Pros Novel Read-Along - Painted Angels by Angelfish - Chapter One

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Yeay, it's time for our weekly chat about the Pros Novel Read-Along chapter! We're on:

Painted Angels by Angelfish.
Cover art by firlefanzine

Chapter One

Chapter One opens with a sharp, snappy statement: William Bodie - too tough for the SAS. This chapter is mostly from Bodie's point of view (with interludes from Cowley's pov, from Doyle's and even from Murphy's). He's involved in both being recruited to CI5 and training recruits in CI5, and we meet him tutoring them with guns on a range, but the emphasis in the chapter is on why he's really there. Despite the fiction of being seconded to CI5 from the SAS, he has in fact been thrown out - his old boss, Robert Marsh, won't take him back if he can't make it in CI5, although he's convinced Cowley to take him on rather than simply discharging him.

Bodie, it turns out, killed one too many people who shouldn't have had to die while he was in the SAS, and Marsh is finding it hard to justify things any more. The most recent was a man who had already surrendered - others have included suspects in holding cells.

The trouble is, Cowley finds, Bodie has brought his old ways to CI5 as well - he also has a suspect dead in a holding cell after Bodie has finished interrogating him. Cowley got the information he wanted, so he doesn't simply get rid of Bodie either, but Bodie's got one last chance - and a punishment. He's being demoted to simply another recruit, no more "semi-tutorial role", and he will have to accept being partnered with one of the other recruits at the end of the training.

Bodie of course, is not happy - he doesn't think much of the recruits, and certainly not DS Doyle, who started out in art school, moved onto the Met and then got his partner shot, so that he worked alone after that, and worked hard at moving up through the ranks (so now we know what happened to Doyle in between the Prologue and turning up in CI5!) "Bodie knows the type. Activated by perceived injustice, on a solo mission to set the world to rights." He has to concede that Doyle's a decent shot, though, and as Bodie's "a good teacher" he sees that although he's an excellent shot, Doyle's not used to semiautomatic weapons, and needs to adjust his stance to avoid the worst of the recoil. He steps up behind him, and reaches around...

...and is promptly blocked from doing so, Doyle using a combat move that Bodie's never seen before. He "doesn't like being crept up on". Bodie asks permission to touch him this time, and with a slight correction Doyle is able to avoid the recoil as well as shoot perfectly. Doyle, meanwhile, is finding that something he's done many times before, as both trainee and trainer, is having a strange effect on him this time - he's aware of "the firm pectorals, whisper of six-pack down his spine". He manages to control it though, including when Bodie pushes at him, about whether he's ever had to shoot people as well as targets (five, but none killed) and whether his broken cheekbone bothers him. In fact, Doyle gets in the last word, and it's Bodie who's left feeling thrown.

Finally, we see Bodie confronting Murphy, and it turns out that they were mates and lovers in the SAS, and joined CI5 together - "when they decided to try for Cowley's outfit" (?But we've been told Bodie was sent off on secondment, so ?). Murphy is rejoining his old mountain rescue squad, and he suggests that Bodie moves with him - but Bodie won't, as he knew he wouldn't, and Murphy confesses that one of the reasons he's going is that Bodie's violence has got too much for him as well. Bodie tries to convince him with one last blow job, and blocks his way out of the room, falling to his knees - but Murphy is stronger-willed than that, and gently deflects him. Things are over between them, Bodie has become "cruel. Unmanageable".

Murphy leaves Bodie on his knees in the empty squad room, "steps around him and out".

And that's where we're left at the end of Chapter One! A quick reminder - no spoilers for later chapters in the novel please, if you've read ahead. Otherwise - have at it in the comments! *g*

Comments

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Okay, I'm going to jump right in and comment today (I'm trying to keep my opinions separate from the summary of the chapters, let me know if I ever mess that up!)

So... I have to admit that I was thrown straight away in Chapter One, because this Bodie is not one that I recognise from the eps. Okay, I can go with "too tough for the SAS" (sort of), but when Angelfish has him shooting people who've surrendered, and killing suspects in cold blood (or even murderous rages) in custody, then she lost me. Not only do I not think that any government agency would tolerate that behaviour more than once (not even the SAS and CI5), but I just don't see Bodie in the eps as that vicious, uncontrolled person. You can probably argue that this is pre-eps, but the authors is going to have to work amazingly hard to prove to me that this Bodie can turn into our Bodie.

He's also just a little too god-like for me in other ways - all in black, perfect body, apparently perfect in sex, the perfect shot with all kinds of weapons (implied), and so much more advanced professionally than any of the other recruits (presumably the only one from the SAS, then).

The author seems to have a better take on Doyle, I think - his actions fit with having closed himself off as we saw after Gabe, and as he might in response to his Met partner being killed, but he's also shown as still human. Other than pushing Bodie away when he's touched unexpectedly, he's civil and somewhat friendly - "Grinning, Doyle turns back to the range..." He's also not intimidated by Bodie, which is the Doyle I see in the eps, and up to matching him in put-downs.

Oh, and then Murphy...! Presumably the author thinks Murphy left CI5 (since we don't see him for many many eps) and then returned to it, which doesn't quite make sense to me, but okay. I don't see Bodie and Murphy being previous colleagues and lovers, even if they are friendly in the eps. (does that mean that Doyle was Jax' lover, or Benny's, or...? just because we see them as friends in the eps?), and I never like the portrayal of Murph as this incredibly laid-back, understanding and wise man who's the only one (except Doyle and Cowley), who's able to handle Bodie. Another god-like character - and also a bit of a cliche, these days (and when this fic was written) in Pros fanfic, I think. I know lots of people will disagree. *g*

And finally - where was the beta for this fic?! Bodie was seconded (because he was being thrown out of the SAS) and he and Murphy decided to leave the SAS and apply for CI5 together? With a bit of fancy manoeuvering I can perhaps slide my brain into believing that Bodie managed to convince Murphy that's what was happening (especially as Bodie is so smart and etc.), but I know I'm forcing myself to believe it, so...

Okay - I'm expecting alot of disagreement here about all this - feel free! *vbg*

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[ali15son.livejournal.com]

this is not my Bodie and i know i have to read the chapter because this is part of his background but to me it's a harsh Bodie and not one that i associate with him. I do like the part when Bodie is stood behind Doyle, correcting his shooting stance " Doyle is keenly aware of his seperate muscle structures - the firm pectorals, whisper of six pack down his spine" now that bit i do like.

[shooting2kill.livejournal.com]

He's also just a little too god-like for me in other ways - all in black, perfect body, apparently perfect in sex, the perfect shot with all kinds of weapons (implied),

I can see that but it didn’t really bother me as long as an author is just exaggerating a character rather than completely misrepresenting them. That’s part of the attraction of fan fiction for me - the chance to play around with canon and make of the characters what you will. And happily for me (again!) the Bodie in this story (so far) is my kind of Bodie. Which takes me to a note I made last week when I read this chapter…. Why is it that I like this brutal, violent Bodie? What makes him so attractive? Hopefully it’s not because I’m brutal and violent or so unoriginal that I imagine being able to ‘tame’ him. No, I think it’s partly because the darker and more unreachable Bodie is depicted, then the more intriguing/fascinating is the eventual relationship between him and Doyle (and the fact that it's happened in the first place).

but I just don't see Bodie in the eps as that vicious,

I agree with this, I can’t see Bodie killing someone in custody deliberately but perhaps accidentally? The guy died from a blow to the head I think? (Can't spell the right medical term.) I can see that happening if things got out of hand or if there’s some kind of pre-existing condition. Doyle believed that he’d killed Coogan’s brother with one punch to the guts and even though it turns out he wasn’t responsible, then presumably he thought it was possible and that’s without even trying. But yes, an out of control Bodie isn’t the Bodie I recognise from the episodes.

And Bodie and Murphy's relationship… another note I made last week was that I couldn’t work out how they knew each other originally – where they’d met – and that was bugging me, but then much later on the answer popped up, but somehow I couldn’t see Murphy in the SAS - he seems too laid back and relaxed! And Bodie and Murphy together? No, that jarred on me

[cim3745.livejournal.com]

I agree with all of you and everything is said about this cruel and unfamiliar Bodie.
But, like Shooting2kill said, it is fan fiction which means playing with the characters.
I don't like this Bodie, but I am thrilled by the sentence:

The point is this -- can you persuade one of those men out there that he likes you well enough, respects and trust  you enough, to want to work with you ?

Maybe Angelfish made it a bit stronger by intensification his behaviours.

At the end of chapter one, I have to admitt, I was a bit shocked, pushed off the story, but I hope, because of Cowley's statement, it will become an interesting and brilliant reading.

The scene with the first touch between these two is already brilliant.  

[merentha13.livejournal.com]

Interesting thoughts - especially on the characterization aspect of things. I'm pretty much in agreement with shooting2kill and cim3745 in that we do "play" with the characters when we write. And byslantedlight is right also, in that the reader has too see some of their own vision of the character in order to enjoy/believe the story.

Bodie here at the beginning isn't the episode Bodie. But as was pointed out, this appears to be earlier than the episodes. And I can see hints in the episodes where Bodie won't talk about his past, that possibly he could have done some of those things. And people can change - (Ray to the rescue!).

One other thing - can anyone tell me when Doyle got a promotion from DC to DS? I must have missed that ;-)