The Guild Season 3 – Episode 2
By WorldofHiglet
Another week, another Episode of The Guild! Season 3 of the award-winning webseries is currently airing each week on the MSN Video/Xbox Live/Zune network. The Guild is about a set of MMO gamers who meet in real life and has been described by Felicia Day (the creator/writer/star) as “‘The Office’ for the geek set.”
You can view the video here by clicking on the picture:
Disclaimer: this is a REVIEW and therefore will contain spoilers about this episode (and possibly previous ones). Just so we’re clear on that.
After last week’s cliff-hanger, I was pretty much hoping that this week would shine some light on what was going on with that the new upstart Guild we saw at the end of S3 Ep01. And I was not disappointed. It was really really hard to limit the quotes from the episode because nearly every line is a peach. As usual, Vork gets some absolute corkers…
The episode starts with Codex at her webcam, still neurotic, still providing plenty of evidence as to why putting herself into any situation that might involve tension, aggravation or just other people is probably never going to end well. That being said, there’s a lot of truth to her words:
Codex: “It’s easy to bond over hating something together– the Internet is total proof of that.”
We then rejoin the action with Codex almost standing up for herself – with a bit of help from the homeless lady (played by Kim Evey) and Vork, that is. What follows is a sequence of events that are as hilarious as they are inevitable. Well, the ending is inevitable, the events are… – eventful!
Worlds collide as Vork (played by Jeff Lewis), Guild leader for The Knights of Good, tries to reason with Faulk (played by Wil Wheaton), the Guild leader for the Axis of Anarchy. Vork, using logic and his impeccable habit of over-explaining things to the point of wanting to beat yourself unconscious just to make the words stop, calmly explains that The Knights of Good were first outside Gamestop (the store that houses the precious expansion pack to their MMORPG) and therefore should be first in line. And some other stuff about the end of the world or something.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, this fails to persuade either Faulks or his motley crew, who are disrespectful both in words and hip-thrust dancing (the ‘jiggling’ dance amused me far more than it should – it was masterfully done!).
At this point Tink (played by Amy Okuda) arrives and demands to know why they aren’t first, which leads to this touching exchange between her and the homeless person:
Tink: “I paid stinky crack-addict over there a lot of money to hold my place!”
Homeless person: “METH addict! Crack is for losers.”
Faulks, looking even more superior than Kirk did when explaining he was coming in peace, is unmoved by the wind and fury directed at them – they are the number 1 Guild and so they get to go first. Clara (played by Robin Thorsen) then steps forward into the fray. She has important questions about Faulk’s kilt:
Clara: “Be honest – are you naked under there?”
Clara is interrupted in her attempt to verify the answer but I have a feeling we’ll be seeing a lot more of that kilt…
Codex continues to try and pacify the situation but she’s on the ship of fail. Left with the option of “dealing with it” Vork decides to invoke the ultimate authority – the Gamestop Manager. The next sequence is wonderful on many levels.
For one, the main protagonist is the only AoA Guild member who is a woman. She also happens to be in a wheelchair. In a move that is so practiced you have to wonder what the AoA do on days the server is down, she maneuvers herself then starts shouting for help and gesturing in front of Vork , causing him to utter:
Vork: “Control your steed, woman!”
Now Vork steals every scene he is in for me. Seriously – I cannot get enough of him and his logistical, analytical mind. And the deadpan face – he is an all-round winner. But he is totally upstaged by the antics happening beneath his nose. Faulks presses his advantage as the Gamestop Manager takes in the scene:
Faulks: “What kind of place is this? This poor, innocent hot girl in a WHEELCHAIR…!”
Even as Vork protests his innocence we know the jig is up. The AoA is triumphant, The Knights of Good banished to the back of the queue.
Codex panics as Tink berates Vork and The Guild is dissolving before her eyes. She spouts off a speil about how great the Centaur mounts will be in the expansion but Vork stops her:
Vork: “As stimulating as riding a half-man would be…” (I told you he steals every scene…)
More conflict! As the group struggles with the fast-changing situation, Zaboo surfaces. He is tenderly carried by Riley and quickly helps out.
Riley: “….Oh no way am I sharing more of my little man than I have to…”
Zaboo: “Yeah, whatever the lady nomming on my neck says..”
Tink, still mad at Vork, Bladezz, and everyone else, assaults Vork and then a stand-off ensues. Clara, Tink, Bladezz and Codex now have to decide what to do. As Codex accepts the greatest responsibility she has ever had in her life, Tink flounces off and talks to Faulks as he exits the shop with the game:
Bladezz: “Is she flirting with him? He’s wearing a skirt!”
Oh Noes!
This episode is nearly all filmed outside and the step-up in production values is very noticeable. The lighting and sound are pretty much spot-on and there are some fantastic compositions and shots. The editing, too, is punchy and keeps the action moving as a very quick pace. There is less than 8 minutes of actual story but you feel breathless by the end.
The acting is absolutely top-notch from everyone – even the extras. Wil Wheaton plays Faulks with so much relish he could be a chilli-dog (er – it’s late and, er, that seemed appropriate) and it looks like each of the AoA members will bring something new and different to the mix. And that is one of the strong points of The Guild. Although the characters are at the limits of what we could possibly call ‘real people’ they are completely believable. Everyone has met people like them – whether they are gamers or not. Dumb humans.
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WorldofHiglet is a writer writing the writer’s dream – to write, always. A huge fan of Joss Whedon and Felicia Day who regularly blogs on the last geek bus home about all things geek. She has interviewed Felicia and has set her sights on Joss next. Her first novel, Turning Left at Albuquerque, is being published as an audiobook podcast on turningleft.podbean.com and her latest non-fiction book is currently being considered by agents.
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That was, to quote the illustrious Wheaton, hawesome! While entertaining throughout, I think my favorite part is the possibly unintentional meta-humor of the line "What's wrong with a little chaos?" (Wil recently guest starred on Leverage as a hacker who goes by the name Khaos. He's rivaling all over the place these days.) He plays smug geekery with such delicious aplomb. Also, I love his little tassel-y socks.
Drama ahead for the Knights of Good. What will happen next?!
It was a great episode and Wil was magnificent – his nostril flares were the epitome of smug geekery (love that phrase!).
There are so many possibilities now there is a rival gang that I have no idea what going to be next – at least we don't have too long to wait
I have to admit that the first episode of the season was not one of my favourites. Though that may of been more to do with my state of mind when I watched it! Anyway, it felt more like a set up for what is to follow than an event in itself (but I did call myself 'dumb human' the other day!).
This episode feels like the point where things get going. the Axis of Anarchy are obviously very organised and efficient in-game, and so far they seem to be the same out-of-game. So how will our fractured guild defeat them? Perhaps they'll discover that the members of the Axis are just as screwed up in their own ways?
Excellent kick start to Season 3 with these 2 episodes. As Higlet rightly pointed out, the production values have increased a lot. Sean Becker and Felicia Day are polishing this series so nicely. The one liners are absolutely everywhere and we're almost getting to the point of Futurama where you would miss one joke as youre laughing at the one previous to it! Thankfully the re-watch value on these shows are very high. Got 8 mins to kill? Put on the episode while your toast is…..erm…toasting.
The characters that have been introduced in the form of the rival guild has just blown the whole thing wide open in terms of possibilities and potential. Cannot wait to see which direction the show is going to go in.
Cheers for the cracking review Higlet.
I have to say that, while I will probably always watch The Guild, because I'm really invested in these characters, the storytelling these first two episodes seems really slow. I was far from breathless as the back and forth during each argument went on longer than it needed to. This episode didn't really further the plot along until the last two minutes when EVERYTHING happened. Also, Codex's webcam stuff feels a bit forced this time around. It used to feel like she talked to her webcam because she HAD to since she couldn't socialize. Now, it just seems like the structure they got used to – like a holdover from previous seasons that serves no real purpose anymore.
However, I DO love the Axis of Anarchy, and am looking forward to when the story with them really gets rolling!
@GrrArgh A few people have made that comment about the first episode, that it seemed slow. To me it seemed natural that the beginning of a new season would be the slower, more measured part of the dance, as the group circle, bow and parade in preparation for the exertions to come. This second episode takes us to the first part of…whatever you call the faster bit of a dance (okay, I know nothing about the technicalities of dance, but that metaphor felt like it was going to go somewhere…!)
@MarkusHunt I absolutely agree with the Futurama style of the writing – there are so many quotable lines. And I'm glad you liked the review
@Teresa Again, I do understand about what you are saying about the pacing but the arc of the season means that every episode can't be frantic, surely? I think we'll only know whether they were too slow when everything is revealed.
It's an interesting point about Codex's webcam, though. I must admit I was wondering why we were seeing her at her webcam when she clearly had not been back home from Ep 1 to Ep 2, so I thought it must be that at some point in the future eps she will 'catch up' with herself and we'll find out why she's actually at the webcam.
Higlet, it's not the first time something like that has happened with the webcam section. For example at the end of season 2 Codex is apparently on the webcam talking about the fight at the same time it's taking place. It can't be afterwards, because she's excited about the idea of them fighting over her, she wouldn't have been that cheery after the party!
@GrrAargh Yes, after I had written it I thought about it a bit more but it was late and I didn't want to change it…..!
This was the first time it had struck me as being strange, I suppose, because the locations were so different. The idea of the webcam is to give us insight into Codex's thought processes, breaking the fourth wall in a different way (I imagine). Perhaps the webcam parts, being in the introduction bit of the show, are simply not in the same timeframe (except for where they clearly are, like 'Rather be Raiding').
Testing comment notifications. Please respond to this comment. Thanks!
Hi Michael,
Here is my reply. So, are you a fan of The Guild?
Thanks. I received an email. Did you receive one for my comment? Unfortunately I'm not familiar with the Guild, but clearly I need to check it out!
Hi Michael,
I received the notification fine this time, thanks. It must have been a glitch and I appreciate the time you have taken to look into it. And I would recommend checking out The Guild (great for your geek cred!
)
Excellent! Please keep me posted. I'm always looking to build my geek cred!
BTW, you should enable our smiley's plugin – http://intensedebate.com/plugins
I always saw the webcam as being an "after the fact" review like they do on reality shows, making people talk about things in present tense even though they've obviously already happened. Except the one time we saw it happen in real-time, during the party when the stunt guy comes in.
Kind of the same, I found the webcam sort of came in and out of reality. When Zaboo tried to hang himself was an instance of reality, or when the stunt guy came in, but other times it seems like it might almost be in Codex's head.
I feel like if she was summarizing her thoughts internally, she'd still imagine doing it in front of a webcam.
Ha! That's a good way of putting it. It's like when I used to summarize my thoughts as LiveJournal entries in my head.
Haha yeah, with bullets and everything. I was there too.
In a way, for a web series I think its a very fitting concept … especially with the latest in the trend: summarizing thoughts short enough for a tweet.
Yes, I think she would put her thoughts into her webcam – a sort of Vlog, perhaps? The timing of them never even occurred to me until this season and now I'm interested to hear what Felicia's ideas about it are! Maybe we can find out….
I think it's definitely after the fact and the parallel with reality TV is good.
Vork stole the show IMHO this episode and every line he delivered made me laugh! Tink defecting is going to be interesting, Codex as Guild leader will force character development, and all the Axis of Anarchy members reminded me of — the Evil League of Evil! Heh.
Nothing quite like watching a guy whose motto is "Don't be a dick"..be a dick. Awesome casting.
Love the change of scene. Why am I thinking of Harry Potter when they go to see the International Quiddich tournament? Oh yeah. The tent.
Finally, I'm imagining Felicia explaining to Sandeep and Michele, "OK, for the first two episodes you two are basically going to be all over each other…"
Chris
Chris
Oh yes, Vork was a tour de force as always and he had so many quotable lines it was hard to keep up!
The Axis of Anarchy would certainly work will in the Evil League of Evil. I wonder if they'll apply?
I don't know about this episode. It was the first one that I've seen that I feel less than enthusiastic about.
I'm not sure exactly what it is that makes me feel this way – maybe I'm just annoyed by the stunt-casting of Wil Wheaton. Nothing against Wil, but his presence automatically pulls me out of the world created in the Guild by the relative unknown actors starring in it (exactly the same way that seeing John Hodgman pop up on Battlestar Galactica pulled me right out of that episode).
Still, can't wait to see what comes next.
I don't feel the same way because of the background and how excited I was while following @theguild's tweets during The Guild Panel at SD Comic Con! When Brian tweeted that Wil was in S3 I shouted very loudly….!
I did feel like that when John Hodgman popped up on Battlestar Galactica (really ruined that ep), so I understand what you mean. Wil is going to be a main recurring character, though, and isn't just stuck in the odd episode to glam it up (as eye-candy-ish he is, especially with the kilt…!).
Can someone tell me what Vork said after the telekinetic power thing? I caught something about missiles or Hollywood studios but need to connect the dots… thank you! I'd like to understand well because it must be funny.