sumi, I'm pretty sure Strong did the initial killing. He started stalking, I think, after a rape accusation which was later recanted.

a dom that tries to force his/her sub to do something against their will is far from perfect

I'm not calling him perfect! I'm saying there's a difference between playing at something, and not being the best (or even, honestly, good) at it. I think they imply very different mindsets. Brandt took BDSM seriously -- probably too seriously, which is what led him to chain up Rebecca and then freak. That's not playing, in my book.

Yes, this. Totally.

I didn't say anything about fair.

I wasn't saying that Rebecca was fair, or needed to be -- I was saying that I disagreed with what I'm reading you as saying - that it wasn't a fair (as in mine -- watch the world revolve around ita, why don't we?) reading of the text.

cold enough to wean a vulture

I picked this up from Spanish. I think it is the polite alternative to "colder than a witch's tit." Yes, I am aware vultures do not actually nurse their young, unless we are talking metaphorically about business executives.

Oh, here is something that I'm confused about: did the cop do the initial killing that started the investigation that led to Brandt being a suspect in the first place?

I think yes.

So that he could follow up on Brandt's social life and rape and murder all of his dates?

I'm not sure how that follows.

Or are we to assume that the cop was stalking Brandt for his own reasons prior to the beginning of the first investigation?

He was after him for a (series of?) rapes. Did they establish whether he was or wasn't guilty of those, though? Now I'm getting a picture of the cop as Paul during the first investigation.

Brandt took BDSM seriously -- probably too seriously, which is what led him to chain up Rebecca and then freak.

No, see, I think what led him to chain up Rebecca and freak is that he's an arrogant boy who thinks he's smarter than he is. Which is completely separate from his involvement in BDSM.

ETA: And actually he and Rebecca have a lot in common. Maybe they can become drinking buddies in Ep 14.

"what doesn't make you worse off makes you better off"

Something like. It's not quite as tautological as it sounds on first blush - you aren't left exactly the same. Which may be obvious, but isn't a tautology.

I have a thing about Nietzsche being misused but not enough scholarship to be really authoritative about it. But considering how broken he was, I doubt he meant that suffering universally leads to strength.

That's a good question, brenda. Somewhere in the back of my head I'm thinking that they said something about a series of rapes, but then they only ever talked about the one that was recanted. Anyone remember better, or do I have to find the tape?

Er, or go to work?

Which is completely separate from his involvement in BDSM.

But if he weren't into BDSM, would he have chained her? He's definitely arrogant, no doubt. But part of his arrogance causes/is manifested¹ in an attitude that BDSM will cure anything that ails ya.

So his action was a result of his personality, and his interests intertwined.

¹: God, I type that manfisted three times.

No, see, I think what led him to chain up Rebecca and freak is that he's an arrogant boy who thinks he's smarter than he is.

I think he took himself too seriously, and taking the BDSM too seriously is a part of that. Doesn't make it a judgment on BDSM outside of Brandt. I think.