Although
killing off the lesbian character is a common practice
in film and television, even the most jaded viewers don't expect
the lesbian sidekick of the main character to die in the very
first episode of a series. But this is exactly what happened
on last night's premiere of the UK's long-anticipated new show
Hex.
Set
in a gothic boarding school in England, Hex
(airing Sunday nights on Sky One) is a raw and edgy drama that
centers on Cassie (Christina Cole), a shy girl who has recently
and unexpectedly gained supernatural powers, and her best friend
Thelma (Jemima Rooper), a witty lesbian. Cassie has eyes for
Troy (Joseph Morgan), but is also drawn to the evil Azazeal
(Michael Fassbender), the leader of the Nephelim, with "thousands
of years of sadness behind his eyes," according to producer
Johnny Capps—a description that is sure to draw comparisons
to Buffy's boyfriend Angel from Buffy
the Vampire Slayer and Angel.
There
are other similarities to Buffy, like the show's references
to broader social and political issues. The theme of slavery
runs throughout; for example, the headmaster of the school imparts
such gems of wisdom as "all religion is dangerous if it
is taken too far," and Cassie states that she would rather
marry Saddam Hussein and kill Bush when playing the game "Shag,
Marry, Push off a Cliff" with Thelma (who would have shagged
Lucy Liu, married Cameron Diaz, and killed Drew Barrymore).
But
there are some key differences, too. Cassie is neither an anti-hero
nor the hero, and in comparison to Buffy, Cassie seems both
emotionally and physically pathetic. Whereas Buffy had physical
power, Cassie does not, and she often seems consumed by her
weakness (like when she sees a bald woman in the bathroom mirror
after she has just washed her hair).
The
love triangle in Hex also departs from Buffy's
initial Xander-Willow-Buffy triangle. If Cassie is the British
Buffy in Hex, and Thelma the British Willow, then Buffy
and Willow would have had to flirt shamelessly with each other,
while Buffy looks longingly at the popular boy of the school,
and Willow looks longingly at Buffy.
The
promos leading up to Hex's debut
heavily touted the love triangle between Cassie, Thelma,
and Troy, leaving many lesbian and bisexual viewers disconcerted,
since this is not a formula that often leaves the lesbian triumphant
(as we saw most recently in the relationship between Nan and
Kitty in Sarah Waters's Tipping
the Velvet). The triangle is immediately addressed
in the pilot, with plenty of flirtatious dialogue between Thelma
and Cassie, like this:
