![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Entry tags:
Goodbye to Karen
I finished The Punisher today, finishing episode 11 before heading off to work, and getting through the rest on the way there, on the treadmill in the gym, and then on the way home, watching the final scene literally as I walked up the block to my house, through more snow on the ground than there was Wednesday morning. That also meant that this morning I said farewell to Karen Page, whom I believe is the third character in my life where I just got immersed in her mind as I wrote her, the first two being Stephen Maturin and Padme Amidala. I've got more ideas floating around in my head right now.
It didn't feel real, when the credits for episode 11 rolled. It feels like she should stride out of that hospital and go on to do more. But she’s a loss in the way most of the other characters aren’t. We can still get similar versions of Matt and Foggy and Fisk and all the other on the comic book page. Karen’s comic equivalent wasn’t much like her and has been dead 20 years.
So goodbye, the woman who wouldn’t stick her hand in the sand and let it happen to somebody else just because she was scared. Goodbye, the damsel who didn’t get in distress so much as stride furiously into it. Goodbye, the woman who was allowed to be angry, and reckless, and idiotic, without her story condemning her for it. Who didn’t have superpowers, but could get by on smarts and sheer nerve. Who is haunted by the mistakes of her youth, but hopefully will do more good than harm in the world. Who loved her vigilantes fiercely and loyally, but wouldn’t sacrifice her soul or her self-respect for them.
And who, to the end, was willing to sacrifice her shoes for a good cause. I don’t like everything about her final appearance, but that was a great note to end on. Goodbye, Karen Page. I’m rooting for you to get your happy ending, even if we don’t see it.
It didn't feel real, when the credits for episode 11 rolled. It feels like she should stride out of that hospital and go on to do more. But she’s a loss in the way most of the other characters aren’t. We can still get similar versions of Matt and Foggy and Fisk and all the other on the comic book page. Karen’s comic equivalent wasn’t much like her and has been dead 20 years.
So goodbye, the woman who wouldn’t stick her hand in the sand and let it happen to somebody else just because she was scared. Goodbye, the damsel who didn’t get in distress so much as stride furiously into it. Goodbye, the woman who was allowed to be angry, and reckless, and idiotic, without her story condemning her for it. Who didn’t have superpowers, but could get by on smarts and sheer nerve. Who is haunted by the mistakes of her youth, but hopefully will do more good than harm in the world. Who loved her vigilantes fiercely and loyally, but wouldn’t sacrifice her soul or her self-respect for them.
And who, to the end, was willing to sacrifice her shoes for a good cause. I don’t like everything about her final appearance, but that was a great note to end on. Goodbye, Karen Page. I’m rooting for you to get your happy ending, even if we don’t see it.