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#A41 PS watchthrough
a41-i-finally-caved · 3 years
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At this point, Sunshine knows more about crime than all of us :/
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a41-i-finally-caved · 3 years
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“Once they know the truth, who they’re really after... They’ll give up on you.”
There’s a pattern in PS, that Malcolm is the most open and honest when he’s talking down a killer. (And there’s so much to look at there, that Malcolm can only admit his emotions when he’s projecting them onto someone else...but that’s not what this post is about lol)
But wait, you say... Malcolm’s talking about the killer’s family; and his family already knows the truth! Yes, well that’s when the ‘who they’re really after’ kicks in: he’s talking about the team, (I would think more specifically Gil, but we’ll see.)
Malcolm is convinced the team will give up on him if they find out about Endicott. And for once this isn’t just Malcolm’s trust issues and insecurity speaking: he knows Gil loves him, that the rest of the team is coming to care for him too... and he knows that it doesn’t change a thing.
See, when Malcolm was eleven, the person he loved most in the world did a bad bad thing... and Malcolm may have loved him, but that didn’t stop him from calling the cops.
His love didn’t protect his father; how could he expect Gil’s love to protect him?
I’m sorry but this is making me feel things... and also get real nervous about how this is going to play out :(
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a41-i-finally-caved · 3 years
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Prodigal Son 2x1: It’s All In The Execution
Did you mean...
Malcolm’s Mental Breakdown
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a41-i-finally-caved · 3 years
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“What are you guys talking about?” “You.” 
I freaking love this line! It just shows how well Gil knows Malcolm. He knows Malcolm will see every little micro expression if he lies, so he flat out tells the truth. He also knows that trust is a delicate thing for Malcolm and that lying to him is a surefire way to get the kid twisted up in his head. Besides, it never hurts to show Malcolm people are concerned about him.
I'm sorry, they're just too cute :)
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a41-i-finally-caved · 3 years
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Awww, he has no idea he called her beautiful...
i guarantee he remembers three days later and wakes up in a cold sweat to overthink ever interaction they’ve ever had
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a41-i-finally-caved · 3 years
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Every time someone in the family accuses Martin of having a secret/lying my brain immediately conjures up the image of the hamster wheel in his head spinning wildly, smoke pouring out of his ears as he tries to figure out which horrifying secret they are referring to.
I am genuinely waiting for the time when Martin tries to play the answer only to find out they didn't know about that secret lol he’d deserve it too :)
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a41-i-finally-caved · 3 years
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Gil asks Dani about Malcolm. Gil asks Jessica about Malcolm. With Malcolm’s immediate concern that his Mom has been talking to Gil about him?
Guys, I don’t think Malcolm’s gone to see Gil. At least not recently.
It makes sense that he’s avoiding him: Malcolm must be terrified of Gil finding out what he did. Beyond just getting caught, even beyond letting down someone he loves and respects.... Gil is Malcolm’s yardstick for what makes a good man.
Malcolm’s been teetering, trying to figure out if what he did makes him a monster. If Gil finds out and says, yes, it does... Malcolm will have no choice but to believe him. That’s it. Game over. He’s his father. No coming back.
Next episode is going to be real interesting. Gil knows Malcolm the best out of anyone, he’s going to take one look at the kid and know something’s up
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a41-i-finally-caved · 3 years
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Malcolm: If I ever say I’m fine, I’m lying
10 minutes later...
No, no, I’m fine, Gil
1 day later...
Nope, yup, totally fine Dani
...
JT in the background like :/
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a41-i-finally-caved · 3 years
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Malcolm is profiling himself
Malcolm isn’t a killer. He’s not his father. He won’t let himself be. This is the moral code he’s clung to to survive.
But now? Malcolm didn’t kill Endicott; but in his mind, hiding the body is breaking his code almost as thoroughly as if he stabbed the man himself. (remember the man’s guilt complex is unreal, see...well every episode)
Bright’s sliding into the minds of killers easier and easier and he’s not pushing back against that headspace. (dungeon scene, anyone?) But when he tries turning that gaze on himself, he can’t see it.
His view of himself is fracturing; there’s Malcolm the friend-brother-son-consultant, who loves his family, who traumatized and might be a bit of an odd guy, but is, ultimately, a good person. Then there’s Malcolm the chopped-up-blood-spread-father’s-son-big-smile-almost-a-killer, that keeps creeping out, who might show up at any moment and Malcolm doesn’t understand him so how could he stop him?
Malcolm’s completely shattered his view of himself. So, now he’s left profiling The-person-who-cut-up-Endicott. The entire episode he’s trying to get inside the head of that man, the man who dismembers a body and smiles while doing it.
(Could he be a justice killer? Did he think it was the right thing? Do morals even matter to him? He can’t escape his making, his father, but how much baring does that really have on his actions? Does he enjoy it?)
Malcolm doesn’t know.
He’s still not his father, they’re not the same, but his proof of that has always been that they’re opposites; Malcolm catches killers, not helps them. By helping his sister (and damn, you know his overdeveloped survival instincts kicked in hard when it was just him, his father, and the body that could take away his family... ‘just being pragmatic’ is what I think he called it previously? Guarantee he disassociated the hell out of there) he’s completely lost his sense of identity.
With that gone, and his father taking advantage of their new power dynamic to play off his greatest fear, and the tangled mess of concern/love/fear/shame he’s feeling with Gil...
Is it any wonder he’s losing it?
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a41-i-finally-caved · 3 years
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Even Malcolm is all ‘Malcolm, No!’ this episode...
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a41-i-finally-caved · 3 years
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It’s absolutely horrifying to see how much all three Whitlys rely on Martin... for the truth, for emotional stability, for support, for a partner.
Look up narcissistic supply; Martin is rolling in it right now.
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a41-i-finally-caved · 3 years
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“Just put it on my tab.”
Okay, yes, that was hilarious...
...but we all know when Martin gets funny, he’s working an angle. His manipulation skills are unreal. In one line he:
1) Cracks a joke, the charming borderline self-deprecating type are his specialty,
2) He absolves her of any guilt if it goes wrong,
3) Sets them up as on the same side...friends cover friend’s tabs, they’re in this together.
4) Reminds her of his past...experience. Really though, the Surgeon has skills and this is a subtle reminder of that fact.
And 5) He dares her. He’s a killer, it’s a risk, go ahead, ignore his advice... but won’t you always wonder what would have happened if you’d just gone for it?
All in 6 words. I can’t. Martin’s character is just so much fun
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a41-i-finally-caved · 3 years
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“You must really love it though, to do it as a hobby.”
Well, there's our confirmation: Malcolm solves crime to cope, not for ‘fun’.
He gets so excited at scenes, while figuring out the killer. How much of that is genuine enjoyment…and how much is the adrenaline rush from reliving the biggest ‘mistake’ (trauma) of his life? Every case he gets another chance to replay where he went wrong, to do it right this time, to catch the killer before they can kill more people.
He says murder keeps him sane. I’m starting to wonder if he’s really just been stuck in the same patterns from age eleven… fighting to survive a killer, even as that killer keeps him alive. No wonder he’s reckless; he’s been stuck in fight or flight for twenty-three years.
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a41-i-finally-caved · 3 years
Conversation
Gerard (old dude who likes chess): Well, we lived to tell the tale. Forge new relationships, all that hooey you were selling.
Malcolm (supposed master at reading people): I meant every word.
Gerard (secret Brightwell shipper): Oh yeah? Prove it.
Me: ...You sir, just got played.
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a41-i-finally-caved · 3 years
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“Be there for her (Ainsley), but don’t let her drag you down with her.”-- There ya go. That’s why Dani’s ‘hot and cold’ with Malcolm. She wants to be his friend...but not at her own expense.
And I, for one, think that’s very sexy of her
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a41-i-finally-caved · 3 years
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“So... did you figure it out?”
Okay, so with my usual timing of late-to-the-party, I’m going to break down my thoughts on that scene.
1) The fact Malcolm figures out what’s going on with Ainsley’s ‘second kill’ because he’s relating to his example of how to shatter someone’s identity... Wow.
‘Prank’ or not, this has very real consequences on Malcolm, something my girl Ainsley not only avoids addressing but even outright dismisses. ( “a little over the top” “Lighten up.”)
2) “You lied to me. Underestimated me for months!” This threw me. Yes, Malcolm lied... and that was Not Good.
Ainsley has full rights to be furious with him for hiding something that involved her own body, mind, and actions.
He took control of the situation, and stole Ainsley’s choices... she never got to decide whether to hide the body or turn herself in; I know I personally would be beyond pissed if someone took that moral choice from me... but then she says ‘underestimated’.
Huh. Seems a strange thing to focus on amidst all the other (larger?) things. So, definition time! Underestimate: to regard (someone) as less capable than they really are.
Okay... so Ainsley seem more angry by the fact Malcolm didn’t think she could handle making her own choices, than by the fact he took them. Interesting.
3) “I don't even know who I am anymore.” Ha! Guess who’s analysis was Dead. On. ;P
4) “Protect me? Or control me?” Ainsley asks this question out of anger, but if she payed attention to just how fast her brother was willing to cover for her that morning...I think the answer’s clear. Malcolm’s motive has always been protection. (his execution can get rather sketch though) 
5) Oh boy. Gaslighting time :(
So, first off let’s get something clear:
Gaslighting is an emotional abuse tactic used to convince the victim that they are crazy/always wrong, with the ultimate goal of forcing dependency on the abuser.
It involves lying, sometimes blatantly, about things the victim knows to be true until they start to question themselves and their mind. Gaslighters will manipulate the victim’s surroundings and support structure until the victim feels like A. They are unreliable, B. They desperately need help to know their own mind/reality, C. The abuser is the only one who can help or even believe them.
Ya know, all that stuff Martin did to Malcolm in season one about the chloroform and the girl in the box
Gaslighting involves lying. All lies are not an attempt to gaslight.
Malcolm absolutely lied to Ainsley, he didn’t think she could handle knowing she killed someone (hell, he’s barely handling it.) and he didn’t want her to go through the most unimaginable pain possible of knowing she is like their father. The trouble here is that being-a-killer is not Ainsley’s greatest fear, it’s Malcolm’s.
So now we have a character who made a perfectly in character, bad moral decision. Great. This does not excuse Malcolm’s actions, but it also does not mean he’s an abuser. The necessary motive/end goal simply wasn’t there. Thank you for coming to my TedTalk
6) So now on to the part that really kills me...
Ainsley accuses Malcolm of gaslighting her, of being like their father. And Malcolm...
he accepts it.
He apologizes to her, presumably for the lying, but he makes no move to try to explain his actions once she pulls out the Martin parallel. Remember, Malcolm has just said he has no idea who he is at this point, and now the fear is churning in his brain, not that he might turn into his father, but that he already has... sdtghbujn the next episode is going to be so freakin good.
7) “We got away with it.” --An excellent closing line... both as set up for the next episode (you really didn’t get away with anything), and a callback to our ever-looming monster Martin. He asked Malcolm if he was enjoying it, the fun part, the having gotten away with it...
Well Malcolm’s obviously not having a good time, but Ainsley...
Ainsley just might be.
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