Pros Ep Meme: The Ojuka Situation

[przed]

veronicaluv assigned me The Ojuka Situation. The episode is a personal favourite and I've no doubt seen it way too many times, so it was a special pleasure to do a commentary for it. And even after all this time, there were a few things I picked up on that I hadn't noticed before.


Doyle gives Bodie a look when Madame Ojuka is tweaking Cowley. Just one of many lovely shared looks in this episode. And can I just say that goofy though it is, I sort of love Bodie in the parka.


I love how they stand together, shoulder to shoulder, upon first meeting Ojuka. They're not looking at each other (yet) but their awareness of each other is tangible.


Doyle talking with Madame Ojuka. I love how he looks here. (Well, in the whole ep, really.) You can see a bit of the greying in his temples, his mouth is as fine as it gets and I have to admit to a bit of a fetish for his eyebrows. Yeah, that's right, his eyebrows. They're perfectly defined and incredibly expressive.


Bodie mulls over the "priapismic monster" comment, poor lad…


And Doyle is far too pleased with himself for making it.


Bodie just after Doyle's saved his bacon. I am rather fond of Bodie in gobsmacked mode. I can't help it.


And Doyle with his weapon still raised. I love this bit, the matter of fact way they approach how close death has just passed to them. (Bodie's simple "I reckon I owe you one"; the way Doyle's shoulders finally relax when he drops the gun.) And the looks between them are perfect. Oh, and then there's the fact that I have a serious kink for competence and I love the competence they both display with weapons here. Someone did a bang up job training Martin and Lew to look like they could shoot properly.


In the wake of cracking up the car, Doyle tweaks Bodie about losing his "insurance credibility." I just adore the look on Bodie's face, all upset and boyish.


Doyle comes up with the "Mr. Guppy story. Bodie just barely manages to cover his amusement. Makes you wonder how often they come up with outrageous cover stories just to crack each other up.


The clerk asks if they don't mind sharing a bath. Clearly Bodie doesn't. Check out the cheeky look on 'im.


Murphy! I have a not so secret soft spot for Murphy, and this is the episode responsible for it. Here he's interrogating the police officer and pathologist about the bodies our lads have left in the woods. He gets the maximum information out of them without telling them a damn thing, but he manages to be reasonably charming about it, and that's what I love about him. He doesn't go in ham-handed like some CI5 agents I could name, but handles things a bit more diplomatically. (In my private universe, it's Murphy who succeeds Cowley as controller of CI5.)


Murphy calms the fruit machine traveller down through relaxed application of blackmail. This is my absolute favourite Murphy scene. He doesn't threaten the bloke with physical violence (compare what Bodie and Doyle do with the cat burglar in Killer with a Long Arm) just with death by bureaucracy. Genius.


Bodie and Doyle have the "angelfish" conversation beloved of fans everywhere. But what I almost love more is Bodie's boyish glee over getting the scrambler to work and that "Good, innit?" he directs at Doyle.


Cowley tells Bodie that "John Avery at the home office has more interest in African finance that you have in air hostesses." Bodie looks miffed.


"Looks like you're guarding the tank on your own, Angelfish." Bodie looks so miserable to be leaving Doyle on his own. Awww.


Doyle plays cards with Ojuka. Doyle looks very fine here. (Pauses to admire those eyes, those lips…)


And Ojuka looks oh so pleased with himself. This is as good a time as any to point to another thing I enjoy about this episode: Clarke Peters as Ojuka. He's utterly perfect in the role, conveying an complete confidence that somehow manages to avoid coming across as arrogance. (Clarke Peters continues to impress me. He's nothing short of awesome in The Wire.)


Doyle opens the hotel door to Madame Ojuka very carefully. My competence kink comes into action here. Doyle looks so delicious holding that gun.


But he's not careful enough, and Avery's thugs get the drop on him. And he looks seriously pissed off about it.


Bodie on stakeout, "alone and palely loitering." Bodie's insolence in answering Cowley's call, with Keats yet, is a thing of beauty.


Doyle is manhandled out of the hotel, and h/c fans everywhere sigh. (That would include me, in case you weren't quite sure.)


Charles Dance, as the South African baddie Parker, smacks Doyle around. And Doyle goes all nice and snarly. Doyle's temper is just one of the things I love about him, especially when he's not smart about when he lets it flare.


Cowley tells Bodie that "we'll have no heroics on Doyle's behalf." Of course, we all know that Bodie's not going to let that stop him from rescuing Doyle, don't we. Just look at that thin-lipped expression.


Parker punches Doyle, and Doyle suffers beautifully. (Okay, is it bad that I'm admitting that out loud?)


And let's have a close-up of that suffering, shall we? (Do I have to point out what this could look like? No? I thought not.)


Bodie has already disobeyed Cowley's orders and gotten closer to Avery's house, and now he's waiting to move in like the hard man he is. I think what I like best about him here is the sense of leashed menace he exudes. Especially since we all know that it's Doyle he's concerned about.


Doyle takes his rescue into his own hands and burns the ropes holding him. And his wrists in the bargain. I may be a h/c fan, but I also like it when the bloke getting beaten up can look after himself, and Doyle can certainly do that.


"Bring him out, you bastards, bring him out." Bodie's menace has completely slipped the leash here, and it's a wonder to behold. I adore it when he acts all concerned about Doyle, and this is certainly a prime episode for that.


Parker comes in to kill Doyle, not realizing that Doyle has just freed himself. I love this shot, you can see Doyle calculating how he can take out Parker and realizing that he only has one chance to do it.


Doyle successfully takes out Parker, and isn't above gloating about it. For all Doyle's vaunted conscience, he's certainly not above surrendering to the violence within him, and that makes him ever so much more fascinating.


Doyle joins the fray. Have I mentioned how good he looks holding a gun?


Cowley gives Bodie a bollocking for disobeying orders. Bodie is unrepentant, and makes it clear that it was Doyle he was concerned about, not Ojuka. How can you be a Pros slash fan and not absolutely love this moment.


The battle over, Doyle allows himself an artistic little wince.


And Bodie is so buoyantly happy that Doyle's safe. Awww.


Bodie commiserates with Doyle over the burnt wrists. My only complaint, as with so many Pros episodes, is that there isn't nearly enough of the two of them dealing with the aftermath of what's happened to them.


Mind you, Doyle's final line is certainly interesting: "[Ojuka] wants to be careful who he gets tied up with in future." The line itself isn't anything special, but Doyle follows it up by giving Bodie a knowing little grin. Which is perfect, because we all know who Doyle's tied up with, don't we? Alas, the grin really only gets started on the fade out, so this capture isn't the best.

Comments

[runriggers.livejournal.com]

A woman after my own heart - regarding Murphy that is!! This is the episode where I first noticed him as well. He's Cowley's heir apparent in my stories as well!! Very competent, very low-key.

Great commentary

[msmoat.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes! It probably comes as no surprise to anyone that Ojuka is one of my favorite episodes. I thoroughly enjoyed going through it with you. (In fact,w we must watch it together sometime, where we can just, er, go over scenes again and again.... *g*) And I love it that you captured at least the start of that grin at the end. Sigh. I love the looks in this one, and the dialogue, and, oh, just everything you said. Thank you!

Yay!

[veronicaluv.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank you! I dearly love Ojuka and you've captured so many of my favorite parts!

Bodie and that parka - he never takes it off! The last time we did a Pros marathon I watched to make sure and he's never without it. Meanwhile, Ray gets to look quite natty in the ep.

They really are partners in this ep, in obvious and not so obvious ways. Ray's priapismic comment is just too cute and you're right, he amuses himself quite nicely with it. Meanwhile, poor Bodie is stuck in the cold car...

The shooting scene in the stairwell is one of my favorites. The way it's choreographed and the speed at which it unfolds, ending in them staring at each other - ooh, love it.

I remember the first time I saw the Guppy/Angelfish sequence and we had to rewind (back in the day) and watch it again and again. Bodie is just hilarious as Ray so earnestly messes with the poor girl. It was another example in this ep where I felt that the actor's chemistry had really melded with the characters, so effortlessly did it show on screen.

And here's our Murphy, looking quite gorgeous! I like your theory of Murph as Controller - he's cute as can be, but he's got a look, if you know what I mean *g*.

And the angelfish conversation - ah, bliss. But I quite agree, Bodie and his toy are a joy to watch. But then he's sent into the woods - thank goodness he's got that trusty parka!

Oh, and a major kink of mine? Shoulder holsters. Yum.

Bodie is so unhappy he has to quote a Romantic. Such style, our Bodie.

Oh, and you caught Ray baring his teeth. Not many people can carry that off, but Doyle is so upset over the girl's death, I think he'd love to get a little primal on Parker right then.

No heroics? Yeah, right. If Cowley wasn't worried about how close his top team had become by now, he was about to be enlightened.

(And the close-up of Doyle suffering? You are such a hussy *g* - I love that.)

You nailed it about Bodie's menace. He can be so silly and playful and pouty and all that, but there is that danger he always exudes. If he exhibits it for Doyle's sake, all the better.

"Bring him out, you bastards, bring him out." Bodie's menace has completely slipped the leash here, and it's a wonder to behold. I adore it when he acts all concerned about Doyle, and this is certainly a prime episode for that." - 'nuff said.

Bodie really doesn't give a damn about the wrath Cowley is sure to rain down on his head; in fact, he's quite belligerent and also quite clear what he believed the more valuable loss would've been had things gone badly.

And off they go together, igniting the imaginations of slash writers for years to come!

Thank you so much for doing this. Ojuka is in my top five favorite eps and you've done a lovely job reminding me why I love it so much.

[przed.livejournal.com]

Glad I'm not alone in my affection for Murphy. Or thinking that he'd make a bang up successor to Cowley. He's definitely got a low-key competence going for him.

[przed.livejournal.com]

It would be awesome to be in the same city and go through this episode together. Over and over again. *g* The looks in it are certainly prime. They're just so very together here, even when they're not. If you know what I mean.

Re: Yay!

[przed.livejournal.com]

So glad to hear I did the episode justice for you.

Given how often he gets stuck out in the cold, it's probably a good thing Bodie had that crazy parka. *g* (I have no idea why it works for him, but it really does. In a loopy sort of way.)

The stairwell attack really is perfectly choreographed, isn't it. It's got this massive burst of action at the start and then these long looks between them when it's over. Lovely stuff.

Murphy certainly does have a look, bless 'im.

Shoulder holsters! Shoulder holsters are a fine, fine thing. Especially on the lads.

I shan't deign to comment on the hussy remark, except to say: Guilty as charged! *g*

As for Bodie, it's the mix of playful and pouty and dangerous that makes him so fascinating. If he was just one or the other he wouldn't be nearly as interesting. But he can switch moods so quickly, and for such very interesting reasons (Doyle!) that it makes him irresistible.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Thank you, so nice to be reminded about Ojuka! And Doyle does suffer beautifully (*says it loud and proud*) and Bodie in the parka (all bundled up) does work (but I'm not sure why it shouldn't? What's up with the parka?!) and I very much like the Canadian version of "D'you mind sharing a bathroom", where's it's changed to "bath", cos that's a whole 'nother slashy thing over here (*g*) and just yeay! They are rather amusing each other too - like in Slush Fund actually, they're sort of focussed on each other, no matter what else is going on. Oh, and LC actually did win awards for shooting, and I gather MS's father was a gunsmith, so they probably both can actually shoot, which I bet is another reason they tend to look good and competent as our lads... *g* Excellent - cheers!

[schnuffi.livejournal.com]

Ah, what a great morning this is. First hot fic and now this. Ojuka is one my fav eps too. The lads both look great and the interaction between them is perfect. I so love it when Doyle's mean temper breaks through. That snarl *sigh* And Bodie out to save Doyle with a vengeance is just perfect. They are so perfectly in synch with each other here and totally relaxed and just themselves when together. Thanks for doing this. Enjoyed it a lot and those screen caps are fab!

[przed.livejournal.com]

Ojuka is a good one to be reminded about. They really are just all about each other for the whole ep. I did sort of know about LC winning awards for shooting, but reckoned it was post the series. Didn't know about MS's father, though. Very interesting.

As for "bath," it's not so much Canadian (it isn't) as what the gal on the hotel desk actually says. (Just ran the clip again to double check, though I was pretty careful with quotes first time 'round.)

[przed.livejournal.com]

Though they're certainly a lot of fun when there are sparks between them, I have to admit that I love the relaxed togetherness the lads have here.

Now I just have to find time to read the hot fic. Sigh.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

as what the gal on the hotel desk actually says
Lol - (and sarky! *g*) of course you're right, I was completely translating it to something else myself - because I'd just been reading something else *headdesk*! That'll teach me to comment without going away and re-watching lovely eps myself... And to comment on things requiring memory and the use of my brain first thing in the morning...

LC's shooting awards were from when he was a kid - I think about 12 years old? There's a picture of him at the time around somewhere... probably at OpLewC, but maybe at CI5Addict as well?

ETA - And ooh look, editable!

[przed.livejournal.com]

The thought of them sharing a bath, not a bathroom, gave me a few lovely mental images yesterday, I can tell you. (Mmmmm.)

Lew was shooting when he was 12? Wow, that I'd love to see a picture of that. The Mojos pic that just got posted was inspiring enough. I've been writing The Story That Wouldn't End (TM) following Bodie and Doyle from their teens to CI5 and it's nice to have an actual pic of what a youthful LC looked like.

Editable, yay!

[callistosh65.livejournal.com]

Excellent! I really enjoyed this. You clever thing, to do it with all those lovely screen shots too. I thoroughly enjoy this ep, for Bodie and his parka as much as anything. That 'angelfish' scene is priceless and like you, I love the school boy glee to Bodie sometimes.

Thanks for this!

[przed.livejournal.com]

I had a ton of fun doing the screen caps. All that looking for just the right frame made it even more fun to go through the episode.

And I'm happy to hear that I'm not the only one who likes the parka. *g*