The Guild Season 3 Episode 3 – Player Down
By WorldofHiglet
The third installment from The Guild Season 3 is now live. Although there were some delays on the Zune network it should be up everywhere now (check watchmyguild.com for all the links on MSN, Zune and Xbox Live). Cast listings, news about The Guild and all Seasons 1 and 2 are all available there, too.
You can view this week’s video here:
Disclaimer: this is a REVIEW and therefore will contain spoilers about this episode (and possibly previous ones). Just so we’re clear on that.
Okay, a little recap on Season 3 so far. The Guild unite to line up for the new Expansion Pack to their game, ‘The Spires of Dragonor’ except that only Codex and Vork do any real lining up. Tink hires a Meth-head homeless woman to queue for her, Clara has to dump the kids, and Bladezz is working at CheeseyBeards.
The Knights of Good do meet up eventually, only to be challenged by a gang of interlopers headed by Faulks – the Axis of Anarchy. Vork is bested and The Knights are ousted to back of the lineup. This precipitates a chain reaction of blame-casting that culminates in Vork renouncing his Guild-leader status and Codex accepting the greatest responsibility she has ever had in her life. Tink, in a fit of pique flounces off to fratenize with Faulks.
The story continues….
After the outdoor nature of the first two episodes, this is another change of pace. Although there is much less ‘moving around’ action, some hugely significant events unfold.
We start in Codex’s bedroom with Red fluctuating between hoping being Guild Leader will be good for her and angst-ing about her nose. At least persuading Tink to rejoin the Knights of Good shouldn’t be a problem…!
Zaboo, with his newfound sexual responsibilities, is getting things done, geek style. In other words he is on his laptop, eager to slip his disk into the drive and get going. Bladezz is still bitter about the whole “Tink made me bankrupt” thing and is pointedly not missing her, and Clara is late due to more kiddie wrangling.
Codex, clueless but determined, attempts to take charge but is out of her depth almost immediately. Tink has really gone and taken all her characters with her – what’s a Guild Leader supposed to do? I haven’t read the Guild Leader’s Handbook but I’m fairly sure that dithering and panicking are not the recommended responses to this type of emergency. Or any type of emergency. Or any other event. Which is a pity, because those are the two things that Codex is really good at. Ah well.
Just as Codex is almost about to nearly think about maybe making a decision, Vork calls her to say he has deposited some Guild Leader paraphernalia outside her door. Vork, sporting a phone that would look right at home on thereifixedit.com, tells Codex that since he has given up the mantle of Guild Leader he is giddy with relief (I’m paraphrasing but you can tell from his expression that that’s what he really means). He then informs her that he is forsaking everything he has ever known and is going on the road in search if wi-fi and heads off in his charabang…
With Vork out of the picture the others look to Codex (via their webcams) for guidance. Her less-than-rousing suggestion of loading up the game and then doing stuff is met with a less-than-enthusiastic response. And this is where everything starts to go simultaneously up poop creek (or three poop creeks).
Ah, Bladezz. Sore about Tink, mad about not being Guild Leader (and probably missing needling Vork at every turn) the troubled teen has a more immediate and infinitely more irritating problem. Yes – it’s the joyous return of Dena, his little sister! Dena, who has stolen every scene she has been in so far, is back on form, admonishing ‘Simon’ for his language. Not that we know for sure what he says because MSN has kindly bleeped out the naughty words (fear not – when Season 3 is out on DVD it won’t be bleeped).
Dena is squatting in Bladezz’s (I’m not sure if there is a hyphen there – my ‘First Aid in English’ is painfully unhelpful on the issue of zeds at the end of words. Yes, I said zeds. You might know them as zees) pad, cramping his style in her own sweet way. She has apparently been banned from the house by their recently-dumped mother for being too loud. So obviously the next best thing is to practice her bass-playing skillz next to Bladezz. This tips him over the edge and he storms off to tell his mommy on her.
Meanwhile, in chez Clara, the storm clouds are gathering. Unfortunately Clara is only expecting ‘expansion with a chance of carnage’ and she fails to take any notice of the way her mostly-ignored husband is attempting to communicate something of urgency to her. Panicky because the expansion won’t load she starts to blame him for uploading too many pictures.
Zaboo has quite different problems. Riley tries to tempt him with a French Maid’s outfit – she’s up for some role-playing and Zaboo gets to be the one who serves. Or is served. When he hesitates about challenging their gender roles because he wants to play on the expansion, Riley will not take no for an answer. Not only that, but she start to physically restrain Zaboo and then – shock, horror – actually starts to beat him?
Codex is left in the wilderness, pitifully asking where everyone is. It ends with Clara’s husband revealing the source of his ire – a picture of her kissing Wade (the stunt guy from Season 2). And so the fellowship starts to unravel.
On one level this is quite a static episode in that most of the ‘action’ centres around people talking into webcams. The exception to this is Vork. In a complete turnaround to convention, Vork is now on the loose outside his house. And while he seems happy about that, this is clearly a world gone mad.
How can Codex be Guild Leader when she can’t even decide whether loading the expansion pack is the right thing to do? How can Clara continue to play when her system won’t upload the expansion and her husband knows she kissed a stuntguy and liked it? How can Bladezz play and obsess over all life’s injustices if Dena keeps interrupting him? How can Zaboo escape from the clutches of the evil Riley? So many simultaneous implosions keep the suspense high and leaves you wanting more.
I was startled by Riley’s behaviour and quite outraged. Zaboo, while barely registering on the ‘hunk’ scale, has always come across as a kindly, almost loveable (if delusional) bloke. Riley is taller and stronger than him and uses that advantage to force her way on him. I’m not sure if she does strike him (there’s no signs, only the sounds), but the pleading way Zaboo tries to defend himself was more than a little distressing. Well done, Felicia, you made me want Zaboo to win at last!
As ever, the acting is superb. Michele Boyd (as Riley) and Sandeep Parikh (as Zaboo) deserve a special mention because their scenes really affected me in a way I was not expecting. The comic timing of the rest of the cast was spot-on. The sets and inside filming is crisp and tight, and I particularly liked the moving camera work as Vork drives off (into the wheelie bin). I enjoyed ‘Man Down’ immensely, but I’m worried for Zaboo…
This episode is less than six minutes long and this review of it is already heading into 1400 words so I’ll hand it over to you. Where do we, and The Guild, go from here?
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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I was shocked as well, will Zaboo reach his limit? Or has his experience with his mother made it too difficult to respond? Perhaps he needs the Guild to back him up again.
It's odd that, whilst there was so much in front of the webcam, this episode felt much livelier than the first two. Maybe it's the intercutting.
The number of plot lines that have now been set up have got me itching to see the next episode. There's so much disaster! The trailer suggested that Dena could be the decisive factor, becoming military advisor to Codex.
The intercutting does give it an urgency and it was a very exciting episode that ended all too soon.
I'm still pondering the Zaboo situation (still shocked). Maybe Zaboo is The Guild's equivalent of Willow – put Zaboo in danger to bring everyone together?
Or, maybe Zaboo will discover a new love of kinky sex! Clearly, he's a bottom, and clearly Riley's a top. I'm just saying…Zaboo might be allowing it, because he enjoys it. Though, Riley doesn't seem to be letting him have much of a LIFE otherwise….However, every guy I've watched this with has been like "put the game DOWN! Hot girl is in your bedroom!" So, also, I think Zaboo needs to figure out his priorities! I don't fear for him.
Hmmm, so what you're saying that sometimes it's better *not* to game? O…kay…but if that means having to watch Zaboo get nekkid then I fear for myself, not him!
I'm really looking forward to seeing more Dena – she always brings another dimension to things, (Tara Caso plays her really well). Though how it will all pan out is anyone's guess.
I must be getting old. I wouldn't want to get hit even if the reward was a Stupid Tall Hot Girl. Zaboo used to see himself as a hero, coming to the rescue of his princess in a castle, that's definitely not the relationship he has with Riley, and I think sooner or later he'll want out.
I'm not sure it has anything to do with age – and I agree that Zaboo has gone from beings a mummy's boy, to wanting to do the hero's quest for his fair maiden, to another abusive relationship where he has no say. I think he will wise up, but there might have to be a precipitating event. He only escaped from his mum because he was forced to. Who will save him this time?
Help us Obi Wan Vorknobi – you're our only hope!
I'm not sure it has anything to do with age – and I agree that Zaboo has gone from being a mummy's boy, to wanting to do the hero's quest for his fair maiden, to another abusive relationship where he has no say. I think he will wise up, but there might have to be a precipitating event. He only escaped from his mum because he was forced to. Who will save him this time?
Help us Obi Wan Vorknobi – you're our only hope!
Oh no!
Zaboo is adorable, and would be considerably hotter if he weren't so needy and cowering.
And yes – believe it or not….and don't tell anyone I told you this…..but there's this whole other life outside of gaming that can be pretty cool, too!
I agree that Riley is probably not going to be in the picture long. However, just because Riley's pretty, doesn't mean she's stupid. She hasn't demonstrated being stupid the whole time she's been in the show. What we know about her is that she really loves gaming, she's really sexual (she was the stunt guy's f-buddy, and that didn't faze her), she's really attracted to Zaboo (possibly BECAUSE he's so submissive – yeah, I said it), and she's got a rough and tumble way about her (in addition to hitting Zaboo, she thumped Codex in the shoulders when they first met). I think the point my guy friends were really making is that sex with an actual person should ALWAYS trump gaming.
As for the getting hit, some people are into it, some people aren't. Has nothing to do with age.
Riley is far from stupid, and possibly thinks Zaboo will enjoy some rough and tumble – and maybe he will. She said she likes underdogs, so her being attracted to Zaboo is no surprise. And her priorities are more normal than Zaboo's since she wants actual physical contact over gaming.
I think my reaction to the scenes were extreme because it was unexpected and very intimately shot, which added to the surprise. Zaboo's submissiveness made me want to protect him (er…that sounds bad…). He wasn't trying to defend himself, though, so I don't think he was feeling particularly threatened – all he wanted was to get to his laptop!
I hope Riley stays around because I enjoy the fact she is very different to the other characters – she is confident, poised and knows how to get what she wants. If Zaboo stands up to her she might actually like him even more.
I didn't mean the getting hit was to do with age, but the interest in hot girls!
Haha! Okay then…
"…just because Riley's pretty, doesn't mean she's stupid."
"Stupid Tall Hot Girl" is what Codex called her before (and once after) she knew her actual name. She was using "stupid" so as to rhyme with "darned". It's a jealousy thing.
As for the hitting, whether or not Zaboo enjoys a little rough with his tumble, Riley doesn't seem to be treating him with much respect. From the moment she was formally introduced in the second season, she's made it clear that she's disdainful of MMOs and the people who play them. Her attempts to use sexytime as a way to distract Zaboo from an activity he enjoy is transparent at best. Why can't she go play her FPS in the other room while he's enjoying the expansion? Just because they're shagging that doesn't mean she's in charge of his entire life.
Interesting point. I was just talking on The Guild chat and people there are similarly stuck between amusement at the thought of Zaboo being dressed up and shock about the abuse. As for motivations, I hope they will be revealed.
Gah! So much drama! The Knights of Good are a shambles.
I think I feel worst for Clara's family. That's a horrible way to be confronted with the fact that your partner has cheated and completely neglected / endangered your offspring.
And, yes, Dena continues to be awesome. The relationship between Bladezz and his little sister feels very real. Being a younger sister with an older brother myself, I've totally been that kid.
[Note from a grammar nerd: You can use either form for Bladezz'(s), but I prefer to put the "s" after the apostrophe in keeping with the general rule for singular possessives (e.g. dog's, Steve's, etc.). Just because it's there, that doesn't necessarily mean that it has to be pronounced.]
I very much LOVE Dena.
She's completely rad and made of win.
As for Clara, I'm kind of looking forward to watching her finally get her comeuppance. Sistah has to pay the piper!
It's bad, but good, too! The characters are well-rounded with their online life affecting their offline life and vice versa, and there are consequences to actions. It's shaping up to be a very complex season and it's wide open as to what will happen. Lots more trouble in store, that's for sure. I hardly touched on how Clara's arc might develop because in her case there is so much more at stake, it's hard to know where to start. Why does her husband, George, put up with her behaviour? And how far will he go?
[Re: grammar - that's what I thought so thanks for the confirmation!]
What threw me in that scene, actually, was that it looked like she was hitting him in the face with the mouse. I don't think she was, but that's what it looked like, cause it was happening really fast. THAT would've been way too much.
I just hope Riley gets more INTERESTING, Like, I hope we see her on her own and away from Zaboo this season. I kind of want her and Codex to be BFF.
They have a lot to teach each other!
Now LET'S GET BACK TO WIL WHEATON!
Now that's something we can all agree on!
Hear hear!
Riley is working for the axis of evil, and is distracting Zaboo
Ooh – well that's an new idea! Although that would mean she has got over her disdain for MMO's which would be a big change of heart. Unless she's dating Faulks, too, and is doing it for him…which also doesn't seem likely. But then again – it's hard to resist a man in a kilt…!