4x01 "Bulletproof"

[Mattador]

I really enjoyed it.

I confess, I didn't expect to do that with a post-Daphne episode, and especially not to enjoy it enough that I had to come here to talk about it.


I'm very curious about a couple of different things: (SPOILERS FOLLOW)

First, if something like that manifestation would be measurable -- how many calories of energy it would take to deflect how much force? 

Second, about the disappearance of the nanny.  I'd love to get a cold-case follow-up on that as a DVD extra.

[Lioness]

Oh, Nikki.

ECR here, but ... no, it's too C to explain.

[eschatonic]

ECR like WHOA.

Would this guy count as a beta? A beta all his life, (always skinny? subtle brain damage? what's the opposite of a superpower?) who had a second-stage breakthrough under threat of severe bodily injury or imminent death. I mean, technically he used his powers for evil, but the intent was only to hurt his father, who totally fucking deserved it. Although the Anomaly was almost certainly prompting him to actively attack his dad, rather than slowly achieving independence and never speaking to them again, which he seemed on track to do... he seems like the type that might benefit from therapy and would actively, willingly participate.

Second, about the disappearance of the nanny.  I'd love to get a cold-case follow-up on that as a DVD extra.

I'm guessing Dear Ol' Dad attacked her. Somebody hit somebody with the lamp (she hit him in self-defense?), she threatened to call the cops, and Mom told her she'd get a free plane ticket if she cleared out right this second, and a hefty Not Telling Anybody bonus.

That or she hit back/tried to call the cops and Dear Ol Dad killed her and dumped her in the river.


No, on re-read even the pillow and bedclothes were gone. Dad killed her, messily. With the lamp? I wonder if he raped her first, or tried to.

[kakiphony]

No, on re-read even the pillow and bedclothes were gone. Dad killed her, messily. With the lamp? I wonder if he raped her first, or tried to.

My head went to: Dad caught with nanny in bed by mom, fight ensues, and mom "accidentally" clocks the nanny with the lamp. There are some indications in the interview that mom knew/was jealous of dad's dalliance(s). I also think having her have done something like kill the nanny and dad witnesses it and then helped her cover it up would have helped keep her tied to the marriage in spite of his abuse.

But I am with Mattador, I'd love to see a dvd extra on that since you know it comes to light in the journal entries.

[Lioness]

My head went to: Dad caught with nanny in bed by mom, fight ensues, and mom "accidentally" clocks the nanny with the lamp. There are some indications in the interview that mom knew/was jealous of dad's dalliance(s). I also think having her have done something like kill the nanny and dad witnesses it and then helped her cover it up would have helped keep her tied to the marriage in spite of his abuse.

That also works with the "he only hurts you because he's frustrated" line she uses later, because part of dad's rationale for getting it on with the nanny (or trying to) might be that mom was frustrating him, so it was only natural that he'd try to screw the nanny.

The phrase "piece of work" comes to mind here.

But I am with Mattador, I'd love to see a dvd extra on that since you know it comes to light in the journal entries.

Yeah, that.  Nikki might do that. Chaz might think of suggesting it. Or Reyes. (For some reason, I don't see Nikki thinking of it herself. Hm.)

[Alena]

No, on re-read even the pillow and bedclothes were gone. Dad killed her, messily. With the lamp? I wonder if he raped her first, or tried to.

My head went to: Dad caught with nanny in bed by mom, fight ensues, and mom "accidentally" clocks the nanny with the lamp. There are some indications in the interview that mom knew/was jealous of dad's dalliance(s). I also think having her have done something like kill the nanny and dad witnesses it and then helped her cover it up would have helped keep her tied to the marriage in spite of his abuse.

But I am with Mattador, I'd love to see a dvd extra on that since you know it comes to light in the journal entries.

Ditto on that reading of the situation.

Chaz was the "Invisible Man" in this episode but didn't seem to use the mirror.  I wonder what's been going on inside his head since Daphne's death, and if that has anything to do with what powers he is or isn't using here.

[jeffy]

No, on re-read even the pillow and bedclothes were gone. Dad killed her, messily. With the lamp? I wonder if he raped her first, or tried to.

My head went to: Dad caught with nanny in bed by mom, fight ensues, and mom "accidentally" clocks the nanny with the lamp. There are some indications in the interview that mom knew/was jealous of dad's dalliance(s). I also think having her have done something like kill the nanny and dad witnesses it and then helped her cover it up would have helped keep her tied to the marriage in spite of his abuse.

But I am with Mattador, I'd love to see a dvd extra on that since you know it comes to light in the journal entries.

Ditto on that reading of the situation.

Chaz was the "Invisible Man" in this episode but didn't seem to use the mirror.  I wonder what's been going on inside his head since Daphne's death, and if that has anything to do with what powers he is or isn't using here.

At first I took this as Chaz speaking, using the mirror to appear to be Luke's dad (which seemed like a really dumb idea!):

"Why don't you shoot me, now that you've got the chance?"

Reyes felt more than saw Chaz step into the hall in front of the open door.

Until the next paragraph made it Luke talking to Reyes.

Tan's description of Chaz's appearance in the opener hurt to hear (the rest of them too, but Chaz especially).

I liked the "mythology" being a literal Mythology.

And having just spent the weekend with my elderly parents, ECR all over the damn place. Thanks, Emma.

[tylik]

A few scattered reactions:

With the amount of physical abuse going around, it's easy to wonder about the source of Luke's brain damage. (Not that such an explanation is required.)

I hope that Mari's not dead. One hopes it wouldn't be that easy to cover up, and it would be a lot easier to pressure her to leave the country and not say anything (one of the advantages of au pairs is that, lacking local contacts, they are at an even greater power disadvantage than most - but it still seems likely that a disappearance would be noted).

... and more than most, I really would like to know what happens next? Does the whole messy story (other than the gammabilities, anyway) break?

I keep thinking about how, at the end of The Unicorn Evils Lau called her father.

[BeatriceEagle]

I hope that Mari's not dead. One hopes it wouldn't be that easy to cover up, and it would be a lot easier to pressure her to leave the country and not say anything (one of the advantages of au pairs is that, lacking local contacts, they are at an even greater power disadvantage than most - but it still seems likely that a disappearance would be noted).

Since she had been there for several years, one would think she'd built up at least a few contacts who would notice if she just disappeared.  But who knows?

[tylik]

Since she had been there for several years, one would think she'd built up at least a few contacts who would notice if she just disappeared.  But who knows?

I guess the term "contacts" is a little general for what I meant.

She might know a bunch of people in town, say, but if the family she lived with generally let it be known that she had to return back home on short notice, who would feel empowered to do anything about it, even if it did seem weird? Especially in pre-internet days. It's not so much about people not caring, as not having much of a useful means of acting.

Now, au pairs generally come from middle class families, and usually reasonably educated ones - which means her family back home would be pretty likely to look into her disappearance. (And more to the point have the knowledge and means to do so.)

[miminnehaha]

ECR like WHOA.

Would this guy count as a beta? A beta all his life, (always skinny? subtle brain damage? what's the opposite of a superpower?)

This is what I was thinking. Why his leaving the team his story has such weight-- didn't take this one alive, but. 
And I can find no evidence to support it, but I don't think he could "hear" the anomaly. I'm not convinced there was any prompting. An emotionally immature 20-year-old boy can choose a path as stupidly-dangerous-to-innocents as bank robbing without any prompting or even any brain damage. The opposite of a superpower... a beta saved from the bug by his brain-damage? Interesting... really interesting.

I wish Nikki had been able to convince him. I can't wrap my head around living without abstraction (oops-- but it's true both ways!).

Nikki is a mystery to me. I never anticipate her moves. I love that and find it uncomfortable in equal measure.

[Lioness]

With the amount of physical abuse going around, it's easy to wonder about the source of Luke's brain damage. (Not that such an explanation is required.)

Yeah, I thought about that too.

[jcberk]

Once she gets back to town, I'm betting on this case sending Lau back to the shelter (and Renee).

Given Luke's spatial problems, how did he pick branches in a line toward HQ? That seems like a place where Bug could have been prompting, though Luke might have been unable to recognize it as Other.

Loki used a catspaw to kill Balder; if Luke is both Balder and Loki, is the team (or just Lau) playing Hod? Luke's actions felt a lot like suicide by cop.

[NobleHunter]

I'm slightly worried about how Luke seemed to be an anti-Chaz.

Both of them have violent fathers.

Where Chaz's mom saves him and gets away from his father, Luke's is unable to.

Luke is unable to do abstract thinking, Chaz has it for a superpower.

Luke`s external manifestation is invulnerability, Chaz`s is invisible.

Both of them struggle to fit in, but Chaz finds a place and Luke doesn`t.

Chaz uses his powers for good, Luke - well, it`s not *evil* as we know it - but it`s certainly not good.

Chaz jumped off tall buildings (bridges at least) and survived.

I might be inferring something that TPTB are not implying. If there`s is something to it, I find the thematic implications troubling.

[Edmund Schweppe]

It is probably worth mentioning at this point in the speculation that Chaz was the only member of the "away team" who didn't have any POV in "Bulletproof."