Set Design

Jamie: But I also think that we should mention the four boxes as I like to call them. Basically the set involved - It was a sort of a general, you know, standard set with a rotating floor. But on this floor there were four black boxes and everything, all the furniture, all of the, you know, stage furniture was constructed out of these four boxes. So, they'd form a bed, they'd form a seat, they'd form the interior of a shop, they'd form a stable. And even though they were just four boxes, Dans and Richards and all of the other actors movements around them made you think you were actually on these things. It was brilliantly done.

Andrew: Yeah.

Jamie: And they had really practiced it. And they would transition scenes. So they'd walk around this box and suddenly the entire atmosphere would change. Like they'd, you know, walked into a different room, into a different studio. It was brilliant.

Andrew: Right, right. And they would move the boxes. There was no stage crew...

Jamie: Yeah.

Andrew: ...to do it, they would do it for themselves. And during a couple points in the play I was like, well, what happens if someone forgets to move a box? [laughs]

Jamie: Yeah, exactly.

Andrew: Improvise or something?

Jamie: I guess they mustve.

Andrew: So that was good.

The Horses

Andrew: Also, we wanted to talk about the horsemen.

Jamie: Oh my god.

Andrew: So, basically, these guys play the horses. They don't have real horses on the stage, obviously. And, basically, they were fantastic.

Jamie: They were amazing.

Andrew: They wear these masks that are basically...

Jamie: They're like cast iron.

Andrew: ...like helmets, sort of.

Jamie: They're like...

Andrew: Yeah, like cast iron. They look very heavy.

Jamie: They do look heavy. But these guys as well. Theyre like - these guys are six-foot-five, six-foot-six. You know? :ean, tall. And theyve got the horses actions down to - it's just absolutely brilliant. Like...

Andrew: The neck movements.

Jamie: Yeah, yeah. The neck movements, the face movements, it's just absolutely brilliant. You honestly think that you are on stage with these horsemen. And everything they do is just absolutely brilliant. I mean, for me they stole the show completely. I thought they were just absolutely brilliant.

Andrew: Yeah, they were very cool.

Jamie: But didn't you think the masks were kind of, you know, creepy? They were very well done, but just a bit.

Andrew: I guess they were creepy if you were sleeping and you woke up and one was right over top of you. [laughs] I'd be freaked out a bit.

[Jamie laughs]

Andrew: Yeah, I mean, they were cool. I really thought that they were well done.

Jamie: Yeah, they really were.

Andrew: They also had hooves. They had hooves on the bottom, so when they walked they sounded like horses too.

Jamie: Yeah. It's brilliant. The effects were just amazing, the sound effects.

The Final Scene

Andrew: Yeah, and then the best part. A little spoiler here. It's at the end when Dan - everyone knows this - when Alan starts whipping the horses eyes out, and theyre eyes are actually lit up, but to illustrate that they're...

Jamie: They're blinded, yeah.

Andrew: Right. The lights in their eyes would go out. And that was very cool.

Jamie: And, can we say, the final scene was just amazing. Everything that has been done so far has built up to this final scene. And whilst there is some humor in the rest of the play, there is a cutoff point about two minutes before the final scene and you just know that there will be no more laughs. The entire audience sort of dies down a bit and, you know, falls back into their shells and just creeps over the edge of their seats in front just to see whats going on. It's a scary last scene, but it is done so well. Absolutely brilliant.

Andrew: Yeah.

Sound, Lighting and Some Criticisms

Jamie: Criticisms? Should we do - or should we talk about...

Andrew: Yeah.

Jamie: ...the effects first, because you wanted to talk about the ocean and lighting.

Andrew: The effects are very well done. I mean, this isn't like your typical musical, and I haven't seen many other Broadway plays, but this is very bare-bones. You have the boxes, like we mentioned, but also they take advantage of a lot of stage lighting. Like when they transition to an ocean scene. These lights from above shine down on the floor, and it looks like the lights are moving so that it looks like there's waves and then there is sand. Stuff like that. And then you hear music - or not music, but the beach ambience. It's very nice.

Jamie: Yeah. "Every Time We Touch" comes on...

Andrew: Yeah. [laughs]

Jamie: ...right at the end.

Andrew: Lights start flashing and they start to do back flips.

[Everyone laughs]

Jamie: And then everyone just jumps onto the stage and starts dancing. It's brilliant, it's brilliant. Absolutely amazing. But, criticisms. One thing I mentioned already, Dans voice. It would just sort of break, rather than boom, occasionally. Which is just because he isn't used to theatre, I guess.

Andrew: He's 17. His voice isn't even fully developed yet, I don't think.

The Nude Scene

Jamie: A couple of things I'd say about the nude scene, and of course it's what everyone waits for. It happens very slowly, and you can feel the intake of breath from the audience as it happens, but Dan does it with complete professionalism. There's no, "Oh my god, I'm getting naked on stage." He is an actor now, a complete actor, and yeah, it is extremely well done. He acts as though he isn't naked. It's brilliant.

Andrew: Yeah, and now that we've seen the play, it was really blow out of proportion, you know?

Jamie: Yeah.

Andrew: All the articles, "Harry Potter goes nude!" and stuff like that. It's just uncalled for, and it's really not true - I mean, it's true that he's nude...

[Jamie laughs]

Andrew: But it's not like...

Jamie: No, it's one hundred percent true. Trust us.

Andrew: It's unfortunate that it's been blown out of proportion this much, especially with how serious this play has become, and now I understand why it's so uncalled for.

Jamie: Oh yeah.

Seating

Andrew: But yeah, that scene was very good. That's at the end. That whole ending scene was very good. [laughs] Our main problem was that our seats were not the best.

Jamie: I didn't think that they were that - obviously, we said they were bad, but I just didn't think they were that bad.

Andrew: They weren't bad, it was an interesting angle, but we were on stage, up in the seats behind the stage, so basically you're looking down at the play, like directly down.

Jamie: Yeah.

Andrew: You have to lean over the banister thing. It was uncomfortable. It wasn't the most...

Jamie: You have to rest your chin on your forearms because you can't see over the edge.

Andrew: I wasn't even sitting on the seat at some points; I was on my knees.

Jamie: Yeah.

Andrew: So, I could get comfortable. [laughs] Yeah, it was an interesting angle, it was the fun way to watch a show. I mean, it was just uncomfortable. If we were sitting in real seats...

Jamie: It was a little bit uncomfortable, yeah. And also, because, obviously, the actors talked toward the stalls in the front. Occasionally, a word wasn't heard.

Andrew: Yeah, exactly.

Jamie: Or a couple of words weren't heard, but overall, I didn't think it was that bad. We got so immersed into the play I thought that, you know,...

Andrew: We really did.

Jamie: I thought that wherever you were sitting didn't really matter. The only problem is, they had booths along the edge of the stage area, and because you're sitting above two of them, you can't see what's happening in them.

Andrew: Oh, right.

Jamie: So, at times, we had a blind spot where we couldn't see stuff, which, obviously, would have been solved if we were sitting in the stalls. I, overall, didn't think it was too bad.

Andrew: An enjoyable time.

Worth The Money

Eric: Sorry, final thing. How often does it show - does Equus show? Like, how often? Can you catch an every day matinee or what?

Jamie: Oh yeah. Oh, I think it's every day at half seven in the evening, and Wednesday and Saturday matinees. And I think it's showing until June, and it really is worth seeing. I know there is talk of them taking it to Broadway, but obviously Dan won't be doing that due to the Potter films.

Andrew: Probably won't, yeah.

Jamie: So, I would really suggest that if anyone can go and see it, go and see it because it's really just well worth the money.

Eric: Because this is... Yeah.

Andrew: Yeah, and plus Richard Griffiths. He's never done anything on Broadway, has he? In New York City?

Jamie: I don't know.

Andrew: I doubt he'd come to America to do that play.

Jamie: Yeah.

Andrew: I think he'd move on by then, but see it now while you can, and make sure you can see those two because they are fantastic.

Jamie: They really were good.

Eric: And that's really the thing to realize, with theatre, is that they're doing it everyday.

Jamie: Yeah.

Eric: They are in the character from beginning to end. It's not just something you watch once. This is Dan going out everyday getting into that character and behaving the exact same way. And that's what I love about theater.

Jamie: Oh yeah.

Eric: It's just, Dan Radcliffe will be there, at that theatre, every night from now until June.

Jamie: Oh yeah, completely.

Andrew: Unless he's got an understudy.

Jamie: Unless he's got an understudy, yeah.

Eric: That's another question I wanted to ask. If he can't come out one night and he has an understudy, wouldn't people be pissed?

Jamie: Well, perhaps.

Andrew: Yeah.

Eric: Can he not get any breaks because of that, or...

Jamie: Well, that's what happens. No, no, well, that's just what happens. I think that's what you accept when you go to the theatre. There's a chance there will be an understudy playing, and we should bring up the story that John and Melissa from PotterCast. They went to see Equus a few days before we did.

[Andrew laughs]

Jamie: And they, unfortunately - Richard Griffiths had come down with flu, and they had his understudy. [laughs] In fact, it was a guy who normally has a relatively minor role in the play, and he had been elevated to the part of the psychiatrist. And of course he didn't know the lines because he had only been told he was getting it a few days before, or a few hours before, so throughout the entire play he had a book open with the lines and he was reading through it. And they said that he was still good and very into the play, but I think that I would have been very disappointed if that happened.

Andrew: Yeah. I wouldn't have been able to be as drawn into the play seeing him read from the script. [laughs]

Jamie: Yeah. Yeah, exactly.

Andrew: That's unfortunate, but I guess it happens. Alright, so I think that's our Equus review.

Jamie: Go see it.

Andrew: If any of you have feedback about your Equus experiences, please email them to mugglecast at staff dot mugglenet dot com, and we'll talk about it a little more next week, maybe.

Eric: I have to go, but the combined number of pages for the US edition is 4,195. Anyway, alright, peace out, people.

Jamie: See you later.

Andrew: See you.

Voicemail: Emotional Ties

Andrew: Okay, so this week, for everyone, we have lots of voicemails to get to, right, Laura?

Laura: That's right. You guys ready?

[Audio]: Hey guys, this is Laura from Dallas. I was listening to MuggleCast 81 earlier today, and fans were debating about whether or not Harry should live or die. And on the death side, people never really seemed to bring up that Harry has less and less emotional ties to the Earth every book. And, you know, people are saying that he could die just because of J.K. Rowling not wanting the series to continue after Book 7 and any portrayal of her characters or anything, but I think one of the main reasons that Harry might die, from a literary context, is that he has less and less ties to the Earth because all of his loved ones that he's lost. I mean, Sirius and Dumbledore and everybody and his parents. I mean, if there is a wizarding afterlife, then that might just be the best place for his character to go. So, yeah. Nobody really brings that up ever, so I thought I should call in. Bye!

Andrew: So, she's saying that because he's lost so many people to begin with, at this point he'd be happier dead.

Laura: He'd be happier dead. Yeah.

Andrew: Yeah, someone brought that up at the live show, actually.

Jamie: They did, but I mean she's saying that he would basically die of a broken heart because I don't think that's Harry. I don't know, I don't think he'd ever give up.

Laura: I don't think she's saying he'd die of a broken heart. I think she was looking at it from more of a literary aspect, thinking that Harry has lost so many people that he loves, and at the end of the seventh book it's very possible that the only people he could have worth living for would be Ron, Hermione, and Ginny, and she's kind of wondering what sort of weight that holds against his parents and Sirius and Dumbledore and everybody. That's assuming that those three don't die.

Micah: I think that part of the reason that J.K. Rowling has written this character is to show how he perseveres through all of this kind of thing.

Jamie: Exactly. Yeah, I agree.

Micah: And for him to just sort of die because it's the easy way out, in a sense, to be reunited with all those people, I don't think that that's necessarily the case.

Laura: Well, the thing is I don't think that he's going to die to be reunited with anybody, but, in her defense, I don't think that's what she's saying. She's not looking at it from kind of a weakness from Harry's character, she's looking at it from a literary point.

Jamie: But I don't understand. So, is she just saying that in classical literature - in literary devices, people die when everyone close to them is - when they have nothing.

Laura: When they have nothing. Well, yeah, because the thing is, you know how on previous shows we talked about how certain characters, and I'm not sating this is true with every character because then Ben has a heart attack.

[Jamie laughs]

Laura: But certain characters in these books have died because they have served their purpose in the series. I think that is what she's saying.

Jamie: Oh.

Laura: That maybe after Harry kills Voldemort there is really no point in him being around anymore. [laughs] It's harsh, but...

Micah: But he is the series, though.

Jamie: A little harsh, but...

Andrew: Well, isn't it the case that, in any fiction tale, that whenever somebody dies, they have finished or...

Laura: Yes.

Andrew: ...served their purpose?

Laura: Thats kind of a literary...

Jamie: No, because people...

Andrew: So, but if we take it that way, then if Harry dies, will he have served his purpose?

Jamie: No, because Sirius didn't completely serve his purpose, you could say.

Laura: Yes, he did.

Andrew: No, he doesnt...

Laura: Yes, he did.

Jamie: No, because you can say that his purpose was to be Harrys godfather.

Laura: He's done.

Jamie: Why would...

Laura: He wasnt doing a very good job of it.

Jamie: Im sorry, Laura, that you think that...

[Micah laughs]

Jamie: Everyone should just die, and that would be the end of it.

Andrew: Yeah, we dont follow that attitude.

Laura: Im not Andrew, I dont think that everybody should die.

Jamie: Yeah, he does.

Andrew: When did I ever say that anybody should die?

Laura: I guess that was Ben.

Andrew: [laughs] Yeah.

Laura: But you still think that Harry should die so I dont want to talk to you, but...

Andrew: I do think that Harry should die. He's...

Jamie: You mean, mean, person.

Andrew: ...gotten away with too many things. And this is the seventh book and seven equals everything.

Jamie: Yes, it does.

Andrew: According to everyone, so... [laughs]

Jamie: Yeah.

Laura: Seven equals death, right?

Micah: I dont know. I think...

Jamie: That's a very logical argument.

Micah: It would depend...

Jamie: Toots.

Micah: ...what happens [laughs] in the final book. I mean, I think it depends who else dies.

[Jamie laughs]

Micah: And that's what I meant when I said that. I think it matters who else dies. I mean, if he has nothing left for him...

Jamie: Yeah.

Micah: ...the people who are closest to him, then maybe. But that is not how his character is built. His character is not built to sort of die just because those who are the closest to him...

Jamie: I do understand what she means, the voicemail girl.

Laura: Yeah, me too.

Jamie: Because, if you think, if Voldemort had been killed the night it had rebounded off Harry, the whole plot of the books - you wouldn't have a plot because everything that happens is to do with Voldemort. You know, when Harry learns a new spell...

Andrew: Yeah.

Jamie: ...it's to help him in his fight against Voldemort. When they go down to see Hagrid it's, you know, being friends with the people on the good side because there is a bad and good side because Voldemort is alive. So, I see what you mean. After Vodemort's gone, what will Harry have to do apart from live a normal life, which he can't, he can't possible do that now. He's had so upset - misfortune that...actually, that was too... Go on.

Andrew: Going back to Micah's point, actually, Micah, a listener brought up that, at the live show last week, that Ginny can be a deciding factor in the seventh book.

Jamie: Oh, yeah.

Andrew: Because if she dies or - if she dies, that could bring Harry to either really want to kill Voldemort even more or feel like he has no purpose. He has no one left to live for. So it's strange.

Micah: Well, I...

Jamie: Well, I think it comes down to - sorry, go on.

Micah: I was just going to say, you know, he could have done numerous things to himself throughout this entire series or put himself in even worse positions, I think, but regardless of who has died, and it started with his parents and obviously Sirius and Dumbledore, but he's still gotten through it. And I know the reason why he has gotten through this has principally been to get to Voldemort. One of the other things that I think, and this may support what she is saying more than the position that I have been taking so far, is just that Dumbledore says that there are things far greater or far worse than death, and I think one of them for Harry would be living in world where he has lost everything.

Voicemail: Harry and Ginny

Andrew: All right, let's move on.

[Audio]: Hi, MuggleCast. This is Jordan from Michigan. I am listening to Episode 81, I think it is. The "Live in London," and you're saying you want to know if Harry actually loves Ginny or what if he really loves Ginny because he liked Cho too. And what I think is he probably does because when Cho was dating Cedric, he never seemed to get extremely jealous and then you see him with Ginny and she'll be kissing Dean, and the "creature in his chest" roared. Then, when he finally kissed her, it says that the "creature in his chest roaring with triumph," he ran down to Ginny. And so I really dont think he could have liked Cho that much if he didn't get as jealous when Cedric was dating her. So, that's what I think about it. Love the show! Bye!

Jamie: Well, we compared Cho and Ginny saying exactly what - he liked both of them, but how far did that like extend? Did he just have a crush on Cho or has he liked Ginny the entire time, and his feelings have only manifested themselves after he smelled the Amortentia and he realized that he liked her and now he loves her, or is it just a crush like Cho? Thats what we are talking about.

Laura: Mhm. Well...

Andrew: So, what is she saying?

Laura: She is basically calling in in support that Harry actually loves Ginny, and it's not just a crush, and that he didn't actually love Cho. And yeah, I think that he does love Ginny. I think there is no doubt about it. I think in a way, he always has. Not to sound cliche, but I think, in a way, he has seen her as his, you know, kind of like his family.

Andrew: Yeah, I was just going to say.

Laura: Because the Weasleys are his family.

Andrew: Hes known Ginny for - since the beginning.

Laura: Since they were kids. I mean...

Andrew: He knows their entire family and he loves Mrs. Weasley and the rest of them, so - he sees Mrs. Weasley as a mother already.

Jamie: Ah, that really annoys me though when in - this is a complete deviation, Im sorry, but in Order of the Phoenix when Sirius and Mrs. Weasley are arguing in the kitchen and she is like - no, he is like, "Well, he isn't your son," and he's like, "He's as good as." And that really annoyed me because - Id be really annoyed of I was Harry there because she has to act - she has to care for him because that is how the relationship is. But Sirius has tried his best and it isn't his fault he got sent to Azkaban. He's an innocent man and he has tried his best and to be told, he's as good as my son when you've been away. Yeah, I could have punched her then.

Andrew: Yeah. Well, Mrs. Weasley tends to overreact sometimes. She gets caught up in the moment.

Jamie: Stuck in the moment.

Andrew: So, and she can't get out of it.

[Jamie laughs]

Voicemail: Choices

Laura: All right, our next voicemail got a little messed up when I was downloading it off Skype. So, Chris from the U.K. wants to know:

"If Harry had to choose between sacrificing himself to save his friends, or defeating Voldemort, what would he do? Because, obviously if he sacrificed himself to save Ginny, Ron, or Hermione, there would be nobody around to kill Voldemort because nobody else can."

So, what do you guys think?

Jamie: Doesn't it come down to why does, sort of - I think he'd want to think that, you know, "I have a job here and I can't let anything stand in my way." But he's, you know, he cares for people too much. He's like Dumbledore. He...

Laura: Well, he said so himself, he has a saving people thing.

Jamie: Yeah. Yeah, he really does.

Laura: So, what would he do?

Jamie: Well, I think...

Laura: I mean what if somebody was, like, holding Ginny with a knife or whatever. And they said... [laughs] Oh my god, that's so bad - they said, "Come here and let me kill you." What would he do? [laughs] If he hadn't defeated Voldemort yet?

Jamie: He'd say, he'd say, "Calm down."

Andrew: "It's alright. We'll get through this together."

Jamie: "It's fine. We'll get through this. What do you want?" "Five million dollars in used twenties."

Andrew: I don't think that's how...

Jamie: "Okay. That's fine. That's fine."

[Laura laughs]

Andrew: I don't think that's how Jo would end it, though, because...

Laura: No, I don't think so either.

Andrew: It's so, like... That's what you see in the movies and TV shows. I just saw The Departed the other day, great film by the way, and that happens a few times in there. It's too generic.

Micah: Yeah.

Laura: I'm not saying that's something that would happen. He's basically asking a question about Harry's character. What would he do? Not saying it will happen. Not saying anything like that, even close.

Micah: It depends who it is, I think. I mean - maybe not, actually.

Laura: Yeah, like, I mean, for Ginny he would. Ron, you know, not so much.

Jamie: Ooooh!

Andrew: [laughs] You don't think so?

Jamie: Laura, Laura...

Andrew: Maybe he would save Ron for Ginny, even if they got in a big fight.

Jamie: And, Laura, you just don't understand boys' relationships. We're, you know, we're brothers. All men are brothers. You know, we're...

Andrew: Yeah. Brother from another mother.

Jamie: Brothers from another mother. Yeah.

[Andrew laughs]

Laura: So, if some psycho came up and, like, grabbed Andrew, right?

Jamie: [laughs] Yeah. Toots. Toots.

Laura: And had a knife. What would you do, Jamie?

Jamie: I'd say - Well, because I'm an expert in all forms of martial arts, I'd kick the beep out of him. And then Andrew and I would go and get McDonald's.

Andrew: Yay!

[Jamie laughs]

Andrew: Even if Ron had, like, you know - Laura, you say that he wouldn't do it for Ron, but even if Ron was in that situation...

Laura: No, no, no. It was a joke. I was making fun of Micah. [laughs]

Andrew: Oh. Okay.

[Laura laughs]

Micah: How is she making fun of me?

Jamie: In all honesty, though, it's...

Laura: Sorry, Micah.

Jamie: I don't know [laughs] In all honesty, though, it’s - you'd hope that he'd see the wider, you know, cause. Because millions of people will die if he saves Ginny. It's - what's this parallel? Oh my god, there's an awesome parallel. What is it? I can't think of this - would you save? Oh, it's Spiderman. That's it. It's Spiderman. When the Green Goblin holds up Mary Jane on one, sort of, hand. And that thing of school children on the other. So...

Andrew: Oh, yeah.

Jamie: And he manages to save both. I'm sure that Harry would just do the same. He'd just spin some web and kick Voldemort's ass. And save Ginny.

Andrew: That was a very cool scene, by the way. I thought...

Laura: That was cool.

Andrew: I thought the kids were screwed, for sure.

Jamie: Yeah, I thought they were as well.

Micah: One question is that, how is anybody not able to defeat Voldemort? I mean, once his Horcruxes are gone...

Jamie: Well, exactly. That's true, yeah.

Micah: Why does it have to be Harry? You know?

Jamie: It doesn't.

Micah: To me, it doesn't make any sense.

Laura: Because Harry's the only that has the knowledge to do it.

Andrew: Because only one may live while the other survives.

Jamie: No, but, he's absolutely right. Why does it - this is all very complex stuff. But, why does it have to be Harry?

Laura: Because Voldemort made it so.

Micah: I think that the prophecy has a lot more meaning.

Jamie: But why? Why is he the only one?

Laura: Because he's an idiot.

Jamie: No, but, why is Harry the only one? Okay, after these Horcruxes...

Laura: Harry wasn't the only one, though. It could have been Neville.

Jamie: But why now is it only him? Now, after his Horcruxes...

Laura: Because Voldemort marked Harry as his equal...

Jamie: But Laura, Laura...

Laura: Nobody else can defeat him.

Jamie: Laura, if Harry took away all of his Horcruxes. Then you tied Voldemort to a chair. And he took away his wand and Snape came along. Are you saying that Snape could not Avada Kedavra him? Because of course he could.

Andrew: He could, but I think - are you just playing...

Laura: I don't know. I think there's something...

Jamie: I'm not playing...

Laura: I think you're just playing devil's advocate.

Jamie: I'm not, I'm not. I'm not, because the prophecy...

Andrew: I think you are.

Jamie: OK, well, I'm not. Sorry.

Andrew: Because this is the story of Harry Potter. So it can't be Snape who finally defeats Voldemort.

Laura: It would be stupid.

Jamie: But the prophecy is only - but if Harry turned around now and said, "That's it. I'm not going to, you know, do it." Then someone could still kill Voldemort. If someone had all of his Horcruxes.

Laura: I don't think so.

Andrew: I guess it's true.

Jamie: Harry...

Andrew: It is true.

Jamie: Of course he could. It'd be...

Laura: But how many people know about the Horcruxes? That's the whole point.

Jamie: Ah well, yes. You're absolutely right. But if Harry got rid of them, Voldemort would be a mortal man. Yes, he'd be an extremely powerful wizard, but any wizard could kill him if they managed to, you know? If they had the skill - the magical skill, then they could. This prophecy thing is a bunch of bulls, really. Because...

Laura: I don't think so. I don't think so, I think it's a lot like...

Micah: It's only as good as the people that believe in it. That's the thing.

Jamie: Yeah. It's true. It is really is true.

Laura: I think that's true to an extent. But I also kind of feel like, it's almost kind of like karma. You know? It comes back and it gets you...

Jamie: I know, yeah.

Laura: Whether you did something good or something bad. And it's not necessarily the prophecy. It's kind of along the lines of - I've completely forgot what they call it. The pact that they make.

Jamie: Oh, okay.

Laura: The Unbreakable Vow.

Jamie: Oh, yeah. Yeah.

Laura: It's kind of along those lines. Like, you have to do it.

Jamie: But, Harry doesn't have to, though. That's the thing.

Laura: It's just sort of ingrained. But the thing is, they can say he doesn't have to all he wants, but who has more reason than Harry?

Jamie: To do it. Oh, of course he has reason. But don't you think it comes down to you either view the prophecy as taking into account all the possible choices that Harry can make? So, like, it's like the - let's think. You can't go back in time to kill your grandfather. Because you'd be dead now, you know? You see. That, you know, grandfather paradox. You can't say that Harry would change his mind and not go and kill Voldemort. Because the prophecy, which is going to come true, already states that one will kill the other. So, they can't not come into combat. Or you can take it to mean that that's the prophecy, but if Harry chooses, he can choose his own fate. Which was...

Laura: Yeah, but I think that the point is...

Jamie: ...recurring theme in Mortal Kombat.

[Laura and Micah laugh]

Laura: Great. I think the point is...

Micah: A lot of stories, it's a recurring theme. I mean, because people choose to do - or it's more of what people choose not to do. They choose to avoid what is being told to them.

Jamie: Issues. Yeah.

Micah: And it ends up happening as a result. I mean, in so many different things.

Jamie: Yeah.

Laura: But I think the point is, Voldemort is not making that choice. Harry could make that choice all day long...

Jamie: That's true, yeah.

Laura: And Voldemort still wants to kill him. So, as long as one of them is still going along with the prophecy, they don't have a choice.

Micah: However...

Jamie: Go on.

Micah: Voldemort doesn't know the full prophecy.

Jamie: He doesn't know.

Laura: Yeah, but he doesn't know the full prophecy, but he's still going to keep going after Harry.

Jamie: Can I draw my - I've just thought of the exact link I was thinking of. Those two different types. For people who have seen Minority Report, the woman in it who created Pre-crime has - for people who haven't seen it, this is just going to go completely over your head. But, she said that - basically the premise is that these people, the Precognitives, can see into the future of what is going to happen. And they can see murders. And the protagonist - for those people haven't seen it, again, let me just completely spoil it. The protagonist who works for Pre-crime and sees what the Precogs see and then acts on these and arrests the people who are about to cause these murders, he sees himself killing someone. And then he goes on the run. And then he goes to see the woman who created Pre-crime, and he says, basically, "Why can't I just sit still here? And not go to the place where I'm supposed to kill the person?" And she says, "Because you are supposed to be at that place. And everything you do will lead up to you going to that place. So, even if you sit still, something will happen to get you to that place. Because every choice that you make now is already reflected in the future. So, there's nothing you can do now to change your future." So, either you take that, or you take the fact that you can change exactly. You can just say, "Right. Stop. I'm just going to lie here and completely alter my fate."

Micah: But didn't it turn out that that memory was planted?

Jamie: What? Sorry?

Micah: Wasn't that planted?

Jamie: No, no, no. It actually happened. He actually went to the place where he was about to kill and he was about to kill the person...

Micah: But he didn't kill him, did he?

Jamie: He did...

Micah: I can't remember, I saw such it such a long time ago.

Jamie: No, well he... I think he... Actually, wait. Did he kill him? Yes, he did. He fell out the window...

Micah: The window.

Jamie: He shot him - yeah. But because he thought he kidnapped his son, but he actually hadn't. Very interesting film, though...

Micah: Oh, yeah. Especially the refrigerator scene, that was disgusting. [laughs]

Jamie: What? Oh, yeah, that was awful, yeah.

Andrew: Jamie gives it two thumbs up.

Micah: Yeah.

Jamie: Huh? Yeah. [laughs]

Click here to go to page three