(no subject)
SPN: thanks to dotfic for getting me pondering on Dean/Lisa, I had this random thought pop into my head about Lisa.
Lisa is like the Anti-Fate. Or Anti-Destiny. Opposite mirror of all that fate and destiny crap.
Run with me on this for a sec.
A very common trope for writing a romantic relationship on TV shows is presenting it as the One True Love. Of course, this is usually a set-up for a love triangle that presents competing views that present the SAME DARN MESSAGE. Hmm.
Meant to be together. Fated, or destined, to be together.
Enter Lisa. SHE DOES NOT COMPETE. In fact, she *refuses* to compete, to make herself a part of or prize in a competition.
She has always, always made a relationship with Dean a matter of choice. Back in 3.02 she offered an open door, and accepted Dean's "it's not my life" response.
When Dean chose to turn to her and Ben at the end of S5 she reciprocated that choice, reiterating that 3.02 open door offer. When Sam showed up at the beginning of S6, she did not try to stop Dean from going off with Sam. She only encouraged him to actually consider his options, his and her choices. To make an honest and informed choice.
After she and Dean broke up and Ben pulled his stunt of trying to pull Dean back into their family, she once again refused to try forcing a different choice from Dean. She also made choices for herself, moving on with her life. Loving Dean but not keeping herself captive to the what-ifs or regrets or hopes or bitterness of loss. Keeping her own choices open, as well.
Considering the lifetime of guilt-tripping and call of duty and supposed point of purpose, and even self-perceived sense of purpose Dean has both fought against his whole life and been poisoned by into at least partially buying into ("I'm not a father, I'm a killer")... I find it so incredibly refreshing to have a character who sees Dean with clear eyes, his good qualities, his less stellar qualities, who wants him for himself, but who isn't going to try forcing or caging him into the role she wants him to play.
She is, upon reflection, perhaps the character who best represents holding to the value of free will/choice better than all our other characters -- everyone on Team Free Will has had their moments of falling short/betraying the ideal they fight so hard for. If Atropos were to show up again looking for a game plan to execute, she should be sent directly, do not pass Go, do not collect $200, straight to Lisa for a sit-down.
Rather than accepting the role of a turgid, melodramatic soap-opera, she opts for realism. Choices, with the good and bad that come attached. You can't always get what you want. But if you try sometimes...
If you try. Lisa is willing to try. She is not willing to force or coerce. It's interesting, looking at the unity and division that coexist with the idea of choice vs. destiny vs. perception.
/end random thought
Lisa is like the Anti-Fate. Or Anti-Destiny. Opposite mirror of all that fate and destiny crap.
Run with me on this for a sec.
A very common trope for writing a romantic relationship on TV shows is presenting it as the One True Love. Of course, this is usually a set-up for a love triangle that presents competing views that present the SAME DARN MESSAGE. Hmm.
Meant to be together. Fated, or destined, to be together.
Enter Lisa. SHE DOES NOT COMPETE. In fact, she *refuses* to compete, to make herself a part of or prize in a competition.
She has always, always made a relationship with Dean a matter of choice. Back in 3.02 she offered an open door, and accepted Dean's "it's not my life" response.
When Dean chose to turn to her and Ben at the end of S5 she reciprocated that choice, reiterating that 3.02 open door offer. When Sam showed up at the beginning of S6, she did not try to stop Dean from going off with Sam. She only encouraged him to actually consider his options, his and her choices. To make an honest and informed choice.
After she and Dean broke up and Ben pulled his stunt of trying to pull Dean back into their family, she once again refused to try forcing a different choice from Dean. She also made choices for herself, moving on with her life. Loving Dean but not keeping herself captive to the what-ifs or regrets or hopes or bitterness of loss. Keeping her own choices open, as well.
Considering the lifetime of guilt-tripping and call of duty and supposed point of purpose, and even self-perceived sense of purpose Dean has both fought against his whole life and been poisoned by into at least partially buying into ("I'm not a father, I'm a killer")... I find it so incredibly refreshing to have a character who sees Dean with clear eyes, his good qualities, his less stellar qualities, who wants him for himself, but who isn't going to try forcing or caging him into the role she wants him to play.
She is, upon reflection, perhaps the character who best represents holding to the value of free will/choice better than all our other characters -- everyone on Team Free Will has had their moments of falling short/betraying the ideal they fight so hard for. If Atropos were to show up again looking for a game plan to execute, she should be sent directly, do not pass Go, do not collect $200, straight to Lisa for a sit-down.
Rather than accepting the role of a turgid, melodramatic soap-opera, she opts for realism. Choices, with the good and bad that come attached. You can't always get what you want. But if you try sometimes...
If you try. Lisa is willing to try. She is not willing to force or coerce. It's interesting, looking at the unity and division that coexist with the idea of choice vs. destiny vs. perception.
/end random thought