I’ve expressed before that it was a bit frustrating to watch Scarlet Hollow do a bit of a song and dance around specifically addressing stuff like homophobia and racism and such while still making the effects of it obvious on some characters but like they’re not allowed to ever bring it up in conversation. But I think that the update adding the conversation in Avery’s car both adds so much to their character while also allowing them to finally bring it up. Because the transphobia Avery faces has been an implicit but major part of their character for so long but it felt almost like they had tape over their mouth completely unable to acknowledge that even during their hangout scene in episode three when they’re specifically asked leading questions regarding how the people in town treat them. But this conversation provides so much insight into their character and why they’re like this. One my favorite and most devastating lines from this conversation is
Omgggg, Avery, no, nooooo auuuugghhhh. It’s the fact that they’ve had to get so used to being treated this way, that someone not even doing the bare minimum, someone who refuses to just use their pronouns and does that thing that people do where they just avoid referring to you and use your name is someone who they view as respectful towards them?! Their relationship with Julius is so interesting to me. Like it’s the only real connection they’ve experienced in a long time, but Julius doesn’t really respect or understand them fully, he is trying a lot harder than the other people in the town, that speaks for something, but he still refuses to address Avery properly, but Avery is so starved of people acknowledging them that this still feels like the most incredible, respectful person to them. And it’s obvious that Julius does care, like when you say that Avery’s leaving down he becomes genuinely disappointed, but he still has lines where he’s like kid you’re making it all queer. But he’s trying, and he cares, but he’s also a really unstable and dangerous individual for Avery to be around, but Avery’s so desensitized that they’re willing to go along with it and don’t see anything wrong with it, they’ve been through so much crap that they’re excited for all of the supernatural trauma that’s thrown their way because at least that’s cool. And there are some moments where their relationship with Julius is really sweet, they care about each other, but it’s only because they’re both outcasts, in another world, where things were okay for the both of them, there’d be no reason for them to be friends. They’re friends because they have no one else, and it’s a mess. Also this line exists in the Avery car conversation and aughhh my heart:
My love for Avery as a character has shot up drastically after this update, I’m so much more invested in them now. They deserve people who actually care about them and respect them not out of necessity omg.
Also this is really well done, writing wise, because I never want these characters to turn to the camera and go I have experienced transphobia because I am non binary, this is how it has effected me. The way it’s woven into this conversation, and allows Avery to naturally bring up the way that other characters refer to them is really well done and exactly the kind of not in your face spelling out of themes and concept in the narrative that were meant to work out on our own, but still allowing characters to acknowledge stuff that I’ve been wanting out of this game.
turnnoffyourmind
theartofmadeline
tangentwithtanner
vaporwave
amandla
