sad posting abt jac naylor
Ok, so, I have mostly been ignoring the fact my favourite character is leaving Holby, but I can’t ignore it now. It’s happening, so this is my post about it. I don’t know if anyone cares, but i figured since I have this url, I might as well say something.
When I started watching Holby city in 2008, I already knew who Jac was. My mum watched the show, so I started paying attention properly. I think It’s something of an indication of Jac’s/Rosie’s presence on screen that I went in already knowing the majority of what had happened to her. She’s hard to ignore even in passing.
Now at this time, we were still on livejournal and fanfiction.net. No easy tag to follow on here for me. I used internet forums (Though mostly this was to post fanfiction about Cyd/Greg from casualty) and Lj. I made my own Holby/Jac livejournal. I made my own icons. I was about 14, and this was my fandom, small as it was. I once got an ill advised Jac haircut (I do not have those cheekbones and so could not really pull it off) I sent off for her autograph and in the post (this was in the days they gave you fan adresses on the holby website)
She took me through my teen years. she took me through university. After meeting one of my best friends at halls and bonding through our mutual hatred of a fellow resident, we also bonded over Holby and watched it together every week.
There are a lot of different people who find something to relate to with Jac. She speaks to lgbtqia+ people, gender non conforming people, people with abusive parents, NA people,and so many other facets of her personality. But for me I think she embodied something hard to define.I think the teenage angst I felt could translate through to her. She was rude, she made mistakes, she was judged. Sometimes it felt like she was never given the chance to get it right. But she came through it. And she came through it as one of the most loved and iconic characters in the whole show. She also wasn’t afraid to be a total fucking bitch. Love it or loathe it, you have to respect it.
I’m sad that she’s leaving. I’m sad that she won’t get the exit she deserves. But I’m happy for Rosie. They put her through so much shit to make this show. She’s lost a lot. She’s fought a lot. She’s been through a lot of trauma on and off screen - not just with the recent mental health storyline, but that certainly is the most obvious and painful example of the emotional labour actors have to go through - And if it’s right for her to go then it’s right. But I hope we remember that Jac was a character who started with almost nothing and came through with her dream job and a family that loves her. The show won’t be the same without her. There won’t be another character that compares. There won’t be another actress that compares.
I don’t know how to finish this off. This character has been part of my life, and my fandom life, for 13 years. She was rude. She was cruel. She was sad. She was happy. She’s a mother. She’s changed. I want to think that means something. I know I’m being sentimental and a bit soppy. I hope i see her again. Even if I don’t I know she’s leaving for the right reasons. I can imagine Jac living her best life, which is more than i can say for some of my faves.
Rosie, thanks for all the work, and all the years. Jac, thanks for all the pure fucking drama.
