Pretty Little Liars Finale
I needed somewhere to spill my thoughts and feelings about the mid-season finale from Tuesday night so here we go. It should be obvious, but be warned--spoilers ahead!!!
In case you decided to read this but don't watch the show, Tuesday's episode revealed that the main antagonist--a stalking, torturing, sociopathic lunatic--was a transgendered woman. Disclaimer: I'm a cisgendered, nonqueer chick, so I'm not trying to pretend that my opinion counts whatsoever in this conversation. There are far more people better qualified to discuss these issues than me.
So, here's the thing. I enjoyed the storyline for how CeCe became CeCe, but I felt like they really downplayed how she became "A" and all the horrible things she's done to people. Like, eh, well, no one REALLY got TOO hurt so therefore I'm not a bad person. OK, whatever. This show has asked me to make larger leaps of faith than this. I just also feel, however, that maybe you shouldn't have had the show's biggest villain be a transgendered character? I mean, your targeted audience is the high school range and I don't know that they were getting the message you wanted to send, which was that she was crazy because of the neglect and abuse she suffered, NOT because she was trans. OBVIOUSLY, we need more trans characters on shows and in movies. We need them to be portrayed as normally as cisgendered people are portrayed. Are cis people villains? Yes, they are. But there are also plenty of non-villain cis characters to balance that out. When you only have ONE trans character, and THAT'S the character you decide is going to be a lying, manipulative maniac, I just...I feel like maybe you're not exactly helping the cause. That's all. This show has murdered two black lesbians while the white male predators have gone scot-free. (No joke--one of the characters is a high school teacher who knowingly and deceitfully began a relationship with not one but TWO high school girls when they were 15/16ish. Has he even been arrested? NO HE HAS NOT. In fact, #Ezria is one of the favored ships by the teenage demographic. It's sick. But I digress.) Multiple white male cops have been portrayed in relationships or pressing unwanted advances on the same group of high school girls. Have they been punished or villified? NO THEY HAVE NOT. So in that context it's just a little frustrating that you don't turn around and make one of them the villain reveal.
They did, however, manage to make me feel really sorry for "A"'s background/upbringing which is a feat I didn't think they'd be able to accomplish. The actress who plays CeCe was phenomenal and her whole transition story was beautifully done. Aside from that, I felt a little bit disappointed. There were about 800 different options for the villain reveal and it just felt like that was one we had dismissed because "surely they wouldn't do that". I've been watching this show for 5.5 years (omg, amirite) and over ALL those years we had SO many theories. So many good twists and sinister turns and insane what-ifs. So I suppose some of my disappointment is just that my favorite theories were wrong. I'll admit that's part of it. I felt like we had some really plausible theories and then this one came a little bit out of left field. But it's not the worst avenue they could have taken.
Reveal aside, there were a couple of other timeline-related issues that irritated me. I wish the writers would do an interview where they would just come out and SAY, "You're right, that was inaccurate, but we did it that way on purpose/don't care because this way packed more punch. WE'RE SORRY." I know that's asking a lot *eye roll* but like how can someone die when they're pushed off a roof and then be alive and living in their house 15+ years later? Like why did you not even try to address that? I suppose viewers obsess about the show's details more than the writers/producers and it's not really their fault but at least some acknowledgment would be nice. Especially since this particular group of writers/producers always goes to interviews and claims they've done things "very purposefully" and there are no coincidences and everything is a clue. Don't patronize me.
Anyway. The show's off the air until January so I'll have to wait to get more answers. Answers that probably won't make sense or questions which will be ignored entirely. And yet, I can't turn away. :) I love this show--nothing else has quite held me captivated for such a long stretch of time. I could sit here and theorize about this plot alllllll day. And if you've made it this far down the post--thank you!
In case you decided to read this but don't watch the show, Tuesday's episode revealed that the main antagonist--a stalking, torturing, sociopathic lunatic--was a transgendered woman. Disclaimer: I'm a cisgendered, nonqueer chick, so I'm not trying to pretend that my opinion counts whatsoever in this conversation. There are far more people better qualified to discuss these issues than me.
So, here's the thing. I enjoyed the storyline for how CeCe became CeCe, but I felt like they really downplayed how she became "A" and all the horrible things she's done to people. Like, eh, well, no one REALLY got TOO hurt so therefore I'm not a bad person. OK, whatever. This show has asked me to make larger leaps of faith than this. I just also feel, however, that maybe you shouldn't have had the show's biggest villain be a transgendered character? I mean, your targeted audience is the high school range and I don't know that they were getting the message you wanted to send, which was that she was crazy because of the neglect and abuse she suffered, NOT because she was trans. OBVIOUSLY, we need more trans characters on shows and in movies. We need them to be portrayed as normally as cisgendered people are portrayed. Are cis people villains? Yes, they are. But there are also plenty of non-villain cis characters to balance that out. When you only have ONE trans character, and THAT'S the character you decide is going to be a lying, manipulative maniac, I just...I feel like maybe you're not exactly helping the cause. That's all. This show has murdered two black lesbians while the white male predators have gone scot-free. (No joke--one of the characters is a high school teacher who knowingly and deceitfully began a relationship with not one but TWO high school girls when they were 15/16ish. Has he even been arrested? NO HE HAS NOT. In fact, #Ezria is one of the favored ships by the teenage demographic. It's sick. But I digress.) Multiple white male cops have been portrayed in relationships or pressing unwanted advances on the same group of high school girls. Have they been punished or villified? NO THEY HAVE NOT. So in that context it's just a little frustrating that you don't turn around and make one of them the villain reveal.
They did, however, manage to make me feel really sorry for "A"'s background/upbringing which is a feat I didn't think they'd be able to accomplish. The actress who plays CeCe was phenomenal and her whole transition story was beautifully done. Aside from that, I felt a little bit disappointed. There were about 800 different options for the villain reveal and it just felt like that was one we had dismissed because "surely they wouldn't do that". I've been watching this show for 5.5 years (omg, amirite) and over ALL those years we had SO many theories. So many good twists and sinister turns and insane what-ifs. So I suppose some of my disappointment is just that my favorite theories were wrong. I'll admit that's part of it. I felt like we had some really plausible theories and then this one came a little bit out of left field. But it's not the worst avenue they could have taken.
Reveal aside, there were a couple of other timeline-related issues that irritated me. I wish the writers would do an interview where they would just come out and SAY, "You're right, that was inaccurate, but we did it that way on purpose/don't care because this way packed more punch. WE'RE SORRY." I know that's asking a lot *eye roll* but like how can someone die when they're pushed off a roof and then be alive and living in their house 15+ years later? Like why did you not even try to address that? I suppose viewers obsess about the show's details more than the writers/producers and it's not really their fault but at least some acknowledgment would be nice. Especially since this particular group of writers/producers always goes to interviews and claims they've done things "very purposefully" and there are no coincidences and everything is a clue. Don't patronize me.
Anyway. The show's off the air until January so I'll have to wait to get more answers. Answers that probably won't make sense or questions which will be ignored entirely. And yet, I can't turn away. :) I love this show--nothing else has quite held me captivated for such a long stretch of time. I could sit here and theorize about this plot alllllll day. And if you've made it this far down the post--thank you!