[Anh_Minh]

Originally Posted by Wesley84

Why did Alto lie? Because he was at the mall with Sheryl. THE Sheryl. Bad enough Michael was hazing him about it, he didn't want to compound the misunderstandings further with Ranka. He wanted to spare himself the grief of being in a celebrity's shadow.

And as I said, he didn't have to say he was with Sheryl.

And need I remind the reason he went to the mall in the first place was because he spotted Ranka getting on the train?

So? It's likely he lied because he's afraid of there being a misunderstanding between him and Ranka, but that strategy backfired, as he should have known it could. After all, Ranka and Michel were together, and Michel saw him. Why not Ranka?

I thought the interview with Sheryl was pretty typical of what you'd get out of any celebrity's interview. The reporters asked her some dumb questions, questions that would have been better asked of a politician or someone knowledgeable, not a celebrity who had a personal attachment to the current crisis. And she answered them like you'd expect a celebrity to answer; inconsiderately.

She shouldn't have take any questions. She should have left it at thanks, maybe make a statement along the lines of only having eachother to depend upon while traveling through space, and that if it was the other way around, Galaxy would have come to Frontier's aid. She didn't need to act indignant and to declare her intention of committing an empty gesture of solidarity.

Only in the most totalitarian states do we get spokespeople going "This is how it's going to be. No questions." (Well, not quite. In the most totalitarian states, there's no need to inform anyone of anything.) She called a press conference, she had to take questions.

And as a star, boosting people's morale, stiffening their spines is well within her purview. She didn't make the decision, she supported it. It's normal she'd make sure people around her did too. It's the same as posting on the internet about which candidate you prefer... except she's doing in on TV. Because she's a star.

You said it was stupid to listen to a singer's word as if they mattered. You're right. But it's also stupid to believe people aren't stupid. And to not make use of it. Stupid or not, people do listen to entertainers and athletes. Throwing away such a propaganda tool would be daft.

About her returning to Galaxy: what I think she meant is, she's going to do her concert, as planned. In the meantime, Frontier's forces are going to kick the invader off her home, and she'll be able to return soon after in relative safety. She didn't mean she'd smuggle herself to a warzone. It's just another example of morale boosting. And professionalism.

I think the earring thing was resolved too quickly. Sure, it was inserted in after the pilot episode to give Sheryl a reason to stalk Alto, but it ended up feeling forced, especially when Alto hanged the earring up in his cockpit. That seemed out of character of him, doubly so when he was smiling at the darn thing.

I think it means they've come to see each other as friends. It is rather fast (but, if you think about it, no faster than the development of Ranka's and Alto's relationship. Ranka's got what, one more hour of acquaintance?)

They just clicked. It's not necessarily better than what he has with Ranka, but it's more equal. Whereas Ranka is someone to be protected and comforted, Sheryl is someone he can talk to. And he is someone Sheryl can talk to as a person rather than a star, which apparently is pretty rare.

And her admitting to being alone on Galaxy and hating the place, I think that's the sort of thing you admit after you know for sure the place has been trashed. When you have a real reason to cry. Like "I'd always hated living there, but now that it's gone..." That kind of deal.

She was admitting her fear it was lost. Sure, she couldn't do that on TV. But, as I said - friends. And what she said was growing up there, alone, was horrible. But we're not really sure what she felt about it after becoming The Sheryl Nome(tm). And more importantly, it was still her home. She was explaining to Alto that old saying "You never know what you have until you've lost it". Or, in this case, "possibly lost it". And it's not like it's completely useless, because Alto's in a similar situation regarding his home. He also doesn't like it, and it's also threatened by the Vajra. Though the threat is somewhat less immediate, of course.

They're really massaging Ranka's character more than they are Sheryl's. That's what I think. I think this episode proves it, along with adding in the earring thing.

The earring thing is really about Sheryl, not Ranka. It shows off her bond with Alto. (And it's really not resolved, since it's still in Alto's possession.)

But hey, it's normal. To have a good love triangle, all sides have to be developed. First few episodes were for Ranka, then Sheryl. I guess it'll be Ranka's turn again soon.