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dramaticviolincrescendo · 4 years ago

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So. Ryan.

I’m going back to s4 for a minute because the wonderful @damngcoffee and I were discussing fleeting yet fascinating Ryan, and I wanted to put my thoughts out into the universe. I hope you don’t mind.

I’ve never thought too deeply about the dynamic between Ian and Ryan before. Even in planning out “In Pieces,” analyzing Ryan’s motives wasn’t strictly necessary because it’s not really something Ian would pick up on based on his perspective in this situation. Ostensibly, it’s quite simple: during his club days, Ian is swinging with a new and visibly elegant circle in a drastically different part of society than he grew up in. That’s why Mickey is so out of his element there, whereas Ian expertly camouflages himself the way he always has. On the surface, there’s nothing out of the ordinary here. Just a party. Just Ian, manic and feeling on top of the world and in his element. Just another red flag missed amidst a sea of them. What happens at the party, however, really seems to potentially indicate that there’s more to this and more to Ryan as a character than merely acting as a clever setup for Mickey to indicate that he and Ian are officially in a relationship.

Up to that point, all we’ve seen surrounding Ian from Mickey’s point of view are real slime balls—older men preying on someone that they don’t necessarily realize is underage, but they definitely know is very, very young and vulnerable. There’s the lap dance guy, the one who can’t run to save his life, and the dude who’s just asking for his fingers to be broken one by one. Mickey alludes to two in particular over breakfast that first morning, and when Ian mentions a regular inviting them to a party, Mickey is focused on a rather specific image of what one of Ian’s regulars must be like.

Then they go to Ryan’s loft, and...it’s classy. Sophisticated. This isn’t a raucous after-party, but a very different atmosphere, full of upper-middle to upper-class ladies and gentlemen who are clearly professionals. Many of them are in suits or dressed nicely, having a late-night drink and speaking tastefully. They’re also substantially older than Ian and Mickey, who are only nearing seventeen and nineteen respectively at the time. These people have careers and, in the case of the sociologist Mickey speaks with, are working on advanced degrees. The only visible drugs are the ones on the table in front of Ian while he’s asleep the following morning. This isn’t the kind of party that we’d expect, knowing where Ian is mentally at this time like we do.

We tend to focus a lot on what Mickey’s response to all this is, but I’d like to use it as a diving board for analyzing a few dimensions of Ryan’s character that appear to indicate that, through the encroaching darkness of Ian’s as yet unacknowledged illness, there are people who are possibly watching out for him. So, here are a few things that stand out about our encounters at Ryan’s loft:

Ian says that Ryan is one of his “regulars.” Based on what we’ve seen so far, this immediately has us thinking there’s a level of sexual interest on Ryan’s side, even if only as something of a voyeur who enjoys watching Ian dance at the club. There’s no physical manifestation of that interest, though. Ryan noticeably doesn’t behave like the skeevy guys we’ve already seen, Ned included. That doesn’t exclusively mean that he’s on the up-and-up, of course, but I found it worth noting that their hug is just a hug, and he doesn’t step out of his role as a cordial host for a second. He treats Ian the same as he treats Mickey: with kindness and social acceptance, albeit with more familiarity. And when Ian goes with him to see what drinks are available, there aren’t any apparent undertones. Ryan immediately heads towards the open kitchen, and Ian follows at a polite distance. Host and attendee—those are our initial vibes as far as Ryan is concerned. It’s jarringly different from our other forays into Ian’s current lifestyle.

Enter the sociologist. What a fascinating individual for Ryan to interact with. He immediately asks if Mickey is with Ian, which is nothing special in itself and serves as a way to engage Mickey in conversation without simply asking what he does. The fact that he moves into that, however, is very interesting to me because he’s so straightforward about it. It’s not an interrogation, yet there’s an element of investigation to it. Perhaps he’s just a curious guy making conversation with someone who looks uncomfortable; perhaps he’s familiar with Ian from these parties and is doing a bit of research into who it is that Ian brought with him, as it is arguably the first time that’s happened. Either way, what he says that he’s studying is a “blink and you’ll miss it” sort of reference. It also flies under the radar for anyone who isn’t familiar with the field of sociology. We end up like Mickey: lost and confused by “transgender sex work and symbolic interactionism within the framework of hustler-client relations,” but generally understanding that he’s studying sex workers and pimps—emphasis on the sex workers. Something we know Ian was at the time, working the front and back of the club as he later admits.

Now, for the uninitiated, symbolic interactionism is a theoretical perspective in the field of sociology that focuses on how our social interactions with other people, social institutions, and the world around us both facilitate our construction of reality and alter or solidify our perceptions of our existing reality. While there are many directions his study may be taking him in, this sociologist is writing a dissertation on the meaning that is made between hustlers and clients—what symbols emerge that define each side, their roles, their meaning to one another, the dissemination of the values and norms that guide their relationships, etc. In short, he’s studying the socially constructed meaning of the relationship that specifically transgender sex workers and pimps have with each other and their clients.

On the surface, that has no bearing on this situation. Mickey’s confused, and it’s an ironic bit of writing to connect him to this group he’s uncomfortable with by showing that South Side Mickey is the pimp that the upper classes of society are studying for their Ph.D. It’s pure satire, a brief commentary on just how different classes of society can be and perhaps even a nod to how lower classes are inside the fishbowl that upper classes are peering into but will never truly experience. To the viewer, however, what a sign that may be, depending on your interpretation. Ian has clearly been around this group of people enough that he’s known. They’re familiar enough with him to say that he’s great and how lucky Mickey is to have him. If Ryan is one of Ian’s regulars, then they know where he came from. They know he’s young, and they know what he does for a living right now. There’s no way this sociologist—studying what he’s studying, asking what he’s asking—doesn’t have some professional interest in Ian’s circumstances. Enough, perhaps, to check in on who this person he’s brought with him is. Ordinarily, I wouldn’t read so much into that, but this isn’t the only time it happens.

The next morning, Ian is asleep and Ryan chooses to wake Mickey first. He knows Mickey wasn’t comfortable with him the night before, which I thought he handled with a lot of grace and good-humor. In most cases, I’d expect more disdain, but not with Ryan. It’s interesting, then, that he didn’t go to Ian first given their familiarity. Sure, he knows Ian worked the night prior. He may just have impeccable manners and want Ian to sleep a bit longer. If he’s a regular, he knows Ian needs it. (He probably also sees the drugs on his coffee table and figures he definitely needs it, but I digress.)

So, he wakes Mickey. He makes a casual joke. Then, when Mickey says he’s not Ian’s keeper, his demeanor shifts just slightly. His expression grows hesitant—tentative, like he’s been meaning to ask something but hasn’t quite worked up to it. For someone who should just be a regular, who shouldn’t care much outside of Ian dancing, whose interest has been that of a polite acquaintance thus far, his gaze is more intent than I’d have expected as he waits for Mickey to tell him if he’s a boyfriend or if he’s someone who is a one-night deal. Are they together, or is Mickey just a fleeting fancy for Ian?

Are they together, or is Mickey taking advantage of this very, very young sex worker that Ryan has conveniently invited to his home after work instead of him going home with some stranger?

Are they together, or is Mickey some stranger?

When Mickey says they’re together, the intensity ebbs and casual Ryan is back. He offers a contented reply and heads off to get breakfast for Mickey, still not knowing what Ian wants. If that was his prime motivation for approaching them in the first place, wouldn’t he have woken Ian up at that point? Wouldn’t he have completed his task of taking breakfast orders? It makes me wonder if that’s not why he woke Mickey at all. It makes for a good excuse when he was delivering food to others who stayed overnight, but the more I rewatch their interactions, and the more I read into how dissonant his position as “a regular” and his behavior are, the more I wonder if there’s something else to Ryan.

A regular who doesn’t seem all that interested in Ian as anything other than an acquaintance—a person, not a dancer or object like literally everyone else in Ian’s new life that we’ve seen so far.

An engineer and photographer Ian says with absolute certainty doesn’t want or expect anything from him.

A professional with professional friends who are studied in the fields of sociology and sex work.

A man somewhat older than them who checks in with Mickey—after someone else has already done so and discovered that their sex worker guest is there with a self-proclaimed pimp—to inquire after his relationship with Ian in a relatively non-invasive manner.

Ian was taken advantage of by so many people as a kid and especially during his initial spiral. I’ve always thought of this as being a lonely time for him even though he certainly felt like he was a part of everything and surrounded by all the wonders of the world. He abandoned the military and his dreams. He flitted into and out of Ned’s home. Monica flitted into and out of his life yet again. His family wasn’t looking until Lip’s hands were tied by the MPs, and even then they were almost immediately distracted by the situation with Fiona and Liam. Mickey was married and seemingly out of reach. He’d left his friends and connections behind.

But maybe, just maybe, there was a guy who saw him at work and saw him. Maybe there was a guy who was a little older, a little more educated, and a little more savvy about the scene Ian was involved in when he noticed this kid dancing on a stage in a place he had no business going to.

And maybe this guy decided that he’d look out for this kid who was in way over his head, indirect and not at all obvious about it, yet someone who cared at a time when Ian unknowingly and unintentionally had to rely on the kindness of strangers.

#shameless #shameless meta #Ian gallagher #it’s ian gallagher loving hours

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robertkstone · 7 years ago

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2017 Audi A4 2.0T Quattro Long-Term Verdict: Excellence Versus Soul

The Audi A4 never shouts—it quietly works its magic until you start questioning choices other automakers make with their compact luxury sport sedans. After a year with our long-term 2017 Audi A4, living with the car solidified our feeling from last year’s Big Test comparison that it’s one of the best cars in its class.

Of course, when you spend that much time with a car, you also notice what doesn’t work well. The A4’s seatbelt chime is too loud, the rear defroster quits too early, I don’t like the upward-tilting exterior door handles, and the twin-clutch automatic transmission could be smoother in low-speed driving. Those are relatively minor issues when you realize that every car you’re considering has something you won’t like.

With the A4, you must decide how much soul you’re willing to give up for all-around everyday excellence. The Audi isn’t as fun to drive as the Alfa Romeo Giulia, our 2018 Car of the Year and the car that won the comparison in which the A4 placed second. Some feel the Alfa is more fun to look at, too, but I disagree. The Alfa is attractive, but the Audi’s sharp, understated looks will age well.

So the impressively capable Audi isn’t as entertaining as the Giulia, but you’re in for a great commute. Because let’s face it: That’s where you’ll drive this car most of the time. A number of smart details occasionally made me nod my head in appreciation. The A4’s 8.3-inch infotainment screen is ideally placed at the very top of the dash and is canted toward the driver. Then there’s the superb 12.3-inch Virtual Cockpit digital instrument cluster, which is distinguished from other similar systems not by its use of Google Earth—which is cool, but pricey after the trial period ends. Instead, I like the interface and how easily you can switch views using steering wheel controls. Whether you want a full-screen map view or a more traditional display of a tachometer and speedometer with music or drive info in the middle, the Audi gets most details right. Three suggestions: I wish the car could show album covers when I’m using Apple CarPlay; I want a tire pressure monitoring system that displays PSI at each tire; and it’d be cool if I could change the color of the “A4” that appears in one of the full-screen display modes.

The process of accessing some settings menus isn’t intuitive at first, but the system and MMI control knob are easy to use after a little practice.

Other interior pluses include an ambient lighting system that offers multiple colors and allows you to color part of the interior in one color and the rest of the car’s interior lighting in another complementing hue. Unfortunately, though, the illuminated white line at the bottom of the front doors doesn’t play along. Also, the A4 has one of the best turn-up-the-volume controls in the industry, with a roller-type control on the steering wheel and an easy-to-find volume knob at the base of the center console between the driver and front passenger. Over time, I even came to appreciate the engine auto start/stop system, but not for its smoothness. In fact, the engine awakens with a noticeable and unfortunate shake. I kept the feature on because under the right conditions, the car can turn the engine off for over a minute—perfect for making the most of our long-termer’s 19-speaker 755-watt sound system at long red lights in the silence to which EV owners have become accustomed.

Were I ordering an A4, I wouldn’t pick the Atlas Beige interior color of our long-termer, and not just because our Big Test comparison tester’s Nougat Brown looked great. The beige seats on our A4 don’t hide dirt well, and the standard seats on our car don’t provide as much side bolstering as I’d like. I would get the available sport seats, after making sure that the sport suspension with which they’re bundled isn’t too uncomfortable.

During our 19,419 miles with the A4, we had a few issues. The biggest one was when the car couldn’t reliably recognize phones that were compatible with Apple CarPlay. A total of $2,839.99 of warranty cost later, the control module that connects with the phone through the USB outlets was replaced to fix the system. The back of the center console armrest—which has a lid that adjusts up and down, and front to back—started to warp, and that was replaced with a warranty cost of $103. We also replaced all four tires before we would have liked. Right before a trip up the coast of California, we noticed one tire had a bubble on the sidewall, so two tires were replaced. Just a couple weeks later, a nail in another tire caused enough damage that we had to replace that one (and we again decided to replace a second tire to keep wear levels even).

I’m going to miss the A4’s adaptive cruise control—in use and customizability, it’s one of the best systems I’ve experienced so far.

Audi throws in the first scheduled maintenance, but the second regularly scheduled service visit cost $561.36. For comparison, our $46,140 2015 Mercedes-Benz CLA 250 cost $181.18 over 18,525 miles. Our $36,420 2015 Acura TLX 2.4 required $235.40 of services over 18,915 miles. As you compare prices of various cars you’re considering, keep in mind that some automakers (BMW, Jaguar, Genesis, Volvo) include additional complimentary service visits. As for the car’s retained value, IntelliChoice estimates our A4 would be worth an impressive 67 percent of its original $52,325 MSRP after three years and 42,000 miles, holding its value better than the less expensive Acura and Mercedes, and also slightly above our 2017 BMW 530i long-termer.

My own A4 would be a top Prestige-trimmed all-wheel-drive model. I didn’t find the less powerful, front-drive A4 Ultra’s responses at low speeds to be smooth, and our all-wheel-drive A4 is already so quick I would have trouble justifying the more powerful S4. As for the Prestige trim—like the mid-level Premium Plus trim, it includes chrome exterior trim that accentuates the arched side-window shape that has defined Audi sedans for over two decades. The top trim also includes Audi’s great adaptive cruise control. After turning off the lane keeping assist system that doesn’t center the car in its lane at low speeds, I sometimes let the adaptive cruise ease my evening commute. Some systems are too rough as they come to a stop or take off, but Audi’s system has settings for distance and aggressiveness. I’m more prone to motion sickness than the average driver, and for me, this is the difference between usability and permanently turning off the tech.

Really, though, I wouldn’t get an A4 at all. My choice would be a beautiful A5 Sportback, the four-door hatchback that slips all of the A4’s many advantages into a sexier shape. If I’m making the emotionally charged decision of paying $50,000 to $60,000 for a car that’s more cramped inside than a Civic, I’m treating myself to the more exclusive shape. For those who aren’t interested in that hatchback variant, a year in the Audi reaffirmed our belief that, despite the car’s drawbacks, the 252-hp all-wheel-drive A4 is one of the most well-rounded and recommendable cars in its class.