The three-minute video concluded swiftly, yet William remained seated in his chair as his thoughts gradually settled. The excitement, restlessness, confusion, and anxiety that had consumed him moments ago seemed to have dissipated into thin air.
Within his chest, an enigmatic emotion surged—a blend of melancholy, isolation, and regret. "I won't be late for this, late for that, late for the love of my life. And when I die alone, when I die alone, when I die I'll be on time" These poetic words lightly struck his heart, transforming into the reverberating resonance of resounding drums deep within his soul. A sense of bittersweet ache slowly unfurled amidst the suffocating emotions.
Each one of us is a Cleopatra, draped in theatrical skins penned by the hand of God. We wear the attire of characters in the narrative, portraying roles perceived by others, becoming mere supporting players in their stories. Yet, gradually, we lose ourselves, forgetting the essence of our souls. Thus, we miss out on dreams, freedom, and lifelong love. We stand bewildered, letting remorse and regret gnaw at our spirits. Wanting to effect change, we clench our fists, only to ultimately release them. We miss out on our own lives, but when death approaches, we won't miss out anymore.
Inexplicably, William's eyes grew moist, yet a faint curve formed at the corners of his lips. The juxtaposition of tearful and joyful disarray appeared ludicrous, yet undeniably authentic.
Before his mind could fully react, William clicked the play button once more, then leaned back into his chair, quietly gazing at the computer screen. He silently admired the performance, as if his fingertips could brush the ephemeral dance of flowing light and shadow, grand and magnificent, yet exquisitely delicate. Fluttering musical notes danced and flitted, casting a feather-light touch upon his shoulders, careful not to disturb the trace of melancholy within his thoughts.
As the video concluded again, William remained seated in serene quietude. On the screen, Renly cradled a guitar, a faint and tranquil smile gracing his lips. His fingertips hovered over the strings, and a lazily radiant orange glow seemed to warm and tenderly cascade down, even time itself felt tangible.
"Do you think..." Graham's voice reached his ears, hesitating briefly. "Do you think this resembles the wealthy heir speaking from his heart?"
William paused momentarily, then broke into a delighted smile, sensing that Graham had captured the essence accurately. Yet the smile flickered away as he shook his head with conviction. "Not quite. It's safe to say that Renly's portrayal does capture shades of that young heir, but it's much more than that. His demeanor..." William sought suitable words to describe it, but found language pale and inadequate. Words halted at this juncture, unable to convey the depth, "Different."
Initially, William had only intended to gather some information about Renly. Unexpectedly, he had stumbled upon something valuable. He couldn't discern whether he had come to enjoy the song because of Renly, or if he was growing fonder of Renly due to the song. However, what he was certain of was that tonight's "The Pacific" had undeniably yielded a thrilling revelation.
"You asked, who sang the song just now?" William inquired with curiosity. The song possessed an emotionally gripping power that enticed one to immerse themselves in it, savoring each note and phrase.
Graham shrugged, "Isn't there a name here? You can search it up to find out." Seeing William opening Google to search, Graham intervened, "Cleopatra is the name of the Egyptian queen. You won't find anything searching directly. Try checking Amazon or iTunes."
As William busied himself with the search, Graham thought of something else, "No wonder the video had few views. It's a folk song."
In the year 2010, even the rural music market was contracting, let alone genres like jazz, soul, orchid, and folk. Looking at the Billboard charts, country music still reigned supreme with fifteen to twenty entries in the top one hundred. However, their highest ranking might barely touch the twenties, making clinching the top spot nearly impossible.
Hence, folk music had no market whatsoever. Renly had uploaded this video to YouTube, but it quickly became engulfed in the tide of videos, making it virtually impossible for anyone to stumble upon it.
"Eureka!" William exclaimed in delight. "It's an original creation by Renly himself!" He pointed at the iTunes single page, where the information was laid out clearly: "Lyrics by Renly Hall; Composition by Renly Hall; Arrangement, Vacant." Clearly, this was a single crafted by an independent musician, untouched by the hands of a recording engineer.
Without a hint of hesitation, William promptly paid the ninety-nine cents and purchased the download. He was so excited that he unconsciously began to rub his palms together, although even this couldn't fully express his inner excitement. "I need to share this, let others in the forum know."
He quickly returned to the Yahoo community thread. The post count had surpassed two thousand, a considerable jump from the initial eight hundred. This rapid increase clearly reflected the discussion fervor stirred by the first broadcast of "The Pacific" tonight.
William first started a separate thread titled, "Shocking, "The Pacific" Protagonist: Renly Hall." briefly explaining his discovery and attaching the YouTube video link. After posting this thread, he immediately went back to the previous thread, copying and pasting his message, feeling a sense of satisfaction only then.
Unexpectedly, as soon as the post was published, people began joining the discussion.
"I was just searching for information about this wealthy young heir. I never expected to find it here!"
"Is this the young heir who couldn't join the military due to his heart murmur? His eyes are so captivating. Every glance and smile is a performance in itself, truly extraordinary!"
"Oh my, oh my! Finally found the community!"
"He can actually sing? What on earth? Is he a singer or an actor?"
"There's hardly any information about this newcomer on the internet. Where did he come from?"
"Does he have any connections? At the premiere yesterday, both Hanks and Spielberg praised him. Could he be related to someone in the entertainment industry?"
"Who? Who are you all talking about? Which wealthy young heir? Why do I have no recollection at all? Are you referring to John Basilone?"
...
The discussions quickly began to spread. The night of "The Pacific", the discourse had just started to ferment.
After the premiere episode of "The Pacific", it predictably became the hottest topic of discussion for the next seventy-two hours. The popular thread on the Yahoo community garnered over a hundred thousand responses within this time frame. Yahoo had to restrict the thread's accessibility to maintain loading speeds and had to create a second discussion thread.
Even the thread about Renly's character garnered over ten thousand discussions within three days, indicating a consistently high level of interest.
However, the audience displayed a more reserved attitude towards the outset of "The Pacific". Accusations regarding its slow pace, fragmented plotlines, and vague themes echoed incessantly. Considering the esteemed reputation of "Band of Brothers", such severe critiques peaked after the premiere, reflecting the audience's heightened expectations that were left unfulfilled.
The IMDb real-time rating painted a telling picture, with nearly six thousand ratings placing "The Pacific" at a temporary score of 7.7. Not to mention a comparison with "Band of Brothers" at 9.5, it didn't even breach the 8 mark. This was undoubtedly a setback, underscoring how the audiences' sky-high expectations weren't met.
Of course, these impressions were primarily directed at the first episode, especially during the initial airing. Impulsive venting often led to lower-than-expected evaluations. As the series progressed, this score was bound to shift.
Contrasting with the audience's reception was the acclaim from professional film critics. The composite rating from thirty-two media outlets astonishingly reached 86 points. Not only did it match that of "Band of Brothers" original 86 points, but it slightly surpassed it, garnering positive reviews from twenty-seven media outlets and mixed reviews from five. Negative reviews were absent, with two fewer than those that had appeared for "Band of Brothers".
Time Magazine awarded a perfect score of 100, stating, "This is a work both brutal and delicate, showcasing an incredible depth in character development. Different from "Band of Brothers", which contemplated the fate of the masses and the cruelty of war, "The Pacific" delves deep into the destinies of every soldier: What should they do after returning from the battlefield? Provided they can return."
The New York Times scored it at 90, noting, "This may not be a perfectly executed episode, but it ambitiously and tightly outlines the blueprint of war—this war isn't merely about life and death; it's about the torment of every soul. Spielberg and Hanks' collaboration again displays their multi-dimensional pondering on war."
Notably, Entertainment Weekly focused on the actors.
"Clearly, this is a work about soldiers. The selection of the three leads was thoroughly considered. The first episode displayed Robert Leckie's psychological impact, igniting curiosity about his future trajectory. Where will he head next? What will happen to John Basilone and Eugene Sledge? Amidst the debut of the three actors, Renly Hall, with no prior acting experience, delivered a stunning performance, raising anticipation for the following episodes."
In contrast, Entertainment Weekly gave an 86 rating.
It was evident that the opinions of the audience and media slightly diverged, garnering even more attention for "The Pacific". People began to wonder about the future trajectory of this work. Would the viewpoints of the audience and critics shift? Would the performances of the three lead actors bring surprises?
Amidst this, the name of Renly Hall benefitted from Tom and Steven's emphasis on the night of the premiere. He stood out and began to shine, despite his limited screen time in the first episode, his initial influence wasn't pronounced. However, as time went on, the frequency of his name being mentioned grew. The situation was veering off its original track, even Tom, a strong advocate for Renly, hadn't foreseen this.
The impact had arrived!