Flight

This episode is Flight, which happens to be my second all time favorite TS episode. I can't say enough good things about this one and I never get tired of watching it. Plenty of spoilers and lots of great Jim and Blair scenes and shots throughout.

We open with one of my favorite scenes in all the episodes, Blair in that brown and white plaid shirt looking just like an angel. I love Blair in these opening scenes. He looks so sweet and innocent. Not that Jim doesn't look especially fine in that black t-shirt and wearing his shoulder holster, but something about Blair in this scene always tickles me. When Jim smacks Blair's forehead, it is to die for. All of my slash buttons are tingling in this episode. Sorry!!!!

Daryl and Simon go to Peru and their helicopter disappears. The loft scene is another favorite. Blair is on the phone all excited about being invited to Borneo by his mentor. He is thrilled and apprehensive at the same time when he tells Jim he's thinking about it. Jim encourages him to go until Blair informs Jimmy that it would mean he would be away at least a year. Oh, heavens, Jim's face just falls but he hides it by telling Blair he's not upset, go and have fun. Yeah, right. Again those Jim emotions flash by quickly. He's all prickly when the phone rings. Blair and he juggle for a second before Jim wins and they find out about the helicopter.

I really like the scene when they're getting ready to leave. Jim says to Blair, the jungle is no place for you!! Come on, Blair is an anthropologist. He's been all over the world. He can handle the jungle. Jim finally relents with the funny line, you do what I say when I say it, etc. Such is Blair's life as it is!

The airplane scene is very nicely done. When Blair tries to find out how Jim feels about being back in the jungle where his Sentinel abilities were honed, Jim has no time for discussion. BTW, when they're peering out of the airplane, I don't seem to see any fear of heights in Blair. He sticks his head out of the plane door and looks down, not saying a word about this so-called fear. Yeah, he mentions it a couple of times during the series, but it never stops him from following Jim.

The pilot refuses to land so Jim decided to parachute. Who follows and lies about his previous experience skydiving? The Guide, of course. Blair will follow Jim anywhere. The scene when Blair jumps is very funny. He is screaming for Jim to keep an eye on him and follow him, and admits he lied about knowing what to do. I like when he's stuck in the tree and pulls that cord, falling and rolling down the hill. Only Blair could be so dirty and scruffy and look so good! Then we have the extremely slashy scene. Blair tells Jim he has something in his pants to which Jim quips, How exciting. Blair unzips and pulls out that six-inch lizard. A real live green, brown and yellow lizard. Geez. What did you think?

BTW, in case you've never read the script for this episode, Blair was written with the lizard in his shoe and he removes his boot. How boring!!! I'm glad they changed it. Oh, and did I mention Blair is wearing a great Hawaiian shirt? I really like him in that shirt.

This is when Jim sees the panther for the first time. He is confused and afraid when he catches a glimpse of the cat, probably thinking that it is going to eat his Guide. The panther disappears quickly. (We know it's a jaguar but Jim calls it a panther, so it's a panther. Same family anyway.) As they are walking and looking for the crash site, Jim admits that his senses are acting up. He can't bring them on line and he sees the panther again.

I really like the night scene at the campfire. Blair is really worried and tries to talk to Jim about how he feels. Jim, of course, doesn't want to talk about it. He does admit that his Sentinel abilities are gone. Jim and Blair both looks exceedingly yummie by firelight.

Then we have the first "blue dream" of the series. (If you haven't seen a blue dream, the screen is actually blue to let you know that Jim's having a vision.) There were not enough blue dreams to suit me. These are my favorite parts. Jim looks great in that grungy shirt with the sleeves rolled up. He wakes and can't find Blair. He runs through the jungle, turns and is attacked by the panther. Back to regular colors. He wakes for real and Blair is sleeping nicely beside the fire.

I love jungle settings. I love jungle stories. I love Jim and Blair in the jungle. More useless ramblings! Jim and Blair continue on their trek and come across what looks to be a deserted native village. Jim tells Blair to wait and he steals into the village where he is promptly knocked unconscious. Without those senses, he has no idea that someone is behind him. When he wakes up, we see Blair with his hands on his Jim, comforting him. He's been whacked by Kimberly something or other. Who cares? There are also children of the natives who have been kidnapped and forced by the bad guys to work in their cocaine factory. That is where Simon and Daryl are, BTW.

There is a great scene at the river. Jim is still kind of confused. Blair presses until Jim finally talks and admits that his Sentinel abilities are gone and that he is having visions of a panther. Blair explains that it is his animal spirit. Yes!!! Good Blair. He isn't the Guide for nothing, you know. Blair tells our Jimmy to go with the vision and see where it leads. Oh, and we find out that Jim can speak Quechua, the local native dialect of the Chopec.

Now is the best scene in almost all TS episodes. Jim is going into the jungle to scout for the bad guys. He looks absolutely wonderful with that bow and arrow slung across his back. He turns all serious and says to Blair, Hey, Chief, I'm glad you came. Blair gives him the sweetest look and says, Yeah, me too. Good heavens, gives me goosebumps.

Jim has another blue vision/dream. He follows the panther through the jungle to a Chopec ruin where the panther morphs quite nicely into a Chopec shaman/warrior/sentinel. We aren't told who he is but he asks Jim several important questions. Who are you? Are you ready to be the Sentinel? He tells Jim he is here on purpose to complete his journey to be a Sentinel, a commitment that will require his life and his soul. Jim thinks about this and just when he admits he's ready to accept his mission, he is out of the vision and his Sentinel abilities are restored. Unfortunately, he hears the village being attacked and in an absolutely wonderful transformation, Jim runs through the jungle and changes into a warrior, complete with black painted face and body, muscle t shirt to show off those muscles and a part of his shirt tied around his head. My heart can hardly take this. I love Jungle!Jim.

Of course, the bad guys have captured Blair and the rest of the crew so Jim goes and rescues them all. I always enjoy the scene when Blair and Daryl are going to hot wire the truck for their escape. They can't find keys and Blair says, who's going to steal a truck in the jungle? Daryl rightly notices, we are! Jim blows up the whole place including the headman in a gross explosion with a grenade launcher. Good Jim. Oh, it is great when they slo-mo Jim using that crossbow with his face all painted, kneeling on the ground. I give great marks to the director for this episode.

Finally, we have the extremely slashy and widely quoted final scene. Both guys look great with their faces all scratched up, finally clean and shiny. Hey, I like h/c. The Guide tells the Sentinel that he's not going to Borneo and says the most famous line in all of TS-dom, "It's about friendship. I just didn't get it before." Jim's face is so pleased that Blair is staying. I love these guys. They end standing on the balcony, clinking beer bottles, toasting their successful return home and their friendship. Jim turns and guess what he sees in the loft bedroom? The panther, of course. He brought that kitty home with him. Now if only that kitty and that wolfie would get together… (but that's another episode!)

The End

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