bobsuncorp
03-23-2009, 10:15 AM
In a commentary of an early Buffy episode, (it might even have been the pilot), Joss said that he figured out very early on that Willow was such an endearing character and was played so well by Allyson Hannigan (he mentioned her big eyes more than once) that the best way to create tension was to put Willow in danger. Even though the viewer may believe that a main character will not die they are still drawn into the tension because of how lovable the character is.
In the episode a few weeks back when Victor with his Russian mobster identity (before they revealed he was a doll) came to see Ballard and spoke with Mellie, you could see she was scared of him and that he was doing nothing to make her feel otherwise. At that point, I realised that Joss had found another Willow. Another actress who plays a character so lovable that we will always be worried for her safety, rather than wanting her to die so Ballard can hook up with Echo.
Previous speculation I read that Mellie was an Active placed to spy on Ballard meant that I wasn't surprised when this was revealed, but honestly I had hoped that she wouldn't be, because then it would seem like there weren't any real people in the world. Also while the actress playing Mellie is undoubtedly a beautiful woman she is objectively not as beautiful as you would expect an Active to be. She is quite literally "the girl next door". So while I normally would have been annoyed that she was not a "real person" the fact that this was the only thing that saved her life by giving her the skills necessary to defend herself meant that my prayers for her survival were answered.
I'm hoping that we will see the Mellie character a lot more, or that the actress is able to recreate that sweet vulnerability in other identities (not the blank state, thats more childlike) so we don't lose that brilliant storytelling device, and if you doubt how good it is, ask yourself: How could a character who has hardly been in the show, who we know absolutely nothing about, that is obstructing any romance between our 2 leading characters carry such a big dramatic moment by being put in danger? Because thats what happened.
In the episode a few weeks back when Victor with his Russian mobster identity (before they revealed he was a doll) came to see Ballard and spoke with Mellie, you could see she was scared of him and that he was doing nothing to make her feel otherwise. At that point, I realised that Joss had found another Willow. Another actress who plays a character so lovable that we will always be worried for her safety, rather than wanting her to die so Ballard can hook up with Echo.
Previous speculation I read that Mellie was an Active placed to spy on Ballard meant that I wasn't surprised when this was revealed, but honestly I had hoped that she wouldn't be, because then it would seem like there weren't any real people in the world. Also while the actress playing Mellie is undoubtedly a beautiful woman she is objectively not as beautiful as you would expect an Active to be. She is quite literally "the girl next door". So while I normally would have been annoyed that she was not a "real person" the fact that this was the only thing that saved her life by giving her the skills necessary to defend herself meant that my prayers for her survival were answered.
I'm hoping that we will see the Mellie character a lot more, or that the actress is able to recreate that sweet vulnerability in other identities (not the blank state, thats more childlike) so we don't lose that brilliant storytelling device, and if you doubt how good it is, ask yourself: How could a character who has hardly been in the show, who we know absolutely nothing about, that is obstructing any romance between our 2 leading characters carry such a big dramatic moment by being put in danger? Because thats what happened.