#So it's Emma and Cleo vs Charlotte and Lewis

[dbphantom]

I had the funniest dream last night that there was a new episode specifically for s2 of H2O. It was just a revamp of season 1 episode 10 the camera never lies but Rikki and Zane teamed up to film something underwater at Mako Island. Rikki was the camerawoman and Zane was the actor (as you do when mermaids are involved).

Filming went well, there were no sharks, and Zane had the money to buy a bunch of cool stuff for filming underwater including breathing tubes and air pumps to explain how the camerawoman could stay underwater for so long (the show just used their actual versions of them because I mean. They had them. At the very least they had them for the scene where Zane sinks in the Lorelei. I don't see why they wouldn't still use them for some s2 shots).

But when they finally got back and were watching the footage they were like oh shit. They can't show this because Cleo Emma and Lewis are going to realize what they did, and they're going to realize they're dating and that Zane knows about Rikki.

So it ended up becoming a hot potato game of passing the footage between each other until Nate got his hands on it and entered it into the competition for himself. So that gave Zane and Rikki a bit of an out because Zane could just say Nate was filming him, but Rikki is upset because she put a lot of work into the film and now she's not getting credit for it. Especially since last year essentially the same thing happened where she made a film and couldn't use or get credit for her work.

Zane ended up forfeiting the submission because of it and shrugs it off when Rikki is like why would you do that, you totally would have won again, it was leagues better than everyone else's. And Zane was like. Yeah. Exactly. You wouldn't have gotten the credit for it, and I don't want to win if it isn't with you.

So, totally unrelated note, I think I just came up with a new filler episode for my H2O fic.

[writerboylikeme]

If the character of Bella had been introduced in the second season, with the girls finding out that she was also a mermaid things might have gone differently. Like, yeah, it wouldn't have fit with the whole "only three mermaids" theme, but let's think about it for a second. She is friendly, sweet and understanding, she could have met Charlotte in art class and get along with her right away. Charlotte would have a friend she could lean on when things with Lewis weren't going well, she wouldn't need to spend all her time with him because she has someone else that give her affection, and she wouldn't want to join Cleo, Emma, ​​and Rikki so desperately either.

For Lewis, it could have been that friend who, even though she might disagree with how he acted sometimes, would give him the empathy and appreciation that the girls didn't give him in many moments because she would understand he was in a difficult position. He really cried out for having a source of support that doesn’t force him to choose sides all the time and maybe, ironically, that could have made him more corageous to stand up for himself and for Charlotte.

And as for the girls, I think that even though Bella would have had a hard time saying what she thought because she would have been afraid to confront them now that she could feel like she belonged somewhere, she would have called them out for their intimidating and rude behavior towards Charlotte and Lewis.  Remember that on (rare) occasions she brings out her bad temper, she may not know how to see when she herself isn’t being treated well, but she may have a little more judgment when other people are being unfair to other person and she wouldn’t have hesitated, knowing what it was like for her to go through that experience alone, in helping Charlotte if, even with everything, she had become a mermaid)

I don't know, I believe because of her inherently good nature and the fact that she wasn`t part of the group from the beginning, she could have been the glue between the two feuding parties (Lewis, Charlotte vs the girls). She would have provided a valuable outside perspective that wouldn't have been so contaminated by festering emotions.

Of course, she would need a therapist herself to deal with it without losing her mind hahaha.

Your thoughts? Perhaps too idealistic?  I don’t want to say that her mere presence could have prevented the conflict, but it could have made it easier to bear with it and reach a better ending.

[deafchild2000]

H2O Fandom, I'm sorry, I really am.

But please tell me I'm not wrong for thinking Gracie would go to bat for Charlotte had she lived during S2!?

Like, I'm partially baiting you guys but want some honest answers. Do you think any of all the girls' (+ Lewis's) behaviors would have played out if Gracie was on the scene, looking at Charlotte and saying "Tag me in, I got this!" before showing out - however a former mermaid in her 60s could?

Like, do I think she'd agree with all of Charlotte's behavior? Personally, no. Disappointing her would be the last thing Charlotte wanted. But do I think she would let all the stuff the girls were doing slide? Hell no! The dinner episode would have been it.

We all know S2 was mainly Cleo's arc with her comparisons to Gracie vs Gracie's living grandkid - so what would Cleo be looking like facing the elderly woman she's been compared to and getting reamed by her! And that definitely depends on what Charlotte had been telling her and well, how she reacts (is she calm and disapproving or is she as angry as a sea storm?) says it all but how Cleo feels afterwards might do some good. Why? Because in case some of you forgot, when Charlotte's worst crime was liking Lewis, not only did Cleo belittle her and make fun of her behind her back but wasn't above humiliating her or watching her be humiliated. Using her mermaid status as a superiority complex to feel better than Charlotte until she got her life back (powers under control, stable home life, Lewis). And that's not forgetting Rikki and Emma helped instead of telling her to stop, Lewis as well in his own way.

(Sorry Cleo fans, but you can't tell me you were okay with her behavior from another perspective!)

So yeah, Gracie lives to come back to the Gold Coast with her adult daughter and teenage granddaughter - may or may not suspect Charlotte might end up a mermaid - and hearing everything about Cleo and Lewis and then everything just falls into place when finding out a new batch of mermaids are around and one of them is beefing with her grandchild!? No way can I not imagine Gracie getting involved and humbling the crap out of everyone!

Gracie died, so her memory was told through memories of those who knew her and her keepsakes. But if she lived, she'd have control over her own narrative and maybe spill some things that perhaps Louise and Max left out.

She made her choice giving up being a mermaid and she'd make it clear why she did so. But that doesn't mean she's gonna sit back and let things get badly if she had any say about it!

(BTW, Gracie would definitely clear the dispute over her locket and I wouldn't be surprised if she told both girls to drop it if it's so much of a problem - maybe paralleling how she gave up being a mermaid because it was a problem.)

[deafchild2000]

In her own way, Charlotte Watsford was the Little Mermaid

When we look at the H2O and the Little Mermaid, it isn't a stretch that the first thing we think of is red hair and we've long folded between the green vs golden tails. And thanks to "Red Herring", Emma definitely sported the look before Charlotte entered the fray.

(And yes, I had to go there with the red hair and pink dress combo!😆)

But looking back, I realized Charlotte is a lot like Ariel, but on a different level, and for that, I look at TV tropes between the book Hans Christian Andersen and Disney's interpretations (and to save energy, I'm using "Ariel" to refer to the Little Mermaid innboyh versions of the tale to save energy):

Love At First Sight - Ariel falls in love with the prince the moment she first sees him. In H2O, while I consider it "Crush at First Sight", it still applies that Charlotte liked Lewis from the moment she saw him.

She's Got Legs - Ariel trading her fins to get legs to walk on land. In H2O, this is interpreted differently as Charlotte being a human means she has no chance with Lewis against Cleo, a mermaid (as pointed out by Rikki!)

Gives Up Their Voice - Not a trope, but should be. Ariel gave up her voice and fins to walk on land and win the prince's heart (a task she fails in the book, but succeeds in the movie). In H2O, Charlotte didn't literally give up her voice, but more metaphorical as she put up with the girls' (mostly Cleo and Rikki's) passive-aggressiveness and verbal taunts for a long period, working through it to gain their friendship.

Violently Protective Girlfriend - In the movie, Ariel willing to fight Ursula to protect her prince. In H2O, after watching Nate attack Lewis over a damaged jet ski and tries to steal his boat, Charlotte takes it upon herself to get even and avenge Lewis's honor, no matter how risky it was.

Nice Job Breaking It, Hero! - In the movie, Ariel realizes her actions have consequences when her father takes her place when she fails to keep her bargain with Ursula. In H2O, the girls actions' were just as responsible for Charlotte going down a wrong path as it was for Charlotte to choose to do so.

Action Girl - In the movie, Ariel does tremendous feats from fighting a shark, saving a prince, and fighting Ursula. In H2O....basically every time Charlotte uses her powers up until the end.

It Runs In The Family - In the movie, this applies to Ariel, Triton, and her daughter Melody because Triton is the overprotective father who tries to keep his rebellious daughter safe and she runs away to become a human...which Ariel would do when Melody runs away and becomes a mermaid. In H2O, Charlotte discovers her late grandmother, Gracie, was a mermaid and sets out to become one herself.

Easily Forgiven - In the movie, Ariel was forgiven for all the trouble she caused and was still able to marry the prince. In H2O, the closest thing to this is Lewis forgiving Charlotte and telling her she'll find her other half. However, it remains unseen if the girls had forgiven her.

Fatal Flaws - In the movie was ultimately Ariel's curiosity, stubbornness and shortsightedness that early led to Ursula ruling the 7 seas, her father be powered and nearly her and the prince's deaths. IN H2O, it was Charlotte's stubbornness and ego that led her to abuse her powers, break ties with the girls, and eventually lose her tail.

Only the Leads Get a Happy Ending - In the book, Ariel's choice not to kill the prince led to her gaining a soul. In the movie, despite everything, Ariel becomes human and gets married to the prince. In H2O, Charlotte is left alone to regret and repent, leaving the girls to take joy in still being mermaids and Cleo having the locket & Lewis for her boyfriend.

Everyone Has Standards - In the book, Ariel's sisters gave her a knife to kill the prince so she didn't turn to seafoam, and Ariel chose not to kill him & let him be happy. In H2O, the girls consistently got angry with Charlotte for using her powers in public...which makes them hypocrites since they've been doing that since they got their tails too! (Cleo to mess with her sister or job, Emma for her job or to mess with someone, Rikki for vengeance, messing around, or protecting herself. Basically, they got angry for stuff they already pull!)

Bittersweet Ending - Based on the book, Ariel still died without marrying the prince, but gains a soul and becomes a spirit. In H2O, Charlotte may have to live with regrets, but she did enjoy her brief time as a mermaid and it says a lot more that she gave back her grandmother's locket (to Lewis, who gave it to Cleo) rather than fight to keep it.

Once you combine both adaptions together, Ariel and Charlotte aren't that different from each other and are really alike. The only downside is that Ariel found some type of happiness, one way or another. Charlotte, on the other hand, does not.