Hamilton (Again)

I few weeks ago I wrote about becoming obsessed with the soundtrack to the musical Hamilton. It was playing in Manchester at the time and I'd tried to get resale tickets, but was having no luck.

Then my girlfriend sent a message saying her friend was ill and had a ticket going free for that night (it was originally £13 and she'd already seen it twice in better seats, so its not too sad a story from her perspective, though she was still a bit gutted).

Right at the back with a slightly obscured view of the top half of the stage, but absolutely worth it, the show was marvellous. I'm no musical aficionado, so this may happen semi-regularly (it does, see here for a fascinating history), but the rotating part of the stage transfixed me every time it started moving.

Different mediums of art are often at their best when they do things which can only be achieved in that specific medium (crash-zooms in movies, POV and internal monologuing in Peep Show, to give the first examples which popped into my head).

I don't know whether I'm doing anything in this blog which could only be achieved in a blog, but I'm always trying to find my own revolving stage floors with which to wow you.

The problem with going to see a show like Hamilton with immensely catchy songs is that it has only exacerbated the degree to which they are all stuck in my head. In fact, I fear that for the rest of my life, upon hearing the words helpless or satisfied, I will have those songs dancing around my brain for a minimum of a full day.

So I come to you with a plea, because apparently I'm super into musicals now (or maybe I'm just super into Hamilton) - could you give me suggestions for what should become my next obsession?

Anyway, onto the episode, which was a qualification bout between Trinity and UCL. The winners would join Imperial in the semis, and if my semi-final lineup prediction is to be right then Trinity had to win.

If you want to watch the episode before reading my review you can do so below; here's your first starter for ten.

Hall sends UCL into the negative with lambda, and Kang marshals his team before buzzing in with mu himself. They take two on national parks to go 25 clear.

Jackson’s extends this with Lorca, and Kang then guesses Will Deacon for the first bonus (which Rajan shakes his head at, saying ‘that’s the name of your reserve isn’t it‘, because the question in question was about a housewife who sometimes engages in sex work, though I suspect Kang may have forgotten this by the time it came to guess).

Getting in on the incorrect interruptions act, Banneker buzzes in with the A theory of time just as Rajan is getting to the part of the question which says ‘a version of the A theory of time’. UCL can’t pick it up though and Kang gets Trinity back on track with nucleophilic substitution, which is one of those relatively simple phrases (within the subject) which sound incredibly scientific and complicated to those outside the world of that subject, in this case chemistry.

He takes another with the picture starter and the Cambridge side are 65 points to the good. Jaksina cuts this to 60 with another neg, but makes up for it on the next starter, flexing his muscles with Bulgaria.

Desperate to get UCL involved, Izzatdust goes early on the next starter, but can’t come up with an immediate answer, dropping them to minus 10.

95 plays -10, ouch.

Waiting a bit before buzzing this time, but nonetheless undeterred by his earlier mistake, Izzatdust finally gets UCL back up to, um, zero, with their first starter of the night. How could they go from here?

Woodlouse puts them in the positives, before Finlay grabs a second in a row with Kendrick Lamar on the music starter. Rajan laughs his head of at this for some reason. Is it the mere fact that Kendrick Lamar is the starter question? Or that it’s a modern rapper. Or that Finlay was able to get it so quickly? Not really sure why it should have been so hilarious that someone would know a song from one of the most widely celebrated albums of this century.

Another early neg from Izzatdust seems to halt their progress, but again he comes back on the next starter with Marquez. Somehow UCL have closed to within 35 points.

An accidental buzz from Hall (UCL’s 4th neg of the evening), allows Trinity to slow the comeback. Continuing the trend of redemptive buzzing, he plucks Osprey from thin air to keep UCL in it. Wordsworth gives him a brace and Titus Andronicus on the second picture starter completed his hat-trick.

Good work on the bonuses ties the game at 120 each. Where did that come from? What a rush!

As is tradition in this match, Finlay broke the tie with Taoiseach rather than President of Ireland, which dropped them five back, allowing Jaksina to steal the points. No problem though, because he made up for it with Triangle of Sadness on the next starter. Typical.

We’re tied again, at 135, before Finlay gave UCL their first lead of the night with Iron. A magnificent buzz of Estonia from Hall extended this, sealing a remarkable victory.

Bannerjee grabbed the last starter, but it wasn’t enough to reclaim the lead.

Oof…

First 10 mins

Trinity 95 - -10 UCL

Last 20 mins

Trinity 55 - 175 UCL

Trinity 150 - 165 UCL

What a comeback!

Ruins my prediction for the semi final lineup but quite acceptable when it stems from such a magnificent match. Let’s hope the rest of the quarter finals live up to this phenomenal contest. See you next week :)