Nobody is every prepared for that last couple minutes of "Home Rooms," when Leatitia cuts her classmate Chiquan. It is one of the most shocking moments in the entire five seasons of the show; it, to me, is one of the most shocking moments in all of television. Just to remind you...
What was your reaction to this scene? Who do you feel worse for, Leatitica or Chiquan? Why does Dukie do what he does? What about Michael's reaction? What about Prez's reaction? Answer all these questions in either a paragraph or each individually, each numbered. Write 3-4 sentences for each.
In addition: going back to our discussion last week about respecting Marlo or liking him more than Mayor Royce: do you feel the same now, having seen more of Marlo? Think of the scene in episode 4, where he steals the lollipops in front of the security guard, one of those guys just trying to do the right thing for his family, working a crummy job anad having to deal with young men like Marlo. You "act like don't even know I'm there," the guard says to Marlo. "I don't," Marlo replies. Here is the scene:
Think too how often Marlo is paired by editing with Royce: a parallel, as we talked about on Friday, is clearly being drawn between the two powerful men. So: what do you know think of Marlo? Has your opinion changed? Stayed the same? Is he indeed worthy of respect as we get to know him better?
Finally: aside from the scenes above, what scene from episode three stayed with you? And why?
1. I was very shocked by this scene! When Leatitia got up to attack Chiquan, it wasn’t too unexpected but the degree of violence really shocked me once I saw the blood pouring from Chiquan’s face. For some reason, I ended up feeling more sorry for Leatitia, even though Chiquan is the one who was grievously injured. Leatitia obviously has a lot of problems, possibly stemming from a very poor home life. Her behavioral problems have not been able to be treated or dealt with because of the poor state of the school and this results in the violence we see here. She seemed so extremely alone, sitting there at the end, comforted only by Dukie. I think Dukie does what he does because he can identify with the loneliness and isolation that Leatitia is feeling (and most likely has felt). Dukie is a very empathetic boy and instead of demonizing Leatitia or cheering like the other children, he offers sympathy. What Michael does is very typical of him, he sits back and absorbs what is going on. Like Dukie, he is set apart from the other children his age. He remains seated while the other kids stand up and he looks drastically more unperturbed than the other kids. Michael seems to approach unsavory aspects of his life with a kind of intellectual detachment (like he did with Marlo’s drug money) while still managing to show genuine care for his brother and friends. I feel this is reminiscent of the other killers we see on the show (we noted that Chris seems like a stand up guy, despite killing people). Prez’s reaction is not surprising. He knows how to deal with violent criminals but these are children. His experience with the school children has been very different from what he seems to have imagined and this incident is an extreme example of that.
ReplyDelete2. My opinion has more or less stayed the same, though I found the whole security guard plotline very nasty to watch and think about it. My opinion didn’t change because I had seen Season 3, which contained another example of Marlo’s coldblooded violence. I think that Marlo can still be respected on some level, as a man willing to do anything to accomplish his goals. He’s ruthless, cruel and dedicated. Although I respect him on a certain level, I certainly don’t like him. His murder of the security guard was really cruel and it further soured him for me.
3. The scene that stood out to me was the scene of Sherrod pretending to do his homework while Bubbles watched. I find the whole Sherrod/Bubbles situation very depressing. Sherrod can’t learn too well at school because he missed three years (and maybe doesn’t want to go), but he pretends to be deeply absorbed in his work in order to make Bubbles, his father figure, feel happy and proud.
1. When I watched the scene I was of course shocked, but mostly grossed out. I have a problem with blood, in front of my or on a screen. The scene made me want to throw up and I had to turn away for a little bit.
ReplyDelete2. I feel worse for Chiquan because she has just be cut on the face and now bleed profusely and going through immense pain. It is clear there is a reason Leatitica did it, but I don’t really know her story yet, so it’s hard for me to have sympathy.
3. Clearly Dukie knows something we don’t about Leatitica. He feels bad for her because he doesn’t exactly live in an ideal environment. He knows what it’s like to have home problems and sympathizes with her.
4. Honestly I would have reacted the exact same way. He was so in shock that this just happened he didn’t know what to do at first. Obviously things like that don’t happen everyday and he was already out of his comfort zone just being there and trying to teach these kids.
5. I think it’s a lot easier to have sympathy for a person like Marlo before you really know him. Just to hear what is happening and then to actually see it are different things. He is clearly a cruel man and my like for him has certainty lessened. He is no better than Royce and even though he is doing this due to lack of other choices, he is still doing it. He’s still killing people, dealing drugs, stealing from people, and lying. The list goes on and on and Marlo’s felonies continue to rack up.
6. The scene in episode three that stood out to me was not a scene but more a moment. When Prez is putting up the chairs after the first day of school and sees the gum all over the bottom of the seat I think it’s a brilliant moment. It highlights perfectly the kids attitude about school, which is simple and crudely, “who gives a rats ass” a sentence even Prez admits to himself in this same episode.
I would agree that the homeroom scene is one of the most shocking things I have ever witnessed on television. My initial reactions were of fear and surprise. I was also angry at both of the girls for letting the situation escalate to such an extreme level. That never should have happened. Chiquan shouldn't have been so cruel, and Laetitia shouldn't have been so quick to anger. The quantity of blood was horrifying. Ultimately I was curious about what made Laetitia so frustrated with the world that made her explode. What is her life like? She seems so miserable and lonely. I was glad that Dukie sat down by her. He was literally and figuratively cooling her off with the small handheld fan. He was able to comprehend her feelings more than any other student because he has been lonely himself. Michael remains cold throughout the knife attack. He refrains from expressing emotions, which is a testament to his strength and ability to remove himself emotionally. A characteristic that would likely help him on the streets if he wanted to be like Marlo. Prez seemed very disturbed at the sight of blood for a former policeman, as if he panicked almost. Maybe he has some form of PTSD, or maybe he was just in shock.
ReplyDeleteMarlo is manipulative, power-hungry, and brilliant. He will do anything to win. I strongly dislike the way he operates. And I think that I have lost a certain amount of respect for him. The security guard is trying to take care of his family, and Marlo is ruthless when it comes to his treatment of the man. I cannot admire his cruelty. But at the same time, Marlo is set in his ways and he is clear and intentional as we have come to expect. Even though Marlo is dedicated to his work it is undoubtedly wrong and unfeeling to murder the security guard. I lost respect for him the moment he began to plot against the guard.
I appreciated the scene in which Sherrod picked up the book outside of the window. It demonstrated to me that he is curious and observant. I wish that he would give education an opportunity so that he could reach his full potential.
Evan Gold
ReplyDeleteLit
I was shocked when I saw what Leatitica had done. I think that there must have been some problems that Leatitica and Chiquan had before that the viewer has not seen. I think that Leatitica must come from a really bad part of Baltimore and was not raised in a good home.
I feel worse for Chiquan because she is the one who got cut. No matter what was going on between Chiquan and Leatitica, Leatitca went way too far with the knife. I do not know why anyone would feel bad for Leatitca.
I think Dukie gives her the fan because he understands how she feels. I think that she must have grown up in a household similar to Dukie, and I think Dukie realizes it. I thought it was strange how he went about sympathizing with her though.
I think Michael just stays in his seat because he has seen worse things than that out on the street. Or it could be the contrary and he is actually too shocked to do anything.
Prez just thought it was a normal fight, but when he saw what had happened you could tell by the look on his face that he was in shock. I think it is interesting how the other teacher always appears at the worst moments to help. I do not know what had happened if she had not came to help.
I still have more respect for Marlo. Even though he was incredibly obnoxious to that security guard who was trying to make an honest living, I still think he is more honest than Royce. One thing that I hate about Royce is how he completely abuses his power in order to better himself. For example when he had city employees make life harder for Tommy.
One scene that really stayed with me is when Prez is putting up the chairs and on the bottom of one there is a lot of gum. I think this stayed in my mind because it was a metaphor that basically represented that the school was hopeless.
My reaction to this scene was/is one of shock first and foremost. There is a tangible tension between the two girls as is highlighted by the scenes of Chiquan making snide comments cut with Leatitica's face contorted with hate although this cannot prepare you for Leatitica's actions. That being said i don't feel "worse" for either of the girls. This doesn't seem like a place to take sides. Chiquan's behavior leading up to this scene and earlier in the episode was annoying the hell out of me. It brought back memories of elementary when i gave and received this kind of shit. I was hoping for somebody to put her in her place, not for what actually happened. Leatitica actions are despicable and disgusting. Utilizing a point from a different short term class, Leatitica's decision to cut Chiquan I hate, not Leatitica herself. Dukies reaction to Leatitica is understandable knowing something about his character and the situation. Dukie knows that Leatitica has a shitty life, he also knows that she is about to be severely punished, perhaps sent to juvenile prison. Knowing that something you have done is forgivable is essential to you forgiving yourself. Leatitica might never have anyone tell her that things will be alright in the near future, so he is going to do it now. Michaels reaction, or lack or one, speaks to his character similarly to Dukie. Michael is one of the most level headed and calm boys. When he sees this extremely provoked assault he stays in his seat almost shaking his head. He knows where reacting like this will get you. That's why he says nothing to Marlo's confrontation. It doesn't leave time for you to weight all options equally. Impulsivity makes leads you to cut a classmate or piss of a druglord terminally. Mr. Prez doesn't know what to do or say immediately after the violence. As a former cop, his immobilization is made all the more pronounced. He has seen the same thing perhaps worse happen between adults, but between children he might not have thought it was possible. He believed that kids didn't become violent until they at least left elementary.
ReplyDeleteMy respect for Marlo suffered a significant drop after watching this scene. He is an upfront guy, yes, but here he abuses his power and notoriety in a way that a child would. Marlo essentially carries a do whatever i want and get away with it card. People know that to mess with him is to sign their own death warrant. Marlo's treatment of Michael an episode earlier earned him respect because he was sympathetic to somebody trying to stick up for himself. Marlo's actions here delegitimize that "gracious" act. It's as though he was merciful to the kid simply because he was a kid, not because he actually respected Michael for standing up for himself. The security guard is a plays a role similar to Michael, but since the guard comes in between Marlo and something Marlo explicitly wants (the candy) as opposed to an act of charity (the money) the guard has crossed the line and will be killed.
1. When I was watching this scene, I was deeply affected. It was depressing to see all of the kids cheering when Leatitica was cutting Chiquan. You knew that something was going to happen, the way Leatitica was making faces. I just didn’t expect for a place that is supposed to be a foundation of learning to be such an uncontrolled place.
ReplyDelete2. I feel worse for Leatitica, because after the assistant principal hit her, she was on the ground in shock, maybe even regretting what she had done. Even though she was swearing after she cut Chiquan, I guess it took received pain on her end to understand the wrongness of her doings. However, Chiquan initiated the dislike by teasing.
3. Dukie had always been made fun of for smelling bad. He had picked up the fan on the first day of school, and even though it was broken, he spent the next few weeks fixing it, so that he might not smell so bad. Wordlessly, and sure of what he was doing, Dukie gave his fan to Leatitica because he wanted for her to feel better. And that was all he had to offer.
4. Michael is trying to claw his way out of debt. That means working hard. He can’t really afford to care about other people. His expression shows that he doesn’t really care about what happens to either of the girls.
5. Prez probably signed up for school teaching for something light and easy after shooting a police officer. There was no way he could’ve expected what happened. He was shocked, absolutely shocked. I think this will be the turning point in his teaching strategy. He’ll need to let his students know that he means business.
I definitely feel the same about Royce and Marlo. I mean, we knew Marlo was killing people before. Just because we saw the reason for a murder doesn’t mean that he’s more brutal. It’s still the same Marlo. It’s hard not to respect him, considering how all of the other dealers hold him in such high esteem. I just don’t approve of what he does for his power. The scene that stayed with me was Randy getting blamed for something he didn’t do. He didn’t want to get picked up by his foster mother, so he had to take the blame. The secretary just had to blame someone, and Randy fit the bill. Even though that’s unfair, she didn’t have the time to launch an investigation.
1. I didn’t see this coming at all. I was so shocked when Leatitica slashed Chiquan’s face and then threatened Prez with the knife as well. I have to remind myself that these kids are only in 8th grade because they seem like they are much older. The scene as a whole was very intense.
ReplyDelete2. I feel bad for both of them, but I feel worse for Leatitica because she must have had so much anger built up inside of her to make her cut Chiquan’s face. She was so upset for what Chiquan had been doing and saying to her and she didn’t want to take it anymore. However, it doesn’t make her actions right. Also, since she had brought the knife to school, her actions were premeditated. This is disturbing for me to see a young girl bring a knife to school with intentions of hurting people with it.
3. I was perplexed by Dukie’s actions at first. I wondered why he was trying to cool her down with his fan after she cut Chiquan? Then, when the group of boys was talking about the incident, they mentioned that Leatitica lived in a really bad part of town in a group home. One of them said that living there would be enough to make you crazy. I think Dukie sympathizes with Leatitica because they both live in very difficult environments. He can relate to what she is living through and so he tries to help her after the incident in the classroom.
4. Michael just sits there during the fight, not trying to help or even see what was going on. I think Michael’s reaction is consistent with what we know about him already. He is looking out for his own well-being and doing his own thing. He fights for his friends and is loyal to them, but since he doesn’t have a relationship with either girl, he doesn’t feel the need to get involved.
5. I was disappointed with Prez’s reaction. He was really shocked at the event and seemed to panic when he saw the knife. I thought that since he had been a police officer, he would have been more accustomed to dealing with these types of situations. Also, when he saw the knife he just backed away. On the other hand, the female teacher that hadn’t been trained as a police officer just knocked the knife away and took control of the situation. Prez should have handled the classroom better than he did.
6. The scene in the grocery store made me mad because the guy putting in the hard work as a security guard gets stepped all over and Marlo doesn’t think of anyone but himself. My feelings toward Marlo turned even more negative after this scene, but I still respect Marlo as a businessman. I dislike him even more after this scene because he treats the security guard with no respect and doesn’t even acknowledge him. I can’t respect him as a person because of his lack of morals, but then again, it didn’t seem like Marlo had many morals to begin with. As I get to know him better, I like him less but still respect him for his skill for climbing the ladder towards power. He seems to be getting even more dangerous and cocky. When he was in the pigeon coop, he said that nobody would ever cross him. His ego is getting to him.
7. The scene from season three that has stuck with me the most is the classroom fight. It was such an intense scene and it kind of came out of nowhere. I think one of the reasons it stuck out was because, before this scene, the violence has been limited to the street. This is a time when the violence impacts the school.
1. In reality my reaction to this scene was less shock or surprise and more anger or sadness at the reactions of the classmates who witnessed what went down. I knew from the first fight that the two would be in further conflict throughout the season, and when I saw the razor in Leatitia's hand I had a suspicion of what was to come. The main thing that frustrated me was the lack of shock by the 8TH GRADE classmates. Had such a thing happened in front of me even today I would be horrified, but none of the classmates were overly surprised or worried about what had occurred.
ReplyDelete2. I would say that I feel worse for Leatitia purely because she will have to cope with the psychological and social backlash of cutting Chiquan's face. In Chiquan's case, her face will heal and despite the pain she went through she will come out of it with no lasting issue besides a hate for Leatitia, and maybe some scars. Clearly, while Leatitia overreacted on a scale to large for words, Chiquan was the one (As far as we know) who started the conflict in the first place. All in all i felt worse for Leatitia in anticipation for coming troubles.
3. Personally I think that Dukie gives Leatitia the fan that he clearly had spent some time fixing in knowledge that she needs someone there for her. I think that Leatitia know's that what she did was inherently wrong and that Dukie understands that while she might not accept it from him she needs some comfort. The fan is just Dukie's way of expressing his sympathy.
4. I think that Michael's reaction is perfectly in key with what we know about him as a character. He was calm and collected even with his classmate on the floor covered in blood. He approaches the situation coldly and intellectually rather than participating in the sudden crowd of onlookers.
5. Prez's reaction is also exactly what you would expect from his character. While he may have been suited for dealing with grown criminals, he is still unstable with interactions with the rowdy group of middle schoolers that he is dealing with. He spends time assuming that they would react to the situation like a group of kids who had not grown up on the streets their whole life and though he tries to stop the fight he is powerless in the situation he is in.
6. I think that while what Marlo did was a cruel and cold thing to do, we learn very little new information about his character. Honestly it was what I expected from him as a character. While he may have been cruel and uncaring to the cop it doesn't show any change, he is no more cold hearted than he was in the last episodes and my "respect" for his character stayed the same.
7. All in all I think the scenes that stuck with me out of the third episode would be the multitude of scenes regarding the disassembly of the Major Crimes Unit. Seeing as I observed their capabilities in the 2nd season last year it saddened me to see them break apart as a group purely because of the corruption that exists within the police force.
1. when I first saw the scene of Leatiatia cuts Chiquan I thought that the razor that Leatiatia was holding was just a fidget she had. When she went up and cut Chiquan, i didn't know what had happened until i saw Chiquan on the floor, in a pool of blood. I was shocked and a little frightened/squeamish. I almost didn't watch it again due to the fact that i could put myself in one of those classmate's shoes and experience it in first person.
ReplyDelete2. I feel worse for Chiquan because from what we've seen, the bullying that Chiquan has been doing has just been mental and not harmful to Leatiatia physically. I assume that Chiquan has been bullying Leatiatia for some time because of the watch scene and the extreme retaliation Leatiatia delivered did not fit just that one action at all.
3. Dukie, i assume, understands the situation that she is in. She is being bullied, much like Dukie is. He understands the feeling of having no one, and the anger from that helpless feeling. This is why i think he decided to comfort her.
4. Michael's reaction to the whole situation surprised me. After thinking about it, it makes sense though. His reaction of being unfazed by the situation shows how screwed up his world is. He must have seen similar things happen before this.
5. Prez's reaction was much like mine would have been, one of total shock and inexperience. Even being a cop would not prepare you to see kids cut each other.
6. My opinion of Marlo has changed a little, knowing exactly how cocky he is, however i still respect his willingness to do anything for his goals and his clever mind. He doesn't have any respect for others, and loves to abuse his power, that is why i lost a small bit of respect for him.
7. The scene that popped out the most to me was the scene where all the kids were asking Prez about his cop life. They were asking how many people he has killed and ridiculing their teacher for being an ex-policeman.
1. I was shocked. I saw something glinting in Leatiticia’s hand, but by the time I wondered what it was, she had already attacked Chiquan. It made me wonder why Leaticia cut Chiquan. When Randy says that she lives in a group home it explains it a little bit. Chiquan is probably an example of one of the many people who make Leaticia feel excluded and alone, and she lashes out at her.
ReplyDelete2. I felt worse for Chiquan, because even though Leaticia has a lot to deal with, Chiquan is not the source of her problems. Lashing out at her seemed unfair to me, and definitely irrational. I don’t think the show is trying to blame individuals though; the show demonstrates the catastrophic consequences of kids growing up in these situations.
3. He indentifies with Leaticia because they are both outcasts. Chiquan was mean to both of them: in the beginning, she got up and moved seats saying Dukie smelled bad. But Chiquan is not the only one who picks on Leaticia and Dukie. They both come from dysfunctional family situations and are not socially accepted.
4. Michael doesn’t get up from his seat. He just watches everything happen with a blank expression. This shows how detached he is from other people; he doesn’t seem very empathetic. This is reminiscent of Marlo. However, Michael takes really good care of his little brother, so he probably isn’t as uncaring as he seems. He detaches himself from the madness around him because that’s the best way he knows to survive.
5. He is speechless. Leaticia threatens him with the razor blade too, but he doesn’t seem scared, just shocked. He is reeling at the fact that such a young girl is capable of this kind of violence.
6. I could never respect Marlo because of his violence and cruelty. This scene exemplifies his lack of compassion and self-centeredness in every day life. We see this again and again: in the dove house, in the corner store where he forces the man to give him the ring. He doesn’t respect anyone, and therefore he does not deserve respect. I also do not respect or like Royce.
7. The moment that stuck with me the most happened while Colvin interviews Sean with the researcher writing notes. The researcher asks if Sean if he would ever go to the police if his sister were attacked, and Sean attacks him. To me, this showed the disconnect between the police forces job to protect and serve and reality. I don’t blame the police officers; problems like these are much bigger than individuals, and I’m not really sure what I would do if I was the mayor of Baltimore trying to make it safer.
1. At first I was shocked because it was so fast and so sudden. However, I was not surprised at all. Given the violent content of this show, a violent classroom fight is not really a stretch.
ReplyDelete2.I obviously feel sorry for Chiquan because she will always have those scars on her face. They will be a constant reminder of what happened that day.
3. Dukie's reaction made almost no sense. I guess he thought someone needed to be there for Leaticia. Dukie had been working on that fan all day so I think when he gave it to her, he was just trying to make her feel better.
4. Michael seems to have little to no reaction at all to the incident. He doesn't get up from his chair like everybody else. He kind of backed off the situation. I think it shows michael's character how he kept a cool head in the situation.
5.I expected Prez's reaction. He tried to take control until he noticed that there was blood. I don't think Prez was prepared for this at all and had no idea how to handle the situation.
6. I still respect Marlo. I think his cockiness is not ignorance, but due to the fact that he does control that whole area. One thing that stuck with me was when he stated with absolute confidence that"Nobody fucks with me". This shows that Marlo is confident in his own power. One thing I noticed is that Marlo takes respect extremely seriously and everyone else knows it too. I noticed how the security guard tried to make it very clear he wasn't trying to step to Marlo, but Marlo still took offense and the secrutiy guard will be dead by the end of the episode.
1. I was completely shocked by this scene. I literally had no idea that was going to be the end result. I could not believe that just happened, so many questions went through my mind immediately. I might not be as aggressive as Leatitica, but regardless, if someone was bothering me, I would not conclude that cutting their face would solve my problems. I was just so taken back by the situation, and how it was handled. Although, I feel worse for Leatitica, because I know that she is not only going to be in a lot of trouble, but her decision to cut Chiquan did not solve her problems, and arguably them worse, and made her feel worse. Also, by Leatitica doing this so many people will not want to have anything to do with her, or be around her. Except Dukie, which bring me to my next point. I believe Dukie did what he did, because he knows what it is like to be an outcast, and he also can relate to what it is like to be made fun of and bullied. Although he does not react in the way that Leatitica does, I believe that Dukie understands why she reacted the way that she did. Michael’s reaction, or lack there of, was so shocking as well. I could not believe that he literally barely moved in his seat. It makes me wonder if he is used to situations like this happening, if he is just completely apathetic, or if he is thinking/on a completely different thought process? Whatever the case I am now very intrigued by Michael’s character. Lastly, Prez’s reaction was somewhat expected. I was not surprised by how he acted, and I just really felt bad for him. I could see that on his face he was questioning what he had gotten himself into.
ReplyDelete2. My opinion on Marlo has changed, I also question if he is more respected or just feared. I really do not appreciate or respect how he treats the people he encounters. I also strongly dislike Marlo because it does not seem that he values or obtains work ethic. If Marlo wants something, he gets it, if not immediately, eventually. But not because he worked for it, because he stole it or threatened people’s lives for it. Which personally, makes me lose respect for him. So, I do not believe Marlo is worthy of the amount of respect that I was giving him at the start of this series.
3. The scene that stuck out the most for me, was all the drug dealers around a table in a conference room in a hotel talking about their businesses, blocks, and competition. Not only was it just a hilarious picture, it is just another demonstration of how serious, legitimate and significant the drug business is in Baltimore.
1) When she cut Chiquan's face, I know i was shocked the whole time. I know that a couple classmates and myself were just sitting there, eyes wide and hand over our mouths. The fact that all the kids in the show didn't even flinch frightened me more.
ReplyDelete2) I feel worse for Chiquan because she was looking pretty cute. Now that Leatiatia cut her, she will have to live with those scars the rest of her life. Not only this but the sheer amount of pain she is going through must be horrendous.
3) Dukie gets the fact that she feels scared by what she has done. When everyone is crowding around Chiquan, Leatiatia sits by herself in a corner. I feel like she is in shock from the whole situation, and Dukie is trying to give her a comforting arm to lay on.
4) Michael doesn't react at all. He is the one kid in the whole room who doesn't get up and gawk at Chiquan. This for one, shows how tough Michael is. And two, that Michael doesn't really care about stuff that doesn't effect him directly, or his brother.
5) Prez is in complete shock about what goes on. Being a cop is one thing... Teaching a class full of young 8th graders is completely different. Prez doesn't know how to handle kids, he only knows how to handle hardened criminals. The fact that these kids are acting like criminals scares him even more.
6) Marlo, in a way, is just like a little kid. He thinks he can get away with anything because of the power he has. Sometimes when kids parents are the head of something, they think they can do whatever they want. For example one of my friends taught a kid who's dad was headmaster of the school, this kid acted any way he wanted in class and had no punishment.
7) The scene that stuck with me was most definitely when Chiquan got cut. It was so unexpected, it shows me that these kids really have no boundary.
I was completely suprised by Leatitia's use of a blade against Chaquan because I thought there was just going to be a similiar altercation as before. Though it is unexpected since Chiquan was the victim of the violenct attack, I feel worse for Leaticia after Dukie explains her living arrangments to the guys. I think a parallel can be drawn between Leaticia and Dukie because we already know that Dukie has a hard home life and I think that is why he hands her the fan because he understands the otracism they both face.
ReplyDeleteI found Michael's reaction startling because of his seeming indifference to the fight. It seems as if he does not find this sort of violent altercation suprising and most of the other kids apper to have risen out of the ir seats to watch the fight for entertainement but Michael remains at a distance. However, this seems to fit with his previous actions of not getting directly involved with anything. Honstely though, I do not know what he was thinking as he sat there because his face seemed so passive.
I think Prez is completely shocked by the violence Leaticicia displayed and he never thought that anything like it would occur in the classroom, which is why he freezes. I think he never expected to have to deal with such violence after he left the police force.
I found the similarities between Marlo and Royce to be clearly displayed throughout the episode. Marlo's actions with the secutirty guard showed he also gets rid of anyone who shows him opposition (like Royce with the major crimes unite) but to an even more frivolous extent. My opinion has definetly changed in that I no longer respect Marlo and I think both Royce and Marlo both appear to do frivolous things with their time, power and money-Royce with his secretary, Marlo with his gambling, and yet in the next moment destroy or end someone else's life because a person got in their way. Both utilise their power in incorrect ways and while it is expected from Marlo making it difficult to see Royce enact, I think it is clear that these two men are operating on the same plane.
The scene that stayed with me is the moment when Randy hands Dukie a sack lunch because even though it was a quick moment it showed that the guys take care of Dukie and care about him even if they are not always nice to him.
I was extremely shocked when I saw what Leatitica did to Chiquan. I saw that Leatitica was upset and knew that she disliked Chiquan but I had no idea what was to come. As Prez went around the classroom questioning the kids, we see the anger building up in Leatitica. When she stood up and walked over to Chiquan I thought she was about to throw a punch, but instead she sliced Chiquan from ear to ear. This totally caught me off guard. It’s hard to say whom I feel worse for after I really think about the question. Clearly I feel bad for Chiquan because she could possibly lose her life from the loss of blood. Also, she will never look the same because of the marks that will be on her face from the blade. However, I feel that she somewhat deserved it but not necessarily to that extent. I’m not really sure why Dukie does what he does. If I had to guess I would think that he felt what Leatitica was going through being humiliated and picked on. Maybe Dukie always wanted to react but never did and felt for Leatitica after she reacted. Thinking broader, maybe Dukie fanned her to show that he fixed the fan or wanted to show that he was good for something. Michael seemed to be shocked as well, but he did not stand or react as his classmates did. He did not take any humor in the situation. Prez seemed to be the most shocked out of everyone in the class. As he pushed a few kids out of the way and saw Chiquan on the floor, he stopped in awe and said nothing. He was speechless to see such a violent act. I really don’t feel much different about Marlo. I still view him as the cold-blooded, drug-dealing killer who runs the streets of west Baltimore. Although he was wrong for taking advantage of the security guard, I still have more respect for him than Royce. Again, I think he is more honest than Royce and also has respect from other drug dealers. Its clear to see that Marlo is not to be messed with and is continuing to grow in power.
ReplyDeleteWhen i seen Leatitica with that little knife thing in her hand and the look in her face i could tell she was about to do something crazy. Then when she sliced her in the face i was shocked but a little relieved because i thought she was going to try and kill Chiquan. I feel bad for Leatitica because of where she lives and what she probably has to deal with on the regular basis but i still feel bad for Chiquan because even though she was picking on her, she still didn't deserve to get cut up like that, and those scars are probably going to be there for life. I think Dukie goes over there to spray the fan on her because he can see where she is coming from because they are kind of in the same situation as far as being an outcast. Now with Prez he doesn't know what to do because i doubt he has ever seen any children act like that before. You can tell he was not expecting anything like that to happen and he was also scared to take the lil knife thing from her. The other teacher had to come in and fix the situation because Prez was frozen with fear.
ReplyDeleteI don't have any respect for Marlo because he thinks he owns the whole world, and anyone in his way is against him and everyone else is below him. hen you get the kind of power like Marlo and Royce has it brings out the qualities you have. Both of them don't care about the people who aren't as rich and powerful they only care about staying on top and crushing whoever might be in their way, even if that person is trying to do it the right way. To stroke his own ego he makes that security guard look like a child because he knows that security wouldn't dare step to him and he doesn't see that security guard as a man. Also when he took Boddies spot even though he all the other corners he waits until Boddie builds it up and then tells him to either buy from him or get off. The same with Royce and what he is doing to Carcetti, and also the men who is on the same ticket as him.
A seen that jumped out at me was the scene where Michael says to Namon in the boxing ring is 'that's all you ever do is talk.' Michael calls out Namon because he can see the truth in people and see what they really are all about, and it's true what he said about Namon. Michael is probably one of my favorite characters because don't back down from nobody, he smart, and he looks after his little brother.
1. I was shocked when I first saw this scene and even as I watched it again. Leatitica clearly didn't like Chiquan, but I never expected her to go as far as cutting the other girl's cheeks. I think I realized the gravity of the moment when the camera shifted to Chiquan lying in a pool of blood. I certainly never expected that level of violence from eighth graders in the classroom.
ReplyDelete2. I feel worse for Leatitica. Chiquan certainly didn't deserve the assault, but she will heal, at least physically. This moment probably will have a much bigger effect on Leatitica, because she may face legal repercussions, and even if she doesn't, she will be forever ostracized. The show seems to be asking who is responsible for Leatitica's behavior, suggesting that her home environment is to blame. It is a sad commentary on the cycle of violence in the children's lives.
3. Dukie's behavior confuses me. I understand that he recognizes that he is also a social outcast, but I was initially fearful for him when he decided to interact with the girl who had just cut her classmate. I think it is telling that he gives Leatitica the fan he spent so long repairing. I'm not sure if he is being compassionate, or if he is a lonely kid reaching out to someone who everyone also hates.
4. Michael's reaction makes sense, considering what we know about him. He doesn't hasten to get involved in a situation he's unsure of or that doesn't directly concern him. I don't think he's cold or distant for it, because we see that he does care about his brother. He does seem to be interested in what is going on; he is just smart enough to know that he should stay out of the situation.
5. Prez's reaction disappointed me. Surely, when the principal heard that Prez used to be a cop, he expected him to be capable of handling the situation. It's understandable that he is shocked, but I don't think he does enough to protect the kids. If the other teacher hadn't charged in and disarmed Leatitica, things could have been much worse. Prez should have taken care of the situation the way that you expect a cop can.
While I have never liked Marlo, I still respect him, mostly because he sticks to his values and manages effectively. Yes, I disagree with his methods. It is awful that he has the security guard killed. Yes, I have very different values than he does. But even though I don't like or agree with him, I can still respect him. We all seem to agree that he has chosen the wrong methods, but surely he thinks the same about the players in the legal system. We may consider him a bad person, but he is still good at what he does.
The scene that stuck with me was when Carcetti visited the funeral of the murdered witness. This is another example of the two seemingly different worlds of Baltimore meeting. Clearly, Carcetti's campaign sent him there with a political agenda, which he has been promoting for his own gain. But he soon meets the people who the government has been ignoring, and he realizes that all of this is bigger than his campaign. Finally, he just sees grieving parents who inexplicably lost their son. I gained some respect for him when he could walk out of the service and turn away the news reporters he asked about on his way in, choosing instead not to exploit the family's grief.
I was incredibly shocked with the cutting of Leatitia. I expected Chiquan to restart the fight when she got up the second time, only to find out that she had been sharpening a razor. I felt more sorry for Chiquan, because I could tell she regretted her actions as soon as she sat down. Her emotions had shown in her face. Dukie fans her I think for two reasons: one, is to basically calm her down, and two, to show that he could take a broken fan off of the street and fix it to where it would work again. That little fan basically showed that Dukie is amazingly gifted; just unfortunate. Michael just seemed to stand there. He looked a little surprised, but not like a "oh my god what has she done" surprised, but an "oh, she got cut pretty badly" surprised. Prez looked most shocked out of everyone, as expected. He probably then realized what he was actually dealing with. Shifting gears, Marlo is as crooked as Royce is, if not more. Royce's image with me was improved when he promoted the cop who was his driver, which is a good thing; Marlo hasn't done anything good yet. Not that I would expect him to, seeing as to what he is. I still don't respect him, because he's just a drug dealer slinging his power around, killing people, the same as everyone else in Baltimore; except he has more muscle to go along with it. My choice for the scene that stuck with me would obviously be the actions in the classroom. Even after the cutting, all that blood on the floor made me think Leatitia was going to bleed to death. Then again, she shouldn't have been shining the light in Chiquan's face.
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