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Sanctuary - 3x19 - Out of the Blue
First viewing:
OMG AMANDA TAPPING'S HAIR IS SO AMAZING. GUH. *credits roll* Wait, what just happened?
Second viewing:
The thing that really struck me the second time I watched it was 'why on Earth didn't they use Ashley instead of John for Helen's psycho-scape'?? (I mean, I know nothing of Emilie's schedules or whatever, but just from a story-telling viewpoint.)
And then I wondered why the men: Will the Psychologist got to be a heart surgeon, and Druitt the serial killer got to be the DA-going-on-Mayor, while the women: Abby the FBI-agent got to be a housewife and a stay-at-home-mom-to-be (not dissin' housewifes, but explain to me why Abby is one, tell me *something* about her life!), and Helen the First Female Doctor in Victorian England and all-around Awesome Lady got to be a stay-at-home artist who painted pretty but boring tree-scapes and struggled with anxiety issues. I realize that 4 characters does not a statistically sound study make, but way to be sexist, show. - and there it is, 'written by Damian Kindler'. I realize that Damian *created the damn character*, so clearly he has it in him to Be Awesome, but why is it that so many things that irk me both back on Stargate and here on Sanctuary seem to have Damian connected to it? His episodes are often really really awesome, but then the details are... troubling.
Also, what the hell was up with that line at the end, 'I guess you guys just really don't like being happy'? I can see how Will's life would provide some kind of happiness for him, if it had given him a profession he liked, considering how he's felt like an outsider all his life, and this would give him a chance to feel like he belonged with the masses, and not just with his little fringe family of monster-hunters. However, in what reality would happiness for Helen be thought of as a a crazy cat-lady artist? (That said, naming the cute white kitty Henry? Stroke of brilliance!)
Which brings me back to my original question. Yes, it was kinda cool to see the flashbacks Helen had of Ashley when Abby asked her if she had kids, but wouldn't it have been a TON more powerful if Helen's psychoscape actually included Ashley herself? Helen with her daughter home from college, or whatever, and the two of them hanging out and doing various nutty but kick-ass things together. And can you image that last scene with Abby on one side and instead of John having Ashley on the other? Ashley pounding on the window, maybe crying a little, and yelling 'please don't go, Mom!' Helen said it herself - "I married a man I hate." It's no wonder she floors it when John starts pounding on the window begging her to stay. With Ashley that would have been both heart-breaking to watch, and haunting for Helen as she comes back to the real world. Instead she desperately wants to escape because the lunatic she's trying to divorce is going crazy on her and won't let her.
Yes, Chris Heyerdahl and Amanda have fantastic chemistry together. Yes, it makes perfect sense that in a world like this one she'd married him and they'd have a troubled relationship, but over-all the life is not Helen. Will's scape was... not out of the notion for who Will could have been, depending on his upbringing, but for Helen it just felt wrong from the get-go. Maybe, just maybe, if they'd set it up so Helen and John's relationship was stable and supportive,but... Way to go, psycho-worm, trying to create a Matrix where they'd be happy. Oh, and on the Matrix notion, couldn't we have been allowed to go a little longer before they showed is that it was The Matrix, Sanctuary style? Couldn't they have contented themselves with the weird symbols and freaky monsters, before they showed us that they were in a lab somewhere. I don't mind that that's what happened, but there are other possibilities for wonky worlds, and it would have been cool to be kept guessing a little longer.
Damn it, the more I analyze this episode, the more it disappoints me. Which is sad, because I really love this episode. I really truly love this episode. This has potential for re-watching the way I do Requiem, Next Tuesday, Breach, so I very very much LOVE this episode emotionally, and I'm sure I'll watch it many many times... however, on an intellectual level, there are quite a few things I don't LIKE about it.
First viewing:
OMG AMANDA TAPPING'S HAIR IS SO AMAZING. GUH. *credits roll* Wait, what just happened?
Second viewing:
The thing that really struck me the second time I watched it was 'why on Earth didn't they use Ashley instead of John for Helen's psycho-scape'?? (I mean, I know nothing of Emilie's schedules or whatever, but just from a story-telling viewpoint.)
And then I wondered why the men: Will the Psychologist got to be a heart surgeon, and Druitt the serial killer got to be the DA-going-on-Mayor, while the women: Abby the FBI-agent got to be a housewife and a stay-at-home-mom-to-be (not dissin' housewifes, but explain to me why Abby is one, tell me *something* about her life!), and Helen the First Female Doctor in Victorian England and all-around Awesome Lady got to be a stay-at-home artist who painted pretty but boring tree-scapes and struggled with anxiety issues. I realize that 4 characters does not a statistically sound study make, but way to be sexist, show. - and there it is, 'written by Damian Kindler'. I realize that Damian *created the damn character*, so clearly he has it in him to Be Awesome, but why is it that so many things that irk me both back on Stargate and here on Sanctuary seem to have Damian connected to it? His episodes are often really really awesome, but then the details are... troubling.
Also, what the hell was up with that line at the end, 'I guess you guys just really don't like being happy'? I can see how Will's life would provide some kind of happiness for him, if it had given him a profession he liked, considering how he's felt like an outsider all his life, and this would give him a chance to feel like he belonged with the masses, and not just with his little fringe family of monster-hunters. However, in what reality would happiness for Helen be thought of as a a crazy cat-lady artist? (That said, naming the cute white kitty Henry? Stroke of brilliance!)
Which brings me back to my original question. Yes, it was kinda cool to see the flashbacks Helen had of Ashley when Abby asked her if she had kids, but wouldn't it have been a TON more powerful if Helen's psychoscape actually included Ashley herself? Helen with her daughter home from college, or whatever, and the two of them hanging out and doing various nutty but kick-ass things together. And can you image that last scene with Abby on one side and instead of John having Ashley on the other? Ashley pounding on the window, maybe crying a little, and yelling 'please don't go, Mom!' Helen said it herself - "I married a man I hate." It's no wonder she floors it when John starts pounding on the window begging her to stay. With Ashley that would have been both heart-breaking to watch, and haunting for Helen as she comes back to the real world. Instead she desperately wants to escape because the lunatic she's trying to divorce is going crazy on her and won't let her.
Yes, Chris Heyerdahl and Amanda have fantastic chemistry together. Yes, it makes perfect sense that in a world like this one she'd married him and they'd have a troubled relationship, but over-all the life is not Helen. Will's scape was... not out of the notion for who Will could have been, depending on his upbringing, but for Helen it just felt wrong from the get-go. Maybe, just maybe, if they'd set it up so Helen and John's relationship was stable and supportive,but... Way to go, psycho-worm, trying to create a Matrix where they'd be happy. Oh, and on the Matrix notion, couldn't we have been allowed to go a little longer before they showed is that it was The Matrix, Sanctuary style? Couldn't they have contented themselves with the weird symbols and freaky monsters, before they showed us that they were in a lab somewhere. I don't mind that that's what happened, but there are other possibilities for wonky worlds, and it would have been cool to be kept guessing a little longer.
Damn it, the more I analyze this episode, the more it disappoints me. Which is sad, because I really love this episode. I really truly love this episode. This has potential for re-watching the way I do Requiem, Next Tuesday, Breach, so I very very much LOVE this episode emotionally, and I'm sure I'll watch it many many times... however, on an intellectual level, there are quite a few things I don't LIKE about it.
disappointed
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