The Inside: 1.1-1.13 (complete)

[meganbmoore]

pics 's lengthy-ish pimp post.

In between finishing The Inside and my writing about it, prozacparkhad me watch P2 a movie featuring Rachel Nichols (also the star of The Inside) running around in a lowcut white dress (after being put in the dress by what may have been her rapist) through a parking garage in a neverending state of eroticized terror. I’m told Rachel Nichols actually made them tone that down. Needless to say, between that and the supergruesome deaths and gratuitous bloodsplatters, I was reminded of what I don’t often watch thrillers or horror movies.

Anyway, the movie made me realize that, for all the blonde heroine of The Inside has a tendency to be terrorized and/or abducted, it’s never sexualized. In fact, you could say it’s desexualized. Which is oddly refreshing.

Anyway, The Inside is not my typical kind of show. The series is about the FBI’s special Crimes unit, headed up by a man named Web. Web is most kindly described and diabolical. He believes that the best people to solve crimes are people with severe issues themselves. His crowning achievement, therefore, is personally stamping the approval papers of Rebecca Locke. When she was 10, Rebecca was kidnapped and held captive for 18 months, until she returned home by herself, with no memories of the time she was gone. Needless to say, that leaves you with Issues, and Rebecca has grown up with not only a severe detachment from the world, but also with a detachment from any sense of self or identity.

At first glance, Rebecca is rather bland and foolish, almost a stereotype of the female lead who can’t stay out of trouble. After a few episodes, however, it becomes clear that that isn’t what’s going on. In fact, she seems to throw herself into the role of victim, not because she wants to be a victim, but because she can bring the victimizer down from that perspective, as she did once before. Early in the series, she says that the person truly in control of a situation is the apparent victim, and for her, at least, that’s true. That, however, is only the tip of the iceberg of crazy that is Rebecca Locke, and the 13 episodes really only begin to delve into her issues.

To be honest, I hated most of the episodic plots, no matter how well done they were. The focus, however, was not on the Killer of the Week, but on what dealing with the Killer of the Week does to a person. And now, a roll call in pictures.

Rebecca Locke, as played by Rachel Nichols.

People actually don't point guns a lot in this series, but when they do, it's rather prime gun pointing.

Web (Peter Coyote) at his diabolical best.


Paul (Jay Harrington) who has some serious "must save the girl" issues regarding Rebecca, without ever seeming to even think about straying from his (awesome) wife.  The problem, of course, is that the girl doesn't want to be saved.


Mel (Katie Finneran) who is possibly best known here as Sharon from Wonderfalls.  Mel has a certain almost maternal streak that can be a bit jarring after Sharon (though I think both are equally awesome) but she might be the toughest person in the cast.


Danny (Alec Baldwin) also well know here as Jayne in Firefly and Casey in Chuck.  Baldwin tends to be typecast as the triggerhappy guy with some odd quirks, and Danny is no exception, but he also manages to make the characters pretty distinct from each other, which I think is an accomplishment.


Random cute pic of Mel and Danny, the closest thing I have to a ship in the series.  Though, in all honesty, I'm not sure how much is the show, and how much is "But can you imagine Jayne and Sharon?  If Sharon liked boys."  (And really, it took me about 3 episodes to be convinced that she might.)

(Ok, mostly, I just love Katie Finneran's expression there.  She makesthe best expressions ever.)

And finally, Carter (Nelson Ellis).  I saved Carter for last because he's more of a bit character in early episodes, and then becomes more of a regular cast member later on.  This make me very sad, as it means there wasn't a whole lot of him.  Though i do appreciate whatthey were doing with that by having us and the other characters get used to Rebecca's crazy, and then having someone who wasn't as used to it start questioning it.

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[lady-ganesh.livejournal.com]

It sits next to The Wonder Years and Poor Cow in 'just put the damn stuff out already!' hell...