Episodes
- My So-Called Life (Pi... - #1 »
- Dancing in the Dark - #2 »
- Guns and Gossip - #3 »
- Father Figures - #4 »
- The Zit - #5 »
- The Substitute - #6 »
- Why Jordan Can't Read - #7 »
- Strangers in the Hous... - #8 »
- Halloween - #9 »
- Other People's Daught... - #10 »
- Life of Brian - #11 »
- Self-Esteem - #12 »
- Pressure - #13 »
- On the Wagon - #14 »
- So-Called Angels - #15 »
- Resolutions - #16 »
- Betrayal - #17 »
- Weekend - #18 »
- In Dreams Begin Respo... - #19 »
Cast
Forum
Why does the letter work for Jordan, but not Brian?Why does the letter work for Jordan, but not Brian?I just recently finished watching all the episodes on Hulu, and there's something I don't get:
When Angela thinks Jordan wrote the love letter, she wants to be his girlfriend again, but when she finds out Brian actually wrote it, she apparently still doesn't want Brian. Are the words really so much more impressive coming from Jordan? I don't understand it.
Re: Why does the letter work for Jordan, but not Brian?I believe it's simply because Angela already has feelings for Jordan and he never verbalized his feelings for her, which is what she wanted. Getting that letter was exactly she wanted: Jordan telling her how he felt. I can relate because I remember being a teenager and thinking why won't this boy who I've been making out with just admit that he likes me using words?
The letter coming from Brian, on the other hand is an entirely different story. I think realizing that he wrote it made her see him in a different light and realize that he had feelings for her, something that she may have known subconsciously (as seen in Life of Brian) but hadn't admitted to herself on a conscious level. The letter is not a magic wand that will automatically make any girl fall in love with you, so it's not a matter of the letter "working" for Jordan and not Brian because it's not as simple as a car working for one person but not another. Think of it this way: if your dream person gave you a letter saying all the things you had wanted to hear, how would you feel? Now imagine that a platonic friend of yours who, during most interactions, acts like condescending jerk, gave you a letter saying the same things. Would it make you automatically fall in love with that person any more than if a random stranger off the street had given you that letter? Natasha aka candygirl :: MSCL.com
Look, if this is weird for you, being tutored? I don't mind helping you a little longer. You could have sex with me if you really want to help...I guess that's a "no"? Re: Why does the letter work for Jordan, but not Brian?Well, I've haven't had a "dream person" yet, so I guess I can't really imagine myself in that situation, but I think I see your point. Thanks.
Re: Why does the letter work for Jordan, but not Brian?I agree with Natasha, it's not about the letter working for Jordan and not Brian. for one thing, Jordan meant the things in the letter just like Brian did. Jordan was trying to write something himself for her, but that just wasn't a skill for him. he could have given her a simple note saying, I like you do you like me, and she would have reacted the same. admitting his feelings is all she wanted; those feelings being reciprocated of course. having just anyone admit their feelings (Brian) doesn't mean very much if you don't feel the same.
Re: Why does the letter work for Jordan, but not Brian?I would add to this though, that the letter does "work" for Jordan, as the others have said, because Angela already felt something for him.
But, though the letter didn't (and realistically, of course it wouldn't have) instantly transform Angela's feelings toward Brian, I do think it made her see him differently. The way she watches him as she gets into and heads off in Jordan's car, it's like she's only just now realized the reality of his feelings, and sort of seeing him as an equal. What I mean, is I think she was vaguely aware that Brian was a little attracted to her, but I don't think she ever got outside her own head enough to see that what Brian felt for her was as intense as what she felt for Jordan. And the way she uses him throughout the show, but doesn't seem aware of the toll it takes on him, I think prior to this she almost didn't see Brian as different from the kid she knew when she was littler. As if she suddenly realized that while she was growing up and experiencing all this change, he was too. I think, if this had gone a second season, or if it were 'real life' something might have happened between Brian and Angela, and though nothing would change instantly, this would have been a turning point in how Angela saw Brian. Re: Why does the letter work for Jordan, but not Brian?Wow, great first post. I completely agree with just about everything you wrote. What's amazing is when you can feel your life going somewhere. Like your life just figured out how to get good. Like, that second."
Re: Why does the letter work for Jordan, but not Brian?It isn't a coincidence that the conversation between Delia and Rickie was in this episode.
They placed those two pieces of the story-arch together to draw parallels between them. Rickie realized that as much as he wanted to, he couldn't *decide* to love someone that he didn't have feelings for. In his case, Delia was the completely wrong sex, but the same thing applies to all relationships. You can't force love -- not even your own. I think that Angela would eventually have come to understand Brian better, and understand why he does the things he does for her, but I don't think she is capable of loving him. Re: Why does the letter work for Jordan, but not Brian?I very much agree with this statement. And I think that unless either Angela or Brian would have somehow (and against all odds) radically changed their personality, there's absolutley no chance there could ever have been something serious between them (despite that it's the good ending a lot of fans dream of and wish for). "Aaaand dance by the light of the mooooon"
Re: Why does the letter work for Jordan, but not Brian?Sub.
Last edited by RCBS on Dec 17th 2016, 12:02 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Why does the letter work for Jordan, but not Brian?I'm Re-hashing here but I'll say it anyway.
Basically, the letter "worked" for Jordan for two reasons: A) Angela is already in love with him B) Even if he didn't write it, he meant every word that was in it. Angela realizes this. She knows that Jordan is not the most eloquent or sensitive guy out there - the fact that he would care enough to do something like ask Brian to write a love letter for him says all she feels she needs to know at this stage. Specifically, that Jordan is sorry and he truly cares about her. As for Brian, it's a bit different. Angela has never seen him in a romantic way. As we all know, whatever cheesy chick flicks may tell us people don't just suddenly change their emotions and fall in love like that. It's a long and slow process and may never happen at all. Had we had future MSCL seasons we would have seen the changes much closer for sure - but we was robbed. It would have been too unrealistic for the series to end with Angela jumping into Brian's arms as Jordan sits on the kerb/stares/drives away. The ending we got was in a way the perfect ending for MSCL - difficult and obtuse, maybe, but wholly realistic, true to life and thought provoking.
Re: Why does the letter work for Jordan, but not Brian?Bacon.
Last edited by RCBS on Dec 17th 2016, 12:01 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Why does the letter work for Jordan, but not Brian?With regards to yr first point, I can't say I agree at all. Jordan is a very proud guy. He may be enamoured with her for having the ability to say no, but if that was all it was he wouldn't be begging Brian Krakow to write a love note for him. The fact that he would take such drastic measures shows that he does truly feel for Angela. As for Angela, that's a fair point. However, I will say that during the time between their break-up and the Rayanne/Jordan hookup, she showed that she was actually beginning to connect with Jordan as opposed to simply sucking face in the Boiler Room. The fact that they could get on and have some kind of friendly and not even very awkward relationship shows that there is some potential there for romance beyond sheer infatuation - from both sides.
Re: Why does the letter work for Jordan, but not Brian?Soup.
Last edited by RCBS on Dec 16th 2016, 11:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Why does the letter work for Jordan, but not Brian?Natasha, Emeraldmartini, and Superjesus all said it very well. I'll only add on to this last bit:
I can't see it this way. People's posts occasionally persuade me to slip out of my longstanding impressions of Jordan Catalano to question if for most of the series Jordan even likes Angela, but if the answer is 'yes, he does' I never am able to explain it through the reasoning that she's 'hard to get' (despite what the song "Shipoopi" might lead us to believe. Sorry, real-life joke slipped into out-of-context mscl post ![]() That might be partially true (when Jordan became even the slightest bit of an actual possibility, it kind of locked her in these feelings that might otherwise have faded), but not wholly. Sometimes I write a little MSCL fanfiction: https://www.fanfiction.net/u/1039807/Jody-Barsch
Also, after multiple V. Mars reiterations, and finally a Deadwood movie, still wishing for some continuation of The Riches ! Who is onlineUsers browsing this forum: No registered users and 20 guests |