Nonspecific TV Show Commentary (trigger warning for rape)

[donutsweeper]

In a recent episode of a current TV show our group of valiant heroes came up against a woman with the power to control people (men in particular). They were warned that it was impossible to resist and the BIGBAD would force them to do her bidding.

So, of course, HEROGUY falls under her spell. He is forced to turn on his teammates and do as she commands (they've made it clear that people under her control are aware of their actions but unable to resist) and they spend the night together. We see them kissing and then later the team (including HEROGUY's current no-strings-attached lover) sees a bed that has obvious been used.

There has been no mention anywhere I've seen that THIS IS RAPE. He wasn't capable of consent, he could not say no. The show not only didn't deal with that aspect of it, but they actually had him apologizing to the lover character only to be punched HARD IN THE FACE.

In fact, the only comments and posts I've seen are in favor of the lover character's actions and cheering her for hitting him, if not suggesting she should have done more. (Well, that and a shipwar that's apparently blowup as a result of a random comment made by the BIGBAD character, but that's neither here nor there.)

I am just so disappointed and annoyed by that reaction. Is it because the non-consenting party in this case was male? Does that make him any less violated?

Bah.

The show was Agents of SHIELD, ep 1x15 btw, if you want to make sure you skip it

Comments

[moriann.livejournal.com]

I honestly didn't notice that scene at first. When something like that happens on the screen I tend to immediately dissociate, and so if it's short and someone doesn't bring my attention to it, I just don't realise how fucked up the narrative is becoming.

But this episode was so terrible on so many levels: not just the non-con, but also the fridged girlfriend, not acknowledging the fucked-upness of the Asgardian legal system (in fact, playing it off like something good), the shadyness of SHIELD once again shown but swept under the rug.

Tbh, all of Lorelei's actions felt like an attempt at the Asgardian equivalent of suicide by cop.

At this point, I no longer have much faith in this show, because it's clear this version of SHIELD has become a dystopian nightmare a long time ago -- they just have great propaganda, and the narrators are unreliable enough that some people still haven't realised it. All I hope for is that in Cap 2 all this gets acknowledged rather than ignored, because I honestly can't imagine Steve Rogers would keep working for this kind of outfit.

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

The episode *was* really bad overall. In general the plots have been awful and nonsensical.

I am REALLY curious how things play out in Cap2 and if it is reflected in the show. Although the movie originally had a May release day and it was just changed to April a few months ago so I don't know if the timeline of the show can reflect that.