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Post by tsarina on Apr 12, 2007 13:14:35 GMT -5
Anyone else think Goggins' performance this season is the best we've seen? I've always thought he was a great actor but damn. I truly respect his performance, regardless of what the writers made him do.
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Post by dtpollitt on Apr 15, 2007 15:39:35 GMT -5
Dan, Danny's kids name is Lee... she told Vic when he went to visit her at the hospital after having him. Sorry, guess I missed that. Thanks!!
Dan
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Post by dtpollitt on Apr 15, 2007 15:40:01 GMT -5
Here is the commentary I suggested for Whitaker's Kavanaugh last summer. Yeah, I'm jerking my own chain, but I like it - hell, I wrote it.
Another Shield site asked if they could post this discussion, here's the link to it. Hopefully admin won't care.
www.shieldlexicon.com/jackpot.html
Updated July 10, 2006 6:00 AM Emmy Snub Disection by Dan (dtpollitt of The Shield Rap)
When it comes to this season's award shows the only people I found especially worthy of Emmys this year were Forest Whitaker (Jon Kavanaugh), Walton Goggins (Shane Vendrell), and Kenny Johnson (Curtis Lemansky). Actually, I thought David Marciano (Steve Billings) was the best, but he's not going to get a nod for such a small role, I believe.
So, let's dissect the roles:
(1) I originally thought CCH Pounder (Claudette Wyms) would be the forerunner for such an Emmy nod, but I didn't really care for her this season. I think her story suffered but not in a bad way...more if a natural transgression to her role as captain. Gotta fall down before you can get back up, and her disease and lack of storyline worked for me, just not for voters or in being able to create magic out of a thin story. Make sense?? Knock Pounder of the list.
(2) I don't know if Shane/Lem's roles were extensive enough to give them a supporting actor nod...Although integral to the show (obviously), I get the feeling outside of hardcore TV viewers and Shield fans, no one really understands the severe implications of Shane and Lem during this season...and how great a job the respective actors did in creating a tearjerker ending of brotherly love & hate. Goggins didn't have nearly as much material to work with as Johnson did...and although many on TSR will disagree, I thoroughly enjoyed each and every gritty scene in the hotel room with Kavanaugh and Lem, Lem seen physically and emotionally naked, etc. Knock Goggins off, although this 5B/6/THIS IS PISSING ME OFF season, I believe, will truly give Goggins the career launch he and every fantastic actor deserves. I cried with Goggins and died with Johnson this season. Godspeed in a great season for Goggins.
(3) Whitaker...was Vic's but mainly Lem's yang to their yings. Forget about Chik for a second (I know, I know, hard to do considering he is the driving force behind the fury and love that is "The Shield"). Back to Kavanaugh and Lem's push & pull, right & wrong, love & hate, brothers & blood fight this season. Neither would have truly shone without the other...
...BUT I ask myself this question in debating who was the better actor this season: "At the end of the season, did I hate Kavanaugh more or love Lem more?" My love for Lem grew exponentially, most prevalent during the the explosion of Kavanaugh-Smoked-Of Mice And Lem-Post Partum four episode finale. HOWEVER, I have - as have most of you - loved Lem from day one. The heart, soul, voice of reason, gentle giant.
Kavanaugh, on the other hand, came to us in Extraction, 5x01, and was VERY slowly (some on TSR would say too slowly) and methodically developed. Warmed at a low heat, almost dull and unrefined, for five episodes...then Whitaker bared his teeth and shouted with a viciousness and ferocity never before seen in a Shield character. Whitaker gave us clues into Kavanaugh's humanistic features - clumsy and dopey, completely and utterly alone, fearful and regretful of his ex-wife's relationship, and above all, craving for someone to accept, welcome, and respect him. The sole vice Whitaker's Kavanaugh had was the Strike Team - his glory, finale, initiation into the Boys' Club. And this is why I choose Whitaker's Kavanaugh over Johnson's Lemansky as the most definitive character development in Season 5. I truly longed to learn more about this man, his M.O., his underlying reasoning, his social-unacceptability, why this man was so singularly driven on bringing down the team and family we love the most. I hate Kavanaugh more than any single character on "The Shield"...but want to share some beers get to know him first.
Whitaker's Kavanaugh was and is the single most defining character study in the history of "The Shield" (up to this point)...and he got screwed by the Emmys. Thanks, pompus dicks.
Dan
Nice post Dan! You bring up some really good points and I definitely see your side when talking of hating Kav more or loving Lem more. It was, as you stated, the carefulness of his character's development that brought it to life. The only reason I would have gone on the Lem side of the argument was his integral part of the ST and the show for 5 seasons and the role he played. If Whitaker had not played his role as well as he did, Kenny's role, nor a lot of the cast's, would have developed as they did. All of the roles were intertwined with great precision Thanks for the kind words, I just love hating Kavanaugh.
Dan
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Post by eekay on Apr 15, 2007 16:52:43 GMT -5
I have always thought that Kavanaugh was unbalanced .... the casting of Forest Whitaker reminds me of Stephen King's reaction upon hearing that Jack Nicholson had been signed to star in The Shining paraphrased: "I wrote a story about one man's descent into madness ... imagine my dismay when the role went to someone who already appeared so obviously unbalanced" I've been waiting for Kav to unravel since his first scene altho I expected much less control when it finally happened
Nice Stephen King quote. I would have more sympathy for him if Kubrick's movie resembled the book in more other ways than just the setting and the general premise. Since it didn't, I'm free to judge them as two separate works. That way, they both come off better.
Kavanaugh's heavy breathing and soft, excited giggle as he questioned people creeped me out from Day 1. He always seemed like a guy one tickle away from an orgasm and/or one frustration away from a total meltdown. Which, in the end, we were cheated of seeing. I thought that the near-hysteria with which he tried to control Dutch and Claudette's contact with Emolia was the build-up to a truly painful can't-watch-but-it's-so-good cathartic train-wreck of a meltdown. But it all just fizzled. I know the Shield writers seem hell-bent on not doing the expected, but this is the first time I can recall being disappointed with what they've done instead. . .
By the way, to Dan who said that nobody remarked on Benito Martinez's performance in the scene in the bathroom with Vic: I did. I didn't quite laud it the way you did, but I did find it remarkable and I'm looking forward to seeing what comes of that expression that appeared on Aceveda's face when Vic shoved his badge and gun at him.
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