#but this was a spencer-focused q so i focused on his archetype more

[bklynmusicnerd]

I can’t believe the power Trina has over Spencer. When u think about it, she’s the highest thing, if not the only thing, helping him survive in terms of staying at least semi sane despite his bloodline.

Sorry for the late response to this anon but I actually think it's even more fun to answer this after the gallery scene where Spencer refused to really process what Trina was saying lol.

Trina's influence on Spencer runs deep and always has from the very beginning of their relationship. It is not as simple as Trina tells Spencer to do something, and he does it, and it really shouldn't be considering Spencer's history with emotional abuse. But Trina's approval and support is a type of lifeblood for Spencer.

I've been reading up on hero archetypes and the different stages in the hero's journey because I've never really felt like "bad boy" and "good girl" sufficiently summed up Spencer and Trina's characters and what they represent. And I was thinking about how Spencer is kind of obsessed with this tie to Greek culture that the Cassadines have and how he's constantly referencing Greek myth.

In my eyes, Spencer is an anti-hero (a character in the position of a hero that lacks typical heroic qualities) that really wants to be an epic hero (like Odysseus). I really feel a lot of Spencer's frustrations tie into this dichotomy of wanting to be the classic epic hero but having the inclinations of an anti-hero and falling short as a result.

Like most anti-heroes, Spencer's real journey is internal, but like the heroes from the myths he probably grew up reading, he wants to believe that all his problems will be solved by achieving an external objective. Be it "saving" his father from Ava, "saving" Trina from Little Miss White Privilege or "saving" demon spawn from his father. So following this idea that Spencer sort of perceives himself as the protagonist in an epic (yes while still retaining all his self-loathing, he's complex), Trina basically becomes the "goddess" in his eyes.

One of the steps in the epic hero's journey is meeting with a goddess. This "goddess" is supposed to represent a feminine ideal (beautiful, wise, etc.) and guide and support the hero in both his internal and external journey (the hero's journey concept is very male-centered so bear with me lol).

But before any of this can even occur, the hero has to prove his worthiness and earn her favor. Once the hero does so, the union between the hero and the goddess is called a "sacred marriage" (don't start) because of the complementary nature of their bond. It's also referred to as a union of opposites (opposites attract 👀). I thought that tied pretty neatly to the sort of reverent approach Spencer takes when it comes to loving Trina. It also ties into Trina's protective approach to loving Spencer and her refusal to abandon him.

As you said, she is "the highest thing" that is keeping him remotely balanced through his Cassadine trauma. Spencer himself said she "completed parts of [him] that [he] never knew needed to be completed." But because Spencer is still an anti-hero, he is never going to just follow the guidance of Trina, especially when it's guidance that tells him that the hero's journey he thinks he's on is actually just another path toward self-destruction.

But the role that Trina has come to play in Spencer's life both in reality and in his perception is a powerful one and the idea that he would remotely be okay should he ever lose her, especially after they've solidified their romantic union, is laughable.