By WorldofHiglet
The second Episode of Season 4 is now live and already things are starting to unwind (or should that be blow up?) for Cyd/Codex. PinkRaygun is running a three-part serial “The Homecoming” starting today, which follows The Guild as they prepare for and conquer SDCC in 2009. The Guild will be at San Diego Comic Con 2010 (SDCC) this week and the full schedule of their events is up on WatchTheGuild.com.
Don’t forget you can meet other like-minded people on The Guild forums.
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 techno-pyric shenanigans Codex is computer-less but not camera-less. Using ingenuity not always obvious, she cams without the web and is in manic-mode. Deluding herself about Fawkes isn’t enough so she is now convinced that the whole Guild is mad at her because Bladezz was the first to respond to her text about her borked computer. The whole being off-line business had obviously tipped her nearer to the edge than usual.
The camera’s battery runs out which must mean it’s time for Codex to call Fawkes. Fawkes is raiding and in fine form:
“Dammit, Venom! Why not just cut off my BLEEP and call it a popsicle?”
He does have a way with words but has no time to smooth talk Codex. While Codex is virtually simpering down the line and coyly mentioning that they haven’t spoken since that night, Fawkes’ attention is elsewhere. Although he does have time to mention his favourite part of the night was when Codex invited him home to take her armour off. As Codex says: “Drunk me is really forward!”
There’s no time to debate whether normal Codex is classier though because Fawkes has already moved on to the cutest part of the evening – the part where she farted on him “…in order to make me taco flavoured.” Classy indeed. Things are getting out of hand but Codex gets her second wind and manages to arrange a meet up so she can return his jacket. Fawkes hangs up before she can get into any deeper water.
Never fear, though, because Bladezz is here! Tooled up with equipment and a dirty mind he quickly takes Codex’ mind off Fawkes. After a non-stop barrage which culminates with him telling her “I’d like to ‘in’ your endo’!”, he gets to work.
Back on Guild chat and talk is indeed of Codex, though not necessarily what she had imagined. Clara still reckons the whole affair is romantic while Tink is clear that there will be no relationship and they should listen for the inevitable fall out:
“Be prepared for her depressed voice. Otherwise known as her normal voice.”
Zaboo is sad and confused. His lack of success in his relationships with Riley, Codex and his mooooo (he can barely say the word) has him questioning himself. Surprisingly it is Tink that offers him some comfort, telling him that according to the one Psych 101 class she took it’s all down to his parents.
Clara is amazed: “Parents influence their kids?! What is that? A new study?”
Zaboo is convinced by Clara and Tink that he needs to be a friend to Codex. Tink, for one, has had enough of the touchy-feelies.
Back at Codex’ apartment and Bladezz might have found the problem with the computer: “There’s gross lady dander all in this thing!”
Codex is more concerned about whether he’s fixed it though, since she can’t afford to replace it – she’s poor. Bladezz has no sooner booted her computer than she’s booted him – out of the way so she can find out what everyone has been saying about her.
Turns out, they weren’t. Because they are busy arguing about the new Guild Hall. As usual, everyone wants to be in charge and Clara has even stolen some of her kid’s crayons and drawn a detailed plan. Tink tries to talk over Clara’s demands but then a strange thing happened on the way to the Guild Hall plan – Clara and Tink want the same design, right down to the gazebo!
But Vork is adamant: “A gazebo painted in hash tag FF33CC?? No!” He is thinking ahead and wants an easily defensible Hall – but not the Blood Fountain that Bladezz wants. Codex attempts to suggest a compromise but instead gets an ultimatum. The one who has the most gold gets to choose. It’s Guildie against Guildie in a race for Hall supremacy!
Bladezz has to rush back to work and Codex manages to add that she won’t have too much time to gold farm since she has a date the following night. Zaboo tries to be supportive…
The final scene sees Codex using her phone as a quote-prompt in preparation for her hot date. As she stands there in the alley way who should roll up but Venom! She is, as always, to the point. Her preemptory “Jacket!” stuns Codex into silence and she disrobes on Venom’s “Now!” command.
Venom takes a second to kill Codex with one last barb: “Nice dress! Go DIE in it!” and then she is gone like a thief in the night. On wheels.
With bare shoulders Codex is left standing. All alone. In the dark. Vulnerability unlocked. So endth the second episode.
So what is going on with Codex? Her self-delusion seems to be taking over and she’s gone from sad and mopey to strung-out and jumpy seemingly overnight. With a nice sideline in paranoia. Except she wants people to be talking about her because, and this is hard to take, she thinks that her being with Fawkes somehow makes her more interesting. Which it might, but not in a good way.
Now granted, she hasn’t had that much experience with men and even less luck, but surely she can see that Fawkes is the epitome of what Wil Wheaton exhorts us all not to be: a dick. I think that while Fawkes may lust after Codex, he sees her for what she is. His line: “To think that would be pathetically neurotic” is as true as it is cruel.
Poor Zaboo is still fighting his female demons but his determination to battle on is always touching. He has definitely turned the corner from pathetic to simply ineffectual with women. I have hope for him yet.
Bladezz, too, seems to be growing up. Perhaps having an actual job is making a man of him. He has stuck with it, and that has to count for something.
Tink and Clara teaming up is enough to make Vork nervous, and I have to agree. This is probably not going to end well. Clara’s pregnancy hormones added to Tink’s hatred of her fellow man has to be a recipe for explosions.
This episode had some great one-liners and is very quotable. The story is already speeding along and I simply loved Vork countering Tink’s and Clara’s palette demands using hex values! It is so Vork and so nerdy and – just brilliant (btw this is FF33CC – mind your eyes!). Clara’s picture is also very cool and totally how I imagined Clara would draw.
The ending is epically bleak. From Codex trying to get her quotation straight (she must think that using quotations will impress Fawkes) to Venom’s full-out fury, the lines are drawn. It’s still Axis against Good, girls against boys and Codex is still stuck in the middle. On her own. With no jacket.
P.S.
A long while back Felicia shared a link about gross fluffed-up computers and nasty keyboards that gave everyone nightmares for days. I’m hoping this episode has exorcised that beast and we’ve seen the last of the lady dander…
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 in 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’ . Her first novel ‘Turning left at Albuquerque” is complete and she has just launched HigletFilms.com, a new webvideo entertainment site serving new, original videos every Monday.
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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 in 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 
