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Hex’s Dead Lesbian Supplies Humor, Heart

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:

THELMA: You are sexy, in an unsuspecting, novice, nun kind of way.

CASSIE: In your dreams.

THELMA: Frequently.

In moments such as this, and in scenes like the one where Thelma draws around an underwear-clad Cassie lying on the floor, the viewer feels a mixture of affection and anxiety: affection for the relationship between the two characters and the amazing chemistry Cole and Rooper share onscreen, and anxiety for the inevitable outcome of their relationship, which can only end in frustration for Thelma (although we didn’t quite expect her to die).

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.

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