30 Days Relationship Challenge #4

Brian & Dom, the Fast & Furious franchise

For me, this franchise is all about Brian and Dom and it makes me insanely happy that there's a genuine character development throughout the series and that we are on movie #5 and still going strong, with #6 and probably #7 in the development already.

When I got into this fandom, I had my slash goggles firmly on and I shipped Brian and Dom like mad. But these days? I don't even care about the slash much anymore because their relationship fascinates me whatever its nature is. I don't doubt that Brian loves Mia, Dom's sister, but I have to wonder: does he love her as a person or as an extension of Dom's? Because in Brian's life, everything's about Dom. Everything he does, he does for Dom. He sacrificed his career TWICE for him - and yes, it was for HIM, not for Mia. Seriously, anybody with eyes in their head can see that! Brian tells Mia that he loves her and he sleeps with her - but whenever Dom enters the room, Brian can't tear his eyes away from him. I wonder if Paul Walker, playing Brian, is aware he's doing that, always following Vin Diesel with his eyes, in every scene.

And Dom. He took Brian in before he knew Brian was an undercover cop and I think Brian left a lasting impression on him, so despite Dom's anger at him, Dom never betrayed him to the bad guys and always protected him. The most memorable scene for me was in FF4, when Dom checked Brian's injuries. He was so incredibly gentle with Brian, his voice so soothing - which, if you know how deep and rumbly Vin Diesel's voice is, is quite remarkable.

It's also fascinating to see Brian interact with Dom's people. I think Brian is the only one whom Dom considers his equal. If they were a pack, Dom would definitely be the alpha - but Brian would be omega, standing outside the hierarchy. You can see it in FF5, when they draw Hobbs out to the car races - Dom goes toe to toe with Hobbs, but turns to Brian with a smirk. And Brian just sits there with a smile on his face and let's Dom play his game. Brian's like Dom's shadow, always there but rarely speaking, leaving the macho posturing to Dom. And he seems... content doing so. Quite a fascinating thing, let me tell you.

BAFTA for Andrew Scott

Last night, Andrew Scott won a BAFTA for his part as Moriarty in Sherlock, beating Martin Freeman in the category Supporting Actor (which I didn't really mind because Martin Freeman won a BAFTA in this category last year already). It made me really happy that he won, I WANTED him to win because his Moriarty was rockin' awesome. I know that some people didn't like his version, his portrayal of the genius professor but I did. Especially compared to Jared Harris' Moriarty in SH:AGoS - what a cold fish with no charisma! Scott's Moriarty was a sociopath and no professor but, sheesh on a pogo stick, was he scary! Not for nothing is my favorite quote from S1, "Dear Jim, please, will you fix it for me..."

But Benedict Cumberbatch didn't win. AGAIN :( Seriously, what does he have to do to win the damn thing? I mean, everybody and their uncle is tripping over their feet to get the guy, praising him for his amazing acting skills and nada for him? Two times in a row? Argh *hands*

So, joy and disappointment at the same time. And Sherlock won't be eligible for another BAFTA till 2014 *grumbles* I mean, I know that the success of a show or the greatness of an actor cannot be measured by the number of awards won but this is terribly disappointing.

Vera

I was in the mood for something else, for a murder mystery of the British kind, but something different. I wanted to try something new. So I went for Vera. Hm...


This is DCI Vera Stanhope.


And this is her partner, DS Joe Ashworth.

This show is definitely different. Vera is no Miss Marple. Which is a bit shame, to be honest. Because Vera is an obsessive loner with ISSUES - which makes her downright unlikable. Lewis in the show by the same name has issues too, but he's fun. Vera isn't. There were moments when I really thought she was a crazy old hag, like literally mad in the head. And not in a good way. The only positive thing about her is that she likes her partner like a son - and he's the only one who can stand her for prolonged periods of time.

I think this show would appeal to people who like Wallander. It has the same bleak, hopeless feel about it and also a similar setting - windy beaches with overcast skies, deserted landscapes and lonely houses... Very depressing.

What I liked best about it was the music - amazing, fantastic music. I was stunned.

So, I thought I would let peeps on my flist know that this show exists and that it might appeal to some of them. But I don't think I'll be watching any more episodes. I've seen only one so far and it made me feel so blue... Not my cuppa.