TMA #169 - #171

[schneefink]

More (short) TMA episode reviews. I love the show, but it is a tragedy and some weeks that's easier to deal with than others.
These episodes were a great showcase of how much the effect of each episode depends on what connection I have to the fears featured.

#169: Fire Escape
I suspect that this one was particularly "effective" for people from the UK, especially from London, who were strongly reminded of the Grenfell fire. Personally I liked it fine, but it didn't stand out. I approve of the ever-stronger "fuck capitalism" vibes, and I'm amused that now in the apocalypse it seems that many of the scenarios encountered seem less supernatural than those before. The scary things in this episode were all "mundane."

I enjoyed Jon wanting to kill Jude for revenge, and Martin being more hesitant about it. Martin used to be very enthusiastic about killing monsters, but the reality of it is different. Especially when you get burned by fire, and yes, pain does damage.
And I enjoyed how Jon did admit that he likes seeing the pain and fear, but at the same time Jude's claim that she and Jon are the same was clearly ridiculous.


#170: Recollections
Now this one, ouch. The aspects of the Lonely that so closely align with depression already hit pretty hard with Martin in season 4, and here even more so.
This is one of the very few episodes where I'm not interested in listening again, I could barely make myself glance at the transcript.


#171: The Gardener
This one didn't come close to any fear I personally feel strongly, so at times I even managed to mostly ignore the gruesome parts and then it was oddly relaxing. Very nice language. And Bone Rose and Lily of the Damned etc. are cool flower names.

"We are doing good, right?" Oh Martin…
Meanwhile, Jon: "I don't know if that was ever an option." And about caring about what happens to Jared's victims: "I can't. There's too many. I can't save everyone. I c- I can't save anyone." So all he can do is get revenge. And try to ignore how much part of him enjoys all the fear and pain he sees. Poor Jon :((( but also, I'm really looking forward to seeing how the story develops. He invoked the Ceaseless Watcher again, interesting.

I also really enjoy imagining Jonah watching Jon and Martin on their way. He might not be able to, who knows - hard to gauge "power", if anything Jon is probably more powerful but Jonah is sitting in the Panopticon.


And as an aside, I'm generally not interested in TMA RPF, but I'm so amused I can't help but point out that "not just for the sake of some audio" doesn't mean never.

Comments

[kindkit]

I'm waaaaaaaay more into TMA RPF than I thought I'd be, or wanted to be.* So I'm very much in favor of Alex and Jonny making out, with permission from their spouses, of course.

*I haven't actually read or written any. But I think about it a lot.

[schneefink]

Of course now I had to check the Archive to see what exists xD
I think being more into something than one wanted to be is just part of the fandom experience.

[writerkit]

This entry also prompted me to go see what exists, although I'm sufficiently squicked by RPF that I didn't actually look at any of it. (I was *super amused* in another fandom with characters who are famous in-universe when a fic was done as "their in-universe fans are writing RPF of them complete with fandom drama", though, so it's all a question of point of view.)

[schneefink]

I think I read that once for The Untamed and it was a lot of fun xD I'd love to see more of that.