Such a strange, profound, awful and uplifting show all in one. But the real conundrum is: what was that end scene with the hawk riding the robot? Is it possible it actually means something?
As per usual, Mark seems to think it has deeper significance.
#maniac #emmastone #jonahhill #hawk #robot
For your consideration today is the final scene of the Netflix series Maniac.
Most of the show is based around the characters Annie and Owen and their experiences in an experimental drug trial. During the trial, Annie deals with the death of her sister and Owen gains the strength to stand up to his dangerous family – a word of warning if you haven’t watched the show: episode 7 is excessively, disturbingly gory when a mob-boss version of Owen’s father literally drills out someone’s brain.
It’s a metaphor in Owen’s subconscious that depicts how his father drills into his head and messes with his mind while filling it with his own ideas of loyalty and supposed family values. In order to live up to his father’s standards, Owen must reduce his own.
How many people have drilled into your head in the same manner?
In the same episode, Owen’s brother gets shot-gunned in half – once again depicting that Owen must essentially “gut” his brother in order to gain his own freedom.
Excellent series…absolutely horrendous 7th episode. Take my analysis for what it is and skip that one or just turn your head at the appropriate moments.
So, Annie’s Hero’s Journey leads her to deal with her Trauma and Owen’s Heroine’s Journey leads him to setting Boundaries – the exact purposes of the Journeys.
And the series’ final scene with a hawk riding a shit-eating robot?
Well, that’s ultimately the lesson Annie and Owen both learn. Sometimes in life you’re the hawk. You soar with the wind, you see beautiful places and things that you’ve never noticed before. You’re free and you feel good and nothing can harm you…until something does.
And when you get shot down those are the times you’re the shit-eating robot. You crawl around waiting for the most meager sustenance to come your way. You get caught up on the smallest obstacles and most of the time you’re completely ignored by everyone and treated as a pariah.
But every so often, someone comes along that treats you with a little respect and dignity and you’re off on your Journey to become the hawk once again.