Death Island: Jill's Character Arc
So I've now watched all the official resident evil movies (the animated ones) in order, so I just finished Death Island. I have a few thoughts on it!
(Disclaimer: DEATH ISLAND SPOILERS! this is not a hate post made to diss anyone who likes the movie! I just like media analysis and I want to open a discussion about this movie!)
For having such a big cast of characters that we know and love, I have to say that Death Island is my least favorite movie out of the bunch...I feel like the pacing is a bit weird and I don't really feel immersed or engaged with the story. A lot of that has to do with how they handle the character arcs.
A downside of the big cast is that they don't focus on individual characters as much, and I really felt that this should've been Jill's movie. As much as like Chris, Leon, Rebecca and Claire, I think that if the movie had a focus on Jill (her trauma, her feelings, etc) it would've made a much more solid movie. We get little tastes of it in the movie but I would love if it was expanded upon; with Jill realizing that actions in trying not to feel helpless/guilty/in control is only going to put others in danger.
A good scene to reflect that would've been the scene where everyone was infected by the drones. I think it would've been really interesting to see Jill shut down in a way, or maybe have her actions be the cause of the others being infected (instead of those drones) because that would solidify the message that her actions she took to make herself feel better and more in control ultimately ended up in her friends getting hurt. (Which I feel like was kinda the message they were trying to go for in the movie.)
This would also reflect better with Dylan Blake, the villain, as a foil. He feels helpless in the face of "good and evil" and he felt helpless when his team got turned in Raccoon City. Everything he does after that is to "atone" for what he did and make everyone else feel as helpless as he did as a pawn of Umbrella. You know who also feels like she has to atone for being a pawn of someone else? Jill! They both feel guilty for doing something that was ultimately out of their control and deal with it in unorthodox manners.
(I think even Jill sees how ridiculous this thought process is by the end of the movie, where she says something like: "You're gonna kill the whole world because you feel sorry for killing your friend?" Which, funnily enough, reflects exactly what Jill was doing athe the beginning of the movie; possibly getting herself and others killed just because she felt bad that she tried to kill Chris when mind controlled.)
But the difference between Jill and Dylan would be that Jill would be able to realize her risky behavior is only making herself MORE at risk and helpless, even if it means having a bit of control. That she has to rely on her friends and move past the guilt in order to do what is right. Relinquish a bit of control and put some trust in her friends hands. Forgive herself. Dylan is unable to do that, which separates him from Jill and ultimately leads him to be a villain (and his demise).
I think it would be a wonderful message for Jill to forgive herself and decide that she WANTS to heal. Healing from trauma is one of my favorite things to explore in a story (especially if it's messy) and I think it would fit within the story of Resident Evil so well... And their characters definitely deserve it LOL
But what do you guys think? Do you like the movie or do you think it would've been better if it was more Jill-centric?
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i had an itching for comfort media so i went back to watch some s1 voyager episodes and s1 is soooo much better than i remembered. the later seasons appeal to my tastes a bit more but all the characters in s1 are so earnest and hopeful even when they butt heads and disagree and i'm just sitting here like "oh god they don't know what the next 7 years have in store..." i doubt it was that purposeful on the writers' part but it's so compelling how all of the characters have pretty open insecurities and are clearly people with lives and dreams beyond Voyager and bit by bit that's chipped away in later seasons. yes everyone becomes more confident and competent but is that really who they are or are they just losing themselves along the journey? (unfortunately the Doyalist explanation is just that the writers stopped putting focus on like. half of the main cast but shh i'm here for Watsonian analysis.)
like it's particularly noticeable with Janeway. she's definitely always been written as a strong leader but i forgot how much in early seasons we get to see her insecurities and vulnerabilities, how different she acts from when she's acting as captain to when she's alone, how often she questions her morality and whether she has the right to make decisions for her crew (and how often others questioned that right). then in the later seasons (around s3 and definitely by s4), she almost never questions her moral decisions, she rarely shows doubt, she plans heists on Borg cubes without a second thought, she dispenses her justice to the Equinox crew without really considering their position, she regulates others' autonomy (especially with Seven and the Doctor) without seeming to realize how easily that can go wrong. and don't get me wrong i love this development and think it's incredibly realistic for Janeway to deeply internalize her role and authority as a Captain and for it to permanently change her sense of self. Endgame is the perfect closure for Janeway's character because her future self exerts that same authority that she's been practicing over herself (also Janeway gets to live out her martyr complex one last time). i just wish the show was a little bit more self-aware that it was writing Janeway (and other characters) like this because there could be so many more interesting character conflicts.
anyways rewatching early ds9 made me say "aww these characters don't know that one day they'll all grow together and basically become family" and rewatching early voyager has me saying "uhohhhh these characters don't know the unhealthy relationships and neuroses they're going to uncover and develop". toxic found family for the win.
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I have to let you know that I appreciate your blog for being one of the few that talks about the 5th Doctor's era at all, but also for making me genuinely want to check out said era for the sake of Adric.
AHHHHVDJSKABSMSK oh my gosh thank you!! Definitely do go enjoy, I love the fifth doctor's era he's a deceptively tragic little fella. There are quite a few really great classic who/5th dr blogs, if you don't already know them check them out: @englandhatepage @corvid-ae @timelordian-disaster-126 @fivebroken @visgae @fivenyssateganadric and tons more!!
Adric genuinely is one of my favourite characters, not just in who but of all time, and as someone who struggles w empathy, not only do I relate HARD, but he's one of the only characters that still reliably makes me recreate this at 3am thinking way too hard about him
he's such a great little guy and I love overanalysing every single little thing to do with him, he's a bitchy teenage boy who's a genius and thinks that makes him an authority on everything but also he's desperately insecure, loyal to a fault, cares so so much and just wants a place to feel loved and where he belongs and him and the 5th doctor are so alike it literally drives me insaneeee
Thank you again for this ask it really brightened up my day!!
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Poll adventure (paventure? lol) Day 16: read the small story tidbit below the poll for more details, OR just vote based on initial impression
(✦ see past poll results + further information HERE (link) ✦)
Yesterday's poll decided that The Adventurer should offer to help the travelers with their broken wagon.....
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After much internal deliberation (and some zoning out staring at butterflies), The Adventurer decides it would be best to offer his assistance. Technically, he IS still following his goal of not getting distracted, because theoretically it would make his journey much faster if he were able to catch a ride on a carriage. So really, this is all an ultimate big brain genius strategy for maximizing efficient travel.. Or, at least that sounds like a good enough justification to him.
Gathering up all of his social courage, he approaches one of the travelers fiddling with a broken wheel near the far end of the carriage and meekly asks if there's anything he could do to help.
The man was so focused on his task, he seems initially startled to look up and find someone near him. "OH..! Oh, uhh.. help? With the wagon?", he smiles pleasantly, gesturing towards a few wooden boards that are just out of his reach, "Sure, kid. If you could just hand me th-"
"Apologies, but we actually won't be needing your assistance, stranger." A taller man, surprisingly almost matching the stature of the Adventurer, suddenly slinks out from somewhere behind the carriage, sternly placing himself like a barrier in front of the man working on the wheel. Wheel Guy nervously averts his eyes, making himself smaller, silently resuming his work.
The Adventurer tries his best to maintain composure against the weight of the tall man's bitter gaze, but can't seem to muster much of a response "Aeughh,,, uh… b-but, h- Bu--HHHh,,?.."
"Look, disregard whatever my father told you, he's old, never has any clue what he's talking about. It'd be best for you to simply move along." ('Father'? They don't look alike at all, and seem to be nearly the same age..)
"W-well.. he.. he didn't really tell me anything, I me-hhH,,.. I mean, I literally just got here, s-so...."
"Good. Even more reason to be on your way."
Placing a gloved hand firmly on his shoulder, the tall man begins to motion the Adventurer away from the wagon, but a strange noise interrupts, echoing from inside. Perhaps some sort of animal sound? Or a person faintly yelling about something? Or… both?
"WH-wHggg… whAT was t-that???!!" The Adventurer immediately stops in place, pausing to listen as the tall man keeps trying to push him ahead.
"I didn't hear anything, stranger."
"No, t-there.. was dEFinitely, UHH, a-"
"Likely something in the forest."
"Wh--aah... d.. do you think it was an animal?"
The tall man continues a dramatic struggle to 'subtly' drag him further down the road, whilst the Adventurer mindlessly digs in his heels, too distracted to even notice he's being so strongly prompted to leave.
"Many animals do, indeed, exist within forests. This should not be suprising."
"...It's just.. ..eughh… s… so weird…"
"I assure you, it is not."
"I-it really sounded like.. like it came f-from insid-"
"Yes, from inside the forest. Now, please, if you would.."
The noise interrupts again. It's definitely someone, or something, in some sort of distress.. And definitely from inside of the cart.
"wHoAAGH, aa!!! T-tHat's NOT from the f-forest, that-"
The tall man fully just shoves him now, sending the Adventurer toppling across the dirt, clumsily rolling and landing just past the other side of the carriage. A mother and young child who seem to be part of the traveling group simply stare down at him with empty blank gazes, wholly unconcerned about helping him up.
As the Adventurer fumbles back to his feet (still confused as to why he was even pushed in the first place), the tall man looms by the carriage, diligently watching to ensure that he leaves.
"Travel safe, stranger."
Despite his initial obliviousness, the Adventurer begins to piece the situation together as he stares back at the man, now fully convinced something suspicious might be going on...
…What should he do next??
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Additional Information
the adventurer's current main quest: follow his map to reach the abandoned castle ruins and see the rare animal specialist about the mysterious egg he has
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