(no subject)

[loveflyfree]

Beware extreme rambling ahead...



~*~ The Death of Denny Duquette or How I'm Tired of the "Honest" Ending ~*~

I've watched Buffy Summers send her one true love to hell. I've watched Malcolm Reynolds lose faith in everything he once believed. I've watched President Bartlett rage against god at the loss of a beloved friend, and I've watched him quietly accept the loss of another. I've watched people lose the ones they love over and over again, each time shedding the appropriate tears and then moving on to the next thing to capture my attention.

Denny Duquette died last night on my television screen.

I had already shed appropriate tears, during surgery, for Burke and Cristina, for The Chief's niece, even for Meredith/McDreamy/Addison/McVet. My heart strings were tugged. I had felt emotions all across the board. It was a satisfying television experience.

And then while waiting for Izzie to come show him her prom dress, Denny got that look on his face. And then his eyes slipped shut and we got a close up of the flat line on the monitor. And I sat curled up in my chair, clutching a pillow to my face, crying "no" over and over. I watched with tears streaming down my face as Izzie curled up with a corpse, trying to hold on to the one person that she's ever felt really "got" her. I watched as her friends offered what support they could, but really what can you do in that situation. And I watched as Izzie quit the program.

It ended and I called ink_stain and we cried and talked about how much it sucked and then I went to bed and had the worst night of sleep in recent memory.

And then today something else happened. I got PISSED OFF. Because there is being emotionally moved, and then there is being emotionally manipulated. Big fan of the former, not so much of the latter.

And frankly the whole thing smells like the push towards "honest" endings. Becuase heart patients die all the time right. Because doctors shouldn't fall in love with patients. Right.

But here's the thing I really enjoy about my fiction. THE FICTION. Of course doctors shouldn't fall in love with their patients. Slayers shouldn't fall in love with vampires, and while we're at it, it would have been a whole lot less messy if Juliet had never laid eyes on that Romeo dude. "Forbidden" love happens all the time. And it really doesn't always have to end in death.

Sometimes the happy ending is honest. If they had kept Denny alive does anyone really think it would have been sunshine and roses always and forever? Of course not! There would have been resentments on both sides at some point, and they would have to work through the whole actually getting to know each other in a real world setting vs. the hospital. There was angst-a-plenty for the writers to work with next season. Honest real life angst.

I'm not one of those people who think endings should always be happy. But neither should they always be heartbreaking. The thing I find troublesome is that somewhere along the line, "honest ending" was equated with tragic. But here's the thing with life. It's good and bad. And it seems like writers sometimes forget to balance the two.

And I think the writer's did something amazing with Denny Duquette. This was just a good man. And really, how many of those do we really see on television. He didn't have great power. He's not supernatural. He wasn't harboring some secret (yes, yes that we know of.)There's nothing "special" about him other than he is a genuinely decent human being. And I think that it's rare enough (in life as well as television) that people grew attached to him in way that exceeds that norm.

I said it a couple of days ago and I still believe it. Denny was my new Jake Ryan. He embodied all those qualities that I would want to find in someone. He was funny and sweet and full of pride and stubborn and just. He was a good man. And I would have liked to have seen more stories about him.

And I'll admit, part of it was because I think Jeffrey Dean Morgan is a damn good looking man. I like watching him in my room on my television. And Kripke, I swear if you kill off John... well I can't think of anything that doesn't make me sound like a lunatic. Just, please don't. I don't know that my poor broken heart can take it.

Comments

[riveroflife.livejournal.com]

Exactly. I was very sad last night and then I was just fucking pissed. What was the point of making us fall in love with this man? Why spend all season writing an actual likeable, charismatic character and then just waste him? It makes no damn sense whatsoever. I'm pissed and I don't think I'll get over that anytime soon. I told Mel last night that if they proceed with some Izzie/Alex bullshit, I will kill somebody. After a love interest like Denny, who could possible measure up? Do they think we're stupid? Do they think the audience should just roll over and go, "Oh well, I guess Alex isn't an asshole cause he carried her out of the room. Yay." No. She had the perfect love interest and there were so many good storylines to come for them. I.Do.Not.Understand. What was the point? Gah *tears hair out*

[loveflyfree.livejournal.com]

Like on one hand I can see the writers going 'wow. look at how loved Denny was. look at what we were able to do. we got all these people to care that deeply.'

but I think if they stop there (which they have since they killed him off) they've completely missed the point. there was a lot of room to develop interesting story lines. what happens after 'happily ever after.'

and I'm already unsure if I'm watching next season. the only thing I'm interested in is Cristina/Burke because that was beautiful when she finally went in and grabbed ahold of his hand. but I'm with you. if they use this as a jumping off point for Izzie/Alex? uh-uh. no way. I'll admit I was moved that it was Alex that was able to pry her away from Denny and carry her out. But there had to have been other ways to redeem his asshole behavior all season. Bah.

As far as other characters, I love George and I want to love Callie but they have got to do something with her that doesn't make me want to hide my face in embarrassment.

And the McIdiot triangle or quadrangle or whatever. *yawn* Maybe Addison and McVet should hook up. God knows Addison deserves someone good.

[riveroflife.livejournal.com]

Like on one hand I can see the writers going 'wow. look at how loved Denny was. look at what we were able to do. we got all these people to care that deeply.'

Yeah, but then it's like they said, "Fuck them. They love Denny, let's kill him and give them more characters they can't stand. Let's go through Part 76 of the McDreamy triangle. Even though noone gives a shit."

It's just fucking stupid. I don't know how I'll feel about next season. I'm so bitter right now, I want to say that I won't watch. Truth is, I probably will. But if they do not give Denny's memory the respect it deserves, it's over. I want people talking about him, I want Izzie angst, I want her wanting NO parts of Alex...I want lots of things. I'll probably get none of them. Stupid tv shows.

[loveflyfree.livejournal.com]

yeah. like I said to mcee below... killing him after everything the characters and the audience went through, felt like they were doing it just because they can.

booooooooo.

denny/izzie au 4eva!!!!

[mcee.livejournal.com]

YES EXACTLY. AUGH!!!

i honestly, honestly didn't think they'd do this. i think that's why i took it so hard. it was just... unnecessary. done for cheap thrills. only my emo over this isn't cheap and i was not thrilled.

*cries some more*

[loveflyfree.livejournal.com]

it felt very cheap. we'd already had the scare when the heart wouldn't start beating. we'd already had him thinking he was going to die. we'd already been through it all. and then to have him die after both he and Izzie had been THE HAPPIEST THEY'VE EVER BEEN? that was just jerking around the viewer for no other reason than because they can. and that? not really the way to get me to watch again.

[mcee.livejournal.com]

exactly. this is a show i'd come to love as much as SPN (if you can believe it) and now? i'm not even sure i'll tune in next season. and if *i* feel that way, other people are too.

[ink-stain.livejournal.com]

okay, this? is why you are my bff. this is everything i wanted to say but couldn't, because my brain function was nonexistent today. ♥

[loveflyfree.livejournal.com]

well it only took over 6 hours to write... so I'm glad it makes sense outside of my head. :)

[ink-stain.livejournal.com]

i said it once, i'll say it again: izzie nailed it the first time she met him: he's a good guy with a bad heart. i just wish the writers had erred on the side of "good guy" instead.

[loveflyfree.livejournal.com]

me too man. me too.

I'm living in my own GA AU universe in my head. Where there's a wedding and babies and just. *flaps hands*

[walkawayslowly.livejournal.com]

The thing I find troublesome is that somewhere along the line, "honest ending" was equated with tragic.

My God, YES, this is what I've been railing against since certain people moved into my fandom!!! With their dumb Ethan Hawke inspired web site!

WHY, for the love of GOD, does everything have to be sad? Why are happy endings somehow less genuine? Why, why, WHY!?

I kept picturing next season, with him and his new heart living in her apartment and finishing off the jar of peanut butter and putting it BACK in the cabinet instead of throwing it away, and all the weird little things people we live with do to piss us off, and now it's GONE.

It isn't even that it isn't fair, it just isn't RIGHT. At ALL.

*sigh*

[ink-stain.livejournal.com]

I kept picturing next season, with him and his new heart living in her apartment and finishing off the jar of peanut butter and putting it BACK in the cabinet instead of throwing it away, and all the weird little things people we live with do to piss us off, and now it's GONE.

YES. *THIS* is what I'd spent however-many months daydreaming about, and giggling with my friends over -- how he probably has a houseboat because (even though they never bothered to mention it on the show) he's a marine biologist, and how he wore grey Hanes t-shirts around the house, and how he always made breakfast and Izzie always made dessert, and how he brought her lunch at the hospital sometimes, and on and on and on. And now it's all... GONE. There were so many interesting things they could've done with the Izzie/Denny storyline, and instead we get a blatantly emotionally manipulative ending. And I feel CHEATED.

[loveflyfree.livejournal.com]

And I feel CHEATED.

that's it exactly! and I think the writers are IDIOTS for giving up a character like that. why would you want to stop writing a character like that? IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.

BLAH.

[walkawayslowly.livejournal.com]

I'm not going to lie, haven't been watching it all that long, but I have been listening to you two squeal about it in lj, and I have been watching it long enough to love Denny, so yes.

I hate tv land. This is one reason I like to watch things on DVD. There's no waiting and if you're bitterly disappointed in a plot line, at least the road wasn't long and hard and emotionally invested in getting there.

[loveflyfree.livejournal.com]

exactly. I was so invested in this character that I kept picturing next season as well. all the good and bad times that they could go through.

*sigh*

stupid writers

[walkawayslowly.livejournal.com]

*kicks the writers*