Neelaxy

It would be appropriate to start looking at Teardrop in season one, being BFDI. Before the competition ever started, no one engaged with her. When she joined the squashy grapes they found company in Needle and Leafy, but other than that no one really talked to them.  A majority of the contestants were also rude to TD due to her being non-speaking. An example below:

[bfdi 1b] 

Switching to looking at teardrop from a writing standpoint, Michael and Cary (who at the time were 12-13, just need to point that out) didn’t really know what to do with her. She didn’t get much time for characterization due to their early elimination and the Huang twins focusing on other characters. Teardrop didn’t get much screentime, and they didn’t get to have much of an effect on things within the game. 

Now let’s look at BFDIA. Here, we have people taking advantage of TD’s lack of speech, Like Coiny and Pin, for example.

Coiny:”Fine. If no one wants to switch, then we’ll MAKE THEM SWITCH!” Pin:”Let’s take Teardrop!” Coiny:”Why her?” Pin:”Because she’s my best friend!” Coiny:”How do you know?” Pin:”She’s the only one who hasn’t said she hates me!”

Coiny:”Well, let’s take her and get out of here.” Book, offscreen:”WAIT!!!” Book:”Teardrop will only switch if she WANTS to switch!” Coiny:”Fine.”

Coiny:”Teardrop, if you refuse, we’ll let you go back. Otherwise, YOU’RE MINE!” *Teardrop is visibly in distress and doesn’t want to switch but doesn’t say anything cuz, y’know, she CAN’T* *Coiny and Pin walk away, dragging Teardrop with them*

[scene and images from bfdia 2]

…yeah. Also in Bfdia 4, where Teardrop is yet again eliminated, and even earlier than before:

Coiny:”Any first words, Teardrop?”

*Teardrop stays silent since it’s been shown time and time again she can’t be otherwise, and is flung into the LOL*

Coiny:”Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

[scene and image from Bfdia 4]

AGAIN, people (most notably Coiny right now) being assholes to TD because of her disability (or choice not to speak, it’s never confirmed but it’s somewhat implied to be the former in Bfb 1, more on THAT episode later). This just feels so wrong. Teardrop didn’t do anything to deserve this, but gets this treatment just for being “weird” in the other’s eyes. The same thing happens to Woody for his phobias and Spongy for just, well, existing.

From a writing standpoint, teardrop did nothing notable here either, nor got any actual attention as a character. Td was voted out traditionally tho, so jnj didn’t have a part in her getting the boot this time. But this even earlier elimination does TD even MORE of a disservice.

We don’t get to see teardrop again till bfb 1, but as soon as we do, one of the opening scenes has liy wanting to get Teardrop to finally talk. The way she goes about this?

 [bfb 1]

Violence!!! The Perfect solution to try to get someone to speak that obviously can’t!/s

But yeah, I fucking hate this scene man. The harassment of TD is completely unprompted on her part, and what does everyone else in the area do? 

 [bfb 1]

UGH. the only one trying to help her was clock, and then he gets caught up in what’s going on with the others who AREN’T EVEN TRYING TO HELP?! TD. IS RIGHT. THERE. this goes on until a fork stabs Teardrop in the head and she gets sick of everyone’s crap. 

(Not putting an image here cuz the limit is 10)

Teardrop is interested in eggy’s stories (and previously lollipop’s fork repellent), but is seen as uncaring because she doesn’t say anything. Then their arm flapping is seen as her not caring either, despite her clear attempt at communicating. And right after they were the victim of a low key assault?!? Damn. 

Barf bag:”Uhh, guys? Maybe Teardrop did care but just didn’t say anything, cuz, y’know, she CAN’T?” [bfb 1]

THANK YOU, BARF BAG. THANK YOU.

ok, I got carried away there, but you probably get my point. Almost everyone in the show mistreated, ignored, or mocked Teardrop in some way or another, all for her lack of voice. Pretty messed up, right? yeah, i thought so. It’s common place everywhere up to this point and the rest of pre-split bfb. The thing is, you’d think that after growing up and changing over time, the contestants, both old and new, would realize their treatment of teardrop is wrong in all of these ways. But they don’t. they have had twelve years to think about their behavior.

Just think about that for a minute. TWELVE YEARS. and Teardrop hasn’t gotten a single apology. not one. ever. They have been putting up with everyone’s crap for twelve years and no one has ever given her a simple sorry. Not that just a ”sorry” would fix everything, but it would at least be nice, wouldn’t it?

Despite this, things start to look brighter for Teardrop after bfb splits. Enter post-split bfb.

Now, the writers in pre-split bfb did better in giving Teardrop time and significance, but not by a lot. A big part of it being that there is now 64 contestants, but another part being that no one had a definite direction for Teardrop. The writers had little idea on what to do with her.

However, TD gets more significance after the split, as there is more opportunities for their development and growth. what are these opportunities, exactly?

Well first off, there’s less contestants. before The season was split into 2 seasons by Two, there were a whopping 64 contestants sharing an episode only 14-17 minutes in length, sometimes shorter. Naturally, not everyone got their time to shine, Teardrop included. not that there’s only 14 contestants and longer episode lengths, everyone can get some form of spotlight, especially past bfb 22. Speaking of bfb 22, something really important happens to Teardrop and their development.

Now, before i go any further, i feel the need to clarify that Teardrop is not a saint that has done nothing wrong ever. She’s shown to be impulsive, which leads to her being prone to violence. Why i feel she has been unfairly wronged by the contestants is because they never exclude or mistreat them because of these negative traits, but rather because she doesn’t speak, either by choice or disability (it doesn’t matter tho, cuz its wrong either way). Its never a social consequence for her actions, but rather an act of discrimination.

in bfb 22, we get this scene:

Gelatin:”Oh! you got radioactive powers! thats cool!” *turns pages* Gelatin:”Oh. you killed me with them. less cool.”

[scene and image from bfb 22]

Here, the Teardrop and Gelatin arc really starts to kick off. TD’s negative behavior has an effect on someone where it previously never had much significance, as most of her interactions with others came from them not speaking instead of something she did or was. not only that, but it shows to have a negative consequence, as once again, the exclusion and mocking of Teardrop never was a result of them as a person but from her being non-speaking.

In bfb 24, Gelatin confronts Teardrop for her violent behavior towards him, and desires to distance himself from her. This is extremely important for Teardrop’s development as a character for both the reasons listed above, but also giving her the chance to finally have a solid friendship with someone, that being Gelatin and later Lollipop, after TD and Gelatin make up and form a strong bond.

from this episode onward, Teardrop, for the first time, has stable friendships. The whole leafy thing was a mess cuz everyone’s relationship with leafy was a mess after bfdia, and needle and TD hadn’t really talked for a good while. but Gelatin and Lollipop are barely as turbulent and messy as everyone from the original bfdi, and are much more accepting of Teardrop for who they are. Friendships are important kids, and a good one can change you life in a positive light forever. And voice or not, people finally treat Teardrop like a person.

SPOILERS FOR TPOT 2 AHEAD, SCROLL PAST IF YOU DON’T WANT TO SEE THEM PLEASE

While bfb has teardrop growing as a person and healing from her past, TPOT has them showing off more of herself and breaking out of their shell to her true potential.

In tpot 2, Teardrop joins tpot on her own team, and we actually get to see a lot of her! we see her personality in action, like how she uses the laser gun to be such a chaotic force, and how she’s just having fun while also being competitive. and i think that’s really important, how Teardrop is finally having fun. I think something she learned from gelatin is that being in a competition doesn’t mean they can’t have fun and enjoy themselves.

It also feels like the writers trying to make up for TD’s lack of screen time in the first 2 seasons. Instead of not having an effect on anything, Teardrop has a major effect on Tpot 2! This feels really refreshing, and i can’t wait to see Teardrop in the future.

SPOILERS END HERE

Now, this does not mean everything is fixed between Teardrop and the others. Mainly because she hasn’t gotten an apology from anyone yet, which really sucks. But Post-spilt bfb was the start of Teardrop’s healing and growth, and i’m exited to see what, if anything, will be done with her in the future.

Teardrop has been ignored, discriminated against, and even assaulted for her lack of voice for twelve years, and hasn’t gotten a single apology. But being seen for her and not their lack of voice, as well as developing stable relationships, was the catalyst for Teardrop being able to change for the better. Though her life is still far from perfect, TD is finally learning to enjoy the competition. Teardrop, in the eyes of her peers, is finally more than a voice, or lack thereof.

TLDR: Teardrop has been treated like shit for over a decade for being non-speaking, but in the latest seasons her life is finally taking a turn for the better.

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WOW! that was long, but if you got this far, thank you so much for reading this! Teardrop has been one if my favorite characters ever since i first saw bfdi, and finally getting to write about them feels amazing lol

Also anon if you’re reading this ty for letting me spill my teardrop analysis onto paper instead of studying lmao, srry it took a bit long lol