"Better a fallen rocket than never a burst of light."
~ Tom Stoppard, The Invention of Love

Tuesday, August 17, 2021

Other Doctor Lives: The Leftovers: Season 2, Episode 5 – “No Room at the Inn” (2015)

I don’t know what it is about Matt-centric episodes. When other characters are heavily featured, it usually means they lead the A-plot and there are a few subplots going moving forward as well, but when it’s a Matt episode, it’s just wall-to-wall Matt. It’s almost like the show is going, “Okay, back up, people – make room for undiluted Christopher Eccleston!” Goodness knows he plays it well, even if I’m not crazy about the storyline (episode premise spoilers.)

Matt has high hopes about living in Miracle. On the first night after they arrived, Mary “woke up” from her non-responsive, paralyzed state, and ever since, Matt has been waiting for a recurrence. An out-of-town trip to the doctor reveals some surprising news. However, when Matt faces barriers getting back into Miracle, he’ll do just about anything to return to what he believes is Mary’s only hope of a “cure.”

As you can probably guess, this episode features plenty of a man trying to pray/magic away his wife’s disability, with said wife being largely regarded as an object. There are some confusing things to me, like how Matt now provides Mary round-the-clock care himself when she had some kind of home health aid back in Mapleton and whether it matters that she no longer has a hospital bed to sleep in. There’s also some creepy stuff, like the way Matt is trying to replicate the conditions of their first night in Miracle to recreate Mary’s “awakening” and how he records them sleeping every night and then reviews the footage during the day. Mary is variously a figure of pity, a burden for the uncomplaining Matt, and a symbol of Miracle’s promise. None of this thrills me, and it’s annoying that this seems to be Matt’s major plot this season.

What I do like is further exploration of the mania that people are driven to to have access to Miracle. Entry is severely restricted, and there’s a whole tent city of pilgrims just outside of town who don’t have the coveted wristbands that will allow them to get in. That’s what Matt and Mary come up against trying to return to town after visiting the doctor. When confronted by other people’s desperation, we see just how far the normally-generous Matt will go to protect what he feels is his. Even though everything that’s happening here allegedly stems from something divine, people’s attempts to get a piece of it for themselves get ugly.

One thing that Christopher Eccleston excels at in this performance is Matt’s near-total lack of self-consciousness. Whether someone is mocking him, blocking his way, or insinuating untoward things about him, he’s more focused on his goals than on what anyone else may think of him as a result. Not that things never get to him or bother him, of course. But he has this inner drive that takes over and crowds out the rest. This episode takes him on quite a ride, and it’ll be interesting to see where he goes next.

*           *           *

So much Shang-Chi stuff, OMG. The premiere was last night, and there was a livestream of the red carpet. Tony Leung Chiu-wai wasn’t there, which didn’t surprise me. Even if it hadn’t been for COVID, it seems like red carpets and paparazzi aren’t really his scene, so he was probably content to have a valid reason not to go. But one of the producers being interviewed at the premiere praised Leung as a living legend, and Kevin Feige was like, “Okay, you guys are not ready for Tony Leung in this movie.” (That’s me. I mean, I’m so ready and I’ve been ready since 2019, but I’m also so not ready.) Nearly everyone emphasized the family aspect of the film as one of its best qualities, and the relationship between Shang-Chi and Wenwu is obviously going to be a huge part of that.

Then the first reactions started coming in late last night, and they’re glowing as hell. I know that first reactions tend to be really effusive, but it’s still gratifying to see. As I’ve been riding the hype train for this movie, I’ve noticed how many people seem to be down on it sight unseen, so it’s great to hear from people who’ve actually seen it. My takeaways from the reactions were 1) it sounds like this is going to be a fantastic MCU film all-around, and 2) as a villain, Wenwu is way more Killmonger than Malekith. My greatest prayer for this movie wass that it wouldn’t waste Leung in his very-long-awaited Hollywood debut, and all accounts suggest that they let him tear it all the way up. Between the promos and the way that people involved keep singing his praises, I’d already strongly hoped that that was the case, but again, it’s good to hear it from psyched journalists. Here are some of my favorite Leung-related reaction tweets. 

 

I’m fangirling so hard right now. September 3rd!!!

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