...he was a very different character than when we first met him two years ago.
When I created the Character of Drake Mandible, there wasn't a whole lot to him in terms of depth. I adopted a very "what you see is what you get" mentality while writing. Drake is a living embodiment of the action hero archetype: Capable of extraordinary physical feats, gifted with improbable aiming skills and protected with layer upon layer of plot-amour.
Like I said, the purpose behind DM is to put a character in a series of predicaments that they can they easily resolve (or convenient providence) and ALWAYS save the day.
The only character flaws, to speak of are slightly crooked teeth and a slightly worse cook than his younger brother. He only fails when it's comedically appropriate, but never enough to have any serious impact on his life, merely an inconvenience to be sidestepped.
The "Interlude Saga" changes all that. For the first time, we see Drake Mandible in a situation where he is in over his head.
Zagori was Drake's personal trial by fire. Before, he had been fairly easy going and assured of his own competence. The younger Drake was also not above killing, though only anyone he considered a big enough threat to those around them.
This particular scenario pushes all his skills to the limits as he not only fights for his life, but for the life of another man.
And fails.
For the first time, we see that even Drake Mandible doesn't in fact win every time. But while this was the darkest moment in his life, it also heralds a change. A shift of values and beliefs that have shaped him into the man we know today.
Zagori taught Drake both to value human life and to embrace his own.
With the man's considerable, talent, determination and wealth, he could turn his hand to anything and excel at it.
However, the events in his past have influenced him more than he realises, to the point where violence has become second nature to Drake. Unlike Aryal, he is unable to find the peace that allows him to lead a normal life. Instead, he harnesses his knowledge, riches and fighting prowess to use for good, to protect others and punish wrongdoers. He pushes his mind and body to further extremes than ever before until he can exert total control over both. He learns restraint, how to incapacitate without killing. He completely overhauls his armoury so every weapon is non-lethal. He will still fight, but now he has something to fight for.
In previous instalments, Jake has demonstrated similar abilities to his brother, alluding to a violent past, but Jake has been able to achieve a sense of normalcy, opening his own restaurant and preparing to settle down and start a family. Perhaps the reason for Drake's irritation at his brother is due to the fact that he can simply turn off his violent nature and ignore the craving for excitement inherent in all Mandibles, whereas Drake cannot. Or perhaps Jake simply did not go down the same path as his younger brother.
Blake Mandible, the middle sibling, also leads a life of action and adventure, carrying out unsavoury tasks for various governmental bodies. Perhaps she cannot find peace either, and empathizes with her brother, but doesn't want him to stray back down that particular path.
This sibling dynamic is worth exploring in future episodes. I'm also curious as to how it might play out in an audio medium.
Stay Tuned, Ladies and Gents ;)
Nate.
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