Tuesday 31 August 2021

He IS Us.








“….and he’s hearing Other People making jokes from a mile away…”

“Yeah, he’s a MESS!”


Bill
As you know, I'm quite keen on comic books. 
Especially the ones about superheroes. 

I find the whole mythology surrounding superheroes fascinating

Take my favorite superhero, 
Superman

Not a great comic book. 
Not particularly well drawn.

But the Mythology … 
The Mythology is not only great
it's unique.

Now, a staple of the superhero mythology is there's the superhero and there's the ALTER EGO.

Batman is actually Bruce Wayne, Spider-Man is actually Peter Parker. 

When that character wakes up in the morning, he's Peter Parker. 
He has to put on a costume to become Spider-Man. 

And it is in that characteristic Superman stands ALONE. 

Superman didn't become Superman. 
Superman was BORN Superman. 
When Superman wakes up in the morning, he's Superman. 

His alter ego is Clark Kent. 

His outfit with the big red "S" —
That's the blanket he was wrapped in as a baby 
when the Kents found him —

Those are •HIS• clothes. 

What Kent wears – the glasses, the business suit – 
that's The Costume. 

That's the costume 
Superman wears
to blend in with US

Clark Kent is how 
Superman views Us. 

And what are 
the characteristics 
of Clark Kent? 

He's WEAK, 
He's UNSURE of himself, 
He's A COWARD



Clark Kent 
is Superman's critique on 
The Whole Human Race. 


Sort of like Beatrix Kiddo and Mrs. Tommy Plympton.

The Bride
Aso. The Point emerges.

Bill
You would've worn 
the costume of Arlene Plympton. 
But you were born Beatrix Kiddo. 

And every morning 
when you woke up, 
you'd still be Beatrix Kiddo. 

Oh, you can take the needle out.

The Bride
[does so] 
Are you calling me a superhero?

Bill
I'm calling you A Killer! 
A natural born Killer. 
You always have been, 
and you always will be. 

Moving to El Paso, 
working in a used record store, 
going to the movies with Tommy, 
clipping coupons. 

That's you … trying to disguise yourself as a worker bee. 
That's you trying to blend in with the hive. 


But you're NOT 
a worker bee. 
You're a renegade 
killer bee. 

And no matter 
how much beer you drank 
or barbecue you ate 
or how fat your ass got, 

Nothing in The World 
could ever change that.

Machine Men with Machine Minds



(Zion: personnel gate)

Gen. Jason Lock: 
Three captains, one ship. 
I assume the other ships were lost under equally pointless circumstances?

Niobe: 
Good to see you too, Jason.

Gen. Jason Lock:
Council’s waiting to hear an explanation. 
You’ll forgive me for not attending, but I have to try to salvage this debacle.

Roland: 
Did I miss something, Commander? 
I thought we just saved The Dock.

Gen. Jason Lock:
That’s The Problem with You People
You can’t think for five minutes in front of your face. 
That EMP knocked out almost every piece of hardware and every APU. 

If I were The Machines, 
I would send every Sentinel I had here right now

Saved The Dock, Captain? 
You’ve just handed it to them on a silver platter.



Sauce to The Goose, Mister Savvik --
THE ODDS WILL BE EVEN.

The Nest





“It was Jor-el’s idea —

But — But it’s My EARTH Parents who raised me to THIS.

I think of all Jor-El’s SECRETS.

All his Dirty Little Secrets….

It started with one.

They started to pile up….
But it started with one secret.












Oh bye bye, Adam, travel safe.

It was a pleasure.


Yeah, bye bye now.


Sorry about that.

Allison's fucking crazy.


So it went well, right?


Yeah, it was fine.


It didn't go fine, it went well, capiche.


Come on let's get...


I'm all right.


I missed the last train.

I can't go home.

Stay out with me.

Stay out with me.


I'm just a bit tired.


Fuck off!

When have you ever said 'no' to a night out with me?

Come on.


I can't, you know that.


Me, why?

I can't control her.

She's mental, it's nothing to do with me.


They weren't impressed by your bullshit, Rory.

It wasn't necessary.


You're getting wound up about nothing, this'll be fine.

I'll follow up with them next week, relax.


When you stepped out,

they said they just want to work with me.


Well of course they want to work with you,

it's your account, I'll take a backseat.


No no no no no no, you're off this, mate.

You got nothing to do with this deal.


Well, no offense, but there wouldn't be a deal without me.

You were gonna sit on it for a year.


Oh yeah?


Yeah, and the way you were structuring your shit.


All right, all right, you do things your way, I'll do things my way.


Can we just talk about this in the office on Monday?


You're angry because Allison fucked things up.


I'm not angry, I'm not angry, but I am going home.


You're serious?


I'll see you Monday.





Dracula’s Driver :

Big night then?


The Father :

No, not really.

Just been working too hard.


Dracula’s Driver :

What line of work you in?



The Father :

….I pretend I'm rich.


Dracula’s Driver :

Why do you pretend?


The Father :

….I don't know.


Dracula’s Driver :

That sounds tiring.

Sorry.


The Father :

It is.

I had a million dollars once.

I was living in New York City.


I had one million dollars in the bank.

I thought it'd just keep coming.


I thought that was it, 

I was rich for the rest of my life.


And then,

over time it just, it went.

Now I have nothing.


Dracula’s Driver :

You have kids?


The Father :

Yeah I do, two.


Dracula’s Driver :

What are you going on about then?

That's all that matters.

Everything else is nonsense.



It's the only reason 

we're put on this Earth —

Well, that and football.


The Father :

Yep.


Dracula’s Driver :

You a good dad?


The Father :

Yeah, I'm The Best.

I keep a roof over their head,


I give them the best of everything,

and I never laid a hand on them, never would.


Dracula’s Driver :

That's the bare minimum mate,

don't pat yourself on the back for that.


The Father :

Well that's more than I ever fucking had.


Dracula’s Driver :

We have to give our kids more than we had, that's it, That's Life.

Sort yourself out mate, get a job.

Make a wage, you'll be all right.


The Father :

I want more than that, thanks.


Dracula’s Driver :

What do you want then, mate?



The Father :

….

…..I don't actually know.

I don't know.

I don't fucking know.



He stops The Cab.


The Father :

What are you doing?


Dracula’s Driver :

Well you just told me that 

You're Broke,

and that 

You're a Liar.


Do you really have the rest of the money for this fare?


The Father :

Not on me, I said that.

But at the house I do.


Dracula’s Driver :

I'll have to let you off.


The Father :

Are you fucking joking?


Dracula’s Driver :

I won't take you any further, mate.

Sorry, Don't Trust Ya —

You can Walk.


The Father :

Mate, I'm miles from my house.

I can't fucking walk.


Dracula’s Driver : 

Get out My Car.


Monday 30 August 2021

Royalty







(On the Klingon homeworld, on a slightly shabby couch, Quark is hypo'd awake) 


QUARK: 
What? What happened? Where am I? 


TUMEK: (ancient family retainer) 
You are on Kronos. 


QUARK: 
Kronos? The Klingon homeworld. 


TUMEK: 
You are in the ancestral home 
of what used to be known as 
The House of Kozak. 


QUARK: 
What's it called now? 


TUMEK: 
Kozak died without a male heir. 
The House no longer has a name. 


QUARK: 
What about Kozak's brother, D'Ghor? 


TUMEK: 
That pahtk's name is not spoken in This House. 

He is no brother to Kozak. 

His family has been a sworn enemy of this house for seven generations. 


QUARK: 
But he came to DS Nine. 
He told me 


TUMEK: 
What he told you were lies

He wanted you to say that Kozak had died in honourable combat 
so that no special dispensation would be granted. 


QUARK: 
I don't understand. 


TUMEK: 
If Kozak had died in an accident and left no male heir, 
the Council might have decided that this was an unusual situation 
and granted special dispensation. 
That might have allowed Grilka to become head of the family even though she's a woman. 

But if Kozak died in an honourable fight, 
and was simply defeated by a better opponent, 
then no dispensation would have been granted, 
and without a male heir the House will fall. 


GRILKA: 
That hasn't happened yet, Tumek, 
and there is still time to prevent it from ever happening. 


(She offers a robe to Quark.


GRILKA: 
Put this on. 


QUARK: 
Why? 


GRILKA: 
Because if you do not, I will kill you. 


TUMEK: 
I beg you, consider what you do here, mistress. 


GRILKA: 
The decision is made. 
There is no other choice. 


(Quark struggles into the robe and Grilka takes his hand.) 


GRILKA: 
Go'Eveh lu cha wabeh. 
Mo ka re'Chos. 


TUMEK: 
Repeat my words Go'Eveh lu cha wabeh. 
To va re'Luk. 


QUARK: 
Let me ask just one 


(Grilka puts a knife to Quark's throat) 


GRILKA: 
Repeat the words. 


QUARK: 
Go'Eveh lu cha wabeh to va re'Luk. 


TUMEK: 
Ghos ma'lu Kah! 


(Grilka kisses Quark, then spits.) 


TUMEK: 
It is done. 


QUARK: 
What's done? 


TUMEK: 
The ceremony is complete. 

You are husband and wife.





EVERY Lie We Tell Incurs A Debt to The Truth.






“I Lied. My Testimony in Vienna was A Lie.
I lied to The World.

I'm not the only one 
who kept this secret —
There are many

We were following ORDERS, 
from The KGB, 
from the Central Committee.

And right now, there are 16 reactors in the Soviet Union with the •SAME• FATAL flaw.

THREE of them are still running 
less than •20• kilometers away AT Chernobyl..!!

“Professor Legasov, if you mean to suggest the Soviet STATE is somehow responsible for What Happened, then I must warn you, 
•You are treading on very DANGEROUS Ground.•”

“I've already  TRODEN on Dangerous Ground —
We're ON Dangerous Ground RIGHT NOW 
BECAUSE of our SECRETS 
and our LIES.

They're practically what •define• us.

When The Truth offends, 
We LIE and we LIE 
until we can no longer remember 
it is even there….

But it IS still There.

EVERY Lie we tell incurs 
a debt to The Truth.

Sooner or later, that debt is •paid•.
THAT is How an RBMK Reactor Core Explodes :

LIES.

Doctor McCoy




“We ALL Want to Live. 
And in large part 
we make Our Logic 
according to 
What We LIKE.

But not having attained our aim 
and continuing to live is cowardice.

This is a thin and dangerous line. 
To Die without Gaming One's Aim 
is A Dog's Death 
and Fanaticism. 

But there is no shame in this. 
This is the substance of The Way of the Samurai. 




Capt. SARU
Burnham, we are running out of time.


MICHAEL, 
Daughter of Michael :
Okay, it's time to go, Spock.
Get back to Discovery.
 
SPOCK :
Michael, I cannot.
 

MICHAEL, 
Daughter of Michael :
What? 
 

SPOCK :
When my vessel was hit 
My engines were disabled.
 
MICHAEL, 
Daughter of Michael :
Discovery can lock onto you 
with a tractor beam.
 

SPOCK :
There is no time.

And even if there were, 
they would need to lower their shields 
to bring me aboard, 
and they will not survive doing so.

Not in this battle.

Not with the amount of damage 
that ship has already sustained.

You Must Go.
 

MICHAEL, 
Daughter of Michael :
I just got you back.
I don't want to let go.
 

SPOCK :
Neither do I.

MICHAEL, 
Daughter of Michael :
I already lost you once.
 

SPOCK :
You never Lost Me, Michael.
As A Child, I was Truly Lost.

The Path of My Father, 
The Path of My Mother.
You came into our lives 
and you taught me it was possible 
to travel both.

You Found Me.
You Saved Me.
 

MICHAEL, 
Daughter of Michael :
That wasn't me.
That was always in you.
 

SPOCK :
You are My Balance, Michael, 
you always HAVE been —
and I am afraid that 
I will not find it again without you.
 

MICHAEL, 
Daughter of Michael :
Okay —
Listen to Me :
Listen to Me, Little Brother.
This is the last advice 
I'll ever be able to give you —

There is a Whole Galaxy 
out there full of people 
who will  reach for you.

You Have to 
LET Them.

Find That Person 
Who Seems Farthest from you, 
and reach for them.

Reach for them.
Let them guide you.
 
SPOCK :
I will.
I only wish,
I could be certain of your safety.
 
MICHAEL, 
Daughter of Michael :
(SIGHS) 
You will.
(CHUCKLES) 
(SNIFFLES) 
I'll send the last signal.
I'll send it through The Wormhole when we get to The Other Side.
 
 

What We LIKE


“We ALL Want to Live. 
And in large part 
we make Our Logic 
according to 
What We LIKE.

But not having attained our aim 
and continuing to live is cowardice.

This is a thin and dangerous line. 
To Die without Gaming One's Aim 
is A Dog's Death 
and Fanaticism. 

But there is no shame in this. 
This is the substance of The Way of the Samurai. 

If by setting one's heart right every morning and evening, 
one is able to live 
as though his body were 
ALREADY Dead, 
he gains  freedom in The Way.

His whole life will be without blame, 
and he will succeed in His Calling.”


T.S.
How is it that I go from the verge of 
hot Floridian sex with Brandi 
to Man of Steel coital debates 
with you in the food court?

Brodie: 
The Cookie stand isn't 
part of the food court.

T.S.
Of course it is.

Brodie
The food court is downstairs
The cookie stand is upstairs. 

It not like we're talking 
Quantum Physics here.

T.S.
The cookie stands counts as an eatery, 
Eateries' are a part of the food court.

Brodie
Bullshit. 
Eateries that operate within 
The Designated Square downstairs 
count as The Food Court. 

Anything outside of said Designated Square 
counts as An Autonomous Unit for Mid-Mall Snacking.

Now, if you're going to wax intellectual about the subject -- 

The Kryptonite Condom





Mallrats (Superman)


T.S.
But they're engaged.

Brodie
Doesn't matter, it can't happen.

T.S.
Why not? It's bound to come up.

Brodie
It's impossible,
Lois could never have 
Superman's Baby. 

Do you think her fallopian tubes could handle the sperm
I guarantee you he blows a load 
just like a shotgun right through her back. 

What about her womb
Do you think it's strong enough to carry his child?

T.S.
Sure, why not?

Brodie
He's an alien, for Christ's sake, 
his Kryptonian biological makeup is enhanced 
by Earth's yellow sun -- 

If Lois gets a tan 
the kid could kick 
right through her stomach. 

Only someone like Wonder Woman
 has a strong enough uterus to carry his kid. 

The only way he could bang regular chicks 
is with a Kryptonite condom -- 
That would kill him.


T.S.
How is it that I go from the verge of 
hot Floridian sex with Brandi 
to Man of Steel coital debates 
with you in the food court?

Brodie: 
The Cookie stand isn't 
part of the food court.

T.S.
Of course it is.

Brodie
The food court is downstairs
The cookie stand is upstairs. 

It not like we're talking 
Quantum Physics here.

T.S.
The cookie stands counts as an eatery, 
Eateries' are a part of the food court.

Brodie
Bullshit. 
Eateries that operate within 
The Designated Square downstairs 
count as The Food Court. 

Anything outside of said Designated Square 
counts as An Autonomous Unit for Mid-Mall Snacking.

Now, if you're going to wax intellectual about the subject -- 

[notices Rene at the clothing store] 
Holy shit!

Wait. Stop. Think!




'cuz Opportunity comes 
once in a Lifetime,
You'd better --

Loose y'self in The Music,
The Moment,
You WANT it,
Better never let it go (go)!



“....hmm.

‘spose My Illusions don’t WORK on Artificial Intelligence.

Stands to REASON when you THINK about it.

Oh, well —

TELEKINESIS it is.” 

When Buffy hears the door close she pushes the lid back open and climbs out, only to be startled by Faith's hand on her shoulder. 

Buffy, The Vampire Slayer :
Faith! 

Faith, The Vampire Slayer
(baffled and vaguely disgusted)
What are you doing, 
hiding in there? 

Buffy, The Vampire Slayer :
Looking for the amulet. 
Wasn't counting on the Special Guest Stars. 
Six against one. 
(gestures at the coffin
Hence the hiding

Faith, The Vampire Slayer : 
Well, it's six against two now, 
so come on. 

She rushes out of the crypt. 
Buffy climbs out of the coffin and follows her out. 

Cut outside. 
They come out in time to see the last two Eliminati jump down through a manhole into the sewers below. 

Faith makes tracks for it. 

Buffy
Wait. Stop. Think! 

Faith
(stops, defiantly) 
No, no, no

(starts again) 

Buffy
(chases her) 
It's a manhole. 
Tight space, no escape, six against two, 
not unlike three against one. 

Faith: 
And there might be more, (grabs Buffy's arm) 
so come on. 

(lets go

Buffy: 
You're just gonna go down there. 
That's your plan. 

Faith: 
Who said I had a plan
I don't know how many's down there, 
but I wanna find out. 

And I'll know when I land

And if you don't come in after me, 
(shrugs and smiles) 
I might die

Without any further hesitation 
she jumps in. 

Buffy can't believe it, 
but realizes she can't let her do it alone, 
and jumps in after her.