compromised

[shallowness]

I went to watch Captain America 2 for the second time last night. It was a less emotional experience – I went to see it with a family member who hadn’t seen it before, and I was maybe feeling a little ‘will they like it?’ anxiety, plus knowing what was coming meant I was more detached – although my heart still aches for Steve, Natasha and Maria in particular, oh and Peggy, his best girl! I winced through the scene between Bucky/The Winter Soldier and Pierce.

I picked up a few more details this time around, mainly stuff other people have pointed out in their reviews. Ideally, I think I’d have let the film percolate a little longer and gone to see it a week later. All the action worked a little better for me this time around.

Before Steve and Natasha turn up at Sam’s is a real turning point, if this wasn’t a Captain America movie, they might well have turned to Tony or one of the other Avengers viably. I remember the first time I saw it and Steve was questioning who he could trust, because SHIELD was clearly compromised (that word resonated more this time) and I thought ‘Thor’ seeing as he’s not of Earth. But I was obviously glad that Cap build up a team. I also winced more at the nameless SHIELD agents killed by the HYDRA agents.

At the end of the film, I could just as easily see Natasha turning to Clint or the much mentioned Bruce or none of them and/or returning to practice kissing with Steve, if anyone would like to write that fic. I certainly expect good Steve-Natasha interaction in the next Avengers movie.

And a date for the Black Widow stand-alone.

The Good Wife 5.11 Goliath and David

I enjoyed it, although as soon as it was over, I started nitpicking some things – like maybe they need to stop putting Archie Panjabi opposite British or Irish actors because I can hear traces of her accent leeching back in.

The case of the week was a bit close to fanfic writer home. Well, I know stuff about transformative works although not in the context of making money off it.

That song was so catchy and it reminded me anew of Rick Astley cracking America a few years ago, which is amusing. As was Matthew Lillard, although a little bit of me was sad that we saw him doing his schtick – which is effective enough – when the dramatic actor who appeared in The Descendants wasn’t given a chance. Couldn’t he play a lawyer? If he hasn’t been offered those parts, I can see why he did this.

I was amused by not!Glee.

Also ROBIN’S FACE at cracking the case. (I have probably typed ROBIN’S FACE a lot this season.)

But mainly this was about relationships. Alicia and Will, obviously. Of course she had to fight back, that was the main thing about them this episode, because he picked the fight, but she had to take it back to him or he’d have thought he’d won. The low method she used to respond to his low blows gave us even more flashbacks (and they way these two are fighting feels like twisted foreplay). Surely the Chicago judges have started complaining amongst themselves about having Alicia and Will facing off against each other.

I also loved the Alicia-Cary partnership, how they worked together, what he brought to the fight.

While Diane seemed to accept what Will was saying about how he’s fine, REALLY, I don’t think she has. Even if she’s the prodigal partner and he stayed on the farmfirm, it is mainly about Alicia and he’s making bad calls (Damien, LA) and ignoring all restraint, some of which is sensible, and she won’t take it. At some level, he knows that, I think, based on how he knew Diane was behind Kalinda tailing Damien (on Howard minding duties, heh) which Will probably relies on, but oh he's sailing close to the wind – Will, that is. I don’t care so much about Damien. In fact, I want him and his lady cop friend to stop underestimating Kalinda. I think she’ll make them do it soon.

Speaking of friendship, the reference to Kalinda-Alicia! Oh, Eli, both yes and no.

I didn’t love the son of Peter storyline. As I foresaw last week, it didn’t go well. It was just tonally weird – it’s one thing to have people playing themselves when it’s to do with a case or Peter’s political ambitions, but fathering a fictional child??? Plus no woman in Marliyn’s position could fail to see that calling your child the same name as your boss, who is such a prominent boss with a public history of infidelity, is stupid. There were other ways of honouring the father – just use his initials (or call the boy Bogdan!) So that was a waste of time of her being outraged and me rolling my eyes and hoing that Kalinda and Eli had thought to check there wasn’t another man named Peter working at the Governor’s. And really, all those Peters in Marilyn’s life – how oddly farcical.

So, although having Eli being blindsided was great, the distraction didn’t work for me.