> Date: Wed, 7 Nov 2007 21:59:54 -0500> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]> To:
> [email protected]> Subject: Re: [gundam] Episode 5 Spoilers!> > Joseph Riggs
> wrote:> > Actually, it seemed somewhat contrived to me that the Ensign was
> even able> > to shoot the blocks loose in the first place. The block hulls
> are clearly> > armored well enough to withstand blasts from her gun. So she
> must have> > somehow just happened to hit some vital connection links while
> firing> > wildly.> > I won't go into any pseudo-scientific analysis, just
> suffice to say,> yes, the whole premise seems completely contrived as far as
> physics,> mechanics/design and heuristics are concerned.> > Here are a couple
> examples that even an English major ;-) can understand:> > 1. What was
> Allelujah's original mission? To observe a mobile suit's> performance
> experiment and probably to destroy it. What's the target?> Obviously Tieren
> Tao II! So what was he doing, casually arriving the> train station when
> Sergei was already making initial assessment of> Some/Tieren Tao II's?
> He/Kyrios should be in an hidden spot recording> the whole proceeding and
> ready for a little dance with HRA's next gen> MS. (ok I just saw Joseph
> spotted the same point)
Maybe the train was delayed? Or CB screwed up their timing. (Or Sergei
decided to go early?) Contrived, but plausible.
The more contrived bit IMHO was that they didn't send the Gundam they already
had in orbit to observe/engage, unless the Ptolemaios was farther away from the
site than I thought, or that model of Gundam just wasn't considered suitable
for the circumstances. Maybe they expected the Virtue to be too slow to
escape, and wanted Kyrios so it could get away in a hurry? Or was Virtue STILL
being refuelled/recharged after several days?
> 2. After Sergei stopped Soma's rage, what was his command to> off-screen
> soldiers? To recover Soma! At that point in time, who> needs recovery more
> urgently? I don't think it's Soma. Yes there's a> chance Soma can go berserk
> again, but if that happens a lot of people> will die no matter what. If Soma
> doesn't go berserk in the next 14> minutes, those MS/equipment/whatever can
> do much more for those 230> drifting civilians than Sergei alone.
As we talked about before, too much damage to that gravity block could damage
the elevator itself if the spin imbalance got too big. Bad news not only for
those on the parts of the block that were still attached, but also for everyone
who depends on the elevator for power. Remember, it looks like they use the
elevator as a sort of extension cord for sending solar electricity to Earth, so
cutting it pulls the plug on most of the Eastern hemisphere. "Thanks for
saving the civvies. Here's your medal of heroism. Shame about your leaving
that little lunatic to continue her shooting spree that destroyed the elevator,
though -- we'll just take its replacement cost out of your (forced) early
retirement stipend for the next few millennia."
Could also be that Sergei wasn't sure he'd survive the attempt to hold up the
gravity block and didn't want to drag his men in with him. Or a combination of
the two factors ("You all restrain the little nutcase before she cuts the
elevator; I'll make a near-suicidal attempt to stop the gravity block from
entering the atmosphere!")
> Both points are contrived just for one transparent purpose: to give> Sergei
> several minutes of solo screen time to develop his> heroism/selflessness and
> then further give an opportunity for CB to> demonstrate their own brand of
> heroism.> > If Allelujah were out there carrying out his mission in time then
> you> ended up with a (predictable) firefight between Sergei + Soma v.>
> Allelujah.
Or Sergei + Allelujah vs crazed, firing-at-everything Soma!
Also makes me wonder how they'll justify leaving Soma on Sergei's squad. Right
now she's arguably more dangerous than the Gundams.
"Dammit, Sergei, we spent billions making her and YOU'RE GOING TO USE HER NO
MATTER WHAT!" <superior punctuates words by pounding desk repeatedly>
> Or Allelujah would be ready to step in before Sergei had> time to recite his
> lines.
Assuming he wasn't temporarily incapacitated by the same pain that was driving
Soma crazy. I suppose the scene could have been played either way.
> If Sergei had order support troops to come help him prevent the> blocks' fall
> then his heroism is divided by the number of MS who shows> up. Or they might
> be able to separate the three blocks by> conventional means instead of
> forcing Lockon to fire his BMFG.
They might not have even thought of separating the blocks in time even if they
had more people. I didn't think of it until Allelujah told everyone to move to
the center. Wouldn't be the first time the best plan got overlooked in the
heat of the moment, even by professionals. And given the apparently outrageous
powerplant the Gundams have (any idea how much thrust compared to standard
MS?), more conventional MS might not have made a difference in holding up the
block. It still could have taken the Gundam to do any good.
I'm going with "felt guilty about putting a young girl in a mobile suit, orders
be damned, and thus felt responsible for the consequences" plus "didn't want to
put his troops in danger with so little chance of success."
> There, you did it, you made me think about the episode more than I> should
> and now it's utterly ruined.
Hey, if you REALLY want to screw up your TV watching (anime and otherwise),
start wandering around tvtropes.org. In a sense it's ALL contrived; sometimes
it's just more obvious than others. IMHO a lot of Real Life would make a lousy
plot...
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