I forgot to mention this in the post above because I'm not 100% fit yet and still a bit out of it, but this is actually super-important, guys:
If you decide to watch on and give season two of 'Harrow' a chance, please take note of the fact that there's one episode which features sexual violence. And when I say 'features', I mean that (unlike in Fern's case in season one), you're visually (!) shown a rape scene. It is very, very brief (a flashback that basically consists of just two shots), but I know this will be distressing to some people, and I feel responsible here because I was the one who recommended the show to you guys.
It's in episode three of season two (s2ep3), and it happens between the 25 and 26 minute mark. You can also see it coming from a mile away in the logic of the scene itself, so you can absolutely skip that minute, and you won't lose any essential info to understand the episode.
The cinematography nerd in me wants to say that especially one of the two flashback shots is filmed extremely effectively (and for those of you who are interested in that sort of thing, we can, of course, at some point, discuss the way sexual violence is portrayed on screen), but the normal-human-being part inside of me actually found that short flashback and especially that one film shot very disturbing and emotionally distressing. I asked myself what they where thinking and why they had to show it. I don't think it was necessary.
So, just in case you want to keep watching this show, please make sure to proceed with caution where s2ep3 is concerned, okay? Decide for yourself if you want to see it or not. And as I said: If you don't want to see it, just skip 25-26 min.
As usual, you bring it. Thank you for rising from your sick bed to send us, your fans, this latest. I looked up the word 'harrow' which means to break up the soil for planting (digging in the ground which is a hallmark of Daniel's perseverence). Then I fell down the rabbit hole of Harrowing of Hell-which, in my limited understanding, refers to the period between the crucifixion and rising from the dead-the descent into the underworld that Jesus made. Maybe nothing to do with the series but I thought it interesting in light of Daniel's secret identity. Gary Cooper-bisexual-didn't know that. Reminded me of the Hays Code in Hollywood that forbid 'discussions of sexual perversity' ie queer stories so it was all hidden (although the Cowardly Lion in Wizard of Oz was a rather obvious swish). Liked your reason for Daniel cutting off Robert's wedding ring, couldn't figure it out. Saw the abuse right away, thanks to you. Saw so many things, thanks to you. Still interested in deconstruction of YR, still bummed by the 3rd season. Will continue to stumble down blind alleys with course corrections always appreciated.
(laughed out loud at 'Darling, WW III just started')
Wow, never heard of this composer, but you know him, too? Way for me to feel dumb, haha.
Had wondered about Gary Cooper, but wasn’t sure if I mixed him up with one of the other iconic actors of that time (although I even read a whole article about it even recently! And now I can‘t remember who it was, why is this???) - did look up High Noon the other day, was intrigued, but didn‘t pin the bisexuality subtext on Gary Cooper. So many references everywhere!
Wish I could write a long comment now, but I have to work, which makes me want to scream (sorry-not sorry for being dramatic). Sooo happy to read this and finally understand more, and so many thoughts swirling in my head now. Simon as an allegory- amazing! Their record „deal“ and their freezer bet totally struck me as having to have a deeper meaning, but couldn‘t decipher it. I was also too consumed by the murder cases to think analytically often enough, sadly. Will come back later- thanks so much already for this fantastic explanation! And you‘re so right - it’s all quite sad.
High Noon! - I actually had kind of a full circle moment with the pilot of "Harrow". Some weeks ago my colleagues from the English departement had invited an expert to give a lecture on some basic principles of cinematography. Our students were only mildly interested (what a shame!) - but I had just discovered your free articles and devoured them. The expert used several scenes/ shots/ (opening) sequences from different movies (Moonlight, Whiplash, La La Land, Children of Men, etc.) to explain the use of camera angles or tracking shots - and among others this exact scene that Harrow watches the first time we meet him! The lecture made me a subscriber to TVM - and equipped with the knowledge and tools provided by this blog it was really nice to watch "Harrow" - from an analytical point of view. Yes, so much could already be discovered in the first episode - thank you! When I realized Simon Van Reyk's name I even remembered your explanation on Simon's (YR) name - so subsquently I listened very carefully, what this Simon had to say. And man!, did it pay off! I'm looking forward to more articles - Harrow- or YR-related!
Thank you. I saw this or that here and there but really not much. I had not understood that Simon was an allegorical character I thought he represented his heart and the cold analytical bespectacled colleague his mind. . I thought Soroya was an allegorical character . But I couldn't totally place her role ( his conscience ? Law and order ?). I am puzzled.
But I must say that I don't want to watch S2 or S3. It was interesting, I love your analysis but the show contained super disgusting scenes. I had to avert my eyes every two seconds while being afraid to miss some clues. OK to explore some more about S1 ( the super disgusting scenes with the alligator and the rotting cadaver in the moor included, but I am not keen on seeing more vomit inducing images from the rest of the show.
I would think not - I mean, there is no subtext necessary for his attraction to women, as that is open and part of the text, a very prominent one at that. But I‘m wondering if she has any allegorical functions anyway - but I haven’t had an idea what for, if she has one. And not to be nitpicky - but now comes the nitpickiness;-) - I think it‘s precisely the point that as a bisexual person, Harrow has no heterosexual part. He seems to wish he was heterosexual, but I think being bi means you don‘t have a heterosexual and a gay part, but you‘re something in between, which is its own thing, which is complicated. Fellow commenters, correct me if I got this wrong:-).
Soroya is his hetero part. (Actually, his new love interest in season two serves the same function.)
Pretty clever, isn't it? To hide the other 'half' of his sexuality in the love interest. I like the writers' sneakiness here.:)
We've talked about deep structure quite a bit when we discussed 'Young Royals', and understanding both Simon van Reyk's and Soroya's functions on 'Harrow' helps lay bare the deep structure of this show:
Look, you have both the gay 'half' and the straight 'half' of Harrow's sexuality trying to solve the Great Puzzle TM, i.e. the big case of the season.
Soroya and Simon are approaching the puzzle from different angles and looking at it in a different way, but essentially both 'halves' of Harrow's sexuality try to solve this one big puzzle with the dead guy in the river.
And who is the dead guy in the river? Well, hello, there! None other than Harrow's dark mirror image. The one who, symbolically speaking, didn't deserve that wedding ring.
The whole season is basically just a deep dive into Harrow's brain: His own sexuality (both 'parts' of it) is trying to work out what's up with that dark part of him that, in his view, never deserved that wedding ring in the first place, the part that blew up his marriage and harmed his daughter.
That's the core of the whole story, the core around which the entire season is written. Everything else is just bells and whistles...or rather smoke and mirrors.:)
If you go through the season and look at all the interactions between Soroya and Simon, you can easily see that that's exactly the function these two characters serve. (Or even if you just look at the way they talk about each other. They are two 'halves' of the same sexuality. And sometimes they low-key compete for attention, just as when Soroya is really perplexed at the fact that Simon is even allowed to 'play with Harrow's records', i.e. define Harrow's metaphorical 'music'.)
Wanna know about the coolest scene that shows you what their function is?
In the season finale of season one, there's a whole scene where they both arrive on Harrow's boat. Both Soroya and Simon have made it there. Both are looking for clues (textually those are clues to Robert Quinn's murder; subtextually, they're both looking for clues to the question of Harrow's marriage failing). Now, here comes the cool part:
Both (!) Soroya and Simon have a key to Harrow's boat! (May I remind you of the 'water' metaphor in this respect?). They both have a key to the boat. They thus both have a key to solving that emotional puzzle.
And you can practically see in that scene that the whole puzzle is now coalescing around the question of the shears and...well, the question of 'who cut off Robert Quinn's ring finger'. In the end, it all comes down to that. That's what the whole puzzle is geared towards. And they both basically hold a key in their hand to solve it.
Clever, right?
But what happens then?
Soroya (Harrow's allegorical straightness) is able to work it all out. She can puzzle it all out. But she will never be able to prove it! Never. Because Simon (Harrow's allegorical gay 'side') covered it all up. Subtextually, Simon covered up the answer to the question 'who blew up that marriage and why'. (That's why Simon's cover-up is all about the shears.)
Harrow is the stuff of dreams for any shrink, is all I'm saying. Poor, poor bloke.
But yeah, basically, you just need to know what the deep structure of the story is, and you can instantly work out what the functions of those two characters are.
Ah, so I was totally wrong, and I apologize to Novamilano1! That‘s so clever indeed. I hadn‘t really wondered how come they both had a key- I guess I was too caught up in the suspense and the fear. But will watch Grace with new eyes now! Thanks so much for your reply, it‘s so appreciated:)! And aggregate anytime, of course- impossible to reply to every single comment seperately!
Amazing ! What struck me was how happy Harrow seemed to be whenever Soraya solved one part of the puzzle (when she found the car etc.), he always showered her with words of appreciation , was super excited, kissed her etc. It was super strange because, at the same time, he tried to hinder her progress, to cover his tracks, he was afraid etc. Talk about being torn. A part of him probably wants to be guessed, understood, to be forced out ?
I couldn't resist to sneak a look at part of S2 and S3 summaries to see if Soraya came back after S1. I was really intrigued by this character. And when I saw that she didn't, I was really puzzled by that. If she was an allegorical character = an important one = why would she not come back ? His surrogate dad, the one giving him the alibi, also disappeared after serving his function (that I can not totally piece together) , dying at the same time as they solved the nazi case; lying to cover his ass etc. OK. But why would Soraya disappear ? I would never have guessed that she would be replaced by someone else in the same function. It's so interesting. Thanks.
So logically, the old man who died (the surrogate dad) is also a part of Harrow's psyche. But I would need to think this over and to go back to some of the interactions to really know which part of him. Oh god. He guided him to the secret (murdered nazi), witnessed his strategy to cover his tracks (the DNA test), helped him eventually escape the grand reveal + he disappeared because of the pills (drug, abuse etc.) Harrow sneaked in for him + he's the one who taught him how to read clues etc.
When watching it - before understanding her allegorical function - I was slightly puzzled, too, but I thought it might be either him being impressed (her smartness making her even more sexy to him) and/or him trying to keep a cool facade and diffusing any suspicions. As in, if he‘s so happy about any progress, he can‘t be the murderer, right? But also, the thing you said seems very true to me, about a part of him wanting to be found out - after all, everyone wants to be seen by those close to them, and lying and covering up all this must have been so draining. He admitted as much himself to Simon - he was glad he didn’t have to lie anymore, and then…
As for Jack, my textual take was he took the overdose so as to not be interrogated, as he probably feared the police would eventually force him to contribute to Harrow‘s detection. What that means subtextually, I‘m not sure either, neither what his subtextual role is (maybe there isn‘t one? I mean, I don‘t think there already has to be one? Or does there?)
And yes, I‘m on S2 ep4 now, and I‘m intrigued what role Grace will take.
And I totally see where you're coming from: I'm not a big fan of gore myself. I usually stay away from things about violence and blood.
But sometimes when it's super over-the-top, it strangely pulls me out of actually finding it realistic, anymore. It becomes just this ridiculous thing where I silently chuckle about the prosthetics and the fake blood. It's strangely distancing somehow. (I don't know if that makes any sense.) That's not always the case, but with 'Harrow' it definitely hit exactly that spot for me. The one where I just go, "Look at that super-disgusting mask they put on that actor, so he looks like he's being eaten by maggots. That's so fake it's actually funny." I don't know why, but that's what it's like for me sometimes. It becomes a fake thing and that distances me from the experience. Kinda like knowing everything about a magic trick. Like looking behind the curtains and seeing the puppeteer pulling the strings of the puppets.
Definitely. I really had a much stronger reaction to that rape scene in s2ep3. I did find it super-upsetting despite the fact that it's basically just two very brief shots. But one of them gives us the perspective of the victim and thus puts us, the viewers, in her shoes. I find that much, much worse than several gallons of fake blood. I have no idea what the creators were thinking there, and I wouldn't have done that in a million years. Especially without a warning at the beginning of the episode. (My streaming provider doesn't have a warning, at least. Not sure about others.)
I wish it was like that for me. But especially the murders and violence that are shown as they are happening, I find really terrible to watch. Some scenes in S2 were just so bad I had to skip a little bit. And then… „Simon says“ - what have I gotten myself into. It hit so hard. On the one hand, the subtextual story arc is so good and gripping I can barely stop watching at night. On the other hand, the weekly crimes are so hard for me to watch I really need to take breaks. And also the „Simon says“-part, to put it that way. But then there was that little convo about the music in the car with Fairly, which gave me hope regarding Harrow‘s own possible growth.
So, now comes my proper comment, after I‘ve jotted down some points on a scrap of paper while at work, haha. First of all, smacking my head at all the things I didn‘t see! I specifically looked for the signs of Harrow being bisexual, since I remembered you had mentioned it, but I missed the Gary Cooper reference, and also fact that Rhys‘ death could me seen as a mirror story to Harrow‘s backstory. Sigh- so disappointed in myself. At least I noticed after a while that the many cases where girls were abused and going missing, and parents trying to protect their children must point to what happened to Fern - and also the dead clown/child molestor, and that Harrow‘s flaring anger at the father who suspected his daughter was killed must mean that Harrow had a personal experience involving child abuse, too.
Did I understand it correctly that you think it was Harrow‘s self-loathing that was the main factor in the crumpling of his marriage?
And follow-up question: If he loathes and despairs over the part of himself that is attracted to men, how does this go together with his appreciation and love for Simon, if we Simon is an allegory for Harrow‘s own attraction to guys? Isn‘t that contradictory?
And regarding Simon finding out about Harrow murdering Quinn (btw: thanks for pointing out that probably the deed was a actually planned by Harrow, that he called him to his ship - I‘d already lost sight of that when I saw the scenes of him and Quinn fighting. But of course, he expected Quinn to attack him, and provoked it!): If that has a metaphorical meaning, as does Simon also being the one to save him in the end - then what is the meaning of Soroya also being a fundamental part of the discovery of his murder? After all, she looked for the car and found it, and really went after the case. I can‘t figure out if there is a subtextual weight to her role, as well. Is she maybe an allegory for society at large? Or society as Harrow thinks it works?
And gosh, can I just mention how cute the rainbow-coloured balloon with Simon‘s photo over Farrow‘s hospital bed was, the first thing he saw when he woke up? But on a subtextual level, how smart also? Like, hello, that part of you is still very much there!
Also, gosh, so much love for the story that Simon gets to choose the records they play once a month! This is so fantastic and clever indeed! I‘m also intrigued that you worded it as Harrow „allowing himself“ to fall in love (or maybe only have crushes on?) guys occasionally - you deduced this from the music metaphor, right? - but the „allowing“ term would imply a somewhat conscious choice, not just something he can‘t help. As in, he allows Simon to choose the records, even though he managed to stay in the fridge much longer. So his self-loathing doesn‘t go so far as to „not allow“ himself to feel attracted to guys ever? So interesting and complex!
Btw, I‘m also wondering where this young Canadian woman trying to push Harrow off the balcony, and him managing to get back up (did someone come to his rescue? I can‘t remember now) fits into the falling metaphor. If it does have any meaning, that is.
But most importantly: YES, please elucidate on the crocodile metaphor! I have no clue - but it must be super important given how violently Harrow said several times that he HATES lizards. It stood out so much! He isn‘t grossed out by dead bodies decayed in the worst way (mind, I had the same problem as Novamilano there!), but he is freaked out totally by lizards?! He said he hated them, but he seemed to really by afraid of them, actually. So „hate“ seemed to mean „being panicked by“ to me.
Ah, and thank you for clearing up that S2 also has an overarching story with subtext, because now I‘ll watch more closely. I‘d really love to know if his self-loathing will at least decrease over the course of S2 and S3 - it’s a pity it all remains subtext, but maybe there is at least some positive development in the subtext?
Ah, now this comment got awfully long, I hope you don’t mind! Please take it as a sign that I‘m super grateful for your wonderful analyses and just love to read what you write!
Let's see if I can answer at least a part of this (because otherwise I won't get any writing done on the next 'Young Royals' piece:D).
With Simon, it's really fascinating when you watch him and his interactions with Harrow through the seasons:
Simon has to be clever, intelligent, brilliant, of course. I mean, he is a part of Harrow, after all. So he can't be totally dumb, right?
(That's also why he's really handsome. Or is that just something I'm seeing there.;) The ones among you who are great appreciators of feminine beauty can tell me if you think Soroya is pretty, too. But subtextually speaking, it makes sense for her to be pretty, as well, right? Anyway...So, Simon is good-looking because, well, that part of Harrow is actually very beautiful. There's nothing wrong with it. Same-sex attraction isn't an ugly thing!)
There's the fact that Harrow is clearly fascinated by Simon. (That, too, makes sense in that respect.) And yet you also get clear signs that Harrow is putting him down a bit here and there. (It's all pretty toned down and often played for laughs, but that's to be expected with subtext, right?) Harrow makes disparaging remarks about Simon and specifically about his sexuality. Because that mirrors what Harrow thinks of that 'side' of his own sexuality. He keeps making these little jokes in which he keeps saying stuff about Simon that make Simon seem somehow not masculine enough. ("We would only ever talk about sculptures if it were up to you," or something in that vein; don't have the right quote at my fingertips right now.) Harrow keeps giving Simon the feeling of somehow being a bit girly, not manly enough. It's subtle, but it's there. It's a bit toned down and muted, but you can definitely see it. And that's what Harrow thinks of that 'half' of his own sexuality, of course: that it's not manly enough, that it's too girly for a man.
Beware SPOILERS FOR SEASON TWO!
Then you eventually even find out that Harrow doesn't really know Simon all that well. (Major, major hint right there that that 'half' of Harrow's sexuality isn't as well explored as the straight 'half'. Harrow doesn't have all that much experience in the 'same-sex department'. At least not a lot of it.) And then we even find out that Simon suffers from a chronic illness. (Very important clue subtextually: That 'half' of Harrow's sexuality isn't healthy. Harrow doesn't have a healthy and normal approach to his own same-sex attraction. Really, really sad, that.)
I hope that makes sense? At least when it comes to Simon?
There are a lot of questions in your comment; is it okay if I just answer some of them in a future post?
Otherwise I won't get anything else done.:D
I can make it a separate 'Harrow' post...or actually...there's even something I wanted to write about on the 'Young Royals' front, and I could just integrate some of the 'Harrow' stuff into that one. Let's see what makes the most sense.
Of course, please don‘t think I demand anything, dear! I‘d be super happy if you got back to my questions in whatever way. And whoa, somehow the thing I remembered the most was Harrow‘s kindness towards Simon after they solved the case with the rowing boys, after their encounter with that horrible, despicable father. Now seeing this through the lens of allegory, it was even more meaningful - as a kindness towards that side of himself, for once. But okay, there were the disparaging remarks, too, sigh - I must have forgotten them in hindsight. So it’s a complex relationship with mixed feelings, makes sense. I‘ll keep my eyes open for it in S2! I just discovered a pretty funny exchange in ep. 4 (?) which also seemed to be about that subtext, regarding the shark attack, involving Capello. I’m quite intrigued by Capello anyway. Methinks he might be another metaphor or allegory - he’s just given a lot of space, and he’s a pretty bright and sparkling character, and Harrow keeps making disparaging remarks there, too - but he also seemed to be at once intrigued and set off by him, as in Capello seems to irk him. I think Harrow likes him. Plus, he is suspiciously handsome🤔. How sad to hear about Simon - hopefully it‘s nothing serious!!! How to even bear that😢? Anyways, thank you so much for your patience with my questions and your kind answers!
P.S.: I‘d say Soroya is conventionally good-looking, yeah. But in my little book, Grace is by far prettier, though;-). Maybe she won‘t distance herself like Soroya did, either?
Oh, and since you helpfully pointed out the meaning of Simon‘s name again, I finally looked up the meaning of the name Daniel, and lo and behold, it means (as you, dear tv microscope, will already know, just putting it out here for other readers like me) „God be my judge“, or „God is my judge“, so whoa, how perfectly fitting for the question this show raises, and his own crime. Now I wonder in which way the name „Grace“ will prove to be fitting as well. It does at least sound promising!
Thank you again for a super clarifying analysis. It’s always interesting and fascinating, how you interpret the subtext. Every time you mentioned that we definitely saw or worked out something, I was like: Yeah, sure. No! As I read that comment with a spoiler, I knew about topic 1, from that it was quite obvious with million of hints what was the topic 3 (ep.9 couldn’t be more explicit in this case). But the topic 2? Nope!
However, I have to admit, I’ve watched it mostly half asleep, plus I have hearing condition due to which I don’t understand speech If someone is not speaking to mi directly or when there’s a background sound. When I watch something in English, I strongly depend on subtitles trying to catch least half of what they’re saying and have less capacity to watch what’s going on around. I’d have to watch it at least 3 times like with YR and I’m not going to do that.
But I did pick up a lot of things, also some of those you mentioned. Except the bisexuality thing. At least I now know why was I perplexed with several things which I couldn’t fit anywhere. Especially Simon. I couldn’t figure out his purpose. But after you mentioned topic 2, I knew directly.
Also, in ep9, for a second a wondered why did they choose AB (universal recipient) as a blood type for that SS-officer. But now knowing about Harrows struggles with his sexuality, it’s a really nice little touch.
I was also wondering about the meaning of the Betty boat and Bora-Bora. First, I thought that the boat represented the crime. He lives on the boat and he have to live with the fact that he murdered someone. And that going to Bora-Bora means taking responsibility for that crime. But now, after I know that not only Fern but Harrow too had experienced trauma of his own, I hope that one day they will finally go to Bora-Bora. Hopefully on another boat.
Well, in that episode with the crocodile they interrogated that newly wed pair on their honeymoon. They were talking where everywhere they already travelled with their boat, when Harrow suddenly asked if they were on Bora-Bora. They replied that they haven’t been there yet. Afterwards it’s revealed that they are the murderers and that the murder happened on the boat. And they were arrested. That was my reasoning behind it. Hope it makes at least a little bit of sense, hahaha…
Maybe in real life you would ask something like that causally. But TVM taught us, that then it comes to subtext, nothing is coincidence. Therefore Bora-Bora has a meaning, especially if Harrow wants to go there with Fern. Also, at the end of last episode of s1 Harrow asks Fern again if she wants to go to Bora-Bora. She replies: Not today. What makes sense because one of them are over their trauma. So no Bora-Bora trip for now.
Yes, I didn‘t mean that Bora-Bora doesn‘t have any meaning - sorry if I worded that poorly. I just still don‘t understand why it would have the specific meaning of „taking responsibility of their crime.“ And who do you think is over their trauma at the end of S1? I tend to think none of them is.
No, no, no, I’s sooo sorry If I didn’t explain it clearly. English is not my first language so maybe I didn’t express myself correctly. That “taking responsibility for their crime” was my wrong assumption because I didn’t pick-up that bisexuality part. Therefore, I just thought that maybe this was the meaning. When Harrow asked if those newlyweds were on Bora-Bora, in universe, of course it was just a random question because he wanted to go there. But subtextually it was a message for us. They answered to Harrow that they haven’t been there yet and this scene took place before they got arrested. Also, Harrow hadn't been arrested at the end of the season for his crime, he didn’t take responsibility for his crime. Therefore, they didn’t go to Bora-Bora with Fern.
But this was a wrong assumption because of me missing the important part of the story (and I was too lazy to check what Bora-Bora is referred to as too). However, with that new knowledge it has a deeper meaning. Those newlyweds committed a murder so they can’t go to Bora-Bora. Or as Angélique Rousseau pointed out, there’s no redemption for them. They cold heartedly murdered someone just for their own enrichment. On the other hand, with Harrow and Fern things are more complicated. If they’ll go together to Bora-Bora, that will mean that they will be on the way to heal from all the trauma they suffered. They will reach “paradise on earth”. Thanks once again Angélique Rousseau for this meaning. I was too lazy to look it up, but it had to be something positive. I hope this makes more sense now.
Oooh, that bloodtype is such a good catch! It eluded me totally. But wouldn’t that mean that the SS officer would also be a mirror for Harrow here? Was that mentioned in the post? Maybe I‘m getting confused with all of the mirrors, but I thought it was rather the woman who killed the Nazi officer who was Harrow‘s mirror here? However, as a little nugget in itself, making that bloodtype a metaphor would be really clever and neat!
Yes, TVM mentioned, that because of Harrow’s trauma he sees himself as a monster and blames himself that his marriage fell apart because of that dark side of him and therefore that thing happened to Fern. So yes, SS-officer mirrors not only the abuser, but Harrow himself. And that blood type served as a “mirror” instead of a real mirror (like in YR) to let us know that double mirroring is going on here. Also, what a tragic state of his mind.
In Hollywood, some big movie stars (under contract to the studios) were gay or bisexual, forced to hide it in order to work (Gary Cooper, Cary Grant, Rudolph Valentino, Greta Garbo, Tallulah Bankhead, Katharine Hepburn...) sometimes they had a marriage of convenience "lavender marriage".
Let's talk about the actor Gary Cooper, I like his quote “One man who saw through his own eyes and thought with his own brain. Such men may be rare, they may be unknown, but they move the world.”
It's too late for ep. 3 season 2, it's not this scene that's the most difficult for me.
It's the epilogue, when Melissa is with her husband and her children are playing in the background, how to find yourself in hell because nothing will ever be the same again, the truth imposed itself as the crime, silence was her right.
"Herpetophobia", I hate crocodiles too, reptilian brain, predator, man-eater, terrorizing memories that come to the surface, apparently asleep the better to deceive us.
Ah, I see you guys all want me to write about the crocodile case, too.:D Well, I can give you at least my take on it if you want. (Let's see if we can squeeze it in sometime.)
And yeah, absolutely, there's a crazy amount of old Hollywood stars who were closeted in that way. Really sad.
Sorry you already watched s2ep3. I kinda thought most of you were still on season one, but then you're probably faster than I am. But back when I recommended the first season, I didn't even remember that specific episode and especially not the way that flashback was filmed. It was only when I checked it out recently again that I thought, "Whoa, that wasn't necessary! Why did they have to do that?" I'm really, really sorry. I hope most people still catch that comment above, especially since the episode itself doesn't feature a warning at the very start, which I find bizarre, to be honest.
The fern is a symbol of life, capable of rebirth when it seems dead. The fern was one of the first plants to appear on earth, and Bora Bora etymologically means first born, an interesting link between the two.
Ah, that‘s so interesting! I didn‘t know this exact thing about ferns. I only knew that they grow in shadowy places, they survive without much sun - which actually fits very well with their symbolic meaning! I thought for sure her name must have a deeper meaning (and think of Callan‘s nickname for her, which thanks to tv microscope we could decipher now!), but hadn‘t looked it up yet!
As for "Fish", Callan's nickname for Fern, perhaps he means the symbol of the waters (boat), fish is associated with birth (Bora Bora) or cyclical restoration (trauma). The fish-god Oannes, ancestor of Poseidon-Neptune, was the one who revealed the science of medicine to mankind (Dr. Harrow is a forensic scientist) and, as in Young Royals, the fish doesn't speak like Fern, who remains silent.
As you‘re beating yourself up so much now: personally, I don‘t even remember it so much, so it can‘t have affected me too much. Maybe I covered my eyes, but I do that quite a lot on this show anyway.
Please, write about the crocodile case. I would like to know the deeper meaning of it too.
Although that one scene with that creepy lady (I can’t remember what was her occupation regarding crocodiles, national park caretaker or something like that?) while she was taking Harrow and Soroya to the nest how she was describing crocodile sex (obviously this was not about crocodiles), that scene was so disturbing it still haunts me. But otherwise it was an interesting episode.
I'm working on the next 'Young Royals' piece right now. While it's technically one of my sweet, sweet leftovers from season one and two, I'm adding some content for season three, as well, so it's more up-to-date. (No negativity. I promise this one will be me praising the show's creators for something they've done extremely well.) It will also (hopefully) give you a new toy to play with.
Other than that, I've noted down the fact that the 'Harrow' viewers amongst you want a short post about the crocodile case. Let's see when I can squeeze that one in.
Anyway...the 'Young Royals' one is going to be a very long post, so you can really sink your teeth into that one, I promise. It will take me a few days, though. The past week was pretty tough for my household, but everyone is on the mend now (*touch wood*).
Just wanted to let you all know that there's something in the works. I hope you have a nice, warm, lovely and peaceful Sunday evening.
Yours,
tvmicroscope
P.S. Who loves Art Blakey as much as I do? Art Blakey? No? Nobody?
Okay, here have some relaxing Sunday music, anyway:
Hey dearest tv microscope, if you‘re thinking of regaling us with another post on Harrow, might I put in a suggestion?
- potential mild spoiler alert for those who haven‘t watched S2 yet-
I‘m so intrigued by Fairley, and I‘m wondering what exactly his role is. I think I‘ve grasped the general idea, but I‘m confused by the nuances and the why. I‘m making very, very slow progress with S2 now, because I find it so frightening and dark, and I‘m just feeling more and more haunted by it. Sigh. But then, I can‘t just completely stop watching because Harrow‘s story keeps me riveted and I want to know where it‘s going. I just wish I didn‘t have to watch so many murders and be so afraid for him in order to get the information I want- talk about a dilemma!
I ran behind my viewing schedule (big time) but now I'm all caught up. It was a great subtext-reading exercise and, of course, a great article. And thanks for the recommendation, I enjoyed season 1 a lot. Even with all the subtext put aside, it's been a while since I've enjoyed a simple detective show that doesn't attempt to pretend to be anything else.
At this point it's gotten pretty easy to spot mirroring (and other storytelling devices) from the very first episode, especially if one already knows what to look out for.
The show is pretty unsubtle in its subtext, that's what makes it such a good exercise. You can miss one or few major clues (for instance, I had no idea about Gary Cooper) but still get the subtexual message.
What I spotted pretty quickly is fern (the plant) symbolism, it's everywhere and serves its purpose.
I'm not a fan of the overuse of "hurt people hurt people" narrative but I quite like that show's writers made Fern not only the victim but also a killer of an innocent person (I mean Grace's death, of course). This additional iteration of the abuse cycle is (ostensibly) unnecessary but powerful.
I‘d love to learn more about the fern - or plants in general?- symbolism. Certain plants to come up in S2, too (most notably, a certain species of roses), but I didn‘t see it as a throughline. Would you like to explain? Also, if you‘re interested in Fairley‘s role, too, I basically wrote a novel about him down in the comments, and if anyone would like to share their thoughts, I‘d love to hear them;-)!
Fern is a very special plant, it doesn't bear any flowers or fruit. So while usually plant symbolism is about blooming, splendor, love and sex, fern is another plant entirely. Every time fern is mentioned or showed in season 1, it has something to do with Fern's mirror character.
At first I thought Fairley was a simple Harrow's foil but seasons 2 and 3 changed my perspective and now I'm not sure about him. Edit: I've just read your Fairley analysis and I love it.
Interestingly, in YR there's a chair with fern print on it. Erik is sitting in that chair while he speaks to Wille in s1e3, Wille is sitting in it while he texts Simon in s1e6.
Thanks so much for replying! And that‘s such an interesting point about the fern plant! And that chair Motive is so symbolic then in YR, wow!
I can‘t follow yet when you said „everytime fern is mentioned, it has to do with her mirror character.“ Which mirror character? I‘m totally in the dark! And I‘m so glad you liked my theory on Fairley! I was so happy to have finally figured something major out, haha! If it‘s a correct analysis, that is. But the more I thought about the whole episode, the more signs I saw that confirmed it. I mean, he even freed Harrow from that giant fridge/freezer, which refers back to the bet between Simon and Harrow in S1, just that this time, it‘s also textually super serious and dark. But Fairley liberating him, and then knocking down the murderer was fantastic. And I suppose the murderer is also a mirror character for Harrow‘s dad here, again. And the mother‘s whole plight can be seen as a mirroring story to Harrow‘s past with his dad, I suppose, plus on a subtextual level, she was freed from her prison after a long time, which could be a metaphor for Harrow being freed internally? And then I think when she says the baby saved her, and Harrow looks so moved, that can also be seen as symbolic of Harrow being saved? By reconciling himself to being bisexual? I find it tricky because there is no reveal, it‘s all only subtext, so there is no coming-out. Hmmm.
I meant connection with fern the plant and Fern's multiple mirrors throughout s1. Fern grew outside Xantia's apartment in s1e5, the homeless woman's camera was found in a fern plant in s1e4, there was a line about fern in another episode (I don't remember which one). I think that if I really paid attention, I'd find more.
Oh, I think I spottet a fern yesterday, in S3 Ep.3, when the teenage culprit was led away from his house by the police! And also, what just occurred to me: the roses that Chester in S3 leaves at every site where he killed, and which he explicitly mentions, of course have a symbolic meaning, too! Now that someone mentioned (was it you?) what Chester actually is, that is such a brilliant metaphor (I hope I‘m applying the term correctly here!)!
Okay, so, I just had a lightbulb moment, and I need to share it and hear your thoughts. As I wrote before, I think Fairley is queer, too - be it gay or be it at least very bisexual (while it isn‘t openly said (at least not as far as I‘ve watched), he doesn‘t seem to hide it, either.), and I‘ve been wondering so much what exactly his role is. And now I THINK I know: Is he the part of Harrow‘s mind that wants him to come out, to say it roughly? If I look at the scenes between Harrow and Fairley, and those involving Simon, and their conversations about Simon, from this angle, they make perfect sense to me. They fight for Simon. Fairley takes Harrow‘s office and delights in it, and rubs it under his nose. He makes gay-coded jokes to Harrow („I got head-jobbed“). And it all annoys the HELL out of Harrow. I think I‘ve finally found the answer there - he teases Harrow, and Harrow is so effing annoyed by it, because he WANTS something from Harrow, he is the constant, nagging voice at the back of his head that says „enough with this hiding, be open about who you are already!“.
Spoiler alert for S2!
And then the heartwrenching conversations in S2, on their way to the Outback, finally make sense, too. When Fairley told Harrow that he ruins people - that was so awful, and mean, and hurtful, and I just didn‘t get it. But if Fairley is an allegory for Farrow being frustrated with himself, and for his guilt, then of course it makes sense! It‘s Harrow‘s guilt speaking, after all, and he voices his own negative thoughts and fears. More on that vein: When Harrow told Fairley that he loved Simon, and Fairley responds that Simon loved him, too. That would be meaningful in this context. And lastly: Harrow hugs Fairley once in S2, and kisses him on the cheek, in sheer gratefulness, and Failey looks so damn pleased and proud! While it makes sense on a textual level, too, if Fairley is attracted to men (and it‘s quite cute and funny), it would get much more meaning if Fairley is an allegory for Harrow‘s secret wish to come out - of course, this side of Harrow is pleased and proud at even the smallest gestures of being affectionate with a guy, no?
- Spoiler over-
Ah, please, tell me your thoughts, dear fellow readers, if you‘re still looking for new comments here like my crazy self, and/or dearest tv microscope!
Oh gosh, and there is more! Lyle helps deliver a baby in S2, in an emergency - how fitting is that? He helps with a birth, or as the medical term is, he delivers the baby (I prefer to say that the mother delivers the baby, and the doctor/midwife assists, but well - the medical wording is what it is, and it‘s fitting here). Like he wants to deliver Harrow‘s coming out, no? And to top it off, it‘s a girl - as Lyle says himself, „a beautiful little girl“, which could also be seen as fitting - you know, feminine side and all. And Harrow is present, encourages Fairley that he can do it - and then holds the woman’s head and hand when she‘s pushing the baby out, and he absolutely mirrors her expressions, it‘s as though he is giving birth himself! First, he looks pained and tense, and when he sees the baby, there‘s pure wonder and delight on his face (and no artificial facial expressions this time, but genuinely acted) - isn‘t that so fitting? And it was Fairley who found Harrow in the giant icebox and saved him, which Harrow also acknowledges at the end - Awww! Would that mean that Harrow subtextually did come out in some way??? Or am I taking it all too far?
In general, I love your Fairley analysis. But I doubt Harrow will come out or even have same-sex relationship ever again, because Simon is dead. But on the other hand, Frank Chester is dead too (he's an allegorical figure for Harrow's internalised homophobia, right?), so maybe there's still hope.
No, I didn‘t mean he would come out - without having watched S3 yet, tv microscope already wrote his bisexuality is never lifted out of the subtext. So I only thought of the birth as a metaphor as Harrow coming to terms with his sexuality, an entirely inner process. I thought this is what the little dialogue about opera between H and Fairley was about, too - I got a jolt of excitement when Harrow said he liked opera! I mean, that’s gotta be a clue, no?
I don‘t know if we could see it as a coming-out to Fairley, but I think that would be self-contradictory if we interpret Fairley as a merely allegorical character. Right?
However, I didn’t think Simon’s death means he could not have a relationship with a man ever again - now there‘s a new thought I need to consider!
And as for Chester, I didn‘t see that at all, but it would be so logical, oh my gosh! It would line up the storyline that Fairley and others make Harrow believe he killed Simon, whereas as a viewer, we scream „no, it was Chester!“ - this way, both things are true because yes, it was his own homophobia. I interpreted Simon’s death as as a wake-up call - as in now that Harrow sees that Simon is dead, and feels guilty about it, he finally realizes that he loved him, and says so out loud. So I saw it as a chance of redemption - which then came about with the trip with Fairley, and the birth story. It‘s also such a fitting detail that this takes place in the Outback, in the great nowhere, an unpopulated area- like a retreat, as a symbol for retreating into yourself to think deeply.
But the Chester interpretation, wow, this is so brilliant, and would give that whole horrid storyline even more meaning! Especially Chester‘s end, of course! Oh, I love!!!!
Ah, it was you who told me what Chester is! Then see my reply above about the Mr. Lincoln rose. The roses as a metaphor for Harrow‘s sexuality, too? It‘s beautiful, but it also has thorns - would be fitting, wouldn‘t it? And the Mr. Lincoln rose has a long history, an especially delicious smell, and its dark colour symbolizes love and passion, as I read. And then there are those „Lincoln was bisexual“ rumours, which, regardless of historical accuracy, could be another puzzle piece.
Important Note:
Dear everyone who's watching 'Harrow' right now!
I forgot to mention this in the post above because I'm not 100% fit yet and still a bit out of it, but this is actually super-important, guys:
If you decide to watch on and give season two of 'Harrow' a chance, please take note of the fact that there's one episode which features sexual violence. And when I say 'features', I mean that (unlike in Fern's case in season one), you're visually (!) shown a rape scene. It is very, very brief (a flashback that basically consists of just two shots), but I know this will be distressing to some people, and I feel responsible here because I was the one who recommended the show to you guys.
It's in episode three of season two (s2ep3), and it happens between the 25 and 26 minute mark. You can also see it coming from a mile away in the logic of the scene itself, so you can absolutely skip that minute, and you won't lose any essential info to understand the episode.
The cinematography nerd in me wants to say that especially one of the two flashback shots is filmed extremely effectively (and for those of you who are interested in that sort of thing, we can, of course, at some point, discuss the way sexual violence is portrayed on screen), but the normal-human-being part inside of me actually found that short flashback and especially that one film shot very disturbing and emotionally distressing. I asked myself what they where thinking and why they had to show it. I don't think it was necessary.
So, just in case you want to keep watching this show, please make sure to proceed with caution where s2ep3 is concerned, okay? Decide for yourself if you want to see it or not. And as I said: If you don't want to see it, just skip 25-26 min.
thank you for this. As ever, I trust you to take care of us.
~a fan
As usual, you bring it. Thank you for rising from your sick bed to send us, your fans, this latest. I looked up the word 'harrow' which means to break up the soil for planting (digging in the ground which is a hallmark of Daniel's perseverence). Then I fell down the rabbit hole of Harrowing of Hell-which, in my limited understanding, refers to the period between the crucifixion and rising from the dead-the descent into the underworld that Jesus made. Maybe nothing to do with the series but I thought it interesting in light of Daniel's secret identity. Gary Cooper-bisexual-didn't know that. Reminded me of the Hays Code in Hollywood that forbid 'discussions of sexual perversity' ie queer stories so it was all hidden (although the Cowardly Lion in Wizard of Oz was a rather obvious swish). Liked your reason for Daniel cutting off Robert's wedding ring, couldn't figure it out. Saw the abuse right away, thanks to you. Saw so many things, thanks to you. Still interested in deconstruction of YR, still bummed by the 3rd season. Will continue to stumble down blind alleys with course corrections always appreciated.
(laughed out loud at 'Darling, WW III just started')
And Bree van Reyk!!!!!
-devotedly
Wow, never heard of this composer, but you know him, too? Way for me to feel dumb, haha.
Had wondered about Gary Cooper, but wasn’t sure if I mixed him up with one of the other iconic actors of that time (although I even read a whole article about it even recently! And now I can‘t remember who it was, why is this???) - did look up High Noon the other day, was intrigued, but didn‘t pin the bisexuality subtext on Gary Cooper. So many references everywhere!
Wish I could write a long comment now, but I have to work, which makes me want to scream (sorry-not sorry for being dramatic). Sooo happy to read this and finally understand more, and so many thoughts swirling in my head now. Simon as an allegory- amazing! Their record „deal“ and their freezer bet totally struck me as having to have a deeper meaning, but couldn‘t decipher it. I was also too consumed by the murder cases to think analytically often enough, sadly. Will come back later- thanks so much already for this fantastic explanation! And you‘re so right - it’s all quite sad.
High Noon! - I actually had kind of a full circle moment with the pilot of "Harrow". Some weeks ago my colleagues from the English departement had invited an expert to give a lecture on some basic principles of cinematography. Our students were only mildly interested (what a shame!) - but I had just discovered your free articles and devoured them. The expert used several scenes/ shots/ (opening) sequences from different movies (Moonlight, Whiplash, La La Land, Children of Men, etc.) to explain the use of camera angles or tracking shots - and among others this exact scene that Harrow watches the first time we meet him! The lecture made me a subscriber to TVM - and equipped with the knowledge and tools provided by this blog it was really nice to watch "Harrow" - from an analytical point of view. Yes, so much could already be discovered in the first episode - thank you! When I realized Simon Van Reyk's name I even remembered your explanation on Simon's (YR) name - so subsquently I listened very carefully, what this Simon had to say. And man!, did it pay off! I'm looking forward to more articles - Harrow- or YR-related!
Thank you. I saw this or that here and there but really not much. I had not understood that Simon was an allegorical character I thought he represented his heart and the cold analytical bespectacled colleague his mind. . I thought Soroya was an allegorical character . But I couldn't totally place her role ( his conscience ? Law and order ?). I am puzzled.
But I must say that I don't want to watch S2 or S3. It was interesting, I love your analysis but the show contained super disgusting scenes. I had to avert my eyes every two seconds while being afraid to miss some clues. OK to explore some more about S1 ( the super disgusting scenes with the alligator and the rotting cadaver in the moor included, but I am not keen on seeing more vomit inducing images from the rest of the show.
If Simon is his gay part, is Soroya his hetero part ?
I would think not - I mean, there is no subtext necessary for his attraction to women, as that is open and part of the text, a very prominent one at that. But I‘m wondering if she has any allegorical functions anyway - but I haven’t had an idea what for, if she has one. And not to be nitpicky - but now comes the nitpickiness;-) - I think it‘s precisely the point that as a bisexual person, Harrow has no heterosexual part. He seems to wish he was heterosexual, but I think being bi means you don‘t have a heterosexual and a gay part, but you‘re something in between, which is its own thing, which is complicated. Fellow commenters, correct me if I got this wrong:-).
Makes sense ! Thank you !
See my reply to Novamilano1 on that one, please. (Sorry for replying to you all in an aggregated fashion like this.:))
Exactly. Well done!
Soroya is his hetero part. (Actually, his new love interest in season two serves the same function.)
Pretty clever, isn't it? To hide the other 'half' of his sexuality in the love interest. I like the writers' sneakiness here.:)
We've talked about deep structure quite a bit when we discussed 'Young Royals', and understanding both Simon van Reyk's and Soroya's functions on 'Harrow' helps lay bare the deep structure of this show:
Look, you have both the gay 'half' and the straight 'half' of Harrow's sexuality trying to solve the Great Puzzle TM, i.e. the big case of the season.
Soroya and Simon are approaching the puzzle from different angles and looking at it in a different way, but essentially both 'halves' of Harrow's sexuality try to solve this one big puzzle with the dead guy in the river.
And who is the dead guy in the river? Well, hello, there! None other than Harrow's dark mirror image. The one who, symbolically speaking, didn't deserve that wedding ring.
The whole season is basically just a deep dive into Harrow's brain: His own sexuality (both 'parts' of it) is trying to work out what's up with that dark part of him that, in his view, never deserved that wedding ring in the first place, the part that blew up his marriage and harmed his daughter.
That's the core of the whole story, the core around which the entire season is written. Everything else is just bells and whistles...or rather smoke and mirrors.:)
If you go through the season and look at all the interactions between Soroya and Simon, you can easily see that that's exactly the function these two characters serve. (Or even if you just look at the way they talk about each other. They are two 'halves' of the same sexuality. And sometimes they low-key compete for attention, just as when Soroya is really perplexed at the fact that Simon is even allowed to 'play with Harrow's records', i.e. define Harrow's metaphorical 'music'.)
Wanna know about the coolest scene that shows you what their function is?
In the season finale of season one, there's a whole scene where they both arrive on Harrow's boat. Both Soroya and Simon have made it there. Both are looking for clues (textually those are clues to Robert Quinn's murder; subtextually, they're both looking for clues to the question of Harrow's marriage failing). Now, here comes the cool part:
Both (!) Soroya and Simon have a key to Harrow's boat! (May I remind you of the 'water' metaphor in this respect?). They both have a key to the boat. They thus both have a key to solving that emotional puzzle.
And you can practically see in that scene that the whole puzzle is now coalescing around the question of the shears and...well, the question of 'who cut off Robert Quinn's ring finger'. In the end, it all comes down to that. That's what the whole puzzle is geared towards. And they both basically hold a key in their hand to solve it.
Clever, right?
But what happens then?
Soroya (Harrow's allegorical straightness) is able to work it all out. She can puzzle it all out. But she will never be able to prove it! Never. Because Simon (Harrow's allegorical gay 'side') covered it all up. Subtextually, Simon covered up the answer to the question 'who blew up that marriage and why'. (That's why Simon's cover-up is all about the shears.)
Harrow is the stuff of dreams for any shrink, is all I'm saying. Poor, poor bloke.
But yeah, basically, you just need to know what the deep structure of the story is, and you can instantly work out what the functions of those two characters are.
Ah, so I was totally wrong, and I apologize to Novamilano1! That‘s so clever indeed. I hadn‘t really wondered how come they both had a key- I guess I was too caught up in the suspense and the fear. But will watch Grace with new eyes now! Thanks so much for your reply, it‘s so appreciated:)! And aggregate anytime, of course- impossible to reply to every single comment seperately!
Don't bother, we all try to piece things together, it's fun. And it's super true that bisexual people are inbetween, neither this or that.
Amazing ! What struck me was how happy Harrow seemed to be whenever Soraya solved one part of the puzzle (when she found the car etc.), he always showered her with words of appreciation , was super excited, kissed her etc. It was super strange because, at the same time, he tried to hinder her progress, to cover his tracks, he was afraid etc. Talk about being torn. A part of him probably wants to be guessed, understood, to be forced out ?
I couldn't resist to sneak a look at part of S2 and S3 summaries to see if Soraya came back after S1. I was really intrigued by this character. And when I saw that she didn't, I was really puzzled by that. If she was an allegorical character = an important one = why would she not come back ? His surrogate dad, the one giving him the alibi, also disappeared after serving his function (that I can not totally piece together) , dying at the same time as they solved the nazi case; lying to cover his ass etc. OK. But why would Soraya disappear ? I would never have guessed that she would be replaced by someone else in the same function. It's so interesting. Thanks.
So logically, the old man who died (the surrogate dad) is also a part of Harrow's psyche. But I would need to think this over and to go back to some of the interactions to really know which part of him. Oh god. He guided him to the secret (murdered nazi), witnessed his strategy to cover his tracks (the DNA test), helped him eventually escape the grand reveal + he disappeared because of the pills (drug, abuse etc.) Harrow sneaked in for him + he's the one who taught him how to read clues etc.
When watching it - before understanding her allegorical function - I was slightly puzzled, too, but I thought it might be either him being impressed (her smartness making her even more sexy to him) and/or him trying to keep a cool facade and diffusing any suspicions. As in, if he‘s so happy about any progress, he can‘t be the murderer, right? But also, the thing you said seems very true to me, about a part of him wanting to be found out - after all, everyone wants to be seen by those close to them, and lying and covering up all this must have been so draining. He admitted as much himself to Simon - he was glad he didn’t have to lie anymore, and then…
As for Jack, my textual take was he took the overdose so as to not be interrogated, as he probably feared the police would eventually force him to contribute to Harrow‘s detection. What that means subtextually, I‘m not sure either, neither what his subtextual role is (maybe there isn‘t one? I mean, I don‘t think there already has to be one? Or does there?)
And yes, I‘m on S2 ep4 now, and I‘m intrigued what role Grace will take.
P.S. Forgot to say:
And I totally see where you're coming from: I'm not a big fan of gore myself. I usually stay away from things about violence and blood.
But sometimes when it's super over-the-top, it strangely pulls me out of actually finding it realistic, anymore. It becomes just this ridiculous thing where I silently chuckle about the prosthetics and the fake blood. It's strangely distancing somehow. (I don't know if that makes any sense.) That's not always the case, but with 'Harrow' it definitely hit exactly that spot for me. The one where I just go, "Look at that super-disgusting mask they put on that actor, so he looks like he's being eaten by maggots. That's so fake it's actually funny." I don't know why, but that's what it's like for me sometimes. It becomes a fake thing and that distances me from the experience. Kinda like knowing everything about a magic trick. Like looking behind the curtains and seeing the puppeteer pulling the strings of the puppets.
I can see your point. I am not totally there yet, perhaps it will come one day. But, yes the prosthetic department must have had a field day.
Definitely. I really had a much stronger reaction to that rape scene in s2ep3. I did find it super-upsetting despite the fact that it's basically just two very brief shots. But one of them gives us the perspective of the victim and thus puts us, the viewers, in her shoes. I find that much, much worse than several gallons of fake blood. I have no idea what the creators were thinking there, and I wouldn't have done that in a million years. Especially without a warning at the beginning of the episode. (My streaming provider doesn't have a warning, at least. Not sure about others.)
I wish it was like that for me. But especially the murders and violence that are shown as they are happening, I find really terrible to watch. Some scenes in S2 were just so bad I had to skip a little bit. And then… „Simon says“ - what have I gotten myself into. It hit so hard. On the one hand, the subtextual story arc is so good and gripping I can barely stop watching at night. On the other hand, the weekly crimes are so hard for me to watch I really need to take breaks. And also the „Simon says“-part, to put it that way. But then there was that little convo about the music in the car with Fairly, which gave me hope regarding Harrow‘s own possible growth.
The composer is a woman and really interesting. And never heard of her but her music is !!!!
So, now comes my proper comment, after I‘ve jotted down some points on a scrap of paper while at work, haha. First of all, smacking my head at all the things I didn‘t see! I specifically looked for the signs of Harrow being bisexual, since I remembered you had mentioned it, but I missed the Gary Cooper reference, and also fact that Rhys‘ death could me seen as a mirror story to Harrow‘s backstory. Sigh- so disappointed in myself. At least I noticed after a while that the many cases where girls were abused and going missing, and parents trying to protect their children must point to what happened to Fern - and also the dead clown/child molestor, and that Harrow‘s flaring anger at the father who suspected his daughter was killed must mean that Harrow had a personal experience involving child abuse, too.
Did I understand it correctly that you think it was Harrow‘s self-loathing that was the main factor in the crumpling of his marriage?
And follow-up question: If he loathes and despairs over the part of himself that is attracted to men, how does this go together with his appreciation and love for Simon, if we Simon is an allegory for Harrow‘s own attraction to guys? Isn‘t that contradictory?
And regarding Simon finding out about Harrow murdering Quinn (btw: thanks for pointing out that probably the deed was a actually planned by Harrow, that he called him to his ship - I‘d already lost sight of that when I saw the scenes of him and Quinn fighting. But of course, he expected Quinn to attack him, and provoked it!): If that has a metaphorical meaning, as does Simon also being the one to save him in the end - then what is the meaning of Soroya also being a fundamental part of the discovery of his murder? After all, she looked for the car and found it, and really went after the case. I can‘t figure out if there is a subtextual weight to her role, as well. Is she maybe an allegory for society at large? Or society as Harrow thinks it works?
And gosh, can I just mention how cute the rainbow-coloured balloon with Simon‘s photo over Farrow‘s hospital bed was, the first thing he saw when he woke up? But on a subtextual level, how smart also? Like, hello, that part of you is still very much there!
Also, gosh, so much love for the story that Simon gets to choose the records they play once a month! This is so fantastic and clever indeed! I‘m also intrigued that you worded it as Harrow „allowing himself“ to fall in love (or maybe only have crushes on?) guys occasionally - you deduced this from the music metaphor, right? - but the „allowing“ term would imply a somewhat conscious choice, not just something he can‘t help. As in, he allows Simon to choose the records, even though he managed to stay in the fridge much longer. So his self-loathing doesn‘t go so far as to „not allow“ himself to feel attracted to guys ever? So interesting and complex!
Btw, I‘m also wondering where this young Canadian woman trying to push Harrow off the balcony, and him managing to get back up (did someone come to his rescue? I can‘t remember now) fits into the falling metaphor. If it does have any meaning, that is.
But most importantly: YES, please elucidate on the crocodile metaphor! I have no clue - but it must be super important given how violently Harrow said several times that he HATES lizards. It stood out so much! He isn‘t grossed out by dead bodies decayed in the worst way (mind, I had the same problem as Novamilano there!), but he is freaked out totally by lizards?! He said he hated them, but he seemed to really by afraid of them, actually. So „hate“ seemed to mean „being panicked by“ to me.
Ah, and thank you for clearing up that S2 also has an overarching story with subtext, because now I‘ll watch more closely. I‘d really love to know if his self-loathing will at least decrease over the course of S2 and S3 - it’s a pity it all remains subtext, but maybe there is at least some positive development in the subtext?
Ah, now this comment got awfully long, I hope you don’t mind! Please take it as a sign that I‘m super grateful for your wonderful analyses and just love to read what you write!
Let's see if I can answer at least a part of this (because otherwise I won't get any writing done on the next 'Young Royals' piece:D).
With Simon, it's really fascinating when you watch him and his interactions with Harrow through the seasons:
Simon has to be clever, intelligent, brilliant, of course. I mean, he is a part of Harrow, after all. So he can't be totally dumb, right?
(That's also why he's really handsome. Or is that just something I'm seeing there.;) The ones among you who are great appreciators of feminine beauty can tell me if you think Soroya is pretty, too. But subtextually speaking, it makes sense for her to be pretty, as well, right? Anyway...So, Simon is good-looking because, well, that part of Harrow is actually very beautiful. There's nothing wrong with it. Same-sex attraction isn't an ugly thing!)
There's the fact that Harrow is clearly fascinated by Simon. (That, too, makes sense in that respect.) And yet you also get clear signs that Harrow is putting him down a bit here and there. (It's all pretty toned down and often played for laughs, but that's to be expected with subtext, right?) Harrow makes disparaging remarks about Simon and specifically about his sexuality. Because that mirrors what Harrow thinks of that 'side' of his own sexuality. He keeps making these little jokes in which he keeps saying stuff about Simon that make Simon seem somehow not masculine enough. ("We would only ever talk about sculptures if it were up to you," or something in that vein; don't have the right quote at my fingertips right now.) Harrow keeps giving Simon the feeling of somehow being a bit girly, not manly enough. It's subtle, but it's there. It's a bit toned down and muted, but you can definitely see it. And that's what Harrow thinks of that 'half' of his own sexuality, of course: that it's not manly enough, that it's too girly for a man.
Beware SPOILERS FOR SEASON TWO!
Then you eventually even find out that Harrow doesn't really know Simon all that well. (Major, major hint right there that that 'half' of Harrow's sexuality isn't as well explored as the straight 'half'. Harrow doesn't have all that much experience in the 'same-sex department'. At least not a lot of it.) And then we even find out that Simon suffers from a chronic illness. (Very important clue subtextually: That 'half' of Harrow's sexuality isn't healthy. Harrow doesn't have a healthy and normal approach to his own same-sex attraction. Really, really sad, that.)
I hope that makes sense? At least when it comes to Simon?
There are a lot of questions in your comment; is it okay if I just answer some of them in a future post?
Otherwise I won't get anything else done.:D
I can make it a separate 'Harrow' post...or actually...there's even something I wanted to write about on the 'Young Royals' front, and I could just integrate some of the 'Harrow' stuff into that one. Let's see what makes the most sense.
Of course, please don‘t think I demand anything, dear! I‘d be super happy if you got back to my questions in whatever way. And whoa, somehow the thing I remembered the most was Harrow‘s kindness towards Simon after they solved the case with the rowing boys, after their encounter with that horrible, despicable father. Now seeing this through the lens of allegory, it was even more meaningful - as a kindness towards that side of himself, for once. But okay, there were the disparaging remarks, too, sigh - I must have forgotten them in hindsight. So it’s a complex relationship with mixed feelings, makes sense. I‘ll keep my eyes open for it in S2! I just discovered a pretty funny exchange in ep. 4 (?) which also seemed to be about that subtext, regarding the shark attack, involving Capello. I’m quite intrigued by Capello anyway. Methinks he might be another metaphor or allegory - he’s just given a lot of space, and he’s a pretty bright and sparkling character, and Harrow keeps making disparaging remarks there, too - but he also seemed to be at once intrigued and set off by him, as in Capello seems to irk him. I think Harrow likes him. Plus, he is suspiciously handsome🤔. How sad to hear about Simon - hopefully it‘s nothing serious!!! How to even bear that😢? Anyways, thank you so much for your patience with my questions and your kind answers!
P.S.: I‘d say Soroya is conventionally good-looking, yeah. But in my little book, Grace is by far prettier, though;-). Maybe she won‘t distance herself like Soroya did, either?
Oh, and since you helpfully pointed out the meaning of Simon‘s name again, I finally looked up the meaning of the name Daniel, and lo and behold, it means (as you, dear tv microscope, will already know, just putting it out here for other readers like me) „God be my judge“, or „God is my judge“, so whoa, how perfectly fitting for the question this show raises, and his own crime. Now I wonder in which way the name „Grace“ will prove to be fitting as well. It does at least sound promising!
Thank you again for a super clarifying analysis. It’s always interesting and fascinating, how you interpret the subtext. Every time you mentioned that we definitely saw or worked out something, I was like: Yeah, sure. No! As I read that comment with a spoiler, I knew about topic 1, from that it was quite obvious with million of hints what was the topic 3 (ep.9 couldn’t be more explicit in this case). But the topic 2? Nope!
However, I have to admit, I’ve watched it mostly half asleep, plus I have hearing condition due to which I don’t understand speech If someone is not speaking to mi directly or when there’s a background sound. When I watch something in English, I strongly depend on subtitles trying to catch least half of what they’re saying and have less capacity to watch what’s going on around. I’d have to watch it at least 3 times like with YR and I’m not going to do that.
But I did pick up a lot of things, also some of those you mentioned. Except the bisexuality thing. At least I now know why was I perplexed with several things which I couldn’t fit anywhere. Especially Simon. I couldn’t figure out his purpose. But after you mentioned topic 2, I knew directly.
Also, in ep9, for a second a wondered why did they choose AB (universal recipient) as a blood type for that SS-officer. But now knowing about Harrows struggles with his sexuality, it’s a really nice little touch.
I was also wondering about the meaning of the Betty boat and Bora-Bora. First, I thought that the boat represented the crime. He lives on the boat and he have to live with the fact that he murdered someone. And that going to Bora-Bora means taking responsibility for that crime. But now, after I know that not only Fern but Harrow too had experienced trauma of his own, I hope that one day they will finally go to Bora-Bora. Hopefully on another boat.
Why would Bora Bora mean "taking responsability for his crime "? I don't understand.
Well, in that episode with the crocodile they interrogated that newly wed pair on their honeymoon. They were talking where everywhere they already travelled with their boat, when Harrow suddenly asked if they were on Bora-Bora. They replied that they haven’t been there yet. Afterwards it’s revealed that they are the murderers and that the murder happened on the boat. And they were arrested. That was my reasoning behind it. Hope it makes at least a little bit of sense, hahaha…
I forgot this mention. Thanks for the reminder.
I still don‘t understand🫣 - didn’t Harrow just ask that because he himself wanted to go there?
Maybe in real life you would ask something like that causally. But TVM taught us, that then it comes to subtext, nothing is coincidence. Therefore Bora-Bora has a meaning, especially if Harrow wants to go there with Fern. Also, at the end of last episode of s1 Harrow asks Fern again if she wants to go to Bora-Bora. She replies: Not today. What makes sense because one of them are over their trauma. So no Bora-Bora trip for now.
Yes, I didn‘t mean that Bora-Bora doesn‘t have any meaning - sorry if I worded that poorly. I just still don‘t understand why it would have the specific meaning of „taking responsibility of their crime.“ And who do you think is over their trauma at the end of S1? I tend to think none of them is.
No, no, no, I’s sooo sorry If I didn’t explain it clearly. English is not my first language so maybe I didn’t express myself correctly. That “taking responsibility for their crime” was my wrong assumption because I didn’t pick-up that bisexuality part. Therefore, I just thought that maybe this was the meaning. When Harrow asked if those newlyweds were on Bora-Bora, in universe, of course it was just a random question because he wanted to go there. But subtextually it was a message for us. They answered to Harrow that they haven’t been there yet and this scene took place before they got arrested. Also, Harrow hadn't been arrested at the end of the season for his crime, he didn’t take responsibility for his crime. Therefore, they didn’t go to Bora-Bora with Fern.
But this was a wrong assumption because of me missing the important part of the story (and I was too lazy to check what Bora-Bora is referred to as too). However, with that new knowledge it has a deeper meaning. Those newlyweds committed a murder so they can’t go to Bora-Bora. Or as Angélique Rousseau pointed out, there’s no redemption for them. They cold heartedly murdered someone just for their own enrichment. On the other hand, with Harrow and Fern things are more complicated. If they’ll go together to Bora-Bora, that will mean that they will be on the way to heal from all the trauma they suffered. They will reach “paradise on earth”. Thanks once again Angélique Rousseau for this meaning. I was too lazy to look it up, but it had to be something positive. I hope this makes more sense now.
The island of Bora Bora is a symbol of paradise on earth. Perhaps it's an allusion to redemption? And above all, there are no crocodiles.
Oh! That makes complete sense with that paradise! Thank you.
Oooh, that bloodtype is such a good catch! It eluded me totally. But wouldn’t that mean that the SS officer would also be a mirror for Harrow here? Was that mentioned in the post? Maybe I‘m getting confused with all of the mirrors, but I thought it was rather the woman who killed the Nazi officer who was Harrow‘s mirror here? However, as a little nugget in itself, making that bloodtype a metaphor would be really clever and neat!
Yes, TVM mentioned, that because of Harrow’s trauma he sees himself as a monster and blames himself that his marriage fell apart because of that dark side of him and therefore that thing happened to Fern. So yes, SS-officer mirrors not only the abuser, but Harrow himself. And that blood type served as a “mirror” instead of a real mirror (like in YR) to let us know that double mirroring is going on here. Also, what a tragic state of his mind.
Oh, thank you! I’d forgotten that, I only remembered that there was mirroring with the dead clown and the abuser! It makes sense, yes.
Yup on the blood type. Exactly! Brilliant.
In Hollywood, some big movie stars (under contract to the studios) were gay or bisexual, forced to hide it in order to work (Gary Cooper, Cary Grant, Rudolph Valentino, Greta Garbo, Tallulah Bankhead, Katharine Hepburn...) sometimes they had a marriage of convenience "lavender marriage".
Let's talk about the actor Gary Cooper, I like his quote “One man who saw through his own eyes and thought with his own brain. Such men may be rare, they may be unknown, but they move the world.”
It's too late for ep. 3 season 2, it's not this scene that's the most difficult for me.
It's the epilogue, when Melissa is with her husband and her children are playing in the background, how to find yourself in hell because nothing will ever be the same again, the truth imposed itself as the crime, silence was her right.
"Herpetophobia", I hate crocodiles too, reptilian brain, predator, man-eater, terrorizing memories that come to the surface, apparently asleep the better to deceive us.
It's the quiet ones we have to watch out for.
Those big creatures are the stuff of nightmares...and as you said, under the surface, lurking in water.
I've hated them even more since I saw the Australian series "Return to Eden".
Here's Mary Oliver's poem about an encounter with an alligator..
https://teachers.henrico.k12.va.us/elko/green_c/Elko/English/stories/Alligator%20poem_questions.pdf
This beautiful poem is about a second chance with a destructive alligator. After escaping, she sees the beauty in her life. I hate alligators too :)🤣
Ah, I see you guys all want me to write about the crocodile case, too.:D Well, I can give you at least my take on it if you want. (Let's see if we can squeeze it in sometime.)
And yeah, absolutely, there's a crazy amount of old Hollywood stars who were closeted in that way. Really sad.
Sorry you already watched s2ep3. I kinda thought most of you were still on season one, but then you're probably faster than I am. But back when I recommended the first season, I didn't even remember that specific episode and especially not the way that flashback was filmed. It was only when I checked it out recently again that I thought, "Whoa, that wasn't necessary! Why did they have to do that?" I'm really, really sorry. I hope most people still catch that comment above, especially since the episode itself doesn't feature a warning at the very start, which I find bizarre, to be honest.
Yes please. Write about the crocodile case, another prehistoric life form, like ferns...Don't know if those two are linked at all.
The fern is a symbol of life, capable of rebirth when it seems dead. The fern was one of the first plants to appear on earth, and Bora Bora etymologically means first born, an interesting link between the two.
Ah, that‘s so interesting! I didn‘t know this exact thing about ferns. I only knew that they grow in shadowy places, they survive without much sun - which actually fits very well with their symbolic meaning! I thought for sure her name must have a deeper meaning (and think of Callan‘s nickname for her, which thanks to tv microscope we could decipher now!), but hadn‘t looked it up yet!
As for "Fish", Callan's nickname for Fern, perhaps he means the symbol of the waters (boat), fish is associated with birth (Bora Bora) or cyclical restoration (trauma). The fish-god Oannes, ancestor of Poseidon-Neptune, was the one who revealed the science of medicine to mankind (Dr. Harrow is a forensic scientist) and, as in Young Royals, the fish doesn't speak like Fern, who remains silent.
As you‘re beating yourself up so much now: personally, I don‘t even remember it so much, so it can‘t have affected me too much. Maybe I covered my eyes, but I do that quite a lot on this show anyway.
Please, write about the crocodile case. I would like to know the deeper meaning of it too.
Although that one scene with that creepy lady (I can’t remember what was her occupation regarding crocodiles, national park caretaker or something like that?) while she was taking Harrow and Soroya to the nest how she was describing crocodile sex (obviously this was not about crocodiles), that scene was so disturbing it still haunts me. But otherwise it was an interesting episode.
Dear everyone,
just a short update:
I'm working on the next 'Young Royals' piece right now. While it's technically one of my sweet, sweet leftovers from season one and two, I'm adding some content for season three, as well, so it's more up-to-date. (No negativity. I promise this one will be me praising the show's creators for something they've done extremely well.) It will also (hopefully) give you a new toy to play with.
Other than that, I've noted down the fact that the 'Harrow' viewers amongst you want a short post about the crocodile case. Let's see when I can squeeze that one in.
Anyway...the 'Young Royals' one is going to be a very long post, so you can really sink your teeth into that one, I promise. It will take me a few days, though. The past week was pretty tough for my household, but everyone is on the mend now (*touch wood*).
Just wanted to let you all know that there's something in the works. I hope you have a nice, warm, lovely and peaceful Sunday evening.
Yours,
tvmicroscope
P.S. Who loves Art Blakey as much as I do? Art Blakey? No? Nobody?
Okay, here have some relaxing Sunday music, anyway:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6Gf0Fz3HzU
Hooray. Looking forward, Maybe I can watch season 3 again without flinching...
Glad your illness(es) are receding.
What a wonderful prospect- so glad you‘re getting better, and thank you for the update!
Hey dearest tv microscope, if you‘re thinking of regaling us with another post on Harrow, might I put in a suggestion?
- potential mild spoiler alert for those who haven‘t watched S2 yet-
I‘m so intrigued by Fairley, and I‘m wondering what exactly his role is. I think I‘ve grasped the general idea, but I‘m confused by the nuances and the why. I‘m making very, very slow progress with S2 now, because I find it so frightening and dark, and I‘m just feeling more and more haunted by it. Sigh. But then, I can‘t just completely stop watching because Harrow‘s story keeps me riveted and I want to know where it‘s going. I just wish I didn‘t have to watch so many murders and be so afraid for him in order to get the information I want- talk about a dilemma!
I ran behind my viewing schedule (big time) but now I'm all caught up. It was a great subtext-reading exercise and, of course, a great article. And thanks for the recommendation, I enjoyed season 1 a lot. Even with all the subtext put aside, it's been a while since I've enjoyed a simple detective show that doesn't attempt to pretend to be anything else.
At this point it's gotten pretty easy to spot mirroring (and other storytelling devices) from the very first episode, especially if one already knows what to look out for.
The show is pretty unsubtle in its subtext, that's what makes it such a good exercise. You can miss one or few major clues (for instance, I had no idea about Gary Cooper) but still get the subtexual message.
What I spotted pretty quickly is fern (the plant) symbolism, it's everywhere and serves its purpose.
I'm not a fan of the overuse of "hurt people hurt people" narrative but I quite like that show's writers made Fern not only the victim but also a killer of an innocent person (I mean Grace's death, of course). This additional iteration of the abuse cycle is (ostensibly) unnecessary but powerful.
I‘d love to learn more about the fern - or plants in general?- symbolism. Certain plants to come up in S2, too (most notably, a certain species of roses), but I didn‘t see it as a throughline. Would you like to explain? Also, if you‘re interested in Fairley‘s role, too, I basically wrote a novel about him down in the comments, and if anyone would like to share their thoughts, I‘d love to hear them;-)!
Fern is a very special plant, it doesn't bear any flowers or fruit. So while usually plant symbolism is about blooming, splendor, love and sex, fern is another plant entirely. Every time fern is mentioned or showed in season 1, it has something to do with Fern's mirror character.
At first I thought Fairley was a simple Harrow's foil but seasons 2 and 3 changed my perspective and now I'm not sure about him. Edit: I've just read your Fairley analysis and I love it.
Interestingly, in YR there's a chair with fern print on it. Erik is sitting in that chair while he speaks to Wille in s1e3, Wille is sitting in it while he texts Simon in s1e6.
Thanks so much for replying! And that‘s such an interesting point about the fern plant! And that chair Motive is so symbolic then in YR, wow!
I can‘t follow yet when you said „everytime fern is mentioned, it has to do with her mirror character.“ Which mirror character? I‘m totally in the dark! And I‘m so glad you liked my theory on Fairley! I was so happy to have finally figured something major out, haha! If it‘s a correct analysis, that is. But the more I thought about the whole episode, the more signs I saw that confirmed it. I mean, he even freed Harrow from that giant fridge/freezer, which refers back to the bet between Simon and Harrow in S1, just that this time, it‘s also textually super serious and dark. But Fairley liberating him, and then knocking down the murderer was fantastic. And I suppose the murderer is also a mirror character for Harrow‘s dad here, again. And the mother‘s whole plight can be seen as a mirroring story to Harrow‘s past with his dad, I suppose, plus on a subtextual level, she was freed from her prison after a long time, which could be a metaphor for Harrow being freed internally? And then I think when she says the baby saved her, and Harrow looks so moved, that can also be seen as symbolic of Harrow being saved? By reconciling himself to being bisexual? I find it tricky because there is no reveal, it‘s all only subtext, so there is no coming-out. Hmmm.
I meant connection with fern the plant and Fern's multiple mirrors throughout s1. Fern grew outside Xantia's apartment in s1e5, the homeless woman's camera was found in a fern plant in s1e4, there was a line about fern in another episode (I don't remember which one). I think that if I really paid attention, I'd find more.
Wow, I‘m amazed at the details you caught! That‘s so cool.
Oh, I think I spottet a fern yesterday, in S3 Ep.3, when the teenage culprit was led away from his house by the police! And also, what just occurred to me: the roses that Chester in S3 leaves at every site where he killed, and which he explicitly mentions, of course have a symbolic meaning, too! Now that someone mentioned (was it you?) what Chester actually is, that is such a brilliant metaphor (I hope I‘m applying the term correctly here!)!
Okay, so, I just had a lightbulb moment, and I need to share it and hear your thoughts. As I wrote before, I think Fairley is queer, too - be it gay or be it at least very bisexual (while it isn‘t openly said (at least not as far as I‘ve watched), he doesn‘t seem to hide it, either.), and I‘ve been wondering so much what exactly his role is. And now I THINK I know: Is he the part of Harrow‘s mind that wants him to come out, to say it roughly? If I look at the scenes between Harrow and Fairley, and those involving Simon, and their conversations about Simon, from this angle, they make perfect sense to me. They fight for Simon. Fairley takes Harrow‘s office and delights in it, and rubs it under his nose. He makes gay-coded jokes to Harrow („I got head-jobbed“). And it all annoys the HELL out of Harrow. I think I‘ve finally found the answer there - he teases Harrow, and Harrow is so effing annoyed by it, because he WANTS something from Harrow, he is the constant, nagging voice at the back of his head that says „enough with this hiding, be open about who you are already!“.
Spoiler alert for S2!
And then the heartwrenching conversations in S2, on their way to the Outback, finally make sense, too. When Fairley told Harrow that he ruins people - that was so awful, and mean, and hurtful, and I just didn‘t get it. But if Fairley is an allegory for Farrow being frustrated with himself, and for his guilt, then of course it makes sense! It‘s Harrow‘s guilt speaking, after all, and he voices his own negative thoughts and fears. More on that vein: When Harrow told Fairley that he loved Simon, and Fairley responds that Simon loved him, too. That would be meaningful in this context. And lastly: Harrow hugs Fairley once in S2, and kisses him on the cheek, in sheer gratefulness, and Failey looks so damn pleased and proud! While it makes sense on a textual level, too, if Fairley is attracted to men (and it‘s quite cute and funny), it would get much more meaning if Fairley is an allegory for Harrow‘s secret wish to come out - of course, this side of Harrow is pleased and proud at even the smallest gestures of being affectionate with a guy, no?
- Spoiler over-
Ah, please, tell me your thoughts, dear fellow readers, if you‘re still looking for new comments here like my crazy self, and/or dearest tv microscope!
Oh gosh, and there is more! Lyle helps deliver a baby in S2, in an emergency - how fitting is that? He helps with a birth, or as the medical term is, he delivers the baby (I prefer to say that the mother delivers the baby, and the doctor/midwife assists, but well - the medical wording is what it is, and it‘s fitting here). Like he wants to deliver Harrow‘s coming out, no? And to top it off, it‘s a girl - as Lyle says himself, „a beautiful little girl“, which could also be seen as fitting - you know, feminine side and all. And Harrow is present, encourages Fairley that he can do it - and then holds the woman’s head and hand when she‘s pushing the baby out, and he absolutely mirrors her expressions, it‘s as though he is giving birth himself! First, he looks pained and tense, and when he sees the baby, there‘s pure wonder and delight on his face (and no artificial facial expressions this time, but genuinely acted) - isn‘t that so fitting? And it was Fairley who found Harrow in the giant icebox and saved him, which Harrow also acknowledges at the end - Awww! Would that mean that Harrow subtextually did come out in some way??? Or am I taking it all too far?
Harrow s2 major spoiler alert!
In general, I love your Fairley analysis. But I doubt Harrow will come out or even have same-sex relationship ever again, because Simon is dead. But on the other hand, Frank Chester is dead too (he's an allegorical figure for Harrow's internalised homophobia, right?), so maybe there's still hope.
No, I didn‘t mean he would come out - without having watched S3 yet, tv microscope already wrote his bisexuality is never lifted out of the subtext. So I only thought of the birth as a metaphor as Harrow coming to terms with his sexuality, an entirely inner process. I thought this is what the little dialogue about opera between H and Fairley was about, too - I got a jolt of excitement when Harrow said he liked opera! I mean, that’s gotta be a clue, no?
I don‘t know if we could see it as a coming-out to Fairley, but I think that would be self-contradictory if we interpret Fairley as a merely allegorical character. Right?
However, I didn’t think Simon’s death means he could not have a relationship with a man ever again - now there‘s a new thought I need to consider!
And as for Chester, I didn‘t see that at all, but it would be so logical, oh my gosh! It would line up the storyline that Fairley and others make Harrow believe he killed Simon, whereas as a viewer, we scream „no, it was Chester!“ - this way, both things are true because yes, it was his own homophobia. I interpreted Simon’s death as as a wake-up call - as in now that Harrow sees that Simon is dead, and feels guilty about it, he finally realizes that he loved him, and says so out loud. So I saw it as a chance of redemption - which then came about with the trip with Fairley, and the birth story. It‘s also such a fitting detail that this takes place in the Outback, in the great nowhere, an unpopulated area- like a retreat, as a symbol for retreating into yourself to think deeply.
But the Chester interpretation, wow, this is so brilliant, and would give that whole horrid storyline even more meaning! Especially Chester‘s end, of course! Oh, I love!!!!
Ah, it was you who told me what Chester is! Then see my reply above about the Mr. Lincoln rose. The roses as a metaphor for Harrow‘s sexuality, too? It‘s beautiful, but it also has thorns - would be fitting, wouldn‘t it? And the Mr. Lincoln rose has a long history, an especially delicious smell, and its dark colour symbolizes love and passion, as I read. And then there are those „Lincoln was bisexual“ rumours, which, regardless of historical accuracy, could be another puzzle piece.