Post by rielle on Jan 7, 2012 21:20:50 GMT -8
CG suggested this thread in the 'Jim' thread she started and I love the idea:
So, first of all, a small confession: When I first watched The Wild, Wild, West ... many, many, many moons ago, many...
it was Artie and his multiple personas/roles/faces and his ingenious gadgets that caught my attention and approbation more than did Jim. Please understand, I was very, very, very young and sheltered at that time... a mere child... ;D
When TNT began running our favourite programme in syndication... and I guess other networks/stations were doing the same... in the late 70s I think, yes, it was definitely Jim West who caught my eye and held it for hours at a time...
But that's not for this thread. So back to Artie:
well for me the main thing is that hardly ever extinguished twinkle in those wide bright-dark eyes. He's having a blast doing what he does, and yes, a pun was partially intended there. He's enjoying tricking the bad guys so much its contagious, who could not enjoy it along with him?
And that twinkle goes perfectly with Artie's ironic sense of humor: for example: 'that's the story of my life, I touch 'em and they faint'. [Bubbling Death] Without that sense of humor/perspective the whole series might have been killed off early, imo, because part of the basic concept was that tongue in cheek humor, and part of that is always laughing at oneself, no?
And then there's Artie's [Ross'] brilliant grin, his flashing, sharp edged wit and his sometimes just as flashing knife edged rage... when called for or profoundly provoked [for Emmet's Stark's benefit, in Death Masks, for one example] This is an authentically strong, actually very well self-controlled fellow whose bad side you'd NEVER want to get on, because he will surely turn that mocking, bitter, jabbing for the jugular righteous anger on you... with no good result.
Remember Artie has years of training and experience as an actor... which with an actor are pretty much the same thing, after a certain point, each role teaches something, and each role uses a particular internal 'muscle'...
So there's really no doubt, [although honestly this insight just occurred to me] That Artie is absolutely as capable of controlling his emotions as Jim, and does it every time he enacts a not so heroic persona, who has to be nonchalant to say the least while Jim is in some sort of dire trouble... and the boys haven't sprung their trap on the bad guys yet
But Artie IS a more demonstrative person than Jim and that's really good because a pair of stoical spies in the old West would be a lousy idea and not much fun to watch... AND another new insight [Thanks CG!] Artie is the one who helps the rest of us give a flying fig about Jim West, especially in the first season...
If it weren't for Artie's helpless, head down response when Jim has apparently been blown to smithereens along with Florey, for a big example, so early on in the series, how would we understand that Jim West is someone worth giving a flying fig about, worth wondering and waiting and hoping that once more he WILL survive?
Its Artie who shows us that Jim is a brother to him and has been for some time... [in my way of thinking since the War, if not before then]
And for one man to consider another man his brother, when in fact they're not 'blood' at all, tells us plainly there is more than a stoic, stolid, unflapped and unflappable former soldier inside Jim West, and that more is the man Artie already knows.
But I digress again: Lets talk about how Artie is as brilliant with a violin as he is with a sleeping gas, how Artie is as forthright with his friends as he is devious with the bad guys, how Artie is a gentleman from head to toe, whether or not he was raised to be one... sure, he has a roue's manner in early eps, me thinks that's part of yet another persona... the traveling man, the con artist, the showboater..., but that's not the Artie we came to know and love as time went on at all.
And second to last there's Artie's dashing good looks! Who wouldn't want to drown in those big brown eyes? [no question about that color, ladies]
And who wouldn't be delighted with a tall, dark cultured, accomplished and dashing fellow in tux and opera cape as escort? That is unless one prefers or requires a tall, dark and tirelessly courageous fellow in a golden suede jacket, in a beat up corduroy jacket, in a burgundy suit, in a long grey cape and top hat, in a Union uniform, or a union suit, for that matter?
But lastly there's Artie's indomitable spirit and utter joie de vivre that keeps my love for this dashing actor-spy-inventor-partner alive and well. Nothing daunts this guy, really, nothing... he'll take on any one and any challenge and even any superior officer when need be to do what is his duty and far more than that, his life's work... Nothing stops him... except the occasional rap on the head or alkaline compound mixed in his coffee [Death Masks, again].
And he's only human so that's okay, in fact his being 'only human' makes Artie all the more a perfect partner for James, because with Artie, James can laugh and joke and pull pranks [the upside down decanter and wine glasses glued to the table..., the house of cards...
So I do love Artie, for all those reasons... And because his unmistakable understanding of and compassion for Jim West makes Jim more understandable, and more worth caring about than perhaps the original concept for the show even considered he could be.
Thanks, Ross, and of course as always, Thanks, Artie.
So, first of all, a small confession: When I first watched The Wild, Wild, West ... many, many, many moons ago, many...
it was Artie and his multiple personas/roles/faces and his ingenious gadgets that caught my attention and approbation more than did Jim. Please understand, I was very, very, very young and sheltered at that time... a mere child... ;DWhen TNT began running our favourite programme in syndication... and I guess other networks/stations were doing the same... in the late 70s I think, yes, it was definitely Jim West who caught my eye and held it for hours at a time...
But that's not for this thread. So back to Artie:
well for me the main thing is that hardly ever extinguished twinkle in those wide bright-dark eyes. He's having a blast doing what he does, and yes, a pun was partially intended there. He's enjoying tricking the bad guys so much its contagious, who could not enjoy it along with him?
And that twinkle goes perfectly with Artie's ironic sense of humor: for example: 'that's the story of my life, I touch 'em and they faint'. [Bubbling Death] Without that sense of humor/perspective the whole series might have been killed off early, imo, because part of the basic concept was that tongue in cheek humor, and part of that is always laughing at oneself, no?
And then there's Artie's [Ross'] brilliant grin, his flashing, sharp edged wit and his sometimes just as flashing knife edged rage... when called for or profoundly provoked [for Emmet's Stark's benefit, in Death Masks, for one example] This is an authentically strong, actually very well self-controlled fellow whose bad side you'd NEVER want to get on, because he will surely turn that mocking, bitter, jabbing for the jugular righteous anger on you... with no good result.
Remember Artie has years of training and experience as an actor... which with an actor are pretty much the same thing, after a certain point, each role teaches something, and each role uses a particular internal 'muscle'...
So there's really no doubt, [although honestly this insight just occurred to me] That Artie is absolutely as capable of controlling his emotions as Jim, and does it every time he enacts a not so heroic persona, who has to be nonchalant to say the least while Jim is in some sort of dire trouble... and the boys haven't sprung their trap on the bad guys yet
But Artie IS a more demonstrative person than Jim and that's really good because a pair of stoical spies in the old West would be a lousy idea and not much fun to watch... AND another new insight [Thanks CG!] Artie is the one who helps the rest of us give a flying fig about Jim West, especially in the first season...
If it weren't for Artie's helpless, head down response when Jim has apparently been blown to smithereens along with Florey, for a big example, so early on in the series, how would we understand that Jim West is someone worth giving a flying fig about, worth wondering and waiting and hoping that once more he WILL survive?
Its Artie who shows us that Jim is a brother to him and has been for some time... [in my way of thinking since the War, if not before then]
And for one man to consider another man his brother, when in fact they're not 'blood' at all, tells us plainly there is more than a stoic, stolid, unflapped and unflappable former soldier inside Jim West, and that more is the man Artie already knows.
But I digress again: Lets talk about how Artie is as brilliant with a violin as he is with a sleeping gas, how Artie is as forthright with his friends as he is devious with the bad guys, how Artie is a gentleman from head to toe, whether or not he was raised to be one... sure, he has a roue's manner in early eps, me thinks that's part of yet another persona... the traveling man, the con artist, the showboater..., but that's not the Artie we came to know and love as time went on at all.
And second to last there's Artie's dashing good looks! Who wouldn't want to drown in those big brown eyes? [no question about that color, ladies
] And who wouldn't be delighted with a tall, dark cultured, accomplished and dashing fellow in tux and opera cape as escort? That is unless one prefers or requires a tall, dark and tirelessly courageous fellow in a golden suede jacket, in a beat up corduroy jacket, in a burgundy suit, in a long grey cape and top hat, in a Union uniform, or a union suit, for that matter?
But lastly there's Artie's indomitable spirit and utter joie de vivre that keeps my love for this dashing actor-spy-inventor-partner alive and well. Nothing daunts this guy, really, nothing... he'll take on any one and any challenge and even any superior officer when need be to do what is his duty and far more than that, his life's work... Nothing stops him... except the occasional rap on the head or alkaline compound mixed in his coffee [Death Masks, again].
And he's only human so that's okay, in fact his being 'only human' makes Artie all the more a perfect partner for James, because with Artie, James can laugh and joke and pull pranks [the upside down decanter and wine glasses glued to the table..., the house of cards...
So I do love Artie, for all those reasons... And because his unmistakable understanding of and compassion for Jim West makes Jim more understandable, and more worth caring about than perhaps the original concept for the show even considered he could be.
Thanks, Ross, and of course as always, Thanks, Artie.
And he probably invented the claws!
Then Artie's tall, dark & handsome. What can I say, those brown eyes are so emotion filled running the spectrum from boiling anger to sorrow to humorous to desirous. The curly dark hair is just made to run your fingers through, and yes, Nydiva, that curl that falls onto his forehead is adorable 
Artie has a soft side that he's not afraid to show (not that I think Jim is afraid to show his, but except through his eyes, he really doesn't show it much) But that said, I am thrilled that Artie has as excellent a friend as Jim and I wouldn't have it any other way 
