Lockdown notes & impressions from a newb

[Tenn]

Spoilers for all six parts ahead, natch. And that goes across all sections of notes here -- part 1 notes have spoilers for part 6, etc.

So like I said in my introduction post, I just recently listened through Lockdown without having listened to any other WA episodes -- and I've been dying to talk to someone about it, even if it's just to re-hash what y'all have already been over. Accordingly... here are some notes made during and after listen #2.5.

Part 1

SPOILER 

-First 15 min or so were really confusing on the first listen, mostly because I had no idea what was going on to begin with and this wasn’t exactly a gradual introduction (got the gist, though). I just figured it was one of those stories that throws you into the deep end of the pool on the first day. Nothing against that.
-I don’t know who the gruff voice guy is, but his voice is downright comedic.
10:00 weirdest way to handle disclosure of rape I’ve ever encountered
-All the “bunch of a-hole convicts” talk and automatic judgement of Simon on that basis once they learn of his ID braclet raised my hackles enough to actually bias me in his favor at this point. Probably not what was intended? But I’m a contrarian reader/listener when it comes to these things… In the same vein, I noticed right off that Simeon’s voice acting was styled in a way usually given to bad/dislikeable characters, which I *should* have taken as a clue, but instead it just made me want to like him out of spite. *Plus* I didn’t like how he was treated about his status as a rape victim, making me want to see him vindicated… and I do have a tendency to fall into narrator bias (getting automatically sympathetic to whoever’s telling the story)… Finding out that he’s actually a slimeball hit me hard, is what I’m saying.
13:00 geez these are some callous people.
16:50 around here there’s a little laugh I didn’t catch before -- I haven’t been able to quite make out the voices, but on another listen, I wanna suspect it was a conversation between CJ and Jeremy because of the way that laugh sounded
-Simeon’s being awfully chatty and casual considering the circumstances. Kinda weirded me out at first. I’d expect him to be more nervous, at least.
18:15 “The rules aren’t just for you. They apply to anyone living here.” Turns out to be more relevant than I expected!
-Simeon’s awfully evasive about how he escaped. On first listen I assumed that was just because it’s a long story -- and, like he says, he didn’t want to relive it.
20:10 “You don’t have anything to fear from the weak little man before you.” THIS line definitely sounded fishy right off the bat. Men don’t talk about themselves like that, they just don’t, unless they’re angling to gain something.
20:30 Simeon’s laugh after she says “We’ve heard it all” is great.
21:00 “I just don’t want to relive it again” Yeah, I don’t blame you.
-The audio design and production in this are so great
24:20 “Seems like a pretty mild bunch, not like the last group” “Good! I need a quiet day for once.” Ohh boy.
25:25 “Inmate, why aren’t you in chains?” “I’m a trustee, I’m supposed to help with the lunches for the bus.” Hello everyone, may I introduce you to my favorite character? …Also can someone people tell me what these men’s accents are? I’m from Texas and I can’t pin this down any more specific than “north of here.”
26:10 this underwear tag exchange sounds like something out of high school. And I mean that in a good way, because when you’ve got chatter between people in an unwilling power disparity it makes sense to me that it would sound like this.
27:20 “Danielle, is it?” “Mind your own business, inmate.” Chuck tries the same thing that Jeremy is later more successful at -- getting friendly with Dani.
28:40 “Yeah, we’ve been in here together for the last two hours… Just TRY shutting Chuck up. And look out for Bogart. He’ll try to recruit ya.” <-- Jeremy acting like it’s the other two he’s annoyed by, when really, the person in there he hates most is Simeon
29:10 “One man’s religion is a wiser man’s cult” That’s a dark line in light of what’s later said about The Families (“like a religion to some”)
29:50 I love Jeremy’s voice acting
30:55 “I actually liked that one, Bogart.” FIGURES it’d be the one that includes, “judge, jury, executioner,” doesn’t it?
32:26 “Easy, Chuck. It’s not worth it.” Interesting Jeremy defending Simeon from Chuck… so as to save him for himself for later?
33:20 “Easy, Chuck. Give him a break!” Again??
33:44 “I’m doing what, now?” I missed this line on the first listen and when I caught it it cracked me up.
34:50 “And -- welcome!” “You trying to be funny?” Just noting this one down because basically Jeremy’s every interaction with the guards is fascinating to me. Mark does NOT like him, lol.
-Great atmosphere change with Fredo entering the holding cell
38:45 Jeremy’s disdain for “a low-level gang… buncha thugs…” is kinda hilarious; he clearly considers his gang on a higher-level; also hilarious how he’s totally unconcerned about Chuck and Bo warning him, “you say that now” “yeah, watch me” -- it’s almost rare for him to be this genuine about anything
39:10 “Bullshet” -- At first I just thought Jeremy was a general grouser/disbeliever, but turns out he knows it’s not true beceause he’s actually one of them -- “They wouldn’t hire a two-bit thug like Fredo” HE’S SO OFFENDED bahahahaha
40:00 “I met one once, in here no less” “You did not” LOL “He got a name?” I didn’t realize it at first, but this is Jeremy trying to fish out who was sharing their secrets, spilling the beans. I should have caught on to his fixation on the question.
40:17 “It’s almost a religion to some of them” AHEM, JEREMY
40:27 (Chuck making claims about Family rules) “Ah now I KNOW you’re full of shit”
40:46 “Can’t remember the name of the guy who told you, but… you can remember all that.”
41:08 “You never heard of them because they know what they’re doing, and they don’t like to show off,” which is WHY JEREMY’S MAD you’re even talking about them, hence “but somebody just so happened to talk about it to you? The guy with the biggest mouth?”
41:26 “The guards would have taken that away!” (about a Family ring). So then how does Jeremy still have his? “Snuck it in”?
-Ink’s music is so great
44:10 “At the end of the day, sometimes crazy’s the best chance you have to get out of here” Is it though? Is it?
46:17 “D’oh -- shit. I’m sittin’!” (lol)
47:15 “I thought I was gonna help with the lunches.” “I already took care of it.” Makes me wonder if part of Jeremy’s plan was to meddle with the food, or if he was just making another appeal to his role in the system here.
49:00 First the officer sent to get Austin from solidary, then the guy running out of printing supplies… interesting ways to get characters out of the way writing-wise so they’ll be down to fewer people during the lockdown.
49:19 Jeremy saying “Don’t listen to him” meaning Chuck, about Fredo getting out. Still mad about the family beans, Jeremy?

Part 2

SPOILER 

2:00 Jeremy asking Fredo to stop looking at Jody for her
-Really curious for exact translations of all the Spanish in this. I can get some of it but not all.
3:10 “They don’t give a shit” Yeah…
3:20 Jeremy asking Fredo to stop again, trying to do Jody a favor
5:15 “She goes in here, YOU’RE gonna clean it up!” Jody acts embarassed that he would yell that out, but -- “You want results or not?” That bit’s pretty emblematic of Jeremy’s whole personality I thought, very pragmatic and all.
7:00 “I’m a trustee. Can’t you just take ‘em off?” “Not while she’s in here.” “Den… take her out!” Jeremy is hands-down the funniest character in this mess.
10:40 “You know what’ll happen to you when someone finds out?” (about how they’re being mistreated). On first listen I though thought he was talking about official authorities here… maybe not after all.
-Note about Jeremy at this point: my initial impression of him was informed by his regular complaining about the heat, the talk, the cuffs, the way he drawls c’mooooonn, that sort of thing -- he seems casual, a talker, so I supposed maybe he was a con man or was committed for some kind of crime involving fast talk. Didn’t have him figured for someone violent.
13:55 “NONE of this follows the rules!” He’s so entitled? What do you expect, man? He’s got to know by now that prisons don’t always adhere to their rules… Anyway, this turns right into angling for information (something more demonstrative of his bargaining character than the pragmatism I noted earlier): “If you’re gonna expect us to put up with this, at least tell us WHY.”
15:20 “HELP HIM!” -- Jeremy to Jody about helping the cops with the drunk. Note that he doesn’t even give her a reason for *why* she should help. I think that’s because it’s part of his overall pattern -- he ingratiates people to him in case it may prove useful to him down the line (figured that’d have been part of how he became a trustee).
16:17 “Inmate, back up against the wall!” “Please. Like I’d do something now? I coulda shut the door and locked you in there with that nutball.” “WHY didn’t you?” “Sorta takes the trust outta trustee, don’t it? Here’s your keys back.” This is absolutely one of my favorite scenes, possibly THE best scene. I’m a sucker for the “if I wanted you dead, you’d be dead” trope. So glad it features here.
-This good cop/bad cop schtick with Dani and Mark is so cheesy but it works
-Man this music…
21:12 “Oh well. Nice chatting with you two. If you wouldn’t mind leaving -- and shutting the door on your way out.” Funny and also an interesting contrast to earlier, when he was trying to get them to stop and talk to him
21:22 “Might as well take Jeremy with you too, just to be safe.” “I just kicked ‘im! You want-- you want my shoe? Take it!” What does that have to do with anything, man?
24:05 “Wanna get the light?” “What about the others sleeping?” “Who cares?” I think this may be the first real sign of callousness from Simeon.
29:26 “I’d try anything. Hell, even Fredo would!” “No digas mi nombre.” (Don’t say my name)
38:45 “Gracias.” “No problem.” I’m not sure what this part is actually about…? Is this because Jeremy shoved the drunk as he was charging Fredo? I didn’t even recogize that as anything the first time around.
44:10 “Come to play with the low-lifes, huh?” Jeremy being self-depreciating
44:40 “Mark tends to bring out the best in people….” “One hand in, you’re already one of us.” He’s appealing to a commonality between them as a joke, being friendly… but of course he knows she’s not “one of us,” she’s a cop, disparaging Mark doesn’t change that -- he’s just angling for bond creation, like he always is.
45:05 Jeremy calls Dani Dani and then interrupts himself with “Uh-- Do you mind if I call you that?” So now he’s being very polite, very mindful of the disparity between them, entirely despite what he just said about her being “one of us.” Of course that was never serious but I think this just goes to highlight that. Also note that this attempt at getting familiar with Dani goes a lot better than Chuck’s attempt in front of Mark.

Part 3

SPOILER 

8:33 “Yeah, well, the friendlier ones are the ones you gotta watch. They’re gonna say or do anything to get what they want.” Gavin is talking about people like Jeremy here… which is a shame because Jeremy isn’t even the one they should have worried about.
12:07 “We can’t trust you.” “Seems like you already have. I helped you. Twice. I might’ve saved your life, and -- you’ve got tazers and stuff. What are you afraid of? What’s the bigger threat right now?” Still rolling those diplomacy checks…
12:35 “And, if you want, we can police our own. Chuck! I swear if you try anything again like that in the office, I will kick your fucking teeth in. See? We’re good!” LMAO what a scumbag
26:20 “When you put it like that, how can we not go?” Oh Chuck, this is going to be the death of you… so it’s really creepy that you agreed to it with those words.
26:30 “A deputy is asking you to make some weapons.” God she sounds like she’s grinning so hard at this part.
29:20 “Eh don’t sweat it -- you get out there, blood pumping, adrenaline going… you might surprise yourself” Optimistic upbeat motivational speaker Jeremy Andrews acts undaunted about fighting zombies to foster morale.
29:40 “Yeahhh I’m just fucking with you, relax.” (TMNT conversation) This part is beautiful and I can’t tell if Jeremy is trying not to be charmed by his target being impressed with his flail and talking about TMNT or if all this is his casual way of taking a dig at someone he’s trying not to show how much he *hates*
31:40 “Chuck, man, why you gotta goad him like that?” Chuck’s got quite the opposite strategy to Jeremy when it comes to the cops -- “Well like it or not, we need him.”
32:00 “Stick by me, okay? You’ll be fine.” Awwww Jeremy says he’ll take care of Bo
33:17 “Alright, focus, just… remember what I showed you.” “You didn’t show ME anything!” lol Simeon, Jeremy doesn’t care about you.
39:45 “Come on, NOW? You have to try it NOW?” Yeah guys, geez….
40:10 you don’t need to have this fight right at this second, seriously
-Chuck
-It’s tragic, really, because he shouldn’t have even been there. By his own account he should have been out of jail by now.
44:05 “Augh, fuck this -- I don’t have time to inspire you man. Just get on your FEET.” This is actually really touching?
46:20 “You okay, Bo?” “I can’t stop shaking.” “Yeah, deep breaths, okay? Slowly.” Aw I think Jeremy is telling the truth about liking him (later when they get stuck, I mean). Papa mobster Jeremy.
-Glad to be rid of Mark tbh

Part 4

SPOILER 

-What was that garbled sound effect in the beginning?
2:40 “Anyone mad at me for doing that? Huh? …Just wanted to check. The consensus was to kill ‘im, right? Huh? Yeah? Okay. Just checkin’.” That is, checking for group perception after he killed Mark, very unlike the situation right after Mark killed Chuck. Jeremy wants to address any potential resentment right out of the gate and makes sure he still has base group approval.
6:30 “They both sort of brought it on themselves, and now… we don’t have as much bullshit to deal with.” “Show some respect!” “Sorry, that was harsh” He’s so responsive to feedback lol
6:40 “Dani, you okay with Jody using the cell in any way possible? You know, legal or… otherwise?” Here he’s back to checking again, getting permission, making her feel like she has the control. This also comes clearly right after he overstepped his own bounds by insulting Mark in front of Dani.
12:40 “It’d probably be Simeon -- no offense, but you seem most expendable” lol so with this part, either Jeremy is finally tipping his hand, or Simeon had picked up on the fact that Jeremy didn’t like him and is inserting this into the story
14:50 “Mwhaaa” Jeremy what even WAS that sound you just made
14:55 “You beat me every time!” “Because you always go for the quick wins! Slow it down, play the long game. It’s the last cards that matter.” The first time I heard this I knew it was a good summation of Jeremy’s character in general. I didn’t realize it would come back for a meaningful echo when it’s already so clearly indicative as it is.
15:10 Jeremy changing his mind and wanting to play again after Jody joins haaaaaahahaha
17:50 It’s hilarious that it took this long for them to get to the “What are you in for?” segment
18:16 “I think we’re all past that” (Jeremy on the inmates/officers divide) lol BS. I think he’s still playing Dani here, trying to minimize their differences for what it’ll gain him in the future.
-Interesting how… each inmate’s story gets a little musical theme? Am I hearing that right?
-Also interesting how Jeremy is pressing Simeon to tell his story, all of it, like he doesn’t already know… Wants to hear his side of it I guess? Just like he wants at the end?
21:00 “Man, that sucks” (Bo) “Yes, yes it does…” (Jeremy) JEREMY stop being so ominous my dude, oh my god this is so obvious now looking back on it…
23:00 good inclusion here, Jody has a point about wanting to know the men’s crimes
24:00 The way Jeremy is talking here, and with the music, makes it sound like everyone is staring at him now -- which seems weird since what he did doesn’t seem all that dramatically worse than what anyone else has done. Anyway, sounds like he’s getting super defensive and concerned about maintaining his trustworthy rep -- this might be the first point shown where his trustworthiness (as an individual, not just as part of the inmate group) really comes into question. And he’s able to pretty well minimize it by appealing to the fact that the rest are criminals too, we’ve all done things we regret, etc.
-I’ll note again I was surprised on first listen that his charges weren’t about running a con or something because this man has an obvious knack for manipulation.
24:23 “Do I seem like a person who would just attack someone? For no reason?” still anglin’
24:30 I was expecting to find out what was stolen in this story. Haven’t inferred this one… Guessing it was the ring?
25:55 “You really think so.” lol Jeremy is STILL indignant that people think Fredo is Family
26:45 “He may not be dangerous in here when he needs us, but the minute he steps outside, whole different story.” Simeon talking about Fredo… may as well be talking about himself
-This music is so well done
44:25 Overheard guard conversation -- I wonder how much this played a role in what Simeon decides to do later; ironic that Gavin is the most paranoid but is the first guard to be killed by one of the inmates

Part 5

SPOILER 

2:06 “You sure it’s a he?” Good on you, Jody
6:00 Jeremy volunteering and asking for one other person to come with
7:00 awfully upbeat in retrospect considering his plan just got busted, geez this guy is good at playing the game
9:40 I’m glad the cellphone turned out to be useful after all
15:50 “You return alone” Initially interpretted this as meaning Jeremy intended to ditch the group (and not go back for anyone)
18:18 “Deep breaths. Focus on me.” Jeremy still coaching Bo, aww
26:00 (( I got really sad and almost quit around this part
29:43 “So we’re just gonna leave them? Just like that?” Interesting that it’s Simeon who says this. Reeeeaaally interesting.
46:55 “Cry me a river, right?” wow Simeon that was really callous, what the heck
47:05 “If it makes you feel any better I would’ve picked you anyway” LIAR
47:22 “Long list of girls I would have rather have gotten stuck with…” Technically here he’s talking about the end result (getting stuck) but it kind of works as a second layer of cover over his original plan to take Simeon
47:43 “You do enough bad in your life, you need to… balance it out a little bit.”
48:15 Thank God for Jody bc otherwise I would have died with these boys
49:20 “I knew a while ago… but something changed.” Is what changed that Jody realized Jeremy had intended to make a “one way trip” and sacrifice himself for them?
52:00 “What can you say to that?” <-- an amazing thing for Jeremy to be saying at all ever

Part 6

SPOILER 

6:30 I can’t believe this leads to a whole section on licking your nose.
15:00 Gavin, you rat.
15:20 Fredoooo
16:50 This part about killed me. I hate it when almost every character gets killed off and I feel like I got emotionally invested for nothing.
18:00 geez, that change in the sound, that really does something there
20:58 I RECOGNIZED THAT VOICE IMMEDIATELY AND I DON’T UNDERSTAND HOW SIMEON DIDN’T. I WAS SO GLAD TO HAVE HIM BACK BUT SO CONFUSED ABOUT HOW HE WAS ACTING. Also “Somehow that doesn’t surprise me” -- what a BURN
22:40 This really threw me off. I didn’t expect Simeon to betray or kill anyone. Pretty disappointing actually to have this be the way the rape victim character turns out.
23:20 Interesting how Jeremy is trying to motivate him all while intending to kill him anyway, still playing the game. Also, on first listen, it struck me hard hearing him talk like this all openly aggressive and angry and dark with Simeon -- we’d heard him annoyed and cranky up until this point but never like this, and it’s spooky
23:55 And Simeon, he sounds so skeevy now, taken on an entirely different tone, geez
30:00 “I hate to say it, I’m getting used to almost dying.” “That happens.” Jeremy what happened to you?? Why does he know the experience of getting used to almost dying? Is that why he’s been so calm about danger up through this point?
32:40 And there it is, most paranoid character getting backstabbed. I don’t get why Simeon did this at all. It seems so… heartless isn’t the right word. Useless? Like what did it gain him?
32:50 “I was scared they were gonna leave me there.” Was he? There was a little bit of build up to this but not much.
33:30 “I let them trust you” Ouch. OUCH.
33:44 “What do you want me to say, I’m sorry?” YEAH DUDE THAT WOULD BE A START
34:40 “She doesn’t know any of this, does she? She doesn’t know where you come from” mannnn
36:20 why ya gotta ruin a happy reunion like that?
37:05 FREDO ((((
37:55 “Hang on, I thought you said he was just a braindead drug addict?” “But he was OUR braindead drug addict.” Interesting the sense of loyalty he feels to the group, even a group he didn’t know for all that long in the grand scheme of things -- and that he thinks Simeon should also feel that loyalty
38:40 “Shaking, yes, but I’m getting you to that damn exit!” aww Bogart ;; character development!
40:00 Jeremy has been the major muscle for most of their plight… and now he’s relying on Jody and Bo to help physically support him. Incidentally, two characters he’s cultivated good or decent relationships with, to encourage them to care about him. Playing the long game.
48:30 “What if you put in a good word for me?” DUDE THIS IS THE POINT WHERE YOU SHOULD BE GROVELLING NOT ASKING FAVORS “I thought it couldn’t hurt to ask.” IT COULD.
49:43 “It matters when I knew the men you killed.” AAAA
50:00 “Admit what you did. So I can move on.” This sounds like almost the same wording that Chuck used when he talked about the Family requirement for vengence -- before they can “move on.”
50:15 “Those two were close to me. They were like my brothers. They were Family.” AAAAAAAA
50:40 “No, you’re not one of them. You can’t be.” “Why not?” AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAA This is the part were I died, I was devastated, utterly floored me that Jeremy was one of them even though it really shouldn’t have -- I guess because I just really didn’t want him to be
50:44 “Fredo was, not you!” “Fredo was a thug. A good thug, but just a thug.” There’s that indignation coming out again. Don’t be such a stuck-up about your gang affiliation!
51:00 “You remember when we pulled the names out of the hat? No matter who I chose, I was gonna name you.” And there it is. I’d had a feeling that he wasn’t telling the truth to Bo, but I wasn’t expecting to have it confirmed like this.
51:30 “As long as there are members, they’re never gone.”
51:40 “I know” He says it so CASUALLY. “And you’ve no idea how much I’ve thought of not doing this.” A wiser man’s cult, eh Jeremy?
52:00 “Look, we spent a lot of time together in there… We-we got to know each other!” DUDE AND THEN YOU BETRAYED THEM, YOU’RE JUT DIGGING YOUR HOLE DEEPER
52:04 “Why do you think I was even there in the first place?” HOLYYYYYY
52:14 “You waited that whole time?” “It’s the last card that matters.” O-O
52:30 “Who’s Jeremy?” AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA WHO IS THIS MAN?
-;; you wrecked your life there Jeremy
54:57 So glad he’s back with the buds.
56:15 “I can finally go back.” “Where?” “Home. The Family is waiting.” WHAT DOES THAT MEAN. Also is he going to, what, induct Jody and Bogart?? What happens to them in all that?
-Seriously though YOU THREW AWAY EVERYTHING just to kill that twerp… I’m not over it…

This ending was pretty rough on me, not only from the emotional avalanche of Simeon's betrayal and Jeremy's reveal and the subsequent murder... but because I immediately wanted to know what happens next, and there's no next episode! I need to know these kids are alright, alright? I need them to show up in later material. It's hard to content myself with thinking these six episodes are all we got of them.