Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2014 4:44 pm
that's the bauty of threads like this..and forums such as this one...we can certainly wax our thoughts and opinions on any part of the show...Lhbizness wrote:Again, I don't find him particularly sympathetic in Hostage (or in Obsession, which is a similar story in terms of the leads' dynamics). Granted that he's largely kept out of the loop, he still behaves in what's basically a self-assured manner in attempting to arrest Steed and declining to give the man the benefit of the doubt - again, a man meant to be his friend and colleague. It's the fact that he automatically assumes that Steed is lying about Purdey, which shows that Gambit has a poor understanding of Steed's character, or at least rates Steed far lower as a human being.Timeless A-Peel wrote:Well, he's there to do a job by that point. He's been asked to bring Steed in. It's a hard thing for him to do. Being neutral/professional about it probably helps him cope. And really, I've never blamed him for getting annoyed when Steed brings up Purdey. At that point in time, it just sounds like a desperate attempt by Steed to get out of the arrest, and like he's using Gambit's affection for Purdey for his own ends. If someone tried to use someone I cared about as a way to get out of something, I'd be annoyed, too.
(Purdey's supposed to be on vacation at her mother's, btw, which is why it doesn't strike Gambit as odd that she's not around--she's not supposed to be in town. The last time he sees her she's just about to leave. That's why he checks with her mother to confirm Steed's story).
Anyway, I agree that Gambit is more "shoot first, ask questions later" in action stakes, but I think he's willing to listen to Steed when he's got a different approach. And he is more contemplative in the non-action things. Lots of his conversations with Purdey touch on all sorts of esoteric topics, and he always engages with her and gives her (often quite tangential) musings thought, rather than dismiss or ignore her. He's happy to learn new things from Steed. So I don't see him as narrow-minded. And he's always willing to help a friend out of a tight spot, often at great cost to himself, which I don't see as selfish. I'm struggling to see how his reaction to Purdey dying is selfish. He cares so much for her that he's willing to do anything to save/avenge her. If Gambit's sentiment is selfish, why isn't Steed's statement that he'd do the same? If Steed had voiced it first, and Gambit had said that he'd help him, would that make Steed selfish? It seems more selfish to me to automatically assume that Steed feels the as passionately about something/someone as he does, or would want to deal with it the same way (especially since what he'd plan to do would likely get him kicked out of his job or arrested or some such in the process).
Anyway, we're never going to agree on this, but heigh ho (as Emma would say). I think Gambit's a very selfless character, and reflective in his own way. Other than when he's kicking down doors.
His reaction to Purdey's possible death is self-involved in the sense that his first reaction is to consider what it means to him. He does not think about her, about Steed, about anyone except himself. He does not consider other people's emotions. In most of his interactions with Purdey, in fact, he seems to think more about himself and what she thinks of him than he does about anything else - she is important only insofar as she is important to him. So perhaps selfish is the wrong word - self-involved.
Gambit seems be constantly attempting to prove his masculinity, his capabilities, and his intellect against others - usually Steed, sometimes younger male agents. I don't really see much evidence of him being contemplative, nor helping a friend out of a tight spot at cost to himself.
Yeah, of course we're not going to agree, but I do enjoy the conversation.