#And the responsibility of that particular lasso would be interesting as a plot point for her

[souperfam]

My toxic Wonderfam fan opinion is that I fully truly believe that Cassie should’ve been the one to be given the Lasso of Submission, not Artemis

[fantisci]

Divide and Conquer: Voltron Series 4 and 5

I knew that there was going to be this type of narrative in Voltron, but I underestimated how long a game the writers were going to play. The writers are running with the idea that Voltron is being torn apart from within, but rather than getting rid of Keith and going “CLONE SURPRISE!” they’re continuing to steadily dismantle the Voltron team...to the point that the three original Paladins remaining on the team (if we assume Shiro is actually a clone, henceforth referred to as “Shiro) are little more than side-characters in their world-saving narrative. Pidge’s concerns are narrowed and familial, Hunk...has always been terribly treated by the plot anyway, so moving on...and Lance, far from having his moment in the spotlight this season, is increasingly isolated and reined in so tightly that he can’t be effective. Meanwhile, Season 5 turns into the Lotor, “Shiro” and Allura show (with a special guest appearance from the Keith-clan).

Card on the table: My pet theory is that Lotor, not Sendak, is Haggar’s puppet, and they are cutting out the team members of Voltron who will cause the most problems so that they can take over the team. “Shiro” isolates and undermines problem Paladins (Keith and Lance) until they leave, while Lotor flatters Allura into assisting him. Of course, there’s a good chance that Lotor is a double- or triple-agent that may betray Haggar - or even become the mask he’s wearing - but at this moment he’s definitely driven by self-interest, not the greater good.

If you want the long version, it’s under the Read More. Remember: my analysis is from the point of view of the mole/saboteur: it’s not that I think Hunk or Pidge can’t lead, but that, from an outsider’s perspective, they’ve shown little inclination or ability in that area.

First, Shiro goes missing at the end of S2. Showrunners talk as if they meant to kill him off (a recent interview talked of the poor guy as though he was just a plot device for Keith’s Rise To Leadership, and that he was supposed to “exit stage left) , but marketing objected. Of course, the showrunners can be trusted about as far as the Eiffel Tower can be thrown, but poor (real) Shiro surely deserves better than being bumped off so that his protege can prove how special he is. Anyway, back on topic...Shiro is a casualty of war in one form or another, and it’s unlikely that his departure was the result of manipulation...but his absence is a golden opportunity to replace him with a mole/brainwash him. After all, Shiro co-ordinates the team, and has the most offensively powerful Lion

Next is Keith. Apparently there were some real life reasons (voice actor scheduling conflicts) behind his departure to the Blade, but let’s put that aside for now. Keith has some fairly obvious issues once he takes over for Black. He doesn’t really bond with his Lion, certainly not the way he did with Red. He lashes out at everyone. He resents leading, and, true to form, acts out and rebels, going into self-destruct mode in order to prove that he’s right about how terrible a leader he is. However: (a) he’d never treat his teammates’ lives with the disregard he shows his own, and (b) Lance manages to lasso him into some semblance of responsible leadership, and props him up as far as he can. By the time they retrieve “Shiro”, Keith’s taken some shaky first steps into at least being a functional leader, if not a good one. He’s learned the hard way that he has to listen to his team. 

Then “Shiro” is back.

It would take a spy all of five minutes to work out that Keith’s unhappy. When “Shiro” can’t pilot Black, that’s a problem for a saboteur...but not an insurmountable one. For the rest of the series, we see “Shiro” undermine Keith while still demanding that he continues to lead. He doesn’t teach him how to lead (admittedly, the real Shiro was extremely negligent in that respect too), he doesn’t offer support, and he doesn’t step aside. Instead, he uses the team’s by-now-instinctual obedience to Shiro to reinforce Keith’s idea that yes, he’s a terrible leader, and he’s going to get everyone killed. The team don’t make a very good job of reinforcing the new pecking order, with only Lance acknowledging that Keith remains team leader...and even then, Lance will not (yet) outright defy Shiro in favour of Keith. 

Handily for the saboteur, Keith continues his self-isolating behaviour and “Shiro” does manage to get Black up and running. With the distance created between himself and his team, Keith is only too eager to remove himself from the picture entirely. Why he doesn’t take Red back is a bit of a puzzle, but the distance is a factor...as, possibly, are Lance and Allura’s places on the team.

Next on the hit list is Lance. Why Lance? Well, possibly because it’s convenient: he has the most obvious insecurities and, let’s be honest, receives the least back up from the rest of the crew. As the “goofball” (Pidge’s words), they don’t take him seriously except in battle - socially, with his history of flirting and opening his mouth at the wrong time, he remains the team joke. Furthermore, he’s becoming steadily more isolated, as Hunk and Pidge withdraw from him in favour of Matt. It might just be because he’s a soft target, and his emotional reaction to the messages they send home confirms that there really is somewhere else he’d rather be.

However, Lance is the Blue Paladin, and currently the pilot of the Red Lion - Voltron’s DPS Lion. He’s also shown to be capable in battle, a tactician who can spot a trap a mile away and is capable of giving out orders that will actually work. The right side of Voltron seems more forward facing and offensive than the left, who are more thoughtful, so “Shiro” or his puppetmaster may have targeted him as the last remaining member of the original team who was active rather than reactive, and one of the last two who could theoretically take on a leadership role in an emergency. Also? Allura may be the heart of Voltron itself, but Lance is the heart of this particular team. 

Every office or department has a Lance: the social one, the one who organises the parties and the group chat, the one who may not have a specialised role but can always be found helping out others or working behind the scenes. Often they’re not really appreciated - sometimes others find them outright annoying. Yet they can mitigate the effects of an ineffectual or slavedriving boss, and everyone realises just how much they did for their coworkers once they leave and life at work becomes much more difficult.

Lance is the mediator (when he’s not needling Keith). He’s observant, and, unlike specialist obsessives Hunk and Pidge, not so wrapped up in his own projects that he forgets the big picture. He’s also outspoken. If “Shiro” starts bullying any of the other Paladins, Lance is likely to step in.  “Shiro” needs him gone. So “Shiro” publicly humiliates him, berating him in front of his team, who stand by and do nothing (except for Allura, after the fact, but we’ll get to her). Lance still feels superfluous. He doubts his own abilities. Now he’s getting constantly shouted down, his (in his eyes) minor contributions being dismissed. Throw this on top of Blue’s rejection (an emotional hit to Lance’s heart and self-esteem), Keith’s departure (which saw Lance demoted from his vice-captain role), and Lance’s longing for his family, and “Shiro” might have found the straw to break the camel’s back...that is, if the real Shiro hasn’t managed to relay his message to Lance in time.

The final Paladin to be cut from the flock is Allura - and it’s Lotor, not “Shiro,” who’s responsible for this. Lotor adopts very different tactics than “Shiro”: instead of undermining his target, he flatters her. Tells her how oh-so-very-special she is (like the showrunners haven’t established this already...). He plays to her dreams, her insecurities...and her ego. She isn’t shy about her desire to be like her father, to be the saviour of her people - or at least, to ensure that the last Altean standing is an exemplary one. She feels that she has to be perfect, in order to be worthy of the title of “last survivor”.

In the final few episodes, Allura seems to get an awful lot of what she wants: she awakens the compass, proving that she is truly her father’s daughter in the process, she makes it through the white hole, the ancient Alteans acknowledge her and the white lion finds her worthy...at which point the Voice From Beyond confirms how super-special she is, and has been all along. Moreover, suddenly she has a kindred spirit in Lotor, someone who knows of the pressure of being royalty and who claims to want the same things she does.

You know what they say about something that seems to good to be true.

However, look at what happens in order to get her to this point. Lotor singles her out when he becomes emperor, leaving the three original Paladins to wander around aimlessly and entertain themselves. The implicit message is that she (and “Shiro”) are the only team members worth talking to - the other Earthlings are just making up the numbers. Remember: Hunk, Pidge and Lance have been fighting alongside her for at least two years by this point, yet she dismisses their concern for her out of hand on the say-so of a prince who’s been with them for a few months under dubious circumstances. She doesn’t even question Lotor’s proclamation that the other three be left behind while she does Important Royalty Things - does she really think Pidge couldn’t learn anything from the Galra tech? 

We see it even more dramatically in the White Lion incident, where only she and fellow “Chosen” Lotor are worthy of getting past the White Lion. The team is worried...but Allura forces through the plan anyway. She’s riding high on Lotor’s praise and her own recent successes - why should she doubt that she can pull this off?

In short? I think this is Allura’s “Nyma moment”. Blue’s pilots tend to be romantic and trusting. Allura’s romantic ideal of perfect peace across the empire, and her trust of Lotor, could have further reaching consequences than Lance’s joyride.

But Allura thinks she’s covered her bases. She did distrust Lotor. She acknowledged that working with the Galra was difficult. In her eyes, Lotor has proved himself...and the viewer, really, is meant to agree.

It’s obvious why a saboteur would want Allura on side. First of all, she’s a Princess, and the last Altean; she’s a hell of a trophy (we do actually see Lotor referring to Voltron itself as a kind of trophy, claiming that he has “reclaimed” Black rather than admitting to an alliance). Secondly, she’s a threat to “Shiro’s” leadership, and the only person with any clout that could sway the remaining Paladins, or back them up should they refuse his orders. Really, that role should go to Lance, but “Shiro” has undermined Lance’s role of second-in-command so thoroughly that Lotor probably doesn’t consider him a threat any longer. Thirdly, like Lance, she’s sensed that something is wrong, and has shown an inclination to stand up for her teammates (I love Pidge and Hunk, but they’ve been fairly ineffectual in this area). She realised Shiro was out of order and moved to comfort Lance...who, remember, is a Paladin that “Shiro” wants out of the way. Notice the pattern: the Paladin who tries to comfort or protect the current target of “Shiro’s” sabotage becomes the next target. Unlike Lance though, the saboteur knows that she can be charmed by Lotor, and that she’s far more valuable as an ally than out of the picture altogether.

Finally, she’s the last viable Voltron leader - the final right-hand-side Paladin. Lotor knows that Hunk and Pidge won’t follow him, the same way he knew that the Galra wouldn’t follow a non-Galra...but Hunk and Pidge WILL follow Allura. If he can’t take over directly, he may be aiming to make Allura his puppet.

Let’s just hope she’s quick enough off the mark that she doesn’t go from powerful princess to damsel in distress.

[mantra4ia]

Salty Fangirl Moment, Vol 1

Strong Female Characters/Roles and views which subvert their impact

If you are reading this, I’m sorry. There really are better expository pieces out there about Female Lead Roles, but I wanted to share my reaction to types of opposition and extremism about two projects with strong female leads: Wonder Woman and Doctor Who. (spoilers ahead)

1. Wonder Woman (and the Conservative Curmudgeons)

I saw Wonder Woman multiple times from opening weekend up until today, in English and Spanish, with friends, by myself, and nothing has lessened my joy each time I watch. The movie has foibles in plot and some action sequences, but not when it comes to well written, acted, character, and that for me gives lots of leniency toward other missteps. Chris Pine is wonderfully genuine and generous in his acting to support the project and help everyone else shine, as do the other actors. Gal Gadot does not have much dialogue to carry, but she is expressive and really captures Wonder Woman’s youthful exuberance which was so refreshing. I loved the color grading, I loved the balance of big action and small moments and, DC movie fans can hate me all they desire, I love how it felt like a ‘Marvel movie’. Don’t get me wrong, I have liked some DC movies (Man of Steel, BvS, etc), but from recent experience I think Marvel has been stronger at building characters, relationship dynamics, and ensemble and letting them tell a story, whereas DC has been stronger at building plots, conflicts, action points, and then dropping characters in so that we as an audience watch them react and witness individual character growth. In that sense Wonder Woman felt ‘Marvel’ due to the character focused lens. And overall it was a solid 'A' because it was fun, spirited, passionate, and it filled the tank of enthusiasm as I left the theater each time.

But recently I confronted a group of women, and upon sharing my love for the film (casually in conversation of course *not*, it’s wasn’t as if I steered the conversation with a truth lasso *I totally did*) I was met with a lukewarm response. Still I pressed on trying to get to the source of resistance, countering each potential concern- 

> “I loved it. 1. Even if you’re burned out of superhero movies, I think you’ll really like this. It’s character focused, and while it has a ‘mission’ the focus is really on two characters and their ‘we’re not in Kansas anymore’ stories. 2. If you like DC movies, you’ll like this, and if you’ve been disappointed by DC movies, you’ll still like this/ you should give it a chance because  it’s not your typical origin story, it has a strong ensemble, it’s well paced for the most part (it doesn’t feel like a 2+ hour film, it flies!!!), and it’s a feel good film. 3. This is a passion project for all of those involved, you can really tell because it’s not a good superhero film, it’s a good film period.”

>>At this point, their reservations thawed and they asked “it sounds interesting, what’s it about?” 

Now my mind is blown, because I realize they don’t know who Wonder Woman is from comics or hype, they haven’t seen articles or promo pics or previews (how is this possible), and I’m in charge of the classic elevator summary.

>“Oh, well it’s about Diana, aka Wonder Woman, she grows up on an island of amazon women sheltered from the outside world by Zeus, honing her skills as a warrior under the guidance of her aunt and mother to be on guard for Aries God of War. This all changes when Diana saves a human man, Chris Pine-” 

 >> “He’s from Star Trek, right?”

> “Yeah, sure. He’s a pilot who stumbled through the barrier from WWI and she joins his return to the war against the wishes of her family, because she believes she’s on Aries’ trail. So they get to the war and she helps fight back against Dr. Poison and the Germans…”

>> “Woah, she’s fighting Nazis. That’s too political for me. I don’t like it.” 

> “But…but…you haven’t seen the trailer or gotten to know the characters.”

>> “Why does everything have to be about Nazis?”

> “That’s what I am saying: it’s not about Nazis. Its superhero fiction, it’s about fighting injustice whether it has a real world context or not.”

>> “I’m not going to see it, it sounds like it’s trying to make a statement or be trendy.”

dfggdjfjfklkghjdghghjdghjtkh,jkknfgkgfdghbdf,hvhgdjutg!!!!!!!!! AGGGGGH! Wonder Woman has been an icon forever and a day, and the best you can call her is trendy?!

For the love of god, you are ‘entitled’ to your like/dislike opinion but only on the contingent of citing the source material. Watch a trailer, and critique a movie intelligently for its content: acting / writing / pacing / shot selection/ cinematic style, or draw comparisons to other films for context. If you form an opinion without any ‘research’ I guess you’re allowed, but I’m allowed to call that opinion (not you as a person, but that particular statement) ignorant, ill-informed, fledgling, and flippant.

2. Doctor Who - 13th Doctor (and the Heel Draggers and Super Enthusiasts)

The casting of the 13th Doctor suffers the same kind of character undermining, but this time from men and women on both extreme ends of the spectrum. We’ve got, in a similar vein to the curmudgeons but at least more informed, the heel-draggers: 

>>“1) Why do they have to cast a woman just because it’s PC/ a stunt/ publicity, 2) why do they have to shove an agenda in our face and 3) insult the traditions of the show I love. I’m not watching anymore.“

> I hardly think it has to do with the dreaded, often misused, recently catch-all term that we call political correctness. Out of all the regenerations, the dice isn’t always going to land on the same side. Secondly, believe it or not, all stories have an agenda called plot or arc, each writer/director/show runner has one. A casting choice of a different sex is not an agenda. And lastly, the show/fandom has many traditions; the fandom becomes richer as those traditions evolve, and the mark of a good writer/director/show runner is knowing the balance of constancy and change, and applying changes carefully with character or plot driven purpose. Sonic shades, sonic screwdriver, both? Converse or loafers? Raggedy or disco? As long as the Doctor is still the Doctor, still travels in the TARDIS, still values the same things, still has their past, and still has a companion, we might just survive!

But we also have the super enthusiasts who will fire first and ask questions later at any sign of dissent over the 13th Doctor. -

>>“1) The future is Female! Yes! Protect Jodie Whitaker at all cost. 2) Why are you worried about this casting, why aren’t you excited, you just don’t want the Doctor to be a woman. 3) Why don’t you like the trailer, you just don’t like change. 4) Power/ Control, we’ve got your superheroes, Doctors… 4) NOW A WHOLE BUNCH OF YOUNG GIRLS CAN COSPLAY AS THE DOCTOR (caps not mine, copied from a post)”

>Yes, the future is female, but a) that’s under the assumption she identifies as female and b) puleeeeasse Jodie Whitaker can protect herself as she feels so inclined, as can the whole Doctor Who creative team. Listen to opposition and evaluate if they have a valid point before you leap. Secondly, I’m not excited because I didn’t want the casting to be spoiled for me and it was, not because a woman was cast. And I’m not worried about a woman being cast - I can envision actresses in the part. I have concerns about Jodie Whitaker’s casting in conjunction with other circumstances outside her control.  Every regeneration is always a gut check, and change is by nature uncomfortable: I’ve enjoyed and grown used to the male Doctor and companion dynamic, it doesn’t mean you should assume I hate the idea of a female doctor. Jodie in particular presents a challenge because I know her and associate her with roles that bias me, including Broadchurch and The Assets. Again, my bias = no one’s problem but mine. I think she’s mega talented, but in this case her notability makes me more uneasy as opposed to a hypothetical niche-known actress of equal talent; I like Doctor Who’s recent track record at finding someone “new” and Jodie is not as ‘new’ to me as I had hoped. I would have been more enthusiastic for someone who, unlike Jodie, hadn’t worked so recently with Chibnall, the new showrunner, to inject fresh excitement. Or at least if Bill, Nardol, or even Missy were still around to ease us in as a focal point that the audience can transition through, like Rose for Tennant or Clara for Capaldi. So ultimately its the culmination of ‘clean slate’ circumstances that I find most unnerving, not solely the new Doctor. And I still have to get over the “Doctor Who Stages of Regeneration Grief” for Capaldi before I can form a passionate opinion of a new actor. 

Thirdly, I don’t like the “Introducing Jodie Whitaker” trailer because of the marketing choice - I find it boring and ‘too easy’ to build hype only to show Jodie’s face out from under a hood. It sends the absolutely wrong message for me that she’s a woman, not she’s the Doctor. Eccleston got to speak, Tennant got to speak, Matt Smith same, John Hurt same, Capaldi didn’t, but his first marketing intro was in the context of an episode in action, saving Gallifrey, being the Doctor, so it felt right. This felt a little cheap. And to those who see this as an opportunity for a female to be in power/control of the title role, give me a break. We’re not watching the same show. Doctor Who has never been about the Doctor being in control, more often than not it’s the TARDIS or companions, a majority of which have been played by actresses, that demonstrate force, a guiding hand, etc. I’m happy to have a female in the title role, I’m not happy with the fans who have narrowed the scope and don’t recognize the power that female characters have had all along in Doctor Who. Lastly, SWEET RASSILON ALIVE, girls have already been cosplaying as the Doctor since time immemorial because they identify with the character first not the actor/actress. I’m happy you’re happy that girls have an easily identifiable role model, but if you are going to praise the value of transcending gender roles assigned to a specific sex, its gotta work both ways or you are diminishing the character value.

My biggest grievance common to the people in all three points of opposition is the inability to simultaneously: 

Have their own preferences while at the same time stepping outside their perspective to role play someone else’s view 

Realize that both views can exist without invalidation of each other and

Undervaluing the IMPORTANCE OF THE WELL-WRITTEN CHARACTER. 

So if everyone can do me a favor? Let’s have a moment of silence and LISTEN to Wonder Woman and the Doctor. Thank you.