I know Charlastor isn't going to be canon and that's fine because it'd probably be ruined if it was. However, what does have me a bit worried is Charlastor's dynamic being destroyed and them separately suffering from character assassination because viv has a weird obsessive hatred hard on for the ship and fans. This lady has shown to be untrustworthy and immature. I wouldn't put it past her to use her power as the creator to get the writers to ruin Charlastor for the fans enough that we finally leave for good. Nobody thinks it's cool that she was harassed by some weirdos in the fandom when the pilot dropped but it's been 6 years and she's still holding a grudge from what a few bad apples did. I hate hypocrites and she's the biggest one. She's not keeping this energy with RA's and we know for a fact that they've been harassing everyone. Charlastor fans, viv, the writers and the cast but she doesn't say anything about that. I'm firmly convinced it's some other reason she doesn't like the ship despite saying it was cute at one point but she's just using that incident that happened awhile ago as the excuse. I'm seeing season 2 through but I don't know if I'm making it to season 4 of this show and still watching because of her unprofessional antics. Charlastor doesn't have to be canon for the fans to still enjoy and she knows that but ruining your characters personalities absolutely can dampen the love of a ship. I'm not saying it's going to happen. I really hope it doesn't but again, viv has shown countless times that she's not to be trusted. She would absolutely sink her own show to prove a point.
Honestly? My personal theory is that she cannot stand criticism of any kind, and the thing with charlastors is that because of other fandom assholes we've consistently had to explain ourselves as to why we ship it because of what I can only assume to be bi, ace, and as stupid as it sounds to say: heterophobia. The countless accusations of charlastor "breaking up a queer ship for a straight one" means we're all very defensive of how we view charlastor. There are essay length posts and threads across social media discussing the tropes inherent in Charlie and Al's dynamic, the thought that VIV HERSELF put in to things like a shared sense of humor, Charlie's self described ideal man being yes the phantom of the opera but also extremely applicable to Alastor as well, them both liking pineapple on fucking pizza! The list goes on! And yes, all these little things can just as easily mean nothing, but what do we have to compare it to?
What, in canon or by word of god and supported by canon, really truly explains the romantic appeal of one another for her actual canon ship? Why do Charlie and vaggie get together but more importantly (especially given the way season 1 played out) STAY together? Word of god says that chaggie started as friends and gradually developed romantic feelings. The actual episode depicting their initial meeting? Contradicts that entirely. We see vaggie, actively broken, bleeding, and abandoned, and she instantly develops feelings for the first person to show up. I'd say it's because Charlie was the first person to lend a hand but come on: as Carmilla already proved it wasn't exactly rocket science to figure out Vaggie was an angel. A trail of golden blood leads to a trash can where the uniform of an exorcist can be seen which then leads directly to where Vaggie is slumped against the wall. Charlie has a notable habit of tunnel vision though so her not noticing that sort of thing? I may not like it but it's not out of character for her to be not as perceptive when there's someone that could be helped.
Charlie just saw pretty injured lady who smiled at her and was dtf immediately. Which, assuming they're keeping the lore of Lilith as the mother of succubi in the hellaverse? Yep, still tracks. It's not that I don't get why they have fucked at any point in their acquaintance. What is not explained is what draws them to each other romantically. And yes, obviously people in the real world can be romantically attracted to others for no reason at all. But this is fiction, the infinite complexity of an entire person is always going to be boiled down for the ease of creating a connection with the audience. Therefore, motivation of any kind is extremely important.
For example... Charlie's overarching character motivation: she wants the slaughter of sinners whom she considers just as much her people as actual hellborns to stop. And in accordance with what is actual Catholic doctrine, she believes that a human soul is not denied the chance to atone in death for their actions in life. If we're referencing classical literature, the hotel is literally the Hellaverse equivalent to Mount Purgatory from Dante's Inferno. The journey cleanses the soul and makes it ready to enter heaven.
This iteration of Vaggie (compared to her beta versions) feels like an attempt to replicate the character of Steven universe's Pearl, without actually understanding both the inherent toxicity of the mentality she operates under for most of the original series and the journey that she goes through to find an identity for herself that is separate from Rose Quartz. Tangent on Vaggie's lack of a character aside, again: I am several paragraphs deep on the lack of depth the canon relationship has and I haven't even gotten started on the contrasting appeal of charlastor. If Viv doesn't like writing wlw ships as much as mlm ones that's entirely FINE. We all have our strengths and preferences, and to her credit the mlm ships in her shows are (mostly) well written. But if you don't like writing it, WHY PUT IT IN YOUR SHOW? More to the point: why make it a thing between two of your main cast of characters? I really do think in part that writing couples that are endgame but not already together is more popular overall because it's easier to write. A lot of dramatic tension. Happy couples? Boring. And then you try and bring drama into it with either petty shit that makes them look like they just don't like each other and makes the audience wonder why they haven't broken up yet, or they pull big reveal shit like the whole "Vaggie was an exorcist this whole time and never told Charlie" that gets far more flack when presented in straight couples than it does in queer ones.
I'm sorry, if I found out that someone I loved, someone I cared about, someone I trusted in completely and shared EVERYTHING with had kept the fact that she was part of a yearly genocide of people I was actively trying to stop I would never be able to stand looking at them again. It doesn't matter that they "changed" their mind, the issue for me with that isn't even that Vaggie did what she was literally created to do, it's that she entered into a romantic relationship with someone whose entire goals were the antithesis of her past and actively chose to keep that secret because of how she knew Charlie would likely react. "I didn't want to lose you so I kept this information that I knew would make that happen from you" is not the romantic motivation Viv seems to think it is. In fact, it is a TROPE called the liar revealed! It's meant to serve as a bad thing not to be emulated and lead to a happy healthy romantic relationship!
And all of this is what I would consider valid criticism of the writing and handling of that relationship. Especially since for all that stupid reveal ended up mattering to the plot, Charlie could have known the whole time and it would have been a reveal to the audience. Why would that be something mentioned in the here and now if Charlie already knew about it? Something can be a reveal to the audience without being a reveal to the characters. Anyways, tldr: charlastor is the one subsect of fans that tend to critique the writing of her canon ship and Viv don't like that. She's also way too easily influenced when she's flattered enough so... enough said there.
With all that said though: Amazon and A24 know who their selling characters are which is why Charlie and Al are promoted in merch both most and first if the others come later.
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