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thatgirl4815 · 2 years

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Torture in Ep10 (meta)

Mood, Colors, & Cinematography

I have a lot of ✨ thoughts ✨about that torture scene from Ep10, and unfortunately my OG post for this managed to get completely wiped clean when I went in to adjust the tags (to add a trigger warning, might I add), so I’m rewriting this. Apologies if it takes me awhile. But I want to start by offering a ⚠️ TW ⚠️ up front since this scene involves torture. And not typical torture. No, this is Vegas we’re talking about.

Pete was brutally abused this episode, but I want to talk specifically about expression, colors, mood, and cinematography. I have never been invested in VegasPete’s storyline, and I honestly don’t know how the two of them will ever develop romantic feelings after this, but I will say that the torture scene in Ep10 grabbed my attention. It was well-choreographed, well-acted, and well-adapted to the storyline. I’m scared, but I truly can’t wait to see how this story plays out in Ep11, as Vegas is sure to get even more sick and twisted. I will say that we should’ve enjoyed our time with happy Pete as much as possible, because the fallout of their time together will certainly change him. [Also, before I get into it, I want to disclose that I haven’t read the novel, so some of this is mere speculation based on what I’ve seen.]

Without further ado…

Expressions

~ Pete ~

I first want to commend Build’s acting, because while he’s been good so far, his expressions in this scene blew me away. For a moment there, I was almost more frightened of Pete than I was of Vegas, which really speaks volumes to the layers in his expression. The key takeaway in my opinion is just that: his expression is multi-faceted. I see acknowledgment, understanding, and determination. I see resolve and defiance. But, though I can distinguish these feelings, they’re all a jumble.

There are, in my mind, multiple ways of interpreting Pete’s expressions. 1) is that it’s a defense mechanism, a way of hardening himself to the pain that he knows is coming. Psychologically, dissociation and depersonalization are ways in which people tend to distance themselves from particularily traumatic experiences. The next potential reading of this 2) is that Pete is simply hysterical, which would not be unbelievable considering a) I’m sure Vegas’s bodyguards did not treat him nicely when they found him and b) he knows what’s about to happen to him. He’s aware of the pain he’s about to endure regardless if he begs…and wouldn’t that drive anyone a little mad? Knowing that you will not only die, but will be brutally punished in the process? The last, and most plausible (in my opinion) reading of Pete’s expression 3) is that it’s a challenge to Vegas.

Pete isn’t stupid. In fact, he’s seen Vegas torture in action before. I personally see Pete’s expression in the torture scene as confirmation of the latter interpretation. Note that while I do believe Pete is opposing Vegas here (in the only way he can), that doesn’t mean he’s a masochist himself/on the same psychological level as Vegas. I talk about my interpretation of Pete’s psychological state a bit more in this post, but I don’t think Pete’s reaction here (or in the torture scene from Ep7) suggests that he craves pain. I think it’s really difficult to say just how Pete felt about Vegas’s torture tactics, but we know he certainly isn’t enjoying them now. He can smile, sure, but I think we can look deeper than that. Pete very well could have some inner turmoil that we don’t know about that Vegas resolves somehow in the future, but at this point, we just don’t have enough information to make any solid calls. My point still stands though that Pete is not enjoying what Vegas does to him. At least, not yet.

It’s interesting because Pete knows that Vegas gets pleasure from the pain inflicted on his victims. So by smiling—by laughing—he isn’t giving Vegas what he wants. It takes Vegas shocking Pete, watching the pain up close as it passes over his face, to bring a positive reaction out of him. I believe Pete knows that begging will only feed into Vegas’s god complex.

But that laugh. That laugh at 39:43. Truly chilling. Pete isn’t playing the game. He’s not giving in so easily like Vegas wants. And I think that’s what sets up their obsessive relationship down the line.

I want to point out how Pete looks at Vegas’s weapons (in the last photo). When he puts on the gloves, Pete’s face falls ever so slightly, but the smile doesn’t leave. It almost feels like goading. It’s difficult to make out what Pete feels exactly, though this certainly suggests that smiling and laughing is not a defense mechanism—if he truly wished to disassociate, I don’t think he would stare directly at the weapon that will be inflicting pain upon him.

I also want to briefly point out how Pete’s smile widens the moment Vegas specifically says that Pete foiled his plan. While I believe that smiling and laughing is a way of challenging Vegas, I also think it could be a reaction to the success of Pete’s own plan. He was caught, yes, but he completed the mission.

I think it’s important to at least mention how following these smiles, we get a moment where Pete glares at Vegas. Like the smiling and laughing, it’s part of the challenge, and it’s also a way for Pete to express his cold hatred for Vegas and all the crimes he’s committed up to this point. It only lasts for a second, but it’s one of the most riveting parts of the entire scene in my opinion.

But onto Vegas now…

~ Vegas ~

There isn’t anything about Vegas in this scene that we don’t already know, but I gotta give props to Bible because he manages to emit so much craziness in just a few expressions.

The smile, the twinkle in his eyes, not to mention that dark red light across his face…it’s almost unfathomably unhinged. Only when Pete is in the midst of extreme agony does Vegas show signs of real joy. The climax of Pete’s suffering is the climax of Vegas’s ecstasy. Vegas probably thinks he’s sitting pretty right now where this is concerned—after all, he can torture Pete as much as he wants with no regard for the consequences (his plan was already ruined, and Pete is an outlet for his anger). The problem will be if he actually develops feelings for Pete through this obsession, which seems like a given.

Like I said, I haven’t read the novel, but I think that we will see Vegas develop this quick obsession with Pete precisely because he does not break easily. It no doubt comes as a shock to Vegas, who probably pegs Pete as quite feeble and vulnerable based on their previous interactions. But Pete is different than Vegas has ever seen him before, and I think that stirs up something inside of him.

Remorse? Vegas will have to express it if he is going to actually have a relationship with Pete. I can’t see it now, but I’ll be really impressed if the showrunners can pull it off. Vegas has cemented himself as a complete villain, and I don’t see Pete “fixing him” exactly. More than likely, Vegas and Pete will offer each other something toxic but inescapable. I mentioned obsession before, but I think addiction is another suitable word for what I see happening in the future.

Color

~ Red ~

It makes sense that red pervades this seen more than any other color. It’s been used to represent both Kinn and Vegas. For Kinn, I have argued in the past that it represents his outward persona but not his inner one. But for Vegas, I think it represents everything, inner and outer (at least when thinking about red’s negative connotations). Red’s negative representations are dominance, power, and rage. We see all of these at play in some form in this scene. Unsurprisingly, we see it flash across Vegas’s face as the perpetrator of violence and Pete’s face as the recipient of that violence.

It’s also worth noting how red has been used in promotional material. Here, for example:

I don’t think it’s any surprise that red is the color of blood, and it’s often associated with pain.

~ Pink ~

In addition to red, we see variations of the color pink, mostly hot pink, in this scene. Pink is often associated with love and romance--notably sweet things. Here, though, it is a darker shade, near red, perhaps to hint at Vegas and Pete’s romantic future. I don’t think it’s any coincidence that the pink/red color appears most prominently in this shot:

It could be an intentional move to highlight the irony of this situation. For two characters who will eventually make a couple, pink makes sense, but for what’s actually happening in this scene? The animosity between them? The power imbalance that Pete is pushing against and Vegas is trying to solidify? The color pink highlights just how backwards it all feels.

**EDIT: I’ve done some more thinking about the potential meaning of pink in this shot, which I go into more detail about here.

~ Green ~

We see green in this scene shining from the light above and behind Pete and through the curtains behind Vegas. Like how red has been associated with Vegas throughout the series, green has also been commonly associated with ⚠️ danger ⚠️. We see it looming over Pete, shining down upon him, as if to indicate the danger of this moment and all that is to come from his time with Vegas.

Green is prominent in this shot as well, as it covers a large portion of Pete’s dripping chest, as if to show how the danger is consuming him:

It’s a nice touch.

~ Gold ~

I’ll end with gold, as it is not extremely apparent in this scene, but it is still visible in parts, such as in the shot above. Like green, gold has a long-lasting association with the mafia. Here, it could be a reminder of the institution that not only allows but encourages Vegas’s psychotic tendencies. It could also be a way of representing the very thing that pushed both of these characters into this situation in the first place. It all comes back to the mafia, after all.

Lastly on this, I want to mention how chilling it is to think about the gold in this scene compared to the golden light shining between Kinn and Porsche in the final scene of Ep7. I have argued in meta about that scene that gold takes on a different meaning than the typical “mafia” association, instead representing hope and optimism for KP’s relationship. In this torture scene, however, it’s symbolism is strictly negative.

~ Mood ~

We see how each of these colors contributes to the mood of the scene, hinting at potential future developments while also offering some dark underpinnings. It all adds an undercurrent of tension and coincides perfectly with the show’s cinematography. Speaking of which...

Cinematography

It goes without saying that the cinematography is excellent. There are a few key elements I want to point out.

~ Angles ~

When showing Vegas, the camera seems to stay slightly more panned out and low angled, probably to show him more fully as he moves closer to Pete and taunts him with his weapons. As I’ve mentioned in previous cinematography metas, low angles can be used to show dominance or vulnerability. In this case, I think the low angles contribute to the torturer/victim dynamic.

Close ups are also used, most noticeably when Vegas closes the space between him and Pete. The entire environment is dank and oppressive, but Vegas makes it more oppressive by closing this gap. There is a literal spark between them, and the camera angles make sure to highlight how Vegas is in control of Pete at all times. There are shots of the cables, wider shots of Vegas coming closer, and tight shots of both Vegas and Pete’s faces together and separately. I do think it is notable that there is only one distinct time where their faces are shown clearly together, unlike in Kinn and Porsche’s Ep7 scene, where we see them both in the same shot almost the entire time. Not to say that this scene is in any way related to the final scene of Ep7, but I think drawing comparisons can highlight some interesting things about the contrasting dynamics.

Lastly, I’ll note the music in this scene. It’s percussive and instrumental. The tension mounts and all leads to Pete’s screams to finish out the scene, letting us know that we--and Pete--are in for a lot more pain soon.

That’s all from me for now. I will definitely go back in and add a bit more to this later since Tumblr deleted my OG post, as I said. But in the meantime, you can check out some of my other KP meta here. And, if you’d like to read a lot of other glorious KP metas, visit the “Damn Good KinnPorsche Meta” doc supplied by the wonderful @luckydragon10. :)

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