Hey, guess what I want to talk about?
So. How about those V spoilers for the next episode?
I am obvs super-excited for incredibly shallow reasons, but I also really like the direction this seems to be taking Erica's character. From some of the comments I've read in various places, this...is not a popular opinion. But I adore it and here's why:
I enjoy V for the most part. But I do think it's a little...lame sometimes. I mean, theoretically, the stakes on this show are INSANELY high. It's about the future (and possible destruction of) humanity. And the main "good guys" generally don't do anything except stand around and talk about how they need to start a war, save humanity, etc. etc. etc. But then they get all worried that there might be collateral damage, so they don't do anything. They just sit around and angst and worry that people might get hurt.
Meanwhile, Anna and the Vs are all: LET'S DESTROY HUMANITY. And they're well on their way to doing just that. Why? Because they're willing to sacrifice themselves to do it. The fifth column can't win the war by rejecting any plan that might result in innocent people losing their lives (ex-Father Jack, I'm looking at you), because that just means that the Vs will get the jump on them and MORE innocent people will die.
Yeah, hooking up with Hobbes is morally shady if you're coming from the perspective that Erica needs to save humanity by only positive methods (which are the methods that Jack espouses). The sneak peek where Jack's like "I never would have agreed to this if I knew there were side effects!" is a perfect example of the problem. He's never going to agree to ANY method of attack because he's consumed by conscience and doing what's right; it's a totally admirable quality in a priest (and, honestly, in most regular, non-priest people as well), but it's a really shitty quality in a military leader. The issue with only using non-collateral damage methods is that it's IMPOSSIBLE for Erica to actually save humanity that way. She's got to get dirty and stop with the moral righteousness if she ever wants to succeed.
And even though it kind of sucks that this is tied in to shipping, it kind of is. Jack represents staying the straight and narrow -- the idea that it's more important not to hurt innocents than it is to win the war -- which is commendable, but not the way to defeat the Vs. Hobbes represents embracing moral ambiguity and admitting that being the general in a war is not just a matter of doing the "right" thing -- people don't win wars by thinking that every life is sacred because then nothing gets done. You've got to sacrifice the few to save the many.
Honestly, I think that it's AWESOME that Erica is possibly going to be morally shady. I know that there's this idea that Erica is acting out-of-character by hooking up with Hobbes, but I actually think that's good (and not totally true; she's maybe acting out-of-character compared to the beginning of s1, but not to how she's been acting for most of this season). Erica NEEDS to act differently; she needs to change and not be quite so morally righteous. She can't win unless she does.
I know there will be fallout once Erica realizes that Hobbes set off the bomb in "Siege," but I can still see Erica/Hobbes happening after she finds out. It may not be happy or easy, but I can see it. Because, honestly, Hobbes didn't kill Joe and he DEFINITELY didn't turn Tyler into the kind of person who would choose Anna over Erica. The bombing was just one cause among many. And many of those other causes are just as much about the choices Erica's made (I mean, let's be honest, she and Joe were mostly only back together to manipulate Tyler into choosing them over Anna) and I'd like for the show to explore that kind of moral ambiguity. Especially since Hobbes only did it to save someone he loves and not because he's an evil monster (although, really, they need to do more with this "Sarah" thing if we're supposed to buy Hobbes's actions in that episode). [I know this paragraph doesn't make a ton of sense. I have a very elaborate explanation for why I think they can still be together, but this post is already getting a little out of hand, so.]
It makes me sad that there are only three episodes left. Because I highly doubt the show will be renewed and it seems like it's finally found it's footing. I just hope it doesn't use the last 2 or 3 episodes to take Erica's character back where she was last season/beginning of this season, when she cared more about not being a bad person than she did about saving humanity. If she really wants to be the leader of the 5th column, she needs to suck it up and accept that she's got to do some horrible things. She can either be the leader or she can be a morally "good" person -- she can't be both.
Aaaand, that was a lot of words, many of which probably didn't make much sense. For anyone's who's managed to make it this far, here is that super-sexy clip from "Uneasy Lies the Head" that sparked this whole thing (note: pay particular attention to: the hand-holding, the way Erica keeps saying sorry, sorry, sorry while she rips off Hobbes's shirt, the noises they both make, etc etc):
I am obvs super-excited for incredibly shallow reasons, but I also really like the direction this seems to be taking Erica's character. From some of the comments I've read in various places, this...is not a popular opinion. But I adore it and here's why:
I enjoy V for the most part. But I do think it's a little...lame sometimes. I mean, theoretically, the stakes on this show are INSANELY high. It's about the future (and possible destruction of) humanity. And the main "good guys" generally don't do anything except stand around and talk about how they need to start a war, save humanity, etc. etc. etc. But then they get all worried that there might be collateral damage, so they don't do anything. They just sit around and angst and worry that people might get hurt.
Meanwhile, Anna and the Vs are all: LET'S DESTROY HUMANITY. And they're well on their way to doing just that. Why? Because they're willing to sacrifice themselves to do it. The fifth column can't win the war by rejecting any plan that might result in innocent people losing their lives (ex-Father Jack, I'm looking at you), because that just means that the Vs will get the jump on them and MORE innocent people will die.
Yeah, hooking up with Hobbes is morally shady if you're coming from the perspective that Erica needs to save humanity by only positive methods (which are the methods that Jack espouses). The sneak peek where Jack's like "I never would have agreed to this if I knew there were side effects!" is a perfect example of the problem. He's never going to agree to ANY method of attack because he's consumed by conscience and doing what's right; it's a totally admirable quality in a priest (and, honestly, in most regular, non-priest people as well), but it's a really shitty quality in a military leader. The issue with only using non-collateral damage methods is that it's IMPOSSIBLE for Erica to actually save humanity that way. She's got to get dirty and stop with the moral righteousness if she ever wants to succeed.
And even though it kind of sucks that this is tied in to shipping, it kind of is. Jack represents staying the straight and narrow -- the idea that it's more important not to hurt innocents than it is to win the war -- which is commendable, but not the way to defeat the Vs. Hobbes represents embracing moral ambiguity and admitting that being the general in a war is not just a matter of doing the "right" thing -- people don't win wars by thinking that every life is sacred because then nothing gets done. You've got to sacrifice the few to save the many.
Honestly, I think that it's AWESOME that Erica is possibly going to be morally shady. I know that there's this idea that Erica is acting out-of-character by hooking up with Hobbes, but I actually think that's good (and not totally true; she's maybe acting out-of-character compared to the beginning of s1, but not to how she's been acting for most of this season). Erica NEEDS to act differently; she needs to change and not be quite so morally righteous. She can't win unless she does.
I know there will be fallout once Erica realizes that Hobbes set off the bomb in "Siege," but I can still see Erica/Hobbes happening after she finds out. It may not be happy or easy, but I can see it. Because, honestly, Hobbes didn't kill Joe and he DEFINITELY didn't turn Tyler into the kind of person who would choose Anna over Erica. The bombing was just one cause among many. And many of those other causes are just as much about the choices Erica's made (I mean, let's be honest, she and Joe were mostly only back together to manipulate Tyler into choosing them over Anna) and I'd like for the show to explore that kind of moral ambiguity. Especially since Hobbes only did it to save someone he loves and not because he's an evil monster (although, really, they need to do more with this "Sarah" thing if we're supposed to buy Hobbes's actions in that episode). [I know this paragraph doesn't make a ton of sense. I have a very elaborate explanation for why I think they can still be together, but this post is already getting a little out of hand, so.]
It makes me sad that there are only three episodes left. Because I highly doubt the show will be renewed and it seems like it's finally found it's footing. I just hope it doesn't use the last 2 or 3 episodes to take Erica's character back where she was last season/beginning of this season, when she cared more about not being a bad person than she did about saving humanity. If she really wants to be the leader of the 5th column, she needs to suck it up and accept that she's got to do some horrible things. She can either be the leader or she can be a morally "good" person -- she can't be both.
Aaaand, that was a lot of words, many of which probably didn't make much sense. For anyone's who's managed to make it this far, here is that super-sexy clip from "Uneasy Lies the Head" that sparked this whole thing (note: pay particular attention to: the hand-holding, the way Erica keeps saying sorry, sorry, sorry while she rips off Hobbes's shirt, the noises they both make, etc etc):
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