..............Thoughts on ep110..... pt2 of 2........
..............Main points cont.........................
Admire Justin's resilience if not his lack of practicality when he finds himself homeless. Being tossed out of one home right after discovering your family's moved on without you, would throw many for a loop.
Was sorry for Justin's sake, but liked the way the birthday scene was written. Everyting is mildly stilted, awkward, and overly polite. And it's clear that Justin's presence here is seen as unnecsessary and even slighly intrusive. Even worse is his father's refusal to see him. Molly's less than thrilled reaction to Justin's gift was spot on. It was a lovely drawing, but few children would be impressed, particularly the kid sister of the artist. Jennifer is the only false note. In light of her earlier support for Justin, it's hard to believe she could be so quick to let him go. The closing shot where a displaced Justin walks up the stairs while his family goes on with the party, showcases his alienation , and is more than a little sad.
Justin leaves this dissapointing experience only to come back to a worse one, as he's chewed out then thrown out by Brian. But Justin, who has an uncanny ability to bounce back, has a plan. Not missing a beat, he runs off to New York with Brian's credit card. Think it's good that the boy took some action rather than just sit around and whine, but just can't get behind felony theft.
The hotel room scene is a favorite of many Brian and Justin fans, or maybe just Brian and Justin having sex fans, though to me they appear to be one and the same. The scene opens on a white, on white, on white hotel room and the mildly comical sight of Justin sprawled out in a giant white robe, stuffing his face and watching a loud horror movie. Love how clear it is that he's kept the room service wait staff very busy while racking up expences. A knock at the door is Brian, leaning on the doorframe in his white shirt and black tank top, and still looking amazing despite one days beard and uncombed hair. When Brian barges in, adding more white to the room, it's significant that Justin is unphased and unsurprized. Found the dialogue between them to be nothing special. But the head shots of a haggard but still handsome Brian are a little more interesting. Probably the best part of this exchange was Brian looking over the hotel room, almost certainly assessing how much this will cost him.
Having trouble with the idea of Justin successfully "seducing " Brian with the line "You look like #!*t" and disrobing (literally), to present a most unimpressive physic. Yes, Justin has an exceptional a**, but all that's on display here is an underdeveloped chest looking more doughy than usual. Even his near iconic "world's most perfect hair", is lifeless and dull. But though it's a mystery as to why, this seems to be enough for Brian. When they do get down to business, it's actually fairly romantic in the beginning, with lots of body kissing and tongue play from both parties. As things heat up, we get some exceptionally close shots of the action. Soon the earlier romanticsm has become more base and primal, with Brian seemingly trying to suck off Justin's face. The lovemaking is disjointed, frantic, occasionally clumsy and often appears uncomfortable. Which is far more realism than we usually get with a B/J sex scene. And though it still retains a strong music video quality, the scene is less sleek than usual. This, along with a good view of the action should make this a favorite of mine. Unfortunately I'm just not feeling it between these two. Don't know why, but the usual sexual connection between Brian and Justin doesn't seem to be there. So even though they're really going at it, it's still as if they're just going through the motions. So what should be one intense, ultra hot love scene just..........isn't.
In the end Justin lands on his feet and into Michael's old bedroom. But it's debatable how much of this is due to luck, and how much is a result of Justin's own devises, though it looks to be a mixture of the two. Justin admits he stole Brian's credit card in hopes that the man would come for him, which he did. But it was a close call. Justin most likely thought Brian would come of his own volition. Yet Brian appeared ready to cut Justin loose. It's actually Justin's efforts to ingratiate himself with Brian's friends that saves him in an unexpected way, as everyone in Brian's inner circle demands that he go get Justin. So Justin did have luck on his side. But it was luck born of thorough if inadvertent preparation.
.....................................................Other things of Note............................
Like the scene with David and Michael walking in the rain and the way the camera rests on the raindrops atop David's car. Few programs make use of rainy weather. Fewer still actually utilize the rain.
Not a big David fan, but thought it was sweet when he suggested to Michael that others may have put him in their fantasy.
The best part of the Justin plot is his interaction with Daphne as he shows off his new home at the loft and the later talk of New York at the diner. Love the ease of their back and forth and the fun they have together. This friendship doesn't appear anywhere near as close as Brian and Michael's. But Justin and Daphne still seem to be there for each otherr to a certain extent and enjoy each others company, which apparently is enough for them. Favorite Daphne bit is her offering to go "shake it up too", with Justin in New York, but then deciding against it because she had to be home by eleven.
Love the split screen where Michael is talking to Brian on the phone from his apartment, leaves to come over, and appears again in the next screen in Brian's doorway.
Watching the mini montage of Brian's latest tricks was fun. But why did he tell the police no strangers had been in his place?
The brunch scene features three very different meals, all of them serving to move the main storylines along. Very much enjoyed the breezy pace of this outing, with barely discernable background music sounding like something from a sixties movie, set in Europe. Especially liked the constantly changing mode of segueing from from one scene to another, from sideways, to top to bottom, and even cutoutss. There's even a "fakeout" switch from David and Michael back to David and Michael. Love it when they play with the viewer this way.
My overal favorite brunch was David and Michael's. But this might only be because we get new blood in the form of the old gay couple they are visiting. Even though this was part of David's relentless campaign to move Michael in, it was relaxed and pleasant. Found the old couple cute, though the one on the left was a little much. Far more irritating was Ted and Melanie. It starts out okay. Really like the normalness of Ted's condo and his friendship with Mel. But then, once again, we get talk of Melanie's supposedly paltry paycheck and Mel's desire for Lindsay to be happy. Lindsay has a child with the man of her choice against her partner's strenuous wishes. Lindsay is happy enough. Brunch number three features a beautiful as usual Brian and a less irksome than usual Lindsay. Though the dialog between these two comes off as overly clever, it wasn't quite fast-forward inducing. Not surprized that Brian's penchant for labels extends to household items. Also not surprized at how good he looks in a robe, which, for me, was the best single thing about the whole brunch theme.
Enjoyed the sight of all four of "the boys" drinking bloody marys together even if the whole thing seemed improbable. This may have been a strange attempt to keep the brunch theme going. Bloody Marys being the closest thing to an alcoholic breakfast drink in existence.
It's rather hard to describe Mysterious Marilyn except to say she is completely awesome. A psychic, even a psychic drag queen, seems an odd fit here, yet it works. And the actor and the writers take this minor character with very little screentime and make her memorable. Maryiyn's statement "God writes the scripts sweety. I just say the lines.", manages to be both humble and show flair at the same time.
Vehemently dissagree with Daphne and Deb's assertion that it's Brian's fault Justin ran off to New York. Just because Brian's actions led to Justin living with him doesn't mean that Brian is to blame for every poor choice the boy makes from here on out.
While singing in the car with Ted and Emmett, Michael can clearly carry a tune. But like the ability to hold silverware, he will lose this talent in a significant scene later in the series.
In a bit of continuity in a show not known for it, Justin still has a nipple ring. And in a bit of subtlety in a show also not known for it, said ring is still there but is not over emphasized, it's just there.
Like the look Justin gives Debbie after she tells him one of her house rules. His face shows all kinds of confusion and incredulity. Justin also appears attractive again here. Gone is the strange bloating at the hotel room, and the "world's most perfect hair" is back.
.................................................end.................................
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10 years ago
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dergil27
10 years ago
fairpenguin,
Do agree about Justin successfully "seducing" Brian for awhile. And don't think he needs Justin to look his best for this to happen. But the scene seems to suggest that a pissed Brian was in no mood for such activity until he was practically bewitched by the sight of a naked Justin. Just can't see Justin's nude body as all that captivating, especially here. And Brian may have rarely said "no" to a naked man, but all of these naked men were well built, with most very muscular, often to excess. And pretty much everyone agrees that Justin is not Brian's usual type. So, to be redundant, I don't dissagree that Brian and Justin would be sexing it up in the hotel room. Just don't think it would happen as a result of Justin parading his body at Brian.
Don't think Justin looks plain, never said that. Do think he is attractive, though not as attractive as a lot of others find him. But regardless of how beautiful you find someone, there are times they look better or worse than others. And Justin is far from looking his best in that hotel room.
I wish the hotel sex scene worked for me. It has none of the "problems" of earlier and in my opinion, superior scenes. You get a good long close-up dose of the action, things are not cut off too soon as in 101, and you don't have 107's obstucted or distant views with which to contend. It should be every thing a fan of good qaf sex scenes has been waiting for. But for me, it's not. Can't explain why things don't feel right here, only that they don't. And things feel so "not right", this scene does very little for me. All I can say is as said before. Brian and Justin just don't seem connected. Perhaps the actors had an off day and weren't into the scene for whatever reason. Or maybe something else caused the problem. But for whatever reason, Brian and Justin, or the actors who play them, didn't sell me on this couple even in the arena of sex on this occasion.
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Golden_Gardenia
10 years ago
Admire Justin's resilience if not his lack of practicality when he finds himself homeless. Being tossed out of one home right after discovering your family's moved on without you, would throw many for a loop.
Yes. I wish life gave Justin a break. It's too much for a 17 year old boy.
And it's clear that Justin's presence here is seen as unnecsessary and even slighly intrusive. Even worse is his father's refusal to see him.
Not so sure. Jennifer never told Craig that Justin was there and never asked him if he wanted to see Justin. She could have tried. She was willing to talk to her husband only if Justin had decided to move back home (and become the boy his father wanted).
Jennifer is the only false note. In light of her earlier support for Justin, it's hard to believe she could be so quick to let him go. The closing shot where a displaced Justin walks up the stairs while his family goes on with the party, showcases his alienation , and is more than a little sad.
Hated Jennifer in this episode. If I had a son, I would be by his side no matter what. Despite having a horrible marriage, she still thinks she has to "think about the Family". BS!!!
The scene opens on a white, on white, on white hotel room and the mildly comical sight of Justin sprawled out in a giant white robe, stuffing his face and watching a loud horror movie.
Funny that despite all the problems Justin is facing, he looks to be having a good fun time in the hotel. I can't understand how a minor with a stollen credit card can so easily take a plane and check in a luxury hotel. In Brazil no one under 18 can travel alone, unless they have written authorization from a Family judge.
When Brian barges in, adding more white to the room, it's significant that Justin is unphased and unsurprized. Found the dialogue between them to be nothing special. But the head shots of a haggard but still handsome Brian are a little more interesting. Probably the best part of this exchange was Brian looking over the hotel room, almost certainly assessing how much this will cost him.[b]
I love Brian's look of disaproval and unbelief!
[b]Unfortunately I'm just not feeling it between these two. Don't know why, but the usual sexual connection between Brian and Justin doesn't seem to be there. So even though they're really going at it, it's still as if they're just going through the motions. So what should be one intense, ultra hot love scene just..........isn't.
Not my favorite B/J sex scene either. But it's hot. [blast]
Yet Brian appeared ready to cut Justin loose. It's actually Justin's efforts to ingratiate himself with Brian's friends that saves him in an unexpected way, as everyone in Brian's inner circle demands that he go get Justin. So Justin did have luck on his side. But it was luck born of thorough if inadvertent preparation.
I have a feeling it was Deb's idea to offer Justin Michael's old bedroom. She even called Jennifer to know her thoughts about it. Jennifer was clearly relieved to get rid of the problem. And I think Brian loved the idea because he would be able to keep na eye on Justin. This was the perfect opportunity for Brian getting rid of Justin forever. But he didn't. And he's happy that Justin will be around.
Like the scene with David and Michael walking in the rain and the way the camera rests on the raindrops atop David's car. Few programs make use of rainy weather. Fewer still actually utilize the rain.
That's good direction!
Watching the mini montage of Brian's latest tricks was fun. But why did he tell the police no strangers had been in his place?
That bugged me too. Why would he lie? He doesn't care about what anybody thinks. The only reason I can think is that he thought that if he had told the police about his hundreds of visitors, he could be blamed for what happened. Like raped women are blamed for wearing tight clothes and are blamed for the rape. If Brian had told the police about his tricks, they could have a better chance to find the robbers.
Not surprized that Brian's penchant for labels extends to household items. Also not surprized at how good he looks in a robe, which, for me, was the best single thing about the whole brunch theme.
He looks GORGEOUS!!
Bloody Marys being the closest thing to an alcoholic breakfast drink in existence.[/b
Katrina told me abou "mimosas",which apparently is a mixture of champagne and Orange juice.
[b]It's rather hard to describe Mysterious Marilyn except to say she is completely awesome. A psychic, even a psychic drag queen, seems an odd fit here, yet it works. And the actor and the writers take this minor character with very little screentime and make her memorable.
She sure is fabulous! They will bring her back in Season 2.
Vehemently dissagree with Daphne and Deb's assertion that it's Brian's fault Justin ran off to New York. Just because Brian's actions led to Justin living with him doesn't mean that Brian is to blame for every poor choice the boy makes from here on out.
Agree that it's not Brian's fault that Justin run off, but it is Brian's fault kicking Justin out of his apartment, when he knows he is underage and has no place to go and it was Brian who took Justin in. I tend to think that Brian expected Justin to come back later, when he was less angry and they could have worked things out. I think that if Justin had come back Brian would have let him stay, despite his anger. I was so sorry for Justin. One minute he is showing Daphne his new home; next minute he loses everything and is on the street.
In a bit of continuity in a show not known for it, Justin still has a nipple ring. And in a bit of subtlety in a show also not known for it, said ring is still there but is not over emphasized, it's just there.
I believe his nipple ring will be there at least until Season 2. I remember he mentioning his nipple ring in 211.
Like the look Justin gives Debbie after she tells him one of her house rules. His face shows all kinds of confusion and incredulity. Justin also appears attractive again here. Gone is the strange bloating at the hotel room, and the "world's most perfect hair" is back.
He looks adorable as always! Hahaha! He never expected the rules to be so flexible!
"If Justin wants golden gardenias, he should have golden gardenias!" Brian Kinney
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dergil27
10 years ago
Justin being thrown out at such an early age was alot to deal with. And yet he handled it better than many.
Assumed that Jennifer told Craige Justin was there. But actually, there is no indication that happened. And if she didn't tell her husband, it makes Jennifer even more cold hearted.
Justin did seemed to be enjoying himself at the hotel, probably due to his extremely optomistic hope/assumption that everything would work out.
Brian looks as good pissed as he does all other times.
Brian may have approved, but agree it was probably Debbie's idea to take Justin in. And this is probably because Justin took the effort to get to know her as well as the rest of Brian's "family".
Loved how often they filmed in the snow and less often the rain. And the scene with David's car is only one of several times they use the weather as part of the scene, not just the background.
Maybe not mentioning the tricks was because of the insurance risks. Insurance companies will use any excuse to avoid paying off a claim. And as the brunch with Lindsay showed, insurance was how Brian expected to be compensated.
It was pretty harsh of Brian to throw an underage boy out in the street. But Justin had options less extreme than what he did, such as going to Deb's or to Mel and Linds' place for a while.
Don't think Justin always looks adorable, but he does look very good at the table with Debbie.
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Golden_Gardenia
10 years ago
Justin being thrown out at such an early age was alot to deal with. And yet he handled it better than many.
He sure did. Not many 17-year old boys are that psychologically strong. Although he has no place to live and no Money, no friends, he doesn't seem to care. His little dventure in New York proves that.
Assumed that Jennifer told Craige Justin was there. But actually, there is no indication that happened. And if she didn't tell her husband, it makes Jennifer even more cold hearted.
I think she told Craig after the party. I expected her to leave Justin downstairs, go upstairs and tell Craig Justin was there, if he wanted to see him. She didn't do that. BTW, is there anything more boring than child's birthday parties?
Brian may have approved, but agree it was probably Debbie's idea to take Justin in.
I'm pretty sure about that. I can picture Deb calling Jennifer to talk about Justin while the boys were in NYC.
Maybe not mentioning the tricks was because of the insurance risks. Insurance companies will use any excuse to avoid paying off a claim. And as the brunch with Lindsay showed, insurance was how Brian expected to be compensated.
Good point. Brian would probably be compensated. Otherwise he would expect Justin to pay for everything he lost. He didn't mention any of that.
It was pretty harsh of Brian to throw an underage boy out in the street. But Justin had options less extreme than what he did, such as going to Deb's or to Mel and Linds' place for a while.
Yes, he could. But, instead, he decided to play with Brian's head.
"If Justin wants golden gardenias, he should have golden gardenias!" Brian Kinney
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clofa
10 years ago
Jennifer is the only false note. In light of her earlier support for Justin, it's hard to believe she could be so quick to let him go. The closing shot where a displaced Justin walks up the stairs while his family goes on with the party, showcases his alienation , and is more than a little sad.
I agree. One of my favorite scenes in the previous episodes is Jennifer giving Graig a tongue-lashing after he attacked Brian. It seems so unbelievable now that she'd want Justin to obey his father's rules to keep up appearances or to keep her family from falling apart! If it weren't for her strong attitude in the previous episode, it wouldn't have seemed so far-fetched... actually it would seem the likelier reaction (at the time) while she learns what it means that her son is gay and comes to terms with this.
Thank you for another amazing review, dergil. I especially loved your take on the Lindsay/Melanie storyline and absolutely agree.
I tend to agree with fairpenguin about Justin's attracting abilities and Brian being easily attracted though, lol.
Brianwashed!
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dergil27
10 years ago
Clofa,
It was like Jennifer's whole attitude toward Justin changed.
Thank you for liking the review.
Lindsay's ability to force her ridiculous ideas and plans on Melanie was infuriating.
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