Therapy for the rest of them.

[sidney]

Over the years, we have made many judgements on Murdock's mental health. But what about the rest of them?
What is the origin of BA's anger issues?
Is Face's womanizing because of his need to feel loved?
Is there a reason for each one's addition to the jazz?
Is Hannibal's lack of identity (if John Smith is an alias) due to some trauma?
What about BA's wardrobe? Is he needing attention? Is Face with his wardrobe?
Why did Amy cut her hair? Was it rooted in an issue she was struggling with?
Why did Tawnia 'Single White Female' Amy like she did? Did Tawnia have other issues?
Why was Hannibal so reliant on those cigars? BA to the van?

[amyk]

Here are my attempts to answer these questions:

What is the origin of BA's anger issues? I think BA grew up in a really tough neighborhood and between that, plus BA apparently witnessing his dad being beat up really bad, this led to BA’s anger issues.

Is Face's womanizing because of his need to feel loved? I think that because Face felt abandoned by his mother, he may have never really learned very well how to experience love from a woman in a non-sexual way.

Is there a reason for each one's addiction to the jazz? I think only Hanibal is truly addicted to the jazz, and I don’t know why exactly he is.

Is Hannibal's lack of identity (if John Smith is an alias) due to some trauma? I think that John Smith has to be his true name because I don’t see how he could have got in the military under a false identity.

What about BA's wardrobe? Is he needing attention? I think BA’s wardrobe is a way for him to express his independence and freedom.

Is Face needing attention with his wardrobe? Yes.

Why did Amy cut her hair? Was it rooted in an issue she was struggling with? Okay, this made me laugh, as I didn’t think that cutting one’s hair is generally connected with a deeper issue, unless one is trying to change their identity. However, now that I thought more about it, perhaps Amy was trying to appear less “traditionally feminine” in order to prove to the team that she could be part of the team just as much as the guys on the team. That may be a stretch, but it is what crossed my mind.

Why did Tawnia 'Single White Female' Amy like she did? Did Tawnia have other issues? I don’t even know what you mean by the first question..

Why was Hannibal so reliant on those cigars? He said they help him think.

Why was BA to the van? If you mean why was BA reliant on the van, I think that he took a lot of pride in it because he probably fixed it up from being worthless to being the impressive vehicle we all know and love.

[Katia]

I actually thought this might be about what the others may've gone through after the war.

I sort of have thoughts down for a thread about Murdock that I will eventually get around to posting, but here's the part from that about the other guys:

I was just thinking back to that episode where they're hired by the other Vietnam veterans, two of whom are now physically disabled because of the war, and Hannibal makes some comment about "you guys have made a big sacrifice." 

But the team did, too.  They came home without physical disabilities, but they went through some serious stuff during the war-- we know at least on one occasion they were POWs and were starving and tortured, but there are allusions to other bad things along that vein as well.  And I had the thought that "not all disabilities can be seen/are physical."  Relating mostly to Murdock, but since we meet up with them 10 years after the end of the war, we don't know what the other three might've gone through and gotten over-- or learned to push down/hide-- all those years ago {I read part of a fanfic once where Face has a pill addiction, and I could see it}.  But while the show is willing to give the nod to physical injuries sustained {sort of, though not really}, it never truly wants to deal with Murdock's issues even though they're THE thing he's known for, in pretty much every episode (I've even thought about writing a part where we find out that the reason B.A. is so annoyed by Murdock being a “crazy fool” is because he can't deal with the fact that the things they went through messed up Murdock so badly/the things they went through were so awful that they can mess someone up badly, so he treats Murdock/the situation with disdain and impatience because he can't handle actually facing it head-on...). 

Anyway, I don't know how much we can pathologize. After all, Hannibal has a smoking habit. B.A's hobby is his car (which he presumably has put a lot of time and money into, not to mention he's in it a LOT and there's probably sentimental value-- it's also possible he grew up without much money and maybe his car was always the first major thing that was his). Those things aren't unusual (see also Amy's haircut below).  And, for Hannibal, could've been the need to have something in his hands, or maybe it was a sort of "personal brand" thing, like an image he wanted to put on-- which I think is very much in keeping with his character.

As for the jazz... again, maybe just how they are. I think you have to have a certain personality type to go into the military (voluntarily-- not drafted or only doing it for the college money), which is also conducive to the jazz.

Aug 9, 2023 13:34:39 GMT -5 sidney said:

What is the origin of BA's anger issues?

It's probably just who he is. He's hot-tempered. Some people are just like that (me, for example).  Could it have had something to do with his childhood perhaps?   Maybe.   I don't imagine growing up in the inner city, possibly to a single mother, is easy, and I could see where many aspects of it might make someone a little bitter or less tolerant to BS and being treated badly.  It could also be that he encounters his triggers often-- whether that be Murdock, bad guys, etc.

Aug 9, 2023 13:34:39 GMT -5 sidney said:

Is Face's womanizing because of his need to feel loved?

Again, could just be the way he is.  Besides, Face likes manipulating people and also being the center of attention, so being able to keep women on a string is right up his alley.

Aug 9, 2023 13:34:39 GMT -5 sidney said:

Is Hannibal's lack of identity (if John Smith is an alias) due to some trauma?

I, too, think this is his real name.  Otherwise... lack of identity... it's true we don't hear much about Hannibal's past, but I think that's also how he is.  I imagine him as estranged from family, possibly divorced, none of that a background he wants in his life anymore.  But, we do know the important things about him-- he's a staunch military man, he likes to play costume characters and characters in general, he likes sticking it to bad guys.

Aug 9, 2023 13:34:39 GMT -5 sidney said:

Why did Amy cut her hair? Was it rooted in an issue she was struggling with?

Amy may have cut her hair for fashion, or because she was ready for a different look, or wanted it off her neck without having to put it up, or saw the cut somewhere and liked it and decided to try it out... (what I've always wondered is-- was this an "Amy" haircut, or a "Melinda" haircut? Like, did MC decide to cut her hair in her personal life, or was this a "let's give Amy a new look" thing?

While there are some people who make big appearance changes during/after a rough spot in their lives, I daresay the vast majority do it just because they want to.  As a kid I cut my long hair because my mom convinced me to (in hindsight: because she was sick of dealing with it!  LOL.  But she made it sound all fashionable and easy to care for).  As an adult I grew it out again because I wanted it long and wanted to be able to pull it back.  Both were... just because, not because I was working through any issues.

Aug 9, 2023 13:34:39 GMT -5 sidney said:

Why did Tawnia 'Single White Female' Amy like she did? Did Tawnia have other issues?

Not sure what you mean about Tawnia and Amy. But Tawnia strikes me very much as a pretty woman who knows she is, and also is ambitious. But, Amy was equally ambitious-- after all, she insisted on going to Mexico with the team and then sort-of-blackmailed them into taking her on. The only difference is that we like Amy better.