Laura Moon’s TV and Other Easter Eggs

Published May 31, 2017 · Updated July 6, 2022

Hi Guys,

No holding back in this week’s pod, I heard. I’m really happy that you guys bring both sides to the discussion. Also loving the theme song!

This was a good episode for me. The Laura backstory was a treat as I always felt it was missing from the book. You start off hating Laura and wondering what motivation she has to be back from the dead in Shadow’s room, but this episode showed her loneliness and desperation.

From the start, it’s clear that Laura finds Shadow a bit vapid. Pretty but dumb. She takes him home for a bit of fun, but he can’t even do that right, so she slaps him. But then he’s still there in the morning. You can just feel her pain he’s so dull. Even I want to snuff him out every time he opens his mouth. But he’s cute and does tricks, so she keeps him. Like a stray puppy. (Shadow has gone from her puppy to Wednesday’s dog)

I thought it was Ricky Whittle, but now I feel like maybe that’s the way he is meant to play Shadow.

When her cat dies, she says I didn’t even like him. I know she’s talking about the cat, but also lamenting the prison she’s in because she pretended to love Shadow.

width=

The pacing was really off. The whole story could have been abbreviated, or add in some details that start to set up why Shadow is the chosen one, or whatever the hell he is. This has been my issue with the show up till now. There is so much time spent on some scenes and shots, and not enough on others. It may take 100 words to describe a table, but just bloody show us the table and get on with it. The graphics are all a bit cheesy and the fight scenes well, there’s a difference between a comic book feel and comical. These are just not hitting the mark for me.

BTW, where the fuck was Sweeney’s coin?

The big question I was left with was whether Laura may have set Shadow up to go to prison. Maybe not entirely consciously, but it seemed like she wanted him to git gone. What do you think? Shadow chooses not to split the sentence with her, so he would end up with 6 years (serving 3). It’s easy for him to stay true, he’s got nothing else. Now Laura has this obligation hanging over her head and a prison of her own making.

The Rog mentioned the aspect difference in this scene. You will notice that any of the dream sequences and coming to America scenes are also shown in the same aspect ratio.

Anyways, some fun stuff

The Fly

The fly first appears when Laura is alone, we then see it again with her and Shadow when he first goes to prison. We don’t see any flies again until Laura is dead and Shadow is out of prison.

There is a story about Loki, who disguised himself as a fly to distract the dwarves as they forged Thor’s hammer.

I’ve also heard suggestions that the fly could be a drone sent by tech boy, but I’m inclined to believe she is not yet on his radar at this time.

I love the fly paper at the end no more GitGone for her, not after she imagined her forever with it.

The Ravens

Seen at Robbie’s barbecue and again just before the accident, Huginn and Muninn are the two ravens of Odin, his eyes and ears.

width=

We see the ravens again when Shadow and Wednesday are together.

Laura’s TV

Laura’s TV is always on when she gets home, and it’s a bit judgy. Starting with, Why are you home so late, missy, and then ooh, who’s this now? Media is always watching.

width=

And just before she notices her dead cat (and commence the affair with Robbie), Woody Woodpecker (euphemism for Laura?) is about to walk the plank; a slow, humiliating execution for the amusement of the audience. Nice foreshadowing.

width=

Did Woody ever die?

Cards

I previously sent in ashot and said that the card was the 7 of clubs. I was wrong.

width=

Now having seen the actual deck and this last episode, it has to be the 7 of spades.

width=

It’s significance is still speculation, but I found this: width=

It sounds like Laura, but I would love to crowdsource this puzzle.

Glowing Shadow

A beacon, Old god GPS. He’s her purpose.

In the same story where Loki disguises himself as a fly, one of the other treasures that the dwarves created despite him was Gullinburstihttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gullinbursti, a boar whose bristles glowed in the dark.

Baldr, who was adored by all except Loki, was also known as the shining one. Or just a reason to throw in more unnecessary effects.

I have so much more to say on this episode, but I will do a blog posthttps://jezziebell.wordpress.com/ later this week.

Love from London,

Jez

Subscribe Now