Manhattan 2.05
Nov. 12th, 2015 09:28 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
selenakNow that was the first Manhattan episode which really dissappointed me.
And I'm not talking about the time jump via storytelling device, though that tells me there probably won't be another season, and they want to get to Trinity in this one, probably for the finale.
But this episode is just full of lazy short cuts to do what the show previously scorned, press the reset button, specifically to get Frank Winters back on the hill and capable of contributing essential science. And a lot of behavior just doesn't make sense.
For example, and to start right at the beginning: I can buy Frank risking all to tell Charlie & Co. about what he found out re: the German atom bomb (namely, there won't be one and the US Government has faked evidence that the German scientists are ahead to motivate their own scientists). What I can't buy is that either Frank or Liza thought this would not result in Frank getting arrested again after what Frank just went through. Liza saying "you told me it would be just two days" is clearly not the same woman who had a series of disturbing confrontations with Colonel Darrow and is very aware of what the government is willing to do.
Next, Frank giving up his must-tell-the-truth mission after Charlie's reaction and his chat/blackmail with Darrow. See, I could have bought him rationalizing himself into it for a variety of reasons, not least because a part of him wants to know whether the gadget will work after all (the seduction of science) and as Liza says can't stand the idea of it being done without him, and also even without a rival German nuclear project, the war is still going on, as Charlie said, Hitler on the rampage etc. But it seemed to me the show wanted to have its cake and eat it there, i.e. it wanted Frank with his moral core intact AND it wanted him making not just an essential contribution but actually BE the father of the atom bomb. And to achieve that, we get the device of the reporter and the various interviewees telling the story, because thusly we're not privileged into watching any scenes with Frank compromising and rationalizing or admitting to himself he wants the bomb made after all. You can make educated guesses based on the fact he apparantly didn't even try to tell anyone from his old team the truth (unless we'll get a flashback later on revealing that he did), or to contact some outside the Hill (this after Liza just made contact with Einstein) about it, but that's not the same as actually showing it.
And then there's the whole "Frank IS the gadget" thing. Until now, the show's been actually pretty good about modern science being a team effort, instead of a single genius coming up with brilliant ideas. That's why the whole Los Alamos project had to many scientists working together to begin with. But the show needs to justify why Darrow lets Frank back on the Hill at all instead of just returning him to Ominous Camp (tm) or a similar location, and is aware that "to keep him close" isn't that convincing. So it's that Frank and ONLY Frank can come up with the correct science to solve all problems because Frank all of a sudden basically invented the gadget singlehandedly and is the uncredited genius doing all the work while others earn the glory. And all this so Frank Winter can stay a main character located in Los Alamos. It's cheap storytelling of the kind this show never resorted to before, and it stinks.
Meanwhile, in another storyline: because of the time jump, we're informed Abby had a late pregnancy miscarriage probably due to radiation (which Liza and she are very aware of) and is still traumatized by it. Fine. Except not. The Abby storyline I was interested in was the one from just the previous episode, which ended with her, as far as she knew, having caused a woman's death. I want to see Abby responding to THIS, not to a miscarriage when due to the time jump we never saw more than the start of the pregnancy when she had to be talked out of an abortion anyway.
The only scenes that didn't make me grind my teeth were the ones with Paul. Not because Paul wasn't being a jerk in most of them, but because they were consistent with the show until now, and because the last one actually was an interesting new development. Paul feeling sorry for himself because he doesn't want to be there while Helen is contemptous of the fact he's self destructing over the chance denied to her was in tune with what was previously established, unlike Liza's "but you said only two days and then we'd go to Princeton" (who was that woman Olivia Williams was playing, seriously?). And Hogarth revealing he didn't give the job to Paul because he's still on a daughter avenging gig or just to be mess with Paul but because he wants the Brits to get intelligence on the nuclear project they can use post war, making a "do it for King, Country and your son!" case to Paul? That was precisely the type of twist and interesting character development I want and by now expect from this show. (It also gave Harry Llyod some excellent silent reaction acting to do as Paul takes this in.)
If only the rest of the episode hadn't been there. Do you want me to regret Frank wasn't killed off, show? Because right now, I do.
P.S. Speaking of killed off characters: poor Dunleavy. From the moment they showed his reaction to having shot Sid Lao, he was another case of interesting twist/great character development. And now he's killed off not even on screen to illustrate that War Is Hell (and of course Darrow's ruthlessness in transferring him to the Pacific war theatre). Which takes away the one sympathetic and developed military character, leaving us with only ominous threatening Darrow and various stooges. Thanks a lot, show.
And I'm not talking about the time jump via storytelling device, though that tells me there probably won't be another season, and they want to get to Trinity in this one, probably for the finale.
But this episode is just full of lazy short cuts to do what the show previously scorned, press the reset button, specifically to get Frank Winters back on the hill and capable of contributing essential science. And a lot of behavior just doesn't make sense.
For example, and to start right at the beginning: I can buy Frank risking all to tell Charlie & Co. about what he found out re: the German atom bomb (namely, there won't be one and the US Government has faked evidence that the German scientists are ahead to motivate their own scientists). What I can't buy is that either Frank or Liza thought this would not result in Frank getting arrested again after what Frank just went through. Liza saying "you told me it would be just two days" is clearly not the same woman who had a series of disturbing confrontations with Colonel Darrow and is very aware of what the government is willing to do.
Next, Frank giving up his must-tell-the-truth mission after Charlie's reaction and his chat/blackmail with Darrow. See, I could have bought him rationalizing himself into it for a variety of reasons, not least because a part of him wants to know whether the gadget will work after all (the seduction of science) and as Liza says can't stand the idea of it being done without him, and also even without a rival German nuclear project, the war is still going on, as Charlie said, Hitler on the rampage etc. But it seemed to me the show wanted to have its cake and eat it there, i.e. it wanted Frank with his moral core intact AND it wanted him making not just an essential contribution but actually BE the father of the atom bomb. And to achieve that, we get the device of the reporter and the various interviewees telling the story, because thusly we're not privileged into watching any scenes with Frank compromising and rationalizing or admitting to himself he wants the bomb made after all. You can make educated guesses based on the fact he apparantly didn't even try to tell anyone from his old team the truth (unless we'll get a flashback later on revealing that he did), or to contact some outside the Hill (this after Liza just made contact with Einstein) about it, but that's not the same as actually showing it.
And then there's the whole "Frank IS the gadget" thing. Until now, the show's been actually pretty good about modern science being a team effort, instead of a single genius coming up with brilliant ideas. That's why the whole Los Alamos project had to many scientists working together to begin with. But the show needs to justify why Darrow lets Frank back on the Hill at all instead of just returning him to Ominous Camp (tm) or a similar location, and is aware that "to keep him close" isn't that convincing. So it's that Frank and ONLY Frank can come up with the correct science to solve all problems because Frank all of a sudden basically invented the gadget singlehandedly and is the uncredited genius doing all the work while others earn the glory. And all this so Frank Winter can stay a main character located in Los Alamos. It's cheap storytelling of the kind this show never resorted to before, and it stinks.
Meanwhile, in another storyline: because of the time jump, we're informed Abby had a late pregnancy miscarriage probably due to radiation (which Liza and she are very aware of) and is still traumatized by it. Fine. Except not. The Abby storyline I was interested in was the one from just the previous episode, which ended with her, as far as she knew, having caused a woman's death. I want to see Abby responding to THIS, not to a miscarriage when due to the time jump we never saw more than the start of the pregnancy when she had to be talked out of an abortion anyway.
The only scenes that didn't make me grind my teeth were the ones with Paul. Not because Paul wasn't being a jerk in most of them, but because they were consistent with the show until now, and because the last one actually was an interesting new development. Paul feeling sorry for himself because he doesn't want to be there while Helen is contemptous of the fact he's self destructing over the chance denied to her was in tune with what was previously established, unlike Liza's "but you said only two days and then we'd go to Princeton" (who was that woman Olivia Williams was playing, seriously?). And Hogarth revealing he didn't give the job to Paul because he's still on a daughter avenging gig or just to be mess with Paul but because he wants the Brits to get intelligence on the nuclear project they can use post war, making a "do it for King, Country and your son!" case to Paul? That was precisely the type of twist and interesting character development I want and by now expect from this show. (It also gave Harry Llyod some excellent silent reaction acting to do as Paul takes this in.)
If only the rest of the episode hadn't been there. Do you want me to regret Frank wasn't killed off, show? Because right now, I do.
P.S. Speaking of killed off characters: poor Dunleavy. From the moment they showed his reaction to having shot Sid Lao, he was another case of interesting twist/great character development. And now he's killed off not even on screen to illustrate that War Is Hell (and of course Darrow's ruthlessness in transferring him to the Pacific war theatre). Which takes away the one sympathetic and developed military character, leaving us with only ominous threatening Darrow and various stooges. Thanks a lot, show.
no subject
Date: 2015-11-13 03:24 pm (UTC)The Abby storyline I was interested in was the one from just the previous episode, which ended with her, as far as she knew, having caused a woman's death.
And honestly, it took me awhile to realize that Abby was reacting to a miscarriage rather than to the suicide. Granted that this is partially because I was briefly distracted by something else while watching, but it confused me for awhile there.
no subject
Date: 2015-11-13 05:28 pm (UTC)