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Class S1.1 For Tonight We Might Die
Happy Birthday Doctor Who. This was not deliberate, but my thoughts on the first episode of Class are finally done. No spoilers for later stuff, enjoy.
(This is long. I didn’t know how to tackle it, but in the end I decided to do it episode-by-episode, as that way I hopefully wouldn’t miss anything, and the episodes are so good that they all deserve a write-up.)
British School System
It occurred to me that the school system might not be straightforward to understand, so under the cut there's a simple guide. (When English people talk about 'High school' they mean something different to what Americans mean...)
Primary School. Reception & Years 1 – 6 (ages 4/5 – 11)
Secondary School/High School. Years 7 – 11 (ages 11 – 16)
The last two years are devoted to taking GCSEs (Level 2 qualifications)
Ten different subjects or more is fairly normal.
Sixth Form/College. Years 12 – 13 (Further Education/ Level 3 qualifications. A-Levels or vocational courses. (ages 16-18)
Some High Schools have Sixth Forms, so the children can progress within the same school. (Coal Hill is clearly one of these, as we see many younger students in school uniform.) Otherwise they will have to apply to a Sixth Form and/or Further Education College to continue their education.
Sixth Form is the academic route which means A-Levels only: three or four courses in different subjects, after which they can go to university (the characters in Class are all doing A-Levels).
Colleges can also offer Vocational Courses, preparing students for specific sector jobs, like f.ex. hairdressing, child care, construction or public services. These are more hands on.
University (Higher Education) (18+)
Yes, some universities have ‘colleges’ (like King’s College f.ex.), but this is different to Further Education. If you talk about ‘college’ in a British sense, it will be analogues to what in America is ‘High School’.
The characters in Class are in their first year of College (/Sixth Form), so Year 12, and are 16 turning 17.
As I happen to a) have two daughters this age (one is in Year 11, the other in Year 13 – so one either side of the Class characters), and b) work in a FE College (thus having continual contact with students the exact age of the Class characters), this was very much a world I could relate to.
I can also say that it’s well observed, and pretty accurate.
Re. why Coal Hill is suddenly flash & modern (when it was far less glamorous last time we saw it), that would be explained by the fact that it is now an Academy (we see the sign almost immediately):
'Academies are publicly funded independent schools, free from local authority and national government control. The Academies Act 2010 made it possible for any primary, secondary or special school to become an academy.' More info here. It's a fairly new thing, and basically they get more money, hence the new digs.
Right, so, For Tonight We Might Die
Thoughts on pilot episodes
A pilot has to do many things.
a) Introduce the characters, make them memorable & help us understand who they are and make us care about them
b) Set out the premise of the show, what it does and how, which kind of stories it tells
c) Have a plot that hooks the viewer and makes them interested enough to keep watching
d) Preferably do all this with Show Don’t Tell
Pilots are almost in a genre of their own. Some fly. Some have flaws that you have to overlook, hoping that the rest of the show will pick up. (Firefly’s pilot is an example of how to do it right – at the end I knew all 9 main characters – BY NAME AND I AM RUBBISH AT REMEMBERING NAMES (no really, I never learned the Potentials names on Buffy), but very very few shows manage that.)
Added to that, different things work for different people. What intrigues one viewer, will put another off.
I came to Class with no particular expectations. I knew the creator, Patrick Ness, was well-liked as an author, but that does not necessarily translate to a good TV show. I knew it was a spin-off set in Coal Hill, but had looked up exactly zero information, and seen a single trailer (which made me laugh, but made no particular impression beyond that). I was hoping for entertaining, I think, nothing more.
And previous Doctor Who spin-offs made me a little wary.
The Sarah Jane Adventures was sweet, but absolutely a children’s show, and the writing was primary colours simplistic at times. (My kids loved it, and it was a lovely, lovely show, but it was not really for me.)
Torchwood… Oh lord, where do I start. It premiered on my birthday (just like Class), and I was – along with rest of fandom – very excited. But Torchwood veered madly in the ‘adult’ direction, thinking grim, dark and sexual was the same as ‘adult’.
Don’t get me wrong, I grew to love it, in all its flawed, wonderful glory. ANYTHING was possible and it hurt me in ways no other show has.
But no one would deny that it had a rocky start, that the quality fluctuated wildly and the characters were very very opaque. (Of course the fact that it was pure crack was one of the things I loved most about it. And ye gods, the fic… *nostalgic sigh*)
Anyway, the combination of all these factors also made me lower any expectations I might have. Esp. as ‘high school show’ is not easy to pull off.
Added to that, it had to stand on its own feet. The Doctor would be guest starring in the first episode, but it did not have the hook of a previous companion to lure people in & make them stick with it.
To my most pleasant surprise, it worked. And it worked well. Indeed, it hooked me better than ‘Rose’ did in its day. (Again, this is personal preference. I know people who were there from the first moments of Rose’s day.) Anyway, my reaction to For Tonight We Might Die was pretty much along the lines of this Tumblr user’s:
But how does the pilot do what it does? At this point, I’ll drag out what Moffat said about Smith & Jones:
For Tonight We Might Die does very well on this score. It introduces six main characters, as well as a supporting characters like parents and teachers, and the world they inhabit, sets up story arcs and creates inter-personal conflicts. Whilst also telling a story. But let me get to the episode itself…
For Tonight We Might Die
There have been a lot of posts comparing Class to Buffy, and the very beginning of the episode reminded me of Buffy very much.
In the cold open of the first episode of Buffy we have a boy and girl sneaking into a high school, the boy egging on the girl (pretty, blonde). She then turns around and eats him. Very nice subversion.
Here: School. After dark. Boy running, terrified. Close-up of Autumn Prom poster. He runs into a room, and is pulled aside by a blonde woman. Then black smoke seeps through under the door, turns into a monster. Cut to hallway, the sound of a shot fired, and a scream. And then - a tear in reality, through which we can see a dark and burning world – and through the tear comes more shadowy smoke…
Cue titles.
(I love the titles!)
Simple, but effective. (If you keep a list, these points are ticked off: school, prom, tear in reality, Miss Quill, shadow kin. Not bad for 30 seconds or so.)
Cut to next morning, and we’re outside the school, watching students arrive. This again is very reminiscent of Buffy. (Also nice note that we see a police officer leaving. Ties in well with the cold open.)
And indeed, all the main characters are introduced in swift order.
Charlie, looking a bit lost, and Ram knocking his books out of his hands. (geek/bully established in a few seconds flat). Then Tanya and April chatting, and we swiftly discover that April is the one who is organising the Autumn prom, and Tanya is the younger student who has been moved up several years.
The Bechdel test comment is also telling. It shows that the writers are aware, but it also helps to define Tanya – the very bright 14-year-old, who undoubtedly hangs out on Tumblr, and is just that bit younger, learning from the internet rather than social interaction, analysing conversations as she’s having them against the norms she has absorbed.
Then there is the painfully awkward scene of April asking Charlie to the Prom, which also includes Charlie noticing the burn marks on the floor from Quill’s gun…
First scene in Miss Quill's class is also excellent in setting up characters, how they react, what they’re like.
Tanya’s somewhat cutting remark about Downton Abbey, and April’s reaction. Charlie googling ‘Idris Elba’. Miss Quill saying Ram hears silent applause whenever he walks into a room. Charlie & Matteusz’ little look. Miss Quill dropping Charlie’s phone.
Incidentally, 'Where are you from?'/'Sheffield' is one of the best jokes in the whole episode. For Americans: He might as well have said Alabama, that's how unlikely that answer is. And then, later, it becomes clear that this is obviously what the Doctor told them to say, and that adds a whole other level of humour! < 3
Also April is SO PAINFUL OH GOD, trying to hand out fliers to get people to help. And Charlie is good at that slightly-autistic-but-actually-alien thing. It's quite subtle.
Shallow note: Ram (on football field) is VERY VERY FIT. Dayum.
Oh and the scene in the shop (when Tanya runs away from the shadows). Seriously, this show is like a slice of Britain that just got cut out of real life & put on TV (and then they added a monster or two). It's ridiculously well done. Btw there’s another little note here, when the shop keeper says he’s still not used to seeing Tanya without her uniform. Primary & secondary school pupils have to wear uniforms (as we can see the younger students at Coal Hill doing), but one of the perks of College is that they can wear their own clothes. This is obviously still a new thing for Tanya. Also nice little snapshot of Tanya’s home life in the scene with her mother.
Charlie & Quill living together – and their odd ‘relationship’, where he can order her around – was a delightful surprise. Suddenly the viewer has to re-evaluate everything they know. Things are not what they seem, characters can not be taken at surface level. (Also, just the way Quill eats chocolate. It’s a little thing, but a nice character note.)
Headmaster: 'God how Shoreditch has changed' is fabulous. Having lived in the East End, I can concur. (This show is chockfull of British in-jokes.) And poor April, trying to make the best of having to do Everything Herself… Except then SHADOWS COME.
April, Ram, Tanya – they all encounter the shadows separately, but then come together.
Ram & Tanya through their web chat – and again, we see that a) Ram needs help and b) he hides it from everyone else. Tanya tries to reach out, and he rebuffs her. Except then she is attacked, and he becomes genuinely concerned and scared. (Also, Tanya already thinks of ‘more light’ to combat the shadows, but fails at this point.)
April’s encounter is broken up by Quill and Charlie, and we get a ton of exposition.
April: "You're either alien or Amish [beat] I'm totally not prejudiced."
She's so SWEET! <3
Although Miss Quill calling her 'ludicrous Care Bear' is also noted & appreciated.
And then we have Corakinus intruding and Quill giving April the gun, which leads to unforeseen circumstances, and sharing-a-heart. (Plus, Charlie saves her.) And we get our first proper look at our Shadow Kin antagonists.
Using April's visualisation of the alien planet is a stroke of genius. The whole Hogwarts feel, and the 'Did you look alien & had to modify your appearance' is delightful. It’s a very clever way to create an alien world ‘on the cheap’ as it were, and also tells us a good bit about April’s mindscape.
Plus, the exposition is nicely broken up by Quill’s comments, rejecting Charlie’s narrative. Moral: Don’t trust everything you hear; the truth is complicated.
TARDIS sound... And the Doctor's S1 theme. I don't know why, but I just absolutely love that they used the very first theme. Of course it's Twelve who'll guest star later on, but it's the Doctor who saves them, if that makes sense.
It’s like a new (old) motif running through a song.
Next day our young heroes bond of shared shadow encounters, and we see how the shared experiences help turn them into a group, rather than separate individuals.
Sidebar: I adore Ram's father. His comments as he sees Ram off for the Prom are wonderful. Also it’s just nice to see good father-figures on TV. And many points to Ram for finding a way for Tanya to attend the Prom. He cares, when he wants.
The Charlie/Matteusz scene when Charlie calls to pick up his date is just wonderful. I love Matteusz’s dry sarcasm, and Charlie’s complete inability to grasp it.
“You are a very strange person.” (FYI Matteusz is probably my favourite. After Ianto I vowed never to become attached to mortal characters again and yet HERE I AM!) And I love the fact that he’s Polish. It’s a wonderfully diverse cast. <3
Re. Ram & Rachel: "That's how you do a Prom!" Did I mention the shallow part? Mmm, that's such a gorgeous scene though. Esp Matteusz just staring & Charlie going 'I'm dressed really nice'... Seriously. Not complaining.
Although then Rachel gets ded which is sad. It’s very brutal, and Ram losing a leg hammers home that it’s a more grown up show. Not gratuitously, but we get the message.
Oh and Charlie dressed up, w/ gun, is very James Bond. Which is sort of odd, because he looks so ordinary – Ram is the pin-up (and well he knows it), but the Princes scrubs up well.
Oh and when April starts yelling (her frustration bursting its banks), the girl in crowd who asks: "Do they do this at American Proms?" is also spot-on. We import so much from America.
Minor quibble - why don't they hit a fire alarm? Counter point - would they know where one was? Also, do people think clearly when they’re panicking?
Quill's snarky comments are life. :)
Also, "Well, there's nothing left to do but to die well..." Seriously. All the love.
And enter the Doctor.
Now, it’s interesting… It’s nice seeing the Doctor, of course. But he’s very much a guest character. He comes in, and he just takes up most of the space, telling off the Shadow Kin and generally being Doctor-y.
Not that they all just stand around. April is proactive (and ready to impale herself!), we find out about The Cabinet of Souls (THE IKEA LINE IS SO GOOD!) meaning we discover another part of in ‘verse lore. And Charlie totally sells the lie.
Also, love how Tanya is being smart, with a lovely bit of show (and tell on the Doctor's part).
Tanya calling the sonic a laser pointer is fab. I don't think we've ever had that before. And Ram saves the day when Corakinus holds April hostage… Dammit, he deserves it.
Also, the Shadow Kin are nicely established as an ongoing Big Bad. And not just because of Charlie and Quill, but now April is a literal anchor to that side.
Generally the whole Doctor cameo is delightful. But I’m happy be buggers off again; he gets in the way. Although not before he sets everything up – guilt trips Quill into helping and generally tries to be all upbeat and ‘Sure you can do this!’
Then a few nice and quiet scenes. We find out about April’s mother ending up in the wheelchair due to ‘an accident’, and how she isn’t a stranger to hardship. These people have layers. It’s something that’s hammered home throughout, and it works.
There is also Ram instinctively turning to Tanya, hurt and devastated. In the course of 50 minutes they go from him paying her for help with his homework, to him turning to her when in pain. And it’s all clearly laid out and organic.
Quill and Charlie are interesting… We get a deeper look at their dynamic, now informed by all the information we have had throughout the episode.
And oh, the very ending… Gorgeous. Utterly, stupendously gorgeous. Charlie lied, and how. The visuals are exquisitely beautiful, the music haunting and melancholy.
“Do you know the feeling of dread?” Charlie asks, and damn, if that isn’t a hook and a half.
~~~
Overall: Good, solid opening (which incidentally is eminently re-watchable). All characters introduced & clearly defined. Makes you keep watching. It's well paced, the character scenes have room to breathe, the exposition doesn't feel exposition-y, and is parcelled out neatly.
Extra bonus points worth more than gold: None of the main characters is a straight, white male.
(No trans characters, although a sort-of case could be made for Charlie. I’ll address this as it becomes relevant in later episodes.) (It’s not representation, more bringing up the issues.)
Overall, I like the fact that this show deals with the stories that we normally don't get to see:
DOCTOR: Called you an idiot. Sorry, but there's no way we could have rescued your men.
OCTAVIAN: I know that, sir. And when you've flown away in your little blue box, I'll explain that to their families.
I like how it's quietly meshed into the wider 'verse - the Doctor apart, I mean, he's obviously just there to get the ball rolling. You don’t need to know Doctor Who at all, which is good.
Incidentally the episode title is neat – it’s exactly the sort of over-the-top line that teenagers would use.
Characters
As character stuff is always my thing, I’ll go through the characters one-by-one. In alphabetical order, as I can’t ‘rank’ them otherwise… (It’s too early to try to look at arcs or storylines.)
April (my half-hearted daughter) – The ‘nice’, sweet, dutiful girl. Everyone knows someone like her. With a disabled mother to boot. Your typical ‘victim’ it seems – except she refuses to play that role, quickly figuring out that sharing a heart with Korikanus means she has leverage. (There is a good deal of ‘Sweet little Clara, works at the Rose And Crown, ideas above her station’ to April.) And she explicitly rejects that narrative at the end. The thing is, she *is* kind and helpful and all the rest. But there is more to her. (This is a running theme. The characters are all shown to be more complex than the initial set-up, and it’s all done here. Further episodes build on it of course, but we have both the simplistic categorising that the viewer will unconsciously do, and then the narrative correcting that impression: Stop. Not so simple.)
Charlie (my gay alien prince son) – Well, ‘gay’ might not be quite accurate. We know he’s attracted to human males, but that does not rule out other things. However, that’s almost a sidebar. He’s something of a cliché – the lost alien prince, The Last of His Kind, mourning for his people. Except it’s more complicated, and he’s a much murkier character than, say, Buffy was [in the beginning]. He has no powers, and is not introduced as a hero.
Importantly, he is the product of privilege, and clearly finds it hard to question the values and norms he’s been brought up with – we see this most plainly in his conflict with Quill, and his simple acceptance of his people’s ‘punishments’. And we know that the Cabinet of Souls is not empty, so he has the power of genocide at his fingertips… it makes for a nicely complex and multi-faceted character right off the bat. (Thought: Why did he choose Charles Smith as his name? Or was that the Doctor? Was ‘Prince Charles’ a deliberate thing?)
Matteusz (my gay polish son) – We don’t know much about him so far, except he is out to his parents, who do not approve of his sexual orientation. But he really likes Charlie, is up for a good time at the Prom, and has a brilliant line in cutting sarcasm. He is also concerned about April not having a date, and invites her to join himself and Charlie – this might come from knowing what it’s like to be an outsider. (Also just – the main ship is gay!! It’s like Torchwood’s second coming. <3)
Quill (my alien murder wife) – Unlike Charlie who has taken a very ordinary human name, Quill has chosen the name of her species as her own. She was a freedom fighter/terrorist, is used to warfare, and happiest when she can do something and fight. She is furious over their fate, and can’t understand Charlie’s seeming calm. She is also furious about her situation as Charlie’s ‘slave’, but – as we see from her flashback to the cold open – takes the boy’s death to heart more than she lets on. There are deep feelings below the surface. And she gets most of the best lines. <3 (If you loved Spike or River, Quill is the character for you. Except without the obsessive love.) I am wondering about her name, as in whether ‘quill’ is somehow deliberate. Thoughts welcome.
Ram (my suffering football player son) Oh Ram. Snarky, suave, street smart, athletic, handsome – the guy who in an American drama would probably be called a ‘jock’? It would be easy to make him a ‘bad guy’ (and he is that guy who picks on others), yet the show delves deeper. He’s not a bad kid, and cares more than he really lets on. And we see he is incredibly brave when push comes to shove. I’m wondering if fandom is woobie-fying him. And it’s not often we see Sikh characters on TV.
Tanya (my 14 year-old hacker daughter) Tanya is very much the brains of the outfit. Younger than the others, and hyper aware of this. She is very bright, and also clearly loves learning. Also observant (she has a suspicion that Charlie might be gay) and caring. (So far her mother is a bit of a cliché, but looking ahead without spoiling anything, I can say that this will be delved into more.)
I’ll get back to all of them later, but I just wanted to note down how much information the show crams into its first episode…
Please try to keep comments spoiler-free, I want these posts to stand alone. And I *will* try to write faster… Somehow. /o\
In short: SHOW IS AMAZING AND EATING MY HEAD. ♥
(This is long. I didn’t know how to tackle it, but in the end I decided to do it episode-by-episode, as that way I hopefully wouldn’t miss anything, and the episodes are so good that they all deserve a write-up.)
It occurred to me that the school system might not be straightforward to understand, so under the cut there's a simple guide. (When English people talk about 'High school' they mean something different to what Americans mean...)
Primary School. Reception & Years 1 – 6 (ages 4/5 – 11)
Secondary School/High School. Years 7 – 11 (ages 11 – 16)
The last two years are devoted to taking GCSEs (Level 2 qualifications)
Ten different subjects or more is fairly normal.
Sixth Form/College. Years 12 – 13 (Further Education/ Level 3 qualifications. A-Levels or vocational courses. (ages 16-18)
Some High Schools have Sixth Forms, so the children can progress within the same school. (Coal Hill is clearly one of these, as we see many younger students in school uniform.) Otherwise they will have to apply to a Sixth Form and/or Further Education College to continue their education.
Sixth Form is the academic route which means A-Levels only: three or four courses in different subjects, after which they can go to university (the characters in Class are all doing A-Levels).
Colleges can also offer Vocational Courses, preparing students for specific sector jobs, like f.ex. hairdressing, child care, construction or public services. These are more hands on.
University (Higher Education) (18+)
Yes, some universities have ‘colleges’ (like King’s College f.ex.), but this is different to Further Education. If you talk about ‘college’ in a British sense, it will be analogues to what in America is ‘High School’.
The characters in Class are in their first year of College (/Sixth Form), so Year 12, and are 16 turning 17.
As I happen to a) have two daughters this age (one is in Year 11, the other in Year 13 – so one either side of the Class characters), and b) work in a FE College (thus having continual contact with students the exact age of the Class characters), this was very much a world I could relate to.
I can also say that it’s well observed, and pretty accurate.
Re. why Coal Hill is suddenly flash & modern (when it was far less glamorous last time we saw it), that would be explained by the fact that it is now an Academy (we see the sign almost immediately):
'Academies are publicly funded independent schools, free from local authority and national government control. The Academies Act 2010 made it possible for any primary, secondary or special school to become an academy.' More info here. It's a fairly new thing, and basically they get more money, hence the new digs.
Right, so, For Tonight We Might Die
A pilot has to do many things.
a) Introduce the characters, make them memorable & help us understand who they are and make us care about them
b) Set out the premise of the show, what it does and how, which kind of stories it tells
c) Have a plot that hooks the viewer and makes them interested enough to keep watching
d) Preferably do all this with Show Don’t Tell
Pilots are almost in a genre of their own. Some fly. Some have flaws that you have to overlook, hoping that the rest of the show will pick up. (Firefly’s pilot is an example of how to do it right – at the end I knew all 9 main characters – BY NAME AND I AM RUBBISH AT REMEMBERING NAMES (no really, I never learned the Potentials names on Buffy), but very very few shows manage that.)
Added to that, different things work for different people. What intrigues one viewer, will put another off.
I came to Class with no particular expectations. I knew the creator, Patrick Ness, was well-liked as an author, but that does not necessarily translate to a good TV show. I knew it was a spin-off set in Coal Hill, but had looked up exactly zero information, and seen a single trailer (which made me laugh, but made no particular impression beyond that). I was hoping for entertaining, I think, nothing more.
And previous Doctor Who spin-offs made me a little wary.
The Sarah Jane Adventures was sweet, but absolutely a children’s show, and the writing was primary colours simplistic at times. (My kids loved it, and it was a lovely, lovely show, but it was not really for me.)
Torchwood… Oh lord, where do I start. It premiered on my birthday (just like Class), and I was – along with rest of fandom – very excited. But Torchwood veered madly in the ‘adult’ direction, thinking grim, dark and sexual was the same as ‘adult’.
Don’t get me wrong, I grew to love it, in all its flawed, wonderful glory. ANYTHING was possible and it hurt me in ways no other show has.
But no one would deny that it had a rocky start, that the quality fluctuated wildly and the characters were very very opaque. (Of course the fact that it was pure crack was one of the things I loved most about it. And ye gods, the fic… *nostalgic sigh*)
Anyway, the combination of all these factors also made me lower any expectations I might have. Esp. as ‘high school show’ is not easy to pull off.
Added to that, it had to stand on its own feet. The Doctor would be guest starring in the first episode, but it did not have the hook of a previous companion to lure people in & make them stick with it.
To my most pleasant surprise, it worked. And it worked well. Indeed, it hooked me better than ‘Rose’ did in its day. (Again, this is personal preference. I know people who were there from the first moments of Rose’s day.) Anyway, my reaction to For Tonight We Might Die was pretty much along the lines of this Tumblr user’s:
me: *watches the first episode of class*
me: don't talk to me or my gay alien prince son or my suffering football player son or my 14 year-old hacker daughter or my half-hearted daughter or my gay polish son or my alien murder wife ever again
x
But how does the pilot do what it does? At this point, I’ll drag out what Moffat said about Smith & Jones:
Anyone who's interested in writing should study that script - it's one of the most technically brilliant scripts you'll ever get your hands on. The construction of it is dazzling, and yet - and this is the REALLY dazzling part - it's designed to feel light and airy and simple. And for that dim-witted reason, people think it IS simple. It's not, it's incredible. Look, what's folded away in all that gorgeous froth. A new main character, whole and complete - an old friend within minutes. Her entire background and family, all there for us, perfectly clear. And while all that’s going on, AT THE SAME TIME, a hospital gets stolen and taken to the (bloody) moon. All this in under ten minutes! And never mind all that, the entire format of the entire show is explained and sold to a brand new audience. Stunning. But - and this what makes your blood boil - because it's made to LOOK easy, idiots and critics think it IS easy. Try it! Go on, get yer pen, TRY it.
Thing is, I get a lot of praise for the complexity of Blink, and quite bloody right too. But because I know what I'm talking about, I can tell you as a matter of FACT, that Smith And Jones is WAY more complex. But because Blink wears its complexity on its sleeve, cos that was kind of the point, Smith And Jones conceals it, cos it's a means to an end.
Really and truly, Smith And Jones, go study. And if you don't think it's brilliant, shut up until you understand that it is.
For Tonight We Might Die does very well on this score. It introduces six main characters, as well as a supporting characters like parents and teachers, and the world they inhabit, sets up story arcs and creates inter-personal conflicts. Whilst also telling a story. But let me get to the episode itself…
There have been a lot of posts comparing Class to Buffy, and the very beginning of the episode reminded me of Buffy very much.
In the cold open of the first episode of Buffy we have a boy and girl sneaking into a high school, the boy egging on the girl (pretty, blonde). She then turns around and eats him. Very nice subversion.
Here: School. After dark. Boy running, terrified. Close-up of Autumn Prom poster. He runs into a room, and is pulled aside by a blonde woman. Then black smoke seeps through under the door, turns into a monster. Cut to hallway, the sound of a shot fired, and a scream. And then - a tear in reality, through which we can see a dark and burning world – and through the tear comes more shadowy smoke…
Cue titles.
(I love the titles!)
Simple, but effective. (If you keep a list, these points are ticked off: school, prom, tear in reality, Miss Quill, shadow kin. Not bad for 30 seconds or so.)
Cut to next morning, and we’re outside the school, watching students arrive. This again is very reminiscent of Buffy. (Also nice note that we see a police officer leaving. Ties in well with the cold open.)
And indeed, all the main characters are introduced in swift order.
Charlie, looking a bit lost, and Ram knocking his books out of his hands. (geek/bully established in a few seconds flat). Then Tanya and April chatting, and we swiftly discover that April is the one who is organising the Autumn prom, and Tanya is the younger student who has been moved up several years.
The Bechdel test comment is also telling. It shows that the writers are aware, but it also helps to define Tanya – the very bright 14-year-old, who undoubtedly hangs out on Tumblr, and is just that bit younger, learning from the internet rather than social interaction, analysing conversations as she’s having them against the norms she has absorbed.
Then there is the painfully awkward scene of April asking Charlie to the Prom, which also includes Charlie noticing the burn marks on the floor from Quill’s gun…
First scene in Miss Quill's class is also excellent in setting up characters, how they react, what they’re like.
Tanya’s somewhat cutting remark about Downton Abbey, and April’s reaction. Charlie googling ‘Idris Elba’. Miss Quill saying Ram hears silent applause whenever he walks into a room. Charlie & Matteusz’ little look. Miss Quill dropping Charlie’s phone.
Incidentally, 'Where are you from?'/'Sheffield' is one of the best jokes in the whole episode. For Americans: He might as well have said Alabama, that's how unlikely that answer is. And then, later, it becomes clear that this is obviously what the Doctor told them to say, and that adds a whole other level of humour! < 3
Also April is SO PAINFUL OH GOD, trying to hand out fliers to get people to help. And Charlie is good at that slightly-autistic-but-actually-alien thing. It's quite subtle.
Shallow note: Ram (on football field) is VERY VERY FIT. Dayum.
Oh and the scene in the shop (when Tanya runs away from the shadows). Seriously, this show is like a slice of Britain that just got cut out of real life & put on TV (and then they added a monster or two). It's ridiculously well done. Btw there’s another little note here, when the shop keeper says he’s still not used to seeing Tanya without her uniform. Primary & secondary school pupils have to wear uniforms (as we can see the younger students at Coal Hill doing), but one of the perks of College is that they can wear their own clothes. This is obviously still a new thing for Tanya. Also nice little snapshot of Tanya’s home life in the scene with her mother.
Charlie & Quill living together – and their odd ‘relationship’, where he can order her around – was a delightful surprise. Suddenly the viewer has to re-evaluate everything they know. Things are not what they seem, characters can not be taken at surface level. (Also, just the way Quill eats chocolate. It’s a little thing, but a nice character note.)
Headmaster: 'God how Shoreditch has changed' is fabulous. Having lived in the East End, I can concur. (This show is chockfull of British in-jokes.) And poor April, trying to make the best of having to do Everything Herself… Except then SHADOWS COME.
April, Ram, Tanya – they all encounter the shadows separately, but then come together.
Ram & Tanya through their web chat – and again, we see that a) Ram needs help and b) he hides it from everyone else. Tanya tries to reach out, and he rebuffs her. Except then she is attacked, and he becomes genuinely concerned and scared. (Also, Tanya already thinks of ‘more light’ to combat the shadows, but fails at this point.)
April’s encounter is broken up by Quill and Charlie, and we get a ton of exposition.
April: "You're either alien or Amish [beat] I'm totally not prejudiced."
She's so SWEET! <3
Although Miss Quill calling her 'ludicrous Care Bear' is also noted & appreciated.
And then we have Corakinus intruding and Quill giving April the gun, which leads to unforeseen circumstances, and sharing-a-heart. (Plus, Charlie saves her.) And we get our first proper look at our Shadow Kin antagonists.
Using April's visualisation of the alien planet is a stroke of genius. The whole Hogwarts feel, and the 'Did you look alien & had to modify your appearance' is delightful. It’s a very clever way to create an alien world ‘on the cheap’ as it were, and also tells us a good bit about April’s mindscape.
Plus, the exposition is nicely broken up by Quill’s comments, rejecting Charlie’s narrative. Moral: Don’t trust everything you hear; the truth is complicated.
TARDIS sound... And the Doctor's S1 theme. I don't know why, but I just absolutely love that they used the very first theme. Of course it's Twelve who'll guest star later on, but it's the Doctor who saves them, if that makes sense.
It’s like a new (old) motif running through a song.
Next day our young heroes bond of shared shadow encounters, and we see how the shared experiences help turn them into a group, rather than separate individuals.
Sidebar: I adore Ram's father. His comments as he sees Ram off for the Prom are wonderful. Also it’s just nice to see good father-figures on TV. And many points to Ram for finding a way for Tanya to attend the Prom. He cares, when he wants.
The Charlie/Matteusz scene when Charlie calls to pick up his date is just wonderful. I love Matteusz’s dry sarcasm, and Charlie’s complete inability to grasp it.
“You are a very strange person.” (FYI Matteusz is probably my favourite. After Ianto I vowed never to become attached to mortal characters again and yet HERE I AM!) And I love the fact that he’s Polish. It’s a wonderfully diverse cast. <3
Re. Ram & Rachel: "That's how you do a Prom!" Did I mention the shallow part? Mmm, that's such a gorgeous scene though. Esp Matteusz just staring & Charlie going 'I'm dressed really nice'... Seriously. Not complaining.
Although then Rachel gets ded which is sad. It’s very brutal, and Ram losing a leg hammers home that it’s a more grown up show. Not gratuitously, but we get the message.
Oh and Charlie dressed up, w/ gun, is very James Bond. Which is sort of odd, because he looks so ordinary – Ram is the pin-up (and well he knows it), but the Princes scrubs up well.
Oh and when April starts yelling (her frustration bursting its banks), the girl in crowd who asks: "Do they do this at American Proms?" is also spot-on. We import so much from America.
Minor quibble - why don't they hit a fire alarm? Counter point - would they know where one was? Also, do people think clearly when they’re panicking?
Quill's snarky comments are life. :)
Also, "Well, there's nothing left to do but to die well..." Seriously. All the love.
And enter the Doctor.
Now, it’s interesting… It’s nice seeing the Doctor, of course. But he’s very much a guest character. He comes in, and he just takes up most of the space, telling off the Shadow Kin and generally being Doctor-y.
Not that they all just stand around. April is proactive (and ready to impale herself!), we find out about The Cabinet of Souls (THE IKEA LINE IS SO GOOD!) meaning we discover another part of in ‘verse lore. And Charlie totally sells the lie.
Also, love how Tanya is being smart, with a lovely bit of show (and tell on the Doctor's part).
Tanya calling the sonic a laser pointer is fab. I don't think we've ever had that before. And Ram saves the day when Corakinus holds April hostage… Dammit, he deserves it.
Also, the Shadow Kin are nicely established as an ongoing Big Bad. And not just because of Charlie and Quill, but now April is a literal anchor to that side.
Generally the whole Doctor cameo is delightful. But I’m happy be buggers off again; he gets in the way. Although not before he sets everything up – guilt trips Quill into helping and generally tries to be all upbeat and ‘Sure you can do this!’
Then a few nice and quiet scenes. We find out about April’s mother ending up in the wheelchair due to ‘an accident’, and how she isn’t a stranger to hardship. These people have layers. It’s something that’s hammered home throughout, and it works.
There is also Ram instinctively turning to Tanya, hurt and devastated. In the course of 50 minutes they go from him paying her for help with his homework, to him turning to her when in pain. And it’s all clearly laid out and organic.
Quill and Charlie are interesting… We get a deeper look at their dynamic, now informed by all the information we have had throughout the episode.
And oh, the very ending… Gorgeous. Utterly, stupendously gorgeous. Charlie lied, and how. The visuals are exquisitely beautiful, the music haunting and melancholy.
“Do you know the feeling of dread?” Charlie asks, and damn, if that isn’t a hook and a half.
Overall: Good, solid opening (which incidentally is eminently re-watchable). All characters introduced & clearly defined. Makes you keep watching. It's well paced, the character scenes have room to breathe, the exposition doesn't feel exposition-y, and is parcelled out neatly.
Extra bonus points worth more than gold: None of the main characters is a straight, white male.
(No trans characters, although a sort-of case could be made for Charlie. I’ll address this as it becomes relevant in later episodes.) (It’s not representation, more bringing up the issues.)
Overall, I like the fact that this show deals with the stories that we normally don't get to see:
DOCTOR: Called you an idiot. Sorry, but there's no way we could have rescued your men.
OCTAVIAN: I know that, sir. And when you've flown away in your little blue box, I'll explain that to their families.
I like how it's quietly meshed into the wider 'verse - the Doctor apart, I mean, he's obviously just there to get the ball rolling. You don’t need to know Doctor Who at all, which is good.
Incidentally the episode title is neat – it’s exactly the sort of over-the-top line that teenagers would use.
As character stuff is always my thing, I’ll go through the characters one-by-one. In alphabetical order, as I can’t ‘rank’ them otherwise… (It’s too early to try to look at arcs or storylines.)
April (my half-hearted daughter) – The ‘nice’, sweet, dutiful girl. Everyone knows someone like her. With a disabled mother to boot. Your typical ‘victim’ it seems – except she refuses to play that role, quickly figuring out that sharing a heart with Korikanus means she has leverage. (There is a good deal of ‘Sweet little Clara, works at the Rose And Crown, ideas above her station’ to April.) And she explicitly rejects that narrative at the end. The thing is, she *is* kind and helpful and all the rest. But there is more to her. (This is a running theme. The characters are all shown to be more complex than the initial set-up, and it’s all done here. Further episodes build on it of course, but we have both the simplistic categorising that the viewer will unconsciously do, and then the narrative correcting that impression: Stop. Not so simple.)
Charlie (my gay alien prince son) – Well, ‘gay’ might not be quite accurate. We know he’s attracted to human males, but that does not rule out other things. However, that’s almost a sidebar. He’s something of a cliché – the lost alien prince, The Last of His Kind, mourning for his people. Except it’s more complicated, and he’s a much murkier character than, say, Buffy was [in the beginning]. He has no powers, and is not introduced as a hero.
Importantly, he is the product of privilege, and clearly finds it hard to question the values and norms he’s been brought up with – we see this most plainly in his conflict with Quill, and his simple acceptance of his people’s ‘punishments’. And we know that the Cabinet of Souls is not empty, so he has the power of genocide at his fingertips… it makes for a nicely complex and multi-faceted character right off the bat. (Thought: Why did he choose Charles Smith as his name? Or was that the Doctor? Was ‘Prince Charles’ a deliberate thing?)
Matteusz (my gay polish son) – We don’t know much about him so far, except he is out to his parents, who do not approve of his sexual orientation. But he really likes Charlie, is up for a good time at the Prom, and has a brilliant line in cutting sarcasm. He is also concerned about April not having a date, and invites her to join himself and Charlie – this might come from knowing what it’s like to be an outsider. (Also just – the main ship is gay!! It’s like Torchwood’s second coming. <3)
Quill (my alien murder wife) – Unlike Charlie who has taken a very ordinary human name, Quill has chosen the name of her species as her own. She was a freedom fighter/terrorist, is used to warfare, and happiest when she can do something and fight. She is furious over their fate, and can’t understand Charlie’s seeming calm. She is also furious about her situation as Charlie’s ‘slave’, but – as we see from her flashback to the cold open – takes the boy’s death to heart more than she lets on. There are deep feelings below the surface. And she gets most of the best lines. <3 (If you loved Spike or River, Quill is the character for you. Except without the obsessive love.) I am wondering about her name, as in whether ‘quill’ is somehow deliberate. Thoughts welcome.
Ram (my suffering football player son) Oh Ram. Snarky, suave, street smart, athletic, handsome – the guy who in an American drama would probably be called a ‘jock’? It would be easy to make him a ‘bad guy’ (and he is that guy who picks on others), yet the show delves deeper. He’s not a bad kid, and cares more than he really lets on. And we see he is incredibly brave when push comes to shove. I’m wondering if fandom is woobie-fying him. And it’s not often we see Sikh characters on TV.
Tanya (my 14 year-old hacker daughter) Tanya is very much the brains of the outfit. Younger than the others, and hyper aware of this. She is very bright, and also clearly loves learning. Also observant (she has a suspicion that Charlie might be gay) and caring. (So far her mother is a bit of a cliché, but looking ahead without spoiling anything, I can say that this will be delved into more.)
I’ll get back to all of them later, but I just wanted to note down how much information the show crams into its first episode…
Please try to keep comments spoiler-free, I want these posts to stand alone. And I *will* try to write faster… Somehow. /o\
In short: SHOW IS AMAZING AND EATING MY HEAD. ♥
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my brain is not cooperate today, but I watched the episode, and yes, this, many good things to notice.
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And I tried to just jot down all the things the episode did (although I probably left out tons), but I just needed to write it. Thank you for reading. <3
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April grew on me so fast in ep 1 too like I went from 'Oh geez, really?' to 'I... actually love this character a bit.'
The others in ep 1 are/were kinda meh for me (I take a long time to warm up to most people, hence my shock at Quill and April even getting under my skin in ep 1)
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I can't imagine anyone who didn't...
April grew on me so fast in ep 1 too like I went from 'Oh geez, really?' to 'I... actually love this character a bit.'
April and her earnestness just about killed me. And then she got to be heroic and not stay in the little goody-two shoes box. <333
The others in ep 1 are/were kinda meh for me (I take a long time to warm up to most people, hence my shock at Quill and April even getting under my skin in ep 1)
Well I definitely count that as a win! And yeah, having no expectations, I was thrilled with what I discovered. The first two eps were very good - ep 3 hooked me for good.
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2. Yep, April going badass made me squee-melt into a happy puddle. LOVE HER!
3. Ep 3 was my sudden 'Aw shit, hi Prince and Polish, where you been boys?' moment (vague to avoid spoilering but yep, that was where the slow slip into loving everyone began...)
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Quill marches into your heart and demands that you surrender.
2. Yep, April going badass made me squee-melt into a happy puddle. LOVE HER!
And it all fits! <3
3. Ep 3 was my sudden 'Aw shit, hi Prince and Polish, where you been boys?' moment
Prince & Polish! Ha! And um, yeah...
(vague to avoid spoilering but yep, that was where the slow slip into loving everyone began...)
Thank you for being vague, but damn, that episode. *waves hands ineffectually*
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It does!
VAAAAGUE because of reasons but yep, the cute/awesome hit me like a damn brick.
The first ep is just so brilliant! SO brilliant.
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It's an irresistible combination, but - there are so many ways for that to go wrong. Instead it just *flew*
VAAAAGUE because of reasons but yep, the cute/awesome hit me like a damn brick.
Aye. (I'm writing up ep 3 thoughts, but it might be another day or two.)
The first ep is just so brilliant! SO brilliant.
I want to watch it again, which is stupid, because I need to go to bed...
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(Yay!!!)
I'm going to do a mass rewatch tomorrow I think.
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It's absolutely incredible. Hard shell, soft middle.
And enjoy your rewatch!! I've managed to write up my thoughts on ep 3, but that's all. Must go & interact with family...
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Ooh yay, going to go read it now.
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Ha! Hadn't thought of that.
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I have to agree with everything you said. I absolutely love Ram. He's a jerk, but he reminds me a bit of Spike in that he clearly cared very deeply for Rachel, and also cares for Tanya (even if he doesn't want anybody to know, a bit like Spike with Dawn in a sense?)
April and Tanya...I recognized so much of myself in both of them at their respective ages. So awkward and earnest and kind.
And Miss Quill and Charlie--I really can't wait to see where the show takes them, as well as Matteusz. Miss Quill really did have the best lines, and I loved her snark and the complexity we see.
In short, I can't wait to watch the rest of it, and it's going to eat my brain.
Also, thank you so much for the primer on UK schooling. I did know some of it, but it had been a long time since I'd had an explanation of the system, so I liked the refresher. Also the explanation of the jokes. I knew that Sheffield had to be hilarious, but I didn't know why.
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Omg are we actually watching the same show again?!? THis has made my day!! :D (week/year)
and now I can't get the characters out of my head.
IKR? It's crazy.
I want to mainline the next five episodes that I have on hand, but I'm going to be disciplined and only watch them while I work out. Because that worked out well for me in the past. It doesn't solve the problem of motivation after I get through the episodes, but...
The whole season is only 8 episodes long, so... pace yourself, if you can. (And avoid spoilers! I cannot stress this enough.) (The official site is chockfull btw.)
I have to agree with everything you said.
:D
I absolutely love Ram. He's a jerk, but he reminds me a bit of Spike in that he clearly cared very deeply for Rachel, and also cares for Tanya (even if he doesn't want anybody to know, a bit like Spike with Dawn in a sense?)
Oh yes, that's an excellent parallel. And I can't remember if I point it out, but some of it can also probably be ascribed to youthful posturing - and growing up is hard.
April and Tanya...I recognized so much of myself in both of them at their respective ages. So awkward and earnest and kind.
I utterly love what this show does with female characters. They're allowed to be strong AND vulnerable, in different ways, and to be *themselves* first.
And Miss Quill and Charlie--I really can't wait to see where the show takes them, as well as Matteusz.
I, um, am physically stopping myself from screaming at the moment. But damn. GOOD ARCS. And surprising. (All of them.)
Miss Quill really did have the best lines, and I loved her snark and the complexity we see.
I think if you don't come away loving Quill, you're watching it wrong. ;)
In short, I can't wait to watch the rest of it, and it's going to eat my brain.
*dances* I've been hoping for someone to come along who sees what I see! it'll most definitely eat your brain, and HOW!
Also, thank you so much for the primer on UK schooling. I did know some of it, but it had been a long time since I'd had an explanation of the system, so I liked the refresher.
It really doesn't help that the word 'college' means different things - we are divided by a common language. And since it's a British show, they take a lot of it for granted (much like American shows expects you to just 'know' stuff...). So I figured that since I actually know this about the schooling system, I could help. :)
Also the explanation of the jokes. I knew that Sheffield had to be hilarious, but I didn't know why.
Example of Sheffield accent here if you want to do a comparison...
(Honestly, so happy. I'm off to bed as it's nearly midnight, but yay!!)
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I think Ram really reminds me of my brother at that age. Eli was such a little shit, but at the same time had such a good heart. He was full of boyish posturing, but you could see the bones of the good man he'd become, too. I see that same thing in Ram.
Tanya's reference to the Bechdel test...OMG. That could have been me if I'd been a teenager in the age of Tumblr. Do you know how many times I made literary references that went right over my friends' heads? And the line from Tanya's mom's mouth about "work now, play later" could have come from my mom's mouth. (Which is why I didn't have a problem with the stereotyping there, because apparently Midwestern parents can have the exact same attitude, right down to the "you don't need to talk to boys" attitude.)
Oh, man, the Sheffield accent! Now I understand what you mean about someone saying they're from Alabama. Although I think the better analogy would be if someone claimed to be from the Midwest when they have a really thick regional accent, like from the south.
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I have missed having a shared fandom. <3 (I mean, we'll always have Buffy, obviously, but at some point I sort of ran out of new things to say.)
I keep trying to get into Doctor Who, and...IDK. Maybe someday?
Well there is so MUCH of it. I can why it'd put anyone off. My favourite (as you, um, may have gleaned from... everything) is the Eleventh Doctor, so if you ever wanted to jump on at some point, his first episode is an excellent start. (OTOH if you'd like some proper, good old-fashioned angsting, go for Ten.) But yeah, it's not going anywhere. Or you could try it when it comes back in 2017. It's designed to be accessible for newbies at any point. (And I just remembered that you'll probably be plenty busy in 2017! OK, forget me.)
I think Ram really reminds me of my brother at that age. Eli was such a little shit, but at the same time had such a good heart. He was full of boyish posturing, but you could see the bones of the good man he'd become, too. I see that same thing in Ram.
Oooh, yes, this. This exactly. I might steal that.
Tanya's reference to the Bechdel test...OMG. That could have been me if I'd been a teenager in the age of Tumblr. Do you know how many times I made literary references that went right over my friends' heads?
I can imagine. (I spent my teenage years practically living in the library. Good times.) But yeah, she rings PAINFULLY true. And her youth in comparison with the others is very well portrayed. The writing is so intelligent, it's crazy.
And the line from Tanya's mom's mouth about "work now, play later" could have come from my mom's mouth. (Which is why I didn't have a problem with the stereotyping there, because apparently Midwestern parents can have the exact same attitude, right down to the "you don't need to talk to boys" attitude.)
*nods* Some clichés are actually true, and I think this is one of those times.
Oh, man, the Sheffield accent! Now I understand what you mean about someone saying they're from Alabama. Although I think the better analogy would be if someone claimed to be from the Midwest when they have a really thick regional accent, like from the south.
This is where my knowledge slips up! I was mostly thinking of Forrest Gump. *g* (Incidentally, I live up 'North' so everyone around here speaks more or less like that lad.)
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I think I've watched the first season of Doctor Who, into the second season (and I started with the Eleventh Doctor). It's one of those shows I lost track of because I didn't have a reliable source, and then once it was on Netflix, I just haven't been able to get into it. But maybe that will be the next show I exercise to?
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*nods* So the equivalent of 'received pronunciation' here. ('the standard form of British English pronunciation, based on educated speech in southern England, widely accepted as a standard elsewhere.')
I have a lot of client in the South, and man, it can be really hard to communicate with some of them
I hear ya.
I think I've watched the first season of Doctor Who, into the second season (and I started with the Eleventh Doctor).
So, that would be S5 and a bit of 6. (New Who starts from the Ninth Doctor (S1). The Tenth Doctor was there for three seasons (S2, 3 & 4) and then Eleven was there for 5, 6 and 7. Twelve took over and has done 8 and 9 so far, with S10 airing next year. If that's clear? :)
But maybe that will be the next show I exercise to?
Oooh, that would be great. The good thing about it, is that if there's a Doctor or Companion you don't like, you just find another one you *do* like. :)
But for now, Class is probably enough?
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Was ‘Prince Charles’ a deliberate thing?
Maybe it was a nod to Bonnie Prince Charlie? He was also a prince without a people.
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*nods* And they both hide their true selves and feelings... *gathers them up in massive hug*
Maybe it was a nod to Bonnie Prince Charlie? He was also a prince without a people.
... I CANNOT believe I didn't think of that. I might start calling him that now. ;)
(I need to make more icons.)
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Using April's visualisation of the alien planet is a stroke of genius. The whole Hogwarts feel, and the 'Did you look alien & had to modify your appearance' is delightful. It’s a very clever way to create an alien world ‘on the cheap’ as it were, and also tells us a good bit about April’s mindscape.
YES!!! I was trying to explain to my Best Beloved how brilliant I thought that part was, but I wasn't awake enough at the time to do it right. But I think this might be the single most intelligent screenplay infrastructure decision I've seen in a long, long time.
All the characters were well fleshed out, although I differ slightly from you in your admiration of April. I think she still hasn't quite broken out of the "mousy, but secretly badass girl" trope by the end of the first episode. That's not to say I disliked her, I just didn't think she was as fully fleshed out as her peers.
I thought Ram was far less a jock than he appeared - even his bit about knocking the books out of Charlie's hands appeared kind of half-hearted - possibly he's thinking that he's expected to do that sort of thing as a footballer? I don't think I'm woobifying him when I say that he struck me as extremely brave, kind, and moral/ethical.
I disliked Quill, but I think I'm supposed to, at least for now. Beyond that, I didn't get much of a sense of her beyond the fact that the actor did an excellent job of showing how much she loathes humans, and how much she loathes her situation. Why did she become a freedom fighter/terrorist, what made her rescue Charlie (who is really on a par with Ram for being drop dead gorgeous/shallow)?
The name of the Shadow Kin almost threw me out of the story because I've run across "otherkins" and "furkins" and such via my second-hand knowledge of Tumblr, and I have to restrain myself from rolling my eyes hard enough to throw myself out of my chair. But I'll get used to it. I do like that the Doctor casually threw us the puzzle of "why are they attacking earth in so different a manner from the way they attacked Charlie and Quill's world? The leader's response didn't really answer that...we'll see what happens as the series progresses (I'm speaking in future tense because for me it's in the future, ah, time travel!)
tl;dr: I think Ram, Tanya and Charlie very much right now, and I want to see if they'll carry through on what should be Ram's severe PTSD stemming from oh, you know, SEEING HIS GIRLFRIEND MURDERED IN FRONT OF HIS EYES AND LOSING HIS LOWER LEG.
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What are two months? Also, I've yet to finish writing my episode reviews, so you may catch up before I'm done.
YES!!! I was trying to explain to my Best Beloved how brilliant I thought that part was, but I wasn't awake enough at the time to do it right. But I think this might be the single most intelligent screenplay infrastructure decision I've seen in a long, long time.
It was *so* smart. I just sort of flail stupidly over it.
I think she still hasn't quite broken out of the "mousy, but secretly badass girl" trope by the end of the first episode. That's not to say I disliked her, I just didn't think she was as fully fleshed out as her peers.
I just love her epic rant. Which quiet, under-estimated girl hasn't dreamed of a moment like that? I'm looking forward to seeing what you think of her story.
I don't think I'm woobifying him when I say that he struck me as extremely brave, kind, and moral/ethical.
Oh absolutely not! I love Ram to tiny pieces.
I disliked Quill, but I think I'm supposed to, at least for now.
She is a very very abrasive character. #murderwife
Why did she become a freedom fighter/terrorist, what made her rescue Charlie (who is really on a par with Ram for being drop dead gorgeous/shallow)?
Reason for being freedom fighter:
CHARLIE: The Quill lived on the smaller of the southern continents. They mismanaged their economy and grew resentful of our success.
QUILL: The Rhodia ate up all the planets resources, including those of the Quill, and then they were surprised when we objected.
CHARLIE: We tried to help you!
QUILL: By making us so dependent that we could never recover.
Reason she saved Charlie:
QUILL: And the Rhodia have a particularly cruel punishment.
CHARLIE: It is just.
QUILL: They release a creature into your skull called an arn. Something about the size of two of your weirdly large human thumbs placed together. Now imagine it with teeth and claws, digging into your brain, each claw tipped with poison. Oh, and that's the nice bit. It telepathically links you to a particular Rhodia, and you become their slave.
CHARLIE: Their servant.
QUILL: It is slavery.
CHARLIE: It is punishment. You can't
QUILL: If I use a weapon other than my own hands, the arn kills me. Yet, if I fail to protect you, I am also killed. If I try to remove the arn, dead again. Slavery.
CHARLIE: Our tormentors become our protectors. The leader of the Quill bound to the future leader of the Rhodia. What more civilised punishment could there be?
I love the layers and layers of complexity to it. And am curious that you compare Charlie & Ram. That had literally not occurred to me before. Why do you think Charlie shallow?
The name of the Shadow Kin almost threw me out of the story
Yeah, it's... not great. But as you say - you get used to it.
I'm speaking in future tense because for me it's in the future, ah, time travel!
LOL. Indeed.
tl;dr: I think Ram, Tanya and Charlie very much right now, and I want to see if they'll carry through on what should be Ram's severe PTSD stemming from oh, you know, SEEING HIS GIRLFRIEND MURDERED IN FRONT OF HIS EYES AND LOSING HIS LOWER LEG.
He is SUCH woobie material though. And I just... love them all. And am trying SO HARD not to say anything. *seals mouth*
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Actually, that was just me being shallow about how gorgeous the two characters were. I should have made that more clear. I was only comparing their quite lovely exteriors.
Reason for being freedom fighter:
I know that's what the script had her and Charlie say to each other; but people become freedom fighters/terrorists for much more personal reasons, or at least those personal reasons play into the political ones. I will need more show to back up the tell of that little back and forth. That particular little bit of conversation was clunky enough that I heard it, shook my head, and said "a bit of clunkiness is forgivable."
Reason she saved Charlie:
Oh, duhhhh - you're right. I don't know why I didn't twig to that immediately.
Incidentally, that latter bit of conversation was much more well-written than the whole freedom fighter bit. It also raises the question of just what she did as an opponent to the Rhodia; she's right that she's been subjected to a particularly cruel punishment, and I can't see the royal family of Rhodia inflicting it on anyone but a major rebellion leader.
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Ah. Well, that makes more sense. Although I'd give Ram the edge and then some. The boy is *ridiculously* gorgeous.
That particular little bit of conversation was clunky enough that I heard it, shook my head, and said "a bit of clunkiness is forgivable."
Politics is never easy to write. Esp when it's basic exposition.
Oh, duhhhh - you're right. I don't know why I didn't twig to that immediately.
There is a lot to take in. Sidebar - I like how this works? As in, the logic of it. They're the last of their kind, but it makes *sense* that they are the ones who survived - a prince and his hyper-competent body guard. And if not for the Doctor they wouldn't have lasted long either.
It also raises the question of just what she did as an opponent to the Rhodia; she's right that she's been subjected to a particularly cruel punishment, and I can't see the royal family of Rhodia inflicting it on anyone but a major rebellion leader.
As I can't remember what's said when, I'll just keep mostly silent, but you're on the right track, definitely.
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Thanks for that exposition on the British school system. Highly disturbed y'all have a "year 13". o_O
I quite agree it was a surprisingly solid pilot. Not gonna lie, when I heard Class was happening I figured I'd only watch it for the Doctor Who-ness. Then I started watching and totally forgot it had anything to do with Who, to the extent I was shocked when the Tardis appeared, lmao. To its credit, Class very much has its own (darker) tone.
Importantly, he is the product of privilege, and clearly finds it hard to question the values and norms he’s been brought up with – we see this most plainly in his conflict with Quill, and his simple acceptance of his people’s ‘punishments’.
Yeah, I'm really anticipating something gives with that, because so far it's blocking my ability to sympathise, although I do find his character interesting.
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There shouldn't be spoilers (I did my best to keep people on topic), but better safe than sorry!!
Thanks for that exposition on the British school system. Highly disturbed y'all have a "year 13". o_O
My pleasure - it's especially confusing since some of the terms overlap with American ones, yet mean something different... And it's rarely referred to as 'Year 13', the more common term is 'Upper Sixth'. :)
I quite agree it was a surprisingly solid pilot. Not gonna lie, when I heard Class was happening I figured I'd only watch it for the Doctor Who-ness.
Yeah, I was vaguely curious and wanted to check it out from a completist POV, and just found myself swept up!
Then I started watching and totally forgot it had anything to do with Who, to the extent I was shocked when the Tardis appeared, lmao.
Same here. And the Doctor is so... disruptive. I'm all 'Go away, I want to watch the kids!'
To its credit, Class very much has its own (darker) tone.
I think it helps that it's very much Patrick Ness' baby - he wrote ALL the episodes, and obviously has a clear vision of what he wants the show to be.
Yeah, I'm really anticipating something gives with that, because so far it's blocking my ability to sympathise, although I do find his character interesting.
It's one of the things that intrigued me - the complex set-up. Quill is obviously very far from innocent, whereas Charlie has never killed anyone. And yet, his *culture* is one that oppressed another people... Is she a terrorist or a freedom fighter? (Or more probably, both.) And what does that mean for Charlie? He's come from a hugely insulated world, to one where everything is in flux, and gets questioned. It's very much the Growing Up thing that is so essential to YA stories; going out into the world and realising that what you've been taught might not be accurate. And then, do you double down, or accept the criticism? ETA: Also it's interesting that at least one person above disliked Quill (after the first episode), although she acknowledged that she was presumably supposed to do so - different strokes for everyone!