Sigh, I have been complaining forever about fandom's thing for bad boys, which induces writers to rework the female centric arcs to be all about them. I could not watch Heroes past season one, because after having been through the Spike arc with Buffy, I had no patience left for that.
Luckily for us, the writers have maintained the focus on the OT4 on PLL, which means a lot to me. I think I might have had more issues with the last season if the finale didn't end with Spencer pretty much abandoning Toby in the woods with a possible killer to run off with the girls. ;) Because as with Melissa, Spencer would stand up for and defend him, but when it comes right down to it, her priorities are always with the girls.
I feel like Ezra was popular from the beginning? Since the fandom latched on to Aria/Ezra early on. But yeah, the tedious arc with his son was completely unneeded, and I especially didn't see the point of it this season when he wasn't even in a relationship with Aria. I am really hoping that they follow through on this reveal of him being evil and not another case of "I only did it to protect you!"
And I didn't at all mean to dismiss what abusive relationships do to real women. I realize that abuse can change a person, and I do think it's changed Spencer. I plan to analyze this when I finally get around to writing this season up, but in particular, I was very interested in the fact that Spencer was more controlling towards her friends this season than in the past? Which seems a very normal reaction to that sort of situation, where she responds by controlling things that she can. And I think that the girls also called her out more readily, because the rift that Toby drove into their relationship is still an issue. Like, they have forgiven her and they love her, but I don't think it's all as easily forgotten. Which I really appreciate.
I am okay with seeing this play out, but I hope we get a resolution worthy of this narrative, because as much as I love/trust this narrative, I have seen fandom influences drive writers to entirely ruin their own creations, so I am always very wary of this? I just never thought PLL would make me feel this way!
Randomly, I rewatched some of the Toby and Spencer scenes again so I could correct some of the examples in my Toby commentary, and the scene where Toby is physically holding on to Spencer while she's trying to pull her hands away and get him to let go, the camera keeps focusing on their hands. Which seems like a deliberate choice to show his abusive nature? So I am definitely hoping that this pans out and Toby is ultimately pushed back to his earlier level of importance in this narrative. I just have no patience for sitting through his refrigerated mother arc, and I fear that we're not through with that.
And I have always happy to have more people to discuss PLL with, so you're welcome to subscribe to my DW. Not enough people want to engage with this show on a meta level, and that makes me so sad because there's just SO MUCH to unpack here.
Lastly, I understand that you're working on your thesis, so don't worry about replying to this comment on any kind of time limit. Or even at all. :)
no subject
Luckily for us, the writers have maintained the focus on the OT4 on PLL, which means a lot to me. I think I might have had more issues with the last season if the finale didn't end with Spencer pretty much abandoning Toby in the woods with a possible killer to run off with the girls. ;) Because as with Melissa, Spencer would stand up for and defend him, but when it comes right down to it, her priorities are always with the girls.
I feel like Ezra was popular from the beginning? Since the fandom latched on to Aria/Ezra early on. But yeah, the tedious arc with his son was completely unneeded, and I especially didn't see the point of it this season when he wasn't even in a relationship with Aria. I am really hoping that they follow through on this reveal of him being evil and not another case of "I only did it to protect you!"
And I didn't at all mean to dismiss what abusive relationships do to real women. I realize that abuse can change a person, and I do think it's changed Spencer. I plan to analyze this when I finally get around to writing this season up, but in particular, I was very interested in the fact that Spencer was more controlling towards her friends this season than in the past? Which seems a very normal reaction to that sort of situation, where she responds by controlling things that she can. And I think that the girls also called her out more readily, because the rift that Toby drove into their relationship is still an issue. Like, they have forgiven her and they love her, but I don't think it's all as easily forgotten. Which I really appreciate.
I am okay with seeing this play out, but I hope we get a resolution worthy of this narrative, because as much as I love/trust this narrative, I have seen fandom influences drive writers to entirely ruin their own creations, so I am always very wary of this? I just never thought PLL would make me feel this way!
Randomly, I rewatched some of the Toby and Spencer scenes again so I could correct some of the examples in my Toby commentary, and the scene where Toby is physically holding on to Spencer while she's trying to pull her hands away and get him to let go, the camera keeps focusing on their hands. Which seems like a deliberate choice to show his abusive nature? So I am definitely hoping that this pans out and Toby is ultimately pushed back to his earlier level of importance in this narrative. I just have no patience for sitting through his refrigerated mother arc, and I fear that we're not through with that.
And I have always happy to have more people to discuss PLL with, so you're welcome to subscribe to my DW. Not enough people want to engage with this show on a meta level, and that makes me so sad because there's just SO MUCH to unpack here.
Lastly, I understand that you're working on your thesis, so don't worry about replying to this comment on any kind of time limit. Or even at all. :)