seriesanalytic

[seriesanalytic]

Better call Saul - Season 2 Finale

We already knew that the brothers Chuck and Jimmy have a rather complicated relationsship. While Jimmy is always trying to do as best as he’s capable of, all he secretly wants is being accepted by his brother. It’s is obvious that he still loves his brother even when everything he gets in return is disrespect. That’s why he never complained when he helped his brother trough his psychosomatic disease. But no matter how hard he tried Chuck never really accepted him. He was the reason Jimmy couldn’t work as a lawyer for a long time and even now he does everything to prevent Jimmy archieving any success.

But may we have a closer look at one unremarkable scene from the season final.

The first thing their dying mother asked for was Jimmy, twice. She barely noticed her oldest son sitting next to her. This might just be because she is confused because of all the drugs she were given, but it could also be a representive example for their lives. What if Jimmy had always been the ‘favourite’ child? This could explain the enormous hate Chuck feels. We doesn’t know when Chuck’s ‘disease’ started, but it could be one reason why he may have gotten less attention from his parents. Maybe he has always been jealous. If that is true, this might explain why he treats Jimmy the way he does. He wants him to feel like he felt, like he could do whatever he wants, but never gets noticed.

What do you think about it? Or do you have different theories?

#jimmy mcgill #jimmy #saul goodman #saul #chuck mcgill #chuck #bob odenkirk #micheal mckean #series theory #scene analysis #series analysis #seriesanalytic

[seriesanalytic]

Dexter - Relationships

Dexter is a series full of murder, serial killer and how to hide Dexter’s desire to kill. In the course of the series the protagonist Dexter Morgan has many different relationships, and I’m just  referring to the romatic ones. Every relationship shows a different aspect of Dexter and how he develops.

Rita Bennett

Rita Bennett was Dexter’s first girlfriend he already had when then series started.  Dexter was thought that he will never be able of having a connection to any human beeing. So the reason he choose Rita was because of her beeing a cover for his ‘dark passenger’. It’s not like he had been in love with her right away, he stayed with her because he knew that she was abused by her former husband, so he could stay away from any physical contact. But that changed over time. Soon she and her children Astor and Cody became more and more important to him, even sex was a topic then. From the view of an outsider, Dexter seemed to be almost the perfect boyfriend and husband, if he would’nt have been ‘working’ far too long. He admitted himself that he really cares about his family, what is quite unusual for a psychpath like him, but he was never able telling them what he really is. That’s the reason why he’ve never felt completly happy in this relationship, but if his marriage would’ve lasted longer, maybe he would’ve had a chance to change. At least he already tried or planned to change before the death of Rita. When she died, he wasn’t able to express any sadness and I guess it’s because he’d never felt this way before. He kept it locked inside, denying the truth. Maybe he would’ve stopped killing, if at least Cody and Astor would’ve stayed, but his lack of grief pushed them even more away.

Lila West

His next ‘relationship’ with Lila West was a short affair, while he was still with Rita. The only reason both got a shot was because Dexter found there the one thing he couldn’t get with Rita. Some kind of understanding. Because he pretended beeing a drug addict, he could discuss his problem in a indirect way for the first time his father died. And against all expectations, Lila didn’t judged him. Besides of that, Dexter and Lila hadn’t much else in common, except their extensive sex life. Lila was attached to Dexter in an unhealthy way. It was easy for her getting jealous and every time she did she brought herself into danger, so Dexter would have to take care of her. When she was resposible of the death of an innocent, she broke Dexters Codex and that’s when Dexter finally realised that she couldn’t be someone that should be trusted.

Lumen Ann Pierce

Found raped and abused in a house of a murderer Dexter had no choice of saving Lumen Ann Pierce. Actually, he wanted her having a normal life again, starting over somewhere else, but Lumen couldn’t left all behind until their rapists are finally gone. Started as relationship Dexter was caught in unvoluntarily, just continuing to protect himself, they got closer as he decided to help her. Otherwise as any previous relationship Dexter wasn’t just able to share his secret with her, but actually living it out together. Lumen was the first woman he performed his ritual of murder with. This caused a complete different connection to Lumen than his other girlfriends. But their relationship wasn’t going to last.  After killing her last rapist her will of killing disapeared and so does their unique connection.

Hannah Mckay

As Hannah’s imprisioned ex-boyfriend showed the police the left hidden boddies, Dexter discovered that he wasn’t the only one who had killed. While Dexter was tracking Hannah and planning his usual ritual, there had already been some undefinable chemistry between them, that I actually found unbelivable. Instead of killing her, he ended having sex with her and wasn’t able to forget her since then. That’s how she found out about his secret and was able to accept it easily, because she knew how it feels killing somebody. Unlike Lumen, Hannah didn’t need Dexter to be her leader. She was the one who questioned him and showed him unknown sides of himself. For the first time in a long period Dexter was finally able of imagining a happy future. He would have been able to continue what he’s doing, could it discuss with Hannah and even get supported. But before that he had to protect her of getting arrested, so they planned to leave the country and starting a new life.

That this wasn’t how things ended is a whole new topic.

#dexter #dexter morgan #micheal c. hall #rita #rita bennett #rita morgan #julie benz #lila #lila west #jamie murray #lumen #lumen pierce #luman ann pirece #julia stiles #hannah #hannah mckay #yvonne strahovski #character development #relationship development #series analysis #seriesanalytic

[seriesanalytic]

Parallels: Suits - White Collar

I don’t know how many of you have seen or heard of both series. At least where I’m from a few people have heard about Suits, but nobody from my circle of friends does know White Collar.  But at least I’ve been able to watch both series recently. Right after finishing Suits I enclosed a session of White Collar. And I’ve noticed some special similarities between both series.  

Both series are broadcasted by USA Network at similar time. So White Collar, started in 2009, is just about two years older than Suits. By the way they’re also set in the same city, NYC to be precise. As you can see in the pictures, every series has two main characters and is presenting the relationship between them, but I’ll give more details about that later.

Just starting with the titels that represents in both cases some piece of cloth and somehow even the topic. “Suits” as a kind of formal appearence, mostly associated with high paid jobs and, I bet you know what I’m going to say, lawyers. It demonstrates the social class and job it is set in, defind by some typical dress code. It also can be interpret as a symbol of the change in Mike’s life, from nothing into suits. Same does “White Collar”, even if the association with FBI agents isn’t that obvious in my opinion. But the title is supported by the name of their division, namely ‘White Collar Divsion’. Even here it describes the change in Neal’s existence, from an orange jump suit into white collared suits.

Now let’s take a look at our two young main protoganists. At the first sight they seem to be very different and not very likely at all. Mike as the innocent, good hearted rationalist with his photographic memory and Neal as former imprisoned professional con artist. But if you see their life circumstances a bit more abstract, you’ll find more similarities than you think. Mike hasn’t, as well as Neal, a real family. They lost their family through external circumstances, at least the most part of it. Of course the reasons are different in each case. Mike’s parents died by an car accident and Neal’s father was a corrupt police officer, so he and his Mother were part of witness protection.

The lack of family was one reason both became a criminal, a fraud in one way or the other, later. Mike sold his memory so people would pass any kind of tests and then, that’s what the story is built of, he committed fraud through pretending that he’s a lawyer. But just because he never been in prison, he isn’t less criminal. Honestly, he wasn’t to far away from prison either. If Harvey called the police when he found Mike’s drugs instead of hiring him, he would have been in the same position as Neal started in. Otherwise as Mike, Neal’s cons were much greate, more obvious and way more well-paid. That’s why the FBI was even looking for him. As far as we know he’s able to counterfeit almost anything and is one of the best thieves New York as ever seen. So when the series started Mike and Neal got a second chance, but while Mike’s chance made him even more criminal, Neal’s could be a way of quitting with his old life. During the entire series both’ve had already one foot in prison, Mike because of his secret and Neal because of new cons.

Their carrier wouldn’t have been so successful if they hadn’t support from their dearest friends. Mike had Trevor who had a pretty bad influence. I think he was even one main reasons why Mike even became criminal. Causing terrible problems, Mike had almost no choice but doing illegal things to save his best friend. Not forget to mention, Trevors depts destroyed Mike’s possibility of going to law school at Harvard legally. On the other hand Neal meet his best Friend Mozzie when he already decided to be a con artist and was already very good in it. Mozzie was just support, the mind that planned everything. Contrary to Trevor, Mozzie is of more importance during the series. He’s very supportive to Neal, always having a perfect solution for everything.

Not only their life circumstances are very similar, but their characters are too. Each one of them is unbeatable in their very own subject. Mike is, because of his photgraphic memory, an unstopable lawyer, as already Loius had to find out in the first few episodes. Capable of finding solutions nobody else ever will he’s the best right hand Harvey could have ever imagined. And Neal is, yeah, Neal. Hard to describe what he’s not capable of. Stealing and counterfeiting paintings, sculptures, whisky, fossils and escaping from every situation are just a few of his speacialties. But at least both know how good they are and aren’t afraid of demonstrating. So they are very selfconfident when it comes to their own abilities. In the course of the series Mike, as well as Neal, develops a deep friendship towards the second protagonist. Every bromace has a deep conection and is based on trust and loyalty. Therefore they become best friends, no matter how often things didn’t go the way they’re supossed to be. Their friendships are to Mike and Neal the closest thing they have to a family. If you asked me, I would say that no matter what they had or had’nt done, they’re still good-hearted people. I mean, looking at Mike it’s obvious. He’s caring about everyone, fighting for those who can’t themselves. Neal hides this side of him, but you see him caring about those people in his life. He’ve never killed anybody and later his biggest goal is getting freedom and living his normal life. 

After getting their second chance Mike and Neal are subject to new mentors. These are more or the less very respected people and the second protagonists. Together as a team they solves crime/cases effectivly in their very own way. Harvey and Peter are protective about their protégés and harsh to their self-proclaimed enemies, but I think that were already most similarities. Harvey is all about winnig, no matter the costs. He’s, as he describes himself, an egoistic asshole that doesn’t care about anyone else. Propably it’s his kind of self-protection after his troubled childhood, which would also explain why he isn’t able of having a stabile relationship. On the other hand Peter is a righteous man beliving in the system with a happy marriage. If he hadn’t trouble with Neal, he would have normal peoples’ problems, like not forgettig aniversarys day and working too much.

I guess you may've seen now what I’ve ment. There are propably even more parallels, but they’re hard to describe sometimes. Honestly, I was quite shocked when I realised how similar these series are, but so different though. If you know both, you’ll propably are able to relate.

#suits #mike ross #patric j. adams #harvey specter #gabriel macht #white collar #neal caffrey #matt bomer #peter burke #tim dekay #series parallels #series analysis

[seriesanalytic]

Jessica Jones: Kilgrave

The great enemy of season 1 Kilgrave also known as Kevin Thompson is able to make you do whatever he wants by just saying so. Using his supernatural powers made him one big kind of an asshole. Because of him many people lost their will and lives and there is no way to excuse his actions. But if I’m honestly I can’t hate him for being a prick. I don’t want to excuse him, but I kind of understand why he had become this way and I am going to explain why.

At first take a look at his childhood. Since he was born he had suffered an uncureable disease and would have propably died in the age of 12. So his scientist parents used him as kind human guinea pig. Even if they wanted the best for him, he hadn’t just to suffer pysical pain in form of syringes, but emotional pain too. He never got to know how it feels to be loved by anyone. And the love you got from your parents is required to learn how to have trust in other people or truely love someone. Of course you can learn that later in the adulthood, but therefore you have find someone who is willing to show you. But his parent left when he was 10 because they were to afraid of him. It wasn’t really mentioned how Kevin lived on, but I guess he used his powers to survive, made people give him food and a home. So he improved his power and then someday started to use it as an easy way of entertainment. In theory Kilgrave could have tried making human contact without his powers, building up a relationship torwards people, but as far as we know he never did. I guess he never tried because of his parent’s leaving. Suddenly he was all alone and hurt. So he fears that if he doesn’t is in control of everyone around him he might get hurt again.

So we all remember when Kilgrave swore how much he was in love with Jessica. If you look back at his past, he was always in control of anything. But then there was Jessica. She was the first person walking away from him without his will. As he finally realised that he will never be able of controlling her again, I guess, it was on one hand very fascinating but one the other hand very frightening to him. That’s why I would say that his ‘love’ he feels is just some way of getting her under his control again, so he can go back into his comfort zone. He also may think that he has some connection to Jessica and hopes that his hidden whish of having someone who likes him just the way he is might finally become truth. These are probably the reasons why he is fighting so hard to get her attention, even if he almost lost.

This Quote here is another point I wanted to discuss. I’ve read somewhere here on Tumblr something like ‘if you know the people you care about, you know when they are themselves or acting the way you want’. And I actually would agree to that, but you have to consider Kilgraves background again. He got his powers when he where 6 to 10 years old. In these age you aren’t able to make out why things happen like they do. All a 6-year-old kid noticed is that the people around him suddenly started following his orders. He couldn’t find out this was because of his abilities, he didn’t even know that he has some. To him it was normal and nobody ever told him it’s not or helped him to find way how to deal with it. He never got someone to know better and that’s why he can’t decide, if they’re acting because they want to or not.

All in all I don’t think Kilgrave is as evil as he was supposed to be. Actually, I’m even convinced that he could change. Remembering that moment when he saved the family together with Jessica, if she would have stayed with him and taught him how to be good, he could have turned around. A person that really shows interest and cares about him, without him doing so, would be a start. Another moment where you were able to see that he isn’t that bad at all was the reunion with his parents. Yeah, I know he planed something and tricked Jeri Hogarth to cut the electricty cable, but when his mother excused herself for leaving him, telling that she was feeling terrible and the only thing she wanted was being his mother again, Kilgrave was quite moved. It’s not sure that he would have forgiven her but I think he might if she hadn’t had tried to kill him first.

#jessica jones #kilgrave #kevin thompson #season 1 #character development #character analysis #series analysis #seriesanalytic