That latest script has me thinking again about the Crozier and Little’s relationship (although in all fairness, I’m never not thinking about it in some capacity).
We get to see several lovely moments of Capable and Competent Little in the background, of course, already getting on with managing the actual day-to-day running of the ship. He knows Crozier and his bullshit so well at this point that it’s he who asks Jopson to find out whether said bullshit is going to postpone their command meeting (which implies that it has in the past). And he’s already considering and making plans to move Terrors over to berth on Erebus - if I remember correctly, in fact, that entire plot point happens without a single bit of direct input from Crozier.
What I’m living for most though is that tiny little omitted scene where he’s just that wee bit sassy and defiant right to Crozier’s face. The unsuccessful search/rescue parties are returning to the ship when Little informs Crozier that Fitzjames has come aboard in his absence. Crozier is so churlish and so wrapped up in his own hatred and pettiness and inferiority complex that his first response genuinely is to ask why Fitzjames didn’t come out to help them search!
Like, seriously?!
And Little agrees! He replies to Crozier saying that, for his information, Fitzjames actually did offer to go out searching (because of course he did), and that it was Little who took charge and told him not to! That “It was I who told him we shouldn’t risk both captains”.
I love that confidence so much and dearly wish we’d gotten to see it more often and more explicitly! Because it’s so above and beyond too - he’s not only having to do Crozier’s job for him already but he’s also now having to wrangle Fitzjames’ worst, most heroic tendencies. He’s doing the job of not one but two captains in that moment and he’s not bloody happy about it!
I’m going to articulate some better thoughts about this and how it pertains to their wider relationship in the future but for now just wanted to express my appreciation for this little titbit.
Edwin: "Don't worry I can handle this"
Cat King: "My kingdom is all about want" *leans suggestively* "and pleasure" *waggles eyebrows*
Edwin: 404 Error Page Not Found
Rereading the flogging scene again and I'm really struck by clean and clinical nature of a lot of it at first.
Mr Johnson has delivered Hartnell's lashes very precisely so they don't cross over and raise deeper scabs and scars. The red bag the cat o' nines comes in is in its rightful place hanging neatly from a beam overhead. Johnson literally combs Hartnell's blood from the ends of the cat to keep it neat and tangle-free.
But then I'm also struck by how much of that falls away when it's Hickey's turn.
Flesh hangs off his body, the lashes adding up until they can't help but cross over. Blood spatters the front row of assembled men. Mr Johnson tries to go easier on him but that only makes things worse as his strikes are less precise and Crozier orders more of them.
It's difficult to say what's worse - when that kind of violence is so precise, systematic, and institutionalised, or when it very much isn't...
so REVENGE, HUH? or justice, if that makes you feel better. it tastes the same when cooked just right. 'I REALLY WANTED A BROTHER.' such a shame to burn a bridge you so desperately wanted to keep, especially when it wasnt even you who started the fire. especially when you hope that not a single fragment of that bridge ever washes ashore.[MAY IT ROT FAR FROM MY SIGHTS]
an unfortunate loss! atleast he has his friends.
Small but significant character moments that I actually really adore are from both the times we see the boys as tots. There is a reoccurrence that happens in both of them that I find so incredibly interesting.
For the turtle tot short, Splinter leaves the boys with weapons. In the short, Raph is the one who suggests they do “what Lou Jitsu would do” and Leo is the one who takes point when Splinter comes back to reprimand them. Leo, in taking point, is the one to defend them and get Splinter off their tails.
And then, in the flashback regarding the Kuroi Yōroi helmet, Raph is the one who grabs and throws “Skully” as a way to replace their missing ball which breaks it into pieces, but Leo is the one who speaks for the group and rushes into action to fix the teapot.
I love this for multiple reasons, but the biggest are how it shows that Raph has always been inclined toward the bold and fun and making the plans to include his brothers in what he loves and believes they’d love, whereas Leo has always been inclined to be the “Face” of the group and shoulder the attention even if it’s potentially negative all while coming up with on the spot attempts to fix the situation.
These 3 pages are titled "Lost and Found". It's not rly related to any particular event in the story (it's just the aftermath of a mission here) But i'd probably situate it after chapter 8 with the whole Camu ordeal. I wanted to show how Kamui has found people that accept him and care for him while Camu is left behind, living through Kamui