HIGHLA-L Digest - 12 Apr 2006 to 14 Apr 2006 (#2006-81)
HIGHLA-L automatic digest system (LISTSERV@lists.psu.edu)
Fri, 14 Apr 2006 22:00:11 -0400
There is 1 message totalling 304 lines in this issue.
Topics of the day:
1. Eurominutes- The Innocent
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Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2006 11:06:02 -0400
From: JJSWBT <jjswbt@cox.net>
Subject: Eurominutes- The Innocent
Not one of my favorites for all its posing of an interesting moral
dilemma. Are we our brother's keeper? If you pick up a stray dog, do
you have to keep it or can you shoot it when it becomes inconvenient?
The flashbacks are short and uninteresting and serve only to fill a few
minutes of otherwise empty time. They are only tenuously connected to
the main plot and seem to have been added merely to satisfy the need for
every episode to include flashbacks. Likewise, the Mikey Death Montage
seems to have been added to fill the remaining 2 minutes of the required
44. How else to explain Mikey rating a montage when so many other,
better characters died and were hustled off screen without a last look
back? Mikey may have been "special" but he wasn't *special*.
A few more questions. Talk amongst yourselves. <eg>
Why did Alan send Mikey and Helen to hide in the bus? Why not tell them
to run as far as they could - or to some pre-arranged safe spot? Tyler
King most certainly could sense Mikey in the bus - meaning Helen and
Mikey were safe only so long as Alan won. If he lost, he left them
exposed and trapped. Not smart.
Why did Duncan feel the need to take the Indian boy - Chaske? - to the
town doctor? Duncan must have been aware of public sentiments against
Indians. Why not treat the boy himself? Why not ride to town, get some
medicine and bandages and come back? Seems like he almost enjoyed
rubbing everyone's nose in the fact that there was an Indian in town -
not a good idea when everyone is carrying guns.
Why did Duncan decide that Mikey had to die? Was the only solution
really death? Couldn't they have taken Mikey out of state,
cross-country, or even to Canada? Yes, he might hurt someone again but
he might not. Duncan doesn't seem to say that Mikey must die because he
killed mortals (Duncan's usual excuse for whacking otherwise neutral
characters) he says, essentially, that keeping Mikey under control is
too much work and that the police won't stop looking. The police *would*
stop looking eventually if one moved Mikey far enough away and surely
some arrangement could be made to keep him safe for at least a few
decades. I can't help thinking that Duncan felt that everyone (save
Mikey) would be better off if they just didn't have to bother with
Mikey. Culling the Immortal herd of mental defects isn't really Duncan's
job, is it? In the end, was Duncan any different than Tyler King?
And, finally, I think TPTB copped out by having Mikey commit suicide
rather than having Richie do the deed. There had been no evidence up to
that point that Mikey was capable of reaching a conclusion like the one
he made in the tunnel. Instead of seeing Richie as just another "bad
man" coming to kill him, Mikey make the leap that Richie was only doing
it because it needed to be done, that Richie was sorry about having to
do it, and that suicide would solve the problem and let Richie off the
hook. No way. TPTB simple didn't want 1) to be seen to be advocating
killing the mentally handicapped and 2) to have Richie be seen as a bad
guy for doing it. So, Mikey gets a flash of incredible insight at just
the right moment. Yeah, right.
And, now, finally, the Eurominutes:
*************************************************
Oh wait.
It's my understanding that the episode, as aired in Great Britain, is
different in minor ways from the episode as shown in the US. In
particular, all the swearing ( bastard, ass, son-of-a-bitch) is,
apparently, cut for British consumption. These Eurominutes (which need
a better name but that's what we're stuck with now) compare the version
originally shown on broadcast TV in the United States and the longer
"complete" version released on tape and DVD.
***********************************
1) Mikey has dumped the water bottles from the truck and moved on.
Duncan and Richie are reloading the truck when they realize Mikey is
gone.
US:
Duncan: Where is he?
Cut to Mikey sitting on the model ride-on train which is moving slowly.
He pulls the whistle and says: Orient Express" The train operator
(Anderson) runs up to confront Mikey and Duncan and Richie arrive. We
cut to Duncan, Richie and Mikey in the loft wondering what to do with
Mikey.
Euro:
Mikey approaches the train. He feels the "Buzz" and looks around. Tyler
King is there.
M: King of trains. Trains of kings.
Mikey walks along side the train, holding his little toy train clutched
in his hand.
M: <to King> Orient Express.
King snatched the toy train from his hand.
K: You like trains?
Mikey nods and takes back his toy.
K: Fantastic! I know a place where you can get to ride a train all day
long. < He tries to get Mikey to move.> Come on.
Mikey gets into the driver's seat of the train.
M: King of trains.
Mikey releases the brake and the train starts to roll. He blows the
whistle. King fades away, having missed his chance. As Mikey says
"Orient Express" and train operator Anderson arrives. Duncan, Richie,
and Mikey leave.
Cut to the three of them entering the dojo. There are two people fencing
in full white uniforms with masks. Mikey assumes they are really
fighting and rushes in to separate them.
M: No! No! No!
D: They're only playing a game. It's OK.
Mikey is still agitated. He tries to help one of the fencers, grabbing
the man's head in his hands and pulling him close to peer through the
mask.
M: You OK? You OK?
D: It's all right. It's all right.
Richie distracts Mikey by offering the toy train.
D: They're just playing a game. No ones hurt.
R: It's a game. Here's your train. You all right? Just a friendly game.
All right? You go upstairs, OK?
Duncan smiles reassuringly at the fencers who are wondering what the
heck just happened.
Cut to Duncan, Richie and Mikey in the loft. Resume as in US version
2) Flashback to Duncan and Chaske arriving in town. No one seems very
friendly.
US: We see the man in the black hat (Lockport) come out of the store.
Duncan rides on and arrives at the doctor's office.
Euro: We see Lockport come out of the store. Duncan speaks to a woman
walking along in the road. "Excuse me, Ma'am. Could you direct me to the
doctor's office?" She points without saying a word. Duncan thanks her.
They ride on and arrive at the doctor's office. Resume as in US version.
3) Here we have a rare occurrence. Instead of a longer scene or an
additional scene, we have a substitute scene. The US version is very
short and I'll include it for reference.
US : After Mikey has been taken away by the police while Duncan looks
on, we cut to Duncan standing by the parked T-bird. It appears to be in
an alley. Richie arrives on foot, carrying a brown paper bag.
R: What's up?
D: He took on two cops. On a crowded street.
R: It never would have happened if King hadn't shown up.
D: Yeah, but something else would have.
R: All right. Let's just get him out of here.
They start to walk.
D: And then what?
R: I don't know. I'm working on it.
D: I hope so.
Exterior shot of the police station. Then cut to Duncan and Richie being
let into Mikey's cell.
Euro: A totally different location. Nice buildings, trees, wide open
plaza - perhaps a government center. Duncan is standing, waiting, when
Richie arrives (still carrying that brown paper bag.) They walk and talk
throughout the scene, moving through the "plaza", (there is a river in
the distant background), through a wide gate in a chain link fence
surrounding a municipal parking area.
R: How can they do this to him, Mac? He's not a criminal. They didn't
have to throw him in jail.
D: Well, that's what cops usually do when someone assaults them.
R: Couldn't they see that he was different?
D: It's hard to be objective when some one is attacking you.
R: It never would have happened if King hadn't shown up.
D: Then something else would have.
R: <upset>Mac, whose side are you on, anyway?
D: I'm not on anybody's side! This isn't about whether I like Mikey, or
whether he's gentle, or whether he has a good soul. It's about the
reality of his life.
R: This guy doesn't have a life! Don't you think he deserves one?
D: Of course I do.
R: Well, then we have to figure a way how to give it to him.
D: <skeptical>Just like that.
R: Just like that! We can make it work.
D: Richie, we're immortals. We're not gods.
R: Which means?
D: Which means we can't give him a life he doesn't have, no matter how
much we want to.
R: That's not fair.
D: I know it's not.
R: You think it's all random? Who's going to be beautiful? Who's going
to be smart? Who's going to be like Einstein and who's going to
be...like Mikey?
D: Depends which century you're asking me about, Richie. Right now, I
believe there's some kind of plan going on. I just don't know what it
is.
R: How old do you think he is?
D: I don't know. And I don't think he knows either.
Duncan and Richie reach the parked T-bird ( not parked in the same place
as in the US version) and move to get in. Before getting in, the
conversation continues.
R: Sometimes I look at him, Mac, and I see something more, though. I
really believe a part of him knows what he is.
D: Maybe he does, but that doesn't change anything.
R: Well, let's just get him out of there.
D: And then what?
R: I don't know. I'm working on it
They get into the car
D: I hope so.
We cut to the exterior shot of the police station. Then cut to Mikey
sitting on the cell floor. He's totally out of it, rocking back and
forth in his own world. We see Duncan and Richie being let into the cell
block by a guard. The guard opens the cell door ...resume as in US
version.
4) Flashback to Chaske being treated by the doctor. Chaske waits until
the doctor's back is turned and runs out the back door. Cut to Duncan
out front, guarding the door against the angry townspeople. The sheriff
approaches.
US: The sheriff joins Duncan on the sidewalk. Duncan has his rifle
resting on his shoulder. The sheriff doesn't speak and Duncan says,
"Soon as he's fit to ride, we'll move on." The sheriff nods and we cut
to Chaske heading for the horse to try and escape.
Euro: The sheriff joins Duncan on the sidewalk. Duncan has his rifle
resting on his shoulder.
S: You could have picked a friendly town.
D: So I hear.
S: He with the Doc?
D: Yeah. Soon as he's fit to ride, we'll move on.
Cut to Chaske. Resume as in US version.
5) The trainyard. Mikey is having a great time. Tyler King appears.
Duncan jumps between King and Mikey.
US: Duncan takes up the challenge.
D: <to Richie> Get Mikey out of here.
R: We'll wait by the car.
Richie pulls Mikey away. Cut to Duncan and King entering the roundhouse.
K: Nice venue.
Euro: Duncan takes up the challenge.
D: <to Richie> Get Mikey out of here.
R: We'll wait by the car.
Richie and Mikey walk toward the T-bird. Richie has his arm around
Mikey.
R: Don't worry about it Mikey. You okay?
Mikey nods.
R: Good. All right. Because Mac's going to take care of everything.
They arrive at the T-bird. Richie opens the driver's side door.
R: Get in on the other side. All right? Ok, big guy.
Richie throws his coat into the car and closes the door. He stands by
the car as Mikey moves around to the passenger side.
Cut to Cut to Duncan and King entering the roundhouse.
K: Nice venue.
Resume as in US version.
********************************************
Wendy
Immortals Inc.
immortals_incorporated@cox.net
"Weasels for Eternity"
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End of HIGHLA-L Digest - 12 Apr 2006 to 14 Apr 2006 (#2006-81)
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