Head versus Heart: A Personal Perspective About Lexa
This is a quickly drafted attempt to succinctly and eloquently ascertain how my head interpreted the Lexa related events in tonightās episode of The 100 (307) versus how my heart survived the impact. Myriad feelings and thoughts are swirling around in my brain, as well as overwhelming emotions. So please excuse any errors in this post.
** As is the case on Twitter, I would ask that your responses to this be constructive in nature. Please do not direct any anger you might have at me for sharing my opinion. Not everyone will agree with my take on Lexa, and that is absolutely fine and expected. I always aim to maintain a positive attitude and outlook, even in what many would consider to be the darkest hour of our favorite show. I truly do not want to block anyone on any platform, and do appreciate engaging conversations with varying viewpoints. **
My head is entirely aware of the business of making television, that actor contracts and production logistics play more of a role in the future of a fictional character than we would like to admit. Thus, I am not at all surprised by the decision to kill off Commander Lexa, for two specific reasons.
First of all, it is not a secret that Alycia Debnam Carey was cast in a lead role on another show, and that Fear the Walking Dead is a massive success and franchise. Fans should consider themselves very lucky that The CW and AMC worked together so that ADC was able to appear again on The 100 at all. Truthfully, when Lexa walked away from Mount Weather at the end of Season 2 - that could have been the end of her storyline. But the writers knew how integral the Commanderās history and story was to their overall mythology, and therefore negotiated to feature ADC in several episodes of Season 3.
Secondly, it is not as though they simply killed her off because Alycia was cast on another show. Lexaās death makes sense to move the story forward; the story that The 100 writers have been meticulously crafting from Episode 101 through Episode 316, and beyond. Despite how strongly many of us feel about Lexa, this is a fact. The Commanderās death unraveled the largest mystery and most important development for the showās mythology yet, which I find to be spectacular on every conceivable and creative level.
To say that Alycia Debnam Carey and Eliza Taylor were stunning in that scene is an understatement; I am unable to recall two more visceral, effective, emotional performances in a death scene on television. They made me feel as though I was watching two people in my real life, experiencing the worst moment of theirs. I am blown away by the talent of Alycia and Eliza, by their collective ability to build and break my heart through fiction and through the television screen.
From the beginning Iāve stated that when this show ends, my greatest hope is that Clarke Griffin is remembered for her legacy of leadership rather than who she loved and was loved by in return. I wish the same for Lexa. Because while I always rooted for Clarke and Lexa on a romantic level, I also truly appreciate their individual characters and leadership styles. Commander Lexa deserves to be remembered as one of the most badass, complex and riveting characters every to grace our television screens. Period.
My primary criticism with Episode 307 and with how they handled Lexaās death is that it took place immediately following a very touching love scene between Lexa and Clarke; the culmination of so much emotion and passion between these two characters, and a scene that many of us had been hoping for ever since The Kiss in Season 2. I understand the necessity to fit essential scenes into an episode holding so much weight, and under time constraints, but we had zero time to process the beautiful and lovely scene in Lexaās bedroomĀ because minutes later Lexa was shot. My issue is not with how or why Lexa was killed, it is simply that it should have taken place separately and distanced from the love scene. Alas.Ā
To quote Lexa, after what feels like my heart has battled a Pauna: āhurts.ā
It should come as no surprise to anyone that follows me how profoundly I am affected by Lexaās death. I thought that I was prepared, for reasons stated above, but nevertheless I was unable to stop the flow of tears streaming down my face when it actually happened on screen. Yes, she is fictional, but we are ALLOWED to grieve the death of a beloved television character. Donāt let anyone tell you differently. Process this however you need to, and among fellow fans in life and online when you can.
I love Lexa. Not loved. It will never be past tense, to me. Lexa will live on forever in my mind as one of the best character creations of all time. I was personally moved by her relationship with Clarke, but also incredibly impressed by how they wrote Lexa and by how Alycia brought her to life so vividly. I remain in complete awe of her leadership, especially given her history and what she aimed to accomplish during her reign.
On many occasions, I related to Lexaās reactions and behavior. Often times, I envied her ability to remove emotion from the equation, to choose her head over her heart rather than wear her heart on her sleeve.
I have been Lexa and I have been Clarke, loving from afar with respect and reservation, and succumbing to temptation in close proximity. Everyone deserves to be on the receiving end of the way Lexa looked at Clarke; with curiosity, respect, admiration, desire and love. Intense, yes ā but Lexaās heart was visible through her expressive eyes, which transformed from the stoic Commander into Lexa with undeniable affection when she was alone with Clarke.
To me, Clarke was the love of Lexaās life. We didnāt see Lexaās relationship with Costia, nor were we privy to any details or the duration. We did witness Lexaās immediate draw to Clarke, however, as well as the mutual exploration of feelings from start to finish in a variety of ways. One does not need to consummate a relationship in order to prove that it was real, that it existed. And while it was heartbreaking to see that happen in the same episode where Lexa then loses her life, I am absolutely certain that Lexa died knowing that Clarke loved her entirely in return and with no regrets whatsoever. She would not have regrets about Clarke, nor her legacy and leadership. Ā Clarke changed Lexaās life, opened her heart and expanded her mind. And vice versa. Despite my despondency about Lexa, moving forward, that fact alone softens the blow of her death just a little bit.
āNot Yetā became a Now and then Never Again. That truth seeps deeply into the cracks of my soul. Ā
Do I worry about Clarke more now, after losing Lexa? Absolutely. Her heart will be shattered and in pieces for quite some time. But if anything, I believe that this loss will strengthen her resolve and her desire for peace. Clarke and Lexa learned so much from one another during their time together, particularly as leaders. Moving forward, Clarke has the opportunity to make Lexaās dream for 13-Clan unity a reality, to honor her memory by applying every ounce of resourcefulness, tenacity and drive that she has toward that goal. Clarke will use her head, fueled and inspired by her heart, from this moment on. Ā Ā
Independently of Clarke Griffin, Lexa was a tremendously dynamic, heroic, admirable, infuriating, flawed, amazing character. Together with Clarke, they made one hell of a powerful couple, from adversaries to co-leaders to lovers.
I do not and cannot speak for the entire LGBTQ community, but I can offer my personal perspective. I am openly and proudly gay, and have been out for over 20 years. During that time, I have both watched and studied a great deal of television. While I donāt find it necessary to watch TV through a rainbow lens or filter for series selection, I certainly pay close attention to how LGBTQ characters are created, written and portrayed. And truthfully, in my eyes, Lexaās death is NOT a trope ā I do not at all feel as though this was an instance of the dreaded āqueer baiting.ā Her demise has nothing to do with the fact that she was a lesbian and everything to do with her actual job as the Commander, the most powerful and dangerous occupation on the planet 97 years in the future. End of story. Ā
The indelible impact that Lexa has had on countless LGBTQ fans across the globe cannot be understated. Lexa was a fierce, magnificent, brilliant leader and warrior on the surface and a very loyal and loving human being beneath the armor. That her character was a lesbian was irrelevant to her leadership and life on The 100, but 100% relevant to LGBTQ fans of all ages watching the show. Iāve heard from countless people from all over the world that have been able to come to terms with their sexuality or have finally had honest conversations with their families about who they are because of Lexa. That is heartwarming, astonishing, eye-opening and inspiring.Ā
I do believe that Alycia and The 100 writers are well aware of the above referenced phenomenal Lexa Effect, and only hope that fans continue to appreciate and celebrate her character rather than continue to direct their displeasure about her demise toward the actors or writers disrespectfully. Youāre allowed to express how you feel, but perhaps take a moment before posting in anger to recognize that there are fellow human beings on the receiving end of those tweets. Ā
When all is said and done, it must be acknowledged that Jason and The 100 writers created an incredible character with great dignity and courage, and infused her with both humanity and the capacity to battle and love with equal strength. Lexa was a gift, to so many of us, for a wide variety of reasons. I am choosing to celebrate that right now, to react constructively while allowing myself time to absorb the magnitude of Lexaās death.
Commander Lexa was destined for greatness, achieved it beyond anyoneās wildest dreams and died a hero. End of story.
Everyone is entitled to his or her own opinions about this show and about Lexa. I felt it was important to share mine. Again, please keep in mind that I wrote this quickly and in an exhausted, emotional state with very little time to process what took place in 307. Of course I plan to further examine and elaborate after a few days, either here or on SciFiMafia.
In the meantime, Iām going to hold my future wife just a little bit closer this weekend. Last year I pledged featly to her on bended knee on a cliff overlooking the ocean in Hawaii. Sheās my Person, my Constant, and my āMaybe Somedayā come true. Ā
Thank you for listening, for tweeting and reblogging, for commenting, for being my people.
May WE live forever, and may we tweet again.