Thanks to @lolana07 I’ve been motivated to watch a bit – based on this scene, I thought they would build more off of her character, maybe with the kids there – but nothing from what I can tell – though I think it interesting how death circles this character. She speaks to it (here w/Geoff), she survives the helicopter crash, she takes a ‘leap of faith’ as it were without knowing if she’ll be killed or not – and yet, she has no faith.
Everyone else is sort of running around death, not facing what it means – but here this character is, trying to look it in the eye and understand (or that’s the impression I get).
To go into detail on Alicia, she is some-what separated? While
she’s always with the main plot, she is usually not involved in the driving of
the plot. She doesn’t make big decisions, and she usually doesn’t get into
intense situations that alter the plot, and when she is in danger, she isn’t in
mortal danger or she’s in a group. They might be purposefully writing her like
that, which alright.. I guess, but as I said in my other post, I think she’s
developed the most out of the characters even though it’s slower than molasses
and you could absolutely miss it/misinterpret it for being a waste of space,
which is why I get annoyed that they have her in some great 2-minute scenes but
with no effect to the main plot or the story at large. (When I say developed
the most, I mean that imo the other characters have become linear and
anticipated whereas she is still in the middle of development/is coming into
her own space, and I think/hope the wait will have a big pay off in 3B, esp.
with that closing shot of her in the 3a finale).
Now that I think about it though, she kind of unknowingly fucked
over the group when she got that guy on the radio in S2… so I guess that’s
main plot involvement? Not the good kind, but her actions altered the plot so.
There’s that. Also, I think she was the first one to meet anyone from the
hotel, Elena? So she brought that whole group into the picture, which obvs. altered
the plot. Of course this is me looking back on everything, I may have said
something different as I was watching each episode every week on the show but,
oh well.
She has her moments and side plots, which again don’t alter
the main plot but do highlight and develop her character. After S1
ridiculousness, she gets some great face time with the walkers and gets some hands-on
survival training with her knife, she even save’s Madison at one point; She
stood up for the ppl in the boat; the whole Jack boat escape etc..;
searching/escaping/holding the hotel. In 3a, I’d say she gets a larger role,
considerably, but even still, doesn’t drive the plot like Nick and Madison do.
She was a part of the peace talk attempt with Jake (what is with her and
Jake/Jack names!? Just noticed) which effected the plot, but that’s kind of it.
Again, telling Madison about the relics allowed for the stealing scene, but ultimately
didn’t affect the outcome with Qaletaqa.
I’m losing track of the original ask, so yes this show does ‘move’
quickly and I think it hurts the characters for the most part, because imo
their development isn’t given though time to flesh out or have enough depth.
Then again, I’d love an episode to be 90 minutes long will all sorts of details
jammed in, so we get what we get for the amount of episodes/length given.
Yes the episode where she jumps into the water is framed to
that it looks like she’s jumping off a normal deathly cliff, but I think she
and Jake discussed something about this area before in the show, so I think she
went with a goal, maybe to remind her that she’s alive, idk. This is all with
after the fact knowledge of course. It was filmed like she was jumping to her
death which was the wrong move imo bc a whole can of worms, but I didn’t feel
like her character had gotten to the point where something like that might even
be an option. I think once you see that she’s jumping into water, the scene
changes from a leap to her death to leaping into the water so she feels
something other than sadness/snaps her out of her lull/depression over Travis
etc… Similar to why she started sleeping the Jake, it was just to feel
something, nothing else. That evolved into her actually feeling for Jake, but
her jump scene was simply to feel something, but portrayed as something
entirely else by the show.
So with this in mind, no I don’t think she’s like the father
we never met. She seems to be that light of hope that comes out of a really bad
place. idk the correct description for that but I think even Madison and Nick
know it, which might motivate them to protect her/isolate her from the front
lines so much. They don’t want someone so good to get tarnished by this new
world. Even still, their grip on her, and isolating her from decisions is and
will continue to do the opposite of of protecting her. It’s going to make her
see that her family can’t really be trusted to tell the truth, and will cross
moral boundaries that she isn’t willing to cross to complete a goal. And
finally, I think she’s looking for something to believe in rather than doesn’t believe
in anything, because everything she once knew is gone, people around her and close to her are dying is fast succession, and she’s still trying
to catch up. Which is what most would actually do, rather than just jump into
zombie hardened badass mode within 3 weeks. She’s still looking, and I think she’s
starting to find what she’s looking for by the end of 3a.
Unfortunately I don’t compare Ofelia with Alicia, because
Ofelia is legit underused, legit used and just wtf #wherethefuckhasOfelia’scharactergoneseriously
#letOfeliabeherownpersonFFS!
This is astounding to read – you really have a lock on these characters, I think. Would be interesting to read more of your take on the show (there’s a lot of so-called ‘analysis’ out there that is a bit one-sided, sometimes).
Thank you for taking the time to write this up and answer my questions on it – I’m sort of confuddled as to why characters like Alicia, Ofelia, Luciana get sidelined when there are ‘clues’ that they could be more and offer more to the narrative (where is Luciana, btw – maybe she’ll meet Daniel or Strand?). It’s frustrating to see them used so heavily in the marketing of the programme – only to be sent to the back. To leave Ofelia out of the first half just for the joke of ‘where’s Ofelia?’ – kind of awful, really. Now we need to find out about Luciana.
Do you think there will be separations at the end of this series? Seems as though what is coming is going to push a wedge between several characters and it’s hard to imagine them sticking together. Might be interesting to see some new combinations form, even if only for a bit.
I saw this ask and i just had to take over/make my own post and add bc i just had too many secondary thoughts and the ask set me off and i didn’t want to take over the original post 🙂
Spoilers!
To start, as the Dr. refers, yes, unfortunately you can
remove some of these characters, men and women, and still get along
with the story. Hopefully this is fixed in 3b, as the majority of the cast were
on their own storylines, except for the Clarks. This post is going to be long
bc I’ve get to get all my thoughts out so, sorry if this isn’t exactly what you
were looking for!
Interestingly enough, Travis, the male lead, was killed off
early on with little consequence other than to advance Madison’s storyline/development
(I’m not into the know enough to be aware of anything beyond what I watch on
the screen and have no idea about actors/directors etc..). However, this MCD,
imo, was done horribly wrong, as his death didn’t have any consequence to the
plot or characters other than for a short time Madison, and maybe Alicia. Travis
got a badass pit fight scene and then it wasn’t clear when, but he was bit at
some point in the pit, and then shot in the helicopter, and …. just kinda fell
out the door to his death? To me this is an instance where the male was removed
from the story, and almost nothing changed in the plot other than some side
emotions. Legit everything he did in the show was worthless (I didn’t like
Chris but do the characters even remember him?) and largely forgotten really quickly
by the few characters who knew him and knew about his death. Maybe Strand or
Daniel will be upset when they find out? But probably not. So, while it flips
the whole, character A dies for male advancement idea, his death was largely
forgotten about in 3a.
Then you’ve got Ofelia, Daniel and Strand, who all are
almost entirely not necessary for the main plot with the Clarks. Makes me think
they are deliberately trying to do a GOT thing where there are various plots
that are separate and come together in the end…which only really works for GOT,
and imo not so much here. While Daniel got what I think was a standout episode,
which sadly isn’t saying much for the rest, he didn’t even see the Clarks this
season. At all. Same with Strand, although he legit did nothing for the plot,
and somehow got a radio signal from an astronaut? WHAT? If science can explain
this, please do, otherwise, WHAT?! He had some touching scenes, but I felt his ‘development’
was anticipated. Like we knew he was going to stand up and dust off, so
everything that happened felt stale? Idk. Hopefully it changes in 3b, they need
to get back to the Clarks and set them on the right path again. PS: The boat had more development than Strand…
And Ofelia. My dear Ofelia. Idk, but I’ve seen some posts
about her ‘transformation’ being called character development this season. .. – …… —-.. No. Development means time
needs to be spent on the change, and more than 15 minutes. She also is the ‘love
interest’ referred to in the ask above (I know this reply probably isn’t what
you were expecting right?). She more or less exists to provide a link to the ‘bad
guys’ and humanize the main ‘bad guy’. I don’t think she became a badass,
because she didn’t really do anything besides spy and pass information. She had
a great moment where she snapped out of her memory loss, and vocalized that she
cared for the Clarks and remembered that they took her in and she left via her
own free will, but then….that’s it? Broken record, but maybe in 3b.. PS: She remembered Travis!! She actually said something about Travis to Alicia, at least someone does! PSS: Her big moment was to be used as a chip for Madison, ugh Madison wtffff
So, it’s not just a lady issue, the men get it too this
season. And I say ‘bad guy’ above bc if you watch, the ranch leaders are really
the bad guys, and ranch folks are the ignorant and innocent civilians, and the
Native American are the ‘good guys’, in a very basic summary. That’s a whole
different topic and aspect of 3a that I liked, of the very few.
I guess you could also include Qaletaqa Walker into all of
this as well, because he was set up as the main ‘bad guy’ and was ultimately the
only ‘bad guy’ we were familiarized with. Kind of made that who group static,
with him being the sole focal point, taking out what would have been some great
character moments for him. Plus, one of the only (?) times he interacted with a
Clark, the information he shared was used against him. More on that later,
Alicia wtf. Ofelia being his new gf was underdeveloped and solely to humanize
him. Idk, both characters really lost out, I think Qaletaqa could have
developed really well…if only all the brain power wasn’t hap hazardously put
into the typical racist white ranch ‘good guy’ storyline…sigh..that’s some
difficult storytelling there. original. While Qaletaqa’s character couldn’t be
removed without changing the plot a little bit, I feel like another leader
character could have taken his place and the plot would have gotten along just
fine, with Qaletaqa as a background character. Really missed out here.
Alicia however, is the only Clark who I think was on point
this season and got the best character development. She might have gotten the
most development of all the characters on the show, which is great for her, but
legit no one else did anything or really developed imo. I suppose you could say
Madison de-veloped, but ugh more on her later or in another post bc this is
getting looong. And real quick to sum up Nick, his gf left (another character
who got removed with no repercussions) and he is just a mopey sad little thing
that somehow gets the big moment of killing mr. ranch dad? WTF? Seriously? That
was Madison’s moment, even if I’m rather upset with her this season. That was
alllll Madison, and he just….WTF. WWWWWWTTTTTTTTTFFFFFFF. And Madison covers
for you why???? WTFFFF Madison stop putting Nick on some platform of all
holiness WTFFFFF.
Anyway. Alicia calls them out hardcore on their shit while Nick has a random moment of clarity..
then we get a story from Madison that makes it all okay….
Alicia has been developing at a snail’s pace compared to
everyone else, which is crazy bc shes 18 and is legit on the brink of major
life advancement when shit goes down. So she should really develop much faster,
and not be sheltered by her mom anymore (its season 3 FFS!) and not being
overshadowed by Nick (srsly will Madison ever just focus on Alicia while Nick
is in the same room?), and not be ignored by almost everyone (Gretch and Jake).
Idk, imo. Even still, she goes from shock/wtf from Travis’ death, so numb about
life and love is weakness, and then starts to thaw and develop the feels for
Jake, all the while being the only main character who has a moral compass and
uses it without being a typical stick in the mud all hoity being morally right
and all. She starts off by saying, Mom maybe we should take care of ourselves
instead of trying to find Nick who clearly doesn’t want to be found, and then
of course they miraculously run into
him.. Then she’s like, fuck it all I’m going to go to BibIe study with my new
friend Gretchen (AHH I loved her but wtf). Idk she just got the best
development imo, even though she had the least screen time of the Clarks. Almost
every scene she was with brought her character forwards and changed her, rather
than stunted her. And to get back to that main ask real quick, she actually
used the hahaha fuck out of Jake at first. Not the other way around. She then
teamed up with him, but her using him didn’t advance his story at all, it
advanced hers. You get some girl! Jake is her love interest, or lust, not the
other way around.
Ugh anyway, she and Jake tried to negotiate and even though
we knew it was going to fail, bc the situation was beyond that, kudos for them
for even trying! No one else did! Plus i thought this little scene was great between her an Qaletaqa. I wish we saw/are going to see more of them together as allies, i think they both did really well acting-wise together.
They tried to stay on the wrong side, and
then Alicia gets manipulated and lied to by Madison and Nick, and is
unknowingly on the wrong side. Thank LAWRD she did not apologize for what she
said to Madison, I hope she doesn’t. The main thing I didn’t like is that she
used Qaletaqa’s heritage against him. Sure it was under Madison’s thumb, but
still, Alicia should have known better. I mad at her for that. At the end, I think
the last scene we see her in, where she’s overlooking the ranch, I think its
showing her just being fed up with this shit lol, ugh at least I hope so.
Something about that shot really set her on her own path for me, as Madison and
Nick were out of focus, she ended entirely in focus. Loved it.
@zombiechels idk if you still watch but if you do i decided to binge 3a, these were my thoughts lol
I’ve not seen this series yet, just all the posts on Tumblr, but I think this sounds interesting – and there have been so many positive commentaries how this season really *moves* compared to previous series.
One thing I want to ask about: I’ve seen some other posts about how Alicia has been more or less ‘left out’ of the main narrative (not really involved with the ranch fracas) and has been more ‘depressed’ this year, even attempting suicide (the jump from the cliff)? I wonder if this suggests she is more like the father we never met (who committed suicide) and what that will mean for her over time. She seems like the most reasonable of all the characters and how does such a person exist for any length of time around unreasonableness? Whether it’s around racists or even those who carry more spiritual beliefs. From what I’ve read and some I’ve seen, she believes in nothing. What do you think?
Character-wise, she seems very disconnected from the others. I don’t think this Jake seems like a long-term companion kind of solution, but it seems like she really needs company that she can relate to or…what is left for her to be? She’s not as bloodthirsty or morally corrupt. She and Ofelia are the ‘lost’ daughters in a way. Wonder if there will be a reconciliation by the end of 3b. I can picture something ‘exploding’ by the end of this series, but not sure what.
For my FTWD anon – please read, I hope this gives you better insight than I could.
The L Word really wasn’t that great. Coming from someone who consumed every piece of media with wlw when I first learned about the show, it was pretty meh. I couldn’t even get through the first season.
“Shows like” I totally get. I’m all about gay ass shows on TV. No one is saying no to that. But why not explore a new formula? Why not in a new setting? Why reboot shit when you could create something fresh and offer it to the audiences? That is my problem. ESPECIALLY if you’re bringing in new talent to helm it. Just give these people a fresh slate. Recycling and rebooting is what’s killing the movie industry and I’m starting to see the same damn pattern on TV now. It’s a shame.
Sometimes I stare at the computer screen when the words don’t want to come and I think, “Fuck, who am I kidding? This is terrible writing, and this story is shit, and no one cares, anyway.“ And I close the window and go do something else.
But every now and then I get an amazing, heartfelt, beautiful comment from someone who loved something I wrote, and it reminds me that, at least for that one person, I did write something worthwhile. And so I open the window again and I write one sentence, and then another, and then I start to find my way again.
So on behalf of all fanfic writers everywhere, I want to say thank you, thank you so much, to all of the readers who take the time to leave a comment and tell us that something we wrote mattered to you, that it brightened your day or made you laugh or cry or get horny or whatever.
Please don’t think we’re ever bothered by your comment, or that we don’t want to hear it, or that what you have to say isn’t important enough. It means so, so much. And on some days, it’s what keeps us going.
Clarke remembers ‘someone’ who rescued her and may even know or think it might have been Lexa, but that was a horrifying moment for her where she nearly lost her mother, so that memory isn’t one she likes to dredge up. I think she might learn the truth in the future.
Lexa has not told Clarke anything yet since they have just met and pushing herself into Clarke’s life isn’t something Lexa is keen on doing. She hasn’t been keen on becoming too involved with anyone – if only to keep them safe (never mind Clarke is already in danger via her connection to Raven).
Clarke is VERY tough, and unapologetically herself. She has sacrificed some for her mother’s sake, though and it has made her a little bitter.
I’m very glad you liked the story – I’m still not sure it *is* smut. I might have misunderstood that. I think the one who can really write the ‘smutty crack’ is @femininenachos and you should read her Don’t Wanna Be Your Girl (and its related headcanons).
So I don’t know if ‘smut’ will appear in TFATD – ‘love scenes’ maybe?
Here’s a trick – ask yourself if you remove this character from the narrative, does it fall apart? If it doesn’t, if it doesn’t affect the narrative at all, ask yourself why they even have this character. Are they underusing her, are they incapable of writing multiple characters in and have it work or do they have other plans?
Alicia, Ofelia, Luciana – they’re all ‘love interests’ of male characters who are playing the big roles in the narrative.
I could say something about Hollywood patriarchy and sexism at play (especially where young female characters are concerned), but that seems like overkill.
The Doctor Is Out 