The Secret to ASJ Mind-Editing

[velyrhorde.livejournal.com]

Obviously, most of us prefer the original Hannibal Heyes to the imposter later substitution. That being said, how does one go about enjoying the final season of ASJ? Is there any way for a Heyes-loving man or woman to even watch the later shows?

To truly get that ASJ experience, one should watch the entire show, including the later episodes. But how can you get through the shows without that little voice in your head whimpering for the real Heyes? There are several methods.

The most common method is simple denial - that's not Heyes, but his cousin, who also happens to be named Hannibal. Hannibal Heyes is actually quite a typical name back in Kansas! The original Hannibal Heyes was granted amnesty first, and Kid Curry didn't want to mess that up by hanging around him after he was free and clear, so he took up with his cousin instead. The trouble with this method is that it's about as believable as the above explanation. Your brain just won't buy it.

Another method is not to watch it, but just turn the sound on in the background. That works even less than the not-watching-anything-but-Pete-episodes method. Roger Davis sounds nothing like Heyes - let's be honest, his voice is lovely and deep, but listening to ASJ episodes just makes it sound like the show's narrator is reading all of Pete's lines, and your mental editor stops short and goes "WTF?"

The best method is as follows.

1. Choose an episode. This way you know ahead of time roughly what's going to be going on, and your mental editor is already planning the way Heyes will work in the show. You need to do this soon enough after watching the Petepisodes that your mental editor has a fresh stock of Petexpressions and Pete-mannerisms to draw upon.

2. Pull up a window to an ASJ website if you are watching on your computer, or pull out your handy copy of the ASJ book if you have a DVD player. Have plenty of photos of the original Heyes that you can quickly shift your eye to, if your mental editor's focus slips.

3. Start the show. You should have the volume a little lower than you normally set it, so that you can more easily ignore the voices if you need to.

4. Pay attention to the camera shots so you can anticipate.
4.a. On long shots, focus your sight on the Kid, and let Heyes stay in your peripheral vision.
4.b. On close up shots of Heyes, focus on any object in the background, or just to one side of Heyes.
4.c. In last resort, focus on your additional photos in the book or online window.

5. Watch and listen with only part of your attention - this is the key to the entire method - at all times, point out to your mental editor that "it's really the original Heyes there, I'm just not really watching very closely, so it might not look like him sometimes."

6. Allow your mental editor to swap Original-Pete-Heyes for ImpostorSubstitution-Heyes. Again, if you experience any difficulty, give your editor another of the Original-Heyes photos to look at for a moment.

7. With the rest of your attention, show the mental movie that would have resulted had Pete made this episode.

Comments

[malnpudl.livejournal.com]

That is quite a strategy! *g*

As for me, I think my brain just sort of concluded that the Roger Davis episodes are an AU. I watch them to celebrate my Kid!love, which is vast. I think these eps really give the Kid a chance to shine -- particularly since Davis's Heyes... doesn't.

[velyrhorde.livejournal.com]

Hey you're back!

Yeah, I should have put "AU" in the essay as a choice, but I just forgot! *sniggers*

[rabidsamfan.livejournal.com]

Well, there are other ways to go.

Years and years ago I wrote a story where it turned out that Heyes was a timelord and that safe he couldn't open was his TARDIS. Even got it published in a paper fanzine (Although I'm darned if I know where it is now.)

Yes, it's a silly idea, but the fanzine editor was the one who had it first, I just wrote from the prompt.

[hutchynstarsk.livejournal.com]

LOL! I love that idea. <3

[dawnebeth.livejournal.com]

I've read that one! Hee. it convinced me through and through that Heyes is a Timelord (and I posted my comment below before I read yours.) I sold some of my You, Me and the Governor zines, so I may not have the one with that story in it anymore.

[rabidsamfan.livejournal.com]

Might have been someone else's version. The zine was a general Western zine, rather than just AS&J, and if I were conscious I'd remember what it was called. But if you did read it, I hope you enjoyed it!

[dawnebeth.livejournal.com]

Then it's just a darned good idea, and there are two versions out there.

[velyrhorde.livejournal.com]

I read one where Heyes, Trevors, and a couple of other notoriously actor-shifted-roles turned out to be Timelords, so it must have been a common prompt. The one I read had Davis/Heyes having left home so early he didn't know how to shift properly, and Trevors had to step in to save the day.

[hutchynstarsk.livejournal.com]

Your idea sounds good, V. But I don't think I can do it. :( I thought I'd watch all the eps, but it's too hard so far. I watched two episodes with the new guy, and he's fine if you don't compare him to Pete, but I am afraid I'll lose Pete's Heyes, and that's too big a price for me. Plus it kind of ... hurts.

[velyrhorde.livejournal.com]

*big hard Heyes hugs for u*

Yeah, Roger is fine -- but DVD and IMDB save our bacon with the replay button!

[devilshole.livejournal.com]

What you said. It's just too awful.

[hutchynstarsk.livejournal.com]

((( sympathy hugs )))

[dawnebeth.livejournal.com]

Yes, I like to pretend that fauxHeyes is a cousin--that or Heyes is a Timelord who has regenerated.

I wouldn't mind RD if he was supposed to be someone else other than Heyes, and he simply doesn't have the chemistry with BM that PD did.

The one thing I really like about RD? He's taller than BM, and I always prefer my duos different heights. PD and BM were too similar in height.

[velyrhorde.livejournal.com]

OMG you and me and jekesta too?!!

Yeah, that was one of the oddest things about the switch that bothered me - Kid now looking UP to Heyes! *shudders*

[zagethe.livejournal.com]

I'm right with you on this one... if they had replaced Heyes with another character I could have accepted it much better than just trying to stick RD in there as Heyes. I could have adapted to their new chemistry (or lack thereof)and been fine. I know it has nothing to do with RD personally but it makes me resent him so I can't really enjoy his performance.

[mcicioni.livejournal.com]

Ok, I'll stick my neck out and duck fast if I see any gun flashes.

Of course I don't compare RD to PD, but I do think that RD had some interesting chemistry with BM, and I also think that from a slasher's pov the scripts of the RD season were a goldmine.

I'll try explain what I think (briefly). Imo, the chemistry between PD and BM was warm, friendly, thee-and-me-versus-the-world even when they were disagreeing or arguing. The chemistry between RD and BM had more of an edge - partly competitiveness, partly weariness from being on the dodge for so long, partly frustration at the amnesty not coming through, which of them let out on the other because there was nobody else available. AND YET, in spite of all the edgy moments (or possibly because of the edgy moments), I had a feeling that they were together for better or for worse, that their future was together even after (if?) the amnesty eventually came through. All those conversations in the tag to each episode were a confirmation of this - each of them laughed at the other and/or annoyed the other, but they were together and going to stay that way.

Will shut up now, but am willing to expand further if required (and if not shot, bonked on the head, tarred and feathered out of the community)

[velyrhorde.livejournal.com]

PFUI!

This is a fanfic community, not a religious order!

As I've said before in other posts, any contribution to fandom is a contribution, and should be cherished!

You've got a point about the edginess creating good slash. I think Roger and Ben had a lot of competitiveness, whereas Ben has always admitted he admired Pete as a fantastic actor, so he never felt he could compete on an equal level with the man. I also agree that Roger was a talented actor in his own right, and that he and Ben did have interesting chemistry together.

I -- along with many ASJ fans -- just happen to prefer Pete-Heyes *smirk* The Pete-Ben chemistry owed a lot to Pete's sheer presence - he loved touching other people, peering into their faces to see their reactions, and generally making sure that they "got" whatever he was going for. This created a more intimate Heyes, one that seemed closer to the Kid than Roger's Heyes did. Not going to shoot or bonk your head, just not gonna budge that Pete was one of the most talented actors of our generation.

Did you note the lovely Roger Photo I had in the ASJ rec BTW?

As an aside ... 0.o you're an AUSSIE!! I shall now bother you mercilessly for my Aussie velyr character to make sure his language is proper!!! I have a veritable treasure chest of comments he should make for various occasions to prove he's really Aussie.

[solosundance.livejournal.com]

The chemistry between RD and BM had more of an edge - partly competitiveness, partly weariness from being on the dodge for so long, partly frustration at the amnesty not coming through..

I agree and I'm interested in this element of their relationship - the edgier side. We don't see it often in fic. Of course I also like your feeling that despite this they were together for better or worse :D I'm fine to watch the RD eps, just to get further inspiration about the boys (and to look at Kid Curry), although in my head when I write or think about them it'll always be Pete's Heyes I see.

[devilshole.livejournal.com]

For my part I respect that opinion though I don't share it, and I don't think you'll get any bashing from anyone on here - I don't think any of us Pete-only folks have anything genuinely against Roger Davis (even I, who've "hated" him my whole life - it's a juvenile thing that I run with because it causes no one any harm *g*).