Truly, truly, truly.... you know
The new Jem and the Holograms comic is one of the greatest things that has happened to my life in a long time. Like, I was predisposed to admire it based on the promo artwork alone, but it is cute and fun and a really lovely update to what is - let's be honest - a 30-minute toy commercial with a typically wacky '80s premise. There's a lotta love and respect for the property from the creative team, all of whom have been avowed fans for years. It is also one of the most diverse comics I've seen in a while - two out lesbian characters in the main cast, a transgender minor character (whose function in the story so far has zero to do with her being trans), multiple ethnicities, and perhaps most astonishing of all, diverse body types. Bear in mind it's only on issue 4.
I love it. So much. If you're looking for a cute, fun, diverse, female-centric sci-fi soap opera about rock stars with awesome hair, definitely pick it up.
The forthcoming movie, on the other hand, can go jump off a cliff. And fall onto spikes. And then burst into flames. FWOOSH.
Anyway, now that I've been thinking about Jem again, I want to resurrect a theory.
Rio, clueless love interest, actually knows that Jem and Jerrica are the same person.
The greatest evidence for this is in "Broadway Magic." Rio confronts Jerrica in the Central Park Zoo:
RIO: "I thought things would be better if I learned the truth. Why don't you tell me about Jem? It makes no sense, unless... you and Jem are the same person." [commercial break] "Jerrica? Am I right? Are you two the same?"
[Jerrica turns away and creates a Jem hologram, who draws everyone's attention before "she" runs off]
JERRICA: "What were you saying, Rio?"
RIO: "I'm sorry, Jerrica. I guess I was wrong."
[Rio walks away, hands in his pockets, downcast]
Later, after Jem dramatically races across NYC to stage a smash Broadway play (as you do), this exchange happens:
RIO: "Jerrica, I... I wanted to tell you. It doesn't matter to me who Jem is. You're what's important."
[They kiss, but Jerrica is distracted by a reporter looking for Jem]
JERRICA: "I'll be right back, okay?"
RIO: "If I have to, I'll wait forever."
I think Rio has spent the time in between those coversations making, essentially, a devil's bargain with himself. He hates liars, he hates deception, but here's his girlfriend, lying to his face, and obviously she does not plan on coming clean to him anytime soon. I think he decides he'd rather have Jerrica/Jem in his life than be a dick and force the issue, potentially ending their relationship, or to walk away from her.
From this point on, he'll periodically throw hissy fits about people lying (most notably in "Glitter 'n Gold", where he kicks over a potted plant in his rage), which would make sense if he's actually angry with himself for allowing the situation to continue - for allowing others to perceive him as a two-timing jerk. But Rio will never again bring up the Jem/Jerrica connection, despite the fact that, literally, the only difference between them is pink hair and eyeshadow, and Jerrica herself does a really half-assed job of distinguishing between her identities.
I mean, for Pete's sake, he kisses Jem in just about every single episode. He would have to notice that she's Jerrica, the girl he's been dating for YEARS. There are also multiple occasions where Jerrica uses the Jemstar earrings more or less in front of him - a glaring example being right above. You ask your girlfriend if she's pretending to be someone else, and instead of answering she turns away and whispers something, and the someone else magically appears... but she never answers your question. Either Rio's a total idiot, or he's just had his suspicions confirmed. When he says "I'll wait forever," I think the unspoken addition is "for you to tell me the truth."
I think he spends the rest of the series playing along.
Now, I'm sure the writers intended him to be a really-real clueless love interest, but it's a lot more interesting, character-wise, to view him this way. Also, aren't we all tired of clueless love interests who can't figure out the secret identity even though it's right in front of them? Yes. Yes we are.
(A sidenote: It's interesting to see how quickly superhero movies have been shedding this trope - I have many complaints about Man of Steel, but not about Lois knowing. Lois should always know.)
Hopefully the comic will do something novel with the Jem/Jerrica/Rio triangle. I'm optimistic: So far, in Rio's one encounter with Jem, he's completely disinterested and quickly leaves in search of Jerrica.
I love it. So much. If you're looking for a cute, fun, diverse, female-centric sci-fi soap opera about rock stars with awesome hair, definitely pick it up.
The forthcoming movie, on the other hand, can go jump off a cliff. And fall onto spikes. And then burst into flames. FWOOSH.
Anyway, now that I've been thinking about Jem again, I want to resurrect a theory.
Rio, clueless love interest, actually knows that Jem and Jerrica are the same person.
The greatest evidence for this is in "Broadway Magic." Rio confronts Jerrica in the Central Park Zoo:
RIO: "I thought things would be better if I learned the truth. Why don't you tell me about Jem? It makes no sense, unless... you and Jem are the same person." [commercial break] "Jerrica? Am I right? Are you two the same?"
[Jerrica turns away and creates a Jem hologram, who draws everyone's attention before "she" runs off]
JERRICA: "What were you saying, Rio?"
RIO: "I'm sorry, Jerrica. I guess I was wrong."
[Rio walks away, hands in his pockets, downcast]
Later, after Jem dramatically races across NYC to stage a smash Broadway play (as you do), this exchange happens:
RIO: "Jerrica, I... I wanted to tell you. It doesn't matter to me who Jem is. You're what's important."
[They kiss, but Jerrica is distracted by a reporter looking for Jem]
JERRICA: "I'll be right back, okay?"
RIO: "If I have to, I'll wait forever."
I think Rio has spent the time in between those coversations making, essentially, a devil's bargain with himself. He hates liars, he hates deception, but here's his girlfriend, lying to his face, and obviously she does not plan on coming clean to him anytime soon. I think he decides he'd rather have Jerrica/Jem in his life than be a dick and force the issue, potentially ending their relationship, or to walk away from her.
From this point on, he'll periodically throw hissy fits about people lying (most notably in "Glitter 'n Gold", where he kicks over a potted plant in his rage), which would make sense if he's actually angry with himself for allowing the situation to continue - for allowing others to perceive him as a two-timing jerk. But Rio will never again bring up the Jem/Jerrica connection, despite the fact that, literally, the only difference between them is pink hair and eyeshadow, and Jerrica herself does a really half-assed job of distinguishing between her identities.
I mean, for Pete's sake, he kisses Jem in just about every single episode. He would have to notice that she's Jerrica, the girl he's been dating for YEARS. There are also multiple occasions where Jerrica uses the Jemstar earrings more or less in front of him - a glaring example being right above. You ask your girlfriend if she's pretending to be someone else, and instead of answering she turns away and whispers something, and the someone else magically appears... but she never answers your question. Either Rio's a total idiot, or he's just had his suspicions confirmed. When he says "I'll wait forever," I think the unspoken addition is "for you to tell me the truth."
I think he spends the rest of the series playing along.
Now, I'm sure the writers intended him to be a really-real clueless love interest, but it's a lot more interesting, character-wise, to view him this way. Also, aren't we all tired of clueless love interests who can't figure out the secret identity even though it's right in front of them? Yes. Yes we are.
(A sidenote: It's interesting to see how quickly superhero movies have been shedding this trope - I have many complaints about Man of Steel, but not about Lois knowing. Lois should always know.)
Hopefully the comic will do something novel with the Jem/Jerrica/Rio triangle. I'm optimistic: So far, in Rio's one encounter with Jem, he's completely disinterested and quickly leaves in search of Jerrica.