Brighter Fusion Blog

I think Ashes has ruined me for LOM like LOM has ruined everybody else for Ashes. I’ve watched the first five eps of LOM in fullscreen, with blurry compression, interrupted by commercials a bunch. So, I can only really say I’ve seen half of it. Plus my attention was split.

Anyway, from what I have seen, I wish there were more Gene in it and that Gene were more Gene-y. His character seems semi-developed — a little flat compared to Ashes’s Gene. That’s just so far, of course. I know there’s a lot more LOM I have yet to see.

I loved the Hunt exposition in the hostage scenes in Ep 5, my fave ep so far. It was very satisfying and fascinating to see Hunt’s character fill out and Philip’s talent shine. More Gene!

LOM is WAY trippier than A2A. The sound and visual effects are fabulous. I remember Alex feel like she was moving on a boat, but reality didn’t seem to break into her world nearly as much, or in as cool ways. Chris and Ray talking in the doctor’s voices was awesome.

What are ‘oops? Spaghettios? Onion rings? Some round English food I’m as yet unfamiliar with?

An awesome, trippy clip from LOM. Sam is speeding.

W00t!
Thanks Boulder County Dems!

I wonder if I’ll see Keith Olbermann there? (Yeah, right…)
Maybe I’ll bring my KO baseball card and a silver Sharpie just in case.

Philip has defended Keeley’s acting in the news, but that really says more about Philip’s great character (by which I don’t mean Gene Hunt!) and loyalty to his coworkers than about her skill as an actress.

I think she’s an average actress and I fault the writers for Alex Drake’s problems more than her. How are you supposed to sink your teeth into a role which was badly written in the first place?

As my brother pointed out to me, Alex is always yelling and acting nuts. Shouting doesn’t make you a smart, secure, modern woman which is what I think she was intended to be. The writer just wasn’t capable of defining a realistic confident woman. They should have brought Joss Whedon on to consult.

To that, my sister says, “Or find a woman writer.”

I’m thinking it would be fun to make a graphic of Philip as Gene in Shepard Fairey’s 3-color stencil style.

He’s probably God. Okay. But to look beyond the simple answer…

I’ve settled on the patron saint of cops, especially slain cops. Clear fit for the story and saints are definitely in the same genus as superheroes. According to Google and the Wikipedia, that would make him “St.” Michael — actually an archangel, the good Angel of Death (you don’t say?) and all-around pugilist vs. Satan.

Michael is balanced by the evil Angel of Death, Samael, whom I’d assume to be the clown if Evan weren’t such a very good fit. Samael was snake, seducer of Eve, and destroyer. The clown/dad destroyed, but we have good evidence that Evan was directly involved in that bomb plot as well. Maybe even talked him into it? He’s yelling for Tim to wait another minute right before he clownifies and blows up. Also, why else would he be present there with Layton to witness it?

I’m still not getting over this show. What’s weird is that I’ll usually latch onto the romantic chemistry in a good show and bugger the rest. (Getting in the British spirit here, dontcha know.) This show, I’ve got a crush on the people who made the show! I love the writing, the acting (Philip’s awesome altho Keeley gets on my nerves after repeated viewings), the music, the framing, the sets, the costumes, etc. Most of all the humor, half of which I’m sure I’m still missing, being un-British. I enjoy nearly every scene immensely. I’m not just riding on the vicarious hormonal rush, tho I’m definitely hormonal (as Chris would be happy to point out).

I really like Shazzer. I wonder how hideous I would be if I got her weird haircut. 34 years old and I still don’t know what the hell I’m supposed to do with my hair.

Here’s a still of animated Sam and Gene from LOM!

An animated still — how ironic.

More A2A ruminations. I’m sure this will wear off in a couple days.

Forget all that demigod stuff. It was correct, but too boring to put up here. Forgive me.

Watching the first ep again, I’m sure there’s no way Gene isn’t alive in 2008. How does he translate from imagination into reality? Don’t know yet, but Sam’s diary did it, right? After I watch the first series, I’ll understand that much better than I do now.

ALEX: Let me do this on my own.

GENE: Oh, it’s always more fun with two.

ALEX: I don’t need your help.

GENE: Everyone does. You know, they’re sharpening the ax for coppers like me. I’ll tell you this much, Bols. Up until the last second, I will be out there making a difference.

Also the remark from the drug dealer about Hunt not having a place in the future. And didn’t Sam also tell him not to worry about surviving to see something or other? Gene’ll survive and thrive in the future just to spite everybody.

What do you think about him being one of the sharpshooters on the roof in the opening scene? Layton seems to be talking to them or to one of them, telling them it’s his show. There’s also conveniently so much costume covering the snipers that you couldn’t identify them. (Something they do purposely IRL?)

Who is Layton talking to on the phone in 2008? I figured it was Evan, the godfather of Alex and Molly. What if it were Hunt?

How old is he in 2008? Let’s say he’s an unhealthy late-30-something in 1973, and an unhealthy 40-something in 1981. Twenty-seven years later, that’s….pretty old. Bummer. Especially if Alex is still so young and perfect. An odd couple. Yech.

Still, it would be nice to have the Manc Lion survive.

I had to post this one! Alex/Quattro.
Check this editor’s other stuff too.

The high quality download (35 MB) of this fanvid is available too! Thanks LittleLinden.

The St. Crispin’s Day Speech:

What is Alex doing in 1981? Gene’s POV.

Surrounded by armed bastards:

Yes, he did the moonwalk.

Seems evident to me that Gene is a superhero in every significant sense. Which explains a lot about why I like him so much (as does everybody else it seems). He’s not entirely uncute. He reminds me of a bull terrier. He’s certainly got the ego or confidence necessary for a hero. Also the brains. And that impossible to find in real life quality of actually doing the right thing. More or less. When it matters, anyway.

Okay, so we’ve got a hero all right, but is he super too?

Does Gene Hunt have special powers, aside from his fabulous and obscene wit? He can open the door to his office without touching it and turn out the lights at night just by walking down the center of the room. (Oh, any wizard can do that kid’s stuff…) Can he be killed? He repels bullets pretty well, but like in the A-Team, almost everybody seems to avoid getting shot in A2A (apart from the important shot, of course).

There is a fan forum for LOM and A2A where they’re contemplating whether Gene is actually God from the New Testament. (Which makes Shaz’s exclamation “Mary Magdalene, you all right?” when she first sees Alex pretty interesting. Magdalene is thought be some to be Jesus’ consort and/or a reformed prostitute.) Gene-Jesus makes some sense given the heavenly ending to LOM (from what I gather from the YouTube clips I’ve seen so far), but his boyish appetites (including the one for righteous vengeance) would make me place him in the Old Testament. Appropriate for a dinosaur. (Oh, wait…)

Here’s another Gene-as-God thread, drawing comparison between Narnia’s lion Aslan and the Manc Lion.

And here’s an excerpt from the shooting script for the pilot (differing slightly from the show):

She throws the radio at the wall. GENE blazes in - brimstone. Before he can say a word, she launches at him.
ALEX (CONT’D)
What’s so special about you “Gene”? When good coppers go under, why do you appear?!
GENE
It’s my aftershave. And stop waggling your bloody fingers when you say my name!

Thanks to the BBC’s Writer’s Room for releasing the script for us to enjoy!

Even better, I’d say a saint or angel of some kind. They always seemed the equivalent of demigods to me, and superheroes are a lot like demigods as well. So’s Jesus Christ, for that matter. Part God, part human; superpowers; goodness — the works. He’s a classic demigod, and the prototype for Superman who’s the prototype for all other superheroes.

Aha. So there it is. Every superhero is a Christ figure. If Gene is a superman, then he’s a Christ figure, and so he is an avatar of God.

I really hope this doesn’t mean he’s going to be sacrificed at the end of A2A. Maybe the god is immortal, but the avatars usually don’t get to come back. And dinosaur or not, I really like this one.

Is God allowed to doubt Himself while he walks in human form? Why not? Does God have any limits? I’m sure a bunch of Catholics figured out the answer to that 1000 years ago. Along with the angels on the head of a pin question.

And then there’s the question of the clown. Death? The Devil? Intuition? The Truth? Clowns suck.

Jeez, I should really get back to work while I have work. And next time I’ll join the fan group rather than blathering to you, Nobody, my Dear Reader.

Take another look at the handsome guy with the squirrel.

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Can I marry this guy?

Chuck’s finally returning! In another two months.
This S02 preview was surreptitiously recorded at ComicCon.
She’s going to join the Nerd Herd!! Yay!!

I just watched the first season of Ashes to Ashes. Never watched Life on Mars, but I guess I’ll have to now. I don’t much care for the song in this one, but the clip editing is great.

Here’s a radio interview with the actor from Ashes to Ashes, Philip Glenister.

Here’s another interview with him from the BBC press kit for the show.

And here’s his own official web site. What an awesome guy to link to his fans’ sites like that! Even the LiveJournal communitites, where you can just bet Gene and Sam are getting it on in the fanfiction.

And of course, the return of The X-Files in a brand new film from our favorite chain-yanking Power-That-Is Chris Carter.
Who ever said there was any sex in that movie?? I must have blinked.

And all hail The Offspring forever!