I’m Sorry Sir, I Can’t Answer That Question!

my thoughts about the first episode of Strike Back: part 2

( continued from here)

-Porter stakes out the safe-house that was being used seven years ago, in hopes that it will lead him to the suicide bomber that Katie snapped a picture of before she was taken.

Note to bad guys: using the same hide-out for seven years negates the “safe” factor.

*great, now the whole neighborhood knows I'm here!*
*great, now the whole neighborhood knows I’m here!*

-Porter is a man who thinks ahead,

he doesn’t do things half-assed…

"this road better be flat"
“this road better be flat”

-He gets himself taken, hoping that they’ll throw him in with Katie. First he has a stare-down with the suicide-bomber, crawling inside the kid’s soul with those eyes of his, and then gets his tracking device ripped out of his mouth.

those glasses are there for our protection, not his
those glasses are there for our protection, not his

-Meanwhile: after losing contact with Porter, Collinson mans up and tries to get official support to follow his lead. Unofficial support will have to do, so the next reasonable step is to devastate John’s family. Porter’s daughter knows his game though, accusing Collinson of lying to her dad and sending him on this mission that he’s now MIA on. Mrs. Porter claims that it’s just as well, because they’re all better off without him.

maybe John should have brought her flowers more often?
maybe John should have brought her flowers more often?

-Back in dusty bad guy land: Porter’s hunch was correct and he gets thrown into captivity with Katie. John hobbles over and tries to reassure her that everything will be okay, she just has to trust him.

*I would have been here sooner but I got stuck in traffic*
*I would have been here sooner but I got stuck in traffic*

-After some upsetting torture where I’m sure Katie was wondering if John actually knew what he was doing, they get thrown back into their cell. Porter now knows they mean business, so he puts his plan into action.

*all heroes must wash hands before returning to work*
*all heroes must wash hands before returning to work*

-The bad guys lie to John (shocking, I know!) and screw up his escape plan by taking Katie ahead of schedule. John is pissed! Now we get to see him kick things, a lot, and it’s very enjoyable 😀

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-Porter is able to save Katie without a minute to spare and kill the bad guys*claps* He then tries to suck the boy’s soul out through his eyes again and then turns the gun on him, ignoring his pleas, until Katie intervenes.

*I told you I was all heart*
*I told you I was all heart*

-The three of them flee together as more bad guys start to chase them.

There’s a stand-off, then a dramatic rescue by a completely silent helicopter.

*shh! I think I hear something...*
*shh! I think I hear something…*

-After Collinson orders to leave the boy behind,

Katie is whisked away to safety

and wrenched from John’s capable arms.

so verrry capable
so verrry capable

-Porter is reunited with his family

*cue tears*

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-and then he visits a downtrodden Katie

in the hospital.

*see: all heart!*
*see: all heart!*

-and we end with Collinson trying to talk his way out of why he ordered the boy to be left behind. John knows he’s full of it but just smiles sweetly and bides his time, which will be easier now that he’s accepted a job working alongside of Collinson…

*special features*
*special features*

 

I Lay My Life For Your Sake

While trying to wait out this Flu virus that I suspect may have morphed into mild Bronchitis, I settled in to watch part one of the first episode of Strike Back today.

if my Doc looked like this I'd be persuaded to visit more often, just sayin'
if my Doc looked like this I’d be persuaded to visit more often, just sayin’

I’d estimate this was probably my sixth time viewing this particular episode;

here are my thoughts:

-Hugh Collinson is a newb. John Porter is irritated that he has someone weighing down his team that doesn’t even know his way around a weapon, but he swallows that frustration and tries to look out for him anyway.

this t-shirt *short circuits*
this t-shirt *short circuits*

-When Porter confronts a young suicide bomber, he keeps eye contact with the boy the whole time so as not to spook him into letting go of the detonator. Everyone heaves a sigh of relief when the situation is resolved… and then John whacks the kid in the head to knock him out.

*I'm all heart*
*I’m all heart*

-Next we’re bombarded with gun-fire and profanity (I’m not complaining) amidst a really important part of the plot: take note about what is actually seen and what is just implied 😉

-Jump forward to John in a hospital bed with his arm strapped to his chest. His family is doting on him; soak that sweet image in because it doesn’t happen very often.

WARNING: Tangent Ahead!

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When I was ten I decided it would be fun to pretend I was in the circus and vault over a high-backed chair, landing on a jogging trampoline, where I would then bounce into the air in a graceful split before landing on my feet. I forgot to factor in my penchant for not being graceful in the slightest; I slipped on the trampoline and broke my arm. My mother thought I was just being dramatic so she didn’t take me to the doctor for a whole week, during which I fell on my arm when someone at school stole my chair out from under me and I also had to sleep on my bedroom floor because my new bed was delayed in it’s delivery. The Emergency Room doctor chastised my mother harshly for not bringing me in sooner (that’s my favorite part of the story) What does this have to do with John Porter? I had my arm strapped to my chest, and I was ten… End Tangent.

"she's only ten"
“she’s only ten”

-Okay, where were we? Porter blames himself for the FUBAR extraction, Collinson jumps on that bandwagon and comes out smelling like a rose, Porter is then treated as an outcast, which leads him to refuse a hush-hush solution and resign instead.

"Integrity", Collinson should look that one up
“Integrity”, Collinson should look that one up

-John then tries to get a job from the businessman he helped rescue

but is told he’s not qualified.

This happens:

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which leads to John hitting rock bottom and forgetting what decade his hair belongs in.

His daughter is a brat

*reigns in another walk down memory lane*

I approve of this outfit
I approve of this outfit

-Collinson delivers a poignant line about Porter seeking atonement in the hostage rescue,

and that getting himself killed may be exactly what he wants.

"you can't always get what you want"
“you can’t always get what you want”

-Then there’s the inkblot test

where Porter seems to be obsessed with vaginas 😛

spend a lot of time down there, do you John?
spend a lot of time down there, do you John?

which pays off

when Dani arrives to inspect his shoulder.

who is setting the trap here?
who is setting the trap here?

-Layla knocks Porter back down before he can feel too sure of himself, as do the other members of the team when they shut him out of the planning meetings

what goes around comes around
what goes around comes around

and then our hero rides off to rescue Katie…

Did I leave anything out?

Lights, Camera, Action!

Alphabet Movie challenge: day 7

Genre of Richard’s I enjoy the most

Answer: action

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I like

guns

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and

stoic heroes

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and

car chases

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and

adrenaline

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and

emotional struggle

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and

sports too

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and

well-worn jeans…

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so yeah,

I like action 😎

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