while im in the mood for glazing sram, I have a lot of thoughts about Nora vs Vanessa and their respective narrative functions
This actually isnt a glaze i do agree with the criticisms that Vanessa is an underutilized character across all three seasons as I think they've never quite figured out how to rework her narrative function without her faith. What I do disagree with is the notion that Nora is being used at the expense of Vanessa - aside from episode 7 where Jakov, Nora and Eva visit Lovro, none of Nora's scenes could be replaced by Vanessa bc they have entirely different functions in the narrative.
Vanessa exists mostly as a disruptor, and I would also argue as a kind of guardian angel. She always appears at the exact right moment with exact right advice, always challenging Lovro's views about masculinity, communication and being different at a time when he is not quite ready to be challenged on those things. She is also there for their first real interaction and figuratively guides Ivan and Lovro into their future together (ep 2, ep 10) and is the only character on screen trying to protect Lovro from the news that he's been outed. We can argue about using her as a character with almost extra-narrative knowledge, but she is always there at significant crossroads for Lovro to essentially point him in the right direction and, if Lovro is present in her season, I imagine it will be to serve a similar function for her by using the exact same advice that she gave him, as well as (hopefully) the Ivan backstory that if they don't do is a huge missed opportunity.
My most controversial opinion is that for the most part aside from, again, episode 7, Nora's inclusion is not necessarily fan service as her narrative existly entirely as a parallel to Lovro's. If it was simply fanservice, then they wouldn't have taken the direction they did with Roko. Lovro's story is about him learning to accept himself, and as such accept his own vulnerability and allowing himself to be vulnerable and communicate that honestly. Nora and Roko's relationship dissolves because of Roko's violence, and also a lack of communication/vulnerability bc Roko here represents a certain type of masculinity that Lovro is specifically presented as being in opposition to. It's significant to me that the only men in that argument scene are Roko and Lovro - they could have easily included Vito, as well. Nora and Roko's relationship and the breakdown of it are specifically paralleled with Lovro and Ivan, and we later see the stark difference in how they resolve problems. Instead of running away, Lovro finally runs to Ivan, opening himself up and utilizing everything that he has spent the season learning to create a safe space for Ivan, in turn learning that the qualities that dont make him 'masculine' or that have caused him to be ashamed are actually his strengths. This thread of vulnerability vs toxic masculinity is seen through all the way to Tina and Mario, where Ivan acts as the exact opposite to Filip, advising Mario to be honest with Tina instead of putting on a front to impress her. Nora and Roko, on the other hand, have fallen into a trap where they cannot be vulnerable with or communicate with each other any more. Nora only regains her creative voice after leaving Roko. Roko's anger at Nora for leaving revolves entirely around appearance - he is embarrassed, he looks bad because Nora has left - rather than something intrinsic or vulnerable - i miss you, what you've done has hurt me. It's established that he's ignored all the signs of her unhappiness as well as he attempts to communicate that. He cannot let go of his masculinity and he loses his relationship because of it. This season parallels a lot of relationships with Lovro and Ivan, and I would love someone smarter than me to dig even deeper into that, and I also fully understand people's frustration with Nora's presence in the story, but I really do think that everything about Nora and Roko this season is as much about them as it is about furthering the core themes of the season and Lovro's growth as a character.
I'll be really interested to see how, and if, these themes pop up in season 4 and if Nora and Roko do get back together I will be disappointed, but from what we have so far I think it's a pretty effective narrative tool. And yes, there should have been more Vanessa, but one character is not replacing the other because they serve very different functions. Please feel free to argue w me though I'd love to know what other people think!
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