I Love Lucy (maybe you could consider it too)

[shyaway]

All right.

Comments

[justawench]

although it isn't clear to me whether she remembers their relation to her - does anyone have any thoughts on that?

I have no proof, but I think she knows Johanna. I don't think it's a coincidence that she hovers around the judge's house where her daughter is. She calls her "his pretty little ward" but I assume that's because she's been threatened so many times over the 15 years not to reveal Johanna's origins (again, no proof, only speculation).

I wish they had left in the scene at the beginning where she accosts Sweeney ("How would you like a little muff, dear") because it makes such a contrast with her previous, pure self and would help explain why he doesn't recognize her as *his* Lucy.

[shyaway]

I don't think it's a coincidence that she hovers around the judge's house where her daughter is.

Good point. I got the impression that she didn't know, but as you said, no proof, and her being around the Judge's house does point to yes rather than no, especially as she seems to be afraid of him.

[justawench]

Also, I think her earnest statement, "Tamper there, and it's a good whipping for you!" says she's speaking from experience. She seems to go in and out of lucidity, so I think sometimes she knows more than at other times.

[das_mervin]

You are awesome for writing this up. I did the nasty rant asking why there's no love for Anthony, and you did a very nice summary of why Lucy deserves a little more love in the fandom. Much prettier than mine, I must confess.

I LOVE you. You rule. Have cookies.

[shyaway]

D'awwww, I just can't rant convincingly. Yours was much more entertaining. *shares cookies*

[das_mervin]

Well, it's friends-only, and a big rant, rather than anything else. I'll unlock it for a few days so you can read it, though. :)

There you go. Not nearly as organized and pleasant as shyaway's on Lucy, and a great deal less eloquent.

[sandsdream]

This is great, and I certainly agree with you. Too often, Lucy either gets criticized or totally ignored by fans. On a (sort of) related note, although I really love the Sweeney/Lovett pairing when it's done right, I also adore Benjamin/Lucy.

(And I say "Benjamin" rather than "Sweeney" because too much has happened to, and changed, the characters for "Sweeney/Lucy" to make much sense. They're no longer the people they once were, and... You said it better than I could:

Unfortunately she shared her husband's fatal flaw of not being a very perceptive judge of character.)

[shyaway]

Thanks. :-) Lucy-bashing makes me sad. She really doesn't deserve it, because we may not know much about her, but everything we do know is good.

I agree with you about Sweeney/Lucy... They're both much too damaged in their different ways to have a happy ending.

Still loving that icon! There should be a Lovett one saying 'in ur house stealin ur husband'.

[sunshine304]

A great essay! *sends flowers*

I'm always irritated when suethors go on and on about how Lucy didn't defend Benjamin and that she obviously didn't care for him. I think these suethors somehow missed in which time period the story takes place. A woman was supposed to be quiet, especially when men were speaking. Even if she later went and tried to defend him (we don't know that, but I think it's likely), her word wouldn't have been as important as a man's word.

And even later, when she's crazy and a beggar and, at least in the musical, a prostitute, she still tries to help other people who never had a kind word for her. She obviously loved her husband so much that she recognises him after all that time and although he has considerably changed! Even Mrs. Lovett took a moment to recognise him, but her brain wasn't fuzzy because of a little bit of arsenic...

Well done!

[shyaway]

Why, thank you! :-D

A woman was supposed to be quiet, especially when men were speaking. Even if she later went and tried to defend him (we don't know that, but I think it's likely), her word wouldn't have been as important as a man's word.

Also a good point. There was nothing she could do to help him.

I wonder what Benjamin was charged with...

[sunshine304]

I always wondered about that, too. To send him away... perhaps it was the murder of some beggar or something. Why Turpin chose to send him away instead of hanging him is a question I'd love to hear the answer to.

[shyaway]

Now, I do have a theory about that. :-) I think he did it to try to make himself look merciful and impress Lucy, perhaps telling her that he had done the best he could for Benjamin. Then, if he thought he was getting anywhere with her and there was a chance she would marry him, he could have 'received word' from the penal colony that Benjamin was dead (or maybe even have him killed, if his influence stretched that far). But Lucy wouldn't have it, so things turned out the way they did.

[vaetra]

Though Lucy isn't my favorite character, I think you did a good thing by defending her against the hundreds of fangirls constantly crying for her blood. Being a Todd/Lovett fan myself, I do have to sometimes remind myself not to get irritated with Lucy, but I definitely agree that she doesn't deserve all the ill treatment she often recieves.

[shyaway]

Thank you. :-) I like Sweeney/Lovett too, I just find it bizarre that Lucy is seen as this horrible person and that some fans think she should have been killed sooner. I think she's lovely!