SUDS

ONE

Nighttime in the neighborhood. (Why is Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker playing over the credits?)

Spongebob sleeps. A bubble forms above his head and we see his dream. It rains Krabby Patties. He runs around with his mouth open, happily eating.

TWO

When he wakes he’s chewing on his pillow. He needs a quick midnight snack. Gary, on a newspaper next to the bed, sleeps. Quietly, Spongebob goes into the kitchen and makes a sea-nut butter sandwich. He takes one bite and crashes onto the counter, asleep. The open refrigerator door starts to waft a cold, ghostly vibe.

THREE

Still nighttime outside the pineapple house. Dissolve to day, and now the house is iced and frozen. Ah, here comes the Nutcracker music again.

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CLARA CLAYTON, SEVEN

She has less of a role than some of the other repeat characters, but Clara makes an impact. We know Doc well; any woman he would love needs to impress us.

In order to match with Doc, she has to be a science nerd, and she is. It goes beyond a love of Jules Verne, though. Her telescope has an entire backstory, and she has a lifelong relationship with science. Well done.

She’s obviously brave. A lone woman schoolteacher sets off into the Wild West, arriving by train in a town where she knows no one. It’s easy to forget how risky such a move would be back then.

A practical woman who dares to adventure? Seven. It’s her clinical reactions that define her Enneagram. Doc breaks her heart, she’s leaving. New information tells her Doc loves her, she’s returning. Doc has a model train set with a piece labeled “time machine”, she believes him. Doc’s off to travel through time, she follows. She just does the next thing in front of her, no matter how unrealistic and ludicrous. That willingness is very Seven.

Episode 1, Part 1

ONE

The Somme, 1916. We’re with Matthew in the middle of war. Grit, explosions, trenches, and wounds. He’s some kind of officer with news that his unit will soon be relieved. He’s got a bit of leave coming, and he’d like to see a certain girl (unnamed). Downton, he says, seems like another world.

Roll credits.

TWO

Establishing shot of the Abbey. Anna leads the new maid through her duties, although the house is in disarray. A banner that says, “Help Our Hospital” hangs in the front room as Carson directs servants to remove the furniture.

William dresses Lord Grantham in his military uniform, but he doesn’t know the proper arrangement of of all the regalia. A bit of exposition as Robert tells William that he’s not back in the army (“they don’t want me”) but is basically in the Home Guard. Why is Bates gone to London? We don’t know yet.

Everything’s all a-bustle, with furniture carried in and out. O’Brien smokes alone in the yard.

Robert asks Carson if we’ve news of Bates. Ah, the funeral was last Monday. (Who died?) 

THREE

Joining Cora and Sybil at breakfast, Robert reads a letter: he’s back in the army proper as a Colonel. 

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SLEEPY TIME

ONE

Nighttime in Bikini Bottom. Spongebob takes off his shoes and socks, which come off as one unit. Beside the bed, Gary puts his eyes in the shoes and comes out with socks on his stalks. (Lol — that’s a rhyme I only caught after writing it.) Spongebob pulls up his covers and falls immediately to sleep.

TWO

Cloud thought-bubbles appear. Bikini Bottom is now a kind of chef-land, with Krabby Patty houses and spatula trees. Spongebob body parts assemble, and suddenly he’s dropped into a racing car/boat. A driver’s license, something Spongebob doesn’t have in his real life, pops into existence. While he’s busy admiring it the car drives by itself and goes through a “road ends” sign. Crash.

Ejected, Spongebob sails on, past the Krusty Krab and over a flying Mrs. Puff. Lol, she’s frowny. She rips up his dream driver’s license. Upset, Spongebob crashes through and out of his dream.

THREE

While real Spongebob sleeps, a little Dream Spongebob lands on the bed and looks at himself. Who’s the true Spongebob? While he ponders, a meow from Gary draws his attention. Asleep, Gary has a cloud bubble over his shell. Spongebob pops in.

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BIFF TANNEN, NULL

He’s our villain, or some version of his ancestral line is, throughout the trilogy. It’s only Old Biff in the second movie, the time traveler, who has any brains. Every other version of him is mean or subservient. Does he even have an Enneagram, or is he just a generic antagonist?

Actually, I think that’s our answer. Old Biff has a motivation: I want to change my destiny. He’s the only one who isn’t a cartoon. He has a fatherly patience with his younger self. Obviously he’s pretty smart. In just a few seconds he understands all the ramifications of time travel, as well as the motivations of Marty and Doc. That’s why he warns himself to look out for them in the future. A little too convenient? Do we believe that bully Biff can really become this wiser Biff? But then he leaves the almanac bag and his broken cane handle behind in the car, so how clever is he?

Nope, he’s still just a plot device. No Enneagram.

Mudd’s Women

Oh, no, hahaha! I’m screwed! Lol. Well, maybe this episode won’t be as cringe as I remember. And we can reference Austin Powers and his fembots as an homage. I’m sure I’ll be fine.

ONE

Captain’s Log. The Enterprise pursues an unidentified vessel. Trying to escape, it heads into an asteroid field where its engines overload and fail. Kirk decides to use their deflector screen to protect the other ship, even though Scotty warns him against it. Stand by transporter. Enterprise risks overloading its own engines.

Roll credits.

TWO

Power surge and the bridge goes dark for a second. One of our lithium crystals, Sulu says. Scotty can’t lock on to beam the other crew aboard. Zap — another dark surge. Uhura says, “We’re getting a distress signal.” In the transporter room Scotty, Bones, and Spock energize and watch.

Oh. Dear. Lord. Rakish hat, wide belt, puffy shirt, single earring, and van dyke moustache. Here he comes, transporting in. Cartoon music and a doubletake reaction from the crew. Oh, help. He even speaks with that terrible fake pirate Irish. In no rush, he’s affable while Spock and Scotty want to get on with it.

On the bridge, another lithium circuit zaps out. How many have transported aboard, Scotty? One, but we’ve locked onto three more. The transporter pads blink and surge. Meanwhile, on the bridge we see the vessel explode. Did you get the crew, Scotty?

Pause, and then they materialize. The woman on the left wears a bosom-enhancing dress, the one in the middle pivots away so we can get a booty view, and the one on the right wears only a poncho, legs bare, with gladiator sandals. They each give a little grind-wiggle while Fake Pirate watches the men. Easy there, Bones, lol. Ew, close-up of Miss Booty squinching her eyes at them. The framing does suggest that we should be suspicious, so there’s that.

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The Northern Air Temple

This is a tricky episode.

ONE

Our team listens to a tale told around a campfire. It’s about “airwalkers”, people who laugh at gravity. Aang loves this. It’s an air bender story! The bard passes around a hat for tips.

TWO

Aang mentions that this story describes events from a hundred years ago. Nope, just last week, the bard says.

THREE

Appa flies the team up to the Air Temple. As they fly, Sokka carves a piece of wood, although we don’t know what the sculpture is.

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MARTY McFLY, ONE

He’s not a rule-follower or particularly organized. We know this by the amount of school tardy slips he’s racked up. He’s not chivalrous; he leaves his unconscious beloved unattended on a porch swing in a dicey neighborhood. He’s a loyal friend and well-liked by strangers. He’s fairly athletic, riding multiple iterations of a skateboard with ease. If it weren’t for the tardy thing I’d call him a One. He has a certain can-do attitude and a love of adventure that might indicate a Seven. His ability to charm the past and come out a winner, and his hatred of being unfairly labeled a “chicken”, suggests a Three. So, what have we got?

He’s not interested in how Doc invents things. He doesn’t chime in or brainstorm, or even try to understand. Not a Seven.

Besides being a time traveler, Marty really has no vocational plan. What did he like to do before Doc intervened? Drive a 4×4 is about it. Not a Three.

He’s a man who needs a mission, and when it’s given to him — save the past to save the future — he’s engaged and active. The tardies are a sign he’s drifting, looking for that motivating moment to come from outside himself and change his life. One.

Episode 7

ONE

Housecleaning before the family returns from “the Season” in London. Hughes and Carson catch us up on William: He made it home in time to say goodbye to his mother. Gwen dashes in to tell them, “They’re here.”

July 1914. The murder of the Archduke is the main topic around the neighborhood. Okay, here comes the war.

TWO

As the family goes upstairs to change and “wash off the train” Hughes and Carson worry how they’ll tell them about Patmore, who’s worse. Also, is Bates leaving or not? His Lordship hasn’t decided yet because Bates won’t share any facts.

Now to Mary in London. She’s staying for a few weeks longer with Aunt Rosamund. They stroll the park (in fabulous clothes!) while Mary pretends the rumors about her are just stories. Will she marry Matthew? She’ll give her answer when she returns home.

O’Brien in the kitchen. She reads a note, and then asks Thomas to go out for a smoke with her.

THREE

Robert is surprised to see the doctor come from upstairs. Is Lady Grantham ill? Not exactly. (Cringe. I’ve dreaded this storyline.) Robert dashes upstairs. Cut to the bedroom as he says, “Pregnant!” The showrunners like to deliver momentous news with a jump cut, don’t they? He’s shocked but pleased.

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