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THREAD ALERT:
#BlyManor
https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable="false" alt=""> spoilers:
I can only speak to my position on this, so what I’m about to discuss on is how I specifically feel about Dani’s storyline and the bury your gays trope. If you disagree, I support you & understand that my position may be the wrong one.
#BlyManor
I can only speak to my position on this, so what I’m about to discuss on is how I specifically feel about Dani’s storyline and the bury your gays trope. If you disagree, I support you & understand that my position may be the wrong one.
That said, I do not feel as though Dani’s death subscribes to the BYG we’ve come to know and hate. To me, BYG takes the life of a queer character prematurely. Abruptly. Nonsensically. Derivatively. The Tara MaClays and the Lexas of the world.
These people were killed to serve as a catalyst for another character’s arc, or for drama & thrills. These characters who have fallen at the hands of BYG have no peace, no conclusion, no sense of wholeness to their lives or stories. They often end before that can be established.
It’s not like that for Dani. Yes, she dies ... but does good representation mean queer characters are impervious and immortal? Or should we also strive to see them live happy lives, where they choose their ending? Isn’t that empowering, too?
Yes, Dani’s death is a consequence of a sacrifice she made - but it was fueled by love for a child, and I’d argue that her sacrifice wasn’t used as a device to further another character’s story.
Bly Manor is very much Dani’s story. It is about her coming into her power as a queer woman, as a caretaker, and as someone finally finding her place. Her voice. Her strength.
I don’t feel as though Dani was buried alongside the queer characters that creators so often throw out without reason. Dani’s arc, and her story feel complete. By her choice. And even then, just because she’s dead - doesn’t mean she’s gone.
Bly Manor is Dani’s story. It was about her choices. Her love, and how she chose to express that love without ever embracing its evil twin; possession. Her death wasn’t in vain, it was an inevitability - but she died with empowerment.
On her terms. That’s what I want for my representation. I don’t need a bullet proof lesbian, as much as I love them. I need to watch strong, courageous characters choose how their lives will begin, how they will find peace, and how they will end.
We got all of that. Her story feels complete, and I think that endings are equally as important as beginnings, and middles.
