Discontinuity = clue? [GS sample ch spoilers]

[LogicMouseLives]

and

20-30 pounds overweight is not self-destructively obese in my book, even if he's short (a little bit below 5'6" - that would be 166-167 cm).

Let's do the math 'cause I'm a nerd.

The normal/overweight threshold (according to body mass index wikipedia page) is around 70 kg/155 lb for someone who's Morty's height. If we assume that he's 30 lb overweight (83 kg/185 lb), he's still in the "overweight" range, and not "obese".

Yeah, that bit really bugged me too! In Death Masks as well, Mort was described as "...A dumpy, balding man in his late forties..." which also does not translate to "self-destructively obese." Could it be that Harry was just trying to be nice in his descriptions of him before, and that now that he's dead he doesn't care as much about the potential for offending someone with an honest description? Or maybe now that he's dead he's seeing and remembering things with less self delusion. (Of course that doesn't in any way cover the house changes, but whaddaya do?)

Here's another thing: Every person that Harry has encountered since he died seems to have become a sort of idealized version of themselves. Take a look at the descriptions of Carmichael and Captain Jack, as well as Mort. (Obviously, since we've never met Sir Stuart before we have nothing to compare him with.) It made sense to me when we were just dealing with the dead guys; you've got that whole frozen at 30 thing going on and all. But it seems like he's seeing Mort (and Mort's yard, and Mort's house and its furnishings) in idealized forms as well.

If it isn't just one huge continuity flub (and it seems as if it's much too big to be one) then I'm guessing it's a 'dead' thing.

LML

[Sydna]

Yeah, that bit really bugged me too! In Death Masks as well, Mort was described as "...A dumpy, balding man in his late forties..." which also does not translate to "self-destructively obese." Could it be that Harry was just trying to be nice in his descriptions of him before, and that now that he's dead he doesn't care as much about the potential for offending someone with an honest description? Or maybe now that he's dead he's seeing and remembering things with less self delusion. (Of course that doesn't in any way cover the house changes, but whaddaya do?)

Here's another thing: Every person that Harry has encountered since he died seems to have become a sort of idealized version of themselves. Take a look at the descriptions of Carmichael and Captain Jack, as well as Mort. (Obviously, since we've never met Sir Stuart before we have nothing to compare him with.) It made sense to me when we were just dealing with the dead guys; you've got that whole frozen at 30 thing going on and all. But it seems like he's seeing Mort (and Mort's yard, and Mort's house and its furnishings) in idealized forms as well.

If it isn't just one huge continuity flub (and it seems as if it's much too big to be one) then I'm guessing it's a 'dead' thing.

LML

Even though he is out of Chicagotory, he may not be seeing the world like it really is. Or his memory might be mixed up.

[Shecky]

Or it could be a result of Harry's evolving self-image as it overlays his views of others; he's thin to begin with, plus he's spent a LOT of time exercising and getting into better shape, so it's entirely possible that his view of others has been narrowed down by his expectations for himself.

Just theorizing here.

[LogicMouseLives]

Or it could be a result of Harry's evolving self-image as it overlays his views of others; he's thin to begin with, plus he's spent a LOT of time exercising and getting into better shape, so it's entirely possible that his view of others has been narrowed down by his expectations for himself.

Just theorizing here.

That's possible. But Harry's been running for exercise since before Death Masks. It seems like kind of a big jump in attitude from Dead Beat to the present. Plus, the phrase he used, "Self-destructively obese," is way more judgmental and unkind than the sort of descriptions Harry usually gives us.

It's been mentioned many times before how consistently--and even self-contradictorily--positive Harry is in his descriptions of women. Georgia makes a prime example of someone he flat out describes as being essentially unattractive, but then flip-flops in the same description to call her 'appealing' almost as though he simply can't stand to make an even vaguely negative statement about a girl's looks.

It just makes me wonder if that sort of self-editing was actually far more universal in his previous tales than we ever guessed.

Of course, that still doesn't touch on the hair thing. Or the house thing. Etc. Just have to wait and see.

LML

[Shecky]

That's possible. But Harry's been running for exercise since before Death Masks. It seems like kind of a big jump in attitude from Dead Beat to the present. Plus, the phrase he used, "Self-destructively obese," is way more judgmental and unkind than the sort of descriptions Harry usually gives us.

It's been mentioned many times before how consistently--and even self-contradictorily--positive Harry is in his descriptions of women. Georgia makes a prime example of someone he flat out describes as being essentially unattractive, but then flip-flops in the same description to call her 'appealing' almost as though he simply can't stand to make an even vaguely negative statement about a girl's looks.

It just makes me wonder if that sort of self-editing was actually far more universal in his previous tales than we ever guessed.

Of course, that still doesn't touch on the hair thing. Or the house thing. Etc. Just have to wait and see.

LML

Harry's kind of harsh on Mort, all because he thinks Mort has wasted a talent in something Harry holds to be supremely important - magic. That's most assuredly coloring his perception... and Harry has never been one for understatement.

[LogicMouseLives]

Harry's kind of harsh on Mort, all because he thinks Mort has wasted a talent in something Harry holds to be supremely important - magic. That's most assuredly coloring his perception... and Harry has never been one for understatement.

Are ya sure?

When was the last time he described a character (human character, that is, not mind-rending monster) as actually ugly? He's pretty uncomplimentary about Rudolph, for understandable, personal reasons. And he never waxed poetic about Mort, but I can't think of an occasion when he's really gone to town on a negative description of someone before this. (Not that the phrase we're dissecting really qualifies either, but it does stand out.) I'm not saying that that's a bad thing in any way. In fact, I kind of like it.

Fact is, Harry tends to be much more unkind in the stuff he says out loud than in what he narrates.

LML

[Shecky]

Are ya sure?

When was the last time he described a character (human character, that is, not mind-rending monster) as actually ugly? He's pretty uncomplimentary about Rudolph, for understandable, personal reasons. And he never waxed poetic about Mort, but I can't think of an occasion when he's really gone to town on a negative description of someone before this. (Not that the phrase we're dissecting really qualifies either, but it does stand out.) I'm not saying that that's a bad thing in any way. In fact, I kind of like it.

Fact is, Harry tends to be much more unkind in the stuff he says out loud than in what he narrates.

LML

That's right. Like the vast majority of relatively-civilized humanity, Harry does tend both to have extremely negative views of others and to keep those under wraps; when one of those views pops out of his mouth, it seems out of character, but it's very human. And Harry has the added bonus of personally holding those who have magic to a much higher standard, so his disapproval of those who "waste" those gifts is going to be concomitantly harsher when he actually sets himself to dealing face-to-face with those people.

[AlbinoRaven]

am I the only one that thought "oh, he redid the front of the house.", he didn't say it was a completely different house, or that it was a different address... he noted it just looks so completely different from before, which means he fixed it to look less like the spooky house on haunted hill into a zen like masterpiece.

My question about mort is more around the lines of:
1. Mort is more bald
2. Mort has lost a LOT of weight
3. Mort seems to have changed himself in a major way

The first reaction I get is "does mort have cancer"? I know he's embracing his abilities and everything but his life seems to completely have done a U-Turn, a life changing event...

Raven 

[synobal]

am I the only one that thought "oh, he redid the front of the house.", he didn't say it was a completely different house, or that it was a different address... he noted it just looks so completely different from before, which means he fixed it to look less like the spooky house on haunted hill into a zen like masterpiece.

My question about mort is more around the lines of:
1. Mort is more bald
2. Mort has lost a LOT of weight
3. Mort seems to have changed himself in a major way

The first reaction I get is "does mort have cancer"? I know he's embracing his abilities and everything but his life seems to completely have done a U-Turn, a life changing event...

Raven 

I think maybe mort has been helping Murphy's A team and it's stressing him out.

[MegaPuff75]

Maybe Morty tore down his duplex and moved the old house to its lot.

[LogicMouseLives]

Maybe Morty tore down his duplex and moved the old house to its lot.

Hee hee hee. I like this one!

LML

[Gman]

am I the only one that thought "oh, he redid the front of the house.", he didn't say it was a completely different house, or that it was a different address... he noted it just looks so completely different from before, which means he fixed it to look less like the spooky house on haunted hill into a zen like masterpiece.

My question about mort is more around the lines of:
1. Mort is more bald
2. Mort has lost a LOT of weight
3. Mort seems to have changed himself in a major way

The first reaction I get is "does mort have cancer"? I know he's embracing his abilities and everything but his life seems to completely have done a U-Turn, a life changing event...

Raven 

There have been a whole lot a major events happening around the world and especially in Chicago. Harry has been kicking some major ass. Mort probably has been informed of this stuff by his ghosty friends. Knowing about lots of bad and serious stuff can sometimes help someone focus on the important things. Perhaps Mort has decided to start using his talents for real now and got his mojo back. Perhaps Mort has seen a lot of bad stuff from dangerous ghosts (some of the fallout of Harry vs the bad guys). Perhaps Harry's insults to Mort caused him to do a change.

[Serack]

am I the only one that thought "oh, he redid the front of the house.", he didn't say it was a completely different house, or that it was a different address...

But it is.  It's the wrong address from the one he was last living in (the duplex in DB)

My question about mort is more around the lines of:
1. Mort is more bald
2. Mort has lost a LOT of weight
3. Mort seems to have changed himself in a major way

The first reaction I get is "does mort have cancer"? I know he's embracing his abilities and everything but his life seems to completely have done a U-Turn, a life changing event...

Raven 

That's a good idea... Maybe the "oreo" was actually a pill.

[KevinSig]

Not that it adds much, but is it really even snowing?  Odd time of year for snow & personally Harry would expect snow in his personal time frame.  Plus, maybe his connections to Winter might be in play.

It all depends on if everything is as it appears.

[itari]

personally Harry would expect snow in his personal time frame.

When Harry died, the weather was sunny. Why would he expect 1.5 ft of snow an hour later?