(long post, VLD season 7 spoilers, I'm on mobile so I can't really do a page break I'm sorry about that guy's!) (art is mine btw) I'm honestly getting really tired of hearing how Adam dying in season 7 is a bury your gays trope, and condemning VLD as this aweful thing for allowing it. Yes, Adam was mlm, and yes, he did die. And maybe yeah, they could have chosen to kill someone else, but in the end, it isn't going to change the narrative to do so. Adam's death was included to show how high the stakes were in the war against the Galra. He was used because he was a familiar face, so we would connect with what was happening. Adam's character wasn't all that important in the larger narrative of the show, either. He was included for several reasons. First, to show in an organic was that Shiro, a main character, was mlm. Second, to contrast his relationship specifically with Keith- almost all of Adam's lines are directly echoed by Keith, Adam saying he won't stay with Shiro if he leaves for Kerberos, vs Keith saying he refuses to give up on Shiro no matter what. And third, as already mentioned, to give us a familiar face in the first assault against the Galra to show how high the stakes were. Adam isn't the only character to die, he dies with his entire squad, and showed JUST how underprepared Earth was for the Galra. On top of this, so much focus on a character who got less than a minute of screen time, starts to overshadow why Adam was even thought of as a character in the first place: to show Shiro was mlm. Shiro, who is a MAIN character in an action adventure series. They did not have to make Shiro gay. And let's really talk about Shiro, OK? Shiro is not only one of the main characters. He's a character who has gone through so much, and keeps going. He's Asian, disabled, mentally ill (ptsd) and mlm, and he's also strong, a leader, someone who cares about and supports his friends, a talented leader, and he keeps going. He's literally DIED, and been dragged back to a living body by the love of another member of his team (Keith). Shiro is a gay man who belongs to an Earth military organization and allowed to be out and gay (this is so important considering don't ask don't tell). Shiro is amazing. Shiro is so wonderful as lgbt+ rep, and it makes me so sad and so tired to see him overshadowed by Adam. And to say that Adam's death means that Shiro now has no one to come home to on earth... Well, Adam LEFT Shiro before Shiro left on the Kerberos mission, prior to the start of the show. Even if Adam were alive, they weren't going to get together again. The showrunners have been very clear about that. Adam being alive wasn't going to give Shiro a 'happy ending'. Shiro's 'happy ending' doesn't have to hing on him being in a relationship. Right now, he already has the start of his happy ending- he's been shown to have achieved his goals and more, and now has a found family in the Voltron team around him who love and support him. I am certain that season 8 is going to be good for Shiro! And we know the VLD showrunners had to fight to make Shiro gay. They've told us they wanted the flashbacks in S7 to happen back in S2, but weren't allowed to. We know that DW made them record alternate lines for the flashback with Adam, casting him as a roommate best friend, and not as a romantic partner. Knowing they had to do that, fight and convince their executives that yes, they should make Shiro gay, really does make a difference, and shows how much they do care about their fan base. And yes, it would be awesome to see Shiro end up with someone in S8. But this is an action adventure show, where romance is NOT the focus. And as a fan and as a queer person, I appreciate that Shiro is allowed to just BE gay, that it's just one part of him. And if Adam was alive, I don't think I'd want to see him get back together- not only did they break up prior to the series start, but Adam is someone we know next to nothing about. If Shiro DOES end up with someone, I could only hope that it's someone we already know in the series, and that we've been allowed to see have development with Shiro. But even if Shiro remains single... Shiro is still amazing rep. Again, he's disabled, mentally ill, Asian, and gay, and still strong, still GOING... Him being gay doesn't doesn't hinge on him being WITH someone. And all of this outrage over Adam, who again, had less than a minute of screen time, is really starting g to overshadow the fact that we now have a gay main character, and that the showrunners had to fight for that. I'm glad they did. I love Shiro. I love that HE'S our lgbt+ rep. And I want to thank the VLD staff for doing that. I want to add as well that, I'm not saying people can't be upset about Adam, but just that I hope people consider everything involved, and that they just be aware that this seems to be getting more traction than the fact that we now have a main character in an action adventure series who is gay and who isn't cast as some kind of stereotype. Who is strong, a leader, and surrounded by a found family who genuinely care for him.
