Warrior Nun: Why we love Avatrice
The past few weeks, I've been trying to articulate how and why Beatrice and Ava's story resonates with Warrior Nun fans so profoundly; to unravel the layers of such a well-written subplot.
Firstly, both characters portray vulnerability and loneliness in different ways. We can liken Ava to a lost puppy: new to the world and naïve. New not only in terms of gaining full control over a once disabled body, but also in terms of finally experiencing life outside of the orphanage. The victim of a traumatizing car accident that left her orphaned and sustained abuse from Sister Frances, her first instinct is flight over fight, and she protests when those around her confront her with her new responsibilities. Enter Beatrice, who herself experienced trauma in the form of punishment and outright rejection from her parents, committing herself solemnly to the Church. Both are lonely; both were unable to express parts of themselves in their past lives, and are now dealing with managing their shame in different ways and at different stages of their respective journeys. We see this explicitly, for instance, in the scene where Ava cries into Beatrice's shoulder after being accused by Mother Superion for committing suicide, and in Beatrice's "coming out" scene where she states, exasperated and defeated in equal measure, that "pain is what made me a sister warrior." Witnessing this tenderness in each other, and oftentimes being the source of comfort for one another, creates a delicate bond between these characters.
This source of comfort not only comes from a shared feeling of shame, but also from their contrasting personalities. As mentioned, Ava puts herself first, runs away from responsibility and struggles to see the bigger picture. However, she is innocent, encouraging and not judgmental. This juxtaposes with Beatrice, the paragon of responsibility and duty, always "putting the mission above all else" - but she is guarded and jaded. When Beatrice implicitly confesses her sexuality to Ava, Ava tells her, "don't hate what you are... what you are is beautiful." More light-hearted examples can be found in Ava's growing list of cheesy puns, a habit Beatrice is slowly picking up on and genuinely enjoying. In the same vein, Beatrice teaches Ava what it takes to be a good leader, and offers constant moral support: "it wouldn't matter if you were a quadriplegic, festooned with boils or a talking head in a bag... we will never leave you." When they are together, they are less lonely, less fearful and more assured of their own self-worth. Ultimately, Ava lightens the load of Beatrice's burdens, while Beatrice grounds Eva.
The great thing about making both characters so different on the surface is that there is so much more you can do with them; the beginning of a slow-burn relationship that, in this first season, has been written and directed impeccably well, through dialogue and prolonged silences. Beatrice never actually explicits comes out - we are given little golden nuggets in her conversations with Ava, such as when she says we have "secrets, that are ours alone", and "there's always more". In the latter example, immediately before she says this, she steps out of the light and into the shadows, symbolic of her hidden past and what she continues to conceal to this day. Ava then turns to her, and they look at each other intensely for a few seconds. A similar, prolonged stare, can be found in the scene where Beatrice asks her, "do you trust me?" and after a few seconds, Ava says, "I do", both still in a locked gaze. Whether this is fear, affection or romantic longing on the part of Ava is left ambiguous, which makes it all the more exciting for the viewers. We are left with the knowledge that one is repressing her desires, while the other has them and does not know how to act on them yet, or who to act on them with. This point adds another layer to the Ava-Beatrice-JC love triangle: will Ava choose Beatrice or JC? Will Beatrice choose Ava or her faith? Ultimately, each interaction is purposeful, rich in meaning and thoroughly set up, so if - sorry, not if, but WHEN - we get a Season 2 of this already beloved series, there is nowhere to go but up, because we have a world full of exciting - and potentially, scandalous - possibilities for these two and the rest of the Warrior Nun characters.
