一道

(Spoilers ahoy!)

I’m still not excited about it being in the Epsilon unit — I can see why they’re doing it if it’s the reason for the flashback scenes, but they didn’t necessarily need Epsilon for that. I would have preferred seeing the teams post-Revelation and how they keep going from finally figuring out they’re all simulation troopers. The flashbacks could have come from Wash, who was kinda sorta there, being a Freelancer and all. Part of this is because I am dying to see Blue Team!Wash, but it’s also because I’d honestly rather see the real characters than Epsilon’s distorted memories, funny as they are.

However, that’s not what we’re getting, so I can deal with that. As anneemaye wrote, there’s a fascinating parallel between Epsilon and the Director, and I’m really excited to see that play out. Even if it’s all a simulation — a different kind, now, than the simulation war — there’s still a lot of value to what it says about the characters.

I’d like to see the guys in the unit follow Caboose’s mental picture of them as seen in season 2 and season 5, but from what we’ve seen so far I don’t think that’s going to happen. Rather, I’d expect to see more of an amalgamation of Caboose’s stories, what Epsilon gathered from knowing them, and whatever random character traits Burnie throws in. I will be disappoint if Sarge doesn’t have a pirate accent, though. I mean, come on.

Also, Caboose is going to be the most in-character one this season. Try to deny it.

I’m thrilled to see Wash at the bottom of the list at the end of the ep - no idea what it is, but it’s nice to see that yeah, no matter what crowning moments of awesome he has in the Recollection trilogy, he’s outclassed by the other soldiers. I’m really curious what the symbols are next to their names - York’s a lock (locksmith), Wyoming’s a target (hit man?), South’s and North’s kind of look like shields (?? maybe her bubble shield?), and Wash’s a gun. (I really want to know what Wash’s enhancement is; it better be in this season.)

Overall, though, the episode felt very much like an introduction, the opening scene of a movie and the hook to pull the viewer in. Which it was, of course. It was certainly entertaining, and I loved Epsilon’s little rant about the gulch, but the fact that it’s not Alpha distracts from that. I expect to find it as funny as I do the other seasons, but since it is going the route of explaining what happened in Project Freelancer I’d like to see it take a more serious and even darker turn while retaining the humor.

Or just give me more Director and I’ll be happy. Man I love his voice. John Marshall Reed (his voice actor), please just narrate every episode. c:

tl;dr I am a bitter Wash fangirl but still really hopeful and excited, give me pirate Sarge, Caboose is canon, Director is the best, and Donut is ~fabulous~ and should order Simmons around more.

(Also, Grif, you can lazy your way out of this episode, but I expect to see you back soon.)

…yes, a week late and right before episode 4. I’ve been really busy this past week, okay. :(

Honestly, though, I don’t know that I have that much to say. This episode is very obviously a transitional piece. This season feels even more like “the next five minutes of a movie” than the previous ones to me. Granted, I’ve only ever watched RvB in season form (even in marathoning episodes), so it might just be the way I’m coming into it, but there’s not a whole lot to get out of this episode. It finishes up North and South’s battle from the last one and sets up more Epsilon stuff, but past that there’s not much to go on.

Naturally, we have to talk about Carolina. I can’t understand how people keep mistaking her for Tex — maybe it’s because I’ve seen the fan edits of that image that clearly show her name at the top of the list, but there’s also the fact that she has completely different armor. Yes, she has a camouflage unit, but her voice is different and while she’s violent, it’s not to Tex levels, I would say. I’m very curious to see if she has her two A.I. already. I’m inclined to think so, and that that’s why she’s “number one” (and otherwise why would they have given her the dual “Carolina” name for N/S Carolina already?), but I won’t be surprised if she doesn’t. I’m also curious about the fact that she could change her armor color. We know that the Meta had that in Reconstruction, and presumably he got it from one of the ages he killed: was that agent Carolina, or someone else?

North and South were great in this episode, and it’s fascinating to see their dynamic right now. North doesn’t have Theta (per Word of God and the assumption that South wouldn’t be as concerned about him), and they still work together as fluidly as they did in the last episode. Because this episode is an addendum to the scene in the last, I don’t think the CG is as smooth. Beautiful, yes, but it’s not built up in quite the same way. Also, a question: does South have her energy shield, and if so, why didn’t she use it here?

I got that they were going for humor with the two soldiers and the rifle joke, but it felt incredibly forced to me. Yes, you’re going for laughs on both sides of the story, but it doesn’t need to be as blatant as that. The coffee joke was more along the lines of what I expected out of the Freelancer side, humor-wise. Also: that music. I don’t know who thought an operatic voice was necessary there, but, uh, it really wasn’t. You’re only three episodes in, leave that for the dramatic climax.

The Epsilon side of the episode continued to establish that the Reds aren’t the ones we know and love, just poor, incorrect copies of them. Donut continues to amuse, but we’re still not given much out of him. I did laugh at Sarge actually considering the Blue side, but Simmons is still fairly one-note here against Donut. And once again: where the hell is Grif?

The thing about the story inside the memory unit is that we’re given no real reason to care about what happens. Sure, Epsilon got himself shot. What’s it matter inside a simulation? This entire storyline comes from his memory and experiences based on what Caboose told him, and the question is how much control he has over what plays out. So far, it seems like he doesn’t have much, but given this is all essentially happening inside his head he should be able to do something.

tl;dr: Transitional episode that doesn’t live entirely up to the stage set by the previous but still provides something to work with going forward. I didn’t dislike it, but I didn’t enjoy it as much as the last two. I’m hopeful about what we’ll see tonight, though.

late again lalala. Last week was a terrible week for me. BUT HEY I’m pretty sure no one reads these so.

There’s very little to say about this week’s episode, though. We head back to Blood Gulch (except not really) to listen to the Blues (except not really) and the Reds (except. not. really.) go about their business. This episode just makes it even more clear that it’s really hard to care about anything that happens. We know it’s a simulation, and we know what’s going to happen — different from before, maybe, but the basic idea. Tex will eventually get to the canyon and season 1 will play out again in some form or fashion. I can’t decide whether or not it’s gonna be Tex that shows up, personally. I’d like it to be Wash since that makes more sense for Epsilon, but I think Tex is a lot more likely.

(also inb4 she doesn’t show up until ep 10…)

I feel a lot more biased towards the Freelancers this season, and while, well, I am, I also genuinely love the BGC crew. I just don’t have any reason to care about Epsilon’s versions of them. I can enjoy what’s on the screen, but there’s nothing past that. It’s not the same characters, but it’s a rehash of the same plot. I think I can safely say now that unless they give me some reason to care, the Epsilon side will be a very disappointing side of the season.

We don’t get much out of the Freelancers in their short bit, but I find it interesting that they report immediately to the Director. I had always thought of him as a behind-the-scenes kind of guy, but between this and getting info from Wash in the trailer, it’s clear he’s personally engaged. I still don’t know what’s up with that board, but my guess is that South getting knocked down the list is an indicator of why she doesn’t end up getting an A.I. of her own.

Also: York’s rating. What a boss.

Obligatory: South is hot. Really. Fucking. Hot. Holy shit, you guys, I love her even more. I love how North knows better than to go after his sister and find it interesting that Carolina’s concerned enough to consider going after her. I’d really like to see more of her personality soon.

So yeah. Looking forward to tonight’s episode, since it should be more Freelancers, and still hopeful the season will pick up. The split season’s a hard thing to do and the pacing has been really uneven so far, but I think it’ll be an easier watch on the DVD. Just give me Wash and York soon, please.

Oh, look, it’s Monday and just shy of the sponsor release of the new episode of Red vs. Blue. What’s that mean?

It means I need to actually write down my thoughts on last week’s. Whoops.

I’ve been thinking about it all week, though, for a pretty big reason: this week, we finally saw my favorite character again, the lovely Agent Washingtubton. And that, my friends, is probably the best thing this season has given me so far. Yes, I am kind of biased. I missed Wash okay :(

This is going to get very, very tl;dr and rambly. Whoops.

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niksilp:

data remanence [fic | Red vs. Blue | Wash-centric]

ichidou:

Meant to link this the other day and forgot. Fic I wrote last week exploring some of my Wash headcanon. Pretty disjointed and I haven’t written first-person in ages, but I like how it came out.

Thinking about linking some of my other RvB stuff from here, but undecided. :|a

why do you do this to us

(but seriously, this was great and you should write even more fantastic Wash fic sometime. In the mean time, I’m going to go read everything else you have posted to this writing journal of yours :D)

okay you guys are killing me with the gifs :’( (also god i haven’t seen that movie in years)

I actually write a ton of Wash stuff, haha. Most of it is RP (or RP that ends up a lot like fic), so hopefully when I get some more of that organized I’ll link it.