TMA: The Eye Opened
Dec. 8th, 2019 11:07 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
schneefinkSoo I just finished season four of TMA and I have a lot of feelings.
I knew it was going to end with the apocalypse, and I knew about some things like Martin working with Peter Lukas and Jon losing a rib, but overall I had no idea why and how things were going to play out and it was wonderful. DD was excellent in not spoiling me too, idk how often she nodded and made thoughtful noises while I speculated about who could have sent Jared Hopworth those letters, and other "mysteries." ELIAS YOU BASTARD.
Jon was wonderful in this season. He woke up from a coma and said he felt "more real" now, and even though he was so afraid of turning into a monster he also for most of the season sounded more comfortable in his own skin than he'd been in a while, I loved that. He can not only force people to tell their stories now, sometimes at least he can also compel them to act, even more dangerous. And he starts going out to feed on people… and then stops when there's an intervention, fortunately, but for how long? What if people really do need him – or does he only tell himself that because he doesn't want to die. I loved all the statements and stories about people turning into monsters and how they justify it to themselves ("Cost of Living" was not very subtle) or don't – I also really loved all of Jon's conversations with Helen about it. And yeah it would be much easier if he were controlled but what is free will, really.
Still very curious about the tape recorders… so apparently they just show up now and people figure something interesting is going to happen. But they don't show up for every real statement either. Hmm. I loved that Martin piling the tape recorders on top of the coffin allowed Jon to find his way out of the Buried. And Martin's infinite battery plan ^^
From what I'd seen from the fandom, I expected much more Jon/Martin romance. That was a bit of a surprise. They hardly ever talked! As Peter Lukas points out, they barely know each other. But they each hold on to the image of the other because they need someone, some connection. I could see it as a romance but I could also see it as not, or at least I see it more as a romance in the very early stages.
Martin was great this season. Him snapping "sit back down!" at Simon Fairchild was one of my favorite parts. And refusing Peter Lukas at the end, too. Though Peter did get to him – I loved it when Martin said that yes, he has the power to talk to people, but he also has the power to clean the fridge and well, some things are hard…
I also really loved Daisy. Her time in the coffin was basically forced detox from something she lived with nearly all her life, and she knew that abstaining might eventually kill her but she didn't want to go back. Very similar problem to Jon, actually. And she only gave in to save Basira.
Poor Basira, sounds like she had a terrible time, especially right after the Unknowing. And now she's left alone in the Institute… Elias might still be down in the Panopticon, I assume he shifted it somehow so that Jon couldn't find it again to kill him, and then they didn't burn the Archives down because the police came because of the attack by Trevor and Julia. I bet a lot of other staff died in the attack, and then Not!Sasha was released as well… But now, with the apocalypse, sounds like a good time to burn down the Archives. If she even still can - there's a lot of artefacts down there that are probably even more powerful now. And Elias is still around. I hope she'll be alright.
Melanie too – she had such a great arc! She was steadily getting better, and she's okay now! Okay it was definitely a setback in her therapy when she couldn't explain why she gouged her eyes out ("call me an ambulance in five minutes, after I've finished stabbing myself in both eyes," holy shit) but still, she has support and she's getting help and she sounds a lot more stable. And she's with Georgie, who's fearless, and both of them have broadcasting experience – Georgie might even still be doing "What the Ghost" – I expect it'll become very popular soon.
I wonder what the servants and avatars of the other Powers are doing and how they reacted… especially Helen, and Simon Fairchild. Peter Lukas is gone, probably permanently – he's an asshole, but nevertheless I found him very entertaining.
We learned a lot about Gertrude – she was such a badass! Bound to Agnes since she was about twenty-five, huh. The fact that servants of the Lightless Flame protected her is hilarious. And she was really fucking ruthless: what she did to Eugene, ouch. And of course Michael Shelley, and Jan Kilbright. We also found out that she sought out Gerard because of a deal with Gerard's father Eric, interesting. (I'm still not sure why she turned Gerard into a page though.) She even admitted that she became fond of him! (in "Nemesis.")
Yeah, Gertrude got things done, but it's another question how much Jon should emulate her. At least, unlike Gertrude, by now he trusts his assistants and doesn't keep secrets from them.
Some of my favorite episodes/statements:
- #131 "Flesh", where Jon pays a rib for a statement
- #132 "Entombed", lots of Daisy feelings
- #135 "The Puppeteer," that is a very creepy construction
- #142 "Scrutiny" for making the Archivist very creepy indeed
- #143 "Heart of Darkness," poor Manuela Dominguez, heh; and also Jon can blow up a star by looking at it now
- #144 "Decrypted", Daisy trying to reach out to Martin but Martin sends her away and of course Peter Lukas is very happy
- #145 "Infectious Doubt," have I mentioned Gertrude is a badass
- #147 "Weaver," yeah what is free will even
- #151 "Big Picture," Simon Fairchild! And Martin! That was a lot of fun, and informative too.
- #152 "A Gravedigger's Envy," great story of how slowly one is taken over by The Buried, and Jon's conversation with Helen. "They" need him, huh.
- #153 "Love Bombing," great creepy cult depiction
- #154 "Bloody Mary," Keay family backstory
- #155 "Cost of Living," not subtle at all
- #157 "Rotten Core," Adelard Dekker was a badass as well (and purely human!), bad luck
- #158 "Panopticon," Martin confronting Peter andElias Jonah, and Daisy giving in to the hunt and making Basira promise to find her and kill her
- #159 "The Last" Peter Lukas statement – poor guy, heh. Still an asshole.
- #160 "The Eye Opens" – holy shit! Jonah Magnus is the worst.
And now, the apocalypse!
I want a Jonathan Sims vid to "Let's See How Far We've Come" because I love pain.
I thought at first I'd be frustrated to have to wait almost four months until the next season, but there's a lot of fanworks to check out, fic and meta etc., and so much time to speculate! And so many ideas and AUs to consider, and there are already so many episodes I want to listen to again…
I knew it was going to end with the apocalypse, and I knew about some things like Martin working with Peter Lukas and Jon losing a rib, but overall I had no idea why and how things were going to play out and it was wonderful. DD was excellent in not spoiling me too, idk how often she nodded and made thoughtful noises while I speculated about who could have sent Jared Hopworth those letters, and other "mysteries." ELIAS YOU BASTARD.
Jon was wonderful in this season. He woke up from a coma and said he felt "more real" now, and even though he was so afraid of turning into a monster he also for most of the season sounded more comfortable in his own skin than he'd been in a while, I loved that. He can not only force people to tell their stories now, sometimes at least he can also compel them to act, even more dangerous. And he starts going out to feed on people… and then stops when there's an intervention, fortunately, but for how long? What if people really do need him – or does he only tell himself that because he doesn't want to die. I loved all the statements and stories about people turning into monsters and how they justify it to themselves ("Cost of Living" was not very subtle) or don't – I also really loved all of Jon's conversations with Helen about it. And yeah it would be much easier if he were controlled but what is free will, really.
Still very curious about the tape recorders… so apparently they just show up now and people figure something interesting is going to happen. But they don't show up for every real statement either. Hmm. I loved that Martin piling the tape recorders on top of the coffin allowed Jon to find his way out of the Buried. And Martin's infinite battery plan ^^
From what I'd seen from the fandom, I expected much more Jon/Martin romance. That was a bit of a surprise. They hardly ever talked! As Peter Lukas points out, they barely know each other. But they each hold on to the image of the other because they need someone, some connection. I could see it as a romance but I could also see it as not, or at least I see it more as a romance in the very early stages.
Martin was great this season. Him snapping "sit back down!" at Simon Fairchild was one of my favorite parts. And refusing Peter Lukas at the end, too. Though Peter did get to him – I loved it when Martin said that yes, he has the power to talk to people, but he also has the power to clean the fridge and well, some things are hard…
I also really loved Daisy. Her time in the coffin was basically forced detox from something she lived with nearly all her life, and she knew that abstaining might eventually kill her but she didn't want to go back. Very similar problem to Jon, actually. And she only gave in to save Basira.
Poor Basira, sounds like she had a terrible time, especially right after the Unknowing. And now she's left alone in the Institute… Elias might still be down in the Panopticon, I assume he shifted it somehow so that Jon couldn't find it again to kill him, and then they didn't burn the Archives down because the police came because of the attack by Trevor and Julia. I bet a lot of other staff died in the attack, and then Not!Sasha was released as well… But now, with the apocalypse, sounds like a good time to burn down the Archives. If she even still can - there's a lot of artefacts down there that are probably even more powerful now. And Elias is still around. I hope she'll be alright.
Melanie too – she had such a great arc! She was steadily getting better, and she's okay now! Okay it was definitely a setback in her therapy when she couldn't explain why she gouged her eyes out ("call me an ambulance in five minutes, after I've finished stabbing myself in both eyes," holy shit) but still, she has support and she's getting help and she sounds a lot more stable. And she's with Georgie, who's fearless, and both of them have broadcasting experience – Georgie might even still be doing "What the Ghost" – I expect it'll become very popular soon.
I wonder what the servants and avatars of the other Powers are doing and how they reacted… especially Helen, and Simon Fairchild. Peter Lukas is gone, probably permanently – he's an asshole, but nevertheless I found him very entertaining.
We learned a lot about Gertrude – she was such a badass! Bound to Agnes since she was about twenty-five, huh. The fact that servants of the Lightless Flame protected her is hilarious. And she was really fucking ruthless: what she did to Eugene, ouch. And of course Michael Shelley, and Jan Kilbright. We also found out that she sought out Gerard because of a deal with Gerard's father Eric, interesting. (I'm still not sure why she turned Gerard into a page though.) She even admitted that she became fond of him! (in "Nemesis.")
Yeah, Gertrude got things done, but it's another question how much Jon should emulate her. At least, unlike Gertrude, by now he trusts his assistants and doesn't keep secrets from them.
Some of my favorite episodes/statements:
- #131 "Flesh", where Jon pays a rib for a statement
- #132 "Entombed", lots of Daisy feelings
- #135 "The Puppeteer," that is a very creepy construction
- #142 "Scrutiny" for making the Archivist very creepy indeed
- #143 "Heart of Darkness," poor Manuela Dominguez, heh; and also Jon can blow up a star by looking at it now
- #144 "Decrypted", Daisy trying to reach out to Martin but Martin sends her away and of course Peter Lukas is very happy
- #145 "Infectious Doubt," have I mentioned Gertrude is a badass
- #147 "Weaver," yeah what is free will even
- #151 "Big Picture," Simon Fairchild! And Martin! That was a lot of fun, and informative too.
- #152 "A Gravedigger's Envy," great story of how slowly one is taken over by The Buried, and Jon's conversation with Helen. "They" need him, huh.
- #153 "Love Bombing," great creepy cult depiction
- #154 "Bloody Mary," Keay family backstory
- #155 "Cost of Living," not subtle at all
- #157 "Rotten Core," Adelard Dekker was a badass as well (and purely human!), bad luck
- #158 "Panopticon," Martin confronting Peter and
- #159 "The Last" Peter Lukas statement – poor guy, heh. Still an asshole.
- #160 "The Eye Opens" – holy shit! Jonah Magnus is the worst.
And now, the apocalypse!
I want a Jonathan Sims vid to "Let's See How Far We've Come" because I love pain.
I thought at first I'd be frustrated to have to wait almost four months until the next season, but there's a lot of fanworks to check out, fic and meta etc., and so much time to speculate! And so many ideas and AUs to consider, and there are already so many episodes I want to listen to again…
