Gunn’s really black now at least in typical TV fashion.
Sure I liked the Angel puppet episode as much as the next guy, but Joss has failed me. I speak of course of the typical emasculation of the black man or how Gunn became a bitch.
Now, now, I am not accusing Joss of being racist, just of being predictable. It’s a shame really. I had such hopes for him, to actually create a black character that didn’t fall in to the **two ** categories Black Nerd who gets no women or the brawn but no brain type, whose inferiority complex makes him easy pickin’s for manipulation.
Oh well, he started off well enough.
Gunn’s fall from grace is as predictable as Southern Republican asking for “State’s Rights” and just as transparent. As soon as the Doctor said he wouldn’t deal with the old Gunn, I knew Joss had fallen into the " i’m writing a “black guy”, how do they act again…?" As opposed to writing a character that had well, character.
Gunn may not have been Genius, but he wasn’t stupid. Hell he organized a “ragtag” group of street kids against a horde of vampires, handled his own against various demons and even helped the electric girl fight a bunch of trained …asian guys.
Yet he’s going to allow this doctor to play him? To make him feel “stupid”? Don’t think so. Bad writing. Typical writing when it comes to fleshing out black ”urban” characters.
Being a street kid myself, my one weakness is I don’t trust anyone. Everyone’s got an angle and my “civilization” hasn’t blunted that protective coating…much. There’s no way that Gunn would have trusted the doctor. There’s no way Gunn would have just let the conduit bitch slap him and not EVEN attempt to defend himself. He may still have gotten the crap kicked out him, but he would have been on his feet, like a man.
Weak writing, I know everyone’s having a crying party about the cancellation, but I’m sorry. It’s like Joss forgot his own character.
I know you’re saying, well what would you do…fine.
My story goes like this. Gunn refuses the repair offered in “Smile Time”, but Knox knows Gunn’s not himself and tricks him into releasing the coffin from customs. All occurs as it did the episode and in this week’s.
Howeve when Gunn confronts him, Knox shows him the document and Gunn realizes his failure…THEN Gunn goes for the upgrade.
Not because he feels useless or stupid. You see I question Joss’ rationale for Gunn’s lack of judgement. It appears that Gunn doesn’t wish to be “stupid” again…note the “Flowers for Algernon” comment that the Doctor made to Gunn.
Bad writing. Gunn is not stupid, nor is he a selfish person. His weakness is pride and great sense of responsibility. That in my opinion is the direction, Joss should have guided Gunn’s fall.
Gunn realizes that the team have come to depend on his knowledge and without the implant, he is now a liability to the team. So he gets the upgrade. Not because he doesn’t want to be a thug again…he was never a thug to begin with. As several posters said, he would have made more sense to have the Gunn conduit dressed as the old Gunn, to remind Gunn of when he had purity of purpose and needs to chose being a hands-on fighting guy or behind the scenes power-broker.
He can no longer be both.
But Whedon missed it, going for the sure thing. He almost had it, when he had the guys on the phone ask Gunn if he was going to sue them and when Gunn said, “no we’re going to break your bones”, they hung up. Gunn is more powerful has a W&H lawyer then he ever was has a street fighter…but he doesn’t realize it? C’mon, one of the first things he did as a lawyer is freeze the assets of the Necromancer, now he’s threatening to break bones? Remember he’s already had the implant fixed. Weak.
You don’t control a character like Gunn by appealing to his insecurities, it won’t work. He’s too contrary and proud to listen and will most likely do the opposite just to spite you…but by playing to his sense of responsibility…the same responsibility that allowed him to protect his charges when they were on the street, the same responsibility that caused him to stake his sister and to kill the professor, dooming his relationship with Fred, but saving her from committing murder.
I could see Gunn going to the Doctor or the PTB thinking, “because I wasn’t prepared, Fred was hurt, I will never be unprepared again…I want the implant repaired AND more.” and they have him. That makes sense…cursed for the noblest of reasons, but cursed none-the-less.
But no, Joss has to go for the sure fire thing…wait next week for the Gunn and Wesley confrontation…blah, blah, blah. Predictable. Oh look, ANOTHER “dark” babe. Predictable. Dark Wesley beats up guilt-ridden nancified Gunn. Predictable.
And of course i will be watching next week…I’m predictable too.