"LOST" RETROSPECT: (2.14) "One of Them"

 

"LOST" RETROSPECT: (2.14) "One of Them"

I have a confession to make. There have been certain episodes from "LOST" that I had either ignored when they first aired or paid scant attention to them. In the case of the Season Two episode called (2.14) "One of Them".

I have a second confession to make. I had never bothered to watch "One of Them" for many years after it first aired. Even after I had purchased the Season Two DVD box set. I cannot explain what led me to ignore the episode for so long. Nor can I explain what led me to finally watch "One of Them" after so many years. But after my recent viewing of it, I now realize that I had wasted a lot of years avoiding it.

"One of Them" is a Sayid Jarrah-centric episode that focused on the character's past as an Iraqi soldier, the origins of his position as an interrogator/torturer and how it related to his time on the island. The episode began with Sayid's encounter with fellow Oceanic 815 survivor, Ana-Lucia Cortez, who informs him that she may have found one of the Others lurking in the jungle. The person in question turned out to be long-time castaway, the French-born Danielle Rousseau. Sayid learns from Danielle that she has captured a stranger in one of her traps. The man claims to be one Henry Gale, who had found himself stranded on the island with his wife, while they were traveling by hot air balloon. Danielle claims that the man is lying and shoots him in the shoulder with her crossbow, when he protests. Sayid takes "Gale" back to the Swan Station to be treated by the survivors' leader, Jack Shephard. While Jack and fellow survivor question the validity of "Gale's" story, Sayid takes matters into his hands by interrogating the stranger inside the station's armory.

The episode's flashback focused on Sayid's experiences as an Iraqi soldier toward the end of the First Gulf War. Sayid and his fellow soldiers are ordered to destroy documents by their commander, Tariq, when they are captured by a platoon of U.S. Army troops led by Sergeant Sam Austen, stepfather of survivor Kate Austen. The Americans are looking for a missing helicopter pilot and believe that Tariq knows the former's location. Sayid is manipulated by an Army intelligence officer named Inman to interrogate Tariq. At first, a loyal Sayid refuses to help Inman. But when the latter presents evidence that the Iraqi officer was responsible for subjecting Sarin gas to an Iraqi village - where some of Sayid's relations lived - Sayid becomes willing to interrogate his commander.

After my latest viewing of "One of Them", I must admit to feeling some regret that I had paid scant attention to it in the past. It is quite good. Let me rephrase my comment. Actually, it is a first-rate episode. I do not consider it to be one of my favorite episodes from Season Two, but I cannot deny that it is excellent. The episode featured another excellent portrayal of Sayid, whom I consider to be one of the series' more complex characters. The flashback gave viewers a peek into how he became a torturer in the first place. More importantly, "One of Them" moved the series' main narrative in a major way with the introduction of an important character - namely "Henry Gale".

As I watched Kevin Inman manipulate Sayid into interrogating his command officer, it occurred to me that one of the consistent aspects of the Iraqi's nature is that he can be manipulated into violating his own moral compass whenever someone he cares about is harmed or threatened. Kevin Inman managed to easily manipulate him into torturing Tariq, after revealing the latter's role in the deaths of some relatives. Also, Sayid's grief over Shannon's death made him willing to torture "Henry Gale" during the interrogation inside the Swan Station. I was also impressed - somewhat - at how cinematographer John S. Bartley and the visual effects team led by Kevin Blank re-created the last days of the First Gulf War in Iraq . . . despite the episode being shot in Hawaii. This episode also featured the continuing deterioration of Jack Shephard and John Locke's relationship, as the latter refused to cooperate with the former regarding the armory and Sayid's torture of "Gale". Although Locke called himself hoping that Sayid would learn the truth from "Gale", his reluctance to cooperate with Jack over the combination to the armory's lock.

But the one aspect of "One of Them" that stood apart for me, were the performances. Naveen Andrews gave an outstanding and intense performance, portraying Sayid during two periods of his life - as the hardened island survivor grieving over his dead lover and the young and wary Iraqi soldier, whose experiences with American soldiers changed his life. Another intense performance came from Mira Furlan, who continued her excellent portrayal of the tough, yet slightly off-kilter castaway, Danielle Rousseau. Both Matthew Fox and Terry O'Quinn were superb as usual as the castaways' two philosophical rivals - Jack Shephard and John Locke. The episode benefited from some first-rate performances from its guest stars - especially Clancy Brown as the quiet, yet ruthless military intelligence officer, Kevin Inman; and Marc Casabani as Sayid's arrogant commanding officer, Tariq. Michelle Rodriguez was not in the episode long enough for me to comment on her performance. But Michael Emerson was. "One of Them" featured his introduction as the elusive and manipulative stranger, "Henry Gale", who tries to convince Sayid and the other castaways that he is one, himself. Emerson's performance proved to be the first of many excellent ones for the series' remaining four-and-a-half seasons.

One would notice that I had not comment on Josh Holloway and Jorge Garcia's performances as castaways James "Sawyer" Ford and Hugo "Hurley" Reyes, who were featured in the episode's "B" plot. That is because I was far from impressed with this infantile subplot about Sawyer's determination to seek some island frog that was disturbing his peace. I could assume that the frog's noise represented Sawyer's guilt for the con job he had pulled on his fellow castaways in the previous episode, (2.13) "The Long Con". But honestly? The subplot seemed so irrelevant that I merely dismissed it.

Aside from a nothing "B" plot about Sawyer's search for a frog, I must say that I was more than impressed by the rest of "One of Them". It is a first-rate episode filled with suspense, tension, great characterizations and some excellent performances - especially from Naveen Andrews and Michael Emerson. More importantly, "One of Them" pushed the series' narrative in a major way that I found very satisfying.

"GREEN ZONE" (2010) Review

"GREEN ZONE" (2010) Review

Over three years ago, journalist Rajiv Chandrasekaran wrote a book about the early days after the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, the occupation and governance particularly of Baghdad and the search for weapons of mass destruction. Director Paul Greengrass and actor Matt Damon took ”Imperial Life in the Emerald City: Inside Iraq's Green Zone” and turned it into a political thriller about the clashing ideals of U.S. personnel on how to handle the occupation of Iraq. 

The story began with U.S. Army Warrant Officer Roy Miller’s search of a third location for weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) allegedly created by Saddam Hussein’s government. Upon arriving at this third location, Miller discovered no signs of mass destruction weapons being manufactured or stored . . . just as he had discovered at the two previous locations. During a debriefing at the American “Green Zone” (the location of the U.S. Coalition Provisional Authority in Baghdad), Miller announced his discoveries or lack of them and openly questioned the intelligence reports regarding the weapons. His comments earned the attention of the CIA’s Baghdad bureau chief, Martin Brown and Clark Poundstone, a Pentagon Special Intelligence official. The two men have different agendas regarding the U.S. occupation of Iraq. Brown wanted to utilize Saddam Hussein’s Army generals to help the U.S. keep the peace and prevent the country from succumbing to civil war. Poundstone, on the other hand, wanted nothing to do with the generals. Instead, he wanted them dead and to install a pro-American puppet named Ahmed Zubadi as Iraq’s new leader. When an Iraqui man named ‘Freddy’ informed Miller of the location of the Iraqi generals, the warrant officer not only found himself caught between Brown and Poundstone’s agendas, but those of other characters – including his own.

”GREEN ZONE” is not the best political thriller I have ever seen. But I must admit that it is a pretty damn good movie. What made this particular movie interesting is that nearly all of the major characters have their own agendas. Some managed to achieve their agendas. Some did not. And at least one managed to achieve his agenda, only to lose in the end. ”GREEN ZONE” turned out to be one of the most ambiguous stories I have seen in recent years. Ambiguous on a level that would surprise many. And I suspect that many moviegoers would have preferred if the supporting characters’ moral compass – especially those of the Iraqi characters - had been a little less murky. But Greengrass and screenwriter Brian Helgeland decided not to take that route. And I am glad. The supporting characters’ ambiguity not only forced the lead character, Roy Miller, to become a wiser man; but made the story more interesting to me.

In another review of ”GREEN ZONE”, I read a complaint that none of the main characters really developed. I would disagree . . . from a certain point of view. What happened to most of the main characters was that most found themselves forced to face the realities of their situations. They spent so much of their time pursuing a particular agenda, until they realized that what they had wanted or were fighting for was nothing more than an illusion. Not only did Miller come to this realization, but also the movie’s main antagonist, Clark Poundstone.

”GREEN ZONE” marked Matt Damon’s third collaboration with director Paul Greengrass. If anyone had expected U.S. Warrant Officer Roy Miller to be another Jason Bourne, they would end up disappointed. Damon’s Roy Miller was not some superspy trying to come to terms with his violent past. Miller was a well-trained and competent Army warrant officer (ranked below a commissioned officer and above a high ranking non-commissioned officer) who had naively believed the Bush Administration’s propaganda about Iraq’s mass destruction weapons program. Damon did a top-notch job in conveying Miller’s slow realization that not only had he been naïve regarding his country’s decision to invade Iraq, but also about Iraq’s political situation. By the movie’s end, his Miller was still a very competent Army warrant officer. But the character also became a wiser and slightly embittered man. As a side note, the Miller character was based upon Warrant Officer Richard (Monty) Gonzales, whose Mobile Exploitation Team was charged with finding the WMDs during the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Greg Kinnear was excellent as usual in his portrayal of the Pentagon Special Intelligence official, Clark Poundstone. His Poundstone seemed to have an air of a typical politician – charming, manipulative and very arrogant. Yet, these very traits blinded Poundstone from the true state of Iraqi politics. And Kinnear ably conveyed the official’s shock upon realizing that he had been very naïve. Brendan Gleeson’s character, CIA bureau chief Martin Brown, seemed like a different kettle of fish. Although both men were manipulative, Brown seemed more appraised of Iraq’s political situation and a lot more honest with Miller – a situation that would lead him to make the warrant officer an ally. And Gleeson did an excellent job in conveying Brown’s failure to consider the lengths Poundstone would go to achieve his goal.

The rest of the supporting cast also provided first-rate support – aside from one. Khalid Abdalla gave an emotional performance as ‘Freddy’, an Iraqi man who revealed the presence of Saddam’s generals and became Miller’s interpreter. His own personal agenda would prove to be the story’s wild card. Amy Ryan gave a complex performance as Lawrie Dayne, the journalist who realized that Poundstone had used her as a propaganda machine for the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Her character was based upon former New York Times reporter, Judith Miller. Ambiguity seemed to be the name of the game in Yigal Naor’s performance as the ruthless General Al-Rawi, the Iraqi general who eventually discovered that Poundstone had lied to him about utilizing the Iraqi Army to help the U.S. keep the peace. The one performance that struck a negative note to me belonged to Jason Isaacs, who portrayed Major Briggs, an unscrupulous Delta Force officer, who portrayed Poundstone’s personal thug. I am not accusing Isaacs of a bad performance. I have to lay the blame upon Brian Helgeland, who wrote the character as one-dimensional. I doubt that any actor as talented as Isaacs could have done anything with the role except portray him as written – a murderous, yet competent thug.

Production designer Dominic Watkins did a solid job in recapturing the chaos of those early months of the American presence in Iraq. The contrast between war-torn Baghdad and the resort-like atmosphere of ‘the Green Zone’ struck me as amazing. Do not ask me about John Powell’s score for the movie, because I found it unmemorable. However, I cannot say the same about Barry Ackroyd’s photography. For me, it brought back bad memories of the shaky cam style featured in previous Greengrass/Damon movies like ”THE BOURNE SUPREMACY” and ”THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM”. This particular cinematography style struck me as even more confusing in ”GREEN ZONE” This was especially apparent in the movie’s final action sequence. Just imagine the shaky cam photography and editing from the last two BOURNE films in a sequence shot at night and you might see how confused and dizzy I had felt from the experience. 

As I had stated earlier, I would never call ”GREEN ZONE” one of the best political thrillers or war movies I have seen. The movie possessed certain elements I did not care for – the cinematography, Christopher Rouse’s editing and the portrayal of Jason Isaacs’ character. But the movie did have an interesting and complex story. The rest of the cast gave first-rate performances, given the ambiguous roles written for them. In the end, both Paul Greengrass and Matt Damon did themselves proud.

"GREEN ZONE" (2010) Photo Gallery

Below are photos from the 2010 action thriller called "GREEN ZONE". Directed by Paul Greengrass, the movie stars Matt Damon, Greg Kinnear, Brendan Gleeson, Amy Ryan, Khalid Abdalla and Jason Isaacs: 


"GREEN ZONE" (2010) Photo Gallery

"IRON MAN" (2008) Review

"IRON MAN" (2008) Review

I had never heard of the Marvel comic book hero, Iron Man, until I saw the trailer for the 2008 movie, a few months before it first hit the movie theaters. Mind you, I had heard of Iron Man’s alter ego – Tony Stark. The latter’s name had been mentioned in several Internet articles written about Spider-Man. Which is why I could not summon any excitement when I saw the trailer for the movie, which starred Robert Downey, Jr. 

Until the release of 2000’s "X-MEN", I have never been that familiar with most of Marvel Comics’ costumed crime fighters – with the exception of Spider-Man, the Hulk and the Fantastic Four. I had spent a great deal of my recreational time with DC Comics characters like Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and Aquaman. Just about anyone could imagine my reaction when I learned that Robert Downey Jr. had been signed to portray Tony Stark aka Iron Man. I was not particularly thrilled. But I was impressed by the major cast of actors who had signed up for the film – Downey Jr., Gwenyth Paltrow, Terrence Howard and Jeff Bridges. All four performers have been favorites of mine over the years, along with director Jon Favreau. And since "IRON MAN" was a Marvel Comics film, I decided to give it a chance.

I might as well say it right now. "IRON MAN" immediately became one of my favorite movies of 2008. And if I must be honest, I still think it is one of the BEST superhero movies I have ever seen, hands down; although not in my top ten list. I would place "IRON MAN" in the same circle as "X-MEN 3: THE LAST STAND" (2006), "SPIDER-MAN 3" (2007), "THE DARK KNIGHT" (2008) and "THE DARK KNIGHT RISES" (2012). Yes, it is that good.

What would be the point of focusing upon the movie’s many virtues, when my previous statements pretty much said it all? But . . . I am going to try, anyway. And I would like to start with the excellent screenplay written by Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, Arthur Marcum and Matthew Hollaway. They managed to create a good, solid story focusing upon Iron Man’s origins. In an unusual move, the writers began the story with Tony Stark in Afghanistan in the company of an Army escort. Stark had just presented a demonstration of Stark Industries’ latest weapon – the Jericho missile. While Stark jokes around with his military escort, Afghan terrorist group called Ten Rings. At this point, the movie rewind back to thirty-six hours earlier before Stark’s departure from the States. This opening immediately conveyed to me that the movie might turn out to be ten times better than I had originally assumed. By the time Tony Stark uttered those last words - ”I’m Iron Man” - it proved me right.

There are two aspects of "IRON MAN" that truly made it a cinematic gem for me. One happened to be Jon Favreau’s direction. The other turned out to be the movie’s superb cast. And speaking of the cast, I might as well start with the man of the hour. What can I say about Robert Downey Jr.? He IS Tony Stark aka Iron Man. Downey now owns the role. I have never seen an actor take possession of a role so thoroughly since Daniel Day Lewis in "THERE WILL BE BLOOD", Daniel Craig’s debut as James Bond in "CASINO ROYALE" and Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow in the"PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN" trilogy. Downey is also the first actor or actress I have seen portray a comic book hero as a wiseass. And he also managed to produce sparks with not only his supporting cast, but also with an android and a computer voice.

Supporting Downey was Terrence Howard as USAF Lieutenant Colonel James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Air Force liaison to Stark Industries and personal friend of Tony Stark. Howard portrayed Rhodes as a stalwart military man who found Stark’s cavalier life both exasperating and enduring. I have never seen Howard do comedy . . . until this movie. And I was surprised to discover that his flair for comic timing seemed to match Downey’s. Some people have pointed out his role had been reduced. I cannot say that I agree. One, he had yet to become War Machine, Tony’s future armored crime fighting partner. However, his line - "Next time, baby" - as he glanced at the extra armor suit seemed to hint that he will play a bigger role in future movies. Unfortunately, he ended up being replaced by Don Cheadle and did not get to wear the War Machine suit. And two, Howard possessed such a strong on-screen presence that no one was bound to forget . . . no matter how many scenes he had. This was especially the case in one scene in which Howard's "Rhodey" seemed to be enjoying the flight to Afghanistan just a bit too much. 

When I first learned that Gwenyth Paltrow would be playing Stark’s personal assistant, Virginia "Pepper" Potts, I found myself wondering if her career was in a decline. Playing the main hero’s Girl Friday seemed like a step down – even from her role in "SKY CAPTAIN: WORLD OF TOMORROW". Fortunately, the script and Paltrow’s witty and elegant performance gave her the opportunity rise above the usual cliché of the Girl Friday role. Mind you, "Pepper" Potts never struck me as interesting as the charming and conniving Polly Perkins from "SKY CAPTAIN". But instead of becoming the "damsel-in-distress", Paltrow ended up helping Stark/Iron Man to defeat the main villain. Good show!

Speaking of villains, I must applaud Jeff Bridges for portraying one of the smoothest that I have seen on the silver screen – namely Tony Stark’s business partner and mentor Obadiah Stane. Not even Ian McDiarmid’s Palpatine from "STAR WARS" had possessed such subtlety when it came to evil. At first glance, Bridges did not seem the type who could effectively portray a villain. Then I recalled his performance in the 1985 thriller, "JAGGED EDGE”, in which he portrayed a similarly subtle villain. Being a skillful actor, Bridges managed to convey many aspects of Stane’s personality – a superficial warmth and intelligence that hid a murderous and manipulative streak. 

Another memorable villain was portrayed by actor Faran Tahir, who portrayed Raza, leader of the terrorist group – the Ten Rings – hired to kidnap Stark while the latter was in Afghanistan. Like Bridges, Tahir did an admirable in projecting villainy with suave, sophistication and a strong presence. In regard to a strong presence, I could say the same about Shaun Tolb, who portrayed Dr. Ho Yinsen, an Afghan surgeon and captive of the Ten Rings that saved Stark’s life. I have seen Talb portray some interesting characters over the years. But I must admit that his warm, yet firm portrayal of Yinsen made me realize that he possessed quite a commanding presence.

As I had earlier pointed out, the movie’s four screenwriters managed to produce a script that featured a very solid story. Unlike many other comic book movies, ”IRON MAN” seemed to be laced with a great deal of witty dialogue and humor. There were times when I wondered whether I was watching a superhero action film. But there was plenty of action-filled scenes to remind me that this movie was basically an adventure film – like Iron Man’s two encounters with the Ten Rings group in Afghanistan, his encounter with two USAF fighter planes and his showdown with Stane in downtown Los Angeles. Director Jon Farveau, along with the four screenwriters and cast, managed to bring together all of the action, humor and drama with perfect balance. Rounding out the cast of supporting actors was Clark Gregg, who made his first appearance as S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Phil Coulson. And he made quite an impact for such a low-key performance. For he is now starring in Marvel's television series, "AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.".

Earlier, I had stated that "IRON MAN" was a perfect movie. Perhaps I had been a bit premature. "IRON MAN" was not completely "perfect". I do have a few quibbles about the movie. One of them happened to be the first sequence in Afghanistan. I realize that the setting of Iron Man’s origins could not be in Vietnam. And it would make sense for the setting to be changed to either Iraq or Afghanistan. The problem is that most of the sequence featuring Stark’s captivity by the Ten Rings was boring as hell. It almost seemed to drag forever. And matters did not help much that most of this sequence was set inside a series of caves. Another problem I had with the movie was its score. Quite frankly, I found it unmemorable. But I am not surprised. I can only think of three comic book hero movies that had a score or theme song I found memorable. Unfortunately, "IRON MAN" is not one of them. And if I must be frank, the screenplay written by Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, Art Marcum and Matt Holloway did not quite strike me as original. Aside from the flashback in the movie's first twenty minutes, "IRON MAN" was a basic, paint-by-numbers costume hero origin tale. In the end, Downey Jr.'s performance elevated this film to something unique, not the screenplay.

But despite the first Afghanistan sequence and the movie’s score, it is easy to see why "IRON MAN" nearly became the summer movie of 2008 for me. With Jon Farveau in the director’s chair and Robert Downey Jr. as the leading man, the movie has become – at least in my eyes – one of the top five of its genre.

"IRON MAN" (2008) Photo Gallery

"IRON MAN" (2008) Photo Gallery

Here is a gallery of photos from "IRON MAN", the 2008 movie based on the Marvel comic book character. Directed by Jon Favreau, the movie starred Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark aka Iron Man: 

"FLASHMAN" (1969) Book Review

"FLASHMAN" (1969) Book Review

Forty-one years ago, an old literary character was re-introduced to many readers, thanks to a former Scottish journalist named George MacDonald Fraser. The author took a character from a famous Victorian novel and created a series of novels that placed said character in a series of historical events throughout the middle and second half of the 19th century. 

The 1857 novel, "TOM BROWN’S SCHOOLDAYS", told the story of a young English boy named Tom Brown and his experiences at the famous school, Rugby, during the 1830s. One of Tom’s travails focused on his abuse at the hands of an older student – a bully – named Flashman. However, Flashman got drunk at a local tavern and in the following morning was expelled by Rugby’s famous headmaster, Dr. Thomas Arnold. Fraser took the Flashman character, gave him a first name – Harry – and continued his story following the expulsion from Rugby in the 1969 novel, "FLASHMAN".

The beginning of the novel saw the seventeen year-old Harry Flashman trying to find a new profession following his expulsion from Rugby. Due to his father’s wealth and his maternal Uncle Bindley Paget’s social connections, Flashman found a position as a junior officer in one of Britain’s most elite Army regiments, the 11th Hussars aka the Cherrypickers. And thanks to his talent for toadying and projecting a sense of style (inherited from his aristocratic late mother), Flashman managed to win the support and favor of the regimental commander, the haughty James Thomas Brudenell, 7th Earl of Cardigan. Unfortunately, Flashman’s ideal life as a leisurely Army officer came to an end. His involvement with the French mistress of a fellow officer kicked off a series of events that led to Flashman being swept into the First Anglo-Afghan War (1839-1842). One of those events included seducing one Elspeth Morrison, the sixteen year-old daughter of a wealthy Scottish merchant. After being forced to marry her by her relations, Flashman was kicked out of the 11th Hussars and sent to India by Lord Cardigan, who regarded the marriage as a step down the social ladder for the usually favored young Army officer.

It was in Afghanistan that Flashman earned the nickname, “Bloody Lance” by taking credit for his servant’s killing of four Afghan attackers. There, he also met one Ilderim Khan, the son of a pro-British Afghan nobleman and became the latter’s lifelong friend and blood brother. This friendship would end up saving Flashman’s life during the Sepoy Rebellion in "FLASHMAN IN THE GREAT GAME". Flashman also managed to earn two deadly enemies – an Afghan warlord named Gul Shah and his mistress (later wife), a dancer named Narreeman. The source of the pair’s enmity toward Flashman originated with his rape of Narreeman.

More importantly, "FLASHMAN" allowed readers to view many important events of the First Anglo-Afghan War. Not only did Flashman meet many historical figues such as Lord Cardigan, Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, the Duke of Wellington, but also Alexander Burnes, Akbar Khan, William Macnaghten, Thomas Arnold, and the incompetent commander of the British Army in Afghanistan, General William Elphinstone. 

I must admit that my opinion of the novel has changed a great deal over the years. Originally, I held a low opinion of"FLASHMAN" for years, comparing it to the more epic-like sagas such as "FLASHMAN AT THE CHARGE" (1973),"FLASHMAN IN THE GREAT GAME" (1975), "FLASHMAN AND THE REDSKINS" (1982) and "FLASHMAN AND THE DRAGON" (1985). I still regard these four novels in a higher regard than "FLASHMAN". But I must admit that perhaps I had been a little unfair in my regard for the 1969 novel. It is actually a solid adventure story filled with historical interest, witty humor, sharp action and excellent pacing. Some fans of The Flashman Papers have expressed disgust or disenchantment with the Harry Flashman character portrayed in this novel. I suspect that a great deal of these negative opinions may have stemmed from Flashman’s rape of Narreeman. And I understand. However, many of these fans also complained about the young British officer’s crass style and manner – especially toward his father’s mistress, Judy. One has to remember that Harry Flashman aged from 17 to 20 years old in this story. He did convey some semblance of the style, common sense and instinct that would fool many people and serve him for years. But as an adolescent on the threshold of twenty, he had yet to learn some of the hard facts of life. As for his rough treatment and negative opinion of Judy, I suspect that his ego suffered a massive blow, when she rejected him, following a one-time bout under the sheets. A blow that he obviously had failed to recover from after six decades, while "writing" his memoirs.

"FLASHMAN" also had its share of interesting fictional characters. I have already mentioned the villainous Gul Shah and his mistress (later wife) Narreeman. I have also mentioned the young Afghan who became a close friend of Flashy’s, Ilderim Khan. But he had an even larger role in "FLASHMAN IN THE GREAT GAME". And as I had mentioned, Elspeth also appeared in the novel. However, her presence in the novel would not be truly felt, until the last chapter that featured Harry’s homecoming. Fraser barely explored her personality in the novel, but he did allow a peek into her promiscuous and self-absorbed nature in that last chapter. One particular character, Sergeant Hudson, proved to be a reliable source of defense for Flashman during the retreat from Kabul. During this event, Flashman experienced one of the most bizarre moments of his life, while being rejected by the young wife of an Army officer named Mrs. Betty Parker, whom he was trying to seduce:

"'What the devil' says I. 'What’s the matter?'

'Oh, you brute!' she hissed - for she had the sense to keep her voice down – 'you filthy, beastly brute! Get out of my tent at once! At once, d’you her?'

I could make nothing of this, and said so. 'What have I done? I was only being friendly. What are you acting so damned missish for?'

'Oh base!' says she. 'You . . . you . . .'

'Oh, come now,' says I. 'You’re in very high ropes, to be sure. You weren’t so proper when I squeezed you the other night.'

'Squeezed me?' says she, as though I had uttered some unmentionable word.

'Aye, squeezed. Like this.' And I reached over and, with a quick fumble in the dark, caught one of her breasts. To my amazement, she didn’t seem to mind.

'Oh, that!' she says. 'What an evil creature you are! You know that is nothing; all gentlemen do that, in affection. But you, you monstrous beast, presume on my friendship to try to . . . Oh, oh, I could die of shame!'

If I had not heard her I shouldn’t have believed it. God knows I have learned enough since of the inadequacies of education given to young Englishwomen, but this was incredible."

This last encounter with Mrs. Betty Parker struck me as a hilarious metaphor for the blindingly naïve morality that had began to encroach early Victorian society.

"FLASHMAN" also provided some interesting historical vignettes from the First Anglo-Afghan War. And young Flashman managed to witness or participate in a good number of them. The novel allowed him to be the sole surviving British witness to the murder of political officer, Sir Alexander Burnes and his younger brother, Charles. He also witnessed the murder of another political officer named Sir William Macnaghten, along with Last Stand at Gandamak and the Siege of Jalalabad. But Fraser’s pièce de résistance in "FLASHMAN" proved to be the disasterous Kabul retreat in which the British contingent under General Elphinstone were forced to march from Afghanistan to India in cold weather and dire circumstances:

"From other accounts of that frightful march that I have read – mostly Mackenzie’s and Lawrence’s and Lady Sale’s – I can fit a few of my recollections into their chronicle, but in the main it is just a terrible, bloody nightmare even now, more than sixty years after. Ice and blood and groans and death and despair, and the shrieks of dying men and women and the howling of the Ghazis and Gilzais. They rushed and struck, and rushed and struck again, mostly at the camp-followers, until it seemed there was a slashed brown body every yard of the way. The only place of safety was in the heart of Shelton’s main body, where the sepoys still kept some sort of order; I suggested to Elphy when we set off that I and my lancers should ride guard on the womenfolk, and he agreed at once. It was a wise move on my part, for the attacks on the flanks were now so frequent that the work we had been doing yesterday was become fatally dangerous. Mackenzie’s jezzailchis were cut to ribbons stemming the sorties."

Reading the above passage made me wonder about the wisdom of the current Western presence in Afghanistan. And there is nothing like a British military disaster to bring out the best of Fraser’s writing skulls. It proved to be the first of such passages in novels like "FLASHMAN IN THE GREAT GAME" and "FLASHMAN AND THE REDSKINS".

In the end, Fraser did a solid job in initiating what would proved to be The Flashman Papers in his first novel,"FLASHMAN". Granted, the novel’s first part set in England struck me as slightly rushed. And the Harry Flashman character seemed a bit crude in compare to his characterizations in the novels that followed. Like many other readers, I found his rape of the Narreeman character hard to stomach. But Fraser did an excellent job in re-creating early Victorian Britain, British India, Afghanistan and the First Anglo-Afghan War. In short, "FLASHMAN" turned out to be a solid start to an excellent series of historical novels.