I read the comics a few years ago and really enjoyed them (mostly Cassidy if I’m being honest because he felt the most human and the least tropey) and when I heard about a TV show being made I was pretty interested but not like…mega-interested. How I felt about it was ultimately going to be contingent on how the story was translated onto the screen – was it going to amplify what I thought was the best about the comics and excise the elements I disliked? Seeing that Ruth was cast and that she was so passionate about the project is what made me so hopeful for the narrative strength and thematic integrity of the series – and so far, it hasn’t let me down once.
Tulip is utterly unlike any female character I’ve seen on TV. She’s this whirlwind of a woman – passionate, empathetic, impulsive, vengeful, self-righteous, and unapologetically herself. One of my favorite things that Ruth has said about her is that “When she detains the kids [in the pilot] and is like, ‘This is how you make a bazooka,’ it’s not in any threatening, weirdly egotistical way. It’s like she’s showing them how to use watercolors for the first time.” And that tells you pretty much everything you need to know about her. Factor in all the complexities in her relationship with Jesse, and you have this totally unique character complete with complex relationship dynamics. There’s also her interactions with Cassidy, which I think have the potential to be a real thing of beauty (I’m waiting for that next episode) and her interesting shared scenes with Emily. There’s not a moment she’s on screen that seems wasted.
Give Jesse a little while…there are things about him that you don’t know yet, so I think you’ll understand his behavior better later on. There’s no excuse for how he’s behaving, but there is an explanation. His friends will help him find his way.
I love Ruth Negga. I remember her from Misfits. If she wasn’t playing Tulip and the creators had cast a white girl in that role, I’d have ignored this show completely. No lie. Ms. Negga is amazing in this role. I don’t get why people dislike her character. I mean yes she has some huge flaws, but so do the men. And it’s not like Tulip is an actively malicious person, she’s vengeful. There’s a difference. I’m increasingly finding Jesse less likable though.
20 Wed Jul 2016
Posted in Uncategorized
whatdoyoumeanitsnotawesome 