Fear and love
Jul. 1st, 2010 09:22 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
swatkatOLIVIA!
For the last few episodes, there had been some significant Walter development: highlighting his lovable, vulnerable side as well as how UTTERLY MONSTROUS he was and perhaps can be, even now; his desire for redemption, not always well articulated but definitely there, as well as his utter amorality in some other aspects; family, and what he has done and will do for/to them. I was wondering where all this was building up to, and of course, here we have it - Olivia/Water showdown and the Big Peter Reveal (well, at least to Olivia). The Skience, as always, was Skience, but really, who cares about Skientific Accuracy when you get alternate universes, backstory, tortured superhero!Olivia and emotional payoff?
And then she got to be righteously angry! And charge Walter for abusing her, and the show agreed with her that she had been abused and that she had the right to be angry! Allow me to bask in the glory of this for a moment. I've still not recovered from Merlin S2 trauma, wherein the show pretty much implied that Morgana was allowed to be angry only if she was selfish and evil, nevermind that she had been drugged and lied to for all her life. And so the fact Olivia got to point her finger at Walter and say out loud that he had abused her, and all the other children? GLORIOUS. ILU, SHOW. This is why Walter and Olivia's relationship is so fascinating. He had injected her with mind-altering drugs when she was a *child* and even though it has gifted her with abilities far beyond anyone's imagination it was still abuse; she abhors him and loves hm; he has come to see her as family and not-so-secretly ships her with his son; together they mustfight crime save the world. They are the two active players in the mytharc, whereas Peter is more the passive victim (very often, the damsel in distress).
Also:
- she thinks saving the world is her responsibility
- and it kind of is
- and she hates failing, even when things are beyond anyone's control
- and she didn't take no for an answer, again
- and went to Peter when she was scared, which means she has been listening to him (the quarantine episode, when Peter told her that having people who care about you around you means you can talk to them when you are afraid)
- and interrupted a kiss to go and save the day, of course
The fear thing was also kind of glorious, because again, fear is not necessarily a negative thing - Olivia is human, and Olivia has, like other people, the right to feel afraid. Olivia being afraid does not mean Olivia will not throw herself headfirst into everything, the way she always does. Her fear here becomes an aspect of her healing - a gain. And like the warrior she is, she makes it into another weapon and saves the day with it. I had traumatic flashbacks of Merlin S2 again, and Morgana's paralysing fear - how, when she turned her fear into anger, the narrative hastened to remind us that she is destined to be Evil and Wrong.
And fine, okay, show, I'll ship Olivia/Peter if she herself ships it - who am I to deny her anything she wants? ♥♥♥ But I still think she has more chemistry with Broyles. It is, however, hilarious how the show tried to macho Peter up in a couple of episodes - in a misguided (but oddly adorable, because it was about Olivia) attempt to make him awesome enough for Olivia - and then gave up, because in no universe can Peter Bishop manage macho, ever. And that's okay, as episodes like this one highlights once again, because Olivia is the macho one and Peter is the nurturer, the comfortador - to quote Xander - and that does not take away from his masculinity in any way.
And now there are questions:
a. If Peter is actually AU!Peter, what went to The Other Side as replacement for AU!Peter?
b. What, exactly, did Walter do?
c. What does AU!Walter think of this? If he is anything like our Walter, who will do anything for his family, he will not be a happy man. In fact, I wonder now if baby!Peter did not particularly like his father because he was even more of a monster than our Walter.
d. What went to The Other Side when William Bell went over?
e. What came over to this side when William Bell kidnapped Olivia? WANT AU!OLIVIA NAO OMG
Don't tell me if you know the answers, guys. I'm thoroughly enjoying myself.
Also, pretty.
I love me some tortured superheroes.
For the last few episodes, there had been some significant Walter development: highlighting his lovable, vulnerable side as well as how UTTERLY MONSTROUS he was and perhaps can be, even now; his desire for redemption, not always well articulated but definitely there, as well as his utter amorality in some other aspects; family, and what he has done and will do for/to them. I was wondering where all this was building up to, and of course, here we have it - Olivia/Water showdown and the Big Peter Reveal (well, at least to Olivia). The Skience, as always, was Skience, but really, who cares about Skientific Accuracy when you get alternate universes, backstory, tortured superhero!Olivia and emotional payoff?
And then she got to be righteously angry! And charge Walter for abusing her, and the show agreed with her that she had been abused and that she had the right to be angry! Allow me to bask in the glory of this for a moment. I've still not recovered from Merlin S2 trauma, wherein the show pretty much implied that Morgana was allowed to be angry only if she was selfish and evil, nevermind that she had been drugged and lied to for all her life. And so the fact Olivia got to point her finger at Walter and say out loud that he had abused her, and all the other children? GLORIOUS. ILU, SHOW. This is why Walter and Olivia's relationship is so fascinating. He had injected her with mind-altering drugs when she was a *child* and even though it has gifted her with abilities far beyond anyone's imagination it was still abuse; she abhors him and loves hm; he has come to see her as family and not-so-secretly ships her with his son; together they must
Also:
- she thinks saving the world is her responsibility
- and it kind of is
- and she hates failing, even when things are beyond anyone's control
- and she didn't take no for an answer, again
- and went to Peter when she was scared, which means she has been listening to him (the quarantine episode, when Peter told her that having people who care about you around you means you can talk to them when you are afraid)
- and interrupted a kiss to go and save the day, of course
The fear thing was also kind of glorious, because again, fear is not necessarily a negative thing - Olivia is human, and Olivia has, like other people, the right to feel afraid. Olivia being afraid does not mean Olivia will not throw herself headfirst into everything, the way she always does. Her fear here becomes an aspect of her healing - a gain. And like the warrior she is, she makes it into another weapon and saves the day with it. I had traumatic flashbacks of Merlin S2 again, and Morgana's paralysing fear - how, when she turned her fear into anger, the narrative hastened to remind us that she is destined to be Evil and Wrong.
And fine, okay, show, I'll ship Olivia/Peter if she herself ships it - who am I to deny her anything she wants? ♥♥♥ But I still think she has more chemistry with Broyles. It is, however, hilarious how the show tried to macho Peter up in a couple of episodes - in a misguided (but oddly adorable, because it was about Olivia) attempt to make him awesome enough for Olivia - and then gave up, because in no universe can Peter Bishop manage macho, ever. And that's okay, as episodes like this one highlights once again, because Olivia is the macho one and Peter is the nurturer, the comfortador - to quote Xander - and that does not take away from his masculinity in any way.
And now there are questions:
a. If Peter is actually AU!Peter, what went to The Other Side as replacement for AU!Peter?
b. What, exactly, did Walter do?
c. What does AU!Walter think of this? If he is anything like our Walter, who will do anything for his family, he will not be a happy man. In fact, I wonder now if baby!Peter did not particularly like his father because he was even more of a monster than our Walter.
d. What went to The Other Side when William Bell went over?
e. What came over to this side when William Bell kidnapped Olivia? WANT AU!OLIVIA NAO OMG
Don't tell me if you know the answers, guys. I'm thoroughly enjoying myself.
Also, pretty.
I love me some tortured superheroes.
no subject
Date: 2010-07-01 03:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-01 04:00 pm (UTC)