Keep in mind this is a fan of ToBecky speaking here about Tobey's... more negative traits and how toxic things can get:
Honestly rewatching WordGirl for about 4 years now I discovered why I don't like some of the ToBecky content in which is supposed to be depicted as a healthy relationship. The relationship is cute on concept but can go too far at times. I used to ship them like a crazy before I knew about Go Gadget Go. Even without it, episodes like Cherish is the Word shows very negative sides to Tobey.
Keep in mind, Scoops is one of Becky's friends. He cares about her a lot as shown multiple times in the show despite it not being romantic, and Tobey gets a pass in most of these stories for threatening him? No. He shouldn't. That means even with Tobey being nicer to Becky, he could still cross a line when it comes to her friends. When it comes to someone in a relationship, you have to respect your significant other and his/her friends. To put it bluntly, Tobey challenged Scoops and intended to go for the kill. He didn't show any reservations. Scoops logically should be scarred and hold Tobey in a darker light for that. Who wouldn't be? I know I would. If anything else, Scoops finding out about the gadget incident should be the final straw for his belief in Tobey's Redemption shattering, and it all bottles up. Furthermore, just think about what he would do if Becky continues communicating with Scoops and he doesn't change as a person?
Honestly, I like the few fics that deconstruct ToBecky and shows his negative sides before rebuilding it and allowing him to grow. He is usually on the offensive or defensive, barely ever in a reliant state when socializing with unknown variants. Tobey isn't really that big with relationships in general.
Many writers do have Becky become the element of force for Tobey's path to redemption because that is apparently what love is. While its nice for her to consider it and help guide him, this is dangerous for Becky, and Tobey will still likely treat everyone else around them badly. In short, Becky is not and should never be obligated to redeem Tobey or help him. As WordGirl, she is obligated to prevent crime as it happens, not infiltrate and improve their lives.
Honestly, if anyone is more needed for help, it's Steven Boxleitner who literally is being controlled more than Tobey who makes more or less his own decisions but I digress.
In school, Becky merely tolerates him, but will joke around and have fun if he's acting normal. Tobey's own road to self improvement and redemption needs to be his own. He has to make these decisions. He needs to make the choice to apologize to WordGirl for that "Go Gadget Go" stunt and other incidents, Scoops for that challenge, and anyone else he threatened throughout the years. He needs to do it, not Becky. It's unfair to Becky that she's not able to be her own person because she has to enable him and help him when she already has so many things to worry about. That's where many fanfictions fail to mention, I should add. Characters have to make their own decisions.
I'm not saying ToBecky can't and shouldn't happen. I still ship them but I don't defer to that type of mindset where people pretend Becky has to pull a Luke Skywalker on him. In my opinion, Tobey's Redemption Arc should be like Prince Zuko's. I'm not saying his mother is evil and he needs to stand up to her but his arc should be about standing up to his inner demons. First, he should accept friendships. Second, he should still have temptations and struggle sometimes. It's a natural part of being a human who went down a dark path and is trying to make right. Third, he should right his past wrongs in one way or another. This is true for everyone, even Two Brains. Fourth, his whole world shouldn't be about WordGirl only. He should have friends, people who he is willing to let in. Fifth, he needs to love both sides of Becky, not just WordGirl. He needs to embrace her as a individual and understand that she also has positive and negative traits. Even if you going for a ToWordGirl angle which is perfectly okay then you have to make sure he still loves and accept Becky. He needs to see her as a person, not a thing. And then, finally, in my opinion, Tobey should get with her when she sees how he changed and the improvement he made and that he isn't the same boy who trapped her in a robot.
Redemption is mishandled so much imo. A redeeming character should not feel obliged for forgiveness. It should be an obligation given to them by those who they wronged. People all over the world have tragic pasts yet use it to better themselves. Justifying and rationalizing your actions as an excuse for why you did what you did isn't a good motivator. You have to take accountability for what you have done, seek to correct said errors, and forgiveness comes in time.
As said here:
