March 21, 2011

GOSICK: Mental Mastications V

WARNING *****Spoilerific***** WARNING

Please note the header. This whole thing is rife with spoilers. If you haven't watched the episodes, and don't want to be spoiled...read no further.

Episode 10

Fairly straightforward resolution to this mystery. Thieves and slavers. Much of the most interesting reveals involved elements peripheral to the main mystery.

Women in this series are STRONG! The waif-like Anastassia hauls Kujo into the carriage like he was a sack of potatoes.

Kujo observes that Avril's scary story was true. Odd about that. She volunteered the story before he mentioned he was going into town. On a shopping trip requested by his sister. Just odd!

The waif (Luigi) states that, "There was somebody like you before." Someone investigating the disappearances? Who?

Kujo does have a tendency to ramble on about Victorique, doesn't he? Heh.

Big Reveal! The magician IS Brian Roscoe after all! (I was wrongo on that one!) Red hair, but seriously green eyes -- that stare at Kujo. Is it Cordelia in the chess puppet? Why does she wish to conceal her presence? She certainly couldn't still be wanted by the law, which I don't believe she ever was anyway. There was never any indication that charges were pressed agaist her for the murder in Seyrun. Is she hiding from Grevil? Or others, as well?

Grevil's ridiculous do was apparently the price he had to pay for Victorique's help on some previous case.

Grevil shows more competence in this episode than we've ever seen before. He works effectively with Kujo to stage their little distraction so the other officers can dope the windows unnoticed. He also handled the kick-ass blonde with little difficulty. Which recalls my question about his lack of action against Herminia a couple of episodes ago. Would having Victorique dead be convenient?

Who is the Jacqueline woman in the parlour, and what's her relationship to Grevil? Another redhead.

Finally, Victorique's dream seems to be a memory of her -- at a significantly younger age -- being taunted by Grevil. If this is indeed the case, and not some misdirection (the voice didn't sound like Grevil to me), then Grevil needs to suffer. I'd advocate grinding his bones to powder -- while they're still in him.

In Summary

Even though they weren't together until the very end, this episode served to deepen the relatiohship between Kujo and Victorique. Grevil telling Kujo how steep the price Victorique can demand for her insights helped him to realize what it means that she gives them so readily to him. And Kujo's subsequent affirmation over the phone of how much he appreciates that help clearly pleased her. Also, the rapidity and force with which she answered Kujo's question if she wanted the gift says a lot about her. She was a very damaged little girl. Anything freely offered to her is very precious, though it's very hard for her to admit that. Right now, Victorique is strong, but brittle...hopefully Kujo can help her with that.

The red marks on her palms are finally gone. This fact effects her. I still don't understand the psychological significance of the red marks.

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March 05, 2011

GOSICK: Mental Mastications IV

Wow!  That episode went FAST!!!  I couldn't belive it was already over.  Aside from the beginning of a new mystery, this ep was full of interesting little tidbits of things -- including a look at Victorique's house.  It's so CUTE!!!!

More later.

UPDATED - 07-March-2011:  Now with Spoilers galore!

WARNING *****Spoilerific***** WARNING

Please note the header. This whole thing is rife with spoilers. If you haven't watched the episodes, and don't want to be spoiled...read no further.

Episode 9

Avril's scary story is eerily (and conveniently) prophetic of the adventure to ensure. (Can't wait until Avril and Victorique finally meet face-to-face.)

A veritable doll-house in the middle of a maze. Could anything be more appropriate for Victorique?

I wonder if the stolen works of art to which Grevil is referring -- which are now reappearing on the black market, are the same ones pilfered by the late, Great Kuiaran?

Young women and children disappearing. Other than a slave trade, what could be the purpose in that?

Two coincidences drive this plot so far. First, Kujo being mistaken for someone else of "Oriental" demeanor. Second, neglecting to get off the elevator on the proper floor. There's no way getting around the second being nothing more than a plot contrivance. Oh well!

Kujo has a good eye for details.

The "Blue Rose" did not shatter or chip when it hit the floor. Probably not glass, then.

Grevil mutters that he has to live up to "their expectations." He's definitely under pressure, but is it a personal thing, a career issue (i.e., protecting his professional reputation) or something darker?

When Kujo had brought Grevil down into the basement, why didn't the girl come out? Was she more afraid of the hulking bad guy than reassured by the unimpressive inspector?

Victorique's dream of her imprisionment was disturbing, despite the lack of overt physical danger or distress. For someone of her intelligence and disposition, the situation protrayed would genuinely be "torturous." No wonder she literally surrounds herself with books. They're not just entertainment. They're comforting -- an emotional shield. I hope the ones who were responsible for this eventually get it -- good and hard. And that may include Grevil.

Victorique REALLY hates pain. Related -- I'm not sure what's being communicated by her continuing regard of her damaged palms. And are those burn marks, or pressure damage from holding onto Kujo? Is she looking at her hands because they're a continuing source of discomfort, or because -- given her aversion to pain -- she's perplexed by her ability to hang onto Kumo despite the pain? As isolated and alone as she's been, that degree of commitment to someone else might very well be...confusing...and threatening to her sense of self-reliance.

Who made off with Kujo?  The store people? The Orientals who were originally supposed to show up? Someone else who also mistook Kujo for the "other" Oriental? Or someone looking to protect Kujo?

Summary

This episode was over before I knew it. That's the first time that happened to me during this series. The beginnings of a new mystery were great, but the stuff with Victorique was far more compelling. Seeing her true reaction to Kujo's present was great, and her house was just too cute for words. Also, I'm glad they're continuing to eschew obvious fan-serice opportunities. That's really not what this series should be about.

OK -- Here's the Extreme Speculation of the Week: Is it just possible that Kujo's sister's mention of the Blue Rose in her letter was not entirely coincidental?

Posted by: Dave Young at 04:49 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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February 26, 2011

GOSICK: Mental Mastications III

Episode 8

At this point, all I'll say is:  Good episode!  Hung together well.  One VERY INTERESTING reveal.

The "action" at the end wasn't terribly realistic, though.  And wouldn't ya think a Police Inspector would, like...carry a gun?

UPDATED:  Now with Spoilers galore!

WARNING *****Spoilerific***** WARNING

Please note the header. This whole thing is rife with spoilers. If you haven't watched the episodes, and don't want to be spoiled...read no further.

This episode finished up the "Village of the Gray Wolves" arc fairly well, I thought. The clues were pretty honest, without any huge red herrings, though I wouldn't go so far as to say that the plotting was actually "tight." The physical confrontation at the end, especially, was not very convincing, but that's not generally been a high point of this series anyway.

The "evidence" that convinced Derek to confess was pretty weak. They were throwing those nuts all over the place, so their presence at both scenes seemed less than definitive. However, I've seen confessions coerced by evidence just as weak in eveything from "Perry Mason" to "Columbo," so I'll cut 'em some slack. I guess what was important is that Derek believed it.

Regarding the Elder's murder, the gold left about was an indication it was not a robbery, which left some type of crime of passion -- which made Harminia stand out. The very fact that she purported to know how the killing stroke was delivered was also a clue -- that I missed. The clock not striking was a clue, though not in the way I thought. There was really no way to figure out her motivation ahead of time, but I didn't find it unbelievable after the fact. It's not clear why she thought killing the prophet would change the prophecy, but 15 year olds are not noted for their cool, rational thinking. (With a...ahem...notable exception, now and then.)

I don't really understand what the deal was with Herminia's confession. I guess her sense of guilt made her hear what she was afraid of hearing???? 'Cause it didn't seem to be what Kujo actually said. I think we could've used a few more details there.

I was right that Mildred was simply following Victorique and "reporting in," but I would have bet she was NOT reporting to Grevil -- so I blew that. Though they even gave us a clue when Kujo earlier noted, in reading the article in the paper, that Grevil had not arrested the criminal. Still...I just find it hard to believe that Grevil was sharp enough to "catch" Mildred at anything...unless, she wanted to get caught? Nah, probably over-thinking things again. Just like I'm sure it's a complete coincidence that both Mildred and the Magician have flaming red hair.

Speaking of the Magician, I have little doubt who the petite blond standing beside him on the cliff was, but I'm fascinated as to what their relationship with each other is. Is he someone she met during the war? Husband, lover, or just a comrade-in-arms?

I don't think the Magician is Brian Roscoe. Roscoe was supposedly a native son of Seyrun, and so one would expect him to be a blond, though there are always exceptions to every rule.

For being so athletic in tackling the fleeing thief at the beginning of the episode, Grevil was totally useless against a girl with a sharpened stick. Was that poor writing, or because he wouldn't have been displeased with a tragic outcome? I really have no idea what his true motivations are (or his level of intelligence). On a related note, Kujo's father should have been giving him lessons on how to fight girls. He's REALLY bad at it. This is the second time a girl's whipped his butt. Hell...I think Victorique could take him.

I was rolling my eyes at MOST of the action at episode's end. Why didn't Grevil take a part? Why didn't he have a gun? Why didn't the three of them rush Herminia simultaneously? Could Victorique really have held Kujo's weight, even momentarily? Why didn't someone come to help her pull him up? (Yes, regarding the latter, I know it was an important "dramatic moment" -- which often suspends the rules of logic -- but I wish they had choreographed it less unrealistically somehow.) This was the weakest part of the episode, in my mind.

The very ending was just a little bit corny, but it worked for me. Big time.

In Summary

I think one thing that was pretty definitely established in this episode is that prophecies, in this story, are real. There is at least that much magic in this world. With our glimpse of Cordelia (could it BE anyone else?) I think we're going to start moving into the heart of the real mysteries here. Yummy!

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February 25, 2011

GOSICK: Mental Mastications II

WARNING *****Spoilerific***** WARNING

This is my second entry on points to ponder for "Gosick," covering Episodes 6 and 7. It's pretty obvious now that this is a standalone story -- that it's not occurring in the Arthur Conan Doyle Sherlockian Universe, but I still think there are things going on beneath the surface here that will tie at least some of these odd threads together.

And please note the header. This whole thing is rife with spoilers. If you haven't watched the episodes, and don't want to be spoiled...read no further.

Episode 6

Both the "magician" and the "sister" single out Kujo. Coincidence? Maybe, but I'm skeptical. Is it possible the magician wanted Kujo to give the hat to Victorique for the express purpose of trying to unsettle Gravil?

Victorique's reaction to the plunk on the head was extreme. She seemed to be reacting to something other than the simple physical pain. Is this just a quirk of her rather extreme nature, or is it possible that she's been treated much more harshly in the past than we presently have reason to believe?  (I HOPE it's the former rather than the latter.)

Was the "Sister" -- Mildred -- really planning on going to the village? Or was she perhaps simply following Kujo and Victorique, and then playing it by ear?

Victorique's dream of the squirrel -- there are some scenes in the opener that show her in the presence of a squirrel. Perhaps a new-found pet. So...was her dream a premonition of things to come? Some have suggested this mysterious power of the Gray Wolves may have to do with precognition. This would tend to lend credence to that. And also help to explain why she's so good at what she does.

It's so CUTE when she's struggling to throw the chair! (Sorry.)

Victorique says her mother "threw herself into the war that had just begun." Threw herself into it how????? Did she become a Mata Hari? The Great War keeps coming up in different contexts -- and impinging on the present.

Episode 7

Many things about the Elder's story don't make a lot of sense, but the statement that the "others" he was with at the time of the murder "all" reported different times is especially weird. How does that happen? Diverging parallel timelines? I don't really think this is THAT type of story. Were these other people really there to witness this event at all? Or were people later coerced into providing alibies?

What was hidden in the compartment beneath Cordelia's house? And why replace it with a picture of her and Victorique? What purpose does that serve? It doesn't seem like something that would've been done by someone hostile to Cordelia -- it seems rather sentimental.

Victorique's reaction at the grave of the murdered Elder shows a side of her that we haven't seen before. (We also learn something else important about Victorique in this episode. She can't sing.)

The three "tourists" ask Mildred how it went with the phone. She also made a phone call from the hotel in the village of Horvitz. She sure seems to make a lot of phone calls, especially at a time in history when this was not all that common an activity. Could she be 'checking in" with somebody? If so, who? Good guys? Bad guys? My gut feeling is she's not a bad guy. (And that could be REALLY wrong.) Could she have been reporting to Miss Cecile? (See my speculations in Episode 1 concerning Miss Cecile being more than she seems.) And could Miss Cecile be working for/with...Cordelia Gallo????? (Kudos on that one, SDB.)

Brian Roscoe, who -- ten years ago, at the start of THE WAR -- provided money to the village and had electricity installed. Could he have been Maxim/Kuiaran, the mummified thief from episode 5? The time frame fits, at least. And Maxim was blond haired. (As was the rather petite second Kuiaran.)

The three tourists seem very interested in investigating "objects." Examining a pitcher, plinking a goblet, dropping a vase in (holy) water. And one also expressed concern about being chased out of the village "right away" or "right now." I think it's possible they may have been there looking for treasure. Possibly the gold coins that the previous Elder was reputed to have "collected." (Which gold may have been melted and formed into other objects.) Are they being killed to protect the treasure, or for other, more devious reasons?

Finally, towards the end of the episode, Victorique is standing in the study were the previous Elder was murdered. The clock strikes three, scaring birds outside the window, and suddenly it all comes together in her mind. Why? The one obvious thing is that, had the murder genuinely occurred at precisely 12:00, as the present Elder testified, the clock in the study should have been striking -- something which everyone would have heard. There should have been no doubt as to the time. And yet, that appears not to have been the case.

In Summary

So, who is the real murderer, and what's the motive? Damifino! The present Elder would seem the most likely suspect, with plenty of motive. Acquire power, control the gold. The batty maid (Hermania?) seems to sure act like she's being driven by guilt -- but her being the murderer has the same problem as Cordelia...the physical difficulty of delivering the fatal blow as it was outlined. Could the surviving "tourist" have set up his companions 'cause they found the treasure and he wants it all to himself...but then I don't see how that would tie into the previous incidents. And maybe it doesn't. Could Mildred be the mastermind behind all this? Very possibly, since she's a bit of a total mystery...but I hope not. (OK, so I've got a thing for red heads. What of it????)

Unlike the first five episodes, where it was pretty easy to figure out what was what (to the extent it made any sense at all) -- these two episodes are chock-a-block full of posers and mystery. So much more satisfying. And if it all ends up making sense at the end...so much the better!!!!!

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February 10, 2011

GOSICK: Mental Mastications

WARNING *****Spoilerific***** WARNING

I doubt I'll be doing a lot with this site -- because of time constraints more than anything else -- but it seemed like a good place to unload some of the ideas that have been chewing at me in relation to this show. Hopefully, I'll be able to figure out how to post this in a readable manner. (No blogpro, I.) And if the comments actually work as well, please feel free to opine, criticize, and poke fun. Now, on to it --

"Gosick" is either one of the most sloppily written, pay-no-attention-to-details mystery stories that I've ever watched -- or it isn't. If it IS, then all of the little oddities I recount below need no explication. They're just isolated incidents designed to move the immediate "plot" along, or quirky stuff thrown out for atmosphere. On the other hand, if it ISN'T...if the people behind this series actually have their hand on the tiller of the plot...THEN there's some very interesting stuff going on beneath the surface here. Honestly, it's probably the former...but I'm still going to hope for the latter.

Some of the items below are just points that struck me funny, with no real explanations or analysis included. Others I've added some of my own cogitations to. Don't expect any kind of coherent narrative at this stage (Episode 5). I'll summarize a few of my thoughts/speculations at the end.

And please note the header. This whole thing is rife with spoilers. If you haven't watched the episodes, and don't want to be spoiled...well, you get the idea.

Episode 1

The introduction to the first episode points out that the Academy where most of our action takes place is "THE educational institution for the children of the aristocracy." Important? Dunno. Maybe.

Despite being presented as primarily a well-intentioned air-head, Miss Cecile seems to be at the right place at the right time to get a lot of things moving. The first thing we see her say to Kujo is, "I think you should read ghost stories." Gee, now...where would he find those, do ya suppose? Victorique tells Kujo he'll return the next day at the stroke of noon, and the next day Miss Cecile "just happens" to be talking to Kujo on a bench by the library with a stack of handouts for Victorique right around noon. In Episode 4, it's Miss Cecile who directs Kujo and "Avril" to the crypt, the scene of the next incident. Then in Episode 5, it's she who "just happens" to find the discarded book and keeps Kujo around the crypt long enough for a noise to attract his attention. Maybe this is all just chance, or maybe it's a benign conspiracy, in that she's just trying to get the lonely Victorique a friend...or maybe it's something more involved.

Miss Cecile's line that "Even the political world has a Ministry of the Occult," strikes me as a seeming throw-away line that might have deeper implications later on.

Victorique was NOT hiding from Kujo. Does Miss Cecile talk much to her? What kind of relationship do THEY have? Could they have coordinated the "maneuver" on Kujo? Victorique tells Kujo that he was "chosen." That may be literally true. Victorique may think he was chosen by her. That may only be partly true.

According to Grevil, on the night of Roxanne's murder, the granddaughter "just happened" to drop by for a visit.

A mirror was shot. Victorique calls it a "magic mirror." She uses a similar phrase when first talking to Kujo, speaking of her "premonition" of his arrival.

The same granddaughter who is so greedy that she forbids the manservant from using the axe on Roxanne's door because it might now be her property, the very next day simply gives away to Grevil what must be a very expensive yacht. The same yacht which "just happens" to have Roxanne's invitation on it.

Kujo mentions that the Inspector "seems uneasy about something."

Victorique doesn't get permission to go outside without Grevil's "influence." She is allowed to accompany Kujo to the yacht, from which the Inspector is conveniently called away by the maids "escape," allowing Victorique to investigate the yacht unhindered.

Why did Victorique want to take so much stuff? Was she considering escaping her "prison?"

Episode 2

In the dining room on the ship, there were no plates or glasses close to Kujo. Why was he rendered unconscious if all he ate was a roll?

How could Julie have moved all of those unconscious males all by herself?

Ned specifically holds Maurice from going into the lifeboat.

Maurice asks Victorique if they've met somewhere before. She clearly reminds him of somebody. (Her mother, perhaps?}

Kujo is stopped from going into the elevator by a shout from someone (Maurice or Ned?).

Julie seems very interested in the relationship between Victorique and Kujo, especially at a time when one would expect her to have other matters on her mind.

Episode 3

Why doesn't Julie shoot Ned, or at least prevent him from picking up the pistol? She knows he was the hound the last time. All the other malefactors are dead. Why not deal with him then and there? Why throw away HER gun?

Why doesn't Ned use the axe on Julie? Why does he just throw her aside?

We don't actually see the stroke when Julie puts the axe into Ned's back. There's certainly not a LOT of blood. Then he conveniently falls over the side.

In the flashback to the first incident, it appeared to be Julie who checked that Ned was dead.

The young girl Julie helps on-board the ship - Lee - turns out to be the maid who murdered Roxanne. What a coincidence that she chose to act at precisely the same time as Julie's plot unfolds. Tenth anniversary motivation? Well, maybe....

Victorique's mother was seen as a "dangerous figure" by "the government." Why? Illegitimate offspring of the aristocracy were generally considered embarrassments at that time, but hardly worth the kind of treatment Victorique received. (The days of successor-assassinations had pretty much passed.)

Victorique was originally "isolated deep inside the Blois family mansion," but then eventually allowed to attend the academy. Something doesn't add up there.

Episode 4

When showing the motorcyclist's death, it was pretty obvious what happened to him. Why didn't they present the scene in such a way that it made the death more inexplicable, at least on first glance? Would have been easy enough to do with a simple change of perspective and detail. It seemed to me a way of telegraphing the message that the death was not the real mystery at all.

WHY wouldn't the blond charged with the rider's death say why she did it? In most such situations, the perpetrator is anxious to justify their actions.

Once again, it's Miss Cecile who directs Kujo and "Avril" to the crypt, the scene of the next incident.

Victorique spins her tale for Grevil.

Victorique tells Grevil to look into the relationship between Millie Marl and Maxim, but we never hear any follow-up on that. This is the second incidence of questionable motivations in this one episode.

"A gray wolf tells me," says Grevil.

At the end of this episode, Kujo asks himself again a question he's posed before concerning Victorique: "Who are you...really?" This is THE critical question.

Episode 5

When Victorique's climbing the stairs, is every step she counts in a different language? If so, is she conversant in all of them? If so...awesome!

The book in question is "The Golden Fairy of the Library?" THAT's the tome Avril's father (or Maxim) "just happened" to choose to secret the postcard in? REALLY???

The presence of Phantom Thief Kuiaran disturbs Grevil enough to knock him out of his usual mood (or to drop his usual pose). Possibly an issue he'd thought dealt with previously?

Miss Cecile again "just happens" to be on-hand to find the book and keep Kujo around the crypt until a noise attracts his attention. Did she deem it important that HE find Avril?

Maxim was a blond, too. A lot of blondage going around.

WHY would Maxim/Kuiaran choose to hide his stolen treasures on the grounds of a public academy? Was he working for himself...or on assignment? Was he getting greedy? (Even someone plotting to take over the world may find it hard to shake their taste for fine things that don't belong to them.)

In Summary

The whole incident with the Queen Berry seems to me a half-told tale. Was it really all about revenge, or was it about eliminating witnesses to the first crime who were no longer useful? Was the first incident even about a real augury? Or was it a clever plot to convince credulous politicians that occult powers were real, and so gain influence in the government? Did the Ministry of the Occult exist prior to 1914, or was it created afterwards? Certainly, it would take a mastermind of unparalleled genius to foresee the coming world conflict, and figure out who the likely winners would be, and then rig the outcome of the events on the Queen Berry appropriately...though the latter would be easier if there were more than one Hound involved. Who such an evil genius could be one can only speculate. One with the precisionist-grade mind of a mathematician might be a good candidate. (Predicting the outcome of the War might have been easier for the Mastermind in question if he could control when the conflict started by, say...setting up an assassination.)

It almost seems to me that Victorique and Kujo were maneuvered to be aboard the ship during this latter incident, although for what purpose even I can't come up with. Were they being "evaluated?" Does someone have "plans" for Victorique? And if so, was Kujo originally a part of those plans, or is he perhaps a "random" variable? Or...someone added by another faction? One wonders what Kujo's older brother might have been doing during the war.

It also occurs to me that, for someone interested in influencing world events, being in charge of a school where the elite of the aristocracy send their children might be a useful thing.

If all these little oddities that struck me are NOT just sloppy writing...and if Victorique is as smart as she seems to be...then it's more than a little surprising that she would not see these elements of chaos still remaining in the explanations she gives. Is it possible that she knows that the game is afoot? And that she wants Grevil (and others) to believe that she's only seeing the surfaces of things? That she doesn't perceive the deeper currents? At the end of Episode 4 Grevil says, "A gray wolf tells me..." Is he suspicious that he's being played? If she's perceived by the wrong people as knowing too much too soon, then it's possible that could be a very dangerous thing for her (and Kujo).

If there are factions at work here, I'm guessing that Miss Cecile is on the side of the angels, quietly trying to bollix up the works. Was (the real) Avril's father perhaps part of the "A" team as well? Is SHE looking for more than just adventure and an education?

Well, despite some suspicions about what might be going on here, I'm not even close to a narrative that accounts for all of these things. One of the things that would be helpful to know is if this is a story that has just grafted various Holmesian characteristics onto some of its characters, or whether it's supposed to actually be taking place in the fictional universe of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes. The one thing that still makes me think it might be the latter is the gold sovereign that Victorique holds as "so precious." That item is right out of the canon. This distinction is critical to the truth of Victorique's true origin, which I believe to be the hinge around which this tale turns.

But, of course, this is probably all just balloon juice, so pay it no never-mind!

 

 

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