In the fourteenth episode of Baccano, EVERYTHING IS REALLY WEIRD. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Baccano!
“Graham Specter’s Love and Peace”
- I really don’t know how I feel about this. It’s so strange!
- Have you ever read a fanfic where all the characterizations are spot-on, but it’s set in some weird place, or all the characters are doing something super mundane and ordinary that you never saw them do in the series? That’s kind of how I feel about the opening scene, where everyone from Firo’s party is setting up an elaborate design with dominoes. Like… what the fuck? Really? It’s actually not all that surprising when you think about Isaac and Miria setting up all those dominoes, but I have no idea why the scene is there. What purpose does it serve?
- Well, it’s Maiza organizing a group domino design. I suppose it doesn’t need a purpose beyond that.
- But introducing a new character at this point? It’s a little much, particularly because he’s a lot to comprehend. But in one sense, it’s not that outlandish. It makes sense that Ladd Russo gained followers of a sort, and we know a lot of them followed him onto that train. However, Graham feels like he’s half of Claire and half of Ladd jammed together. He doesn’t really bring anything new to the story yet. I say “yet” because I know it’s possible this is going somewhere I haven’t quite picked up on.
- Still, this is an odd one. I honestly could do without Graham at this point.
- But this isn’t a pointless episode! I was completely shocked by ELMER re-appearing in the narrative. YEAH, I FORGOT ABOUT HIM. Through some sort of manipulation that I can’t even begin to understand, he is put in the same cell as Huey Laforet, which is wild enough as it is. HE’S STILL ASKING FOR SMILES. DUDE. YOUR FRIEND IS IN PRISON. Still, even Huey couldn’t resist Elmer’s infectious behavior.
- And then, in a matter of seconds, my smile goes to HOLY GOD NO, WHAT ARE YOU DOING THIS IS SO SAD. The flashback we get that shows why Chane can no longer talk is so disturbing to me. And I don’t know if I was imagining this, but did Huey seem guilty about what he’d done? The way he framed this all as evidence that Elmer couldn’t make Chane smile seemed like an admission that he had made this way. Seriously, he put a burden on her – the knowledge of his immortality??? – at a young age, and she was so deeply devoted to him that in return, she asked him to take her voice away.
- DOES THIS MAKE ANYONE ELSE UNCOMFORTABLE
- Actually, I’m sure this is intentional, but still. She was a teenager!
- I also am not sure of the “burden” he gave her, and I’m also confused about their connec –
- oh
- oh
- oh okay wait a second
- this is a theory and it’s probably a really bad one
- but
- Chane has a telepathic link with her father, and she’s got some sort of burden, and okay, is it possible that Huey created her, like Quates created Ennis? Because I still don’t understand the telepathic thing unless Chane is also an immortal?
- I’M SO LOST
- There is also this super complicated plot where Graham is going to kidnap Eve in order to bring out Jacuzzi so he can earn the Russo bounty, which makes no sense to me at ALL. I’m sorry, have Jacuzzi and Eve ever met? At all? EVER? How is this going to work???
- WHATEVER, ALL OF THIS EPISODE IS WORTH IT BECAUSE OF RACHEL AND CZESLAW MEETING UP FOR STORYTELLING TIMES. Rachel might be my favorite side character, y’all. After sharing everything she knows with Mysterious Desk Man, she’s sent to go find Czeslaw for the answers she’s missing. What I don’t get is HOW THE FUCK THE MAN AT THE DAILY DAYS KNEW RIGHT WHERE CZESLAW WAS. Who is he????
- But I do like the idea that Rachel is rewarded for her loyalty and kindness. She’s incredible.
- MORE RACHEL
- MAKE A SHOW ABOUT HER.
- who the fuck is the man behind the desk goddamn it, this is going to haunt me forever, isn’t it?
The video for Episode 14 can be downloaded here for $0.99.
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