Well if you have the time and energy to do it, you definitely should write more.
Anyway, back to the episode!
The description of La Capitan’s ship navigating via fixed points is possibly the first thing they’ve said about how the ship functions that actually makes sense. Their efforts to define how the “sailing through time” and “getting objects from a universe to connect to that universe” all work have been very vague and handwavey, but now it feels like they’re actually getting somewhere in defining how this is a sensible sci-fi technology. The phrase “it’s not the possibility, but the viability” is definitely a great line.
I think we can definitely count “Bill’s Mandolin” as a Virtuoso instrument which Anthony never managed to find.
Okay, probably the biggest and most important thing I wanted to say about this episode is from their one brief mention of last week’s new character, Free Radical. The description they gave about him last week didn’t make any sense to me, but everything clicked from this one mentioned, because it made me realize that he probably works exactly the same way as Billy Pilgrim, from “Slaughterhouse Five” by Kurt Vonnegut. Having “memories” of the future, and feeling like you live your whole life out of order, makes a lot more sense than having “part of his body made out of time”, or whatever they said last week.
Oh, and for anyone who’s been following my answers on the Question of the Day thread, it probably goes without saying that I largely approve of most of Dark Visionary’s actions. Not so much murdering scientists to cover her tracks, but most of what they call “abusing” the powers, I would just characterize as taking firm and decisive action. I disagree with almost all of what C&A (most specifically Adam, though Christopher only varies a bit by degree) say about how mind-controlling a person out of destructive actions is somehow evil. I think this perspective is just sentimental nonsense, probably the result of religious or ideological brainwashing at a formative age. I wouldn’t even hesitate to take most of the utilitarian “evil” acts described in this section. Charles Xavier’s love and compassion for humanity makes him a good character, despite having “villain powers”; Visionary isn’t that, and Dark Visionary is certainly not that, but my attitude on the whole thing is probably closer to Dark Visionary than to Professor X.
In conclusion of the whole section, I strongly disagree that anyone can’t or shouldn’t “play god”; the example of accidentally killing someone while trying to save them from a possibly-nonlethal car crash is just an example of someone not having enough power, skill, or carefulness in their action, and a tragedy resulting from those limitations. i strongly disagree that mind control is always a villain power; I haven’t seen Jessica Jones, but from everything I’ve heard, no version of Purple Man has ever been an even remotely idealistic character. He’s not some well-intentioned extremist who just got lazy with his powers; being an abuser whose abilities are used for selfish power-trip reasons is basically the entire point of that character. I firmly believe that, given the same powers, I could use them for good - and that’s not because I’m special, because if anything, someone who lacks my various mental problems would do a better job.
Man, those cargo container prices are mind-blowing. I’m astonished that anybody can stay even remotely profitable if their overhead costs have quadrupled.
Very baffled to learn that there’s apparently a restaurant called Schlafly somewhere around where the >G warehouse is. It seems unlikely that the restaurant is actually named after Phyllis Shclafly, but it’s an amusing thought.
Hm. Well I thought there was more, but that’s probably everything. Just in time to still be current for the week. See you next time everyone.