#mygkthoughts

Oh really?

You talking shit about his RTO? FIGHT

Cause trouble for Kocher? ANGRY ICEMAN SCOWLS ALL UP IN YOUR PERSONAL SPACE

It’s an interesting line to draw around privacy or being known or whatever, and it fascinates me. I think it also ties into the rant I have floating around here somewhere about Brad not taking the opportunity to push the limits of the grooming standard, preferring to be picture perfect.

I think we’re all in agreement that Brad is having feelings ALL OVER this show, but they’re tightly controlled ones. We see them as he decides to show them and no other way. So Brad talks about his frustrations/disappointments/gratitude when and where HE chooses and he gives not a single solitary fuck what anyone thinks about him for that.

...which left me thinking about the story about his ex and his best friend, because he and Ray might have a routine about it now, but there was definitely a time when that would have been a vulnerable story for him. So why would he share it? And here’s where we get to the erasing the individuality for the Good Marine persona.

Because stories are currency, right? They’re something you offer up to distract and entertain the guys you are with. As Ray says, it passes the time. When Brad says “it’s time we earn our stories” he’s both being pretentious AND reflecting a reality of their lives which is that there is value and cachet in having a new/good/interesting story to tell.

ok listen i don’t want to be reported to the...

A. please more filth B. IM A BORING OTP-ER BUT TELL ME WHAT BRAD NEEDS PLEASE

YEAH. The show is doing so much in terms of character work and “realism” and gorgeous cinematography, but it usually isn’t super fussy in its visual storytelling (or not so I’ve noticed, but to be fair, I’m very easily distracted by my boys and their sparking dialogue.) The intro is an exception, because it’s a thesis statement and evidence all in one. 

We don’t know where we are, we don’t know who we’re observing, we can’t understand what they’re saying because they’re using what is recognizably elaborate jargon, and we don’t know why we’re looking at what we’re looking at.

On a re-watch things like Skittles and weapons and the sheet of call signs makes sense, but as a first montage it is very deliberately obscure. And its overlaid by people absolutely shouting with urgency into the comms, so we can tell that *something* important is happening, even if we don’t know what.

It’s bewildering and confusing, The show is aware of its viewer, but it doesn’t care. It’s trying to bewilder and confuse, but pointedly in a way that says “This all makes sense to us. You’re the one who is out of place here.” 

And then, just when you think you know what is happening - they’re at war, someone just got shot - you learn, nope! None of that is true. Head fake!

It continues for a fair bit into the first episode too - before you know who anyone is there’s violence and slurs and posturing and description of sex acts and a bewildering number of names and faces. Once the Reporter is introduced, the show doesn’t take the opportunity to make him our stranger-in-a-strange-land audience surrogate or POV character. Instead, the show is just sort of impatiently like, hurry up, follow along, figure it out. 

I love it, and I respect it as a storytelling technique. It totally grabbed me from the first minute. 

Please imagine how Brad’s face darkens when Nate calls Ray in Missouri to troubleshoot a tricky bit.

Please imagine the next day when Nate accidentally-on-purpose gets a virus on his laptop so that he can bring it to Brad to fix and repair Brad’s wounded pride.

But once upon a time, I went through, screenshot by screenshot, and looked at the shit that the guys carry in their vests, because it’s one of the small bits of individual autonomy that they’re allowed to have, in a system that basically thrives on eradicating individuality.

And the thing is, that I learned exactly what you’d think I’d learn - Nate is a nerd with too many pens, Ray has ridiculous sunglasses, Encino Man misses the point for stupid details.

But if you zoom out a little, it’s true for all clothing choices. Basically, they get a small inch within the grooming standard, and they take as close to a mile as they can get.

Pappy’s got his moustache and his shemagh; Patterson’s got his Oakley’s; Rudy has his flappy camo shawl; Qtip has his daisy.

And then there’s Brad motherfuckin’ Colbert who is a walking illustration from the uniform code, wearing nothing but perhaps one too many rounds of ammunition.