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

[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. :)