#Sorry to Get Hashtag Personal and Hashtag Bummer On the TL

[mumpsetc]

Artist Origins

[ktlsyrtis]

Hi! I'm one of the folks at the back, Serena's descent into grief isn't the issue for me, it's the eradication of Berena. Tptb are happy to slap the hashtag onto it's promotional material, and work Berena into their trailers and preview clips, but hardly ever present them as a couple in the episodes. Serena is grieving and I get that- but Berena are dead in the water at this point and there's no getting away from that. I'm interested- people at the front (?!) what's good about this for you?

*waves to the back* Hellooooo!  I’malways irrationally excited when I get an anon message, so thanks formaking my morning! :D

I have A LOT of feeling about this(shocking, I know) so I’m going to answer you on a few differentlevels.  However, let me first say that you need to do you.  I getthat people are disappointed in the state of things and I’m notsaying you shouldn’t be.  But I’m definitely not and, since youasked, I’m gonna tell you why!

[Sorry this is so long, but I can’t seem to get the “Keep Reading” to work because I’m apparently too old for Tumblr, lol]

The lame reason:I know you don’t want to hear this, butfirst and foremost Holby City is a trashy soap opera with a big cast. We are literally never, ever going to get as much Berena as we want. It’s the simple reality.  I’m an American and come from a backgroundof loving truly horrible American soaps/tv shows which has absolutelyaffected my expectations.  Compared to years of subtext or once aseason relationships (I’m lookin’ at you ER), Berena has beena cornucopia of canon goodness.

The story reason:I love fluffy fan fic.  LOVE.  IT.  Iwill read a million words about Bernie and Serena going to thefarmer’s market on a Sunday morning or adopting a puppy.  I have anastonishing number of fluffyheadcanons about the two of them and their relationship.  (Want totalk about my belief that Bernie is a hardcore cuddler?  Or thereason that Serena drinks wine is because liquor makes her clothesfall off?  Hit me up!)  

Butthe cold hard reality is that happy relationships make for hellaboring television, especially in a drama-intensive show like HolbyCity.  Why do you think no relationships ever last on these shows? Pretty much all couples end up on the backburner when they’re happyfor exactly this reason.  And I’m actually fine with this!  I’lladmit this may be just me, but historically I have no real interestin shipping heavily featured canon couples, because if the story’sall there in front of me I don’t feel the drive to add to it.  Partof what I deeply love about the Berena storyline is that keeping itconfined to Holby leaves an incredibly rich playground for fandom. The open spaces between the canon bits is where I live and soaps arethe perfect format for that.

Themeta reason:So,I started this whole treatise about relationships and why your partnerisn’t always the first one you go to in times of tragedy, but Irealized that wasn’t really what you were asking.  I’ll save all thatnonsense for a different question, lol.

Thenumber one reason I’m totally fine with the current story and excitedabout the next couple of weeks (despite the anticipation of pain) isthis:

/pullsout megaphone

PEOPLESHOULD NOT BE DEFINED BY THEIR RELATIONSHIP STATUS

Period. Full stop.  Bernie and Serena are people outside of theirrelationship and that’s what I’m interested in.  Of course I adorethem as a couple.  Of course I would like to see them bang on everyavailable surface in Holby.  But what makes them SO GOOD is thepeople they are beyond their relationship.  It’s about Serenathinking she’s so tough and unapproachable when she’s literallyspewing rainbows out of her eyeballs every time Bernie walks in aroom.  It’s Bernie being so scared to get involved after her horriblerelationship history, but utterly unable to resist falling intoSerena’s orbit.  It’s the two of them as colleagues and equals,arguing about the right way to proceed with patients, standing theirown ground.  It’s that they are both strong, independent,fully-realized women, whether in or out of any relationship.  Andthis, to me, is why I have absolutely no concerns about theirrelationship.  Ofcoursetheir relationship is on the back burner right now.  How could it notbe??  But the foundation that it’s built on, one of true mutualrespect, is as solid as ever.

Now,I will admit that I’m a hugeSerena Campbell fan.  (I mean, look at my blog - I have A Problem™) This storyline has been amazing from the perspective of exploringSerena’s character and Catherine has been knocking it out of thefucking park every week.  And I know that people are upset about thelack of Bernie in recent weeks.  But, let’s really think about this. Getting more Bernie right now would mean one of two things – 1)Bernie also has a dramatic storyline or 2) Bernie inserting herselfmore aggressively into everything Serena is dealing with at work.

Ithink we can all agree that #1 would be terrible.  As for #2, I knowthat this is what everyone says they want.  But let’s really thinkabout it.  Serena and Bernie are both intenselyprivate when it comes to keeping work and personal life separate andthey’ve both been badly burned by the Holby rumor mill in the past. So now they’re supposed to be just hugging and crying all over thehospital?  They’re equals in authority in AAU.  What happens ifBernie steps in and undermines all of Serena’s decisions andinteractions with their juniors?  I honestly believe that focusing ontheir couplehood right now would be entirely antithetical to theircharacters and far more problematic for their relationship in thelong run.  It’s just like Bernie herself said; “This is work.  Youhave to treat it like work.”  Part of what keeps their relationshipworking is having each other’s backs in the work environment andkeeping their relationship outside of Holby.

Lookingforward:Ialready know that none of this will convince anyone who’s unhappywith the current storyline.  But you asked why I’m still on board, soI get to natter on about it. ;)

Partof what keeps me on the Berena train is thinking about what we’regoing to get going forward.  I am SO EXCITED for the roof episode.  Ilove some good angst and the spring trailer gives me chills. I know we’ve been focused on seeing Bernie breakdown a goddamn doorto get to her girl (*swoon*) but think about what happens next!  Onthe roof?  Talking Serena down?  Potential declarations of feelings?! *incoherent screeching*  I’m seriously going to need a drink tosurvive it.

Afterthat we get CRuss’ break, which is obviously a bummer for Serenastans like myself.  But it also opens a tonof good opportunities.  I for one would loveto see some good solo plots for Bernie.  How does she cope withrunning AAU alone?  Or will they make her co-lead with Ric, who shehas a fairly rocky history with?  And if we get any scenes withBernie and Jason, you can just bury where I fall because it’s all Iwant in the world.

Andafter all that, after three months of (hopefully) strong characterdevelopment for Bernie, we get another reunion!  What happens whenSerena gets back?  Will we get another office makeout session?  Ihave no idea, but I am 100% here for it!!!

tl;drIunderstand why people are upset, but I fully believe that Berena arestill endgame and I’m in it for as long as this rollercoaster lasts. At the same time, I approach my enthusiasm with full awareness of thefact that Holby is a trashy soap opera and will never give meeverything I want.  For that I will happily drown myself in fan ficuntil the end of time.

Well,that wandered a bit, lol.  I hope I answered your question!  If not,let me know and I can try and clarify some of my ridiculousness. Thanks, anon!