Fandom Naval Gazing About Cath

[eumelia]

I'm a fan of nuance, but there's hardly any to be found in most areas in which I'm active. Gotta be one or the other, and god forbid you don't fall on one side exactly of a contentious subject.

In fandom it always feels a little ridiculous. To gain and lose friends over such small things as loving or hating fictional people. It doesn't help that a large part of what you love or hate is affected by the real people who embody these fictional characters.

I find myself fluctuating A LOT when it comes to Cath. It is not a steady feeling of like as I do towards Chin and Steve, nor the huge crush I have on Kono, or the overwhelming passion and identification I have towards Danny.

I remember at the start of season 2 when Lori appeared I couldn't help but wonder why they didn't just make Cath a regular if they were bringing in another white woman - meta thoughts of white supremacy and gender essentialism careened through my mind. I really enjoyed Cath and Steve's relationship in season 1 and season 2 and got rather excited when she was made a regular (like Max) during season 3.

The twitter debacle with Michelle Borth affected me. Not gonna lie. It felt like as soon as her position on the show became safe she lashed out at anyone who didn't like her character - which like in many slash heavy fandoms were a lot. Fandom is not free of misogyny despite being majority women who interact with other women. And I resented (and continue to resent) the way she added to that toxicity by pitting shippers against shippers - never mind the multishippers who ended up conflicted and Cath fans who were affected by her behaviour.

I know what it's like to be a fan of problematic people, it can be gut wrenching.

But what really changed my entire opinion about Cath was the retconning of hers and Steve's relationship. It was jarring to see how throughout the first 3 seasons they had something fresh and undefined, open ended and affectionate suddenly become Destiny.

I hate that kind of narrative and it felt in the episodes preceding, during which I was getting weighed down by doing my best to separate Michelle from Cath as much as possible, they were trying to clumsily integrate her into the team. Shoddy work, in my opinion.

As an aside, I still fucking resent how they did the Roller Derby ep - managing to take a game about empowering women and turn in into a sexist trope upset me a lot - I did my best to meta my way out of it, but the more I think about it, the more it upsets me.

I often feel that in order to integrate Cath's character into the team - while not seriously developing her and leaving her Navy career on the back burner just so she can suddenly resign (for what reason? Who knows, never mind that apparently she's now in the reserves? Great consistency there show, fuck you so much)and have Danny and Steve behave like fucking cave men about the whole thing.

Making characters OOC for drama that doesn't need to exist is lazy writing and shows a weak narrative and to me in a lot of ways the writing of Cath is symptomatic to the deterioration of the show as a whole.

But I don't want to be the person to rag on female characters, been called a misogynist enough times over my time participating in this fandom - to which I can only say hollowly laugh.

Regardless, looking back at Cath back in seasons 1, 2 and the majority of 3, I'm trying to figure out where she lost me, where the writers let me down with regards to her.

I don't know. I'm not really sure what writing this entire thing was for other than my own need to pour out my feelings about this character. I guess when it comes down to it, I just don't like the way the show portrays Steve and Cath as a couple, when they do, as it plays into centralising Steve around whom everyone revolves.

I watch for Danny, first and foremost. I watch for Danny and Steve's interaction second. And I watch for the team dynamic as a whole.

Maybe I miss the days in which this show was an awards contender back in season 1 and I see how the bending of the narrative in season 3 to the present affects that. It's hard not to see the way Cath's character is written as symptomatic.

But I'm just naval gazing here.

I'm hoping the next few episodes alleviate my concerns somewhat, because I want to like Cath again, but the writers aren't giving me reason to.

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Comments

[silveradept]

The words seemed to have a better idea of how to use Cath when she was the favor person with naval intelligence, which probably says things about how much her character was thought through. Now that she's on the team, the lack of depth really shows. And with Kono's return, I have no idea how she'll slot in now.

[eumelia]

I'm hoping for some Bechdel passes, is my main home at this point. And more Danny. I miss Danny.

[silveradept]

Considering the last thing we saw with Danny was him disapproving of Grace's choices in cheer leading and sleepovers, after which he chased tail on an apparent whim (although apparently she likes him), we could use more Danny. Although not necessarily in similar situations.

[eumelia]

That whole plot with the girl was such a train wreck, what even. But I have headcanon that's she's the daughter of a Russian mobster trying to start a new life in Hawaii and Danny just happens to be the guy who put her dad away back in New Jersey so now he'll get caught in the crossfire of the mob trying to get the girl back.

Danny and Grace, I like that he's anxious about her safety, considering the history.

[silveradept]

We can only hope that there will be some nice plot with her.

Danny being anxious and cautious, yes, but I got a strong sense from Danny when he was dropping off Grace that he did not approve of his girl getting into this particular activity. Possibly because he has a dim view of cheer leaders, possibly before of trauma of some sort in his past, possibly because he wants his girl to be a football player for the Jets.

[eumelia]

Danny is not the perfect man or the perfect father and he doesn't want Grace to grow up so fast and cheerleading is a particular female space he probably feels uncomfortable about because he knows nothing about it and has no access to it as an adult man. I think it's awesome that Grace enjoys both cheerleading and hockey.

[silveradept]

That is awesome. And Danny being nervous about all-female spaces and his daughter growing up does make sense.