Pondering

[samsom]

I'm not an essayist. I'm not even a meta-ist, or whatever. But something occured to me today that I wanted to share.

One of the things, one of the many things, I hold against JW and ME, is the fact that Cordelia died alone in a hospital room at the end of You're Welcome. I always felt that was the final slap in the face to a character they'd already horribly abused in s4, what with the rapes piled on top of rapes that abounded that season. At the very least, if her life had to end, I felt she should have been surrounded by friends, and by love. *coughFredcough*

Then I remembered that Buffy died alone.

Twice.

And that Spike was alone when he died at the end of Chosen.

And it hit me.

Heroes die alone.

Even though Cordelia never got to save the world in a traditionally hero's manner - with a sword in her hand, in a grand gesture with swelling music or a moving voiceover - she did die doing something she was committed to doing since her assault in To Shanshu in LA - saving a soul.

Quietly, without fanfare, because it wasn't about her.

Except that it was.

So the very thing that I hated, that I believe signified ME's dismissal of Cordelia's role in the 'verse, actually epitomized it.

Cordelia died alone, because heroes die alone.

For sure, I don't believe this was intentional on ME's part. Cordelia's characterization, and her arc, have been wobbly at certain points of the show, because ME serves the story before the character when it suits them. But I also believe that a story lives on its own, and grows and develops on its own, regardless of authorial intent, and I'm happy to believe this is one of those instances. :)

My girl. She's a true blue hero, and her death backs that up.

Comments

[sarahk-63.livejournal.com]

totally agrees with everything you said.

and kudos to you for figuring it out...but i don't think it was intentional (jw&me)which is sooooo much better (hey joss somethings gonna bite you in the ass).

I do not have the temperament of a 4 year old girl, I don't..*stamps foot*.

and god knows were that came from.

eek.

[samsom.livejournal.com]

Hee!

And yeah, I'm not giving any credit to The Company for this...it's just that sometimes the text bears things out that the writer never intended. :)

[yazizzle33.livejournal.com]

I love this post. &hearts It just confirms what we'd all believed. For me, her death was always this quiet force, because, though she died alone, she died (or transcended, as I kind of like to believe) with significance and importance and with impact. It still hurts to watch YW, especially that ending, but I love it.

[samsom.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah, YW will never NOT hurt. And Cordelia dying will always be the thing that drove me from AtS ever after, but it's been a bit healing to see things in the text that the writers probably never intended. Heck, it feels like most of Cordy's growth was despite the writers' intentions. And I do ascribe to the notion that Cordy ascended after her death...I think there's plenty of evidence in the text for that. :)

[menomegirl.livejournal.com]

Very nice insight, sweetie. I never quite thought of her death that way before either.

[samsom.livejournal.com]

Thanks. :)

[melissa-pbfan.livejournal.com]

I agree with everything you wrote.

My girl. She's a true blue hero, and her death backs that up.

<3333

[samsom.livejournal.com]

So glad to hear it. :D

btw, I adore your icon. It's just...adorable. :)

[melissa-pbfan.livejournal.com]

Thank you. :)

[aerintine.livejournal.com]

I like when you have thinky thoughts. :) *squishes Cordy*

[samsom.livejournal.com]

Me too! It doesn't happen often, I'm afraid, which is why I like to write it down when it does. *squishes you and Cordy*

[ms-scarletibis.livejournal.com]

Such hardcore word right now...

Thank you.

[samsom.livejournal.com]

You're welcome. :D

[ever-neutral.livejournal.com]

Huh. Interesting insight. Thanks for sharing!

[samsom.livejournal.com]

Thanks for reading. :)

[chorelle.livejournal.com]

Oh. This is so true. Doesn't make it hurt any less, because let's look at Fred's death next to Cordelia's, basically we have to make our own canon up for the grieving process, cos we were given zip. But I love the fact that ME trying to hurt Charisma/Cordelia just turns on it's head in the end.

I always sob during 'Judgement' and the "I'll be with you till you do" speech for obvious reasons, but maybe she is with him anyway, particularly if she did ascend (which is my canon and I'm sticking to it) and well as far as I'm concerned she will eventually make her way back to him.... What comics? I've never heard of such a thing.

Girl's a certified hero. She even has a heroes death down pat. It's just a pity not everyone views her like we do.

[samsom.livejournal.com]

let's look at Fred's death next to Cordelia's, basically we have to make our own canon up for the grieving process, cos we were given zip.

One of the other many reasons I will never watch another JW show. Ever. On the upside, though, hannasus wrote the most beautiful post YW fic called Undrowning that I've adopted as my canon. Joss wouldn't have done better than that fic on his best day ever.

but maybe she is with him anyway, particularly if she did ascend

I like to think that she's on that 'road' she told Angel about, doing her own thing but always keeping one eye on him, no matter what. I do believe that when Angel dusted at the end of NFA (comics? I'm not that desperate for more pain, thanks anyway), she was there to meet him. She'll always be with him. It wasn't an empty promise.

Cordelia's isolated death really was amazing, considering that she started out on BtVS as a character that lived at the center of attention. I love that girl so fucking much it actually hurts sometimes!

It's just a pity not everyone views her like we do.

I will always look a little askance at people who don't 'see' her, and everything she did. I will never get people who think she only did all that she did - the visions, the pain, the violations - because she just wanted to be 'speshul'. Whatever. We love her.

[chorelle.livejournal.com]

Yes 'Undrowning' is beautiful, makes me teary every time. I have other bits and pieces of my own canon floating around in my head, one day I'll write them down when I have a bit of time.

How Cordy always phrased her leaving (different road, off ramp etc) leads me to believe that she isn't simply dead. And there is no way in my mind that they wouldn't find their way back to each other, I mean look at the mess he was before she came back to help him one last time. He needs her.

And when people don't believe she was a hero, or in fact ending up as the most selfless character of the lot, I just don't even know what to do with myself. At least - even though there aren't a whole troupe of us (aka Spike fans) - we seem to all band together and have intelligent and insightful input about our favourite character. She will always be my favourite, my hero, haters to the fuckin' left!