#it's BECAUSE he does shitty things and isn't A Super Good Person™ that makes him particularly interesting

[musical-chick-13]

I'm the LAST person to suggest that you have to preface every single comment you make about a character/fictional relationship/etc. you like with a reminder that you Know™ it's pRoBLeMaTiC, but I DO question what the point of acting genuinely for real like there were no problems is.

#I don't even mean in a 'what would it look like if this relationship were healthy' or 'what if this character were a good person' #because I think that's interesting to explore and I have several things I'm working on with elements of that #but I genuinely will hear people go 'there ARE no flaws in this thing' with their whole chest in a completely serious manner #when they could just. talk about how they like the thing without that qualification? and I feel like... #...idk. just because *I* am someone who enjoys horrible characters and deranged unhealthy fictional relationships #I feel like it's a disservice to act like there were never any faults or problems or [insert applicable noun here] at all? it gets rid of #the narrative complexity that's present #I was talking to long-distance best friend last night and I went on a rant about how I wouldn't like jaime as much if he actually WAS as #Super For Real Actually A Completely Good Person Who Was Never Flawed In Any Way as some people act like he is. #it's BECAUSE he does shitty things and isn't A Super Good Person™ that makes him particularly interesting #if you want to imagine a version of this story where he doesn't act horribly and is a 100% Stand Up Guy then go for it you don't need to #justify that by saying that that is completely for real without exception who he actually is in canon? #(this wasn't even the example that brought this on. he's one of many MANY examples.) #and you know I could write a story (I won't) where like. idk altena for example. handles her issues and doesn't become The Antagonist™ #where she gets therapy and ends up with a fulfilling life where she participates in society as a more well-adjusted person. #but again it would be an INCREDIBLE disservice to the way this character (a complicated fascinating character) is written to act like #she was Always Like That or that this turn of events was intended by the story or that She Genuinely Never Did Anything Wrong Actually #it's less 'oh people are having sympathy for [xyz] in a story context that I think isn't merited' & it's more 'acting like this is the way #the story was all along and the way it was meant to be interpreted all along is a misreading of the text and I don't think that's fair' #mel's media criticism