Laura continues to fave down her nemesis while Caitlin deals with a new one. Welcome to the commentary for "Bishop to Queen's Level Two". Please read the chapter first before continuing.
The chapter's title is a chess reference, a move of a bishop to a space in front of the queen. It shouldn't be a surprise that Caitlin knows how to play chess. The game requires being able to think a few moves ahead while still leaving room to react to the opponent's own stratagem. Caitlin may not be in the top ranks of the Chess Federation of Canada, but she can hold her own against players older than her.
Laura has her own subplot dealing with her problems with poetry. While she should have contacted Megan herself, Mr. Baker doesn't want to inflict an unwilling student on the tutor. At least Laura admitted she has a problem understanding poetry. It's a first step. Laura's tutoring, though, conflicts with Caitlin's current scheme. There may come a time when a conflict between classes and Caitlin causes problems for both girls, but it's not just yet.
Phil Wheeler presents a new challenge to Caitlin. Most of the time, Caitlin can get away with being the one who knows the most about a foe. Wheeler did his homework, throwing Caitlin off-stride. Not having Laura with her wasn't something Wheeler was expecting. However, he did have the upper hand and was expecting Caitlin.
Megan provides a confidant for Laura, someone outside the school that can still understand her confusion at the Academy. An alumna of the Academy, Megan is still bound by Rules 3 and 4, "Always support your sisters," and, "Don't get caught." Trent University is real and has campuses in Oshawa and Peterborough. Having been there once for a small anime convention, I can say that the Oshawa campus is nice enough and not too far out of the way. The question Megan leaves Laura with is a tough one. Laura's answer, "Because it's chemistry," is both wrong and right. It's not enough, not for Megan, as an answer, but it is accurate. If Laura understood why there is a difference, not only would she be able to tell Megan that, she wouldn't have as many problems in English.
The final scene is dueling breakdowns. Laura's had it with her roommates and Caitlin's dealing with being dismissed out of hand. Neither girl is taking her problems well. Skye and Autumn have learned to let Caitlin stew when she gets into this mood. Laura doesn't have the patience or the experience to go along with it. Fortunately, Laura can see that her roommate is unusually upset. It helps the Caitlin has been calm and cool since Laura arrived. Laura also had a small glimpse of insight, though Caitlin's mood pendulum swung further than anyone could expect.
Tomorrow, the new Unruly episode, Chapter 8, "Ginger Bred".
Also tomorrow, over at Psycho Drive-In, superhero films as the new Western.
Saturday, over at MuseHack, the history of adaptations project continues with the Seventies.
Also Saturday, check out Comics Bulletin for comics-related reposts of Lost in Translation.
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