[AYAOTD? Recap with Erin Callahan] S05E02 "The Tale of the Jagged Sign"

RECAP

Stig is still not a full member of the Midnight Society and protests by keeping a bag over his head. The whole gang is annoyed but moves on to listen to Kiki’s story inspired by a book of symbols.

Claudia’s botanist parents are off to South America for the summer, and she’s forced to live at the retirement home run by her Aunt Yvonne. At the retirement home, Claudia meets Marjorie, an elderly woman with an enchanting music box with two dove figurines. Eager to hang out with someone her own age, Claudia befriends Kate, who lives nearby, and the two start hiking together. While on a steep trail, Claudia spots a strange symbol painted on a rock at the top of a cliff. Kate explains that the mountain sits on an ancient burial ground and years ago someone was murdered there. The sign appeared the next day, and if you stare at it too long, the ghost will possess you. They spot a young man in old-fashioned clothes at the top of the cliff. He beckons to Claudia, but she and Kate run back to the retirement home. At the retirement home, Marjorie almost starts a fire. Aunt Yvonne tells Claudia that Marjorie’s nephew is going to move her to a new home where she can get better care and asks Claudia and Kate to help pack up Marjorie’s things. Claudia gets distracted by the ghost and runs after him. Kate, meanwhile, finds a photo of young Marjorie with a man who looks like the ghost. Marjorie explains that she and Joshua had planned to meet up at the cliff and elope, but her parents wouldn’t let her go. He climbed to the top to draw the symbol of their love -- a dove -- and fell to his death. Kate runs after Claudia and rescues her as she’s dangling from the ledge. Joshua thinks Claudia is Marjorie and asks her why she didn’t show up that night. Kate tells him that Marjorie loved him but her parents wouldn’t let her go. He completes the dove symbol and disappears. Kate and Claudia later see him walking away with Marjorie’s ghost.

Stig finally takes the bag off his head and Gary tells him that he’s up next week. No pressure, Stig.

REVIEW

T: I love Stig’s little protest of being on probation by keeping the bag on his head. He’s a horrible character, but his story was a solid ten.

E: Truth! And even though I find his form of protest totally obnoxious, that’s kind of the point, right?

T: Kiki’s a total queen in the opening. And how great is that shot of Kiki saying “unspeakable evil” and Betty Ann’s look is all aww fuck yeah!

E: LOL. Unspeakable evil is Betty Ann’s bread and butter. I suspect the first drafts of her stories are significantly more horrific than the final versions she presents to the Midnight Society.

T: She saves those drafts for the One AM Society after-party with Tucker.

E: This should be a spin-off!

T: I was shook when this story started. Five seasons in, and suddenly Kiki’s telling a story about a white girl? What?! I was so relieved when Kate showed up. At the risk of stepping on a landmine, how do you feel about Claudia being white?

E: I have very mixed feelings about this. First, I think it’s perfectly acceptable for people of color to tell stories about white characters. But a big part of Kiki’s character is telling stories about people of color that reflect her own experiences. Here, one could argue that Claudia’s whiteness matters because the way she looks and the texture of her hair remind Joshua of young Marjorie. Then again, why couldn’t Marjorie be black? Would it have been too controversial even in the 1990s to depict an interracial couple who met as teens sometime between 1920 and 1950? Or was it just a casting issue and they didn’t have any non-white options for Marjorie? Alternatively, why didn’t they just make Kate the main character and start the story with her meeting the girl who’s spending the summer next door? Kate arguably plays a more important role in the story anyway. And because I can’t help adding another layer to this discussion, we have to keep in mind that Kiki didn’t really write this story, it was written by Susan Kim, a woman of color who also wrote “Curious Camera,” “Carved Stone,” and “Quiet Librarian.” Given what we know about the show and attitudes toward race in the 1990s, she probably didn’t specify a race for each of her characters and just relied on the casting department to create some diversity. Which it did! But not always in a thoughtful way, as evidenced here.

T: Kate one hundred percent should be the main character. Not just for the fact that Claudia is obnoxious, but Kate solves the problem. I’m glad you brought up Susan Kim, we don’t give enough love to the non D.J./Ron Oliver writers.

E: So true! Susan Kim wrote some classics!

T: I appreciate how shaky the camera gets to demonstrate the height of the cliff. I don’t like shaky camera during fight scenes (looking at you Bourne series!) but this gives that sense of vertigo.

E: The shaky camera works, but there are so many choices here that feel lazy or inept to me? Like, the core story seems solid but it gets mired down with awkward acting, unfortunate special effects and some cliched storytelling choices. I love the local lore that’s grown up around the sign, like how the ghost will possess you or curse you if you stare at it too long, but very little screen time is devoted to developing that. Ancient burial ground? Give me a break. And Claudia’s parents are botanists? How many times have we seen a main character dumped somewhere for the summer because her parents are scientists who have to go to science-y things? Even the jagged sign itself could be a little more foreboding.

T: I can’t not see the jagged sign as looking exactly like a dove. Maybe it’s because I know it, so it’s impossible for me to unsee it?

E: Yes, exactly! I was immediately like, “It’s a bird.” I didn’t know why it was a bird or exactly what it meant, but that made it less scary.

T: Oh snap they just see the ghost standing there? That was unexpected.

E: Usually there’s more buildup to the actual ghost-sighting, but I do kind of like that Claudia initially refuses to believe it’s a ghost and not just some high school guy hanging out on a ledge in old-timey clothing. I mean, which of those options is actually scarier?

T: Ghost Joshua has messy dark hair and he’s wearing a baggy white shirt, striped suspenders, and old-timey pants. He’s basically cosplaying Peter Kirlan from “Captured Souls” right?

E: Oh my gawwwwwwd, Troson, I’m dying. He certainly does bear a resemblance to Creepy Pete.

T: Is the villain in this kids’ story Alzheimer’s? Poor Marjorie.

E: Wow. That did not occur to me but it kind of is, isn’t it? We’re supposed to be scared of the ghost at first, but the real villain here is the way misunderstandings can go forever unresolved if people die or their memories fail. To some extent, that makes this episode a remix of “Room for Rent.” The story here is more streamlined but, again, loses points for other reasons.

T: I love when characters knock down old men on this show, like the mom in “Nightly Neighbors” not giving two shits about the ancient mailman. Claudia practically shoves the old man up the stairs.

E: Don’t you think they could’ve done a few more takes, though? It’s staged in a way that makes it look TOTALLY STAGED.

T: Absolutely, but he’s an old man and they couldn’t afford a stunt double.

E: Fair point.

T: I’m not sure Claudia’s motivations make all that much sense. Oh there’s a ghost on a dangerous ledge, so I must therefore climb the dangerous ledge? Girl, just don’t put yourself in harm’s way?

E: I know we only have twenty minutes, but a little more character development to explain this wouldn’t have taken up that much screen time. They almost get there -- Claudia is a more experienced hiker than Kate and clearly willing to take more risks. But does that willingness to take risks extend to chasing ghosts? I might have found this more believable if they skipped the unfortunate scenes where the sign appears in the mud and on the window, and Claudia was still convinced this was some random high school dude stalking her and was determined to confront him. Like hey buddy who do you think you are, cosplaying Creepy Pete and hanging around outside my window, huh???

T: So the nice old lady died and her turtledoves turn into real doves? Um, okay… Guess instead of a ghost, this is a case of that famous Dove Magic. Hey, if Train Magic is a thing, then so is Dove Magic!

E: All I can think of now is Dove ice cream bars and it’s making me hungry. Thanks a lot, Troyson.

QUEER OR NOT?

T: I’m a little disappointed in the Keekster this week. We get a white girl dealing with an old white straight couple. At least Kate’s little sister is into baseball. She’s such a minor character, but it’s nice to see Kiki including a girl demonstrating “boy interests.” Since I headcanon every Kiki story is based on her life, maybe she’s the little sister here, and Kiki has an older sister with an awful, awful friend?

E: Haaaaaa! That’s a plausible theory. I still think Kate could’ve been the main character, but that doesn’t make the story any more queer.

TRIVIA, USELESS TRIVIA

T: Duncan is played by Terrence Labrosse, who we saw last season in “Ghastly Grinner” where he played Mr. Wrightson. You probably remember him because Hooper Picalarro sat next to Ethan in Mrs. Wrightson’s science class.

E: Why does it make me so damn happy that we had an excuse to reference Hooper Picalarro in this recap?

MODERNIZE ’90s CANADIAN KIDS

T: If there’s one thing tween audiences can’t get enough of, it’s elderly living scenarios. I just don’t know with this one. Like with “Long Ago Locket,” there’s no danger except for the protagonist choosing to be endangered. I’d do a total rewrite, have Kate be the protagonist and fall for a hiker who gets herself in trouble. Hiking is a fun adventure, and you can stumble onto something, as opposed to just chasing ghosts.

E: Yes, totally on board with this hiking-themed rewrite, which absolutely must include a campfire scene in which Kate expounds on the local lore surrounding the jagged sign. You could even start with Kate being approached by Claudia because the lore has become creepypasta and Claudia is looking for a local guide to help her investigate while she’s in town. I would be perfectly willing to trade Claudia awkwardly whizzing by Duncan on the stairs for creepypasta!

T: And since you mentioned it earlier, maybe instead of Joshua, have it be a high school senior cosplaying the ghost. Boom, Jagged Sign 2.0.

E: Yes! Love it!

JUST GIVE IT A NUMERICAL RATING ALREADY

T: Unless it’s not clear, this is not my favorite episode. Claudia’s awful, there’s no real danger, and the backstory is just fine. I have to compare this to “Room For Rent” which was bumped up to a 7 due to how great Alex was. This story has no Alex factor. 6.6 OUT OF 10 CAMPFIRES.

E: Yes, this story is sadly lacking an Alex. Like “Dead Man’s Float,” this story incorporates a number of elements and tropes we’ve seen before. But instead of improving upon them, like “Dead Man’s Float” did, they seem even more lackluster here. I like the Creepy Pete cosplay, the hints at local lore, and the hiking scenes. That’s pretty much it. I’ll second your 6.6 OUT OF 10 CAMPFIRES.