As you've told us this chapter ends the Traffic arc it's obvious this book is going to stay with the Squad and not branch out into the court side of law enforcement - which is fine - but there are aspects of that I'd be interested in seeing. Mostly dealing with the Palinor...ians...(?). I'd assume this batch was another group of desperate dupes hoping to shuttle to Max-Earth. While the police have just rescued them from sex slavery, they ARE "illegals," and it's not clear if they'll be deported, imprisoned, allowed to sue for asylum, etc.
Barrindon might be focus of a larger investigation now. Whether that's the next thing tackled by SDC, or if that gets shunted to a different department remains to be seen.
Maybe something for a bonus chapter since the main narrative seems SDC centered?
All hail Robin Cole, unsung hero of SDC. The person who makes tea and decorates the office should rarely be overlooked. Unless they have truly terrible taste.
"Doing her bit to make the world a slightly better place, one cup of tea at a time."
I liked that line: I'm not a tea person, but I appreciate the sentiment. Also, as someone born in the late 80s and grew up in the 90s, I was thinking Independence Day already, and I wouldn't have been able to resist either.
Let's talk Robin, Janine from Real Ghostbusters and J. Michael Straczynski...
If you aren't already aware JMS was story editor for the first network and syndication seasons of RGB - so the first 80 episodes or so. Those were the episodes where Venkman was played by Lorenzo Music, and Janine had the miniskirt, spiky hair, abrasive voice, and cock attitude... Well, by the time the show was picked up for a second production season the right wing people who ran the standards boards had time to get their knickers in a twist. This is when the creatures designs moved from scary to cute, Dave Coulter took over Venkman (Bill Murray complained about Lorenzo's performance), and Janine got redesigned and rewritten into a "nurturing mother figure." (Egon and Janine's glasses also went from rectangular to circular because of a censor note asking for the change because "children are frightened of sharp things.") Oh, and the network decided Slimer was now the protagonist.
Faced with the show being utterly dumbed down and defanged, JMS did something he's done other times he got into it with studio execs and walked off the show.
Cut to a later production season, and the studio is trying to get JMS back. He agreed with one specific demand.
He was gonna change Janine back to her sexy, sarcastic season 1 self.
Cue episode 118, "Janine, You've Changed," in which it's revealed that a supernatural entity has been posing as Janine's Fairy Godmother, but feeding off Janine's low self esteem. The entity even blocked the perception of others so they didn't really notice the changes! The entity is defeated, Janine reverts to her season 1 self, the guys tell her how amazing she is and vital to the company, and Egon finally asks her out on a date. To a science seminar.
Thus does JMS give a universe-logical reason for Janine's character model, voice and personality change, really delve into Janine's psyche, stick up a middle finger to the network, and write the best episode of the final production block. Not bad for 21 minutes!
Anyways, Robin seems a little more season 2+ Janine. Season 1 Janine/Robin would want to BE a cop and have esteem issues over it.
Well I hope this gives Clarke some closure.
As you've told us this chapter ends the Traffic arc it's obvious this book is going to stay with the Squad and not branch out into the court side of law enforcement - which is fine - but there are aspects of that I'd be interested in seeing. Mostly dealing with the Palinor...ians...(?). I'd assume this batch was another group of desperate dupes hoping to shuttle to Max-Earth. While the police have just rescued them from sex slavery, they ARE "illegals," and it's not clear if they'll be deported, imprisoned, allowed to sue for asylum, etc.
Barrindon might be focus of a larger investigation now. Whether that's the next thing tackled by SDC, or if that gets shunted to a different department remains to be seen.
Maybe something for a bonus chapter since the main narrative seems SDC centered?
All hail Robin Cole, unsung hero of SDC. The person who makes tea and decorates the office should rarely be overlooked. Unless they have truly terrible taste.
"Doing her bit to make the world a slightly better place, one cup of tea at a time."
I liked that line: I'm not a tea person, but I appreciate the sentiment. Also, as someone born in the late 80s and grew up in the 90s, I was thinking Independence Day already, and I wouldn't have been able to resist either.
Let's talk Robin, Janine from Real Ghostbusters and J. Michael Straczynski...
If you aren't already aware JMS was story editor for the first network and syndication seasons of RGB - so the first 80 episodes or so. Those were the episodes where Venkman was played by Lorenzo Music, and Janine had the miniskirt, spiky hair, abrasive voice, and cock attitude... Well, by the time the show was picked up for a second production season the right wing people who ran the standards boards had time to get their knickers in a twist. This is when the creatures designs moved from scary to cute, Dave Coulter took over Venkman (Bill Murray complained about Lorenzo's performance), and Janine got redesigned and rewritten into a "nurturing mother figure." (Egon and Janine's glasses also went from rectangular to circular because of a censor note asking for the change because "children are frightened of sharp things.") Oh, and the network decided Slimer was now the protagonist.
Faced with the show being utterly dumbed down and defanged, JMS did something he's done other times he got into it with studio execs and walked off the show.
Cut to a later production season, and the studio is trying to get JMS back. He agreed with one specific demand.
He was gonna change Janine back to her sexy, sarcastic season 1 self.
Cue episode 118, "Janine, You've Changed," in which it's revealed that a supernatural entity has been posing as Janine's Fairy Godmother, but feeding off Janine's low self esteem. The entity even blocked the perception of others so they didn't really notice the changes! The entity is defeated, Janine reverts to her season 1 self, the guys tell her how amazing she is and vital to the company, and Egon finally asks her out on a date. To a science seminar.
Thus does JMS give a universe-logical reason for Janine's character model, voice and personality change, really delve into Janine's psyche, stick up a middle finger to the network, and write the best episode of the final production block. Not bad for 21 minutes!
Anyways, Robin seems a little more season 2+ Janine. Season 1 Janine/Robin would want to BE a cop and have esteem issues over it.