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[annissamazing]

Another rerun, but perhaps you weren't on my f-list when I originally posted this essay on Dr. Horrible.

Dr. Horrible and the False Dichotomy of the Love Triangle

Comments

[annissamazing]

Just sharing, but I welcome open discussion. :)

[bunny-chan85.livejournal.com]

I just felt like there should've been more to say about Penny. The essay starts off saying how mature Buffy is to not have to choose between two men, but then a big chunk of the rest of the essay just explains how Dr. Horrible would've been a bad fit for Penny.

Then maybe that was the point in the beginning, Buffy is a fully fleshed out character while Penny wasn't really given the chance to be. But seven seasons is monstrous compared to 42 minutes. So, while I totally agree that Penny was stuck being a really flat character, the mini-series wasn't really about her. Penny is just the catalyst for Billy to become who he thought he wanted to be.

But it's hard to say if she would have been able to make a decision or a choice between Captain Hammer and Dr. Horrible. In this I think your article is spot-on. To me, she seemed like the type of woman who would ignore certain negative characteristics of someone because she saw the good in them. And here she would doom herself because I think she'd be hoping for that person to be more like she envisioned.

I do wonder how things would have gone for her if she hadn't been killed off.

[annissamazing]

You're right in that Buffy had a lot of time to develop as a character, whereas Penny had very little. But my point was to compare and contrast how Whedon painted these triangles. I think that we are so used to seeing a character choose between two love interests that we don't stop to consider a third option. In Buffy, when Angel presses her to choose between him and Spike, she refuses. She chooses neither. Penny might have gone the same way, if she'd had the chance, but as an audience, I think we all assume Penny would have chosen (or even been better off with) Billy.

Billy wants two things:
1. To get into the ELE
2. To have a romantic relationship with Penny

Those two things are mutually exclusive. He can't have them both. He never could.

And that's where this false dichotomy comes in again. We assume Penny would go to Billy, but it seems unlikely that she would have dated him. His values directly conflict with hers, and he lies to her to make himself seem more appealing to her.

So, at the end, when we might think, "Oh! If only his gun hadn't broken! He might've been happy!" I think we're wrong. I don't think he would have been happy. And I don't think Penny would have been, either. Not with Billy.

Thank you! I *adore* meta!

[redknightalex.livejournal.com]

Billy wants two things:
1. To get into the ELE
2. To have a romantic relationship with Penny

Those two things are mutually exclusive. He can't have them both. He never could.

I'm totally writing this "mutually exclusive" relationship just because I want to see if I can. :) Well...when my brain comes back, that is.

[annissamazing]

I'm totally writing this "mutually exclusive" relationship just because I want to see if I can.

I desperately want to read this. :D