14) - The Lucy Stone Discussion 🎸⚡
The character introduction of the pop/rock musician & the messiest love triangle for the show.... that only lasted 5 minutes.
I've always thought of Lucy like Jade West from Victorious, minus the antagonistic/psychotic traits. Strong-willed, tough, independent, sharp-witted, sarcastic, but also have a sweet side. (The amount of times that I've seen the actress Melise Jow play these type of roles specifically in Nick shows - the typecasted, 2nd choice love interest with a mostly hard-edge personality, I'd have two nickels. Her character as Cadence in The Troop is not that far off from Lucy.) I've always enjoyed Lucy as a character on her own, she was entertaining and a great loyal friend to the guys and Camille. What Lucy lacked in screen time despite being a newer character at the time, she more than made up with her personality. She definitely made her mark since her arrival to the Palm Woods, and also inspired one of the best performances on the show with the fan favorite, Paralyzed.
Now, here's where I discuss my personally mixed feelings I have on her mostly as a love interest and where this fandom has split in different directions. It's mainly for her potential pairing with Kendall, eventual pairing with James, and how she compares with someone like Jo.
First off, Lucy and Kendall. Sadly for the fans who wanted them to happen, whatever built connection/slow burn K + L could spark up all came to a crashing halt once Jo came back from NZ. Yes, solely from Lucy's perspective, I would understand how crushed if I was in her shoes to have a respectful friendship turned crush on a guy who did everything to help me (my parents, toxic ex) only to be pulled out under the rug. However, I don't think it would be entirely fair for K + L to date with Jo still on his mind when she returned back. It's not like those feelings Kendall felt for Jo had gone away completely over time. Like I'm sure that in an alternative timeline, these two would've been given a proper shot if Jo never was never in the picture. However, upon learning that creator Scott Fellows was originally gonna make Kendall pick Lucy, but since the actress had another project to film, it got some fans wondering all these what-ifs that fueled the unpopular opinions on social media thinking, “If Kendall truly made the right decision in that episode. If it was ever in doubt that he was gonna choose Jo if things were handled differently.” It's sorta enemy territory when I enter X or TikTok going through the show's hashtags and seeing edits of them and trying to see where the fans mindset is at. I will say, the most funniest interaction with them, in my opinion, is when Kendall first sees her in a disguise while entering the elevator in season 3 episode, Big Time Double Date. His hilarious and over the top reaction never failed to make me laugh.
Now her pairing with James is interesting, to say the least. It's no secret how he had a intense crush on Lucy since the get-go, and he was willing to do whatever it took to date her. If you look at it knowing James' character, it's admirable at best, kinda pushy & doing the most at worst. I think him and Carlos got the worst end of it, when it comes to relationships because those are played entirely for laughs or just not that serious. The main sad part about this pairing was that they were kinda robbed of time setting these two together properly. If we've seen more scenes of James and Lucy, building them up, and maybe Lucy to see there's a whole other side to him then she first realize (feeling like he's nothing like her ex Beau who's a cheater wrapped in good looks), I feel like fans would've gotten more on board with them as a couple. As personally mixed with how I felt about the K + L arc, there were solid moments & banter between them that could actually build something if they become a couple. I do wonder though, if a revival ever come to fruition, would her and James stayed together?
Now, in comparisons to Jo, I think they're very different in terms of personalities in similar situations in other TV shows. If I've thought Lucy was similar in appearance to Jade from Victorious, Jo would be similar-ish to Tori, as in both sweet, down to earth girls whom both have dreams and aspirations for being in the entertainment industry (minus questionable moments) and also being the “normal” girl in the sea of characters with more heightened personalities, and how the fanbase hates you for being just that. Which apparently, BTW, is feeling like cordial sin in Nickelodeon sitcoms. In Jo's case (even though she's not the main character herself but dating one of them reguardless), fans would criticize her & Kendall's relationship, finding legit reasons to dislike her post Jendall reunion. For instance, Jo being basically “girl Kendall” & sometimes getting mad over a simple misunderstanding (. Even fans finding legit reasons to dislike her post Jendall reunion. For some, Jo represented the ordinary girls watching at home (like Britney Spears very early on in her career personality wise), the approachable girl-next-door, “I hopped out the plane at LAX with a dream and a cardigan” type of vibe. (I will give you a cookie if you know the reference.) For others, Lucy represented the emo/angsty teen girl -personality wise, some girls were or wanted to be, the “most different”, “crazy rock n roll”, the Avril Lavigne styling with Taylor Swift prose, and I guess people are more drawn to that in general - especially in teen sitcoms. Again, the whole “2nd choice love interest” trope. Think of the Kissing Booth movie trilogy on Netflix or any tween show dealing with a love triangle with a second love interest being everything the first one isn't. I don't know what exactly this phenomenon is called though, but this kind of trope happens a lot.
When Lucy returned back from the Palm Woods in S4 after her “T-Swift esque” album released and tried everything to win back Kendall just to write a song, I had visceral “Sharpay in HSM2” reaction. In case you haven't seen that movie for whatever reason, Sharpay was doing the absolute most trying to win over Troy with her advantages (including his job at Lava Springs), knowing good and well he had a girlfriend. Then, a decade later, I remember someone posting a viral Twitter thread saying Sharpay was robbed and misunderstood painting her as the victim, and people actually agreed! However, the main difference was Sharpay was meant to be antagonistic. Lucy for most of that episode, was acting very out of character (OOC) and very “pick me, choose me”. She was acting how James would act on her, and it's really weird and stressful to watch. There was some brief tension through most of that episode, but eventually Jo, Lucy and Kendall all became friends throughout the rest of the season. Which was a relief because it would've been easy to pit the two girls against each other, ala “The Boy is Mine”.
Honestly, love triangles in TV shows & movies in general are tricky to balance because in some way, somebody is gonna get hurt one way or the other, and unfortunately it was Lucy. I would imagine in her shoes must suck for her. Imagine growing a crush on a guy, forming a friendship, meets your parents, expose your ex for being a cheater to finally ask you out, only to be swept under the rug by the guy choosing his ex? But also in Jo's shoes, you develop a long history with this guy, being offered an amazing opportunity to shoot overseas only to fall through a while later, come back to the guy whom you never forgot about macking w/ another girl (being the first sight you'd see BTW) and he practically avoids you all day if dude even wants you back, putting you in a very awkward position - also must've suck. Maybe it's the Libra in me, but I feel both girls' plights in this situation. Not really much you could do there. This situation is very reminiscent of the Hannah Montana in its Season 3 episode, He Could Be The One, just gender flipped.
Fun fact: The irl actor for Jesse, Drew Roy, was actually in a few episodes of ICarly as Griffin, Carly's bad boy love interest with a “special” hobby. And the real gag: Melise actually makes a brief appearance herself as Jesse's ex! You're welcome in advance.
Sorry for the potential Kucy shippers reading this; open old wounds & to mourn the potential of what could've been just cut tragically short. (BTW: just to be clear, I've always been a Jendall shipper and never had a problem with Jo in particular.) Ultimately, who knows what could've happened if Lucy & Kendall dated if Jo never came back or eventually did came back. Who knows if her and James would still be together? It's all fictional anyways at the end of the day. Regardless of all that, Lucy was a cool character in the show and I hope Melise Jow is doing well now.