about Danny's 407 review

[wren_kt7oz]

Danny has written another cracker of a review, and if you haven't already read it you should.

danelle9118

Thinking about it, there were a few things which floated through my mind.

So here they are if you're interested.

Danny commented on how in the episode Michael seemed to be in major, me me me mode

Snerk! This is how I see Mikey just about all of the time. (Perhaps he channels Grace Adler "It's always about me!" LOL) Although I suspect that what C/L were going for in this ep was that Mikey was being open about expressing his feelings and his fears unlike someone else we know and love. It's just that obviously for some of us, it came across badly.

Danny refers to Brian's lack of self worth, and it's possible sources, the destructive pattern of his childhood with his parents constantly telling him how worthless he was.

Yes, exactly, and we know this is one of Brian's secret views of himself, because he's told us ("I'm a shitty father, are we surprised?"). Mind you, it's not just from his bio family, is it? We hear constantly from his 'real' family what a selfish shit he is, what an asshole he is. Both behind his back and to his face. Hell! Deb told him loud and clear in 406.

I believe this is why his looks, his perfect body, his image are all so important to him. Without them, he’s still that worthless piece of shit.

Last night I rewatched the commentary version of 101, and Gale's words about Brian chimed right along in with this. The stuff about him being almost manically self conscious and concerned about how other people see him. And it's always how I've read Brian, he has to maintain the image at all costs because he has so little belief in his 'real self'. Especially, he has no belief in his 'real' self's ability to attract people, to win love and admiration just for being himself. It's only the image that can do that. It's no wonder he never wanted to let anyone close to him! One thing I wanted to add about the Gus thing ... watching 101 last night I was struck by Brian's words in the car and how they seemed to echo in this scene.

101: "First words my sonny boy said to me. It wasn't Dadda, it was tick tick tick" (referring back to the scene on the roof with Mikey when he likened the baby to a clock ticking away his youth, and was pondering jumping).

407: (Lindz) "Gus has been saying Dadda all day."

Now, I know that's a stretch, but we know that in an upcoming episode, C/L refer very strongly back to 102 in one of Ted's scenes, and I just wonder if they took one more opportunity to drive home Brian's need to be young and beautiful, and how difficult he finds it to live with an image of himself that is anything less.

Just a few thoughts. And I still haven't forgiven Deb for last week. She was nuts this week. And as self-obsessed as Mikey. Most unpleasant.