While you’ll never catch me loving Ruckus, here is a character that you will never convince me to hate.
Trigger warnings: Mentions of abuse, mental health, and death/suicide.
Despite only making a one time appearance in “The Boondocks,” Luna’s backstory touched many fans that watched this episode, myself included. I’ll admit when I was younger, I just wrote her off as someone who was psychotic.
However, I rewatched this episode as an adult, and her story was just devastating.
It’s revealed that during her childhood, Luna witnessed her mother be the victim of physical abuse by her father. This cycle continues when she grows up, also becoming the brute of violence from her romantic partners, as well as being verbally and mentally abused.
I’m convinced the abuse Luna had to deal with caused her to start taking Kung Fu lessons, in order to defend herself when she needed to, although she never revealed the reason behind it.
When we are first introduced to Luna, us as the audience and Robert are taken away by her beauty and how charismatic she was. She’s also nice to Huey and Riley, although they are both a little hesitant by her and even Riley says that they don’t “keep cash in the house.”
Throughout some of the scenes in this episode, we all realize that Luna is still dealing with the trauma of being a witness and a victim of abuse, as well as not having the greatest friends either. Her friend, Nicole, gives her terrible advice and even suggested that she kidnap Robert and torture him for lying to her about having to leave Woodcrest after coming up with a bizarre lie about being in charge of a certain celebrity’s birthday party. (That joke didn’t age well)
Not only does she do that, she also holds Huey and Riley hostage by trapping them in their bedroom, and even tying Tom up alongside Robert when he tried to come over and check in on the family. Huey wrote him a letter in advanced to make sure he does that in case something happens to him or his family.
Despite his wrongdoings to her, Robert gives her good advice by telling her that she needs to stop being a victim and that she has to take responsibility for her own actions. He also said that she had to take a look at herself, and wonder what was it about her that kept having douchebag men attracting her.
She agrees, and eventually let Robert and Tom go, and leaves the house. She tells Nicole that everything was okay, and that she had to take “let go of the past.”
Like the typical miserable friend, Nicole says this means that Robert wouldn’t give her a chance, even if she heals from what she endured.
The viewers have high hopes that she was going to change her life around, and even get herself in therapy towards the end.
Sadly, Luna took her own life in the car by blowing herself up with a grenade. The Freeman family and Tom witness this from the window upstairs. Robert blames her for her death, but says “God bless her poor soul.” Even Huey showed some sort of sympathy by being the last person to walk away from the window, despite her beating him up during a match in Kung Fu, and holding him and his younger brother hostage.
The irony is that Nicole was telling Luna that she would have offed herself had she been in a similar situation, having no idea that her best friend did just that. Listening to her was a fatal mistake.
Luna was a special character that deserved so much better than what she got. Although she had flaws and I don’t make excuses for what she did to the family, I personally think she was redeemable and I wish she would’ve gotten professional help to deal with the psychological trauma that she had. She was also very sweet, talented, and hilarious, and was just an overall likable person.
I can even see a scene of Luna teaching the boys some moves in combat, and try to be a good female figure in their lives since neither their mother and grandmother made an appearance in the show. I think she might’ve been closer to Huey, but she would’ve adored him and Riley equally.
You’ll always be remembered, Luna <3
