|
Post by Forlong on Sept 8, 2005 12:10:16 GMT -5
We're finally on season 3! Let's do it in production order instead of airing order. Either way, we start with Steal Wheels.
Okay, in the opening Kim gets a call from Ron. She's psyched for their "so-not-a-date". Here's the convo: Kim: Hey, Ron. Ron: Oh, hey, KP. Kim: I am so ready for Friday night. What's the plan?
Kim is trying to get Ron to make the plans. She used a similar tactic on Josh.
Ron: Actually, I-- Kim: Anything but Bueno Nacho. We go there every Friday. Tonight, let's nix it!
Seems like a hint that she's trying to test if Ron is boyfriend material. Also, while talking, Kim is looking through her outfits. Was she planning to change before "going out" with Ron? That'd be a huge hint.
Ron: Uh... Kim: Hey, what's that movie you want to see? You know, with the guy with the fingers.
Woah! Kim wants to do what Ron wants to do. Totally new.
Ron: Actually, I...sort of, made plans. Kim: Plans? You?
Kim isn't angry (yet). A good sign.
Ron: Well, Felix and I are all set for a bombdiggidy night of "Zombie Mayhem". Kim: You'd rather spend Friday night mindlessly slaughtering zombies, than with me?
Sound familiar? It's a lot like something Ron said in Pain King vs Cleopatra: "You'd rather see some dead queen's clothes, than watch Pain King's Night of a Hundred Bruises with me?"
Ron: It's for charity. Kim: Explain. Ron: Zombie-palusa is coming. Gotta practice up. Twenty-four hours of nonstop gaming to save up money for research. Kim: research what? Ron: Repetitive stress injuries.
Ironic.
Kim: No big. I've got plenty of Friday night options. Ron: Oh, you can come with.
Kim is trying to mask her pain. Ron ain't buying it.
Kim: No thanks. Video games. Not my thing. Ron: You sure you're okay with this?
Kim tries again. It's not working.
Kim: So not the drama. It's not like Friday night is my official "Ron Night". Right? Ron: Okay. Coolness. Later, KP.
This time it works. Seems that Ron is getting to understand Kim better.
Mrs. Dr. P.: Kimmie? You're still here? I thought Friday nights were your Ron Nights. Kim: Not officially.
Kim's obviously crushed. What exactly started the "Ron Night" thing? I'm guessing it was after Kim and Josh broke up. Kim is trying to show Ron that she's not just a friend, but a beautiful (and available) woman.
|
|
jc3p2
Yellow Trout
Posts: 93
|
Post by jc3p2 on Sept 8, 2005 14:05:24 GMT -5
troo troo
|
|
soyokaze14
Pink Sloth
Time to step-up...
Posts: 17
|
Post by soyokaze14 on Sept 8, 2005 14:46:45 GMT -5
I really like how this episode (and this season) begins! I´m unable to write a whole lot right this instant, but I wanted to share this screencap: You´d rather bash zombies than spend time with me......EXPLAAAIN!!!!I love it!
|
|
|
Post by Falling-Pixie on Sept 8, 2005 16:36:20 GMT -5
I know! Its so sad how Kim missis Ron so much! AWW! And in the begining when she was picing out an outfit to ware "out with" Ron, YA! I KNOW! It caut my eye too! Kim is totaly in denile!
|
|
|
Post by cloudmonet on Sept 8, 2005 16:36:38 GMT -5
"Steal Wheels" opens about the way I'd expect after the failed parallel crushes of "The Truth Hurts," Bobby and Penny. Kim and Ron are-- Kim and Ron are dating, there's really no other word for this, and doing it so regularly that Kim's taken it to be a weekly routine, "Ron night," and reacts as though she's been stood up when he has other plans. Jaw drops. Watching this episode by itself, without any more of season three, it looks like they're an item, and merely accidental that we happen not to see any hugs or kisses.
But that's not quite what's really happening, not yet, though it may be what Kim desires. If so, she has expectations about Ron stepping into the role which he, for the time being and for whatever reason, is not willing to meet. We'll see this in "Emotion Sickness" and "Bad Boy." These two get seriously confused.
But for now, it's just Kim jealing over Felix, making a few compromises to fit herself into Ron's life a bit tighter (which we'll also see more and more). Did we think we'd see Kim doing "cage bats" and playing Zombie Mayhem 3? She will, if it's what she needs to do to hang out with Ron. Wow. We've moved so far since "The Ron Factor" started changing things forever.
The bad guys? Fairly normal also. Motor Ed is revealed to be Drakken's cousin, and the two work together (more or less) to build the "Doom Vee." Here we see, perhaps, a rational component of a world-conquering or revenge scheme that didn't get any farther. Next step was probably using the doom vee to steal something that would otherwise have been impossible to steal, and then--
I don't know what "And the Molerat will be CGI" is actually like, but other than possibly that, the only other "normal" feeling episodes from season three are "Gorilla Fist" and "So the Drama." The others all, much as I love them, have an extremely manic quality about them, as Drakken's incessant schemes become more and more preposterous, Shego's respect for him plunges to new all-time lows, Ron's inability to cope and tendency to panic or get distracted reach new highs, and Kim makes snap decisions and takes action with clearly inadequate information but is forced to learn nothing from the consequences.
And are we really "reevaluating" K/R feelings any more, or just trying to make some sense of them? Even The Jabberwocky, the renowned anti-shipper who used to post in this series of threads, agreed that K/R shipping has some validity for season three.
I think anyone who's been following our analyses can see that the sexual tension has been amping up gradually. It's about to explode, repeatedly. The rather reasonable tale of potential love, actual jealousy, and deepening friendship we've been following is about to plunge into the freakout zone.
|
|
|
Post by ninjanaco on Sept 8, 2005 19:09:46 GMT -5
I haven't seen "Steal Wheels," but I did skim through a transcript of it once. On that, one thing I noticed was that at the end, it seems that Kim, Ron and Felix are playing Zombie Mayhem _. And, apparently, Kim's doing good - despite the fact that she's just pressing random buttons. When I read, that, it sturck me - it's a Kim/Ron parallel! Just as Ron's randomness helps him in Kim's world, so Kim's "randomness" helps her in Ron's world (video games). Not neccessarily/explicity a "shippy hint" in the sense that it is tied to eros (in the full sense of the word), but it's some "characters coming lcoser together" deep thingy or something. Or something. Feel free to try and understand my comments (why I can't put it into exact words, I don't know).
|
|
|
Post by GnuHopper on Sept 8, 2005 22:20:22 GMT -5
Steal Wheels...or third wheels?
One of the ongoing themes of season three will be an increased tendency to parallel Kim & Ron with Drakken & Shego. Emotion Sickness, Bad Boys and Dimesnion Twist will all compare and contrast both duos reactions to essentially the same situations. In Steal Wheels we see how each couple reacts to the sudden inclusion of a third party. Kim feels dejected and lonely when Ron starts spending more time with Felix. Shego is just plain annoyed at the presence of Motor Ed as he (1) hits on her and (2) steals away Drakken's attention. Couple one works out their differences with some compromises and honest talk, couple two -- well, they go to jail. Solution enough for Shego and Drakken, I guess.
Steal Wheels also addresses the question of how Kim and Ron's relationship dominates their social lives -- Kim's in particular. We tend to think of Kim Possible as a popular girl. Certainly she's pretty, smart, captain of the cheer squad and volunteer for dozens of school activities, charities and the occassional spy organization. But other than Ron, who else is actually her FRIEND? Monique, yes...but is she friends with the other cheerleaders (minus Bonnie)? Other students? Felix? She's friendly with them, but we very rarely see her socialize with any of them outside of cheer practice (Oh Boyz being one of the few times I can recall). When it comes down to who she chooses to spend her leisure time with, it's almost always Ron with occassional "girl stuff" with Monique. And Ron is her usual Friday night companion for dinner, movies, etc. Take him out of the picture and suddenly Kim finds herself spending the "worst Friday night ever!"
Kim chooses to devote her spare time to Ron. Heck, as the teaser makes clear she looks forward to it. And that doesn't even include their mission time spent together. When you devote the majority of your free time to pleasant activities spent in the company of a member of the opposite sex -- yep, sounds like dating to me. Except they won't call it that. But a rose by any other name...
With Steal Wheels the PTB essentially set the tone for the rest of the season, especially where K/R is concerned. We're done with playing coy, done with the diversionary tactics of the Bobbie Johnson's and Penny's. Kim and Ron might not be ready to face up to the realities of their relationship, but pretty much everyone around them -- including the audience -- can at this point see what's going on here. Mrs. Possible knows Friday is Kim's "Ron night". Monique can tell Ron's wandering attention is bothering Kim. Even Felix seems hip when he sees Kim's sudden interest in "cage bats", video games and scarfing nacos. (And isn't Kim at her cutest when she's feeling insecure like this?)
Cloudmonet's right that the third season will feel more "manic" than the previous two. Where once Kim Possible was essentially a spoof of action films/spy thrillers, in year three it really becomes more outright screwball comedy. Is this a bad thing? Depends on your tastes, I guess. At least for the most part it's *good* screwball comedy. And the comedy tends to work with the new emphasis on the relationship...mostly.
Finally, there's this question:
I'd say we're past the point where we're still trying to prove anything. By now, anyone who is still arguing against the underlying romantic (sexual) tension in Kim and Ron's relationship is in some major denial. But that doesn't mean there aren't plenty of issues to be analyzed on the way to So the Drama, the main one being WHY it takes until Prom for these two to face up to the obvious? Anyway, I say we've made it this far -- let's keep going until the home stretch.
GH
|
|
|
Post by cloudmonet on Sept 8, 2005 23:11:13 GMT -5
That is brilliant. I didn't notice the parallel between Felix coming between Kim and Ron and Ed coming in between Drakken and Shego. Maybe I'm getting as dumb to the obvious as Hego! Wow.
Screwball comedy, right, except for most of "Gorilla Fist" (till Amy is unmasked), and all of "So the Drama."
"So the Drama" follows "So the Comedy." I can relate. That puts things in a whole new perspective. Which way, I wonder, would a season four actually go? Considering what Disney corporate is muttering about comedy being more successful than comedy adventure, I guess we're more liable to get "Rappin Drakken" than "Bueno Nacho," though one could imagine either kind of scenario with a dating Kim and Ron working well. I personally would hope for some of both, but...
|
|
|
Post by Carbon on Sept 9, 2005 0:07:24 GMT -5
"I thought Friday night was your Ron night?"
"Not officially!"
2 things here.
1. Mrs. Possible knows what's up. not Sunday night, not Tuesday night, FRIDAY is Ron night. hint hint.
2. Kim is "MID" as Monique would say.
|
|
|
Post by JuPMod on Sept 9, 2005 8:49:31 GMT -5
"Steal Wheels"... If anyone wants a K/R shippy episode, one will find plenty of K/R chemistry in this episode. I certainly enjoyed it, seeing Kim jelling that Ron spends more time with Felix than her. It's the typical reaction in couples when one partner spends time with friends or family and the other partner feels like he/she is left out. Not that Kim and Ron are an 'official' couple (kissing, dating, etc.), but Kim acts totally like Ron should be spending more time with her than Felix. Her reaction is pretty much on par like a woman who wants *her* man to spend more time with her than others. If this doesn't look and feel like Kim have major feelings for Ron beyond being best friends, I don't know what is. So she goes out of her to try to fit in Ron and Felix's world of video games, eating nachoes like a pig, acting like goofballs, etc. It's totally OOC for her as a person, so it was obvious to Ron that Kim was jealous that he was hanging out with Felix. Kim: I'm sorry that I acting totally random Ron: You mean that you were jealous I was hangin with Felix? Kim: It was that obvious? Ron: Kim, you ate all his nachoes! (I may have the wordings a bit wrong, given I'm trying to remember their exact words by memory) That single scene was a kicker when Ron confronted Kim regarding her jealousy. Kim confessed, Ron said he knew of her jealousy and he was cool that there was no damage. "No damage. We're all buds." So after that Kim goes back to her usual self as she, Ron, and Felix go get his chair back and stop the bad guys. I think she learned that Ron would be there for her, regardless of his time spent with Felix. It's something couples have to learn that no matter if one partner spends time with other people, they know it doesn't affect their relationship. So no matter how much Kim says like she's not dating Ron and not having a relationship with him, she sure was acting like Ron was her boyfriend in "Steal Wheels". I seriously doubt she would have been jealous like that if she really does consider Ron 'just firends'. She certainly doesn't realized her feelings until it clicked in place at the end of "So The Drama".
|
|
|
Post by Aers (That Writer Chick) on Sept 9, 2005 10:55:37 GMT -5
it's interesting here how Kim reacts when her "comfort zone" is threatened - when she learns that her Friday night with Ron is off, she resorts to drastic measures to try and NOT seem like she's sitting on the couch with nothing to do; even to the point of calling a cheer practice (and who the HECK would show up on a Friday night for that? What, they all have 911 on their cells for this?).
Kim just can't stand being alone at this point, and even more so when she knows "her" Ron is doing something and having fun without her. Massive crush? Oh, most definitely! Even tho I'm sure she knows it's "only" Felix (and let's not even go into that zone, boys...) she still can't stand her "man" spending time away from her.
So she adapts - and who hasn't seen this in real life? The girlfriend charging into the sports world hoping to learn enough to fake her way through the weekly football games or donning the sports attire and fumbling her way through a Dummies Guide To... in order to spend more time in her man's world? Kim may save the world on a daily basis, but she's insecure about spending time away from Ron for even a regular Friday night - and we KNOW where he is and what he's doing.
a Jealous Kim = Danger for Ron.
oh, yeah...
|
|
|
Post by cloudmonet on Sept 9, 2005 11:52:27 GMT -5
That's how Kim feels about Ron at the moment, but how does Ron feel about Kim? Ever since the heartbreaking end of "Blush," Ron's kept his feelings for Kim buried deep, despite the hot hug at the end of "Exchange," and, apparently, even despite going out with Kim for enough Friday nights in a row that Kim and Mom both think Friday night is Ron night.
Which suggests "Steal Wheels" happens at least a few weeks after "The Truth Hurts." It's second semester of junior year, probably late January or early February, and no, I don't think "A Very Possible Christmas" fits into this school year at all. Ron would be much more confident about Kim's feelings for him if this had recently happened. If the parsley-induced kiss on the cheek didn't do it, the photo album gift would. But that was a long time ago.
The answer, I think, and this may explain his reactions in "Emotion Sickness" as well, is that Ron is protecting his own feelings so much that he's oblivious to Kim's change of heart. And how does he react to Kim's admission of jealousy? He continues to take her for granted! Nothing changes. Deeper feelings are not explored. Even Kim getting jealous and clingy isn't enough to change Ron's outdated perception of their relationship.
|
|
|
Post by Forlong on Sept 9, 2005 12:44:26 GMT -5
Thought I'd explain another reason for Ron's behavior. In my mind A Very Possible Christmas happened a few months before this. So why didn't Ron persue Kim? Here's why:
1: This is Ron we're talking about. He didn't even realize that Tara was crushing on him for a year.
2: Ron's been poisoned. Bonnie has been calling him a loser since middleschool. This has convinced Ron that he's too much of a losser to be Kim's boyfriend.
3: Ron's afraid to move forward with Kim. As we'll see in Emotion Sickness, one kiss does not make his insecurrities disappear.
4: Ron thinks that Kim is still dating Josh. Duh.
5: If we put A Very Possible Christmas near the end of season 2, Ron has been recovering from several rejections. Believe me, it can take a while for a guy to get the confadance to date after a lot of rejection, even if he thinks a girl is interested. I'm there currently.
I'm surprised no one has brought this up: Monique told Kim to TJI! So does she want Kim and Ron to get together?
|
|
|
Post by cloudmonet on Sept 9, 2005 14:37:26 GMT -5
Monique wants Kim to be happy. If Kim's unhappy because Ron's neglecting her, she'll tell Kim how to get back in the picture. If Kim wants a different guy, like Josh or Erik, Monique will try to facilitate this ("Oct 31" and "So the Drama"). The exception occurs in "Exchange" when Kim and Monique both want the same guy, Hirotaka. Monique will be a K/R shipper, in other words, if a K/R ship is what Kim wants. She doesn't push this as the best idea if Kim's thinking differently.
--------
As for "A Very Possible Christmas," if it happened junior year, it had to be very recently. In episode 302, "Emotion Sickness," Kim says she broke up "last semester," which means this had to happen between the end of January and the beginning of April, the clear time of 310, "Team Impossible." If we assume "Emotion Sickness" was meant to occur around Valentine's Day, and why not? Both the theme and overall timing synch perfectly! Then "Steal Wheels" is almost certainly last week of January/first week of February, and any Christmas story rather recent!
Based in the relative intensity and reasons for K/R huggage (for full discussion see "Exchange" in Reevaluation season 2 thread), I conclude that the hugs probably occur in this order:
1) Bedroom Chrismas hug-- keep your distance, hands on arms. 2) Ron rescue snow hug-- full upper body contact 3) Faux mistletoe kiss-- no contact but lips on cheek, but still a kiss. 4) The Fearless Ferret hug is a hug from behind, already seen in Kim's photo album, and not directly comparable to front to front hugs, but it may fit here in the chronology. 5) Sitch in Time fairwell hug-- full body contact, inspired by grief and separation. This is removed from history, so to speak, and can't influence future hugs. 6) Exchange hello hug-- full body contact, with rocking hips even. Kim's disappointed in love, Ron's home from Japan. No big, but the hug is the biggest yet. 7) Emotion sickness hugs and kiss-- moodulater induced, but seriously hot. Ron's not moodulated, remember. This isn't all artificial. 8) So the Drama dance, hug, kiss-- total melt together. Either hose 'em down or give 'em birth control instructions. They may need this before long.
So, putting the Christmas hugs between 6 and 7 causes serious hug anomalies. Relationships may get closer or more distant over time, but the hugs, when they do happen, once they start happening, will only get more intense, not less so.
So based on my huggology, "A Very Possible Christmas" must be a sophomore episode. It really is easier to imagine the writers making an episode that fits into what already exists, than a framework of episodes yet to be written, so I'm much more inclined to push out-of-season eps back in time than forward.
Nana? In "Christmas" she refers to Ronald's pet mole rat liking eggnog in previous Christmases, which clearly makes Kim's "You don't know my Nana" remark to Ron in "Golden Years" an error, unless you want to make "Christmas" a senior year episode (!) Likewise Kim's remark to Miss Kyoko about saved Christmases (referring back to "Crush"). I think sometimes Kim gets flustered when she's stressed, and doesn't know what she's saying.
It's a little hard to unambiguously shelve episodes 201-211 unambiguously between Halloween and Spring Break of sophomore year, in production order or something close to it, and have the signs of vacations (Adventures in Rufus Sitting, Golden Years) and new semester beginning (Two to Tutor) fit anything reasonable, much less leave a clear space for "A Very Possible Christmas," but the overall style and feel of this episode fits the 205 Two to Tutor through 209 Fearless Ferret shippy period. Putting it right between "Vir Tu Ron" and "Two to Tutor" might work pretty well, and even explain a lot.
|
|
|
Post by Forlong on Sept 9, 2005 20:03:52 GMT -5
Let's just agree to disagree, okay?
Back on subject. I thought Kim's ettempt to act like "one of the guys" was hallarious. ROTFLOL! This is my favorite KP episode ever.
I'm wodering, how did Ron keep from laughing when he saw Kim warring "something comfortable to hang in"?
BTW: cloudmonet, maybe you should work on a Kim Possible episode guide.
|
|
|
Post by bDd on Sept 9, 2005 21:00:12 GMT -5
Hahaha. I think I'll stay round this post until somebody talks about 'Emotion Sickness'. Keep posting, guys. I can't start talking about ES until the topic is brought up.
|
|
|
Post by cloudmonet on Sept 9, 2005 23:47:16 GMT -5
Cause she looked so cute! Felix, on the other hand, seemed to be considering a laugh.
I wonder if this move might have backfired on Kim somewhat, making closeness of a sort with Ron, but decidedly buddy-buddy closeness, not exactly what she had in mind at the start of the episode.
|
|
|
Post by Forlong on Sept 10, 2005 11:56:29 GMT -5
Obviously.
|
|
|
Post by cloudmonet on Sept 10, 2005 22:48:04 GMT -5
I think we're ready for Emotion Sickness...
|
|
|
Post by Falling-Pixie on Sept 10, 2005 23:03:11 GMT -5
Rilly?!?! YAY!!!!!!!! This is my fav ep!!!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D !!!!!!!!! ;D
|
|