Favourite Parts
October 29, 2020 5:33 am Leave your thoughts
*WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF KING OF SPADES?*
I haven’t read it for a long time. A reader reached out to me on social media and told me she was enjoying Cleo’s physical description while in Call. She quoted the line, “shitload of black mascara.” I have certain lines which stick in my head and give me a chuckle, but thinking about a particular scene in KOS isn’t something I do…If I have to choose something from King of Spades, I’d probably choose these scenes:
Cleo laying eyes on Agent Starr for the first time since their break up. I think the description/overthinking/initial awkwardness is effective. We’ve all been there, right?
right??
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(Obviously) any time Cleo yeets someone. She don’t GAF! I like the extraction of the civilians and the use of the CRONE and rear-naked choke against intruders. I like the way she Deletes easily and doesn’t feel terrible after, battle-hardened and almost empty, except for Number One and MDS agenda(which is a good or bad thing, depending.) It’s one thing which makes her alien to me/people because attacking and then Deleting someone probably takes a lot of skill and mental fortitude we probably don’t have in this world where we buy food at the store and get our hair done whenever we feel like it. Sometimes I think she goes too far too fast but it might be due to her training, upbringing and circumstances. The times she just snaps and gets it done are usually the Deletions I like.
Agent Starr breaking his promise in order to protect Cleo (and the civilians, at the dock.)
This is a pivotal moment in Agent Starr’s arc because it’s taken years to no longer want to kill unless he absolutely has to. He experienced warzones, survived injury, met people from troubled areas and questioned his involvement in assignments resulting in the deaths of civilians. Agent Starr told Cleo he doesn’t want to kill if he doesn’t have to, and he regards his word as bond. It takes seeing his partner in a life or death situation for him to betray himself, and all the deliberation to reach his decision, for it to be discarded. The slow-motion, but violent recoil of the RavenEye -certain death delivered- juxtaposed with his blank face/resignation/concentration stay in my mind. It’s also art to Cleo as she’s observing because she knows what his actions mean, how he is betraying personal morals in order to do what needs to be done and something that’s essentially her fault.
The Limo
The cviilians’ helplessness and Starr’s recognition he’s landed them in the mess because he was preoccupied with dealing with personal feelings. Julia has made some heroic actions leading up to this part but with no adrenalin and being tired, she is back to freaking out and having to rely on other people. You can literally feel her fear and confusion.
Joe’s rant about 9/11 being an inside job and how governments are corrupt. This sentiment is something a LOT more people believe IRL than around 2003 (and prior) when he was originally written. The mindset represented by a character so clearly, and even though he is obviously a “bad guy” that is taking out his frustration on Starr, the fact the frustration is delivered blatantly shows the Truth For Life group in KOS is volatile at this stage, leading to questions about whether they are responsible for what happens next.
Cleo’s hand on Starr’s chest in Menas.
After Starr drops another confession, it’s a wordless moment but words scream in the silence. The agents are about to go in different directions and whatever happens to them during that time, is up to them alone. They have to separate to focus on other things, when they still have so much to say to each other. The rushed moment and unfairness that they don’t get time to talk is shadowed by the tension throughout previous chapters indicating they have unfinished business(the exchange through the door at the motel, the permission slip in Starr’s pocket at the dock.) I like how Cleo compartmentalises fast and sets the example.
TLDR:
*I haven’t read King of Spades for a long time
*I usually have favourite lines of narrative or dialogue, not usually scenes.
*A reader-inspired post is awesome!
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Tags: 9/11, 9/11 inside job, analysis, author, author answers, character arc, civilian, conspiracy fact, domestic terrorism, english lit, favourite parts, favourite scenes, in real life, inside job, IRL, king of spades, KOS, limo, plot, reader question, trust, unsaid, vigilante, writing, yeet, yeets