Here’s something that I’ve asked myself so much over the past six months: What was Clover’s death supposed to be?

It’s a legitimate question. In a narrative, plot and story points are supposed to mean things. But Clover’s death, the ending note of the penultimate episode of the show’s most serious season, ends on such a flabby note that I struggle to understand just what they were going for.

I get what they think they were going for. Clover’s death so clearly wanted to be everything -- tragic, brutal, painful, (seemingly) inevitable, (seemingly) earned, (for some reason) a little beautiful -- but because of 7X12’s writing, it instead became nothing in the process.

Let’s take this down piece by piece because as you should all know by now, #CloverDeservedBetter .

Was Clover’s death supposed to be tragic as we watched a good man get killed so brutally?
No. His actions in 7X12 (Leaving his friends to die in a plane crash, prioritizing capturing Qrow over dealing with Tyrian) were nonsensical and artificially removed sympathy for him.

Was it supposed to be inevitable, a consequence of following James? No. James and Clover’s relationship was so weakly built up compared to Clover and Qrow’s relationship that his suddenly overzealous dedication to James in 7X12 came right out of nowhere.

Was it supposed to be a consequence of Qrow siding with Tyrian? No. Qrow spends the entire episode cast in a sympathetic light (The camera focusing on him, the cries for Clover to listen to him), even when he and Tyrian are attacking Clover (It’s framed as a necessary evil).

Was it supposed to be about semblances? No. Despite their semblances being framed in 7X3 and 7X5 as a major part of their bond, they played no real narrative part during the episode.
Clover’s semblance was only mentioned in three small appearances throughout the episode.

Was it supposed to be Clover reflecting on his choices as he died? No, or at least I hope not. If that’s the case, then Clover didn’t change his mind or heart because of his love for Qrow or the betterment of Solitas. He changed it because he got stabbed with a sword.

That makes Clover come off as incredibly selfish, and regardless of what you feel about him, that was never a light he was cast in. Clover was selfless and kind and cared about Robyn and those in Mantle -- that’s what made the idea of this choice seem so interesting prior to 7X12

And because we spent the entire season seeing that side of Clover’s character (Even when he was working with James) compared to Jame’s loyal dog, to say that it was more likely for Clover to help Qrow and Robyn than stick with James would be a pretty well-founded mindset.

But then 7X12 flies against every notion of this by having him make cruel decision after cruel decision. However, in that same breath, it asks that we have sympathy for him when he’s killed, playing on sympathies that it went out of its way to unrealistically kill.

Those who knew Clover’s honest characterization are left mourning the Clover they knew got an unearned, brutal, undignified death, one that the narrative had to hokey pokey itself into even attempting a justification.

Clover was practically possessed in his uncharacteristic actions in 7X12, but it was his true self, not that possessed corpse, that had to take the sword through the chest, not allowed a chance to redeem himself for what can only now be explained as an excuse for shock value.

That the answer, by the by. The only thing that Clover’s death was supposed to mean in a narrative sense was just something to make the viewers gasp and say “oh wow, they did THAT?”

Maybe for some people that worked, but for vulnerable fans who saw legitimate representation in Qrow and Clover’s relationship after being baited with it for three months, it came across as mean spirited...because it WAS mean spirited.

But shock value doesn’t cut it anymore as an excuse to justify harm to marginalized groups -- it never should have. All the shock value in the world, all the gasps you get from an audience for your writing choices doesn’t make for a compelling, tone appropriate story.

Especially with marginalized communities, you have to be even more careful than usual with this. RWBY was not the place to pull something like this and Clover was not the guy to pull it with. @RoosterTeeth, @OfficialRWBY, do better because #CloverDeservedBetter