Reraizure

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Is it my imagination or in the episode "reraizure" pretty much ignored ? The episode wasn't my favorite(I haven't seen Ether Drift Theory or Demiurge) but there really are not enough episodes to judge them harshly. It was one of the more easly understood episodes and wasn't too complex in the plot department but i'd still like to hear what others thought of it. Interpetation Please. -Tak Loufer - Resident of Bellona (has anyone read the book Dhalgren?... I've only met a handful who had)

-- Tak Loufer (Tak@loufer.bellona), August 18, 1998

Answers

I personally didn't like the episode as much either, partially because of the often poor quality of the drawings and sometimes the animation as well. I bet this is why some other people don't like it much either. But if you ignore that, it has some interesting aspects, especially those of us who (possibly misguidedly?) savor the details of the world of Aeon Flux at least as much as the story and character interaction. For one, we get to see a bit more of the Breen prison system. The wide green fields surrounding where Rorty lives are also a less-often seen part of the world, reminiscient of the fields in the distance in the mass cabbage eatery in "The Purge". I always love to see Aeon interacting with her naive boyfriends, and we see some of that in this episode (I love that picture Trevor shows Eamon in the beginning, of Aeon whispering into his ear). Also interesting are the pictures of Trevor and Aeon together, it's interesting to watch Aeon's reactions to them. Notice that whoever shot the arrow containing them into Aeon's apartment had to have done it from Sybil and Onan's apartment? Could it be Trevor that did it? (he does, after all, have the master key, as we see in "Thanatophobia".) The bizzare sexual situation between Aeon and Trevor on the platform is fun to watch for some reason (maybe I just love hearing Aeon scream out "Oh GOD!" :>). There's an awful lot of sexual stuff in this episode, thought at many points it seems to have been put in mainly for "fluff wierdness". The whole piston scene is too obvious a symbol, it seems trite. Also the whole platform crashing/grease gun/knife/rope thing seems too have been added in for a quick way to get Trevor out of the picture and to get Aeon and Rorty together for the next scene, it seems forced. Aeon seems to have gotten attached to Rorty far too quickly to justify Aeon's distress with the relationship in the end. It makes one wonder: what does Rorty have that none of Aeon's other boyfriends have had? He seems just as plain as the others to me, but for some reason he makes such an impression on her that an entire referrence to him comes up in "Chronophasia". Please excuse my ranting, but I got a sudden impulse to analyze this episode to the death, I could do it more but I won't for now. All in all, and interesting and disappointing episode. I'd say it's half wonderful and half horrible.

-- Mat Rebholz (matrebholz@yahoo.com), August 19, 1998.

Reraizure contains perhaps my favorite quote in all the Aeon Mythos - "I can smell Aeon now. Leather, Hazelnuts, Gunpowder ... SEX." It is a very sexual episode, involving lust, betrayal, bliss, and regret. I also thought the episode had some of the most interesting cycles in the series, barring Chronophasia. Aeon's two prison break-ins are fascinatingly parallel to each other. And that chase scene on the tightrope is unusual - it's a lot faster and not as lucid as the usual action sequences in Aeon Flux.

-- Charles Martin (charmaine@dfn.com), August 20, 1998.

Nice and simple one: Whoever fired the arrow was black. Was it Rorty? (Now there's a conspiracy for you!)

-- Philip Mills (philip.mills@cableinet.co.uk), August 21, 1998.

How do you know he was black? All we see is his hand, and it's gloved.

-- Mat Rebholz (matrebholz@yahoo.com), August 21, 1998.

I am eventualy going to wear my Aeon Flux tapes out. I took the liberty of checking the hand that shot the arrow. It was not gloved. One can quite clearly see the thumb nail, which would imply that the hand is that of a man(women?)of dark brown skin. The exact same as Rorty. I doubt it was him though(boy i'd have a hard time explaining that one:). Maybe Rorty is working for Trevor and faked amnesia at the end just to hurt Aeon(not only is that a far-fetched theory, its a stupid one[Or am I wrong?]). Any more thoughts?

-- Tak Loufer (TakLoufer@aol.com), August 22, 1998.


Whoops, could have sworn it was gloved, sorry. I noticed something while watching this again the other night. Could Trevor perhaps have an abusive personality (in the conventional sense, I mean)? Sure, he'll obliterate entire populations of his country men and such, but we don't usually see him being personally so aggressive with people. During the platform scene, in which he thinks he's talking to Muriel, he says, "What's wrong? Are you angry that I hit you? You know I couldn't help myself. Tell me you'll forgive me...". This sounds like someone in real life who beats his wife then appologizes, then does it again... Or is he perhaps referring to the fact that he had to keep up an image of dislike toward her in the prison, so no one would suspect their relationship?

-- Mat Rebholz (matrebholz@yahoo.com), August 22, 1998.

Trevor is the type of person who sees others as mere objects. These objects may be obsticals, tools, or toys. Muriel was a tool and a toy, but nothing more. Trevor probably hit her because he knew he could get away with it. Deep down inside, I believe, Trevor enjoys hurting others(phycologically or physically) because hes hurting inside. Maybe trevor is just a sad soul who's only desire is happiness(i.e-Serif Trev, Demiurge(which I haven't seen), Syble,ect). Any thoughts?

-- Tak Loufer (TakLoufer@aol.com), August 22, 1998.

I agree that this episode is inferior in some ways to most of the others. The animation isn't as good, and much of the character development isn't either. Example, what was said about Aeon falling for Rorty. Excuse me, but wsan't Rorty pretty much of a wanker? What did she see in him? There were also a couple of images in this one i really disliked. Like the shot of Aeon holding Rorty, as if for support, looking like she needed his arms wrapped around her to feel safe, a notion that seems diametrically opposed to Aeon's miliant independance. And, of course, the piston pumping shot. Such silly imagery is totally below the show.

-- alex (meat_machine@hotmail.com), November 10, 1998.

This was a good episode. The only thing that boggled my mind was that guy in the prision cell yelling "Feel my skin, FEEL MY SKIN!!" Was he just crazy or what?

-- Maria "Aeon" Flux (Dangerfemme@hotmail.com), February 03, 1999.

That's Ethan, the guy to whom Trevor fed the bliss pill at the beginning. He says "Peel my skin" in response to Aeon's 'dessert' reference (defined as "fruit and sweet meats").

-- Philip Mills (philip.mills@cableinet.co.uk), February 05, 1999.


His name was Amon, a Monican agent. He is next seen in the prison cell after Trevor force fed him the Bliss Pellet. He is then seen in the room with the laughing people and the Nargile. And he says, "feel my skin".

-- Plutar Circavus (karl.wolf@unisys.com), February 05, 1999.

Referee! Peel or feel?

-- Philip Mills (philip.mills@cableinet.co.uk), February 12, 1999.

I'm quite sure he says "Ripe fruit for picking! Ripe fruit for picking! Peel my skin, peel my skin!!" But I could be wrong.

-- Loquat (loquat999@aol.com), February 14, 1999.

i liked this episode for all the cool visuals: numerous Flux-style vehicles, environments, gadgets and situations ( so what if the story wasn't quite as puzzling or complex as the others? ). i also liked the visual repetition both times Fon went through the prison and came out at the front door of that appartment, and then went inside and looked around like it was her business - damn those two guys were blissed out! and what a typical zany-futuristic Chung-style form of entertainment they were ingaged in too, with that squeeling device! and when Fon and Trevor somehow have sex on the platform by exchanging air through their suits ( or something ) - pure Chung/Flux- style genius!

-- neobe 316 (neobe@kscable.com), December 03, 1999.

To me it always seemed like Aeon only got involved with Rorty out of guilt for killing his girlfriend. This action contradicts some of the other episodes, The Demiurge for example, where Aeon doesn't seem to care about the loved ones of the people she's killed. It's weird, because why should she have guilt at all? It was basically all the other girl's fault for stabbing her. Maybe I'm wrong about this.

-- Kiru Banzai (keelyrew@netscape.net), January 25, 2000.


I'm going with "peel". Note the "fruit ripe for picking" remark.

-- Frostbite (mbkrooks@bellsouth.net), January 25, 2000.

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