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fandomsandfeminism · 8 years

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Sherlock Holmes on Elementary is definitely a jerk. But he's also a good person with a deep sense of empathy. Let's explore how Elementary fits into the legacy of Holmes Adaptions, and how the character is depicted in these complex, contradictory ways. Transcript below the cut

Today we are going to look at the massively popular TV adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous Sherlock Holmes. ….No, not that one. The good one. Yes. Yes, that one.

Elementary premiered on CBS on September 27, 2012, starring Jonny Lee Miller as recovering drug addict Sherlock Holmes with Lucy Liu as ex-surgeon, now sober companion, soon to be detective in training Joan Watson. We are currently in season 5, and I have to be honest friends, I adore it. This video isn’t here to compare Elementary to BBC Sherlock, Elementary’s flashy british older cousin who only shows up to family gatherings once every 2 or 3 years and then disappears back into the void. No. Partly because any real comparison between them has the potential to bring out the...unpleasant side of the internet, but mostly because having to spend any amount of time with Moffat’s writing is...not something I want to do.

So yes. We are looking at Elementary. Elementary is back on TV, so I’ve been thinking about it a lot. It’s so common to update and adapt the Sherlock Holmes mythos in our media- from BBC miniseries, to Hollywood blockbusters, to Disney films about mice, to anime about dogs, that for an adaption to be truly GOOD it must first set itself apart. It has to differentiate itself while still maintaining the mental and emotional core true to the original series in meaningful ways. You can’t just grab a british guy in a silly hat and send him out to solve crimes if you want to make waves.

And honestly, there is so much about Elementary that we would talk about. We could talk about Joan, and how Lucy Liu’s rendition of Watson is one of the most unique in the plethora of Sherlock adaptations, how she is such a genuine, interesting character, who stands are Holmes’s equal, not just fan; who always dresses like a goddess and needs more of her own story lines dammit, because she’s great, and fun.

We could talk about Mrs. Hudson and how really cool it is to have a trans character on the show, played by a trans woman, and how her storylines were sincere and interesting and I’d like more of this too please.

We could talk about how the show handled Sherlock Holmes essentials- Irene Adler and Moriarty and Mrs. Hudson and Lestrange and Mycroft with such a fresh and unique twist, how they avoided the lazy or obvious routes with each and every one of them.

We could talk about how the New York portrayed in Elementary is so much more accurately diverse than most popular movies would have you believe. About how the show takes such time and care is portraying addiction and recovery. About how it’s a show that cares more about WHY Sherlock and Watson solve a case instead of HOW they do it, because the show cares about human relationships and emotional growth.

But what I want to focus on today is the factor that I think, for most people, really sets Elementary a cut above, and that is the character of Sherlock Holmes himself and how in Elementary he is able to embody so well two normally contrary traits: Intense Anti-socialness and extreme empathy for others.

Some backstory:

Sherlock Holmes, as a character, first appeared in the world in 1887 with the publication of A Study in Scarlet. If you have never read this story, it is...an odd ride. It’s in the public domain, so you can find it pretty easily online. There’s a murder and flashbacks and evil Mormons. Lots of evil mormons. (Doyle apparently really disliked them?) From then on it was one adventure after another, eventually accumulating 4 novels and 56 short stories into the canon. Sherlock Holmes in the books is a master of not only detective work, but also a master of disguise, excellent at fencing, singlestick, and boxing. He raises bees, plays violin, and does a lot of cocaine.

So, there’s a lot of content to draw on when people work to adapt Sherlock Holmes. And oh boy, have people adapted Sherlock Holmes. The Guinness book of world records has him listed as “the most portrayed movie character” with more than 70 actors playing the part in over 200 films. There have been comic books and Star Trek. He’s been sent into the future. He’s reimagined as a doctor, mouse, and a dog. (Sherlock Hound, by the way, is an anime series that was co-directed with Hayao Miyazaki. So, pretty great stuff.)

And how Sherlock has been played has varied from time to time. Our most canonical, classic vision of Sherlock Holmes, has been mostly formed from the Basil Rathbone portrayal, wearing the Deerstalker hat and smoking a calabash pipe (both features that are never seen in any of the books or short stories, but rather pulled from the 1899 stage version of Sherlock Holmes. They were chosen because they looked good on stage)

Most of these earlier portrayals see Holmes are a rather stoic, upper crust British gentleman who solves the most grisly murders at a glance and makes it home in time for tea. More modern adaptations have tried to modernize or liven up the character- making him a mad genius or a calculating human robot.

But not Elementary. Elementary, better than most adaptations, taps into something within the Holmes character that most miss I think. There will be spoilers from this point on. Fair warning.

Elementary Sherlock has all the bells and whistles of a modern Sherlock adaptation- he’s super deductive, he raises bees, he had a drug problem (making recovery a major story element and theme). He’s got the brother and the singlestick, and the network of homeless as informants. Many, though not all, of the episodes pull plots straight from the short stories, but technology is abundant.

And yes, he’s an anti-social asshole. He says things with no regard for people’s comfort. He does things without regard for people’s boundaries. He’s blunt and coarse with his words. Abrasive would be an understatement. He leaves weird experiments in the fridge and plays loud music at all hours of the night and is the worst kind of housemate. When Marcus Bell is relegated to desk work after being shot, Sherlock goes through a slew of detectives who aren’t up to his standards, annoying them and insulting them relentlessly. He avoids parties and is initially unwilling to open up at his group meetings.

And yet.

And yet, is Sherlock “Empathetic”? Empathy is defined as the ability to understand and share the emotions of others. People who are empathetic often act on this empathy with kindness or compassion. Does Asshole Elementary Sherlock do this?

Well, In the pilot Sherlock gets so angry and attacks a doctor who deliberately took advantage of a mentally ill man, because how could he? Sherlock feels such a deep anger towards this main, I would argue, because he feels a deep sense of empathy for his victim. He knows what it is like to lose control, and to be at the mercy of healthcare professionals. So to see a man who has been so exploited by his doctor is infuriating for Sherlock.

In episode 2 of the first season, Sherlock pulls aside a man they had been questioning because, with all his observation, he can see how the man is struggling with addiction horribly. Not to chastise him, but to tell him to get help, to recommend rehab for him. Because how can he watch someone suffer the way he had?

In episode 3 of season 1, Sherlock looks at a boy he knows has been abused, and in all sincerity says “Victims of horrific abuse are often protective of their abusers; it doesn't mean we should send them back for seconds.” And we can argue that Sherlock was emotionally abused in some way by his father, that he was emotionally abused by Moriarty. So he feels empathy for this abused boy in this moment,

In episode 19 “Snow Angels” he gives a homeless man a wad of money and tells him to find someplace warm to stay before the blizzard comes in. Not related to a case, just because he can’t walk past and do nothing.

In episode 7 "One Way to Get Off", he rescues and comforts a woman who had been held captive in a basement. Stopping everything, all investigation and observation, until he knows she is ok.

In episode 9 "You Do It to Yourself", he sits with Joan in the clinic where she hopes her ex will come to get treatment. Waiting with her in this silent almost-vigil, he offers her an unspoken comfort.

In Episode 15 “A giant gun filled with drugs”, Sherlock agrees to help his former drug dealer, even though his presence is a very real risk to his sobriety, because he can’t turn his back on the fact that his daughter has been kidnapped.

In the season 1 finale, he was willing to throw everything away to run away with Irene before he discovers her true identity. And in the season 2 finale, he helps Moriarty save her daughter, despite the pain she has caused him in the past.

He takes in Kitty Winter, not because she shows any particular promise as a detective, but because he sees how hurt she is, how damaged, and wants to give her some chance to recover, an outlet for her anger and fear. When she goes beyond the law to get her revenge on the man who hurt her, Sherlock helps get her out of the country.

He deliberately tampers with evidence to protect Shinwell from going back to prison, wants to give him a second chance at life, offers to help train him as an informant to keep him safe.

He notices and cares about Gregson’s divorce, about Joan’s boyfriends, about Marcus’s mother and brother. When Eugene, the medical examiner, develops a drug addiction, struggling with PTSD and the loss of a woman he loved, Sherlock cared. He stepped in, spoke up. Even if it means intruding into personal matters where he was not invited, he notices and steps in, again and again, even when it makes him, and everyone else, uncomfortable.

Sherlock can work the most gruesome murder case with calculating patience and wade through cold cases decades old for fun, but when, as was the case in the most recent episode (Season 5, Episode 11), he knows that a person’s life is in danger RIGHT NOW, that his action or inaction could save or condemn a human life, his work becomes more and more frantic. There’s too many examples to even go into them all.

And I think that’s an aspect of Holmes that a lot of people overlook in their adaptations. Sherlock Holmes is no crime solving robot. (Though Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd century does have a Watson Robot.)

Sherlock Holmes is a deeply empathetic person. Even if he isn’t the most emotionally open person, he sees people’s struggles, he cares deeply, and when he can, he reaches out to help. His empathy isn’t reserved for those who are close to him, those who have somehow earned his notice. He extends it to strangers and acquaintances alike, even if he struggles to express it in the most...charming of ways at times.

And what makes all this work is that being empathetic, acting out of love or concern, never absolves him of BEING an asshole. When he hurts people, or oversteps boundaries, he never gets away with it- ESPECIALLY with Watson. He is always growing as a person, learning to channel his empathy and his concern in more and more helpful and healthy ways.

Elementary certainly has it’s own problems as both an adaptation and as just a show. It has highs and lows, like any long running show will. I honestly don’t watch a lot of long running American TV shows. They are, by their nature, often fairly episodic and cater to as wide an audience as possible. I have found very few that I can commit to week after week, season after season. But Elementary has kept me coming back all this time, and the way it handles emotions and human empathy with such dignity and respect is no small part in that.

So thank you everyone for watching this video! This channel is still really new, so all comments and likes are really appreciated! Did I talk about your favorite Sherlock moment? Or did I totally forget a really good one? Tell me down below! I’ll see yall in the comments, and if you enjoyed listening to this queer, millennial feminist ramble about things I like for a while, feel free to subscribe

#elementary #sherlock #sherlock holmes #joan watson #media #feminism

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katyagrayce · 8 years

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The Final Problem: my final opinion

I know that there are some fans, on Tumblr and elsewhere, who actually liked this episode. THAT’S OKAY. SERIOUSLY. You’re entitled to like whatever you want. It doesn’t mean anything other than that we have different taste in movies/different priorities when it comes to what we want from Sherlock, and that kind of opinion divide is pretty much inevitable with a show this varied and this popular. So if you belong to the TFP Fans Club, I want to clarify that I mean you no hate :-)

Personally, however, I did not like The Final Problem. My reasons included, but were not limited to: a) The disproportionally rapid, action-reliant and melodramatic storytelling, which wasn’t really consistent with the series’ tone so far. (This encompasses everything from that crazy Hollywood explosion to the fake cell Euros built for Sherlock - not to mention the the ‘video game’ set up of her puzzle system. Also, the age-old idea of throwing someone down a well. There were a lot of clichés at play in this episode). b) The suddenness with which Euros was introduced as a character, and the unfeasibility (IMHO) of Sherlock not remembering her at all. c) Speaking of unfeasibility - I also had issues with Euros planning the entire torture session in five minutes, building all of that underground lair, ferrying herself between Sherrinford and London so easily, getting everyone to Musgrave Hall/into their various cells so quickly, and getting John/Victor down that well without causing them serious injury. d) The oversimplicity of Euros’ psychological arc also frustrated me. I mean - there is loneliness, and then there is clinical psychopathy. They are two separate things. It’s true that there’s some overlap between the two groups, but not enough to pin all Euros’ behaviour on her being a scared little child with ‘no one’ to turn to - someone who later becomes 100% complacent just because she’s finally been hugged. Plus, when they decided to oversimplify Euros’ psychology Mofftiss basically dropped the chance to create a really complicated, really nuanced villain like Moriarty (remember all that amazing analysis about whether he wanted to beat Sherlock or just wanted the distraction, why he killed himself, whether boredom had driven him almost to the edge of insanity, etc., etc.? Euros doesn’t get any of those interesting conversations, mainly because she’s been automatically typecast as a ‘creepy loner child in need of attention.’) e) Speaking of emotional oversimplification - I also didn’t like the maximum emotional milking that Mofftiss brought to EVERY SCENE. Entire sequences, like Sherlock’s phone call to Molly and Euros forcing Sherlock to choose between Mycroft and John, seemed explicitly orchestrated to stir up audience feels as quickly as possible, instead of doing it slowly, skilfully and in-context (eg. I found Sherlock’s conversation asking for Molly’s help at the end of TRF much more feels-worthy than his phone call here, because it tied back to a conversation they’d already had about her ‘not counting’ and didn’t take place in a completely staged, high-tension situation.) f) And now for a big one - inconsistent character development. I feel that there were a lot of characters who acted quite OOC in this episode. First up, I think that John would have shot the governor. After all, he’s a soldier, he knows the pain of losing a wife, he’s very morally self-assured and he has killed before (see ASIP for evidence of the last two points), so even though he would have found it difficult I think he would’ve pushed through. I also think he would’ve tried very, very hard to talk Sherlock out of suicide, not just stood there dumbly and watched. Especially considering that he’d been prepared to die for him literally twenty seconds beforehand. Now for a second character: Molly. I understand that the scene with Molly was really effective for a lot of viewers, but - I wasn’t one of them. In TEH, it seemed that Molly was finally getting some character development beyond her crush on Sherlock - she recognised that he was using her as a replacement for John and cut that behaviour in its tracks, despite how difficult it might have been for her. In this episode, she spends every second on-screen looking totally lovesick, and proceeds to sacrifice her dignity just to answer a request that - from her perspective - must look a lot like either a cruel prank or a childish whim. The Molly we knew had grown beyond that - and, while I’m happy she survived, I’m not happy she had to fall apart to do it. Plus, what about that quick glance of her in the closing sequence when she pops into Baker St, smiling and seemingly totally okay? Did the phone call really have that low an emotional impact on her? To me, it just seems like a quick, lazy fix. And now, last but not least: Sherlock. This episode throws some spanners in what has been, up until this point, a very consistent and well-written subplot about his emotional growth. Throughout all the previous episodes we can track his ‘becoming a good man’ - he knows he’s hurt Molly in ASIB, he soothes a hysterical Henry Knight in THOB, he can talk down Major Sholto in TSOT and understands John’s grieving process in TLD. He even goes from subtly intervening in John’s suicide in ASIP to explicitly saving ‘Faith’ in TLD, which is an amazing example of how much he’s grown as a character. But in this episode - all of a sudden - he starts fluctuating wildly between ‘emotionally incapable’ and ‘emotional paragon’ when he shouldn’t really be at either end of the scale. The kind of man who can’t understand why Molly isn’t picking up, and who thinks “But it’s me calling!” is a valid excuse, can’t possibly be the same person who charms his sister out of psychosis with a hug and explicitly tells a DI that his brother ‘isn’t as strong as he thinks.’ Personally, I think that the episode’s latter actions are slightly more in-character for Sherlock than the earlier ones, but that’s not the point. The point is that this episode muddled a lot of very good character development back up again. g) A more minor thing, but - this episode was literally full of plot holes. Including, but not limited to, how the furniture in 221B possibly survived the blast, how Euros (an adult woman) sounded like a little girl on the phone, and how John climbed out of a well he was chained to. h) Another, less minor thing - ALL THE LOOSE ENDS FROM THE SERIES THAT THIS EPISODE LEFT BEHIND. Irene Adler was brought back into the picture, only for nothing to come of it. Rosie Watson was born and then featured for a grand total of two seconds after TST. Euros had a working partnership with Culverton Smith (? How did that exist while she was confined at Sherrinford?) that was neither explained nor justified. And, perhaps worst of all - this whole ‘final problem’ promised by Moriarty ended up being organised by someone totally different. i) And finally, one of the most disappointing elements of the whole episode - Mary’s final video. Put bluntly, it contradicted everything that I see the show as being about. Sherlock has always been very much about the two people behind the legend, putting the spotlight on Sherlock’s fragility and John’s dangerous addictions where ACD just smoothed them over with a Victorian gloss - ‘there’s always the two of them,’ as said in TAB, and the focus is on the relationship in between. But what Mary is saying in this speech is that nothing the show gave us apparently matters. Only the legend does. The ACD stories are apparently the important part. It’s a very, very demeaning way for the series to summarise itself, and it’s this, over anything else, that makes me suspect we might have a secret 4th episode upcoming.

Now, you might notice something - reading the above list. You might notice that I didn’t mention Johnlock. That’s right. I, personally, didn’t mind whether Johnlock happened or not. And it’s getting really frustrating seeing people dissatisfied with TFP get dismissed because ‘they’re just angry that their ship didn’t happen.’ There was a lot, a LOT wrong with this episode beyond the ship, and while it might be a valid reason for people not to like TFP (I’ll get to that in Point 4) it’s not the only one. Please, don’t write off some very legitimate, very reasoned disappointment as some kind of ship-driven whim just because you can.

Now, all that said - I have to add that the queer-baiting in the lead-up to this episode was absolutely horrendous. Like I said, I’m not a Johnlock shipper and always had doubts about it happening, but the trailer editing and publicity stunts - Sherlock saying ‘I love you’ right after the Culverton Smith ‘darkest secret’ quote, the flickering rainbow letters on the PBS TV spot, Benedict saying ‘Love conquers all’ and Amanda saying TFP ‘makes television history’ - all those things were pointing in one pretty obvious direction. Now, this wouldn’t be such a bad thing if it had happened with literally any other potential plotline on the show, but the thing about queer-baiting is that it exploits a highly vulnerable and extremely under-represented group - the LGBTQ+ community. It lures them in with something they sorely want and need - media representation - and then not only fails to deliver but thumbs its nose at their disappointment. It rubs salt into the wound. It’s cruel and not okay, and as an experienced partnership with one gay member Mofftiss should have known better. So, even if you think disappointed Johnlockers are ‘just being petty,’ you have to remember that the experience of being denied this ship can carry a lot of emotional impacts other ships don’t.

And, finally - there were things about this episode that I liked, even loved wholeheartedly. Sherlock calling John family. Their re-decorating the flat, and the two-second snapshot featuring a happy Rosie. Sherlock remembering Greg’s name, and Greg calling him a ‘good man’ (it was a bit on-the-nose, but still). Mrs Hudson sassing Mycroft about the kettle. Even the idea of Euros as a little girl on a plane was fundamentally a good one, if oversimplified, over-focused on and overdone. So yes - this episode did have its moments. And it’s not affecting my enjoyment of Sherlock as a whole, but still - that doesn’t mean I have to like it. Um... If you’ve read this far, congratulations! I didn’t mean for this post to get so long, but it feels good to have vented a bit :-)

#sherlock #s4 #the final problem #tfp #rant #long post #sorry for the long post!#spoilers #sherlock spoilers #tfp spoilers #original post

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drink-n-watch · 6 years

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Here we are, the penultimate episode, and I’m already a little sad. As much as I’m going to miss this surprisingly loveable little show, I think I might miss our after reviewing tradition even more. OK maybe not more, it really is a very sweet show, but just as much!

It’s been great! I hope you’ve felt as creatively free as I have!

Crow (crowsworldofanime.com) and I have been pretty united in out praise of Zombieland Saga so far but this was an odd episode. Let’s see if the trend can stay true to the end. Not that I’m teaching you guys anything but Crow is bold man.

Well, bold-ish…

this is meta, why is Zombieland showing me watching the show?

Straight off the bat, this episode was a bit of a gamble for Zombieland. Not that it’s unusual to have the before last episode take a tonal turn, it’s actually fairly common. However, this week’s Zombieland wasn’t only uncharacteristically sober, it reframed the main character into something that may not be as likable to the core audience. Effectively throwing out a lot of character clichés and even robbing Sakura of any real redemption arc. Any feelings about the narrative shuffle?

You’ve honed in on exactly the part of the episode that left me feeling uneasy — at least, emotionally jolted. Sakura’s despair and self-reproach are almost too familiar! And at the same time, those apparent failures in her life, and her reaction to them, robbed her of the ability to understand something important: That she really helped those old ladies. That she really had friends who rooted for her. The insight changed how we have to interpret the entire Sakura arc, and it also raises an important psychological “what if…” But let’s leave that for later.

sort of…

As soon as the episode started I got excited. Last week’s cliffhanger was one of the best I’ve seen in a while and I couldn’t wait to see how they were going to resolve it with so little time left. I never expected them to play it straight. Although, I’m not sure what I expected at all.

You and me both! The show’s conditioned me to expect subtle irreverence at every turn, but this time, they plowed straight ahead.

Sakura has lost her memories of being a zombie but remembers her life. Which turns out to be frustrating and unsatisfying. Moreover, her traumatic death is just the last straw in what she considers an utter failure of a life. Completely demoralized, Sakura more or less shuts down, and pushes everyone and everything else away.

she’s pretty much always like this

The opening scenes, with Sakura freaking out over the zombies, were a nice way to call back to episode 1 and bookend the series though. Even the visuals were parallel.

And, of course, she just had to meet Tae first! And Tae has such a gentle way of saying “Good morning!”

Saki looked so worried about Sakura and it was adorable!

All of their reactions were just heartbreaking!

agreed

I must say, that was an impressively down to earth portrayal of depression. It was a bit obvious, although I’m not sure they could have done otherwise considering the time constraints, but it was also unflinching. There was something weirdly admirable about Zombieland’s resolve to not just let Sakura magically snap out of it.

That’s another aspect that left me feeling so unsettled — and I don’t mean that in a bad way. It was too spot on. But given who Sakura is, and given what this show’s presented so far, I can think of only a handful of other shows that could trigger this kind of reaction.

this framing is brilliant

Equally laudable, in my opinion, was the grim repercussions on Saki, Junko and Lily who attempted to help.These situations don’t just affect one person, they affect everyone around as well. And they affected them all in different ways. This was far from a flattering depiction of Sakura but sometimes, when you fall far enough, you just don’t have the strength to empathise anymore.

I couldn’t believe how bad I felt for the others as they tried to help her! Especially Saki and poor Lily! For Lily to go from “Before you said you thought that star and my smile were cute!” to sobbing uncontrollably into her pillow drove home a critical point: That until now, these zombie idols have supported each other; and now that one of those pillars of support is crumbling, all of them are in turmoil.

and the repetition makes it truly special

Once again, Zombieland Saga is tackling a fairly serious and not at all funny subject openly and resisting the urge to turn it into farce. I really didn’t expect any of this when I started the show!

I remember the old M*A*S*H series. Great comedy for its time, but because of the comedic expectations, it had an opportunity to make powerfully dramatic points — as long as they didn’t do it too often. I get that vibe from this show!

You know what, I see it now. I loved M*A*S*H (use to watch reruns with my folks). That cutting sensibility is very much like Zombieland!

most of us feel this way

After having hurt the people closest to her (and having them retreat helpless, not knowing what to do), Sakura just aimlessly wanders the night ending up in a park.

Here we see the return of the creepy police officer. He didn’t really have much to do other than once again instill the feeling of déjà vue. But just like everything else this week, the familiar scene played out completely differently. The downtrodden and hurt Sakura was almost pleading to be shot. A sort of balm to her intangible pain. The entire thing was extremely unsettling and yet, oddly pretty.

I remember thinking it was tragically beautiful.

this scene was delicae, poignant and solemnly meaningful…

I should have realized it sooner of course. Sakura has always been a bit helpless after all. I should have seen that she was being set up as a damsel in distress. Still, such an unusual distress for anime.

In the end though, Sakura at her worst, brought our Kotarou at his best. Manager made his glorious entrance in the nick of time. Knocking out the cop (that poor guy has to have some long term brain damage by now) and swooping in to save the day.

Maybe that’s why he’s so creepy? One (or ten) too many blows to the head?

he’s had a few shocks

Manager has never been that great with words. It’s part of the gag. And although Zombieland played the scene seriously, he still wasn’t exactly inspiring. Sakura was more confused than motivated. This said, there was enough feeling, care and passion behind his words to at least give her something to latch onto!

May favourite line of dialogue was manager exclaiming “It doesn’t matter if you don’t have it, because I do!” The I’m good enough to make you good pep talk is not what we usually hear and I loved it. Would have worked on me! How about you?

It would have been so unexpected that it’d have a good chance at loosening my defenses. And did you catch how the show played with the trope of the voice of reason (the manager, in this case) storming off to let the main character wallow in a miserable soliloquy? Just as Sakura is descending into a self-loathing speech, Koutarou startles her with “Yeah, you thought I was done, huh?” Loved it. This show knows how to teeter right on the edge of melodrama!

surprisingly, that might be true

One of the few straight up jokes in this episode, was Yuguri dressing up in full geisha get up, and looking mightily impressive I might add, just to realize Sakura’s already left. I really would have loved to see Yuuri in that outfit longer. Any thoughts?

My first thought was the typical male response. I mean, Good Lord, she looked amazing! But then I had this sudden chill and realized that Yuguri had slapped before, and she could slap again! I was in fear for Sakura’s face!

I’m not thinking about anyone else’s face

This episode brought up a fascinating question: Just how profound an impact do our life experiences have on our hopes? In Sakura’s case, she weathered a seriously frustrating series of events. From an operant conditioning perspective alone, I can understand her reaction! But to be running out of the house, all excited to be back on track, and get killed? Jeesh!

But in her case, and apparently in her case alone, her amnesia was a complete blessing.

I still can’t get the image if Lily sobbing into her pillow out of my head. All of them are standing on such thin ice…

Saki is all of us

For me it was Saki. Frustrated, lost and a little scared Saki. First time we are seeing hr shaken up. If Saki can’t just make it all better and shrug it off, what are we going to do?

Seeing her check her thumb nail was such a perfect way to show her pain.

[ Did you want to mention anything about Koutarou’s conversation in the bar? In the comments on the ZLS 11 review on Random Curiosity, https://randomc.net/2018/12/13/zombieland-saga-11/, users Nene and Panino Manino had some really interesting theories…

This was a difficult episode to watch — and to review! Thanks for setting up the frame! ]

risk it, it’s worth it

Guys, this little bracketed text is in fact just meant for me. I’m leaving it in. I like seeing behind the curtain stuff on posts so I think you guys might enjoy it too. I also really like that Crow pays attention to his fellow bloggers and readers. He often points out comments or posts I have missed and I am very much richer for it.

You should go read Nene and Panino’s theories.I unfortunately don’t know enough to add anything interesting.

This said, manager’s bar scene was very intriguing. I didn’t originally comment on it in the post proper because I had so many things to get to, I didn’t want to overcrowd it but you know what – clarity has never been my brand.

flashback scene without warning or context!

There’s a reason your blog’s so popular! (dawwww)

These are my random takeaways from that scene. The village of Saga itself is responsible for the zombie phenomenon in some way, and Koutarou is not the only one who knows. He also plans to make it public at some point.

Koutarou himself has been around for a while. Since it’s very reasonable to think that he’s also not quite human, he could be hundreds of years old for all we know. This may be one of dozens of attempts to save Saga.

Maybe that’s why Saga’s still there at all?

this took a turn

The bartender seemed to have a very close personal relationship with Yuguri. Considering the family theme so far, I’m tempted to say he’s her dad.

Yuguri is a courtesan, which implies a lot of things. Although she is certainly charming and imposing, she has so far avoided being openly seductive or sexual. This could simply be because of the tone of the series but it may also have something to do with her life. Did she leave someone important behind?

I’m still wondering about the scar around her neck!

what do you mean just one episode left?

There cannot just be one episode left. We have so very much to explore still!

I’ll second that. It seems like this season has just given us a brief glimpse into a zombie world that’s coexisted with the human world — apparently for hundreds of years! Are there other zombies out and about? It seems they’ve kept themselves private, but I think you’re right when you say Koutarou wants to make it public — why else do something as obvious as an idol group?

And I’m just not ready to say goodbye to Franchouchou!

Despite using do many in the post, I actually still have a few screencaps left. I hope you enjoy them. This week was great for caps.

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Irina and Crow in Zombieland (Saga) ep11: It’s Always Darkest Before the Dawn Here we are, the penultimate episode, and I’m already a little sad. As much as I’m going to miss this surprisingly loveable little show, I think I might miss our after reviewing tradition even more.

#anime #CGDCT #Collab #comedy #episodic #idol #Zombieland Saga #zombies

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