered sensible warnings throughout which were ignored. Jennifer knows more about Olivia than anyone in the building except Ramse. Sensibly, no one was trusting Ramse this week (until they did) but they decided not to consult their second expert because they still don't respect Jennifer. Hubris making the rounds again.
Jennifer also was the first of them to offer some human sympathy to Ramse. Thank you, Jennifer.
Ramse also faced off with Katarina. They haven't let their shared antagonism out to play in a while, so that was nice to see again (well, I say nice...). Again, bringing Hannah back while others continue to bury their loved ones is a bad look on Mission Control and continues to drive wedges.
Ramse also finally got another balcony scene with Cole, first in ages, in which he said "Whatever future happens, I want you to know that you are my family in all of 'em." <3
It was then revealed that Ramse has switched sides (again) and is out to murder Cassie. Again. The brick wall in this preferred pairing looms. They already had a murder-suicide scene and that's what got me started, so it's hypocritical to protest another planned murder - though I'm sure it's gonna go worse this time, because otherwise why go there again? And betraying Cole yet again. Oh, my heart.
Meanwhile the B plot involved a truly marvelous Deacon character study. I was genuinely surprised when he turned out to have survived getting stabbed by ten people, cardinal rule of television notwithstanding - the man is made of iron. Then he went into shaggy beard isolation and did battle with his father (again, using only words plus angry chin ups). So much backstory revealed so effortlessly, and with his father as his own mirror image until the epiphanic end. I can add conversations with dead or absent people to my list of favored tropes.
And then he got the chance to be the knight in shining armor and save Cassie. The way it was framed with Olivia's narration, I was expecting some kind of cruel twist, but the scene was played straight. He got to save Cassie and then her throwing her arms around him removed the remnants of bitterness from their last scene together. Happy sighs. A victory was needed and I love how the unloved underdog (whose absence nobody has given a toss about) is the one who provided it.
Maybe, anyway. They weren't actually shown escaping Titan. Next episode and all that.
no subject
Date: 2023-01-18 04:48 am (UTC)Regarding Katarina, it's easy to forget that she sent 17 people to their deaths before Cole made it through, but this episode is still A Lot. I skip right over the torture scenes—no, thank you.
The balcony scene is a great callback to Cole's, "I thought you were my family," but it's especially bitter when you realize what Ramse's plan is.
Truly, they are Team Worst Good Guys.
no subject
Date: 2023-01-19 05:56 pm (UTC)Also, someone needs to start being nice to Deacon and Jennifer or I will start throwing things at my screen.
no subject
Date: 2023-01-19 06:01 pm (UTC)Now I will cry with you about Ramse and Cole. When you have a time machine, shooting each other in the back sorta takes on a new aspect—and then Ramse makes him promise not to change it! Oh, my poor broken boys.
There is a deleted scene from this season that you MUST see. Make sure to look for those in the rewatch post as you finish each season. ♥
no subject
Date: 2023-01-20 02:35 am (UTC)