(SPOILERS) Lines or moments that amused you

[Tazettae]

One of my favourite lines was Amble Dexter appealing to Malachi's patriotism, in chapter 1.

Not only is Malachi basically either asocial or misanthropic: he's not American. Born in South Africa, educated in England. Yes, his passport seems to be an American (or British, but probably American) one, rather than South African, which means he's taken on citizenship in one of those countries; but the sort of patriotism Dexter was appealing to needs to be developed from childhood. Preferably early childhood.

I'm Australian. We develop our patriotism in a different direction from how America develops theirs: I love my sunburnt country, but I love the land and the waters, the flora and the fauna. I'm more likely to be violent if you try to bring in a disease which could infect our plants and animals, than if you were to mess with our economy or government.
Not all Australians are like I am, but enough. Aim Dexter's appeal to patriotism at me, and I'd respond with simple confusion.


Later on, Dexter shows himself to be incredibly naive about powerful people. He apparently can't understand how someone might be trying to stop Senator Markham from becoming president. 'Wouldn't any American want such a golden age?'
Well, no. Many Americans - scrap that, many people - would much rather be president themselves, even if it meant America went into decline. And even more would simply refuse to believe that a decline would happen if THEY were President.
And let's not mention Kingmaker type personalities, who won't accept anyone on the throne unless said person was a puppet of theirs.


Anyway, I find Dexter's ability to seriously misread people amusing, especially given his role.

[HitBattousai]

The cheesy joke sequences between Malachi and Walker had some nice awfuls in there   And having to fly back from DC to get an item from New York was kind of cheesy in a different way.

[Renmiri]

Well Malachi's last text to Dexter was priceless 

I also loved Malachi's droll comments about the places he visited. Something about the furniture being as gaudy as the tourists or the plant being hard and spiky as Markhan's lover.

Or poor David's request for the florist to find him a flower that said "I know you don't like me but please don't kill me in my sleep ?" 

PS: Ya the cheesy jokes were great 

[snabbott]

"Moo."

[raVen image]

"That fountain looks new.  I would have found something ancient to refurbish"

What's great about this line is it demonstrates one of the (many) examples of how this game never defined its characters  We were shown early on that Rector prefers modern things because they do not overstimulate his brain.   His apartment's furnishings verify this.   So why would he dislike the fountain in Zurich because it is modern?

The line's purpose was to show us that Rector is a curmudgeon.  He hates everything ... until he suddenly doesn't.  Each character changes with each new scene.   Rather than being one-dimensional, they have multi-purposeful dialog that makes them completely characterless.   When you have a point in every direction, you have no point at all.

I had seen so many examples of this that by the time I got to Zurich, the fountain line had me laughing out loud.   This isn't just bad writing, it's "Tommy Wiseau" bad.   Very amusing.

[raVen image]

On reflection, I'm sure the fanboys have lined up rebuttals so I'll give you some more examples.

At the beginning of act two (midway through chapter three) we see Walker preparing to quit.   Rector demands that he remain. ("I still need security") and after Walker agrees to remain, Rector says, "Whatever suits you."

Huh?   If he meant "whatever suits you" he would have gladly allowed Walker to quit.  Not only does this phrase defy Rector's recent actions, it is hardly in-character for  the anally-retentive Rector to say.   His personality has been established as being particular about how his underlings behave.   We had already been shown that Rector is only satisfied with what suits him. He would never say, "Whatever suits you."

And then, in the next chapter, Rector, with disgust, sneers, "I suppose you are going to follow me around everywhere I go."   Well ... yeah ... that's why you convinced Walker to remain, isn't it?   You want security to be with you everywhere you go.

And did anyone understand why Walker thought Gretchen despised him?   She looks sexually attracted to him at their first meeting (she smiles, stutters and plays with her hair),  We later learn she invites Walker out for a drink but he states that finds her "scary."   Why?   What happened between her obviously delighted response in seeing him for the first time and his later meeting with her?   Why, if she didn't like him, did we see her being protective of him?    Clearly, she admits she invited him to warn him about Rector's aloofness.  But there was no exposition to justify Walker's appraisal of her attitude--why he felt he had to get her a gift or why he thought she was "one scary lady."

If I had bothered to take notes, I could easily cite another dozen examples in each of the characters.    None of these people are clearly and consistently defined.  And this is a shame because the overall backdrop of the story is this "moebius theory" which is about consistency and repetition.   But when your characters cannot remain consistent from one scene to the next, how can I believe they are following the historic patterns of the past?

[Renmiri]

Well I never saw Gretchen like Walker on her first meeting. That myth about woman playing with hair = she wants to jump your bones is what Pick Up Artists tell themselves but it has never been true for me or for any of my girl friends. We usually play with our hair when we are nervous, not when we are "aroused".

What I saw in their first meeting was Gretchen very suspicious of Walker and protective of Malachi. I guess Walker picked up on this too.

Even in their meeting at the bar, the clear message was "stay away from Rector" and her flirting with David was a secondary thought, at least in my view.

I don't know, I think you missed a lot on the chapters. A florist friend of mine has no flowers on her home, because she doesn't like to take her work home. I think Malachi has no antiques at his home for the same reason: to have a place to relax from work. He does have many fine antiques on his store and office and he does enjoy antiques, so he is not being inconsistent when he criticizes the modern fountain.

You keep missing context, I think. The fountain is telling the rest of the garden to GTFO because the rest of the garden is done with antiques. So yes, a modern fountain in a place full of antiques is out of place. As an antique would be out of place in Rector's penthouse since it's theme is modern. Rector has no modern pieces in his office at his store. He has a great sense of aesthetics and knows a modern piece would not fit with the rest. THAT is what you keep missing: modern pieces or antique pieces can be ok, depending on their surroundings and context.

[Renmiri]

LOL, the "played with your hair" reminded me of one of the classic examples of a pick up artist  misreading the gesture.. 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2071127/Bankers-1-615-word-email-woman-didnt-back.html
Take the hint: Lauren played with her hair so much that Mike thought it meant she might want marriage

[snabbott]

LOL, the "played with your hair" reminded me of one of the classic examples of a pick up artist  misreading the gesture.. 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2071127/Bankers-1-615-word-email-woman-didnt-back.html
Take the hint: Lauren played with her hair so much that Mike thought it meant she might want marriage

Wow...

I suggest that you make a sincere apology to me for giving me mixed signals. I feel led on by you.

[Renmiri]

Wow...

I suggest that you make a sincere apology to me for giving me mixed signals. I feel led on by you.

IKR ?

 

[Tazettae]

*cough* *choke*

I lip read with people I don't know well. Many people can't tell the difference between someone looking at their lips and looking at their eyes - it comes across as eye contact.

I think I'd be in real trouble with that guy. *shudder*

[snabbott]

Just to be safe, you'd better look in the exact opposite direction.