The Guild Season 3 Episode 11: LAN Off!

By WorldofHiglet

The penultimate episode of Season 3 is now up and what an action-packed episode. I interviewed Director Sean Becker last week and he said this was his favourite one of Season 3. I’ll be posting the video interview with Sean here soon so look out for it.

This is a longer review than normal because we are only a week away from the final episode of Season 3, and what a roller coaster it has been. Time to chew over action and speculate over the conclusion…

All the links for MSN, Zune and Xbox are on WatchTheGuild.com and you can view the episode, below:

Disclaimer: this is a REVIEW and therefore will contain spoilers about this episode (and possibly previous ones). Just so we’re clear on that.

Now, of all the things I have imagined Codex being, a gang member is not one of them. EVER. Codex is about as gangsta as Weird Al, and gives “White and Nerdy” a whole new level. Bless her, though – she can dream as she pulls some interesting gang signs (bunny ears? Really??).

Back on the field of geeky combat, never have so many battles been planned for so many by one Vork. He has reckoned on 24 elimination rounds – which should take about 6 hours. Faulks, however, is having none of that. For him there can be only one (way) – Battle Royale!

The stakes couldn’t be higher. The winner – declared winner. If the Axis of Anarchy lose they leave the Knights of Good alone for ever. And if the Axis of Anarchy win….?

Vork is clear: “The Guild will cease operations. The Knights of Good will be but a noble blip in gaming existence. And I’ll return to playing Chinese chequers with various neighbourhood children.”

This comes as a shock to the Guildies, but Vork is adamant. They are to duel to the death. Zaboo has been up to his usual stalking tricks and has some bad news about Kwan. He makes millions playing Starcraft in Korea – ringer’d.

Bladezz and Clara share an innuendo but their touching scene is interrupted when Mr Wiggly crashes the party, and he’s not a happy bunny (Easter or otherwise). Clara is irritated that Gabby gave up the address so quickly but George is not to be diverted – has Clara really chosen the game over their marriage?

When Clara defends her position saying she didn’t want to fight, Zaboo backs her up. Obviously he hasn’t been physically assaulted enough recently so Mr Wiggly puts that to rights by grabbing him by the neck. Zaboo can take a hint and skedaddles.

Meanwhile Valkyrie is taunting Codex a second time by explaining that he will be using his alt, Artemis, since his other character has no equipment. Of course, Codex starts to apologise but is distracted by the fact that he has two girl characters.

Valkyrie is completely unfazed by Codex’ mild aspersions: “…I play two girl characters because I like girls. I like looking at girls. I’m a – girl loving guy. [beat] I like your shoes.” Oh yeah. We’re all totally buying it…

George is berating Clara over the fact that she has sided against him after The Guild kicked him out, but Clara pooh-poohs this. Vork confirms that he only thinks Wiggly is stupid, not a traitor – awesome! In the end, though, Clara sweeps Wiggly with her to play. No time for marriage talk when there’s avatars to stomp!

Bladezz is up against Bruiser [insert innuendo here], who treats him with his usual respect. Bruiser: “Equal? Your ***k could fit in my ear canal!” Charming. Tink also tries to goad Bladezz but he is sanguine about her attacks, which takes all the joy out of it for her.

And yes, Codex is opposite Faulks – something that he seems very pleased about. He tries to engage her in some mildly-flirtatious trash-talking, but Codex shuts him down. She is in it to win it. And so the countdown begins…

Tactics become clear quickly. Venom distracts Vork and while he is monologueing and she dispatches him forthwith. Valkyrie/Artemis quickly follows – first blood to both sides.

Wiggly is watching Clara, still amazed she would rather game than take the kids to the park. Clara, though, is unabashed and accuses him of being boring.

Codex and Tink are locked in battle and Codex is moved to tell Tink how much she has missed her, while Tink is moved to repeatedly stab her. And complain about how nice she is.

Next to die is Bruiser, though, taken out by Zaboo, who is thrilled with the kill. Wiggly, though, stung by Clara accusations, suddenly seizes control of the keyboard. In a fit of wild keystrokes he offs Kwai in a move that is “sheer idiocy”. Clara is ecstatic!

One by one they fall: Clara, Venom, Zaboo…well, Zaboo has a whole other set of problems when his Mistress, Riley, appears wielding her paintball gun of tough love – someone forgot her afternoon foot massage…Tink finally kills Bladezz and then…

Clara: “Codex – awesome! You guys, who da thunk it? Codex is the last one standing!”

What??

The scene is set for an epic end game, two against one. Cold-hearted Faulks and turncoat Tink against failed Guild Leader Codex in a battle for survival – who will be victorious?

Did all that happen in less than eight minutes?

There is so much happening in this episode that it takes a few views and a bit of space for it all to sink in.

Firstly the pace and excitement is built in from the bottom up. The script is so tight that we are jumping from person to person, battle to battle in a dizzying series of pithy, witty and story-driving exchanges. There are no low points, no waiting around, no discussions – it’s all about the game.

Because it’s so fast-paced it’s hard to keep an eye on all the tiny details. Like the look on Tink’s face when she hears that if they lose, the Knights of Good are history, or the admiration on Clara’s face when Wiggly defeats Kwai, or the wonderful way Valkyrie compliments Codex on her shoes, or the way Zaboo disses Valkyrie’s lame Tourette’s, or the longing in Faulks’ face as he contemplates Codex…

What could have been a terribly dull spectacle – a LAN party – is transformed into a seething mass of actual action as the camera moves and pans, scenes are cut and angles reversed. We don’t ever have time to consider the static nature of the room because we are never just looking at people lined up in rows at their monitors.

And underpinning it all is the score. The incidental music adds so much to the feeling of urgency. When the water is delivered to Vork we hear plucked, playfully questioning strings, then strident brass and finally a gong. The sounds of the game, the in-game music and then the rising brass (strings) and drum throughout the last few shots leave us with the tension unresolved.

It goes without saying (but I’m going to say it anyway) that the acting is top-notch. Everyone, Knight or Anarchist, is completely transported in battle and every look and keystroke is delivered with utter conviction.

All the strands in the Season 3 tapestry are coming together so let’s break it down, character by character.

Clara (and George): This season has been a tumultuous round of painful growing and learning and ignoring and now it comes to this: Clara ditched the family for the LAN party. Is Clara so addicted to gaming that she would neglect all her grownup duties? Absolutely. And George isn’t going to take it anymore. Except…he totally does.

Clara is an expert at disarming his anger, deflecting criticism and redirecting attention onto other people’s failings. Like George’s fall into nagging boringness and his lame cell phone holster. George is stung by her accusations and does something positive – he takes charge and is victorious – ingame. But where does that leave them? Will George now join Clara on the Dark Side and give himself over to gaming?

Bladezz is on a different sort of journey. The teen has been stripped of all the things he used to prop up his shaky sense of self – he works in a soul-crushing McJob, he is reviled at school, his dad left and his mum is…having a relationship with Bruiser. And his first love, Tink, continues to grind him into the dust at every opportunity. Has he really accepted that he is now the lowest of the low and Tink’s doormat? And where is his sister, Dena?

Vork, though, has gone from Guild Leader to itinerant back-seat Guild Leader back to Guild Leader again, and seems to be on the rise. His countenance is almost noble as he accepts Faulks’ mode of battle. He will lead with honour.

The stakes couldn’t be higher because if The Knights of Good lose, his literal journey of discovery and so-recent victorious return as Guild Leader will be for nought. Everything will be gone. And yet he can still be distracted enough by Venom to allow himself to be the first one killed. Is he the leader he needs to be – and will there be anything left to lead?

Zaboo (and Riley), brought so low by his relationship with Riley, now seems to be making a go of being the man he should be. He is back in the game and on top form – the George Clooney of RPGs! Everything is going so well for him until his velvet-fisted lover aims her gun at him again. He is out of the game but can he take control of his life? Or will Riley deploy her full arsenal of love-weaponry and take him down for good?

Tink is…well, what is Tink doing? Her shock (?) defection to the AoA sent shockwaves through the Knights of Good that are now threatening to undo everything. When Vork tells everyone that if they lose the Knights of Good will disband Tink seems shocked at that idea, but what does that mean? She still takes Bladezz down even though the thrill has gone because he doesn’t seem to care anymore. And she only hates Codex sometimes? Is she really going to help Faulks kill Codex and finally rid herself of those pesky friends, or…?

And gentle Codex. Her life has been turned upside-down when she is forced into taking over as Guild Leader, seeing her almost-friend Zaboo being brutalized and being driven to distraction by Vork’s back-seat leadering. Faulks has been directing his AoA army against all her friends in real life while trying his smarmy come-ons to her personally. Now she is back as a follower and most of her Guild are working together at last but all too quickly they are killed off leaving her in the minority.

Her mettle was tested to the limit in real life as Guild Leader and she was found wanting. Now she faces the ultimate test ingame – alone, out-numbered and fighting against the worst time of enemies: an ex-Guildie who knows all her moves and the Guild Leader who thinks he is all that, in game and in life.

Can Codex be victorious? So much – everything! – is resting on her.

Who. Will. Win?

WorldofHiglet is the online persona of writer Mary R. Higgins, a born-again geek reclaiming her heritage bit by bit. A youth filled with sci-fi, horror and adventure fare (TV, films, computer games and books) was crushed by years of office grind. Buffy brought her back into the fold after years of denial. Discovering Firefly sealed the deal. Now she geeks fulltime on her blog ‘the last geek bus home’ and her first novel ‘Turning left at Albuquerque” is currently looking for a home in publishing-land.

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