Timeless Character Review: Rufus Carlin

*Warning: This post contains spoilers about the characters from the television series Timeless. Read at your own risk if you have not watched the first two seasons.

There is something to be said about a well written, human character. They leap off the page and speak to us as if they were right in front us, as flesh and blood human beings, instead of fictional creations.

In this series of weekly blog posts, I will examine character using the characters from Timeless to explore how writers can create fully dimensional, human characters that audiences and readers can relate to.

Every ship needs a captain and every crew needs a conscious. In Timeless, the captain of the Lifeboat is Rufus Carlin (Malcolm Barrett). Rufus is an engineer and programmer who is assigned to pilot the time machine. He is also the conscious of the main trio of characters, due mostly to his skin color and the heavy reminder of racism in America. Rufus also dealt with betrayal when his mentor reveals that he was not kidnapped, he willingly joined up with the villain and made it look like a kidnapping.

But there is light in Rufus’s life. His relationship with girlfriend Jiya (Claudia Doumit) is going strong. They were colleagues before they got together, Rufus had a crush on Jiya for a long time, but was unable to give voice to his feelings.

To sum it up: When a character is the conscious of the story, he or she does not need to be 2D, dull or preachy. Rufus works as a character because though he is the conscious of the show, he is thoroughly human. As an audience member, we root for him when he stands up against racism, we love him when it comes to his relationship with Jiya and and we feel his pain when his mentor is revealed as a traitor. That is why Rufus Carlin stands out as a character.

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Victims Of The Trump Temper Tantrum: Jeff Sessions And Jim Acosta

When one takes the mantle of political leadership, there are certain qualities that we expect this person to have. He or she is expected to be mature, level-headed, thoughtful, introspective and basically act like an adult.

After the results of the 2018 Midterm Elections were announced, you know who took an adult temper tantrum. As a result of this temper tantrum, Jeff Sessions is out of a job and CNN reporter Jim Acosta has lost his White House press credentials.

Since Sessions recused himself from the Russia investigation, his former boss put on a target on his back. Truth be told, I had a feeling that Jeff Sessions would be fired at some point, it was just a question of when rather than if. That point came last night.

For the most part, you know who has had it out for most media outlets since nearly the beginning of his time in office, if not sooner during the campaign. Jim Acosta was doing what every journalist does, making sure that those in power remember who is truly in charge. But he who shall not be named does not like those who do not kiss his feet and proclaim him to be the G-d he thinks he is.

We have two years until the 2020 Presidential election. In the next two years, I hope this country remembers what it stands for and why it was founded. Otherwise, the America that I know and love may turn into a thing of the past.

 

Another Day In America And Another Mass Shooting

Up until a few years ago, a mass shooting of innocent civilians was much more than the average news headline. The Columbine shooting was the first mass shooting in modern American history to shock the country and the world. These days, it is rare that a week a or a month can go by without hearing about a mass shooting.

Last night started as an ordinary night for the patrons and staff of the Borderline Bar and Grill in Thousand Oaks, California. Then a man walked in with a gun and started shooting. As of tonight, there are 13 dead. Among the dead is the accused gunman and a police officer who lost his life while trying to save the lives of those inside the bar.

 

According to news reports, the man who opened fire was a former marine who struggled with PTSD after leaving the military. Another news report states that some of the victims in this shooting survived the shooting in Las Vegas last year.

As with previous mass shooting, the same issues will arise: gun control and mental health.  How many more innocent lives will be taken before we do something? What will it take for the politicians to stop taking money from the NRA and listen to the citizens who want reasonable gun control?

I am not against the 2nd amendment. I never have been. If someone wants to buy a gun, I have no right to stop them. But when will come to our senses and realize that there is a way to respect the 2nd amendment while making sure that those who are not of sound mind cannot buy a firearm? What will it take to enact national legislation to ensure that background checks when it comes to purchasing guns?

When someone wants to drive, we don’t just hand them the keys to the car. We make sure that they are capable of driving. We give that person a license with the full knowledge that the license can be taken away if said person does not adhere to the rules of the road. If we can do this for drivers, why can’t we do this for those who want to own a fireman?

It’s another day in America and another mass shooting.

Throwback Thursday-Saving Silverman (2001)

Friends don’t let friends settle down with the wrong person. At least that is the hope.

In the 2001 film Saving Silverman, Darren (Jason Biggs) is engaged to Judith (Amanda Peet). Judith is controlling, mean-spirited and spiteful. Darren’s friends Wayne (Steve Zahn) and J.D. (Jack Black) have a plan to convince Darren to break up the engagement. This plan includes kidnapping Judith and reuniting Darren with Sandy (Amanda Detmer), his high school ex-girlfriend who is soon to become a nun. The question is, will the plan work?

Back in the early 2000’s, some in Hollywood though that the dumb buddy comedy genre would lead to success. Saving Silverman is one of those films. It tries to be funny, but it’s not. It also relies too heavily on stereotypes, especially the major female characters.

Do I recommend it? Not really.