SNN: Breaking Loki & #ThinkGenV

Sarah : Greetings, nerds. This is Scene N Nerd. I'm your host, Sarah Belmont. And with me, as always, is our Mr. Producer, Will Polk. How are you doing tonight, Will?

Will: Doing very well, sir. How are you doing this Tuesday evening?

Sarah : I'm doing fine. You know, it's Tuesday day. We both were talking about how we had the case of Mondays yesterday. And now we're here and now we got like 15 hours of TV to discuss.

Will: Yeah, we do.

Sarah : It feels like it at some point. but you know what I watched, over the weekend, in addition to these shows that we're going to talk about in a few, I watched, the Beckham documentary on Know.

Will: I saw that listed today that I guess it was number one ranked premiere, on Netflix. This Know. But prior to that, I had completely forgotten that, that was coming on. This.

Sarah : Wasn'T I didn't even know it was happening. But then I saw some random clips show up on my, TikTok. And then I just got bored and I was like, I'm just going to throw it on. They talk in English. I can listen to it while I do other things. I was pretty impressed by it. And also, as many people who have watched it, who live in America are pointing out, it's perfect timing for this documentary to be released. Or just in light of something we talked about last week, about the whole Taylor Swift, Travis Kelsey thing. And the, just it's crazy how they picked right now to drop this Beckham documentary because they go real into, the struggle that ensued between those two careers. I knew Beckham and I knew Victoria because I'm a girl in the just one plus one equals two guys. but I didn't know his career. I had no idea about some the struggles, the times when it went real wrong. all of the teams he played for, the decision making, what was factored into it, his upbringing, I had no idea. So they structured it around his whole career. and then as a B storyline, you have them falling in love and creating a family and then clashing of a, ah, work life versus home life.

Sarah : He'S really interesting in my opinion. I see a lot of my dad in him, which is surprising to me. And he doesn't have the personality that I would have expected based on based on the idea of who you think he is, necessarily. He has some OD, tics and some quirks like that. But it was just an interesting thing. And I did watch the Harry and Meghan documentary that Netflix put out, like, months. I'm I'm just waiting for the next documentary to be the comparison between American media and British media. Because both this docu series and that one talks about how, the British media are crazy. They're ferocious. You think our tabloids are bad no go overseas.

Will: I know Harry is, like, sued one of the tabloids, for tapping his phones and stuff. I mean, they're brutal. the British tabloids are notorious for their paparazzi stalking methodology and just salacious things that they print.

Sarah : Yeah.

Will: Or now post. I mean, they make TMZ look like.

Sarah : it's always interesting to watch something based in Britain, or even Europe in general, just because, we share the same language, yet the reality is very different. And just the society, and you're watching, and it's just like, it looks so old just because it's in Britain, you're like, it's so old, but that's because America is such a young country in comparison. Oh, man yeah, but I watched that in addition to, Gen V and Loki, just finding random things. And, of course, the things I should be watching. Like, yesterday I watched two episodes. I watched an episode of Billions, season seven. Their final season. They got two more episodes left. the season is pretty good. It's never going to be what it was. I'm fine with it. I'm going to see it through. It's never going to be the heyday of season two, season three, season four. but I do significantly like this season better than last season. although I still end up not as fully invested in half of the stuff going on anymore. but I watched that, and then I also watched, I randomly threw on the first episode of Loki, like, season one, episode one.

Will: Cool.

Sarah : I watched that. And, that episode is still as brilliant as I remember it being. I'm glad I did that, just because, it's so interesting to me how in that episode, he first gets captured by the TVA and then he realized or Mobius shows him how it all goes, the whole plan. and he's so eager to get out of the TVA to prove that no, he chooses his path. The path isn't already chosen for him. and I'm glad I did that this week, because of what happens in this week's episode of Loki. episode two breaking brad just because the contrast I was already impressed by the ending scene of, episode two, where you have a very distraught and dire TVA scene and Loki standing there and choosing to stay versus sylvie leaving, just because of the growth between this Loki we have right now and Loki who we met or I don't know if we say we met him in the first episode, but the Loki he was in season one episode.

Will: Right, right. Because season one, episode one, refresh my memory, was that the Loki that was fresh from the Battle of New York?

Sarah : Yes.

Will: Okay. That's what I thought. That's what I thought. Okay.

Sarah : Yes. Because in Endgame, they're trying to get the Infinity Stones. They drop, the cube one. What is the cube one called?

Will: The tesseract.

Sarah : Tesseract and Loki is like, in handcuffs, picks it up, and then becomes a that's that's the version we,

This week's episode explores predestination versus choice on Breaking Bad

Will: That, you know, that's great set up for this episode that we have this week, Breaking Bad. Because that theme of and really the theme of predestination versus choice is something that has baked into the fabric of this show. And really with the choice that, for example, Mobius had presented when they were discussing the key. Lime pie. As far as, figuring, thinking that, well, if I went back to the timeline that was pruned, I may have found something that I, liked that I may have missed and not want to leave it. Versus and also looking at Brad Wolf and his choice, he's this ruthless TVA agent, but at the same time, he made a choice to live in the sacred timeline and to his benefit, become a famous movie star. So we saw the choice that he made whenever presented with the same one that, Mobius was presented with. And in Brad's case, he chose it. And in Mobius case, he decided to just stick with what I know, the TVA. So I don't know if that's like a predestination where he feels like that's his destiny, or if it's a choice. Mobius? Yeah, Mobius.

Sarah : well, they don't know what their destiny is, per se. What they're dealing with right now, and why we saw, X Five go down to the timeline and assume who he was on that timeline is because with everything unspiraling in the TVA, all the rules are thrown out the window. Suddenly they realize they're technically yeah, everything they've been doing has been they got mind wiped. They don't even know who they are. They were kidnapped. There's a joke about that, that he says during the key line pie scene, but yet, at the same time, this is all they've ever known. So this is home, and this is what they should be doing. So there's a lot of conflict. Think I think this is going to continue throughout the rest of the season just because it's such understated conflict that's occurring within the TVA. agents specifically, because if they don't do anything, like, as we've seen this episode, so many lives could be lost, so many worlds could be destroyed, while at the same time, they're not gods. They don't want to assume that. They don't think it's right to predetermine someone else's path. But the loom is going to only last so long. Obi is trying to do what he I like, with the Loom and Obi, we have this stake in the back, like a timer, putting in jeopardy the entire TVA, while simultaneously we have the character emotional stakes of, well, do I pull Sylvie? Do I go and hide out on a random timeline and just assume a whole new life, acting like everything up until now did not happen? Or do I pull a brad and probably literally steal someone else's life. They're displaced people. which now that I say that kind of makes sense considering this is Loki and we just dealt with Thor, who asgard became displaced in the Thor series. So it's interesting. that parallel. But yeah, while at the same time, the other thing about choice and predestination that I thought was interesting was that conversation with Sylvie and Loki, and loki trying to convince her to come with him back to the TVA. And he does it because of what he sees in the future.

Will: now.

Sarah : He'S a god, but he's not a future scene god. but in that moment when you're trying to leverage like, this is what will happen, so you have to do this. She's exactly right to call him out. You've already figured out for yourself how this is going to play out and now you're wanting to change it, or wanting to, potentially even cause the events to lead to it. now at the same time, she wasn't exactly in peril. So I'm not sure why he thinks trying to fix that event in the future is so important. but I don't know.

Loki says he needs Sylvie's help to fix the past

Will: Yeah, that's one of the things about time travel that has been established in the MCU, because I know in you know, speaking of which, I'm sure we all have seen the memes in the MCU timeline. The day was the day that Tony sacrificed himself, to save to that universe. But one of the things that Infinity War and Endgame talked about with the whole issue, in particular with time travel is the know the rules that at least Banner established in, you know, we can't change things too much because we'll create a bunch of paradoxes. But it seems with Loki, it seems that he is saying that sylvie, we do have a choice here to potentially do something that could change a future outcome. Whether it be getting back to your point about the loom storing missed minutes or a rinslayer or not killing he who remains so that all these various branches on these timelines can be fixed and can move forward so these universes can continue forward. so it definitely does present some interesting story points that as we progress in this series, I think they will carry those things forward and try to answer some of those questions.

Sarah : So you're saying that he needs Sylvie's help to fix the past?

Will: Yeah.

Sarah : That's interesting. I didn't view it that way, or.

Will: Not necessarily to fix the past, but to fix well, I mean, whenever they were at the end of season one with He Who Remains, she killed him, which set all these events forth. So maybe he's trying to get her to see, don't do that, because now we're living the consequence of that. Given that, make the opposite choice when you get the opportunity to do it again.

Sarah : Yeah, but that's just fixing the past. Which does make more sense than the way I was reading it, because I was fixated on I don't know why, but from what I heard, it sounded more like he was trying to prevent, something in the future. But based on what we saw with the phone ringing, her in the elevator, and the TVA kind of like Baron, I don't know if he saw anything else or heard anything else that would know. We have to prevent this future from occurring.

Will: Yeah. or it could be fixing the TVA itself. We have established how corrupt and corrupted this organization.

Sarah : She does know the organization better. I think he walked away just thinking that she's the key to some kind of outcome. and at this rate, TVA is kind of a very safe place, considering they're bombing stray timelines left and right. yeah.

Will: I think Miss Minutes was constructed by Kang mhm

Sarah : So what do you think's going on with M? Miss Minutes? Both her and Renslayer, both episodes have had a lot of name drops. No action. We haven't seen either of them. but what you think, Miss Minutes is up to these days?

Will: So I think Miss Minutes was constructed by Kang And thinking back to that conversation that He Who Remains and Rinslayer had that Loki overheard, I think Ms. Mennitz has something to, you know, has, something to do with just keeping the order of the TBA in place and keeping things on the sacred timeline moving in that direction.

Will: And has created a doctrine, along with He Who Remains and others, to like. Here's the path, here's what we do. Regardless of the consequences, like we saw with General Docs, we got to keep this sacred timeline in order and any other branches need to be abolished. And we saw that in this episode with General Docs using all the Hunters to destroy all those branches. And so I think that's part of her role. And maybe cahoots with Docs.

Sarah : So you think she's in cahoots with Docs?

Will: Well, I think Docs is just a foot soldier for the orthodoxy of the TVA as far as keeping a sacred timeline unvarnished.

Sarah : that would make sense. It would completely make sense. She's in hiding from all of the other agents who are on the opposite side of the orthodoxy. but something you also said. I just want to clarify. So you said Kang built Miss Minutes. Or did he mean who remains?

Will: He who remains. Sorry, I got my variance.

Sarah : It's okay. I mean, it happened with a show like this. Come on.

Will: Yeah, I kind of jumped ahead.

Sarah : Because that also is an interesting idea that the TVA predates He Who Remains, potentially. What if the like was created while all of the Kang variants were like, it was created during that time when they were first exchanging ideas and everything. And then He Who Remains used it, or transformed it after the war ended, to use it more as a safeguard. I don't know. The only reason why I would also think that that might be a viable theory is because in last week's episode, when Loki's in the past and we see all the Kang pictures, for some reason I thought they were different versions of him. Something about the way they were phrased it looked more like a council of Kang's reference than anything.

Will: Yeah. Which would tie into a council that we saw at the end of,

Sarah : and and it did seem correct me if I'm wrong, Will, but it did seem by the end of this episode that Miss Minutes is definitely still working with yeah, yeah.

Will: I think.

Will: I heard an awesome theory about Renslayer

Sarah : We a lot of mystery with Renslayer going on right now. I heard an awesome theory about Renslayer. I don't know if you've heard this theory, just brace yourself, Will.

Will: Okay.

Sarah : The theory is Renslayer is a variant of

Will: Well, that would be a nice just.

Sarah : Like Sylvie is a variant of Loki.

Will: Yep, that's what I was about to say. That would be perfect symmetry as far as having these two protagonists antagonists have, that type,

Sarah : I mean, I heard it and I was, aren't isn't she supposed to end up having a thing with Kang? But then they brought up the Sylvie Loki, and I'm like, oh yeah, we're all about that.

Will: We all are about that variant love.

Sarah : Variant love. Oh, my God. Yeah, I like that theory.

Tom Wilson: I thought this episode carried a story forward very well

Sarah : what else? Yeah, anything else stood out to you in this episode.

Will: That might be more nitpick than anything else? And it's not the fact that they're in a McDonald's, but more just, I guess you were talking about stakes, and I think the temporal loom was a good utilization of stakes. I think for me, the only knit that I had was more I think the actors all sold the mass pruning, when the event happened very well, but for me, they carried a good emotional resonance, but for me, it didn't have as big an impact as I thought it would have if we saw Sylvie's. I think it would have worked better if they had pruned her timeline. For example, to like now that we've visited that time period in Oklahoma in 82, sort of like we saw with the snap where we lost characters and stuff. I think that would have showing that instead of telling us about it and it is show all these little lines on the screen. But I think that would just deepened it more for me than the excellent work that all the actors did. showing the pain on their face whenever they weren't able to stop all of journal, dox's agents from destroying those timelines. But other than that, I actually really enjoyed this episode. I thought it know, carried a story forward very well. I'm glad we did resolve the time slipping stuff. The last episode, this episode. Now we're really getting into, the heart of the story really fleshed out Loki more as far as speaking of the battle New York into that it was a fact that temper tantrum, that he was having, and seeing Mobius lose control whenever Loki kept his cool when X Five threw all those insults up at him. so, yeah, like I said, I thought overall, I thought this was a very enjoyable episode. And, I'm sticking to it. I think, the MCU, at least with this episode, is finding its footing. So I don't know if they had stability with showrunners and writers, but it seems to be the.

Sarah : No, no, you bring up a good point. because I'll be honest, I was not invested in the timelines, the bombings or any of that. I did really like the acting that occurred. and I don't know, it wasn't even necessarily their reaction, because I feel like this is the third episode that has ended with them looking at screens of timelines disappearing or expanding and being helpless. So I'm kind of like, bored with that. but what got me was really just this weird heartbreak, but also growth of Loki choosing to stay that I thought was really I don't know why, but it struck me. and I'm curious what they do with it with the rest of the season. I also just want to say, because we're in episode two.

Will: Yeah.

Sarah : Okay, guys, we're in episode two. This is a short season. It'll be over before we know it. stop comparing to season one. Just let it go. I remember I believe it's the third episode of season one, where they're nothing but stuck on a train for an entire episode. Everyone hated that episode. But then by the end of the season, everyone's like, oh my god, there's no Skips. Go back to that episode. It makes all the sense. We're not binging this, so don't treat it like a binge. Also, we're not at the end of it. and we're not even close, technically. So we're just chugging along. They're doing what they're doing. We won't know if it's a better season than season one until the end of this season.

Will: Right.

Sarah : that was my one nitpick, but I'm with you. I didn't hear the best reviews about this episode going into it. and so that set me up for success because I had low expectations and they surpassed them. and again. Tom Hilson and Owen Wilson should just receive an Emmy for best on screen.

Will: If the Golden Globes can make up the category, so can you.

Sarah : I'm not even like, saying Best Kiss or anything. I'm just like, best, bromance.

Will: Best Bromance. Okay. MTV Music Awards. The movie awards. That's the one. next year best bromance. 2023.

Sarah : Seriously?

First Day episode of Gen V got dark very quickly

Sarah : All right, well, we're going to leave hashtag, Loki Bromance. And head over to hashtag GenV. We got two episodes of Gen V. And, to start us off first day. So in the First Day episode, will we have the fallout of golden, boy's death? it got dark real quickly.

Will: It did.

Sarah : I was like, wasn't it morning? Still scraping the body that just knocked me?

Will: Yeah.

Sarah : But I think it's funny that this episode is called First Day. I would have named it Parents, Day. Or I could be confusing it with the next episode.

Will: Because you're thinking about the third episode.

Sarah : Yeah, I am. Okay.

Will: Because this one was just, this was First Day. It got dark very quick. I will say when this episode started, I had the same problem I had with the first one where it took me a while to get into it. which I didn't. I'll go ahead and say with the third one, didn't have that issue. But this one, it did start dark. But it also got back into the world of the boys with having Vault reminded us with Ashley and her team. So that was when I was just like, oh yeah, here we go. Vault's doing their thing. we're going to have, the whole spin.

Sarah: These two episodes back to back is just seamless

Will: And also really with the, we were wondering what was going on with the woods. And we get a little bit more about the woods in this episode as far as clearly has something with Walt and I guess maybe with the compound V. It was one of those things where okay, it's like this is where the land of the M misfit M toys go. It's land of the misfit kids where they have bad reactions to bad reactions to V. I guess this is the woods. And I guess being the evil corporation that it is, doesn't want people to find out about it.

Sarah : Yeah, definitely. I think you didn't have, a problem getting into the next episode because these two episodes back to back is just seamless. I'm so glad we are watching these together. I will be honest. First Day, it's not that I wasn't into it. it was just a lot of exposition, a lot of set up. It was a lot of like, we're starting these seats that fully grew in the very next episode, thank God. But I don't think if we were just having a discussion about the second episode, then I don't think I would have too much to say. because a lot of the questions and they're moving fast because I threw out my whole Sam is golden boy's brother fairy last week. And we already.

Will: As soon as I saw that, I was like, huh? I was like, go, Sarah, you called it.

Sarah : Well, I have watched a few TV shows of my day.

Will: Yeah.

Sarah : You'Re exactly right. Like, the woods is clearly the place where they send the products that are not functional. because it is all about publicity. They're not going to kill them. But at the same time we saw them do like a spine tap on Sam, which made me almost think, oh, is he how they create Gen V? Like something was his blood or somebody else's. so that's interesting.

Will: Or maybe they experiment with these kids to figure out how we can perfect the product. Right at the end of the day, that vaults a corporation. And if there's a defective product, we're going to figure out how to fix this widget. And so I think that's part of what's going on in this. And why Ashley was just so freaked out about making sure that regardless of what happens, nobody finds out about what's going on in the woods. Screw the kids, I don't care.

Sarah : but then again, Ashley has that about everything pop. Yeah, true, they can find out about that, but not about these ten other things.

Sam is really becoming my favorite character on the show

Sarah : the big fallout is also on the kids side of things. The young adult side of things. We have the rankings. And we have Maria finally, or Marie, the first time freshman to break into the top ten. And Andre gets pushed to the front. And Sam, even though Sam is the one to have fought Golden Boy gets, I don't know, where was it? Three or five? It was five was.

Will: Dropping.

Sarah : Yeah. Because they don't market. see Sam is really becoming my favorite character. I was not expecting, I just, I find it very interesting what they're doing with their they, we immediately get told brink, even though he was probably a bad guy, he still protected Sam. and so allowed Sam to be great. And now that that shield is gone, they are scrapping and trying to figure out a way to retain what they have because they realize more than Marie does that their ability isn't as marketable even though they can kick ass.

Will: Yeah. And also, it also had a manipulated know. Because I think back to the story that Arie told Golden Boy at the party there at the club where this story about her parents are so proud. Ah, and then the same thing happens. that same cover story is also propagated some more in these two episodes to try to make her more marketable. but also this, the manipulation that they were utilizing with her sister and Dean, shetty I was like, stan Edgar must be somewhere just beaming with pride because she used to Stan Edgar of this series.

Sarah : She's something. And it was getting real annoying in this second episode, how easily Marie got manipulated. I'm so glad by then of third episode she woke up that she was just a show pony for injury. So I'm curious to see what continues to go on between that relationship. if Marie in fact woke up to it or if she's still as easily manipulated, as she has been in these last two episodes. because we get the tough girl. I'm not going to break psychology's bullshit.

The CW's The Boys spin off explores eating disorders and self harm

Sarah : And then within five minutes, oh, here's my honest story, which, like both her and Emma, okay, I like how they act. I like how they and I'm not trying to speak light of their storylines, or their things, but just grant me this one piece. Because they both are ashamed of these. Cricket is ashamed of how her ability manifests. And Marie slaughtered her parents when she first got her ability. Shame, shame, shame. And yet they act like they don't want to tell the world. And I feel like they have told at least 500 people at this point. And then they're surprised with the outcome. Like, really? This girl comes in, and defends you against this guy who pulled a dick move pun intended on you. And then you get high together and you're like, yeah, I'm going to tell her the truth. Like, I've known her for five minutes.

Will: That was so CW.

Sarah : Yeah, I was just like I was rooting for the storyline. But I really don't think that if you have an eating disorder and are shameful of that, you're going to tell a stranger within five minutes of meeting with them. But granted, you are intoxicated. So who knows?

Will: Yeah, we've all been there where we probably overshared when we've had know, tasty beverage or a.

Sarah : last week we talked a lot about Emma ah. And what they were alluding to in the fact, like eating disorder that fully came of light. Two, they are they're doing that. But I was kicking myself. Because what we did not necessarily point out was Marie and how her ability manifests. not only when she gets her period, but also when she cuts herself. Yeah, it's self harm. And it's just like, oh, so you're telling me a spin off of The Boys is starring really two females whose powers are all from self harm. Interesting. I did not expect that.

Will: Yeah, now that you bring it didn't I think we talked about the self harm, but it was more in Emma's with her eating disorder. And you're right, we did gloss over Marie's. But in both situations.

Sarah : Because I don't think that Marie's was as foretelling as it was, I forget if it was the second or I think it was the second episode that kind of ended with the contrast of, Emma getting small and her ritual and then Marie sitting in her dorm room and playing with her knife and cutting.

Will: It. Though we did see it in the first episode whenever, after Brink told her she was, Yeah, I think that was the first real evidence of it. I guess whenever she was in know, when we first were introduced to Marie in the school in episode was it was more like. A me. I don't much. It wasn't as clear that it was self harm when she was, like, working out in the gym. But by the end of the episode, especially when you see it in this two subsequent episodes, you do see it much more clear that that is what's going on. And you're right, I have a very disquieting feeling now about this show and I'm just trying to figure out how to articulate it. Because having a situation that eating disorders men and women definitely deal with and self harm with both, but it is especially very, damaging and very more prevalent with young women and young girls. Like I said, I know we're early in the series and we'll see how we have many episodes, seven episodes to go to see how they handle this situation. But, yeah, I don't have good feelings right now.

Sarah : in, in a way. And, and I think that it's an unsettling concept. but m, I think that's why this spin off is working so far. Because the boys dealt like they more or less would put their characters in these insane scenarios and have it play out with these insane personalities. While here the abilities, they're not necessarily being placed in an extreme scenario, it's more of their life and how it's being played out, as being a Gen V baby.

Sarah : I think that it's looking to me like it's much more intentional of, how they are really focusing on female characters. I mean, we'll talk about Andre, of course, but the female characters are, really the more compelling parts. which to go back to Sam is interesting because I think that there's a preference there, for them, which clearly will contrast their dad's perception. but at the same time, they just like the option to be either they'll slip in, slip out, whatever meets what they want and where they think that the advantage can get from, being in one gender versus other, which is interesting.

Sarah : It'S not self harm.

When Kate uses her powers too much, she could kill herself

Sarah : But let's talk about Kate for a moment. Yeah, kate, who could have easily we could have never seen again because she was golden boy's trophy. we, we saw her use her powers once to get them into the club. and she's wearing the row gloves, because if she touches you, then you do whatever she says, including hitting yourself in the nuts and saying yep.

Will: With the.

Sarah : and we see more of that. We see her and Andre start to try to figure out, this isn't Luke. So what happened? What sent him over the edge? How did this happen? And diving into that mystery. And what we also end up seeing by the end of the third episode is when she uses her powers too much, she could kill herself.

Will: Yeah.

Sarah : It'S draining her. I don't know if it's more draining the more time she does it. In the day, or something else. we haven't seen enough of it to really understand the limitations of her powers.

Will: Right, yeah. But it's definitely something that, she definitely has a fine amount of time to use it. And if she does it too much, it does cause her harm. And I guess that's the thing that we've seen, with the exception of Homelander, many of these soups, even going back to the Mean, they all have utilization of these powers. All have some type of there is a liability to them. I guess with Homelander, it's just become a megalomaniac. but, a train. His powers were literally killing him. if he used it too much, and I guess with Kate, we see it here, that it could kill.

Sarah : Then, again, they move really fast in this show, which I'm not mad at, because in one episode, we got Andre and Kate grieving over the loss of their friend, and the next episode, they're having grief sex. Yeah, I mean, I saw coming, but.

Will: I saw it coming, too. Yeah, I saw it coming, too. I was just like, okay, let's just start right at the beginning here. After you help her out.

Sarah : It's been at least two days, right? 48 hours. Is that 48 hours? Okay, cool. Got it. Oh, my God.

What are your thoughts on Andre and his dad, Polarity

Sarah : and then on that note, because like I said at the beginning, these two episodes back to back, we are jumping all over the place. But, that's just because of how great these two seamlessly works together. but what are your thoughts on Andre and his dad, Polarity?

Will: Yeah, so Polarity is definitely the company man, and he definitely wants his son to gain his rightful place there as part of part of the seven. So it's the crazy football sport parent, making sure that you do what you need, get here, do the press conference, do all these things, because I'm on the board now of this university. My days of being a soup and gardener over a city are on the back end. I'm going to live through you, my son. Now, in one regard. but also, it is that hyper competitive parent who just pushes their kid because they don't give the kid any agency. The kid is just, you're going to do what I say because I know what's going to be successful for you, even if you want to do something else. No, you're going to do what I told, do what I want you to do. between that and then just in the second episode, where we see that the whole dynamic going on, with the press conference and stuff, where Marie and Andre were supposed to talk about the story, how they saved everybody, from Golden Boy. and then you get to the third episode of Think Brink at the, Gala, the Think Gala. Andre, working with Cricket to try to figure out what's going on with Sam because of what he learned on Brink's computer. and telling his dad, I got to go to the bathroom and stuff just to get away from him so he can do the mission. And then of course, whenever dad figures out what's going on, it makes me wonder. Can't wait to see what happens in the next couple of episodes, because of what's all going on at this point.

Sarah : Yeah, I mean, Polarity is, he does fit into that mold of, ah, everything you just said about being that competitive parent. But at the same time there were lines about he never made it into Seven. We don't know if he ever necessarily protected a city or got called for his own city. it almost seems to me like they're trying to mold that character to, be in the idea of the parent who could have gone the distance, fucked up. And so now they have their kid and are making their kid live out their dream. No, this is what you want. Because I wanted it. So this is what you want. which could be like we've seen that 5000 times. and so the more I think about these episodes and Andre in it, the more they are coming up with more fresh narrative. Because in contrast with suddenly he's ranked number one. Suddenly what his dad has wanted for him is starting to occur simultaneously. You have, Andre just lost his best friend, fucked his best friend's girlfriend, trying to figure out what happened. And finds out about the woods, finds out about Sam still alive and wants to be a hero. And you get that contrast or that idea of like, but this is what my father wanted for me, right? He wants me to be a hero, but he wants me to go talk at a press conference about something that I technically didn't do and not actually look into the circumstances of my friend's suicide. They are doing, looking at it from that perspective, it is much more of an original take. and going back to that idea of what it is to be a member of the Seven is much more, you're a product, you're a spokesman, you're not a hero. No.

Will: They really drive that home with this series that at the end of the day, these soups are just like they're normalize, these people. They're not these people who are up on pedestals that we pretend superheroes to be. And they do it in such an effective way. like you said, Andre is trying to, he is like, hey, I'm a hero. Ah, but dad is like, no you're not a hero. Keep your lips know, there's that. And then to your point with Sam, with parents, with this gala in the third episode and Sam's parents in particular, Sam's father, with the whole again, with how they have these aspirations for them and seeing how the numbers are dropping. And because they're like, well, good at is gala. Ah. You're going to butter up all these big wigs so you can get your rating back up higher again. And also, again, the idealized thing that ah, Sam's father has versus what this episode, this third episode really is, I think the one that Brink was the one that really sold me on this series because one, I think it was watching them back to back. But two, even if I had watched, say, one one day and another know, one week know, has he been dropping, well, I guess these first three, I guess, all dropped together. but as a unit, amazon was smart to release these three episodes as a bundle because they really were like we've seen in other story structures, like in andor for example, dropping these stories together really made it almost like a mini movie in the sense that I'm bald in now at the end of this chapter.

Sarah : Yeah, I agree. I think that these first three episodes, they really are good set up for a season, much less a series. And, yeah, I agree with that, that it was a smart move to drop them all together.

We meet Emma's mom who is fully aware of her daughter's condition

Sarah : while we have all of the fundraising and the Parents Day stuff going on, we meet Emma's mom, who much like Polarity, they crafted the character to be the mother who, is fully aware of her daughter's condition and, unfortunately also encourages it. Just wants to capitalize on her daughter. It makes all the sense in the world why Emma, is a gen baby with that mom. Because that mom is definitely, the mom manager. Mom manager, for sure. But but I do appreciate how that wasn't what this episode, we have Emma, who is just like she has a fight with Marie. Everybody knows what she's going through now because she told one person, the wrong person. and she's really just over it. And then within an instance, they take that opportunity and say, no, Andre needs Cricket to go into the woods, because of her ability. And so suddenly within the same episode, her ability gets transformed from this big traumatic thing to something that can actually help someone. and I don't think she has ever viewed it in that way. and while simultaneously now she's totally has a crush on Sam. So just putting that out there because Luke's brother's name is Sam, right? I didn't just make that up in my notes, right?

Will: No, that's his brother's name.

Sarah : Yeah. Okay. We have two Sam's on this show. This is going to get interesting. I was reading my notes and oh my, I don't know about that choice writers, but we'll see.

Um, Cricket gets into the woods, which leads us to okay,

Sarah : Cricket gets into the woods, which leads us to okay, so I have been on IMDb because I was looking up characters names and actors names and all this stuff. And they did have a shot of Miss Emma covered in blood. From context of that image, though, I could not tell it was an ear, that it was like, at the end of this episode, as soon as she jumped into the ear, I was like, oh, I'm going to see that image. Okay. Got it. But yeah, we have Cricket use her powers, to not only break into the woods, but also, by the end of it, to literally become a bullet and go straight through one year, out the other.

Will: So not only does she learn how to enjoy her use her powers for good, but also she's become a killer.

Sarah : Well, she, very I'm glad they just didn't try to show us what happened inside the head.

Will: Yeah, maybe. I don't think they had they probably didn't have the budget for it. Building five foot dicks takes up a lot of money.

Sarah : I think it was fine showing us in one ear, out the other, and then also this realization there's more, and how long can she do that? But, I don't know. It's an ability that just when you think you understand it or its limitations, suddenly they become a bullet and you're oh, yeah, yeah. You would be able to technically do that, I guess. I mean, I've never seen Ant Man do it, but he has tried to tie up some wires in oh, man. Yeah. All right, I'm done. On that note.

Will: I think that's a good one to wrap up on.

Please follow us on X, formally known as Twitter, at scene and Nerd

Sarah : All right, Will, why don't you tell our listeners where they can find you?

Will: Yes, you can find me on X, formerly known as Twitter, at willmpolk. Willmmpolk.

Sarah : And you can find me there at s J belmont sjbelmont. Please follow our crew on X, formally known as Twitter, at scene and Nerd. Friend us on Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and threads at Scene, underscore N, underscore Nerd, and visit our website, WW, scenanderdpodcast.com. But most importantly, rate. Follow and comment on Apple podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever your podcast. Good night. Geek out. You're welcome.