BFA DW 6 and Flip
Nov. 13th, 2024 08:17 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
beccaelizabethAfter I finished the Constance monthly adventures I went back and listened to Flip, slightly out of order. I haven't listened (or relistened, not sure which) Vortex Ice Cortex Fire but I've listened the rest.
Some interesting and consistent creative choices were made.
But they're a bit... worrying? Like, at the same time, Flip should not be travelling without a bunch of therapy, and, the idea that the Doctor wouldn't want her travelling with him is part of why she maybe needs a bunch of therapy.
When she's Mrs Ramon, travelling with Mrs Constance Clarke, then she's the one being all modern and young about things in contrast to Constance being from WWII npand having been through a lot. So she has a lot of character, and she connects with young people and she's empathetic and lively and generally interesting.
Her most consistent characterisation in these ones from before that is that she thinks everyone secretly wants to dump her, like she reckoned her boyfriend was there out of habit, her parents wanted a boy and wouldnt notice she was gone because her brother was still there, and she's always reading in to things the Doctor says to imagine he wants to drop her back on Earth as well. I just relistened Scavenger and she had a bunch to say about her family so all this is text not subtext. She thinks nobody wants her around.
Second most consistent is she takes the damsel in distress thing to extremes. In some adventures she spends a bunch of time unconscioh. Or indeed dead. She's been nearly absorbed by both an alien planet and an alien consciousness. And she got infected with like every disease at once, and they tried to take over her mind. Oh, plus a bit of being drugged unconscious when she just wanted some water. Basically she's been present for less of her own adventures than you might imagine, because unconscious or actually dead. At least twice, dead. It ought to be a concern.
But, three, the other consistent thing is: she turns right back around and plunges into danger again.
And I know that is a trait of protagonists, they get back up again and try and return to the planet that just literally tried to eat them, but, this is very extra even for a DW companion, and frequently happens while the Doctor is yelling "Flip No!"
And the thing is if you line all these three things up, someone who feels like nobody wants them around, who has been actually dead so ought to know the stakes here, and yet keeps jumping towards danger anyway, the picture painted isn't necessarily that of a hero. Like yes she keeps saving people and clearly wants to, but, also, by this point in her story, I want to sit her down and check she actually wants to survive this.
Which is ... not likely to be what they were writing on purpose?
But is a bit worrying.
I know where her story is going because I accidentally started my relisten there, but just at the minute I don't quite see how it meets up in the middle.
But since there's only one monthly adventure with her left, I guess I can find out today.
Some interesting and consistent creative choices were made.
But they're a bit... worrying? Like, at the same time, Flip should not be travelling without a bunch of therapy, and, the idea that the Doctor wouldn't want her travelling with him is part of why she maybe needs a bunch of therapy.
When she's Mrs Ramon, travelling with Mrs Constance Clarke, then she's the one being all modern and young about things in contrast to Constance being from WWII npand having been through a lot. So she has a lot of character, and she connects with young people and she's empathetic and lively and generally interesting.
Her most consistent characterisation in these ones from before that is that she thinks everyone secretly wants to dump her, like she reckoned her boyfriend was there out of habit, her parents wanted a boy and wouldnt notice she was gone because her brother was still there, and she's always reading in to things the Doctor says to imagine he wants to drop her back on Earth as well. I just relistened Scavenger and she had a bunch to say about her family so all this is text not subtext. She thinks nobody wants her around.
Second most consistent is she takes the damsel in distress thing to extremes. In some adventures she spends a bunch of time unconscioh. Or indeed dead. She's been nearly absorbed by both an alien planet and an alien consciousness. And she got infected with like every disease at once, and they tried to take over her mind. Oh, plus a bit of being drugged unconscious when she just wanted some water. Basically she's been present for less of her own adventures than you might imagine, because unconscious or actually dead. At least twice, dead. It ought to be a concern.
But, three, the other consistent thing is: she turns right back around and plunges into danger again.
And I know that is a trait of protagonists, they get back up again and try and return to the planet that just literally tried to eat them, but, this is very extra even for a DW companion, and frequently happens while the Doctor is yelling "Flip No!"
And the thing is if you line all these three things up, someone who feels like nobody wants them around, who has been actually dead so ought to know the stakes here, and yet keeps jumping towards danger anyway, the picture painted isn't necessarily that of a hero. Like yes she keeps saving people and clearly wants to, but, also, by this point in her story, I want to sit her down and check she actually wants to survive this.
Which is ... not likely to be what they were writing on purpose?
But is a bit worrying.
I know where her story is going because I accidentally started my relisten there, but just at the minute I don't quite see how it meets up in the middle.
But since there's only one monthly adventure with her left, I guess I can find out today.