Latest Posts by ave-cave - Page 2

At long last, a nuanced take on S3 Allison. I'm so happy 😭

The growing in popularity theory that Allison's actions in S3 are because she rumored herself to be happy just doesn't sit right with me. I loved her anti-hero arc, adored it actually, but that doesn't mean I also don't find those actions abhorrent. She's made horrible decisions as a person, but as a character, she's as fantastic as she is fascinating.

The idea that Allison went off the rails because she rumored herself is an understandable attempt to reconcile with some of the bad things she's done, and I get that. It sucks when characters you love disappoint you and do something shocking and horrible. But it's a solution that's far too simple and does a complete disservice to her character by cancelling all accountability for her actions and ignoring her depth as a damaged, struggling human being.

Allison has always, always been accustomed to using her power for personal gain. It's how she got what she wanted as a child and later as an adult. Besides rumoring Claire which resulted in her losing custody, she rumored her first husband, Patrick, into loving her, which is no different than what she did to Luther, we just don't see it first hand. To say that her behavior in S3 is only in-character through taking away her own agency by rumoring herself is canonically untrue, and flattens her into something boring and perfect which Allison is anything but.

She's compassionate, she's spiteful. She's gentle, she's cruel. She's understanding, she's selfish. She's put-together, she's a trainwreck. She's a great mom friend, she's the worst enemy you could ever have.

Allison Hargreeves isn't all good or all bad, she's both in varying, shifting shades just like all of the other Hargreeves or any well-written character. She's faceted, incredible, and in a lot of pain. And pain isn't always pretty; often times it's ugly, and occasionally it brings out our very worst.