S01.E06: This Extraordinary Being

[formerlyfreedom]

Quote

Deep under the influence of Nostalgia, Angela gets a firsthand account of her grandfather's journey.

Airing Sunday, November 24, 2019.

 

[revbfc]

I’d like to know how those pills got such recent memories.

[AimingforYoko]

That was a heavy episode. Very appropriate ep title for Will Reeves.

[Morrigan2575]

Wow, that was an amazing episode. 

[mac123x]

I was pretty bored by this episode.  Not a lot of new information.

Will using that silly mesmerizing technology to hang Don Johnson was dumb.  I realize this is a universe with interdimensional fake giant squids and blue god living on Mars, but the flashing-lights-mind-control is a bridge too far.  It also didn't explain how Johnson wound up dangling 10 feet in the air, unless Will's wheelchair had a winch on it.

Whoever directed this should be slapped.  I understood that Angela was experiencing her grandfather's memories, because Laurie explained that pretty clearly.  I did NOT need to see multiple shots where it was Young!Will in the scene then a moment later it was Angela in the same scene wearing the same clothes. 

And the camera work for that wasn't nearly as clever as they think it was:  start on Will, pan left off of Will, then pan right onto ANGELA!  Dun dun DUN!  Yeah, you had the actors change places when they were off camera.  This isn't rocket surgery.

[Amethyst]

That was an excellent episode.  A lot to take in.

Crawford said he got the Klan suit from his grandfather.  I take it they haven't revealed who that was?  I thought it would be one of the cops who was killed in the warehouse fire.

The mesmerizing technology was a horrifying concept.  I felt for that poor woman in the theater.  What a nightmare to experience.

[Ottis]

So thIs was basically an origin story of a hooded character that lives on through new people? Places in the context of this world. 

[Affogato]

58 minutes ago, revbfc said:

I’d like to know how those pills got such recent memories.

Since Trieu makes the pills And Reeves hangs out with her some pills were made recently, after Judd’s death. 

[LoveLeigh]

This was one of the most amazing and excellent episodes I have ever seen on television in a series. The concepts, the execution and the music made it extraordinary. It deserves an Emmy. 

Edited November 25, 2019 by DakotaLavender
spelling

[Starchild]

The depiction of the passage of time in the Reeves apartment was just beautiful.

[HunterHunted]

The fact that Cheyenne Jackson is playing Hooded Justice pretty much cements that Ryan Murphy absolutely produces American Hero Story. Ryan Murphy has a type, at least on screen, and that type looks like Cheyenne. The fact that Hooded Justice is a Black guy in white face is just the kind of transgressive thing Murphy would love, but no one, except for 5 or 6 people, know this.

1 hour ago, Amethyst said:

The mesmerizing technology was a horrifying concept.  I felt for that poor woman in the theater.  What a nightmare to experience.

It reminded me of an episode (SNAFU) of Agent Carter where they reveal that Howard Stark has produced a device that does something similar. That massacre was also in a movie theatre. Valentine Richmond's cellphones from Kingsman: The Secret Service do something similar. There's a long proud comic book tradition of devices that cause uncontrollable violent rages.

 

1 hour ago, Ottis said:

So thIs was basically an origin story of a hooded character that lives on through new people? Places in the context of this world. 

As far as we know, there has only been one Hooded Justice. Cheyenne Jackson is playing who Ryan Murphy thinks is Hooded Justice. Angela's grandfather is actually Hooded Justice. Angela's is experiencing her grandfather's memories with the help of the drug Nostalgia.

[Cardie]

That visual media might contain hidden messages to make people do things is a trope as old as movies and television. Some advertisers experimented with subliminal suggestions to make viewers buy their product. I believe there was also an attempt to get audiences to buy more popcorn. Of course inciting violence is a step much less plausible. 

[Dev F]

2 hours ago, revbfc said:

I’d like to know how those pills got such recent memories.

Presumably Will and Trieu encoded them at some point in the twenty-four hours between when the hoverplane snatched Angela's car with Will inside and when the car was dropped back on the street with the pills in the glove box.

2 hours ago, mac123x said:

Whoever directed this should be slapped.  I understood that Angela was experiencing her grandfather's memories, because Laurie explained that pretty clearly.  I did NOT need to see multiple shots where it was Young!Will in the scene then a moment later it was Angela in the same scene wearing the same clothes.

The change wasn't just to remind dumb viewers about the premise of the episode. It was to show Angela reacting to the memories she was experiencing at moments with particular meaning to her. I mean, if we were watching a scene between Angela and her grandfather, no one would complain if it cut to a reaction shot of Angela while Will was still talking, and it certainly wouldn't happen because the director thought we were too stupid to remember that Angela was still there.

I do agree, though, about the mesmerization stuff, which takes the superhero fantasy elements farther than I'd like for them to have gone. It's not quite as dumb and broad as Veidt's videotaped confession last week, but it's still straying pretty far from the more nuanced and grounded sci-fi atmosphere established in the first few episodes of the season, which I much preferred.

Especially since the existence of a big fantasy threat sort of jumbles up the central point of the whole Watchmen universe. If the whole point is that superheroes would actually be more trouble than they're worth, you can't then posit an unrelated threat so supernaturally dire that it would demand a superhero to defeat it!

(But I'm pretty picky in that respect. One of the few elements I dislike in the original graphic novel is how matter-of-fact everyone is about the idea that there are honest-to-god psychics in the world.)

I was actually expecting this episode to go somewhere different at the end -- for Will to renounce his superhero identity, and for Captain Metropolis to take advantage of the fact that only he knew Will's real identity and hire Rolf Müller, Circus Strongman, as a replacement Hooded Justice. That would've not only stitched up some of the loose ends hanging between the show and the original novel but also said something interesting about racial appropriation.

Edited November 25, 2019 by Dev F

[thuganomics85]

Definitely feel like this is going to be one of those episodes that people will either really love or really hate.  In other words, just an average day for a show involving Damien Lindelof!

Regina King was her normal awesome self, but Jovan Adepo was equally excellent was William Reeves, and I wouldn't be against more flashbacks, if that means more of him on here.

So, basically, Will Reeves was actually the real Hooded Justice back in the day, but he painted his face white, since it was likely he wouldn't have been accepted by certain "sections" of the public, if they knew he was black.  And it sounds like the secret remained hidden since he is currently being played by someone looking like Cheyenne Jackson on the television series within the show.  Also, he really did kill Judd, by acquiring the mind-controlling camera from the KKK, and making Judd hang himself with it.  Still not sure what the exact connection is.  I'm guessing Judd is related to one of the KKK that tormented Will, but I have to think Judd did something else personally to Will, in order to take things this far.

Someone at HBO must really like having Glenn Fleshler play creepy assholes on their network.  To be fair, he's really good at it!  Had he been British, I'm sure he would have played some kind of psycho on Game of Thrones! 

[arc]

Lindelof & co have pulled off a fantastic retcon in redefining who Hooded Justice was. I don't know how much it adds to the original Watchmen, where HJ was a tertiary character at best, but the resonances with Angela are terrific, all the way to how both characters have sort of thematically similar eye makeup.

Also, the fight at Fred's grocery was fantastic in how it recontextualized the mythical version told in American Hero Story in ep 2.

Edited November 25, 2019 by arc

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Oh, Captain Don Johnson. You are beginning to look even shadier. His only defense for having that klan suit on display in his closet was that it was his legacy because it belonged to his grandfather? Okay then.

I'm glad we got to see that Will was telling the truth to Angela about his involvement in the captain's death. I mean, it makes no sense that he would lie about it but when he initially told her he was responsible, it made no sense then either since he was in a wheelchair and didn't seem to know him.

And we found out who the baby was! Heh, so one mystery from the first episode solved!

[Cardie]

I think Judd’s grandfather was the kid holding the pig in the Bass Reeves movie. I seem to recall that there was a photo of him and some pig memorabilia at Judd’s home. 

[Affogato]

8 minutes ago, Cardie said:

I think Judd’s grandfather was the kid holding the pig in the Bass Reeves movie. I seem to recall that there was a photo of him and some pig memorabilia at Judd’s home. 

Wow if true. Good catch, whether or not it is ever confirmed. 

[Kelda Feegle]

This ep made me wonder something - how triggering must it be for black actors to play roles that include this kind of racial history

[Affogato]

Even the gisnt squid seems ridiculous and benevolent (a quick death and a clearcut enemy)  compared to the abuse and racism shown in this episode and Veidt is beginning to seem (even more) like a posturing fool. With his cakes and schemes. 

Edited November 25, 2019 by Affogato

[Tryangle]

Well Captain Metropolis clearly comes off as a manipulative bastard in this episode, for starters.

[msrachelj]

3 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Oh, Captain Don Johnson. You are beginning to look even shadier. His only defense for having that klan suit on display in his closet was that it was his legacy because it belonged to his grandfather? Okay then.

I'm glad we got to see that Will was telling the truth to Angela about his involvement in the captain's death. I mean, it makes no sense that he would lie about it but when he initially told her he was responsible, it made no sense then either since he was in a wheelchair and didn't seem to know him.

And we found out who the baby was! Heh, so one mystery from the first episode solved!

I was hoping the Captain was spying on the Clan by infiltrating them.

I felt the baby/wife reveal was a little "incestuous" possibly. If they grew up together, which we don't really know if they did, wouldn't he most likely have brotherly feelings toward her?

[ElectricBoogaloo]

2 hours ago, Cardie said:

I think Judd’s grandfather was the kid holding the pig in the Bass Reeves movie. I seem to recall that there was a photo of him and some pig memorabilia at Judd’s home. 

When Judd told William that the klan robe belonged to his grandfather, they cut to a framed photo of little Judd with his grandfather.

Edited November 25, 2019 by ElectricBoogaloo

[Enigma X]

Damn! I was holding out hope that Judd was not part of the klan.

I hope that we get an answer to how Angela ends up with Lady Trieu, and it is not just glossed over like everything concerning Cal is. I think something not right is up with Cal.

Edited November 25, 2019 by Enigma X

[FemmyV]

3 hours ago, Kelda Feegle said:

This ep made me wonder something - how triggering must it be for black actors to play roles that include this kind of racial history

Probably much like any actress playing a rape victim.

[Chicago Redshirt]

I wish I had posted my suspicions that Will was Hooded Justice somewhere before last night's reveal. 

I think two things stopped me that boil down to the same thing: I thought that the people behind HBO's Watchmen were going to be faithful to a fault to OG Watchmen. OG Watchmen established that Hooded Justice appeared white and that he was said to be a Nazi sympathizer. 

HBO's Watchnen addressed the first part by saying that Will used makeup around his eyes to make him seem white. Which doesn't address that when he talks he sounds like he's black, but OK. 

Reconciling Will's ethnicity and background with his supposed pro-German stance is a little harder, IMO. Maybe Will bought into the WWI German propaganda flier a little too hard? Still, he would have to be utterly ignorant about Hitler's attitudes toward racial superiority.

[kay1864]

Anyone else think for a minute that the man recording violence-inciting  instructions was Nelson Gardner?

[DearEvette]

Such an interesting episode.  So much to unpack.

I appreciated seeing the "real" events behind the tv show scenes of Hooded Justice we had been seeing over the past couple of eps.  I remember thinking in that scene from the grocery store that he was working out some rage, because the beating of crooks just seemed out of proportion brutal.  And now I know why.

But then I thought the scene we saw last week where Wade was watching, of him and Captain Metropolis having sex, was creative license.  But nope.  Real. 

I wonder if the wife knew of Will's bisexuality (or possible homosexuality?)  In the last scene where she is telling him they are going to Tulsa, she says "You can't take it off.. You need to stay under that hood because you can't stand to see what you've become..I thought it would help you get rid of this thing you have but it didn't get rid of it, it just fed it."  Those lines are full of double entendre because it could be referring to his rage but it could also be referring to his sexuality.

On everyone thinking Hooded Justice is a white man, well Will went to pains to cover up his blackness, so that make sense.  But I think it is also a deliberate nod to places in popular media where a person has been whitewashed and their origin (if they were non-white) has been obscured or outright co-opted.  The whole Betty Boop thing comes immediately to mind. I mean, people laugh but under the right conditions, Harriet Tubman could have been retconned into looking like Julia Roberts.

4 hours ago, Enigma X said:

I think something not right is up with Cal.

I want to think Cal is just what he is.  But this show is fucking with my head, so of course everybody is suspicious now.   I think it is funny that Laurie always mentions that Cal is  Angela's husband.  Like Angela will forget that little piece of information.  LOL.  Unless... there is something shady about Cal.

[Tryangle]

1 hour ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

Reconciling Will's ethnicity and background with his supposed pro-German stance is a little harder, IMO. Maybe Will bought into the WWI German propaganda flier a little too hard? Still, he would have to be utterly ignorant about Hitler's attitudes toward racial superiority.

The only thing that I can think of as explanation (and this may be debunked by another rewatch or something from Peteypedia, etc.) is that the replacement HJ (Rolf) came in immediately after Will hung it up... and then made whatever quips that fall in line with the Hollis Mason recap. Right now though I'm not confident in my hypothesis one bit.

Edited to add that there's nothing in the show to suggest Rolf replaced him at any time; it looks like Will was working as a cop AND HJ until the mid 50s, which almost certainly makes the Nazi sympathizing bit have to be attributed to Will.

Edited November 25, 2019 by Tryangle
Peteypedia

[tennisgurl]

That was a really intense episode, this is the kind of show that you really need to sit for awhile to think about after viewing. I like the idea that Will Reed was Hooded Justice (and it certainly adds some great symbolism to his costume) and if they wanted to add this to any member of the Minutemen backstory, HJ is definitely the best choice, as in the comics, no one fully even knew who he was. This definitely isnt the original backstory written in the comic book, but I am kind of seeing this show as a possible AU sort of sequel to the comics, so it works pretty well for me. Those flashbacks were often so hard to watch, the horrible brutality that the black population has faced over the years in America is just horrifying, poor Will just wanted to help people and enforce the law fairly, and the society he lived in just wouldn't let it happen.

The suggestion thing is certainly a lot to swallow, but its kind of a variation of subliminal messaging, which already exists, so I can buy it happening like this in a more exaggerated universe. That poor woman in the movie theater, that must have been a nightmare. 

I was still holding out hope that Judd maybe wasnt involved in the KKK and this was all a red herring, but it doesent look good. Poor Angela, what a mind fuck having to experience all of that, topped with a man she thought of as a good friend and mentor being probably outed as a racist criminal and him being forced to kill himself by her grandpa. 

Seeing the real events after seeing the Ryan Murphy version of Hooded Justices life was really interesting, especially the goofy original fight against the robbers in the show, and the very intense real fight against the KKK and the corrupt cops. 

I thought this was a really fascinating episode and gave us a lot of great backstory going forward, but I really want to know whats going on with Wade! Did those thugs kill him? Is he going to try and help Angela? 

[kay1864]

4 hours ago, DearEvette said:

 I mean, people laugh but under the right conditions, Harriet Tubman could have been retconned into looking like Julia Roberts.

This anecdote, about one 1990s film executive, was reported by the screenwriter, but it has not been corroborated.  Even if true, the musings of one executive does not a movie make.  

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/julia-roberts-harriet-tubman/

[grawlix]

8 hours ago, Enigma X said:

I hope that we get an answer to how Angela ends up with Lady Trieu, and it is not just glossed over like everything concerning Cal is. I think something not right is up with Cal.

I don't think there is much on why Angela ends up at Lady Trieu's facility.  Lady Trieu is the foremost authority on the Nostalgia drug.  She developed and manufactured it.  Angela is a unique case because she had overdosed on someone else's Nostalgia medication.  Lady Trieu is the person best equipped to handle the complications regarding Angela's overdose.  She is also in close proximity.  It may have been part of a plan to treat her overdose, but there is a logic to Angela winding up there.

[Slovenly Muse]

9 hours ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

Reconciling Will's ethnicity and background with his supposed pro-German stance is a little harder, IMO. Maybe Will bought into the WWI German propaganda flier a little too hard? Still, he would have to be utterly ignorant about Hitler's attitudes toward racial superiority.

Was it ever confirmed that HJ was a Nazi sympathizer? As far as I can remember, they were only rumors. Maybe totally false, or maybe rumors started by Captain Metropolis to cement the idea of HJ's "whiteness." Because in the Minutemen, it's better to be thought a Nazi than a black man. Or perhaps his single-minded pursuit of the KKK was misread by his fellow Minutemen (who never got to see his folder and hear about his work on Cyclops, I assume) as interest, rather than antipathy. Because, why would a white man be paying attention to the Klan if not to join?

Or maybe they've just decided to do away with that little bit of comics canon. For an origin story this good, I'll definitely let them get away with it.

I loved this episode completely, and I love what this show is shaping up to be!

[ShellsandCheese]

Quote

Poor Angela, what a mind fuck having to experience all of that, topped with a man she thought of as a good friend and mentor being probably outed as a racist criminal

Was he outed as a racist criminal though? He was probably a bigot but what did he do that was criminal? 

[Lantern7]

Well, that was something. It kind of reminded me of Birdman, what with the long takes and weird imagery. The "sex stuff" was icing I didn't exactly want or need, though.

I'm wondering if a small "Not My Hooded Justice" movement will start. Aside from some geeks never deserving nice things, I don't think there was anything in the source material (including the role-playing game; I was never into that, but I saw it at a comic show and it had lots of supplemental stuff) that indicated Hooded Justice was anything other than some hulking Eastern European guy with a few worrisome fetishes. I'm not saying I don't like the new origin . . . it made a lot of sense, and it did remind me of the doomed "Steel Driving Man" hero from DC: The New Frontier.

Fuck Rick James . . . in this world, Nostalgia is a helluva drug. Not getting how it works. Does it absorb memories when the patient has more of a grasp of things, acting as a backup system?

Pretty bleak episode in the sense of heavy-handedness . . . though it doesn't really stretch as far as an average episode of Black Lightning. Had to be reminded this was New York, what with the alleys and the trees for hate crimes. Watching Will snap and kill the guys behind "Cyclops" was cathartic, though . . . especially with that last asshole. "You will kill each other right here and now. White people are not to be hurt. This 'sub-liminal' plot is so awesome. I know that I will not get my just desserts. Hear that? I heard a click, like someone fired a gun with no bullets. No comeuppance for m-AKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!" And then he gets garroted to death.

The action "pausing" seemed obligatory and unnecessary, with Angela hanging in mid-air . . . but then there was Laurie trying to snap her out of it. Very well-done.

[showme]

So is Will closet gay or bisexual?

[link417]

Racist terrorists infiltrate the police to execute an evil plan, Will kills them.

Police (Judd) infiltrates the racist terrorists for the greater good (if the senator is to be believed), Will kills him.

I totally understand why Will would not trust Judd — he thinks history is repeating itself. But Judd’s murder would be tragic if he were one of the “good” guys (although that “you people” will always get a side eye), so I hope he was telling the truth.

I was dreading watching this because I thought a flashback episode would be super boring, but this episode was anything but.

The show revealed Will’s wife to be the baby he saved as if it were supposed to be some great revelation, when it was pretty obvious a few scenes in. 

The attack on Will and being strung up from his POV was difficult to watch. But I was glad he became Hooded Justice, so at least that came if it.

I didn’t want to like the Lady Trieu character but I love that she always sounds bored while this crazy shit goes down and I’m dying to know what she’s up to.

[Cardie]

1 hour ago, link417 said:

didn’t want to like the Lady Trieu character but I love that she always sounds bored while this crazy shit goes down and I’m dying to know what she’s up to.

Hong Chau lights up the screen in every role I have seen her in. 

[Catfi9ht]

I have been looking forward to this episode all week after watching the preview, and it definitely delivered. The visual style, directorial and musical choices were excellent. I think they were a little light in making it as fantastical as it could be since this was essentially a lifetime of memories digesting simultaneously, but that's a minor issue for me. I tend to like really strange shows that most hate like Carnivale.

Sorry to be a downer, but this re-affirms my opinion that the Veidt story line is the dead weight of the show for me. I really hope the pay off of the two story lines coming together is satisfying.

[rmontro]

Pretty interesting episode, we get to see the origin of Hooded Justice and what exactly happened to Judd.  Still not thrilled with all the racial stuff, but I'm looking forward to seeing where all this is going, and how it all connects.

[Tryangle]

10 hours ago, showme said:

So is Will closet gay or bisexual?

I found it really hard to tell from the episode. Will didn't seem "into it" during the sex scene or the in-bed dialogue, I'd have guessed he saw the whole thing as a means-to-an-end with regard to getting assistance. Even when their hands touched when Garner slid the business card over, I didn't see anything that suggested intimacy.

On the flip side I don't think we saw him emote desire when laying with his wife either.

Maybe Angela will ask him in a later episode although I suspect it's not particularly relevant to the plot at this time.

[Kirbyrun]

If anyone is interested, the title for this episode comes from Hollis Mason's book in the back matter of the original comics. I just thought that was cool.

(Oh, and next week's comes from Dr. Manhattan's narration of his Vietnam War experience.)

[Citizen A]

31 minutes ago, Kirbyrun said:

If anyone is interested, the title for this episode comes from Hollis Mason's book in the back matter of the original comics. I just thought that was cool.

Nice find!

Not sure if this has be pointed out here, but the other day I came across this, from the Watchmen Absolute Edition.  It's an early concept of Moore's for Hooded Justice, called "Brother Night"

Edited November 26, 2019 by anville

[blixie]

Quote

I was hoping the Captain was spying on the Clan by infiltrating them.

I think that is probably still at least part of it, but he DID say "you people" UGH. I think he was trying to expose Keene's role in the 7th Kavalry, but it's possible he only came to this AFTER the White Night, after Angela someone he really cared about almost dying.  

 

Quote

Was he outed as a racist criminal though?

I think Keene's comments last week to Wade about Judd "doing is part" or whatever it is at least possible he was working with the 7th Kavalry, whether genuinely support them or to thwart them who knows. 

[showme]

1 hour ago, Tryangle said:

I found it really hard to tell from the episode. Will didn't seem "into it" during the sex scene or the in-bed dialogue, I'd have guessed he saw the whole thing as a means-to-an-end with regard to getting assistance. Even when their hands touched when Garner slid the business card over, I didn't see anything that suggested intimacy.

On the flip side I don't think we saw him emote desire when laying with his wife either.

Maybe Angela will ask him in a later episode although I suspect it's not particularly relevant to the plot at this time.

Many closet men are like that, they are in denial. They can't resist physical intimacy with other men, but are afraid of showing affection, fearing to be labeled the f word.

I would argue this actually has more significance than you think. It has been referenced twice already previously. If you recall, Wade was watching a gay porn of two men going at it last episode, apparently it was Hooded Justice taking on Captain Metropolis from behind.  And at the beginning of this episode, they dedicated a whole skit to talk about the two men's relationship, which I am guessing will be featured again in future episode.

[Citizen A]

22 minutes ago, showme said:

If you recall, Wade was watching a gay porn of two men going at it last episode, apparently it was Hooded Justice taking on Captain Metropolis from behind.

I don't that that was porn.  He was watching the current "must-see-tv" of the moment, "American Hero Stories" (or whatever it's called), that everyone in their world's US is watching.  Probably as titillating as us watching the latest episode of HBO's "Watchmen."

Edited November 26, 2019 by anville

[DearEvette]

18 hours ago, kay1864 said:

This anecdote, about one 1990s film executive, was reported by the screenwriter, but it has not been corroborated.  Even if true, the musings of one executive does not a movie make.  

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/julia-roberts-harriet-tubman/

I actually said that tongue in cheek because it is patently absurd.  Sigh.  But it doesn't negate the larger point that It has happened.  Also the point that something like this is depressingly plausible.  

14 hours ago, ShellsandCheese said:

Was he outed as a racist criminal though? He was probably a bigot but what did he do that was criminal? 

I really want to know Judd's story.  Like I said in the episode that first introduced Laurie, I hope he is a criminal because everything about his death was just undignified, ending with his corpse being blown to bits (ouch, LOL).  I can't help but think he had a part in the White Night because we still don't know how Angela didn't get killed when the guy was about to deliver a double tap  to her head and the next thing we see is him sitting by her hospital bed. I mean, Will could just think 'all white cops are all bad all the time' but something triggered him with Judd.

13 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

The action "pausing" seemed obligatory and unnecessary, with Angela hanging in mid-air . . . but then there was Laurie trying to snap her out of it. Very well-done.

I loved the scene.  I get the 'crashing through the window' is an important detail re: Hooded Justice in the original comic.  But this was just so cool because it led to the scene where Angela is sitting there, behind the mask (we can see but Laurie can't) and her eyes were so tortured.  She was so stuck.  Regina King killed in that one scene and she was literally only acting with her eyes.  She is brilliant.

3 hours ago, Catfi9ht said:

Sorry to be a downer, but this re-affirms my opinion that the Veidt story line is the dead weight of the show for me. I really hope the pay off of the two story lines coming together is satisfying.

Yup.  The Veidt stuff isn't interesting in and of itself.  Its only promise is what role it will have  in final payoff.  And Let's hope it is a doozy.  But week-to-week it has been well ... weak.   

[arc]

14 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

“I know that I will not get my just desserts. Hear that? I heard a click, like someone fired a gun with no bullets. No comeuppance for m-AKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!" And then he gets garroted to death.

To be fair, he had headphones on and he was intently watching the film he was recording the mind-control audio for (even though he probably didn’t have to).

[HunterHunted]

1 hour ago, anville said:

I don't think that that was porn.  He was watching the current "must-see-tv" of the moment, "American Hero Stories" (or whatever it's called), that everyone in their world's US is watching.  Probably as titillating as us watching the latest episode of HBO's "Watchmen."

Looking Glass was watching American Hero Story not porn. Watchmen has been hinting that Ryan Murphy produces American Hero Story. Murphy is a queer man who is often drawn to stories about queer individuals. The Minutemen have queer members. Murphy often casts the same actors over and over again especially on American Horror Story. Cheyenne Jackson is one of them. If he doesn't use Jackson, he'll use a number of simillar looking brunets like Finn Wittrock or Matt Bomer. Then there are his other brunets like Dylan McDermott, Wes Bentley,  Max Greenfield, Darren Criss, and Adam Levine. American Horror Story: Hotel featured Jackson, Wittrock, Bomer, Bentley, Greenfield, and Criss. Having watched a ton of Ryan Murphy produced television, that sex scene was fairly tame by his standards. It was no crysturbating or drill-do.

Edited November 26, 2019 by HunterHunted

[Chicago Redshirt]

13 hours ago, Slovenly Muse said:

Was it ever confirmed that HJ was a Nazi sympathizer? As far as I can remember, they were only rumors. Maybe totally false, or maybe rumors started by Captain Metropolis to cement the idea of HJ's "whiteness." Because in the Minutemen, it's better to be thought a Nazi than a black man. Or perhaps his single-minded pursuit of the KKK was misread by his fellow Minutemen (who never got to see his folder and hear about his work on Cyclops, I assume) as interest, rather than antipathy. Because, why would a white man be paying attention to the Klan if not to join?

Or maybe they've just decided to do away with that little bit of comics canon. For an origin story this good, I'll definitely let them get away with it.

I loved this episode completely, and I love what this show is shaping up to be!

In the graphic novel, Sally Jupiter recalls events around a Minuteman photo session. Sally asks HJ if he thinks her hair will come out OK. HJ responds that he doesn't care for all the razzle-dazzle and he'd rather be out on the streets doing his job. The Comedian chimes in and says something to the effect of "Streets, nothing! Why don't Uncle Sammy send us to Europe, where the action is?" HJ's response is to the effect of, "Firstly, we aren't at war. Secondly, we should avoid political entanglements." Which, to me, sounds like what a Nazi sympathizer might say. 

In any event, I don't think it is realistic to reconcile that statement and the underlying philosophy with the notion of a HJ who was champing at the bit to get the Minutemen to fight the KKK at home.