In the fifth chapter of Deep Secret, Rupert finally meets Maree Mallory. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to read Deep Secret.
Chapter Five
- Soooooo… Rupert is kind of a jerk? Sort of? I understand his frustration here because it sucks to feel like your day is wasted, but does he not realize what it is that Maree Mallory just did? Or is he so convinced that she’s awful that he refuses to look past his own anger?
- I’m interested to see if this is an intentional choice to frame Rupert this way because I do admit it’s always a strange experience to suddenly realize you don’t like what a narrator is doing. And he clearly can be kind in moments of duress and confusion, which is how he treats Andrew, his strange neighbor who uncomfortably invites himself into Rupert’s car in that strange way he does. Why isn’t he as distressed by Andrew as he is by Maree? I mean, he’s made up a bogus reason for contacting her, and it’s suggested here that she probably is avoiding him on purpose. Well… that might be a stretch, but I’ll get to that later.
- He’s also kind of mean to Stan, who is CONFINED TO HIS HOUSE AS A DISEMBODIED SOUL. Like, cut the guy some slack! Things didn’t work out as Stan thought they would.
- Anyway, I definitely haven’t figured out why Babylon is import, nor why Timos IX may have known about this “deep secret” of the Magids and made it his password for discovering his next heir. However, I really do believe that Andrew provides the biggest clue to unraveling this story: There is no such thing as coincidence.
- Which is precisely why it’s a big grating that Rupert can’t see that the frustration of his day wasn’t a coincidence! Or perhaps he did, but instead of appreciating the cat-and-mouse game that Maree takes him on, he hates her for it.
- Also, can I be a California bigot? It makes me laugh that Rupert tries to warn Andrew out of a ride by saying that the drive is super far. So, I try to use Google Maps to understand the layout of places I’ve never been to, so I pulled up a map to see where Bristol was, and the drive couldn’t have been more than two hours, right?
- It’s seven hours to where I grew up.
- AND WE DRIVE THIS SHIT ALL THE TIME.
- Oh god, my country is impossibly huge. We’re the worst. I’d much rather have the public transportation that the UK has to most of its cities than what we have. I WISH A SUPER LONG DRIVE WAS LIKE THIS ONE.
- So, anyway, back to Rupert being a jerk. I can’t tell if the way he describes Janine is meant to be a reflection on how gross he is or how Jones views people who look like Janine. Just… don’t use that word to describe people? It’s a racial slur.
- I am curious why Janine hates Maree, though. She openly despises her! Why? Is it because she often takes people to go dancing on bridges???
- I do learn a new thing about Magids! They can track people by use of the traces of “character” they leave behind. I didn’t realize that when Stan and Rupert had spoken of this in the previous chapter, they were being literal. That perfectly explains why Stan was so certain that Maree was a perfect candidate for a Magid! I HAD A QUESTION ANSWERED, THIS IS GREAT.
- I also understand why Rupert referred to himself as “misguided” multiple times as he set off to track Maree. She intentionally led him astray, either because she suspected he was the man trying to contact her about her “legacy,” or because she could already sense him by other means. I’m not too sure about this, honestly.
- And so Maree leads Rupert on a ridiculous chase around Bristol and the surround cities, and it’s SUPER ENTERTAINING. As Rupert got more frustrated, I was shocked that he didn’t realize that this wild goose chase was not a coincidence.
- All that being said? I am utterly bewildered by what Rupert eventually finds when he catches up to Maree Mallory: she stops traffic on a bridge to get out and dance with Janine’s upset son while chanting, “Luck, luck, luck.” And flicking her fingers.
- I DON’T GET IT, Y’ALL. What the hell???
- She’s also furious when Rupert gives her money, and I cannot figure any of this out. What did I just witness?
- “Mallory can’t behave like a Magid.” Meaning….. what?
- Actually, wait, I think I just realized why: she’s not very good at being subtle. Well, I can’t deny that. BUT SHE SEEMS SO FUN.
- Uh-oh, Stan has a plan. I HOPE IT RHYMES JUST LIKE THAT SENTENCE.
The original text contains use of the word “mad.” Even though they’re not in the videos, as I skip them, there’s also use of the word “g*psy” and “b*tch.”
Part 1
Part 2
Mark Links Stuff
– If you would like to support this website and keep Mark Does Stuff running, I’ve put up a detailed post explaining how you can!
– Please check out the MarkDoesStuff.com. All Mark Watches videos for past shows/season are now archived there!
– My Master Schedule is updated for the near and distant future for most projects, so please check it often.
– I will be at quite a few conventions and will be hosting numerous events throughout the US, Canada, and Europe in 2014. Please check my Tour Dates/Appearances page often to see if I’m coming to your city!
– Inspired by last year’s impromptu park event in London, I am taking Mark in the Park on the road! You can see all the currently-planned dates and pitch your own city here.
