Jason Bourne Suffers from SML Syndrome

I enjoy action/adventure movies. I’ve seen the first 3 Bourne movies a couple of times. I knew the kind of movie to expect when I went to see the latest installment.

It was an adrenaline-rushed, action-packed, car-chase-scene-explosion movie. Pretty much what I expected. It was enjoyable in that way.

But there were two things in the plot that set my teeth on edge and actually ruined the overall experience for me (especially the first one).

Major spoilers ahead – you have been warned.

The beginning of the movie had me internally cheering. Two fierce, intelligent women were headlining the action. I was particularly excited about the return of Nikki and really curious about the way they were going to develop the character of Heather Lee.

And then it happened. Nikki, who has evaded the CIA and anyone else looking for her for years and has repeatedly shown herself to be clever and resourceful falls victim to SML (Solitary Male Lead) Syndrome^tm.

With SML Syndrome^tm, female supporting characters have to be neutralized in order for the SML to pursue his solitary quest alone. They also must die in order to provide the SML with an extra emotional impetus for achieving said quest.

Marie suffered from SML Syndrome^tm in The Bourne Supremacy dying at almost the exact same point in the movie, if I remember correctly (it has been a while since I’ve seen that one). It’s one thing to get Nikki out of the way so Bourne can do his thing, but there was basically zero narrative reason for it to have to be a death. She and Bourne have obviously not been in contact since the end of The Bourne Ultimatum. She has gone her own way in a lot of ways, which is clear from the work she is doing when she finds the information about Jason’s father. And there were a lot of ways her character could have added some interesting dimensions to the plot if she was off causing little bits of mayhem on the side.

And, if you don’t have time for that, which I get – it was, after all, already a 2 hour movie, then just have her run off into hiding. Dying is not the only way to get rid of a character like that.

The main reason Nikki had to die was so that Heather could take her place (because heaven forbid we have more than one major secondary female in a movie like this /sarcastafont). Heather basically ended up being Landy and Nikki rolled into one with her own little ambitious quirk.

However, I did really enjoy her character and I loved that, even at the end, you weren’t entirely sure what she was playing at other than giving herself a foothold up at the agency. She helped Bourne, but it isn’t clear whether she does so to serve her own purposes, gain his trust, and have a super soldier on her side when she moves up or if she really wanted to help him and it happened to help her too. I liked that ambiguity in her character.

And that leads me to point two. What ruined her character for me is that she is the only one who is suspicious of/frustrated with Dewey. It is consistently only the females in the agency who come to the realization/suspicion that Bourne is looking for something else and that there is more to the story and that there is a larger cover up/corruption going on. And the thing with this plot point, as with the first, is that it would have been so much more interesting for, say, Jeffers to start realizing how corrupt Dewey really was. I kept waiting for it to happen. There were even little moments in Vegas where he hesitates in his conversations with Dewey. As he’s running for the suite where Bourne is going after Dewey I kept waiting for Jeffers to pause, to reconsider, to realize Dewey needed to be stopped.

Instead, they shot him. Lame.

So, yes, it was an entertaining shoot-em-up action/adventure flick. It was a Bourne movie. But these plot points made it feel more like just a rehash of earlier movie plots than as interesting a development to the Bourne franchise as it could have been.

R&E Watch Gossip Girl: S1 E6

So E and I decided to watch Gossip Girl together because we’ve both been curious and it just seems like one of those shows you need to watch with someone else. And we fully intended to talk and comment (rather snarkily it must be admitted) while watching. We watched the first five episodes previously and made some rather hilarious sidenotes and snarky commentary, so when we sat down to watch more today I thought it would be fun to keep a record. If you’ve seen the show I’ve tried to include some brief scene descriptions to set the stage for our comments. If you haven’t watched it and want to join us on our ridiculous journey, it’s streaming on Netflix right now.

So here you have it. The first installment of R&E Watch Gossip Girl.

S1 E6: “The Handmaiden’s Tale”

R: I can’t hear Serena’s last name without cracking up. I also love that it’s three words – van der Woodsen

R: Oh my. Nate has Bieber-hair.
E: *laughs hysterically* Now that’s all I can see. He’s totally tossing it back off camera all the time.

-Blair makes Jenny run all the errands and then tells her she can’t go to the masquerade ball.
E: Jenny really is Cinderella.
R: It’s a freaking masquerade ball. No one would even know that she was there.

-Dan tells Vanessa he’s working on a history project instead of admitting he wants to go to the ball with Serena … After already telling Serena that Vanessa was Jenny.
R: What. Why is Dan lying?
E: Let’s just lie to everyone. LIE TO EVERYONE.

-Rufus and Vanessa have a heart to heart about Vanessa running away a year ago and coming back now. All couched in very vague terms like “Things have changed since you left.” Super helpful.
E: Why is Dan’s dad talking to Vanessa about this?
R: Why didn’t he say Dan was seeing someone else? This is so ridiculous.

-Jenny is sad that Blair wouldn’t let her go to the ball and Vanessa is comforting her and convincing her to go anyway.
E: (about Jenny and Blair) Break up with her. BREAK UP WITH HER.
E: Oh no. Vanessa is going to go there and then she’s going to see Dan and it’s going to be a whole thing.

-The masquerade ball starts
E: GUESS WHO’S DRESSED AS THE DEVIL (Chuck of course)
R: *laughs hysterically*
R: It’s nice that when you put on a mask no one knows who you are.

-Dan helps the drunk guy on the sidewalk not get run over and then uses his mask and name to sneak into the ball.
R&E: *in unison* NICE

-Chuck goes after Jenny again, but not knowing it’s her.
R&E: *gagging noises*
R: Does she have a plan? I hope she has a Taser in her dress somewhere

-Dan steals Serena on the dance floor.
E: Nice.
R: Smooth.

-Jenny convinces Chuck she’s actually into him.
E: Jenny is setting him up. Oh man. Greatest girl ever.

-Vanessa sees Dan and Serena kiss.
R: Why is Vanessa so mad? She left, hasn’t talked to him for a year, drops back into his life and expects to just pick back up with him again? Come on.

-Jenny locks Chuck on the roof in his underwear.
R: *cackles evilly*
E: Yes. YES.

-Rufus approaches Lily after they kissed
Lily: “It made me…”
Rufus: “Nostalgic?”
Lily: “Nauseous.”
E&R: HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

-Jenny runs out of the party after switching masks with Serena (and wearing her jacket too for no real apparent reason except PLOT) so that Nate can think she’s Serena and confess his undying devotion until Jenny runs away and Blair tries to stop her, thinking she’s Serena
E: She has the bracelet. SHE GRABBED THE BRACELET
R: SHE IS CINDERELLA
E: OMG

-Dan and Serena say they like each other.
E: Awww. Good.

-Nate’s dad let him take the fall for the COCAINE that is actually his, but he can’t admit to his wife that it’s actually his so he’ll let her believe Nate is doing drugs instead.
R: Oh. My. Werd. His dad’s going to let Nate take the fall for the drugs. Like seriously.
E. What.

-When Dan returns home from the party and finds Vanessa in his room with apology dumplings and closes the big sliding door to his room.
R: I feel like it’s a problem with closing yourself into your room with Vanessa with the history and stuff?
E: Oh, all right.
R: Maybe? Hmmm

E: Of course, I know, Vanessa’s going to sabotage Dan and Serena somehow.
R: Obviously.

Why I’m So Annoyed at Walking Dead’s “Thank You”

WARNING: This post contains spoilers for this week’s episode of The Walking Dead. Obvious, but I felt it had to be said. Also, some minor spoilers connected to the graphic novel, though nothing specific.

I am okay with main characters dying.

In fact, I kind of like the fact that some tv series are finding ways to move on even without characters that were major characters, if not the main character.

I understand that The Walking Dead is a post-apocalyptic world where people die. A lot.

And I also understand that in a “real” apocalyptic situation people would die. Randomly.

But this is a television show. It is a construct of fiction.

I am okay with main characters dying if it a) advances the plot or other characters’ development or b) is a fitting end

Because this isn’t real life. We watch these shows, especially violent, suffering filled, death saturated shows to see those who live. To see that one person can make a difference. To see that choosing to do the right thing isn’t always easy, and sometimes it costs a very high price, but that it doesn’t make it any less right. To see that people can survive even in the middle of the worst possible circumstances.

I don’t watch shows like this to be reminded that life is random and people can die in mundane ways. Of course, the truth is, minor characters die randomly and mundanely all the time. And, to be blunt, that’s why they are minor characters. That’s why we meet new groups of people. Because, in this world people die. Randomly. Violently.

But this is the truth about fiction – we craft it. It is written. It is designed. It isn’t real life.

Which is why I am still so angry over Glen’s death.

He isn’t the first main character to die. He isn’t even the first that I’ve been upset over. But his death is the first that made me spitting angry. That made me stalk around my apartment muttering angrily to myself. That made me want to give up on this show (though I won’t – not yet, anyway).

I had a feeling Glen’s death was coming soon. Just a sense that his character’s arc was coming to a close. And having read the graphic novel and seeing the direction the show was going in its echo of the book’s plot arc I just had a feeling. I knew it wouldn’t happen exactly the same as the books, because it was too similar to Hershel’s death in the tv series. But I knew it was coming.

I just thought it would mean something. That it would represent the growth we’ve seen in his character since the beginning of the series. That it would be more than a tragic accident from being in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong person.

It felt random. Pointless.

And real life can often feel that way. Good people get sick or die for no apparent reason. While evil people survive or even excel.

I see that every day on the news, in my friend’s Facebook feeds, in the posts on Twitter. Real life can really suck sometimes.

I don’t watch tv for real life. I don’t get caught up in a fictional world because I want pointless random happenstances. I watch it because I know that it’s crafted. And I want it to be crafted for a greater reason than, hey let’s kill off a main character because I think it’s about time to kill someone else important off. Which is what this felt like.

I want my illusion back. I want a death to feel like it has a purpose. That it’s part of something greater. I want to believe.

Why I’m a bit obsessed with Tahereh Mafi’s writing

Today is the release of Ignite Me, the 3rd and final book in Tahereh Mafi’s Shatter Me trilogy. I decided to reread the first 2 novels and the novellas in preparation. The thing that I loved the most about the experience is how I picked up on little details I hadn’t noticed the first couple of times. The way that the writing still felt fresh and new and delicious as the first time I entered into Juliette’s world. The way that the characters breathe and live.

Reading these books is like eating a box of exquisite chocolates. Each sentence is a different flavor to savor and linger on. The poetic imagery and deft descriptions make these books more than just a heart-pounding and breath-taking experience. It makes them a joy to read… and reread. And I am so excited to see where Tahereh takes us in this final installment in the trilogy. And I will be one of the first in line to buy anything else she writes.

If you aren’t familiar with the trilogy, Shatter Me, Unravel Me, and Ignite Me, along with the companion novellas Destroy Me and Fracture Me follow the story of Juliette Ferrars, a girl who has lived through the most horrific abandonment and psychological and physical torture you can imagine. Not only is her touch lethal to (almost) anyone she comes in contact with, but she has managed to hang onto her humanity so that the idea that she might hurt someone with this gift/curse is almost more terrifying to her than anything that has been done or said. Abandoned by her family, locked up, manipulated, viewed as a tool or an asset, this seventeen year old girl has managed to keep her sanity and her conscience in the face of unimaginable pressures. Over the course of the first two books she has to deal with the things that have happened to her and find a way to move forward. Adam, the only person to show her kindness for most of her young childhood, and Warner, the only one to truly seem to appreciate and accept everything about Juliette (including her power) are vying for her love and her allegiance.

I will leave you with one quote that particularly stood out to me when rereading Shatter Me this time:

“The moon is a loyal companion.
It never leaves. It’s always there, watching, steadfast, knowing us in our light and dark moments, changing forever just as we do. Every day it’s a different version of itself. Sometimes weak and wan, sometimes strong and full of light. The moon understands what it means to be human.
Uncertain. Alone. Cratered by imperfections.” (Tahereh Mafi Shatter Me p. 25)

Why I love audiobooks

I’ve loved audiobooks for a long time. I remember getting them on tape from the library and listening to them as a family. One of the first books I remember listening to was The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle (which is a fantastic book btw, and I highly recommend it!)

I have some favorites when it comes to audiobooks and audiobook narrators. There are classics like Jim Dale reading the Harry Potter series and one of my all time favorites is Tim Curry narrating The Series of Unfortunate Events – one of my favorite series with a favorite actor? Brilliant!

When I was in grad school I had a commute that was about 3 hours a day total. Since I was so busy reading for my classes, I was rarely able to read anything I actually wanted to. Audiobooks (and my local library <3) made that commute bearable and allowed me to read things I wanted.

I also have used audiobooks as a way to listen to classic books I never got to and that I probably wouldn’t have gotten around to as quickly like To Kill a Mockingbird, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, and recently Lolita and Rebecca.

But I recently started thinking about why I love audiobooks so much. And if audiobooks are impacting my enjoyment of a story. My sister can’t listen to audiobooks because she is much more of a tactile learner and has a hard time absorbing the story just through auditory means. I, however, have never had a problem with this. In fact, sometimes I can listen to a book much more easily than read it.

Here are a couple of examples: I spent much of my life sad that I don’t really care for Jane Austen’s books. I love the movie adaptations, but I tried to read Pride and Prejudice no less than 10 times and never made it through the 1st chapter (for someone who rarely gives up on a book no matter what this is significant). I forced my way through Emma because it was one of my friend’s favorites and I figured that I couldn’t say that I disliked Austen unless I’d actually read a whole book. But when I had to read Pride and Prejudice for my first master’s English class I had a brainstorm and got the book on audio. And I liked it. In fact I went on to read (or rather listen to) Sense and Sensibility next. And while I’m still not a big fan, at least I can enjoy it.

I also recently listened to A Catcher in the Rye, reading it for the first time. And I am almost positive that I would not have been able to make it through if I’d tried to read it rather than listen to it. The narrator completely sold me on Holden in a way that the text probably wouldn’t have. This was also true of (and I’ll probably get at least one incredulous/nasty comment about this next point) the Twilight saga. I listened to the first book on audio – read it before it became a phenomenon. Just thought I’d pick up the new audiobook that had come in at the library and I knew absolutely nothing about the book. I really think that the audio had a big impact on my enjoyment (yes enjoyment) of that series (no I’m not a twihard, but yes, I own the books and have read them more than once and still like them).

 I’ve had a rocky relationship with Libba Bray’s books as well, but I really wanted to read Beauty Queens because the premise just sounded too hilarious to pass up. I got it on audio with Libba Bray reading it herself and it was hilariously brilliant. I definitely enjoyed it so much more because of her narration.

One final example to get to my point (really, there is a point). I have heard so many good things about John Green’s A Fault in Our Stars, but I have not had a good relationship with John Green’s fiction so I kept putting off reading it. Then our library got it in their audiobook section so I thought, why not. And I fell in love with the book. Then yesterday, a friend posted on Facebook that they had just finished the book and were disappointed that so many people loved it when she thought it was forced and, I think “maudlin” was the term they used (don’t quote me on that). Now this friend and I match up in so many ways in what we like book, movie, and tv-wise that I was rather surprised by how strongly she disliked the book that I had loved so much that I bought in for my Nook before I had even finished the audio. And I started to wonder whether I had liked the book as much as I did based on the performance of the narrator than I would have if I’d read it.

I’m pretty sure it didn’t influence me hugely – both of the other John Green books I’ve read were also listened to as audiobooks and I didn’t really like either of them – but I have a feeling that it did impact my reaction.

A really good narrator can make a book more enjoyable while a bad narrator can destroy a book. Another point – I got The Great Gatsby on audio years ago (yes, I had never read it in high school) and the narrator was so horrific that I gave up on it after about five minutes and ended up not reading the book until this past fall. So essentially, that bad narrator kept me from reading and enjoying a books.

So audiobooks are a wonderful thing and I think that the narrator has a huge responsibility because, how they interpret the text can have a massive impact on how a reader enjoys or dislikes that work. As for me, I’m going to keep on listening to more audiobooks. But I’m also going to think more about how much of an impact the narrator has on my feelings of the story itself. Not because I think it’s a good or bad thing that the narrator can have that much power, but simply because I find it interesting that they do.

Why I love it when Hollywood doesn’t take itself too seriously

We were recently shopping and stumbled upon a rack of $3 movies. There is some sort of law that requires us to then browse the entire rack and purchase at least one title. As we were looking through we stumbled across a movie that had a remarkable explanation for its R rating (I don’t remember what the movie was and it is, frankly, beside the point).

As you can see, it is rated R because of language and “werewolf attacks” – not violence, not gore but specifically “werewolf attacks.” I can’t quite explain why this cracks me up so very much, but it does. This is a tiny little thing – most people would probably not even notice this, but I find it hilarious.

I also love when there are little easter eggs hidden in the credits because, let’s face it, how many people actually read the credits. Nowadays many people will wait through the credits to see if there is a hidden scene or outtakes or something like that, but it doesn’t seem that many people (though obviously there are some) who actually read them. I have a habit of doing this. Not in depth and not every line, but I love looking for odd names or misspellings (if you look at the end of Dante’s Peak they misspell Pierce Brosnan’s name once) or anything else out of the ordinary. This paid off recently with Frozen when there was a disclaimer that “The views and opinions expressed by Kristoff in the film that all men eat their own boogers are solely his own and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of The Walt Disney Company or the filmmakers. Neither The Walt Disney Company nor the filmmakers make any representation of the accuracy of any such views and opinions.” I love that someone took the time to put that little bit of nonsense in. And that I caught it in the theater!

Another one that I have always appreciated was in the credits of the animated feature Cats Don’t Dance (which is an absolutely fabulous and much-overlooked film that I should write a post about soon). In the credits there is a disclaimer that “No animals were harmed in the making of this film. Although some were erased and had to be redrawn.” I mean, come on. That’s brilliant.

These are the kinds of things that make me love the movie industry. I’ve been thinking of this because Oscar season is upon us. And while many of the films that are recognized by the Academy are wonderful films and I have nothing against it, the thing that has always bothered me about the Oscars is how very serious everything is. Sure, they get someone to host it who tells some jokes or pokes fun at things, but the selection of the films and those that win always seems very narrow to me. There are a lot of wonderful movies that are Action/Adventure or Romantic Comedies or Science Fiction that rarely get a nod much less a win. I think if the industry could just take itself a little less seriously (like some of these films) things could be a bit more entertaining.

*Disclaimer: This is just my opinion and if you like the Oscars the way they are, that is perfectly fine. I just have issues 🙂

 

Why I was ALMOST satisfied with Despicable Me 2

I finally got a chance to see Despicable Me 2. I loved the first one and as the second one ended I announced that I felt it was a sequel that lived up to its predecessor, something that is rare indeed.

And I did like it. I liked the continued development of Gru. I loved the addition of Lucy. The girls (especially Agnes) were as adorable as ever. And the minions. I can’t seem to put my finger on my enjoyment of their ridiculous almost 3 stooge-esque humor. But they crack me up.

So why did I begin to have this niggling sense of dissatisfaction? I pondered on this for a while until I figured it out.

Antonio.

He is introduced as Margot’s crush. He is the son of the (SPOILER ALERT) villain. He is seen breaking Margot’s heart as he dances with another girl. Gru freezes him. The end. Really? That’s it?

As I thought back, I realized that throughout the entire ending segment as they fight El Macho, I was waiting for Antonio to reappear. Either as the sidekick to his father’s villainy or as the good guy who tries to stop his father or to save Margot. Either one would have been fine. I kind of like the idea of him being in on the plot the whole time too. But nothing. We get absolutely nothing of him.

Which makes me wonder what his purpose was in the movie, other than to add some hilarious scenes of Gru dealing with the fact that Margot is growing up. But these are so incidental to the plot as to be unessential. He flirts with Margot, dances with another girl, gets frozen. I don’t understand the plot point. In fact, I just went to Wikipedia to refresh my memory of his name and this side plot isn’t even mentioned in the plot summary. AT ALL.

I mean, he’s not even there to be a real love interest for Margot! That would have been slightly annoying, but at least served a purpose. Instead I felt as though a thread was woven in and then just left to fray.

By now it should be clear that animated features aren’t just for kids. Adults – even adults without children – watch these movies, enjoy these movies. There are nods of humor throughout most animated films for the adults watching. So please, for the love of film art, don’t leave such gaping holes in your plots!

Why CBS rocks

Because they put out this trailer for Intelligence, Person of Interest, and Hawaii 5-0 and referenced Lost. ALL IN ONE VIDEO. Seriously. This is epic.

CBS has consistently offered some of my family’s favorite television. Person of Interest has been a favorite since it began, one of my Dad’s only “can’t miss” shows is NCIS and we all love NCIS: Los Angeles. And of course, Intelligence is one of my new favorites as I posted before. Though other networks have shows I enjoy, CBS just seems to have figured out how to do a good drama. Plus the fact that they are basically posting a “fan” video to advertise their shows? Perfection.

Why Frozen melted my heart

I had mixed feelings about the trailer for Frozen.

But this was by the same people who made Tangled, which I LOVED so, I knew I had to give it a chance. Plus, all the people I know who are big Disney fans were raving about it.

So I finally made it to the theater and I completely and totally fell in love with this movie. If you haven’t seen it yet, you should before it’s out of theaters. Also, you might not want to read any further since spoilers will abound from this point forward.

What was it about this movie that I loved so much? Why, I’m glad you asked!

• It’s not a romance. I know, I know. It does have a romantic storyline threaded through it, but at its heart, it isn’t about romantic love. Now I’m a sucker for a romance and a Disney romance in particular. Beauty and the Beast, Tangled, The Little Mermaid, The Princess and the Frog
• I loved that Disney poked a little fun at themselves with Kristoff’s line that Anna couldn’t really be in love after having just met Hans.
• I also TOTALLY didn’t see the Hans thing coming. That was such a shock to me. It was absolutely perfect though. I had been trying to figure out how Elsa and Kristoff would end up together or something (I mean, he’s the ice man, right?), but the development of the relationship between Anna and Kristoff was so sweet and the twist made the movie for me in a lot of ways. I loved that I didn’t know what to expect.
• The music! I’m listening to the soundtrack right now. The variety of styles they played with was fantastic and “Do You Want to Build a Snowman” makes me tear up almost every time. This was much more of a Broadway musical type of movie and I adored that.
• In the end love was the answer, but it was sacrificial love – a love for her sister even though Elsa had shut her out, turned her away, hurt her, practically tried to kill her – Anna is willing to throw herself in harm’s way to protect Elsa. It was such a beautiful moment.
• I was talking to a friend who has 2 young girls, and she made a comment that she is sometimes concerned with movies or shows that equate sexiness with independence. When Elsa leaves and builds her ice castle (which was totally amazing btw), she throws off the restrictions she’s placed on herself and tries to claim “who she is” which involves having a dress with a slit all the way up her leg. I was thinking about this after my friend’s comment. I hadn’t noticed it, but I don’t have 2 young impressionable daughters who are living in a world where they are bombarded with the message that they can never be thin, sexy, or pretty enough. But when you look at Frozen, Elsa really isn’t happy in that place. She is trying to be okay with her power, but as the solitary, “bad girl” up on the mountain she is almost as miserable as she was locked up in the castle at Arendelle. Some people see this the opposite – that Elsa finally came to grips with herself and is empowered. But she isn’t. If she was okay with who she was she wouldn’t flip out when Anna comes. She’s still terrified of herself. She’s scared of what she might do and is continuing to isolate her in the same way she’s done (and had done to her) for her entire life. It isn’t until she truly accepts her role as queen, takes the responsibility for her actions, and accepts the love of her sister that she is able to be happy. She has to move past what has been ingrained in her since childhood, yes. She has to accept herself for who she is, yes. But running away and living on top of the mountain is not the answer.
• Anna. I am so so happy about her character. She is clumsy and outspoken. She has a temper, is fiercely loyal. She is savvy and intelligent, but makes mistakes and major errors in judgment. She is HUMAN. And she grows and changes throughout the story as well, gaining wisdom, listening to other people, but trusting herself as well.
• And Kristoff is pretty wonderful as well! I read a post somewhere about how he’s a great example of a strong man who’s not afraid to be a partner with a strong woman. He isn’t cowed by Anna (or Elsa for that matter), but he’s not overbearing either. He’s the one who keeps calling Anna out on her bad decisions, but not in a mocking or cruel way. And he’s quick to praise her as well. They are a team. And it’s inspiring.
• Everything. I really loved the little humorous bits with Olaf and Sven. Yet, Olaf wasn’t just a throwaway comedic role either. They give him a really important moment with Anna to help her realize the truth about Kristoff (just for starters). The trolls are adorable. It’s just overall a great movie that will warm your heart, even if you are watching a movie about eternal winter!

Why Anna and Bates are my OTP

If you haven’t seen S4 E2 then you probably don’t want to read this post. And if you are lucky (or sneaky) enough to have already seen more of S4, then no spoilers please!

After watching the episode, a friend (E) and I were consoling each other about the tragic turn of events. After everything that Anna and John have been through they were finally having a bit of happiness. I knew something bad was coming based on an article in EW that I had read, but I didn’t expect it to be this bad, this soon.

Despite the tragedy, the attack on Anna had E and I discussing the reasons that Bates and Anna are our favorite couple on the show. From the first step into the house and their first slightly fliry exchange, I shipped the two of them more than almost any other TV couple ever (except maybe Castle and Beckett).

1. Their utter devotion to each other. Yes, it is sometimes frustrating – like when Bates kept things secret to try to protect Anna. Or now, with Anna trying to hide the truth from Bates. But when Anna glares at Mr. Gillingham and says, “If you must know, yes. He keeps me very happy,” I just wanted to cheer. And Bates was annoyed and seemed harsh during the episode, but he had a reason – he only wanted to protect Anna from anything that felt off to him. He defends her to Lord Grantham in the first episode as well. They love each other and they don’t care who knows.
2. They aren’t “pretty people.” I tried to figure out how to word this for about five minutes. I’m not trying to say that either of them is unattractive, but it’s so refreshing to see a regular couple who are attracted to each other because of who they are, not what they look like.
3. They aren’t defined by their relationship. They both have jobs, interests, and friends outside of each other. Anna is probably the most loved character both by staff and the family. Pretty much everyone likes her and trusts her. She is helpful and kind and friendly because that is who she is, not because she is trying to impress Bates (or anyone else for that matter). We haven’t seen much of Bates’ outside interests, but mostly that’s because of all of the problems with, you know, prison and such. However, he too is trusted by both staff and family (well, most staff), and honestly, Barrow is so threatened by him because he knows Bates is trusted and liked.
4. They’ve been through so freaking much and they can still joke and laugh and enjoy each other, as we saw in S4 E1. I’m afraid that the attack on Anna will be a gamechanger. Bates isn’t stupid – he knows something has happened. She can barely let him touch her right now. The intensity and intimacy of this attack can’t help but create a barrier between the two of them, especially as Bates will get frustrated, knowing that Anna is keeping something from him, and Anna will be dealing with the emotional backlash alone. My other great fear is that Anna will discover she is pregnant from the attack and will have to decide how to deal with that.
   

They’re such a great couple and I really am sad for this turn of events, but also curious to see how things will play out over the rest of the season.