Well it finally happened. It happened when I watched TVD for the first time but I watched that show 3 years after in went off air so there was no point to scream into the void about what happened to Bonnie, even though it comes up in discourse every six months.
Summertime on Netflix blatantly deceive Black viewers by having a Black romantic lead of a show literally named after her, for her not to get a romantic ending. Season 2 was an entire rollercoaster of emotions between the main character, Summer, and Alessandro. They both went back to each other over the course of the show, after their mutual break up, after he left for another country to pursue his dream, which Summer supported. They never fell out of love which is why the events of s2 made more sense, but the way Summer kept throwing herself at Ale throughout the season for him to dismiss her was hella cringe. Her character development never really showed growth and at the end she was manipulated by her replacement, when given the opportunity to start a serious relationship with Ale.
I watched the trailer for s3 and immediately knew that SummerAle would not be endgame based on how they positioned this potential new love interest for Summer and Ale’s destructive and flighty behavior. But watching how the season played out was enraging.
Although they developed a friendship, Summer was shown to still be pining for Ale, while he continued to blow with the wind. She even encouraged Ale to be with her replacement even though she was in love with him. I don’t want to rehash the entire plot, I just want to say how irritating it is that the writers made the decision to make Summer seem desperate for Ale’s love and attention again and not the other way around! She had already went through that s2 and it should’ve never played out like that. It’s lazy writing and anti-Black woman af. She couldn’t even give Luca a chance because she was still hung up on Ale. Her entire agency and ability to be a fully functional person was wrapped up in this white man who appeared to not want her in a romantic way anymore.
What I had hoped would’ve been a time jump at the end to show that even though both romantic leads went to have separate lives in their younger years, which is realistic and normal, they were able to find their way back to each other. I think the show played with that but it clearly gave the white love interest the romantic ending and Summer had to be satisfied with the platonic love of her friends. 😒
These type of narratives are played out and stereotypical to ideas about Black women as romantic love interests in media. Especially when they are opposite someone white. Ale should’ve left alone, because that was clearly what he needed as a character and as a person, but no he got to be happy and in love, while Summer just got to be content… Same shit happened to Marina in Bridgerton, same shit happened to Nadia (I know she’s not Black but still) in Elite, hell they did it to MJ in No Way Home… I’m so fucking tired!
This is why we go so hard for Black women when they get casted in these roles with the opportunity for a romantic storyline that is shown in a healthy, respectful, where feelings are mutual and reciprocated, and a happy ending because that’s what we deserve. I need more Black writers to get the opportunity to tell these stories on bigger platforms. I’m distraught and annoyed and tired. *screams in frustrated Black Woman*
