This is Not Your Father's Pirate (including AWE)

[veronica_rich]

Title: Far From a Simpleton: Will Turner
Author: veronica_rich
Character: Will Turner
Fandom: Pirates of the Caribbean
Spoilers: All three movies
Author's Note: It's all metalkatt's fault - she convinced me four years ago to like Will, and the rest flowed from there. She betaed this essay, and some of the points are things we’ve cussed and discussed over and over and

Comments

[kseenaa]

I am a newly turned fan, I'll start with saying. :-) And I can pinpoint the moment I turned a fan precisly. ;-) I loved both CotBP and DMC, thinking they were grand excellent movies, but I wasn't fan. Yet. If you know what I mean? ;-) Then I saw AWE. And Will taking over the Dutchman. I was hooked. Holy hell, was I ever! I have re-watched CotBP and DMC afterwards, now seeing more in those movies then I did before. Will, however was never a boring character to me. As you said, he was the one standing firm in the storm all the other characters were in. (Makes sense?) I am no shipper of any kind. Like in my previous fandoms, I like all pairings as long as it is well written. :-) Thank you for this meta, because really, it was damned well written. And very interesting to. *bow* Thanx again.

[veronica_rich]

"Newly turned" - Ha! I like it. (The pun pleases Kitty.)

I liked Will long before he took over the Dutchman, but I admit I've wondered what impact that had on casual fans, if they found it tense and believable as well. And I volunteered for this MONTHS ago, unable to believe anyone else hadn't already snapped him up. So I'm happy you liked it, because it's certainly not scholarly like some meta I've read, but it's my version of things. ;-)

[kseenaa]

I am glad my little pun (that I didn't even think about!) pleased you. ;-)

I guess that thing had different impacts on different casual fans. Since, I guess you could call me a casual fan to before AWE. I found it VERY intense. I almost shoked on my popcorn! The actors did one hell of a job on that scene, according to me. And yeah, it was sad, shocking and very believable. :-)

[meowbooks]

I've just found this and I'd like to say well done! It's things like these that inspire me to keep writing in hopes that someday I'll be able to make pretty things such as these.
I have to say that for about two years after CotBP I was left to my own devices and formed opinions on the characters of PotC. Then, I discovered the online fandom and the many different views people had. So, thanks very much for including that bit.

[veronica_rich]

I volunteered to write this one, but I'd be interested to see someone else write one so I can see other views of Will - I know they exist (other than the negative ones, of course). He's a great character and I think the quiet parts hide something deeper within him. *G*

Thanks!

[profshallowness]

Reading this oh so many years after it was posted as I'm rewatching the POTC films in preparation for the fifth, and I just wanted to commend you for the meta. I wasn't really in the fandom when the films came out, and just enjoyed them more casually, and enjoyed what Will brought to the fun without thinking too deeply, but certainly appreciating his growth over the meta. Loved the final points about Death and how the kissing and the travails of the sword could be interpreted. As to his attitude towards women, which is definitely there, I'd suggest the formative influence of his mother, who had the upbriging of him (echoed for the first ten years of Will's son).

[veronica_rich]

It took a few viewings of the first movie and engagement in fandom for me to appreciate Will. He's the straight man to Jack's wackiness, and that's difficult to get notice for if you're an actor, especially if you're up against someone who created characters like Depp did at the time. What I eventually liked about Will is the same thing I like about Steve Rogers in the Marvel films - he's not the typical goody-two-shoes who talks a certain way but does something different; he tries to do what he says. And if he has to change, you see the reasoning process for why he does so. Plus, he's capable of a dry sort of comedy (and I really think Orlando should do more comedy).

I hope they don't change his essential character in the new movie. That would be worse than anything else, IMO. Here's hoping they don't. And thanks for reading and commenting, it's good to see stuff still gets read these years later!