Some
of these scenes are deftly handled, such as when Thelma
confronts Cassie about leading her on. Thelma accuses Cassie of
"playing with me…because you think I'm some sort of
loser," striking a chord with those who have ever had unrequited
feelings for a friend.
But other times, the writers' exploration of Thelma and Cassie's
relationship veers on exploitation, like when innuendo-filled
sighs are played over the view of the boarding school, to then
reveal Cassie on top of Thelma, attempting to help her do up her
trousers.
Thelma is a vibrant, warm, and utterly humane character throughout,
and Rooper plays her beautifully. Physically reminiscent of Canadian
lesbian musicians Tegan
and Sara with her jagged hair and polka-dot clothes, Thelma
straddles the categories of "femme" and "butch."
She breaks down lesbian stereotypes on television by alternately
talking about fashion and plastic surgery to Cassie in one moment,
then professing that "beneath this fluffy exterior beats
the heart of a bull dyke" in another. Thelma is given the
best lines, and often the most humorous ones.
Perhaps
the most noticeable difference between Thelma and Buffy's
Willow is that Thelma's sexuality is explicitly embraced by Hex
and specifically but casually addressed from the very beginning,
with Cassie jokingly calling Thelma "my dyke in shining armour."
On
the other hand, Thelma dies in the first episode, when she is
kidnapped and killed by Azazeal.
Lest
you think this is just another dead-lesbian plot device, however,
Thelma's appearance at her own funeral in the last few moments
of the first episode signal that she will remain a part of the
show as a ghost, serving as Cassie's spiritual guide. Thelma's
sarcasm survives her death, as well; commenting dryly to Cassie
at the funeral, "Don't be a dyke or you will end up topping
yourself," Thelma mocks both the angst-filled beginning and
the unhappy ending of so many lesbian love triangle stories.
But bringing her back in spirit form doesn't completely let the
writers off the hook, since making Thelma a ghost is an all-too-convenient
way to avoid ever having to explore an actual lesbian relationship
on the show. This allows the writers to be boldly controversial
and play it safe at the same time.
Overall,
however, Hex is refreshing and encouraging:
it not only has an unconventional lesbian character who challenges
stereotypes and to whom viewers can easily relate, but she was
given a majority of the pilot's screen time. Only time will tell
if she will continue to be an integral and interesting part of
the show, but it's a promising beginning.
Visit
our Hex section for more info on the
series
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