TMA #187 Checking Out
Nov. 12th, 2020 06:41 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
schneefinkI felt frustrated because I wanted to post about TMA #187 but I haven't finished writing reviews for episodes #177-186, and only then did I realize that I don't have to write or post those first, I'm not actually obligated to review every episode. I'd still like to, there were some great episodes, but I can do that later. (Great excuse for a re-listen during the upcoming next hiatus, for example.)
So, #187!
Jon in Helen's domain! Basically, Jon in Helen, heh. He sounds so done with everything and I'm so glad that he has Martin to give him hugs (soon.) If he didn't, uh-oh. He does say he knows it could be a wonderful existence if he let himself enjoy it. Though I'm pretty sure Helen only kept telling him to embrace his monster side because she knew he wouldn't, because I don't think she would have liked him becoming more powerful and not a potential victim anymore.
Helen did seem to want Jon to go through her, I'm wondering how she thought it would go. If she thought that Jon making a final decision whether or not to destroy her was inevitable, getting him to make it now and without Martin was probably not the worst plan. She also admitted that she was still trying to figure out if there was a way she could destroy Jon.
The tape recorders feeling more "awake", exciting.
Helen Classic was a secret Tory xD
Helen commenting the statement xD And then Jon and Helen talking over the victim; Jon does try to help her at first even though he knows he can't. But it's still clear she's a, what's the word, NPC? less, hm, important than them, on a different, hah, level. (I thought at first that Jon angrily telling her not to touch him seems maybe part of that, just that he didn't expect it, but also Jon has had several bad experiences with people touching him against his will, no wonder he doesn't like it, and Helen saying it has something to do with "keeping his humanity" is so clearly just her messing with him.) Even Jon saying he could make her an avatar seemed at least as much a threat to Helen as it was about helping the victim. (Finally a character named Alex, and it's a lost little boy xD)
Though I'm not even that surprised. I'm not sure how well Jon can sort of blend out everyone's suffering everywhere, I think by now he might be better at it but especially in the beginning not so much, so it's no wonder that it's hard for him to care for every individual suffering. Our minds can't deal with something so big. And yes, Jon is the Archivist, but that's just Knowledge, not necessarily the ability to comprehend it.
"Listen, Jon, I don't come up and tell you how to pull horror from people's brains, do I?"
"You do a bit, actually."
"Okay, that's fair."
Their interactions are so much fun.
The Distortion, "the embodiment of the fear of lies and delusion," actually "the question of what lurks behind a smile" – that is so great, it works so well and in hindsight it seems obvious and makes perfect sense. It worked on me, too! "Michael" and "Helen" have constantly made the entire Archives crew wonder if they're their ally or even friend or not, so of course they had to be helpful sometimes, and then betray them the next day, and you never know for sure. Now I'm even more doubtful how much of Michael/Helen Classic there was ever left, that will definitely shed a different light on their previous appearances.
(This will probably make it harder for me to enjoy something rich and strange, the Martin/"Michael" I unexpectedly really liked; otoh I really want "Michael"&Gertrude fic now.)
Helen stopping Jon from smiting her was great. For a moment I actually thought Jon was in trouble! In hindsight, even if he couldn't destroy her he could probably have made his way out eventually and then avoided her, but as he said, she could be very dangerous, not to him but other people; now that we know what she actually is I think she's even more dangerous to Martin specifically. Plus, bonus, Jon actually seems to believe now that there is a chance, however small, that they can find a way to undo the apocalypse! Helen would definitely try to prevent that.
So of course he tries to destroy her. And instead of "only" stopping Jon from killing her, Helen threatens to keep him trapped until Martin and "any of your little gang" are dead and he'll have nobody else. Ouch.
"I will end you." Of course.
It didn't even take long! He provoked her on purpose, but still, that was faster than I thought, she must have been very rattled indeed.
"Helen. Was that… a lie?" :D
That unraveling was a great smiting. (Though I am curious how exactly it worked – did being caught in a lie destabilize Helen enough so that Jon could focus the Eye better? Ah well, dream logic.)
Jon destroying Helen killed everyone trapped inside her, according to her, but death works differently now so who knows? Helen lies. (And even if, isn't death a relief compared to endless horror? I wasn't surprised that that didn't stop Jon.)
Jon fell directly into Martin's arms :D
"I didn't realize I'm quite so argumentative."
*audibly smiling* "I mean…"
"You don't need to comment."
<3
"Do you? Want to mourn?"
"A bit, I guess. I mean, she was our friend. Sort of. A bit." Yeah, Martin was great victim material for the Distortion. "Until you killed her. Which I'm sure you had to do."
London! :D
Just over a dozen episodes left!
(I remembered why I stopped writing these reviews: they always end up taking longer than I expected.)
So, #187!
Jon in Helen's domain! Basically, Jon in Helen, heh. He sounds so done with everything and I'm so glad that he has Martin to give him hugs (soon.) If he didn't, uh-oh. He does say he knows it could be a wonderful existence if he let himself enjoy it. Though I'm pretty sure Helen only kept telling him to embrace his monster side because she knew he wouldn't, because I don't think she would have liked him becoming more powerful and not a potential victim anymore.
Helen did seem to want Jon to go through her, I'm wondering how she thought it would go. If she thought that Jon making a final decision whether or not to destroy her was inevitable, getting him to make it now and without Martin was probably not the worst plan. She also admitted that she was still trying to figure out if there was a way she could destroy Jon.
The tape recorders feeling more "awake", exciting.
Helen Classic was a secret Tory xD
Helen commenting the statement xD And then Jon and Helen talking over the victim; Jon does try to help her at first even though he knows he can't. But it's still clear she's a, what's the word, NPC? less, hm, important than them, on a different, hah, level. (I thought at first that Jon angrily telling her not to touch him seems maybe part of that, just that he didn't expect it, but also Jon has had several bad experiences with people touching him against his will, no wonder he doesn't like it, and Helen saying it has something to do with "keeping his humanity" is so clearly just her messing with him.) Even Jon saying he could make her an avatar seemed at least as much a threat to Helen as it was about helping the victim. (Finally a character named Alex, and it's a lost little boy xD)
Though I'm not even that surprised. I'm not sure how well Jon can sort of blend out everyone's suffering everywhere, I think by now he might be better at it but especially in the beginning not so much, so it's no wonder that it's hard for him to care for every individual suffering. Our minds can't deal with something so big. And yes, Jon is the Archivist, but that's just Knowledge, not necessarily the ability to comprehend it.
"Listen, Jon, I don't come up and tell you how to pull horror from people's brains, do I?"
"You do a bit, actually."
"Okay, that's fair."
Their interactions are so much fun.
The Distortion, "the embodiment of the fear of lies and delusion," actually "the question of what lurks behind a smile" – that is so great, it works so well and in hindsight it seems obvious and makes perfect sense. It worked on me, too! "Michael" and "Helen" have constantly made the entire Archives crew wonder if they're their ally or even friend or not, so of course they had to be helpful sometimes, and then betray them the next day, and you never know for sure. Now I'm even more doubtful how much of Michael/Helen Classic there was ever left, that will definitely shed a different light on their previous appearances.
(This will probably make it harder for me to enjoy something rich and strange, the Martin/"Michael" I unexpectedly really liked; otoh I really want "Michael"&Gertrude fic now.)
Helen stopping Jon from smiting her was great. For a moment I actually thought Jon was in trouble! In hindsight, even if he couldn't destroy her he could probably have made his way out eventually and then avoided her, but as he said, she could be very dangerous, not to him but other people; now that we know what she actually is I think she's even more dangerous to Martin specifically. Plus, bonus, Jon actually seems to believe now that there is a chance, however small, that they can find a way to undo the apocalypse! Helen would definitely try to prevent that.
So of course he tries to destroy her. And instead of "only" stopping Jon from killing her, Helen threatens to keep him trapped until Martin and "any of your little gang" are dead and he'll have nobody else. Ouch.
"I will end you." Of course.
It didn't even take long! He provoked her on purpose, but still, that was faster than I thought, she must have been very rattled indeed.
"Helen. Was that… a lie?" :D
That unraveling was a great smiting. (Though I am curious how exactly it worked – did being caught in a lie destabilize Helen enough so that Jon could focus the Eye better? Ah well, dream logic.)
Jon destroying Helen killed everyone trapped inside her, according to her, but death works differently now so who knows? Helen lies. (And even if, isn't death a relief compared to endless horror? I wasn't surprised that that didn't stop Jon.)
Jon fell directly into Martin's arms :D
"I didn't realize I'm quite so argumentative."
*audibly smiling* "I mean…"
"You don't need to comment."
<3
"Do you? Want to mourn?"
"A bit, I guess. I mean, she was our friend. Sort of. A bit." Yeah, Martin was great victim material for the Distortion. "Until you killed her. Which I'm sure you had to do."
London! :D
Just over a dozen episodes left!
(I remembered why I stopped writing these reviews: they always end up taking longer than I expected.)
no subject
Date: 2020-11-13 12:02 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-11-13 03:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-11-13 01:29 am (UTC)LONDON SO CLOSE NOW aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.
This is a wonderful review and I really enjoyed it. <3
no subject
Date: 2020-11-13 03:57 pm (UTC)London!! Geography doesn't exist anymore, so it could still be a while until the panopticon, but still, it's close!
I'm glad you enjoyed it :)