S01.E07: Cease To Resist

[Guest]

Cutler gets a surprise visitor; Hodiak and Shafe work the murder of a Hollywood star; Charlie goes gun shopping.

 

[Primetimer]

When Hodiak investigates a movie star's death, he learns that love gets a lot less free when you're over fifty.

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[thuganomics85]

I see that Shafe isn't completely progressive.  He seems to be better with race and gender compared to most of his colleagues, but clearly seems to have issues with gay people (or at least guys.)  Even looking past his awkwardness at the bar and excusing it as being in new territory, his rant with Hodiak (including calling them deviants), is very telling.  It kind of reminds me of Pete on Mad Men, and how he could be supportive of some groups, but then would bash others.

 

In comparison, Hodiak really doesn't go out of his way to have problems with people different from him. He does seem to have issues with race (especially with his dealings with Bunchy), but he at least seems to avoid hostility or using slurs.  His issues are just personal ones like being an angry drunk and playing loose with the rules.

 

Another case that looks like it won't solve.  This show really isn't afraid to go there, huh?

 

Charmain is back to being a glorified secretary, until Hodiak has her help him with the case.

 

Charlie's first attempt at being a badass failed in spectacular fashion. Tried to find and take out Hodiak, only to run into Cutler instead!  And, now he wants more guns, but he actually has to pay cash this time.  We also meet of one of his original women, Mary, who is played by another former Justified person, Abby Miller (Ellen May.) 

[Milburn Stone]

I see that Shafe isn't completely progressive.  He seems to be better with race and gender compared to most of his colleagues, but clearly seems to have issues with gay people (or at least guys.) 

 

Although the show has come in for some carping on the anachronism front (for the record, nothing major about this show has stuck in my craw, even though anachronisms usually piss me off), I really appreciate how true to the era Shafe's attitudes are regarding the whole gay thing--along with the disrespectful way Shafe and Hodiak joke about it. Forget about bigots and haters, that's absolutely the way good straight men were back then. The show doesn't sugar-coat in the name of making its hero characters 2015-correct, and I find this surprising for a show on a major broadcast network. It's one of the things I admire about the show so much.

[shapeshifter]

I see that Shafe isn't completely progressive.  He seems to be better with race and gender compared to most of his colleagues, but clearly seems to have issues with gay people (or at least guys.)  Even looking past his awkwardness at the bar and excusing it as being in new territory, his rant with Hodiak (including calling them deviants), is very telling...

...I really appreciate how true to the era Shafe's attitudes are regarding the whole gay thing--along with the disrespectful way Shafe and Hodiak joke about it. Forget about bigots and haters, that's absolutely the way good straight men were back then...

Shafe's attitude surprised me, but I guess he felt the need to prove to Hodiak that he was a "real" man, but his vehement defensiveness made me wonder if he had ever experimented with homosexuality as a youth, or maybe even had an uncle who came onto him.

Cutter was such a dick to Charmain that I was anticipating him getting struck by lightning in the balls.

Pregnant Mary returning to her abuser (with cash from investment bonds!) was a reflection of what Charmain puts up with. Mary was an "unwed mother" like the mother of Jesus of the Christian scriptures, but Charlie was no Joseph.

Even though she's obviously in full uniform (the hat!) we see Charmain's skirt doing her no favors when she investigates on a Hollywood lot. I recall being considered a trouble maker for wanting to wear a pant uniform instead of an above-the-knee dress uniform to work at an all-night Mr. Donut for less than minimum wage. And when I chose to wear loose, ankle length skirts because they were less form revealing than pants, I was informed that it wasn't Halloween. The show has some verbal anachronisms, but they are getting the attitudes right.

[helenamonster]

I too "appreciate" (not the exact right word but it'll have to do) the show making Shafe homophobic. This woman gave a lecture at my school once where she talked about how a lot of homophobia actually stems from sexism. It's not so much that people (specifically men) are disgusted by two men having sex, it's that they're disgusted that a man would willingly engage in an activity that is meant for women i.e. having sex with a man. The gay man at the bar (who I guess we can say a little presumed R.I.P. for?) touching Shafe was an immediate threat to Shafe's masculinity.

 

The dead movie star wasn't real, right? Was the storyline based on anything real?

 

If we don't get to see Charmain clock Cutler across the face before this season is over, I'm going to be very disappointed. I do like the relationship she's building with Hodiak, though. It might even be better than the one he's building with Shafe.

 

I absolutely loved the use of "I Wanna Be Like You" from The Jungle Book while Charmain was looking for the nails.

 

The book Katie was reading was Rosemary's Baby, which was eventually adapted into a film that was written and directed by Roman Polanski.

[shapeshifter]

Rewatching this episode "live" the priest's exposition about Hodiak's character being brave and--what was the other word? Sensitive? Caring?--rings true and seems like the real heart of the show (rather than Manson).

The dead movie star wasn't real, right? Was the storyline based on anything real?...

I do seem to recall reading about a well known, closeted star who met a violent death around that time period that was covered up. Anyone else?

[miles2go]

Ramon Novarro?  Some details are different, but a very similar situation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramon_Novarro#Personal_life

[reggiejax]

Ramon Novarro?  Some details are different, but a very similar situation.

 

Did not know that about Ramon Novarro. Then again, I only knew his name and that he was a discount Valentino.

 

Personally I thought the character was an amalgam of the endless Hollywood Mysteries and Scandals (cue AJ Benza) that have occured over the years. A bit of Rock Hudson for the star with a hidden sexual life, a dash of Thomas Ince for the studio coverup, and a heaping helping of Sal Mineo for the murdered faded star angle. 

 

But I think Ramon Novarro was clearly the inspiration here.