Blackbird

"Blackbird" is the ninth episode of the first season of Jack & Jackie. It's the ninth episode overall.

Synopsis

Plot

Base 89, East Thermopolis, at night. There is groups of soldiers sitting on tables, chatting and nibbling. Soon, there is a silence for the next presentation: it's a song sung by Ruby, accompanied by Stuart on piano, James on the drums, and Manny on the double bass - he's particularly playing it with passion, enough for Jack to observe him and let the sound take him away. But he's missing home, so he decides to take some air, together with Morris, that does the same. Both of them leave as soon as the performance reaches its grand finale.

Jack and Morris, now wandering around the base, tell each other about their feelings for their respective suitors. Morris mentions he'd like to express himself with something magnificent, and coming in handy, they stop next to a handmade poster, saying "Big band tryouts". As Morris mentions the name of who's responsible for the test, the actual bird appears: it's Blackbird, that introduces himself and invites them to enter a fanfare rehearsal room.

There is every sort of instruments spread around the room, indeed like prepared for a test, but Morris observes that only him and Jack came by. Thinking this is "looking like a trap", they agree to leave, but Blackbird prevents them, blocking the door... While being on the other side of the room. That frightens the other two, trying to see who's going to face him.

Once again inviting them to talk, Blackbird explains that his thing is to be a drummer and he'd like to create a big band, seeing opportunities on the new soldiers. Both Jack and Morris like the idea, despite having different desires. Still, Blackbird agrees, already thinking on two bands instead of one. He tries to do a test with Jack first, offering him a guitar with the style he likes, but there's an obstacle: none of them work, because they are all right-handed, and Jack is left-handed. Frustrated, the only option is to do the test with Morris, that chooses only to sing, instead of sing and play.

From the first chords, Morris astounds both of them, showing excellent voice capacity. Jack gets excited watching his friend, and at a certain point of the song, Blackbird does a gesture like he's amplifying his power, and this works. By the end, it's like Morris leaves a trance, so big it was his dedication to the performance. He and Blackbird are already able to have a glimpse of what this can become. Right after, the rest of the Fire Wings find them, warning Jack that Billy remembered to send his guitar to the base.

Jack goes to the gate to receive his instrument, ecstatic. The mailman says to him that there's a paper coming out of the bag's front zipper, something different, since Jack never keeps anything in there. As he looks what it is, he notices it's a letter Jackie left for him, telling about her feelings and leaving him with more hope for the rest of the year.

Characters

Locations

• Base 89, East Thermopolis
• Main Hall
• Rehearsing Room
• Gate

Songs

• Why Don't You Do Right, Amy Irving ("Jessica Rabbit")
• One Mint Julep, Ray Charles
• Feeling Good, Michael Bublé
• Keys To The City, Network Music Ensemble

Continuity

• S01E08, From the Heart
• S01E10, Press Play
• S01E12, Midnight Kiss

Trivia

• The song Ruby sings is Why Don't You Do Right, a famous number from the movie Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), sung by the character Jessica Rabbit.


• The song Morris sings is Feeling Good, in a version of Michael Bublé, who is also the author's dreamcast for the character.


• On the scene that Blackbird "hipnotizes" him, the place where Morris sees himself is quite similar to the Municipal Theather of São Paulo; more specifically, as in this picture of Milton Nascimento.
• When Sam shows up, the way she moves and how she's dressed also are a nod to the character Jessica Rabbit, mentioned above.


• EASTER EGG: on the crowd, during Morris' "hypnosis".