“Peace Talks” Thoughts While I Listen (4)
A bit heavier on the spoiler talk for this one, so click the thing to read more if you wanna see me ranting about stupid Butters nonsense.
I do not care that Butters is in a poly relationship with two attractive werewolf women. As a concept, polyamory isn’t something I am against.
I DO care about the fact that Butcher wrote it terribly. I care about the fact that ever since Cold Days, Butcher has been framing every aspect of Butters’ “development” in some of the shittiest ways possible, and at the expense of other characters (especially women). I’m certain I don’t need to remind everyone of how god-awful it was for Butters to gain his Knighthood on the back of the pain and suffering of Murphy losing her very identity as a warrior. I apparently don’t have to, because Jim Butcher himself reminds us in both of Karrin’s intimate scenes with Harry.
Butters gets to be in good physical shape, wield a lightsaber, have a polyamorous relationship with two women, and best Sanya in a swordfight (fucking WHAT?!). And Murphy? “[Murphy doesn’t] get to be [her] anymore.” She doesn’t even get to be as intimate with Harry as she wants because of the severity of her injuries! What the FUCK, Jim?!
Real talk. Butters was one of my favorite DF side-characters pre- “Cold Days” and subsequent novels. Operative word there being side-character. He was a funny, nerdy everyman who popped in here and there to serve a limited role as Dresden’s personal pseudo-mob doc, a touch of comic relief, and an occasional brain to balance Harry’s increasingly idiotic brawn. To see him turned into the sort of crazy wish-fulfillment character found in isekai anime is a disservice to him. To make Andi and Marcy party to that disservice is gross, which is to say nothing that hasn’t already been said about Murphy.
Now, I’ve seen some of the preliminary theories that Murphy will die in battle and get to be reborn as an Einherjar. Honestly, considering how much Butcher is hammering us with the knowledge that she can’t recover past 50% without supernatural assistance, as well as her previous interactions with both the Einherjaren and the Valkyries, I’d say that’s almost a given.
Doesn’t make up for the fact that all of this suffering she has experienced was used to uplift a nerd stereotype into becoming fucking Kirito.
Rant over. Sophie out.
PS - Dresden has ogled every woman in this story so far, including Hope Carpenter and Ivy!
WHAT THE FUUUUUUUUUUUCK?!
