KA Byrnes – Page 21 – Enneagram and Encaustic

TOM BRANSON, SEVEN

Chauffeur, socialist, Irish rebel. In the end he’s a reliable, beloved son-in-law who happily works for the Downton estate. What an arc!

He feels very strongly about things, and isn’t afraid to speak his mind. Part of his confrontational style is just writers stirring the pot and creating conflict, but it’s also baked into his character. When he becomes the backbone of the Crawley family, we believe it. All of his commitment has been redirected into loyalty to the people of Downton.

What number is this principled person? Well, he isn’t afraid to rock the boat or speak his mind. He can’t be intimidated. He’s as successful as a car mechanic as he is an estate manager.

Is Branson a Seven? He remakes himself more than once. His life is full of challenges: master the new automotive tech, woo an earl’s daughter, defy the family, raise a child, completely switch careers, and form a bond with the aristocracy. Sounds Seven-ish to me, lol.

But wait. It’s not his fault he was born a lowly Irishman. He rises and succeeds. Isn’t that Three-ish? His romance with Sybil has always been awkward to me. It feels very “author’s message” in that they’re supposed to be shipped, whether they fit together or not. What if they’re both Threes? That would explain why they seem forced as a couple.

Here’s why he’s a Seven, though: the other women. After Sybil passes, maids and revolutionaries are thrown in his path, tempting him. He’s just too nice to tell them to get lost. A Three wouldn’t put up with it. He would know how these women damage his reputation upstairs and downstairs, and he would stop them in their tracks. Sevens aren’t that ruthless, and they’re not that focused on presentation. Branson has too much sympathy for human foibles to be a Three. It’s not just the writers creating drama by making his character dither, lol. His spirit for adventure, regardless of cost, makes him a Seven.

Boy

Shepard reaches for the Citadel console, even though she sees no other button to press, and collapses before she can solve the problem. That’s when the floor panel she lies on rises up and ascends.

She’s lifted to a new area, and there he is. It’s Boy, limned as a transparent computer construct. He chastises her. He’s in charge, the one who directs the Reapers to harvest mature civilizations. It’s the only way to save organic life. Eventually every species will reach a point where synthetic life will threaten them. Before all organics are killed, the Catalyst — Boy — looses the Reapers. Mature species are processed to become new Reapers. Immature species are left alone to develop over the next 50,000 years.

(Talk about an exposition dump!)

SUSIE MYERSON, EIGHT

When I grow up I want to be Susie, lol. She’s such an Eight.

Although she doesn’t have a prominent bosom as a Woman Eight would, Alex Borstein leads with her torso and chin. Whatever the world is going to do to Susie, she’s gonna take it front and center. That’s great acting. Borstein knows Susie so well (and her character’s written so strongly) that she perfectly physicalizes her personality.

The way Susie befriends the men who’ve been hired to kill her is such an amazing sequence, and a great indicator of her Eight-ness. Eights are not intimidated by the unvarnished truth and will face unpleasantness head-on. They’ll also speak out, no matter the consequences. I mean, there it is! Watch Susie, watch an Eight. It’s a consistent, brilliant portrayal. Her lack of sentimentality, and yet her loyalty and deep feelings — again, textbook.

I’m cracking up thinking about her “job” as a plumber at the summer resort in the Catskills. She bullies and bullshits her way in, and maintains a ludicrous position until the lie becomes real. Employees scour the woods looking for her when they think she’s lost! Oh, my God, I’m dying as I remember it. Every Susie moment is perfection.

I could go on and on. (I won’t.) I had some difficulty with aspects of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, but Susie kept me coming back.

House of the Dragon

Should I even touch on this? I have no Story Enneagram of Episode One because I turned it off in disgust. I was only watching for pleasure, with no thought of writing about it, and the purview of this blog is not for me to rant with no structural issue worth discussing.

However, I’m horrified at the casual violence a showrunner would create surrounding a woman. I specifically refer to Aemma Arryn and her birth scene. And, no, I don’t mean a Cesarean section performed by Renaissance-equivalent maesters. Physical agony is a part of childbirth, and often a plot will take an extreme angle on it. (See A Quiet Place for an astonishingly honest look, deeply connected to character and story.)

LADY GRANTHAM, SEVEN

The genteel American with an abrasive mother, lol. Mostly I forget that Cora wasn’t born English. The aristocracy suits her.

She’s kind and easygoing. She does like to work, to get involved, and she’s good at it. Her role on the hospital board is a bone of contention in the family, but she’s insistent in a very mild way. Peace is important to her.

I want to say Nine, but that’s not possible. Robert is a Nine. Numbers don’t marry each other; it’s too much like marrying yourself. Also, Cora isn’t a Body Type. She doesn’t engage in the world physically. If anything, she’s social, although I can’t think of her showing envy.

She’s a Seven. It’s that calm effectualness. She has zero interest in drama. When trouble strikes, though — think of Mary and the Turkish diplomat — she gets the job done. (It’s possible that’s why she and O’Brien are a pair. They understand each other without trying.) Cora will go along, content to stay in the background, and then become super competent when the need arises. That’s quite Seven.

Assault on London

The galaxy throws everything at Earth as Shepard prepares to shuttle down to London. Before landing, Joker rises from his pilot’s chair and salutes us. It’s a pause in the story that feels like a key beat.

Then we’re on the ground. It’s a good battle that turns absolutely hellacious as we fire up missiles to take out the Reaper blocking the street ahead.

The Reapers are sending humans up to the Citadel via this conduit, a giant light beam. It’s our only way in, as the Citadel arms are closed.

Most of this is straightforward endgame. Teammates have tender goodbyes, fighting is at its most difficult, and the prospects are very grim. Shepard holds it together, encouraging soldiers that we’ll win, but this is a dark ruin of a future.

And then things get weird.

MIDGE MAISEL, ONE

Any comic who does live shows will be very quick-witted, very spontaneous. (Do all comedians fit into a certain Enneagram slot? Wow! There’s a thought!) Midge, however, has something more than a gift for stand-up: an impulse control problem. She should push the boundaries, of course. Like Lenny Bruce, she goes to jail for saying forbidden words. It’s more than that, though. She damages her career and her friendships by blurting out jokes that she regrets in hindsight.

Immediately I go to One. They are some of the funniest people and some of the quickest. A One is not afraid to shock. (How many professional comics are Ones or Eights, lol? They are the most willing to speak bald truth in a way that surprises and delights.) Is Midge an Eight? No, she’s not aggressive enough. Her weapon is her incredibly fast brain. Her best routines are when she riffs rather than when she goes with prepared notes.

Also, as Body Types, Ones can cultivate an unhealthy obsession with their physical shape. When Midge measures her thigh circumference, it’s creepy. It’s supposed to be. In the show it represents her focus on being the “perfect little wife” trope, including her nighttime cold cream and curlers that she hides from her husband. She breaks free from these restrictions, which is the point. But, lol, it’s also a One indicator.

However, a One will not necessarily sabotage their own professional life with loose lips. That trait belongs solely to Midge. It’s her fatal flaw. It bugs me, actually, that she doesn’t seem to learn from her mistakes and adapt her behavior. A One is extremely competent. I would like to see Midge in future seasons get a handle on her carelessness. It would help her to have an Enneagram character that rings true. And it would help me to not curse at the TV. Heh.

LORD GRANTHAM, NINE

My first instinct is that Robert is a Nine. He likes to keep the peace and avoid conflict. He also tries to be a fair manager of his household staff and his tenants. Every now and then he’ll go off, but mostly he likes it calm. Isis the dog is one of his coping mechanisms, and his ulcer is a sign that he doesn’t always succeed.

He kind of snaps into place, doesn’t he? I suppose he could possibly be a Two. All of the above traits could also fit. I’m going to say no, though. He attends and gives parties without a social person’s joy. His attitude is more one of duty. A Nine is always a good host, hoping to put people at ease and give them a good time. He’s also the only other family member who rides with the hunt.

Daughters who are an Eight, a Two, and a Three align with a Nine father, as well. Now I wonder about Cora!

The Third Dream and The Catalyst

Chasing after Kai Leng and the Illusive Man, Shepard finds Sanctuary, a world devoted to taking refugees. However, it’s a false front. Cerberus is using the humans for experiments on Reaper indoctrination, turning people into husks. Miranda’s father leads the research. He does discover a way to reverse engineer the process, so that he thinks he can command Reapers. Kai Leng escapes with the data and returns to the Illusive Man. Because Miranda’s planted a tracker on Leng, he leads Shepard and the Alliance to Cerberus’ doorstep.

Admiral Hackett goes for a final check-in: once the fleet makes a move on the Illusive Man, the Reapers will become aware. The Crucible is ready except for the Catalyst. Everyone hopes that the Illusive Man knows what it is and how to implement it. Otherwise, humanity battles Reapers over Earth as, probably, a last stand. Shepard gives the go-ahead.

Immediately, we’re back in the molasses realm, chasing that Boy.

Shepard in armor watches as Boy runs into the arms of Shepard in casual wear. They all gaze at each other. Shepard awakens in bed wearing her underwear. (This is the point where Shepard becomes intimate with anyone she romanced. I just couldn’t work up the energy to care, although I’ve pursued all the options in the past.)

And then we’re on Cronos Station, the Illusive Man’s base.

It’s a straightforward fight into the center to recover the Prothean VI. Along the way we see the giant skeleton Reaper from the Collector base. Apparently the Illusive Man retrieved it. It’s just hanging there in tatters.

No Apologies

For the first time Reacher has disappointed me. I don’t know if I’ve ever written a breakdown for a show with nothing, not even a nod, to an Enneagram framework.

LEFTOVER NINE

This time we have a small skip. The trio is in the car, listening to a news broadcast. All three look upset, and Finlay, driving, speaks first. “We shouldn’t have left her.”

They fear crooked cops, even at the state level, or being blamed for Molly Beth’s death. The disrespect of leaving her body behind, though, weighs on them.

ONE

As they continue to drive, Reacher notices they’re passing the yard with the picket fence. The dog is down, injured. Finlay pulls over and hops out while Reacher clears the fence. Coming in through the gate, Finlay has had enough. He unchains the dog, prepared to take it. When the owner storms out, Reacher nails him in the nose. Roscoe, lol, has no idea what’s happening. The dog, its neck bleeding a little, sits in the back seat with Reacher as they take it to a safe shelter.

Reacher borrows another car from the Hubble’s garage.

Roll credits.