#Mike talking to cameron being like “that guy really brought out the worst in me” | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

perthshirecottage · 3 years

Text

I have been rewatching Deception lately and I forgot how amazing this show is! Seriously you should watch it. And I have so many thoughts! There are spoilers below.

So one of the things I don’t get is why everyone in the FBI is so distrustful of Jonathan. I mean I get that he is a convicted felon but like, it was for involuntary manslaughter. Which isn’t good but the word involuntary is also in the literal name of the crime. It means he did something reckless and person died and he is being punished for his stupidity but he also didn’t kill a woman on purpose?! And yes after the crash he ran. But they don’t act like there was a massive manhunt so it was more of a run in the moment panic but he also let himself get caught even though he is a master of disguise? Which could also be attributed to not wanting Cameron to go to jail for his mistakes because I doubt that the first thing the cops did after Cam said the man in the photo was his brother that they let Cameron go with a pat on the back. Cameron was probably brought in for questioning and would have been convicted if Jonathan hadn’t turned himself in to corroborate the story. So while he ran he did still make sure another innocent man didn’t take the fall for a crime that neither of them committed. But when Jonathan is let out of jail to help save Cameron Deakins and even Kay act like Jonathan is some master criminal who can’t be trusted in the slightest. Again it isn’t like it was purposeful and premeditated murder. It was literally an accident and is even how he was convicted. As in causing an accident in which a person died! And if the argument is that well of course he is bad he has been hiding his existence for 30 years...well, so has Cameron! And Dina and Jordan and Gunter! But they can be trusted. They also lied! I will come back to this in a minute.

Why is the FBI so mistrustful. Especially once they have evidence that maybe Jonathan isn’t making it up and is actually innocent. I can actually get on board with Deakins’ not trusting Jonathan. She doesn’t know him beyond‘convinced criminal bad’. But Kay believes Cameron when he says his brother was set up. She knows that she is getting an innocent man out of jail to help find his missing brother. And yet Jonathan is treated like a low life scum bag. Mike is just as distrustful but he also has personal issues with Jonathan so...and yet Mike treats Jonathan the best because he doesn’t actually think sending Jonathan back to jail is the right move because he knows he can help find Cameron. Mike even takes Jonathan back to the Archive to say goodbye to Dina despite the fact that Mike can’t stand him. Mike’s issues are purely personal and have nothing to do with Jonathan’s conviction and yet Mike puts aside those personal feelings. Mike has my respect for that.

It does make me wonder though why Jonathan isn’t allowed to benefit from this deal with the FBI. There are people who have done truly heinous things. People who murdered dozens of people and sold drugs and done a lot of horrible things and yet are allowed to go into witnesses protection or have lighter sentences in exchange for turning in people who are actually worse than them! And yet Jonathan who accidentally (again that is his legal conviction!) killed someone isn’t given any sort of incentive? In Escapology Kay straight up says that Cameron needs to be careful about having Jonathan ask questions in prison because people won’t be happy to find out that he is helping the FBI. So Jonathan is helping the FBI, is basically a criminal informant and is risking his own life to save a woman’s life and yet is not allowed to get some time knocked off his sentence. If he is helping the FBI why can’t Jonathan be allowed to go under house arrest instead? That way he can help while not being in prison and can a little more comfortable for his incarceration? Why can’t he get some time off his sentence for community service? The FBI wants to take and take from a guy who isn’t the worst criminal out there and yet despite all the help he has freely offered with nothing in return they act like he is the lowest of the lowest. Like if he was given the chance to run he would and he would gladly leave his brother to who knows what kind of fate. And in a moment of adrenaline and weakness where Jonathan pointed a gun at a woman (which he didn’t fire!) it confirms all their suspicious that he deserves to be labeled a criminal. Again, this is coming from Kay who says that she believes that he is innocent. Kay even made sure that MW was caught on camera because she believes that MW is the real criminal. I don’t get why Jonathan is given the short end of every stick and treated so terribly because he made one mistake. Even for the people who believe he caused that accident. No wonder Jonathan snaps at the end of the season. The FBI wants to treat him the worst bad guy, then fine he’s the bad guy. And unfortunately Cameron is the face the FBI sends in to talk to Jonathan for help and so Cameron gets the brunt of that anger.

And now back to the secret that has been kept for 30 years. Why is Cameron the scape goat for being the one to keep Jonathan trapped when there were 3 other people who knew? At least Cameron and Jonathan have the excuse of having an abusive father who pounded it into their heads that Jonathan must remain secret and I’m sure there is some leftover mental scaring which is part of what kept both of them in the cycle of keeping Jonathan secret even after their dad died. It’s the only kind of life either of them had ever known and it must have been terrifying to think about breaking out of that. And what is the crew’s excuse. They were all fully adults when they found out and none of them helped the twins get out of that toxic mindset because it does make a really cool show. Dina dated Jonathan and obviously liked him but she wasn’t any more willing to help Jonathan step out of the shadows than anyone else.

Why is Cameron blamed so heavily for Jonathan’s life being miserable? I mean think about it. Sebastian is obviously the one who started the whole mess and is truly to blame for everything. Cameron and Jonathan were just kids forced to do their dad’s bidding. Then after they became adults neither of the brothers revealed that there were two of them. Jonathan was legally an adult when their dad died. Why couldn’t Jonathan say screw the show and walk out on stage with Cameron and reveal the truth? No one was stopping him. And you can’t tell me that if Jonathan really and truly wanted out that Cameron wouldn’t have made it happen. Cameron spent a year of his life ruining his own career and driving himself crazy trying to find proof of his brother’s innocence long before meeting the FBI. Cameron refused to do anything to better his own life until he saved Jonathan. Cameron loves his brother more than anything and it’s so obvious. Cameron even turns his back on Kay, a woman he is starting to fall in love with. Cameron decided to become a criminal and go on the run because he loves his brother. Cameron would give his own life if it meant his brother could be free. Everything Cameron does is for his brother. And yes, Cameron didn’t steal the diamond but letting an innocent woman get in trouble for his own crime isn’t that crazy of a line to not want to cross. Cameron knows intimately what it’s like to feel guilty for an innocent person losing everything because of his own perceived mistakes. But when it’s just Cameron’s life on the line he is all in.

When I think about Jonathan wanting to end the charade I imagine the conversation going like this:

Jonathan: I want out.

Cameron: but we could do such a cool show.

Jonathan hesitating for a couple of seconds: ok.

I don’t think Jonathan put up that big of a fight. If he had made it clear that he wanted nothing more than to get out Cameron would have let him! Jonathan gave in easily and let himself stay there because it was easier than dealing with the consequences of actually going through with it. Again that mental scaring coming into play. Jonathan has only been known as himself by a very very small number of people. Everyone else in the world knows him as Cameron. So he is probably scared of what would happen if he were to reveal himself. He knows everyone loves Cameron but would people actually accept Jonathan? What if the answer is no? What if everyone is disappointed to find out that Cameron has a brother? What if Cameron is accepted and Jonathan is rejected? Would Cameron continue living his life and Jonathan would be forced out and stuck watching his brother from afar and wind up completely and totally alone? So Jonathan stays.

And Cameron loves his brother and knows his brother is amazing. What happens if people discover Jonathan and they all realize how amazing Cameron already knows he is? Will Cameron lose his brother? Will Jonathan realize there are people out there who are better than Cameron? And since Jonathan isn’t forced to spend time with only Cameron will he leave? Cameron couldn’t be truly known any better than Jonathan. Despite having a ‘life’ Cameron was just as trapped and isolated by this secret as Jonathan. Cameron lost a woman he loved because he couldn’t tell her he had a twin and so was accused of cheating because no one thought he should be allowed to trust her with something that important. I think the psychological toll this whole act took has been affecting the twins their whole life. It’s just that when the truth came out it was way worse than either ever imagined.

Again the crew sees themselves as family but they never did anything to encourage the twins to reveal the truth. I’m sure they heard Jonathan express his desire to stop hiding at some point. And none of them advocated for him. None of them helped the brothers to see that their life was actually messed up and that they both needed help. They saw Cameron devastated over his breakup because of this secret and they never said ‘hey, maybe it’s time you were both allowed to have a full life?’ Jonathan was able to actually maintain a relationship unlike Cameron because Dina was aware of both brothers and he didn’t have to hide from her. Jonathan screwed that up all on his own. Because at the end of the day Jonathan and Cameron were both victims of Sebastian’s terrible parenting.

This show has so much going for. I will be forever disappointed it never got the second season it deserves!

#deception #cameron black #Jonathan black #perthshirecottage posts

22 notes · View notes

buddyrabrahams · 7 years

Text

10 biggest storylines for first round of NCAA Tournament

College basketball fans are salivating. March Madness has arrived, and two of the best days on the sports calendar are coming up. There are 16 games taking place on Thursday and 16 more on Friday for the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

The first two days of March Madness never disappoint, bringing buzzer-beaters, upsets, and shocking drama.

The narratives that will unfold over the two wildest days in sports may not be evident right now, but there is still a treasure of trove of things to watch for as the tournament heats up.

Here’s a look at the 10 biggest storylines entering the first round of the NCAA Tournament, which will be played at various venues across the country on Thursday and Friday.

1. Can Oregon adjust without Chris Boucher?

The Ducks accomplished enough in the meat of the season to earn a 3 seed, despite Chris Boucher’s torn ACL suffered in the Pac-12 Tournament. The versatile big man brought length, rim protection, and outside shooting to the Oregon lineup, and his production will be sorely missed. He was averaging 11.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, and a conference best 2.5 blocks per game.

Because they earned that seed, the Ducks are likely safe in round one, though in this tournament that can be a dangerous thing to say. Even without Boucher, Iona is travelling 3,000 miles to Sacramento to face the Ducks, and Oregon is still far more talented than the Gaels. Yet if and when Oregon wins this game, it will be interesting to see how they replaced Boucher in the lineup and if his absence was detrimental.

The winner of Creighton and Rhode Island provides no cakewalk to the Sweet 16, so Oregon needs to figure out life without Chris Boucher sooner than later.

2. Under-seeded Wichita State faces big challenge

The seeding of Wichita State has taken over as the prevailing narrative of the week.

Advanced metrics love the Shockers because they not only won a ton of games in the Missouri Valley Conference, but also because they did so by wide margins. The RPI, still the preferred metric of the committee despite its flaws, does not account for margin of victory or defeat. In a perfect world, Wichita State would have been seeded higher, but in today’s system, they earned a 10 seed.

None of this, by the way, changes the fact that the Dayton Flyers are really good.

Dayton is a legitimate 7 seed and capable of winning games in this tournament. Just because Wichita State deserved a less difficult opponent doesn’t mean the Flyers are doomed.

This may be the best game of the round, and penciling the Shockers forward would be a mistake. Archie Miller and his Flyers deserve your attention. Dayton has six wins over teams in this tournament, while Wichita State managed only one such win this season (against 16 seed South Dakota State).

3. Michigan-Oklahoma State a clash of styles

Speaking of great first-round games, this one should be a battle.

According to Ken Pomeroy’s rankings, this game features two top 25 teams squaring off as a 7 and 10 seed. More importantly for the viewing audience, it features two wildly different styles.

Michigan plays the patient, drawn out offense of coach John Beilein. The Wolverines play the 12th-slowest pace in Division I, and it pays off. They’ve posted the 5th-lowest turnover rate and the 8th-best effective field goal percentage. Michigan will work your defense until they get the shot they want, every time down the floor.

Oklahoma State head coach Brad Underwood wants to press and run the ball all night long. You may remember his teams at Stephen F. Austin the past three years causing all kinds of trouble in the NCAA Tournament. Now he has power conference athletes in his system, and it’s led to Oklahoma State being the top ranked offense in the nation.

Slow meets fast. Frantic meets deliberate. Sounds like a fun way to start Friday’s slate (at 12:15 pm ET in Indianapolis).

4. Northwestern is finally in and has good chance to win!

After decades of torture and teasing, the Northwestern Wildcats are finally dancing in March. Coach Chris Collins has built a program capable of competing in the Big Ten and this year’s team can win in this tournament.

The Wildcats will face a Vanderbilt team with 15 losses this season, including home losses to Bucknell, Ole Miss, and Tennessee. The Commodores earned their way into the tournament, but Northwestern will have a golden opportunity to take home their first NCAA Tournament win in their first year of play.

Junior guard Bryant McIntosh will run the show for the Wildcats. In the Big Ten Tournament, he and Northwestern showed the ability to dominate games for stretches. Even though it happened against lowly Rutgers, Northwestern ripped of a 31-0 run. That doesn’t happen easily or without skill.

5. Winthrop’s Keon Johnson is your new favorite player

Looking for a guy to fall in love with this weekend, even if it is just for one game? Winthrop’s Keon Johnson is your man.

The 5-foot-7 guard does everything for the Eagles, scoring 22.5 points per game. Johnson shot more free throws than any other player in the Big South Conference and took the 2nd most 3-point attempts. The little guy finds ways to score. He topped 30 points seven times this season, which doesn’t even include a spectacular 27 point, 7 assist, 5 rebound game against Charleston Southern.

Butler will be a tough test, though the Bulldogs don’t feature any guards with the right tools to lock in on Johnson. Tyler Lewis will likely spend most of the day chasing Johnson around, likely with limited success.

6. 12 seeds looking to pull upsets

Every year the bracket prognosticators have their eyes on 12 seeds in the first round, with upsets in mind. Historically, that is a good call. 46 teams seeded 12th have pulled the upset, amazingly matching the same number and percentage of 11 seeds to pull the same feat. Statistically, that works out to about 35 percent, meaning at least one of four should win this weekend, if not more.

This season’s crop is ripe for the picking. Middle Tennessee will be the most popular pick, after a great season in Conference USA and a reputation for giant killing, with last year’s upset of Michigan State under its belt. The Blue Raiders are no joke, with multiple wins over power conference foes and multiple wins over tournament teams. JaCorey Williams, an Arkansas transfer, is the real deal, and Giddy Potts is as hot a shooter as you’ll find.

Elsewhere, UNC-Wilmington will be able to challenge Virginia. Big man Devontae Cacok leads the entire nation in offensive rating, true shooting, effective field goal, and 2-point shooting percentages. He is wildly efficient inside, opening up tons of driving lanes for his teammates. The Seahawks offense is a relentless attack, ready for the vaunted Virginia defense.

Princeton rolled through the Ivy League without a loss, and will now be meeting Notre Dame on Thursday. Throw away every stereotype about a Princeton team you’ve got. Sure, they play smart on offense, but the Tigers have the athletes to compete with anyone.

Finally, Nevada will travel east with a real shot to beat Big XII Tournament champ Iowa State. A one-two punch of Marcus Marshall and Cameron Oliver is as scary a duo as you could expect from a 12th seeded mid-major. Those two Nevada stars average a combined 36 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists. Keeping them fenced in will be a tall task for the Cyclones.

7. The Lonzo Ball Show

The stand-out freshman guard may have played his worst game of the season for UCLA in the Pac-12 championship. The broadcast crew harped on a jammed thumb he suffered in the first half as a reason or excuse for his poor play.

Since then, Lonzo’s dad has continued to talk about shoe contracts and building a family dynasty (Lonzo’s two younger brothers are also headed to UCLA). It has all added up to distractions and more pressure than needed for a freshman in his first tournament.

Presumably, UCLA will beat Kent State easily, though it will be worthwhile to keep an eye on Lonzo Ball throughout the game. If his hand features even the slightest splint, tape, or band-aid, we’re certain to hear about it for the rest of the weekend. If he looks sluggish or disengaged, people will jump on his mental mindset.

For UCLA to make a Final Four run, Lonzo Ball needs to play like an All-American, without the mess potentially surrounding him.

8. What will we see from Wisconsin and Michigan State?

The two Big Ten standbys both went through incredibly rocky and unpredictable regular seasons. Any guess as to their performance in this tournament is a total shot in the dark.

Wisconsin looked like a Final Four team in early February. The Badgers were 21-3, with big wins and a stable of stars to rely on in the clutch. Over their next six games, however, the Badgers lost five times. Three came on the road, and the fourth was a home loss to tourney team Northwestern. The fifth loss was a last second heartbreaker against Iowa.

No matter the explanation, Wisconsin was in a bona-fide funk. The Badgers bounced back to an extent, topping Minnesota to close the regular season and then reaching the Big Ten Tournament final. Now Wisconsin is faced with a solid Virginia Tech team, and the roller coaster of a season could end or take another turn.

Michigan State, meanwhile, has been even sloppier. After starting the season highly ranked, the Spartans fell to 12-9 in late January. Some bounce back wins earn Sparty a tournament bid, but Tom Izzo’s team has felt like an odd mix of freshman youth and veteran stalwarts all season. Even though the pieces have yet to fall into place, the Spartans are talented enough to beat anyone, and Tom Izzo is a March miracle man.

9. Gonzaga vs. Mike Daum

The best player in this tournament whom you’ve never heard of is South Dakota State sophomore Mike Daum.

The big man has been dominant in his second year on campus, averaging 25.3 points and 8.2 rebounds per contest. If you don’t believe me, ask Fort Wayne. In two meetings with the Mastodons, Daum averaged 46.5 points and 12.5 rebounds. He’s got the body to pound inside and a shooting stroke that’s good for 41 percent from outside the arc.

Now he’ll face his toughest test this season, by far: Gonzaga’s frontline.

Mark Few has three big men who will all likely tangle with Daum at some point on Thursday. Przemek Karnoswki is a 7-foot-1 giant polar bear who can physically challenge Daum in the paint. Johnathan Williams is an athletic freak, with a wingspan and vertical leap that will bother any opponent. Zach Collins is a 7-foot future first-round pick, with a perfect combo of athleticism and fundamentals.

If you need a good reason to watch a one seed battle a 16, this is your answer. Those three bigs will attack and battle Mike Daum for 40 minutes. His efforts to still put points on the board will be a sight to see.

10. An intriguing Florida showdown

When the brackets are revealed, casual fans and the media love to jump out and claim conspiracy theories when two rivals or nearby foes are paired. In reality, the committee is driven by geographic decisions; every team is placed at the nearest possible site location from their campus.

The perfect example this year comes with Florida State meeting Florida Gulf Coast in Orlando, Florida.

Though the two schools haven’t developed a rivalry of any kind in the years since the “Dunk City” days, the two schools are located 315 miles apart. They will meet in the middle for a game that will feature flashes of athleticism, speed, and high flying finishes.

The Eagles likely don’t have the talent to top the Seminoles, though they will put forth quite the effort.

Shane McNichol covers college basketball for Larry Brown Sports. He also blogs about college basketball and the NBA at Palestra Back and has contributed to Rush The Court, ESPN.com, and USA Today Sports Weekly. Follow him on Twitter @OnTheShaneTrain.

from Larry Brown Sports http://ift.tt/2nnEciT

0 notes