What, if anything, would you like to see done differently and/or avoided altogether if it hasn’t yet happened?
Shana: Real talk: I have no idea how anyone, on any planet, could possibly ship Gibson with Spector. There have been times when Stella Gibson’s obsession with catching Paul Spector has been misinterpreted by some viewers — most egregiously so when she ran to him, not Merlin DS Anderson, at the end of THE FALL’s second season — and I just…I need to put that to rest. The motivation, according to Gillian Anderson herself, was Gibson’s need to see Spector brought to justice. There’s nothing else there, folks. Let’s do better and stop being so enamored with the “good girl likes bad boys” trope that we take it too far and actually want a serial rapist and murderer to hook up with the law enforcement officer in charge of nailing him to the wall, ok?
That’s not really even a flaw that I’ve seen in terms of THE FALL’s execution, but it’s really all I’ve got. I mean, it’s not like I can be like, “hey, Gillian, stop having chemistry with everything that walks” or, “Yo, Jamie. Stick to playing the creeper, but try not to look as enamored with your costar as everyone else is,” can I?
Amy: I am violently opposed to Spector being shipped with anyone. He’s a disgusting, vile person, and I feel super sorry for his wife and kids. I don’t think Stella has actually met her match in terms of someone I can ship her with. I like DS Anderson, but I don’t think he is her equal. I do want to see a few more moments of relaxation; although, with this being the last season, we are unlikely to get that. I loved the scene in the bar with Stella and Reed (Archie Panjabi); it gave Stella a rare few moments to be herself and relax. I always find those tiny moments we see characters with their guards down.
Erin: I do not want them to drag out Spector’s condition with the “will he or won’t he survive” approach. Either he lives, and we have more sparring between him and Stella…or he dies and we go through the consequences of everything. I do not want to see a big deal made about Stella going to Spector instead of Anderson when they were both shot. She and Anderson slept together, like, one night? She’s been working on this case for months and has been personally compromised. It was not surprising to me that she went to Spector. I do not want Reed’s existence to be ignored and would like an explanation for why we aren’t seeing her.
The first two seasons fit in a lot in a small number of episodes. There were several sub-plots and most of them worked, but some of them made it convoluted. I could’ve done without the neonatal/baby Mitchell story line and less of the bit about the criminal extracurriculars of Aaron Monroe. That being said, I am impressed with how much story they can fit in and still have it methodically paced. I hope season three is a bit more streamlined, yet still maintains that pace.
We have been afforded very little insight into Stella’s background, and that has made her intriguing. The bits we did get were fascinating. I would like to see more of this. It can be parceled out sparingly or deeply examined. I would be happy with either, but I don’t want it to fall away completely.
In season one, Marion Kay told Stella that she feared her sister would be forgotten. Alice Monroe’s murder was given most of the media attention. Stella told her that she would not forget. I hope the show makes good on her promise. The emphasis naturally declined in season two with the abduction of Rose and with Spector’s arrest. And with the media frenzy that will surround the shooting, it could decline even more.
Laura: Agreeing with Erin and Amy, I want Reed to show up again. Her character was great, and Archie Panjabi is a great actress, whose chemistry with Anderson was undeniable. But what I’m really intrigued to see and know is a bit more about Stella’s past. Am I being inconsistent because of what I just said to answer the first question? Maybe. To be honest, yes, not having information about our hero — or just getting tidbits — during the first two seasons was a well done strategy to make the viewers wonder. However, knowing this might be the last season (taking into account that Cubitt said there might be a season four in a few years), I want to know more about Stella’s life or maybe get her a happy ending — as happy as THE FALL’s aesthetic can give.
Lizzie: No shipping, please. Never, ever. That’s my main one. I know people tend to see female lead/male lead, these two are destined to be together. I know in most cases it is like that, but THE FALL is not that show. It isn’t. If it was, I probably wouldn’t be watching, not because I dislike shipping per se (anyone who knows me knows that’s not the case), but because there are characters you are just not meant to ship. Gibson and Spector are those characters. And just because Gillian has chemistry with absolutely everyone doesn’t mean we should see past what the show has clearly presented. CLEARLY.
Concluded on next page…
