| BLASSREITER, Episode 7: The Abyss of Hate |
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| Wednesday, 21 May 2008 | |
 I was reading a forum post about BLASSREITER shortly before watching this episode, where the posted tried to paint the series more as a philosophical show than an action piece - and after seeing this episode, he may have a point. Still doesn't make the series good, though...Malek is devastated by Gerd's death - and apparently he's not the only one, as Hermann vows to avenge his death. Malek is a cause of worry for both Amanda and Joseph - for Amanda, as her work with XAT has kept her from being there for him as often as she'd like, especially considering the bullying he's been on the receiving end of; while Joseph tries to stay close to him, remaining within the city to keep an eye on the boy. However, a security camera captures his transformation, and subsequently XAT learns his true identity...   Not sure how long AoD archive forum posts for, but you can read the relevant revelation here. In short, it argues that BLASSREITER is less about the Amalgams and the goings-on behind the scenes amongst the people creating them, and more about the effects they're having on individuals like Joseph, Gerd and Malek - exploring the line between good and evil and the efforts of these people to straddle that line. It's a good point, and this episode pretty much proves the point - but while I came out of this ep with a better understanding of what the series was perhaps trying to do, I still can't say I was particularly entertained by it. Not that violent death, bullying and suicide are particularly entertaining subjects, and that's the stage of the story that we seem to be stuck on at the moment. Malek's tormentors are as evil a bunch of kids as you could ever hope to meet, and every moment they spend on screen is a torment for me to watch, just through annoyance. The effect they have on other characters is what's important here, and that's not particularly easy to watch, either - tears, screams of anguish, and angst are the order of the day, as people react to events in ways that are understandable but difficult to deal with. Hermann's still an annoyance, with his blinkered belief in Gerd still in full effect and driving him towards vengeance - and now that Joseph and Blue have been shown to be one and the same, you can quickly figure out what's going to happen next. Not that I care - the series is still completely failing to capture my imagination or interest in any meaningful way, and it's only the free nature of it that keeps me watching. Going by the show's website, it appears that episode 8 could mark the beginning of the second of three distinct arcs in the series. Hopefully that will be a turning point. For now, though, I really can't recommend.  |
