We need to talk about The Death Cure (5/5)

We need to talk about the Death Cure :

1. The Movie in General

2. Scene by Scene

3. The characters

4. The pairings

5. Random thoughts

Random thoughts and questions :

At WCKD :

- do you think all kids were subjected to what we witnessed, during Minho’s hallucination / serum producing ? And that…. Thomas and Aris only saw them in a phase of rest? (……if so, must have been hellish to witness)

- I feel a kind of weird fondness for all WCKD employees. The scientists doesn't seem very happy to do their jobs (the bearded guy sighted in french when asked to keep torturing Minho, the nurses and various docs seemed uncomfortable with seing Shai suffer... and the security guys didn't seem like baddies, only like ordinary people doing their jobs, and being more or less good at it). I wonder if it's on purpose? To reinforce the feeling that WCKD is good, or at least that it was not intended to be a temple of evil, and it's normal people with normal values and lives that work there, not monsters.

- if they have been implanted trackers, why didn’t WCKD locate them easily? Or did I misunderstood what this device was? Oooooooor is that because this would require operating satellites, or some other technology, that would be down given that well, apocalypse? So they would only be able to use short range detectors, that could be put in the bergs? (......but then how can they have tracked the stolen berg? .......Rah who am I kidding, I know nothing about these technologies anyway.)

- when Ava says the virus is airborn and that the Flare is now in the city, that they’ve lost (which we already kinda knew from Teresa spotting someone being arrested in the street)….. why wasn’t it there before? Did one of their experiments go wrong? Except we can see that they’ve been very careful in their decontamination process, in the labs. So….. I have three solutions to offer :

- I really wonder when Janson got infected. He sounds eager to get the antidote during Sai's scene so..... Was he already infected then?

- it's not a question, but something I forgot to write earlier : Ava drinking in her office really looks like the captain of the Titanic, while the ship is sinking, and I wonder if they designed her office with this image in mind.

- during WCKD infiltration scene, I had been wondering why they joined progressively, when they're dressed as WCKD soldiers. Now I wonder.... Given that each of their soldier uniforms is slightly different, do you think that's the reason for them entering the building separately? Because each uniform is for a special kind of security forces, supposed to remain in a specific area for a specific mission (and it would be strange to have a parking access controller enter the building by the main entrance, for example)? Which would then explain why, based on their frames, only Thomas and Newt would be able to easily evolve through the building, so Gally would have to be the one staying behind, as he's restricted to parking and outside areas. It can also be possible that each uniform comes with specific access granted and time slots when it's normal that the security agent would be in the building.

About the Flare (and Newt) :

- so Ava explains they're using the antibodies that exist in the Immunes' system, to create a serum that we get the impression will be a vaccine. But I woooonder if it's true, and if maybe they had lost hope of finding a vaccine ; from what I understand, a vaccine can be created by injecting a weakened disease or a “dead” disease. So they would indeed need antibodies that could manage to attack the virus. As they haven’t managed to kill the disease or weaken it enough to create a vaccine, maybe they stopped working on this, deciding they would have no time to complete a vaccine anyway, and instead tried to focus on creating a Cure aiming only at slowing the progression of the virus, by controlling what triggers its development. The Flare virus seems to spread faster when the body produces adrenaline (so through stress or physical effort) ; and WCKD seems to be collecting this adrenaline from Immunes, given what they’re putting them through, maybe because it is slightly different and doesn’t trigger the Virus in the same way?… …except if they had kept searching, they would have realized they have at least one subject whose Immune System manages to kill the disease and which could have enabled them to create a real vaccine.

- I wonder if they tested Thomas' antibodies before the Maze and maybe somehow his Immune System hadn't produced the right kind of reaction, not the same as Teresa witnesses at least. ......because them not testing Thomas' antibodies before the Maze is still kind of a major plothole. ......and also, they didn't test the blood they took from him in TST??

- seriously, do you think without the car accident, Newt would have survived? Because I was sure he’s the one saying his hand is hurt, right after the car crash ; and from this moment, he keeps playing with his hand and starts expressing his jealousy. But listening to the french version, I strained my ear and it's not Newt but Fry complaining about his hand right after the crash, right? Or am I making a mistake? And if I'm correct, is it a red herring?

- I’ve been torn on Newt and the rhythm at which the Flare symptoms progressed? Was it slow, compared to Brenda or Winston, showing how much control he exercises over himself? Or was it fast because I was not emotionnally prepared for it? …..also, was the worsening of his symptoms triggered by him needing to run/exercise himself or by him being stressed/jealous/angered? Or a combination of both? (because I had a feeling anything related Teresa was, oddly, followed by a worsening of his state)

- Teresa picked up the signs of Newt being infected, why didn’t she say anything about it? Why didn’t she offer help straight away, but only later? .....and also.... Newt shares a silent look with Teresa, right after he coughed. She knows that he's ill, and he knows that she knows. And that comes after the scene where Thomas had failed to pick up the earlier signs of Newt being infected. So I wondered how that felt, to him, and if it furthered his anger, to know that she saw his state, given that he has resentment towards her. .....and if it's another reason that he doesn't want to stay behind when they discover Minho is not with the other Immunes.

- I read that Wes Ball confirmed they took Newt’s body with them, to be buried in the Safe Haven. Do you really think they did? That it was safe, given the risks of infection spreading? (…..sorry). But also, where and how do you think they buried him? é_è

Wild Guesses :

- do you think Thomas could have had kinda reminiscences of his lost memories? Like…. He would have the reflex to run when he firsts arrives in the Glade, knowing it’s the key to the Maze? He would hallucinate Newt being a Crank while being drugged because his brain knows Newt isn’t Immune and remembers the effects the Flare can have on someone?

- when Lawrence asks Thomas "Do you know what I am?", and answers "a businessman", what do you think would have happened if Thomas had answered aloud what we all thought, "a crank"?

- I wonder which book Brenda was reading and if it would indicate something about her. Also, she's seen repeatedly playing cards with herself, which seems like a waiting game, a "game of patience". I wondered if she picked the habit as a way to control her nerves and as a defence against a potential return of the virus, since they all believe she's infected and will turn into a Crank sooner or later.

- during the Crank tunnel scene, we have this moment where a crank is stopping their road, and both Frypan and Newt turn towards Thomas expectantly. Do you think they mean this moment as a way to show Thomas is their leader or as a way to show Fry and Newt question his authority, like saying "see? we told you it was a bad idea, you still insisted, what are we doing now, oh mister smartass?" .......or both, maybe.

- do you think Frypan thought he would die? I get this vibe from his answer to Thomas to say Hi to Minho on his behalf (and despite that he still joins the rescue mission ç__ç )

- in the last scene, when they rescue Thomas with the berg, there's like.... an inversion of the color of lights theory that I had. Teresa and Thomas are about to be swallowed by the out of control natural orange light from the fires ; the Gladers and Immunes are in the cold blue light from the Berg and represent the only chance of survival amidst this hell. Do you think it's a way to show that WCKD did good, at least a little? (....but what good exactly did they do? managing to help people live normally for as long at they could, instead of being swallowed by madness?) Or am I reading too much into this?

- I was bugged by one thing, when they're in the Safe Haven, in the ending scene... ......and it's Vince picking up corn. Like.... it can of course show that they're going to find ways of surviving but come on, it takes looooong to grow corn, so even if it's a symbol, it bugged me. Same goes for the fact that they have already built some cabans of sorts. But then I wondered. ......maybe they had already sent people here to prepare a settlement. I mean it would make more sense than put everyone on a ship and then blindly explore the shores in search for a place to settle, hoping they'll find a place before they're out of fuel, right? So.... Alright, I'm only buying this scene if Vince had already sent people there weeks before.

- Aris worries me a little too, in the Safe Haven. He seems withdrawn (well, he's always been, but even more?), while Harriet and Sonya seem relaxed... We have a shot of him talking with Jorge (which was the cutest thing) where Jorge smiles wide and he's more... hesitant, not really smiling, and I hope someone takes care of him too (Jorge, or, because I like this pairing, Gally). Also, I wonder what he went through at WCKD, given the wounds he sported at the beginning, and if he was abused in a different way (maybe after they've discovered the little schemes the quiet boy can be up to).

Shippiness :

- during the attack of the train ç___ç I hadn't picked that Vince was also protective of Newt, and it kinda broke my heart (and I wondered if he protected Newt because he's important to his surrogate son, or if he was like this towards everyone).

- I hadn't noticed Gally protecting Thomas right after he punched him, telling the others to let Thomas be, buuuut I caugth it in french, and *___* I've been wondering if maybe Gally had this protective streak right from the start (after all, he was the one to forcefully push Thomas away from the maze in TMR), except he expressed it badly and got at odds with Thomas. But now that things are cleaned between them, Gally grew through terrible moments and Thomas has been basically broken, do you think Gally could be one of the survivors making sure Thomas is okay?

- does Teresa understand how close Thomas and Newt are? When she tries to convince him to join their efforts, instead of saying that it's not with the current serum that he'd be able to save everyone, or his friends in general, she specifically names Newt.

- I wasn't sure but now I am, Minho yells Thomas' name when he jumps into the void XD

- it's Minewt and heartbreaking, that I wish I had seen earlier. But.... you know, the moment when the music picks up and the image blurs, showing Newt loses it to the virus... ......he actually does right the moment after Minho is sent away to "retrieve the serum". It's like.... The moment Newt knows Minho will be safe, he stops fighting against the illness. ç___ç And I wonder if that's the reason he held on so much, because his brain was set on his objective of saving Minho and... *sobs*

- regarding the necklace and the fact that there was a message for Thomas inside of it…. but that Minho was the one who found it in Thomas’ hand and kept it. I say there’s a big possibility that Minho understood what this was and found the letter before Thomas did or….  that he found the letter to Thomas and one that would have been written to him. Because I refuse to think Newt wouldn’t have left Minho a letter too ç___ç Aaaaand because it's quite clear Minho knows what's inside this pendant : he gives him the thing and then leaves, conveniently, and he looks at Thomas like he knows what he's about to go through and worries yet still thinks Thomas has to ç___ç

- upon third viewing, the audience reacted quite a lot to the Brenda/Jorge hug in the church, to which I wondered if there were some people that ship Brenda/Jorge XD Also, both time we see Brenda asleep, we see that Jorge is right next to her, and I headcanon that he's doing this to make sure no guy is getting close while she's asleep.

- on a side note, there's at least another guy who saw the Janson->Teresa vibe in the elevator, given that when Janson said "C'est ce qui me plait chez toi." ("That's what I like in you."), there was a loud "Oh putaaaaain." ("Oh fuuuck.") coming from someone in the audience XD

Inspiration :

- someone should write a Bankrobbers! AU (come one, look at Newt with his firething from the train attack and tell me it wouldn’t be awesome).

- in Minho's dream sequence, we see the Glade with far more trees than in TMR. Do you think it's Minho's brain imagining that trees would have grown after they left (but he also seems to picture the Glade as very recently abandonned) ......or give us a view of how the Glade looked at first, before they had to take down trees to create the Homestead or to light fires? (would make a lot of sense)

- can we all agree that they spent at least 3 days in The last City and that it means we have looooots of moments to be filled by fanfictions? :D because from what I understand :

- do you think there’s the slightest chance of seeing in the DVD bonus the Gladers telling Gally what happened to them in this past year? Because I would SO love that.

- I wonder what the last shot of Thomas, on the beach, means. If it means that he plans on using that boat again, and maybe leave the Safe Haven, with the Cure, to try to help other people? …….I don’t want him to do this, it would be stupid and useless, but he’s totally capable of interpretating Newt’s words as an invite to help other survivors. Come on. It’s Thomas. And he’s traumatized and feeling guilty for surviving.

- I’d love an analysis of TDC as an illustration of the 7 capital sins, because I thiiink (but I can be wrong) that we have them all there.

Bonus Thoughts (third viewing - French version) :

- so I have mixed feelings about the casting of the dub : I really loved Jorge, Brenda, Minho and Harriet's french voices ; Vince has moments where he shines ; I have mixed feelings about Teresa and Thomas' voices, and I didn't really like Frypan's (which is odd, since I love his voice in the previous movies). Gally's voice is a kind of a special case, because I love this voice, except I don't think it was fitted for the interrogation scene, where it sounded too soft and kind. Newt's voice is also a difficult one to evaluate : I loved it in the first two movies, yet here I liked it best and I felt like the actor underperformed. Ooooon the other hand, when he tells Thomas to calm down and stop punching Gally ("Calme-toi, maintenant. Tu m'entends? Allez..."), he has such a calm and gentle way of talking, it was amazingly tender. .....but the Nally vibes afterwards are killed there and thn ç__ç

- I felt like they replaced Brenda's voice in between TST and TDC, but after checking this it appears that it was all in my head, and they didn't change her voice at all.

- the translation was not too off, though some bits did bother me (and left me wodering if it was the same in the original version but that it didn't feel off then) : Jorge saying "ma poupée" (babydoll) when piloting the berg, Thomas saying "on va chercher notre pote" (we're gonna get back our mate) (urgh, they used "pote" so much and I hated the kind of relation it creates for them), Newt saying "Je monte devant" ("I'm sitting upfront", which didn't sound as ironic/cruel as "I get shot gun"), Teresa's towned down "tous nos efforts n'ont pas été vains" ("all the efforts we made were not in vain"), Newt's comment "Quand t'as connu le Bloc, c'est violent" ("when one has been in the Glade, it's violent" (i.e. the difference creates a violent shock) ), Thomas' answer to Brenda "J'ai envie d'essayer" ("I want to try" instead of "I can try"), the whole "there's no cure scene" because instead of playing it like Thomas is exploding they're having him whisper angrily, Janson's "Depuis qu'on t'a effacé la mémoire" ("Since we erased your memories") which was far less subtle,  

- Did I hear right?? When Gally, Thomas and Newt infiltrate the Last City, Gally says WCKD is on edge "à cause des Blocards et de la Tâche"?? ("because of the Gladers and the Shank") Wtf? If I heard right, which I hope I didn't, I'll be pissed, because.... in the original version, Gally doesn't try to piss Thomas off by refering to him as "shank" again, right?

- also, did Janson really told Teresa to watch out when he tries to shoot Thomas through the glass door? Or was it only in french?

- In his final moments, it seemed to me that Newt whimpers in pain and exhaustion, as Thomas forces him to keep on advancing, and I hadn't heard the same in English and it broke my heart.

- others bits I liked better in french : "Raison de plus pour pas cracher sur les bénévoles.", "Ca doit l'exciter de faire ça", Newt's "Je t'ai connu plus inspiré" (instead of the iconic "Bloody inspired",  

- translation bonus : Teresa says "vous" to Jason and Ava, while they say her "tu". "Vous" is a way to show both respect and distance (you talk that way to someone who is superior hierarchically, or older, or that you don't know well), while "tu" is a way to show friendliness or to be informal (you talk that way with friends, or with younger people, or sometimes to purposefully NOT show respect). I found it interesting that Janson is using the "tu" to talk with her, while she keeps him at bay in a subtle way with "vous". In Ava's case, I think their use of vous/tu shows fondness and respect.

- the french translation seemed to have chosen its side : there's barely anything shippy between Brenda and Thomas, whom she calls "Vieux" ("Y a pas de quoi, vieux" / "You're welcome, mate"), giving off a gruff friend tone to all their exchanges. ......but they also shot down slash pairings, putting "mec" (dude) or "pote" ("mate") everywhere ç_ç "Personne n'est parfait, mec", "Salut mon pote". .......on the other hand, Minho's voice when he asks Brenda for the serum break my heart (.....okay, the translating/dub team must have had at least one Minewt shipper XD). As well as Thomas' voice when he pleads with Newt to calm down ç___ç and also.... ......they added Newt whispering "Tommy" right after being stabbed, which I didn’t remember hearing in English (....alright there was also one Newtmas shipper in the team).

We need to talk about The Death Cure (4/5)

We need to talk about the Death Cure :

1. The Movie in General

2. Scene by Scene

3. The characters

4. The pairings

5. Random thoughts

The pairings

Even though it was not the focus of the film, as a fan and a fangirl, it was veeeery difficult not to search for pairings in this movie XD And first of all.... it was difficult not to see the movie as “Thomas and his wicked Love Interests” XD

So, we have....

Thomas...

...and Brenda?

- I think I like what they’ve done with Brenda and pairings (even though I still prefer Brenderesa and there was none) : it was clear for me she had a crush on Thomas. But the crush seems only one-sided (Thomas treats her like a friend, and doesn’t seem as focused on her as she is on him)…. and even worst, this crush seems to end, from Newt’s death scene. Like…. I had the feeling Brenda seems to realize, in that moment, that she’ll never have Thomas. That she’ll never be able to get his heart, not like she wants to. And she seems to accept that there’s nothing to be done about that, and I think she moves on.

- the little conversation in the church, between Thomas and Brenda (“You can’t save everyone.” “I can try.”), is probably supposed to be read as her telling Thomas to let go of Teresa. Except I heard it as a warning and foreshadowing regarding Newt, especially given the presence of a gun (which reminded me of page 250). Also, still from a shipper POV, Thomas’ reply, in addition to being an awesome character defining moment, sounded like a warning to Brenda that Thomas’ heart is strongly bonded to other people, regardless to whatever crush she may have for him.

- having said all this, I rewatched the Sorch Trials and she states very explicitely that Thomas reminds her of her brother, so in the end, I wondered if I was wrong to see this as a crush, and should have read this as a sibling link instead, and if it was the reason she was focused on him, not wanting to lose a brother twice. It would also make her understanding of the bond between Thomas and Newt far more justified (could they have spoken about him? maybe? aha).

...and Teresa?

- okay, I know they kissed. I know that. .........was I the only one that went “eeeew” during that scene? On the one hand, I loved how terribly sad and desperate this is, especially with the devastation and despair both must be feeling at the time. On the other hand... ..........but they’re like brother and sister!! Which is made very clear in The Fever Code. .............Is that another reference to Star Wars? .....to the Leia/Luke kiss? Right? Anyway, I won’t say much about Thomas/Teresa, because for me, they have a tight bond, but it’s not a romantic or even sexual bond. (Notice how Kaya Scodelario defines it as a connexion, but doesn’t go into romance territory?).

So notice that both of Thomas female love interests had quite a strong incestual vibe, in my eyes at least. I don’t know if this was done on purpose or not. Sooo, which love interests do we have left? :D

...and Minho?

- is it me, or in his dream-like hallucination, Minho is wearing Thomas clothes in TMR, instead of the ones he used to wear when we saw him in TMR? *coughs* Thominhooooo. Okay, it needs to be confirmed, but it really looked like it, and so I really wonder what this says about Minho’s psyche and relationship to Thomas.

- okay, so what is funny with TDC is that, even though I thought there wasn’t a lot of Thominho, I thiiiink this is the pairing that non-fangirls mainly noticed. I’ve heard about this in different commentaries, how Thomas is doing all this for Minho solely, and that it shows how much he loves the other boy, and I think they’re very right. .................buuuuuuuuuuut as a fangirl, I need mooooore XD I need so much more moments and dialogues and looks between the two of them ç___ç (arguably, a journalist said Thomas yelled Minho’s name a lot, but it didn’t seem out of the ordinary to me ^^;;;; )

- I wonder if the cast tried to support Thominho. Apart from the fact that we had the little “you didn’t suck me off” in the last bloopers, we had this great moment of DOB wondering why he wasn’t shipped with KHL. On a more “official” level, notice how KHL describes Thomas’ rescue mission as “getting your loved one out”.

- I still think there’s good basis for a Thominho but later on, in Paradise (I’m not sure who except Minho can understand Thomas, at this point ; ....except maybe Gally).

...and Newt?

*drumrolls “we have a winner” sound* - The film emphasized the bond between Thomas and Newt a lot, even though as a Newtmas shipper I would have wanted even more of that. XD As seen in my previous commentaries about Newt, there are many instances of the two being close. Newt is looking out for Thomas, he is protective and attentive towards him …..but it also goes both ways. For example, Thomas is the one approaching Newt after his jealous outburst, and I think it says a lot. Everyone seems to accept there is something special between the two of them : when a problem arises, it shocks everyone and it’s apparently a given that only them can sort it out. By the way, in this scene, after Newt’s outburst, I like the way Thomas approaches him, careful, worried, not angry or annoyed ; and the way Newt looks calmer yet guilty and sad, contemplating how things will go down from now, probably (people have pointed out that he only starts carrying his necklace from this moment). Note that this balance and bond between the two of them is clear in Wes Ball’s mind (thooough I’m not sure if the shippyness was intended or not).

- Also… seriously, Newt was trying to turn Thomas on, with his tongue play, right? I won’t believe anyone saying the contrary. Aaaaand someone needs to explain to me why Newt stands right in front of Thomas, almost provoking, teasing, while they’re both dressed as soldiers. It was pretty hot, imho, buuuut risky (which might be why it’s hot from a fangirl pov, aha XD), and I need to know why he does that, if not to tease Thomas or to act all territorial and elicit a strong emotional reaction from Thomas, to distract him from Teresa (and it was not the right time for that).

- I know it’s less sexy, but I like Newt showing his jealousy and his bitterness over Teresa/Thomas ; Jealous!Newt was an element of the books that I enjoyed very much and I didn’t even dream the movie would feature it. Not just when he explodes, but when they’re out of the Crank Tunnel too… Or, in a more subtle way, his little comment, in answer to Thomas asking why he didn’t say he was infected, “I didn’t think it would make a difference” : well, isn’t it a jab, implying “since you’re so focused on others/her, I didn’t think you’d care”, when they both know OF COURSE Thomas would care, and this is only a way to somehow hurt Thomas, though in a more subtle way, and even though he’s clearly guilty about his outburst (haaaaaaa, I love complex and flawed relatiooooons!!! :D). Interestingly enough, he doesn’t express jealousy towards Brenda. ……which I think, says a lot about the possibility of Thomas/Brenda being a thing. Because Newt doesn’t feel threatened by Brenda it seems (….well, okay, or if I take off my shipping glasses, because Brenda didn’t betray them).

- also, one thing that broke my heart as a Newtmas shipper was that Thomas didn’t see the way Newt seemed to have a problem with his hands (this scene when they’re about to descend into the tunnels to access the Last City, Newt clearly is having a problem with his hand, then looks at Thomas, clearly worried that his problem was seen, except Thomas’ attention is focused on getting into the tunnel) : for Newt, would it have been a relief (to be able to keep hiding it) or a disappointement, being hurt that Thomas would not notice this, when Newt is always so observant and making sure Newt is allright?

BUT my horizons are open and I don’t necessarily ship only Thomas. For example.... I could see a lot of different ships with Newt, in TDC. Let’s detail these pairings:D

Newt and.....

...Minho (4ever)?

- I feel like this pairing deserved better and more exposure in this movie, to be honest. BUT I still could see Minewt in here :D

- I wish they hadn’t cut parts of Newt and Thomas talk, about the jump. It makes Newt’s insisting about saving Minho so much understandable, it makes Newt’s desperately wanting to save Minho real and not forced. And it’s a brilliant moment for Minewt, with Thomas able to understand how important the two are for each other. …..In the same vibe, seriously, guys, this scene clashes so much with Newt’s reaction at the end of TST, if something needed to be cut (or a line given to someone else) it would have been Newt’s last line in TST.

- on a more (Tho)Minewt level, I loved this OT3 hug, and noticed how Minho’s attention was on Newt first, then on Thomas. He looks at the Blonde first, then at the Brunette, and when he asks “Is this real” I’m pretty sure he asks this to Newt. And it’s Newt he works with when blocking the door. I think it says a lot on how strong their chemistry is, given that…. come on, Minho must know enough about Thomas by now to figure out that if they’ve managed to reach this place, it’s likely due to his crazy antics. Plus, Thomas’ build would have been probably a more fitted help to barricade a door.

- …..on a sadder note, Minho watching Thomas acting all protective of Newt, helping him walk and all… …..it broke my heart for Minho. To see the strength of the bond that grew while he was away, it killed me and made me want to hug him so very much. And even though we have Minho and Newt talk while the Last City is under attack, I wish we’d had seen so much more ç___ç

....Gally?

- I’m probably hopeless, but when Newt was the one coming to calm Thomas down and protect Gally from being punched, I squealed inwardly, not only because well Newtmas, but…. come on, Nallyyyyyyy!!! And it was reinforced a minute later, when Newt asks Gally how it is even possible that he’s alive, with this “How?” that sounded so broken ç___ç but also Gally’s reaction at Newt’s death… [EDIT: except I made a mistake and Gally actually stays behind, ahrem]  …….okay, I love Nally, it’s not your usual romance but I like it lots.

By the way.... any other Gally Pairings?

- I also loved the way they play Thomas/Gally in this, how…. Thomas hates him and is pissed at him even though he’s proving an ally, and clearly wishes they could avoid getting his help… …..and also, how Gally seems sooo done with Thomas’ childish behaviour (when in this situation, you can’t be picky if someone wants to help)à. And in the middle of all this, Newt is a link, between them both, treating both equally, and accepting both, until Thomas seems to forgive and accept Gally too ç___ç

- still on minor Gally ships, but….. did anyone else got a Minally vibe, from the “But I put a spear through your chest!” “Well nobody’s perfect.” (……..which was made kinda funnier than it should be by the fact that it made me think of Some Like it Hot. They can’t have missed that reference, can they?? I say this is a hint of Minallyyyyyyy!! *crazy shipper*)

- I’m not sure I should put it as a pairing thing, but when Gally asked if anyone wants to punch him, he asked this to Frypan first, then Newt, which…. seems odd, right? I really wonder why he would assume Fry would punch him, I wanna know whyyyyyyy!!!

- …….I liked the low-key Brenda/Gally, with them bonding through a mutual dislike of Teresa, but I hadn’t expected it and I would never have expected to like it.

But what about the Ladies??

- I’d vote for Teresa/Brenda but... .....yeah T_T

- I hadn’t picked on the Brenda/Frypan on my first viewing, I didn’t catch their little exchange of smiles. Once having read about it, though, I saw this and honestly I’m okay with this, though it was unexpected. In a way, it would work well, I think Fry would be tender and maybe a good balance to Brenda being fiery. And I guess that’s what they wanted, given Rosa Salazar interview about the movie.

- Harriet / Sonya for the win!! They look absolutely gorgeous and perfect and romantic together (with their baby Aris), I found myself smiling at each shot with the both of them. Seriously they look like true goddesses, together *____*

- don’t throw stones at me, but I also picked up a Teresa/Janson vibe, one-sided. Or rather Infected!Janson → Teresa. It started with their conversation in the elevator. And funily enough, started again in the last scene, in the lab, where…. it was tainted by jealousy too, and anger, at Teresa chosing to side with Thomas.

Bonus thoughts :

- *coughs* so can we agree that Thomas has been saved three times from being shot by Janson, and each time by one of his supposed love interests? *grins* in TST, Brenda shoots at Janson. And in TDC, Teresa pushes him behind a bullet proof glass…… and Newt pushes him so he avoids bullets. (……granted, it doesn’t work as well the fourth time.)

- in the epilogue, my shipper’s heart couldn’t help noticing that : Minho carves Newt’s name ; Newt’s name is close to Alby’s ; and Teresa and Newt are carved close together, just like both are the most important people to Thomas’ heart ç___ç

We need to talk about The Death Cure (3/5)

We need to talk about the Death Cure :

1. The Movie in General

2. Scene by Scene

3. The characters

4. The pairings

5. Random thoughts

The characters

- I loved, absolutely loved Teresa in this. I’ve always been fond of her character as played by Kaya Scodelario, but honestly? I’ve felt so bad for her, for how much she’s been trying, to no avail. For the sacrifices she’s made, even if no one acknowledges them : accepting to be hated, to be isolated, to lose people, all for the sake of helping people she doesn’t even know… She really takes after her namesake, Mother Teresa, wanting to help all of humanity, not discriminating between rich and poor, contrary to Janson’ dreams of a transformed society. I liked how incredibly strong she is, focused on her goal ; yet, she has clear limits, that’s for sure, and she’s being eaten alive by her guilt over what she’s doing (that scene of her trying to explain to a vegetative Minho that they’re doing good, I felt so bad for her ç___ç ), but… She still does what (she feels) needs to be done. We get an example of that when she injects the new serum to Shai : everyone except her flinches when witnessing this child’s pain, even though she clearly cares for the child. I also like that though she has sided with WCKD, she’s still different from them, and it’s made clear in the way she’s dressed. For example, for the business meeting, she’s wearing a suit vest, looking business like….. except it’s worn over a dress, a pretty one but not a very formal one, making her look like she tried to look like Ava but isn’t really like her at her core. As for the rest of her outfits, I was under the impression she went for casual and practical, but I need to rewatch to confirm that.

- I’ve been wanting to shake and strangle Thomas for most of the movie, for his mistakes and errors of judgment ; he’s acting out of good reasons, but he’s also reckless, impulsive and not thinking things through… ….which I loved. I hate perfect characters, and Thomas, in all of his faults, is believable, real and incredibly human (plus a realistic teenager). I’ve also been wanting to hug him so much, he broke my heart. DOB really delivers, with his acting, showing how guilty Thomas feels, how much he really hopes he’ll find a way to atone and make things right for his friends, at least for them, and for everyone if possible. He doesn’t necessarily voice it (though his exchange with Brenda about this is amazing, and totally a character defining moment), but the many shots where he looks broken, right from the start of the movie, speak volumes. He doesn’t care for the rest of the world, for humanity in general, contrary to Teresa, but he would accomplish miracles for his friends (……sadly, sometimes, even miracles are not enough). …….seriously, I hope someone makes sure he’s okay in Paradise, because he’ll need a therapy.

- Newt…. oh gods, Newt. He’s so very complex too and rendered that way. Capable of thinking silently, but also of voicing doubts, with his clever sense of humour. And despite this, following Thomas’ crazy ideas (which, I wonder, can be seen as a sign Thomas makes him want to live wildly or that following Thomas is a kind of suicide). Not only that, but Newt seems to be the only one to understand how Thomas work, that the guy will focus on his current objectives, disregarding everything else. Therefore, Newt places himself as a defender, a protector, looking for dangers that Thomas doesn’t see, and he intervenes when he thinks the situations needs to. For example when they’re at the protes, Newt is the one looking out for dangers, in this case, the approaching soldiers. For another example, see Newt protecting Thomas from getting shot by Janson :D Or, more subtly…. at the Rebels' HQ, Newt keeps shooting silent glances at Thomas, very quickly, then at Gally, and less often at Fry. On a different and more depressing note, I liked how they played out his illness. Given how in control of himself Newt is, he manages to hide his state and slow the illness far longer than Brenda or Winston did. Yet they needed to show this somehow, so how Newt is very obviously playing with his hand now and then, until it starts to really get worse. And at the very end, I absolutely loved this shot of him looking at the hellish street, the fire, with the music picking up and the image getting blurry, it was an incredible way to symbolize him losing to the virus, really ç___ç

- Minho was amazing too, we got to see a very different side of him. In previous scenes, we had seen a fighter, a strong, composed character, charismatic and secure in his strength. But in The Death Cure.... Well... At the beginning, he looked so much more vulnerable, tired, weakened .....yet not broken : I loved the way he kept rebelling. Like his death glare at the beginning, when Janson is picking at him knowing Thomas rescue mission failed… But also, later the way he played at Teresa, just to be able to let his rage explode. He’s clearly a ball of frustration and anger and resentment at being treated like an animal. Also, I love how his quick thinking and reflexes are highlighted too, the way he cleverly uses every opportunity and manage to wait for the right moment, even when he’s been tortured for a year and should be definitely broken (he must have been a difficult prisoner, I want to hear all the things he pulled on them XD). He doesn’t let his anger control him, instead acting clever yet also using his instinct, which is clearly what differentiates him from Thomas. Also…. I love how he’s still the powerhouse of the group ; I would have wanted even more of that. Where Thomas is overpowered by Janson, Minho (even when he’s weakened after a year of captivity) still manages to win a fight against at least three men, one of which having a weapon, and another combat trained.

- Frypan is the cutest guy in this movie, I wanted to protect him from this all and bring him back to a safe place. Seriously, he made me chuckle so much but also made me smile whenever he talked. I felt bad for him, too, worrying for everyone, with his big and soft heart, not built for these crazy adventures but still trying and following the others. I kept watching his reactions, and I wish we’d seen more of him, seriously, he was not used enough. (Which is made it very difficult to get a decent picture of him)

- I liked Brenda, but I liked her far more in the second part of this movie. When she had to make difficult decisions, decisions that killed her, like leaving Thomas behind, I was happy to see her live by the advice she had given Thomas, accepting that she has to, for the sake of the group of children she’s in charge of. I’ve loved her raw energy and crazy adrenaline-addiction, kinda reminding me of Clara in DW but also underlining how much she’s a spiritual daughter to Jorge. And I loved how brave she was, she really shone in the bus scene, having grown from the presence of both male characters she was linked with (Jorge and Thomas). And she clearly has the shoulders to take control ; it would be awesome to see what she’ll become in the next years, but it’s a given she’ll grow to become even more badass. I think it’s also this survivalist mentality, taking responsibility for the people she saved, that separates her from Thomas, who would endanger the group for the sake of his closest ones, I think. (Also........I prefered her with short hair though.)

- I’ve been so happy to see Gally again, he’s one of my faves and has been since TMR (He’s complex and interesting and I feel so sad that he’s considered by many to be a bad guy, given that his point of view is VERY sensible, I would have sided with him). In TDC, he doesn't disappoint : all of his lines made me grin, he’s just awesome, right from the moment he's introduced. Okay, I knew he’d be in there, so I recognized him instantly, and I'm not sure if we're supposed not to recognize him. There’s a clear disbelief on his part when he spots Thomas and you don’t need to see his face to get that ; despite the fact that he could have left it at that, he decides to save these old "friends" and confront them and I think that's what is key to me liking his character : he has changed, yet remains the same. Through it all, he reacts with far more composure, he's calmer and not as hot headed, yet he's still sarcastic and defiant. In TMR, he was protecting what took him so much energy to build, with fear and something akin to despair ; in TDC, it’s clear he’s lost what was his most treasured place, his security, and the year was probably horrible to him, but he also seem to have learnt a lot on himself and accepted that his place is not one of a leader and is content in that, in this hellish place. And I like that.

- I absolutely adore Janson as a bad guy, with his dangerous or fed-up smiles. I treasure all these moments when he’s clearly feeling murderous inside but is trying to control himself (omg, like the “What bus?” line XD). I think he has rough days XD and I love how he’s come to the point of hating Thomas, and that this hate is tangible XD At first viewing, though, I thought he was too reckless in his behaviour at first, given that up to this moment, he had been composed. Well, if he has caught the Flare (and given that he has access to the Serum, we don’t know when exactly he got infested, though I would suppose it’s very recent - see the Random Thoughts theory about that), it would make more sense that he takes bad, reckless decisions. Or maybe he’s just a not very subtle asshole.

- I like Jorge, but I wish they’d been more subtle with the treatment of his character. Him going berserk at being separated from Brenda? While I love the extremely strong father bond he has for her, it did seem…. OOC, for the guy who was so composed when we met him. Apart from this, he seemed more laid back, compared to the previous film, though still focused on protecting Brenda. I took it as a clue that…. now that he’s sided with the Right Arm, he feels like he’s done all he possibly could to ensure both of their safety and so he’s more relaxed and looking less like a calculating fox (…I liked him as a calculating fox, he wasso much cooler ç__ç).

- Vince was badass, and the greatest leader they could have picked. In the first two movies, the boys had doubts about Thomas’ crazy plans, but they still followed him after he proved he could get away using nothing but crazy schemes and chance ; there, we can see Vince is okay with risky plans, but he favours controlled risks and accepts some risks depending on the expected gains….. meaning that this time, Thomas doesn’t win when he suggests a wild rescue mission, because Vince is having none of that, putting more importance on the survival of the group, than on one individual. I also liked, very much, the relation he seemed to have formed with Thomas, looking like a surrogate father to him. He seems to care for the kid a lot, despite still, as a leader, not wanting to endanger the group, and seriously, I wanted more scenes between the two, with Vince trying to guide Thomas while still admiring his determination and boldness. Also, did I mention he was badass and not afraid of a challenge? (…….Now I want a viking UA with Vince as the viking chief and Thomas as his adopted son.)

- I’m still not sure about Ava, and how we’re supposed to read her character. Because for real, she’s still behaving pretty ruthlessly at the beginning. When she has this conversation with Janson about shooting a crowd of citizens, it sounded on first viewing like she was disapproving, but seriously, on second viewing, she’s not. She’s blaming him for not managing to kill Thomas and telling him to deal with that quickly. …….she only seems to buy herself a conscience when she realizes she has lost the fight, that they won’t find a cure in time, and that it was all in vain. I think her sudden evolution is more betraying that she’s afraid of possible consequences in an afterlife, and suddenly wanting to try to be… forgiven her trespasses somehow? (……..well, I still think you’re a bad woman, Ava. I don’t know about afterlife authorities, but I’m not sold T_T)

- I wish we’d seen Lawrence more, even though…. …..okay, I don’t like him as a character, but he was interesting. I loved his exchange with Thomas about what he could want. Thomas, who is focused on surviving, thinks Lawrence wants time, wants more days to live. Except this only highlights that Thomas is a very…. simple guy, very ‘pure’ kind of soul. He doesn’t spontaneously assume that Lawrence could want something else, could want revenge. I also love that they don’t make it clear right away, what he’s after, but make it cryptic “Is that what I need?” ……also, I hadn’t understood at first viewing that Lawrence was the reason why they took the serum vials with them, but it was, right? (I also wonder if he sees himself as a messiah like figure?)

- I know we haven’t seen her lots, but I love Harriet. She’s dangerous, yet her smile is beautiful and she seems so protective ç___ç  also, Aris seemed to have grown up sooo much ç___ç I liked hat Harriet didn’t take part to the rescue mission (protect your loved ones, girl, that’s the way to go, you’re the best ç___ç )

We need to talk about The Death Cure (2/5)

We need to talk about the Death Cure :

Scene by scene

- seriously, the level of preparation and timing this first scene would require in real life, to have this train stop at this exact spot, is ridiculous. I loved that scene, but still…. I only accept this is possible because it was awesome to see all of them again. And also, for their common grinning when it succeeds.

- we actually have a clue that they’re picking the wrong wagon : Minho doesn’t react to Thomas banging on the walls of the wagon, only to Thomas’ voice, and said voice comes from further than it should. I actually wanted to strangle Thomas afterwards, because BOY, if your target was Minho YOU SHOULD HAVE CHECKED BETTER. There was a grid on the top of the train, you could have looked inside!!!

- I don’t like the easy, lazy ways to get out of some situations, especially from a series that didn’t have that in previous episodes : a clear instance of that was the Berg shooting at Brenda and Jorge when their car is next to the train, but then the Berg ceases fire, even when the car has stopped, and they send all theit soldiers outside, conveniently not shooting Brenda and Jorge down.

- I love Minho’s hallucination sequence. At first, I read it as a gift to fans, but then I wondered if it also worked as a symbol of Minho’s psyche? It could say a lot : the Glade is seen deserted, seemingly  very recently abandonned, given that there’s still smoke coming from a fire, and hammocs are still hanging. It looks both familiar and gloomy, in a way. I analysed it as a symbol that despite them having left the Glade for a long time, their time in the Glade is still fresh in his mind ; it’s both a comfort  memory and somewhere he doesn’t want to return, and also, linked to the memories of friends, that are both heart-warming and painful given most are dead. …….also, who is this kid that runs through the Glade?? a symbol of Thomas? Of Newt? ……whatever explanation to this sequence, I just loved it, it was absolutely breathtaking and sad too. ……plus, I think it was interesting that his dream ended with a situation of helplessness despite having tried to escape, just like he must feel all day, trapped at WCKD as a lab rat… ç___ç

- also, him running from the Griever, in fright, took me back to The Fever Code. Because we know Minho is not a coward, so it does look like a frantic reflex, and I couldn’t help thinking back of how he got tortured as a kid. ç___ç

- I also love how they illustrate Teresa’s complexity. That first scene we have of her, watching Miho being tortured…. she’s flinching almost imperceptibly, but she’s also forcing herself to look : is she forcing herself to watch this as self-punishment? As a way to prove her allegiance to WCKD (given that Ava is watching her)? Or as a way to make sure Minho is being treated decently?

- as fun as the crank tunnel scene was (…..or rather, scary fun, since I kept alternating between chuckling and jumping in scare), seriously, guys??? Turn off the shucking lights of your car!!!! Gods, you really have a death wish….. OR GO FOR IT AT TOP SPEED!!! I also loved that were they not rescued last minute, they would have died here. Because yeah, for the first (?) time, one of Thomas’ crazy plans doesn’t work. He hasn’t planned things through and he fails miserably. It happens again right after this, when they reach the protest ; Thomas wants to run head-first, blindly, to use this as a way to get in (just like he did up until now, save for the train attack that was so obviously a group effort) aaaand…. Jorge tells him it’s not even crazy, it’s unrealistic. This time, there’s no miracle, no spur-of-the-moment solution to be found. And indeed, they barely avoid being killed. I like how this highlights that Thomas is NOT a good leader and should learn not to jump into things. (….is it hopeless?)

- I loved that at Lawrence’s Rebels Headquarters, the Gladers seem to rekindle their link, the special relation between all of them. They clearly ignore Brenda, Jorge or the Rebels for that matter. It’s conveyed both through their dialogues and through the looks they throw at each other. Suddenly, their world seems to make sense again, because they’re together. (GLADERS FOR THE WIN!!)

- I liked what they did with Shai, because though some will say this development was to be expected, I didn’t think so. And I sympathised so much with Teresa in these scenes, I think you can really understand why she did all this, trying to save this little girl …..or rather, trying to save everyone, but all these victims were being embodied in a child, innocent and young, ; which is also working really well to explain how terrible this disease is and how important it would be to find a cure. (I think it’s also an echo of the second film, when Teresa smiles when looking at a little girl’s picture, wondering where she went, and is the only one reacting this way, the boys being focused on their own survival).

- that scene with Teresa spotting Thomas through the crowd was absolutely beautiful, and very interesting. I think it’s meant to make the spectator questions, what she’s seeing, if Thomas is really here or if her guilt is playing tricks with her mind…. ……It was perfect I LOVED it so MUCH, oh gods *_____* and then their whole conversation, where each stands by their opinion and you can see the moment Thomas loses faith in Teresa and she feels it, from the way he sounds both bitter and broken, and it hurts them both, and the music was beautiful and….. *sobs* it was amazing <3 “Do you regret?” “Sometimes, but I’d do it again.” “Good.” I would have wanted to be in Thomas’ mind sooooo much, when he’s letting her see him, knowing she’d follow, I wanted soooo much to know how he was feeling at that time.

- I also loved the scene where Ava is having a drink in her office, clearly accepting her defeat…. It was beautiful, aesthetically speaking. Plus, it empathised the difference between her and Janson. Her talking gives the impression she is not willing to do anything for her survival, contrary to Janson. But I think it’s wrong ; she IS willing to do anything, as long as there’s a chance. Now that it’s clear they’re doomed, she’ll let the boat sink while enjoying her alcohol. Janson, on the other hand, is still believing in his chances of survival regardless of how bad the situation is. In a way, he shares this desperate survival instinct with Thomas (.....in a way, I know they have very different values, don’t throw stones at me). I also liked that this is the first hint of Janson rebelling against Ava, in this. It also took me two viewings, to understand how pivotal this scene is, in setting a chain of events, because it’s THAT conversation that leads Janson to order the desperate serum collect on Minho, in an emergency (which had sounded a bit convenient on first viewing).

- Gally interrogating Teresa was made of gold, I chuckled sooo much, but he was convincing too, I mean he was badass *___* and seriously, anyone wanting to write a Cop!Gally fic?? Please?? Plus, him getting angry about WCKD’s torturing Minho was just <3, as well as him being suspicious and protective when Thomas talks with her.

- I think in that moment Thomas hates her, as shown in his coldness to her and heated conversation afer the interrogation. I also think this scene is probably key regarding making him shift his feelings towards Gally. I also loved that Newt stays quiet and silent, even when Gally and Fry are talking about Teresa : on the one hand, it says a lot that he doesn’t stop them when he had been protective about her in the previous movies, but it also says a lot that he doesn’t take part in this conversation, even when we know he’s been suffocated by jealousy not too long ago (is he trying to remain in control and show he’s not affected by the Flare?).

- Finally, I adored the fact that despite her situation, Teresa’s brain is still focused on her scienntific research ; while Thomas lets himself get blinded by his resentment, she’s still very much in control of herself.

- The only thing I would have taken out of this scene, is the conversation between Brenda and Jorge, or rather, I would have kept it, but would not have played it to make it sound like Jorge is “running from a fight” (especially since it makes fucking sense he’s the one going to the Berg, given that in the book, he’s a pilot, so he could have been a pilot too, in another life, in movie!verse. Would explain him knowing so much about this Last City).

- this scene of Thomas, Newt and Gally infiltrating WCKD HQ, joining smoothly and silently, was so very cool XD even though okay, guys, I still don’t see why you needed to separate or where you got these uniforms. I’ll forgive you, movie, because it looked so very cool. Also…. did I get a Star Wars reference in this scene of them rescueing the captured Immunes? Because it looked a loooot like the rescue of Princess Leia in A New Hope (which pleased me soooo much as a fan), complete with Skywalker!Newt opening the door of the cell and taking off his helmet after being mistaken for a real soldier <3 it was awesome <3 thank you moviiiiiie for this SW hommage :3 (though honestly, Thomas, how DUMB are you??? LOOK AT NEWT, does he LOOK allright??? He can force the safe, you know he can, so wtf, man up and make him stay there, take Gally with you, you IDIOT!!!)

- I loved the whole elevator scene, with Janson covering his bases now that he can’t count on Ava anymore (gotta love how coldly strategic the man is, even when infected). Also, Teresa looks downright terrified, and I think I misinterpreted this at first : I don’t think she’s afraid of Janson in this, given that she is never shown scared of him in any other scene. I think she’s terrified of Thomas in this. Of Thomas losing control, acting impulsively and rashly, the way she knows he can. We’re shown she knows him well, too : even though he managed to boil in silence for a grand 2 minutes, he ends up bumping into Janson’s shoulder on his way out, and I’m 80% convinced that Janson wouldn’t have smelled something was fishy had Thomas refrained from doing this. So Teresa was right to be terrified. Notice, though, how she manages to actually save the situation and still save her skin, while still pursuing her objective of finding a cure, wasn’t she awesome???? I think it’s also the very moment Thomas starts to believe in her again.

- Also, note that this is the single instance of Newt being snarly towards Teresa (“she’s trying to get into your head”), which sadly sounded like jealousy/illness taking control of him and leading to a self-destruction attitude, kinda (made me wonder if the virus was able to kinda “protect itself” and distorted Newt’s perceptions, so they there would be no tries to cure it).

- ……And gods, Thomas letting his anger get the best of him, taking off his helmet, yelling that there is no cure, is so intense, so stupidly Thomas, it was brilliant.

  - it’s only a side note, but I enjoyed so much Janson’s angry order to shut off the alarm. Because I’m working in an job environement where there are alarms sometimes and it’s the most annoying sound, there’s no one in the whole universe who wouldn’t want it to be turned off once it’s started to ring.

- the whole rescuing Minho phase was quite interesting, but what got my attention in this was more Minho (….and Newt’s state deteriorating ç___ç ). Berserk!Minho FTW XD The rest belongs to the pairings section of these comments, save for the fact that for once in this movie, one of Thomas’ crazy last-minute stunts succeeds (whooohoooo).

- I’m basically sold whenever Gally is in a scene, BUT I had been bothered by his last minute rescue of our trio, after their little jump. Well thinking about it during my second viewing, I have to admit it actually makes sense, and Gally’s strategy is wise. Waiting till the last minute to shoot the three soldiers enables him to come closer to his targets (less risk of failing when aiming from this close) plus it gives him a better surprise effect (given that their attention must have been on the trio, and it would have taken precious seconds to realize they’re actually targeted by one of their own). So okay, clever, here, movie.

- I really loved the whole Rebels attacking the Last City. Not only because the aesthetic here is beautiful, but because it was realistic. I was caught once in a protest that went wrong (….but not that wrong) and I got the very same feeling. Like…. this revolt had good basis, tbh. It was justified, fueled by the unfairness of the situation, the inequalities and the despair of all these people that feel (rightfully so) like they’ve been abandonned and left to die. Yet, once the attack starts, it clearly gets out of control, and instead of a revolt, we’re dealing with wild destruction.

- Gally seems both surprised and somehow mesmerized by that (if I’m not mistaken). And I loved it. I was wondering what was going on in his mind in that moment, really. After his initial reaction, though, did you notice how during this whole mess, Gally stay clear headed, clearly protecting them all, giving out warnings and orders, taking control, combat trained and efficient?? because it was awesome *___*  (my only problem with this scene, really, was that it was risky to keep their soldier uniforms, though really, taking them off was risky too, as they offer protection, so… *shrugs*)

- Also, we get clear confirmation that Thomas was wrong : Lawrence didn’t want time. He wanted a supposed kind of justice, which was probably only revenge or a way to punish and lash out at the people he sees responsible for his fate. But what he starts is actually raw violence, blind destruction, that has nothing to do with justice, and it felt realistic.

- I love that this revolution is getting out of control and causing a mess and destruction and is actually another cause of Newt’s death, given that even if it distracts the soldiers, it also prevents Brenda and the boys to reach Newt and Thomas on time. And it is pretty ironic and sad, because the Gladers are the spark that lit this fire.

- I won’t write a lot about Newt’s death. Because it’s been discussed much already. But I liked it, even though I still wishes it had been closer to the books (because I thought it was really cruel, to have Thomas purposely shooting Newt).

- I love the desperate running through hell, the fact that they’re clearly trying, giving it their best, trying to believe despite all odds, that they’re going to make it…. …..but what really gets me are the goodbyes. Newt thanking Minho, which you can read as thanks for being his friend, thanks for having saved his life and maybe so much more. But also, I read it as a “thank you for going to Brenda to retrieve the serum and coming back to me”, as Newt going with Thomas’ lie that it will be okay, that he’s going to make it, all so that Minho doesn’t see the horrible final moments, all so Minho can feel active instead of passively accepting what’s going on. And Gally goes with it too, even though I think he’s the one knowing the most what’s going to happen, he’s almost gentle with them here and it broke my heart.

- I also loved the desperate way Thomas is carrying Newt’s body, because I could easily understand, the way you’re exhausted but still trying and yet it’s not enough, and you just want to collapse and there’s a sob right there in your throat… DOB really delivers there, all through this, his face during the desperate call from Teresa (which, again, is straaaangely happening right before Newt looses it to the Flare).

- I love the way they mannage to show that Newt is still fighting the illness, that he fights desperately to remain in control and kill himself now it’s clear there won’t be any miracles, and I think that Thomas understands this. However, Thomas being Thomas, he denies suicide to Newt (because there’s a hope, there’s always a hope, he’s been through so many desperate moments, and he’s always managed, there’s always hope, just wait a little longer, just bear with this a seond more), and I think he is fueling Newt’s frustration and anger and making it more difficult to remain in control, like a vicious circle of pain.

- as said, I was really touched by Brenda’s running, heroically, flying with this life-saving miracle, but that it was in vain. And Thomas’s reaction, when Newt dies, gods…. The hurt, the guilt, the anger, the silent accusation when his eyes meet with Brenda’s and she’s too late, she’s too late when it was the only moment she should not have been. All with nothing but music, it was heart-breaking. But what made it worse was all of the boys reactions afterwards. Thomas, unable to deal with this, unable to stay, fueled by his guilt and hate (hesitating between hate towards WCKD or towards himself). Gally EDIT : it was not Gally, it was Fryyyyyy (Sorry Fry ç__ç), kneeling, solemn, paying respect to Newt but breaking  down soon after. But worst of all, Minho, collapsing, falling to his knees, like he can’t stand anymore, like his life is over too (reminding me of when he thought, in the Maze, that they were all condemned). ç____ç

- I’m torn, about the last scene with Janson. I like that you’re given a clear understanding of Teresa’ motivations and the line she draws, the difference with Janson (and probably Ava). I also love that neither Teresa nor Thomas reallly stand a chance in a fight against Janson, and we’re reminded that these are teenagers, fighting against a grown man, a trained and cold-minded opponent (even if he’s infected).  I also absolutely love the way Thomas reacts to being shot, in disbelief (probably having felt but a sting, with the adrenaline) and then collapsing; Teresa’s reflexes to stop the bleeding…. but also, in this moment, them rekindling their relation, showing that they are still important to eachother. I also think, in this moment, that Teresa understands that she has lost the fight too, like Ava. Except there’s still someone left to protect, Thomas, and she’s fighting for him with all she has ç____ç On the other hand, and despite all those great things... I loathed the Deus ex Explosions. As well as the suddenly easily breakable glass in the Cranks’ cage. It spoiled the scene a little for me.

- Teresa’s death scene broke me. She’s carried him with the same determination as he carried Newt, but with even more strength, before they collapse. And when she tells him, brokenly, that she tried (an echo of Thomas wanting to try to save everyone), we get this shot of the cure, drenched in blood, and I think in that moment she sees it as a symbol of the suffering she caused, of the price that had to be paid, for one single vial…. *sobs* I also like how much she fights to get him to safety, but also the fact that once he is safe, she just stops. I heard people complaining, saying it was a lazy death because she had time to get into the Berg. I don’t think it was lazy. I think it was suicide. She accepts her fate, smiling, not even trying to get into the berg. Apart from this, I hated the shot of them all watching her fall. But in general, I have mixed feelings about deaths in TMR (I loved Ben’s banishing but hated Chuck’s death, it was too much, too forced).

- On a side note, I loved that Vince takes the time to secure himself before approaching the void, while Minho doesn’t, and also loved the whole group’s reactions, belatedly, to Thomas’ wound.

- basically, I loved the whole Paradise scene. It was rewarding, as a fan, to see them reaching happiness. Yet, it also broke my heart to watch this, and I loved how, instead on focusing on their happy end, they decided to focus on remembering the ones who are missing. I think that’s what survivors would need. To try not to feel guilty. To try to have something familiar with them. But also to create a link between these people that are basically strangers, a link through the fact that they all lost important people. It seemed incredibly human, to end this trilogy on remembering the characters that were lost along the way.

- ………and Newt’s reading his letter. I don’t know whose idea it was but it’s both emotional, cruel and brilliant ç___ç

We need to talk about TDC

Randomely as per two viewings (spoilers! duh!) :

About the movie in general

- if someone has been analyzing this movie frame by frame and has been giving sense to every shot, feel free to tell me! I’d love to read this kind of analysis!! I’ve tried to, but I failed, I’m sooo bad at this ç___ç But I’m sure there’s a lot to say. A French critic, Durendal, pointed out, for exemple, the way the scenery shows Newt’s changing, when he’s sitting alone on a roof, with two buildings shaped very differently, separated by a void, and Newt being on the edge of one. It’s clever and subtle and I’m sad not to be able to pick up on this on my own.

- I reaaaally tried to analyse the way Wes Ball uses music and sound effects as a character, and I did started to notice how music gives way to important sound effects. For example at the very beginning, with this heartbeat like rhythm, symbolizing the way this whole operation has been very precisely timed, and it’s a matter of seconds separating success from failure. I also adore the whole music during Brenda’s running and aftermath of Newt’s death, with absolutely no dialogues, the music and acting being enough to convey what the characters are feeling. I also loved how there’s so few dialogues at the end, which fits how broken one would feel in Thomas place. From my experience, in this kind of moments, there’s nothing to say, really.

- I'm a fan of Star Wars, so I'm used to baddies aiming like stormtroopers (i.e. very badly) but still, I would have wanted some of them to shoot some of the good guys and succeed, iwounding them or killing them.

- I don’t like either when writers are clumsily messing with the viewer. Like…. don’t make it sound like Jorge is fleeing when you’ve made it clear that he wouldn’t go anywhere without Brenda. It makes his “magical” return look like a Deus Ex ; furthermore, it would have been far more emotionnaly touching, for me, to see Brenda doubt and fear when he doesn’t show up straight away, and then to see him come rescue them just in time, looking tense then madly overjoyed at having reached them on time… (and it would have made being too late for Newt even more cruel.)

- On the opposite, I love clever writing. For example regarding Newt. You see two different meetings during TDC. In the first one, Newt stays silent, grave and composed, he observes and evaluates, doubting but calculating their chances, almost refusing to hastily voice his opinion. In the second one, we have him suddenly exploding, letting his jealousy take the best of him and impulsively provoking Thomas, even yelling ; everyone's reaction makes it clear this is OOC for him and very very strange. But we're not told that. We're shown that. And it's awesome.

- so I read about the filming of the first scene in between my two viewings, and I must say 1° I still haven't identified the moment in which Dylan got hurt (which they kept, apparently??)  2° it's really well done, I only picked up on details betraying that this was special effects after having read how it had been shot, really.

- I loved the way they used the color of the light to symbolise both sides. Each time we're shown the Gladers, either it's daylight or the characters are surrounded in yellow-gold-orange light, warm tones that often comes from natural sources like fire or candles. Each time we're in WCKD's side, either we're in darkness or the light is blue and cold, coming from artificial sources, neons or other modern technologies. The scenes in Ava's office are amazing, in this respect. In one, you've got Teresa standing in this dark room, staring at the outside sky, her skin warmed by the rich colors of sunset, and it seemed to symbolize her missing Thomas and the Gladers as a whole. In another, you have Ava, defeated, looking at this city full of blue light, drinking alone with none of her previous stiff and composed attitude, like she's contemplating the things she struggled for and knows she's about to lose. For another example, see the beginning, during the Right Arm meeting, interrupted by WCKD's bergs and Jorge turning off lights to hide the camp in darkness, showing how close WCKD is getting.... But also, when Thomas is taking his leave, Newt and Fry appearing successively, each revealed by a light being turned on. But seriously, this use of light and colors is consistent throughout the movie so there are many examples of that.

- at the very end, there's a shift, slightly, as the Last City Falls. The blue lights are turned off, destroyed, while the warm, orange tones overpower them, explode, winning but also litteraly getting out of control, destroying the world. At this point, with Lawrence bathed in red light, I wondered if red was also the color of the Flare, in this symbolic reading of the lights/colors (….after all, Newt had been sporting orange then red in his outfits, right?).

- After this, the scene with Janson having captured Thomas seemed to be in a whiter light : something different, still cold and unatural, but devoid of the ideals that WCKD had symbolised, but also carrying the idea of a rebirth, too, of a new order that Janson depicts aloud, and the white light in this respect seems fitting, like there's a whole new page about to be written. But then, it goes to hell annd they end up in the laboratory, where we still find the blue-darkness VS red lights, which seemed to me like the symbol of the last of WCKD's dream standing, symbolizing, I think, Teresa still fighting for what she thinks is good.  …....I need to rewatch it on DVD to make sure this theory is correct XD

- I liked that they didn't sexualize the girls (or the boys). Everyone looks roughed up, not necessarily at their advantage. If I'm not mistaken, Brenda doesn't have a bra, for example (…..she doesn't, right?). It looked like it, anyway, and it would make sense, given the circumstances and all, but still, so many franchises sexualize the female characters, like.... armors with boobs, for example. It was refreshing to see them dressed so functionnal and normal. Actually, only Ava and Teresa looked like they were wearing bras and make up, as well as nice clothes, which also made sense.  (…....not that I.... …....give thoughts to this during movies. Right. *coughs, looking away* )

- first time I saw it, I was in a big cinema room, in the middle of the afternoon, and the room was awesome, very qualitative. The audience was very quiet given that the room was ¼ full, and I loved it, because I focused on the emotion far more easily when I'm not in a crowded cinema. The second time I watched it, I was in a smaller room, 150 seats, 60% full, with mainly fans being gathered, I think. And.... okay the audience responded far more audibly this time, and after some time, I decided to write down the crowd's loudest reactions, which were to the following scenes : Newt going at Thomas in jealousy (okay, I was with fangirls XD), Gally interrogating Teresa, the elevator scene with Janson, giving Janson the finger v.2, Minho's disbelief at Gally being alive, the bus fall, “Nobody's perfect” …. …..and people crying-chucklingbecausetheyrecrying at the end.

- I love the gorgeous scenery we always get in Maze Runner. Even if I'll always prefer the Glade, I loved the deserted harbour, the plains, as well as the abandonned check point and the suburbs of the Last City. At first, I felt like the Last City was too ordinary, too close to our current reality... …..but it actually not only makes sense (okay, it's in the future, but they've spent their resources on something other than architectural trends), but this city  also works great in its opposition to the Right Arm's and Rebels' worlds.

- I loved the design of Ava's office, and especially the design of the Maze on the wall, like.... it was their core experiment, and having it on the whole is a reminder of how much they've worked, but also of how terrible they've acted. It’s like no matter how much the audience will sympathize with Ava, we’re silently told “don’t forget this is the woman who built this Maze and put all this kids to die there”…...plus, depending on the light, it looks very differently, and in a way, it can symbolize how you can see WCKD's actions very differently depending on your values and points of view

- I absolutely loved the little throwbacks to the first movies. It's done very cleverly, not explained but clear enough if you've seen the movies and loved them. I love that in a movie, that we're not babysat, like we currently are in Marvel or Star Wars movies. We have brains, thank you very much, and Maze Runner, thankfully, seems to remember that. Anyway, so.... in no particular order, I loved “Hey Greenie” (*melts*), “We're a long way from the Glade” (*sobs*), “I've known you longer than you can remember” (which made me snicker but was crual and a subtle jab trying to push Thomas into making a mistake, it was brilliant from Janson), “You should have run” (aha XD)... But it's also done in more subtle ways. For the third time, Thomas sees a maternal figure getting shot (Ava twice, Mary once..... made me wonder if we were supposed to see his real mother getting shot in the first movie). For the third time, he wakes up to Teresa being next to him while he was passed out. And for the third time, Thomas and Newt share a moment by a fire, with Newt reassuring Thomas (*gross sobbing*).

The Death Cure Meme

We need to talk about The Death Cure :D

Not dead yet

*lights turn on and a figure starts moving from the shadows. Our mighty heroes hold their breath*

*turns out this is only the Frenchie in charge of this Tumblr, looking slightly cranky, though it has nothing to do with the Flare and more to do with too much lurking*

.........so........ I ain’t dead. Contrary to all evidences suggesting this.

I’m sorry I disappeared on you all, I’ve had less time overall last year, and used Tumblr mostly to rp, with a great lady that I love very much, @oneflewoverthenewtmasnest <3 She’s not only a great rp partner, but an amazing friend, that helped me through a lot and has always been supportive and helpful (I owe her the fact that I’m feeling much better in my skin now, to name only one thing <3 ).

I’ve also been feeling very guilty over not having replied to some messages from great people and guilt made me reluctant to even show my face online, ahrem.

But like many many others, I’ve seen The Death Cure, last week (because France sucks and releases films way after the rest of the world) and.... I’ve been missing posting and exchanging ideas with wonderful people (that I just hope I didn’t disappoint too much ç__ç ) and.... anyway. It’s been reason enough for me to delurk and step out of the shadows (at least for a moment).

So.... this was my little message to the world I beg you forgive me and don’t hate me for having gone off radars ç__ç