Jones, "The Sex Lives of Cult Television Characters" (2002)

[heresluck]

So I've been browsing around in The Fan Fiction Studies Reader, as one does, and I was really struck by Sara Gwenllian Jones's essay "The Sex Lives of Cult Television Characters" (2002

Comments

[vonniek]

I actually think John/Aeryn was one of the few examples of genre het couples where they were able to pull off a satisfactory romance while not losing the sight of "fantasy! adventure!" aspect -- the writers put those two through a ringer, but it was done in a manner in keeping with its OTT space opera sensibilities rather than a cliched or mundance obstacle (Big Misunderstanding, an alterna love interest just brought in to keep the couple apart, etc.) So it could be done, but is rarely done well. My hope for the Arrow writers pulling off something quite as interesting with Oliver/Felicity is... kind of dim, really. And the fandom at large seems all for that heteronormative narrative drive (with words like Endgame, Happily Ever After being thrown about unironically), which, like you, I have pretty much zero interest in seeing. All I can say is that I have many mixed feelings about seeing my fun unconventional non-canonical pairing actually becoming canon.

[flaming_muse]

I am so very interested in this post, and I just can't get enough of my brain together to have the conversation right now, which is super frustrating. But let me just say that I am thinking so much about it, because a) I'm right there with you on Blaine's proposal and how against it I was and then how much I bought into the theatricality (and was shocked that I did) and b) I'm not interested in the domestic dream being the happy ending we can only get at series end, because I think that there are lots of interesting things to say about couples who are married/together and stable and doing things and aren't in relationship drama.

[sdwolfpup]

This is a super, super interesting post. Mostly I am commenting to nod my head vehemently about the Castle shenanigans. Just get them married and back to being cop partners. IT WILL BE OKAY, I PROMISE.