As someone who is nostalgic for and fond of the 2018 Adaptation of Watership Down I am not blind to all of its issues (particularly writing) and the topic below is something that I have been thinking about for AGES.
The more I think about Dewdrops existence within the Mini series the more I realise just how many issues her existence within the plot causes, not by any fault of her own, but by faults in the writing.
The show starts with Hazel pining for her and she has absolutely no interest in him. When I was a kid I thought she was just being coy but after a rewatch that is absolutely not the case. When Hazel stares at her whilst she's with her friends she whispers "Is he still looking?" and her tone of voice holds zero endearment whatsoever. Then when he approaches her with the plan to leave she points out it could be more dangerous out there then in Sandleford, then Hazel hits her with the "Come with us... Come with me." and she shoots him down with "I'll think about it.".
After she's had those two scenes she is never seen again but her plot relevance, just in episode 1 btw, is dragged out through Hazel's crush on her. Specifically, when the group reaches the warren of shining wires. Fiver refuses to go into the warren, Hazel gets pissed and begins to rant at him about there never being any proof that his visions are right (despite him pointing out earlier in the episode that he predicted the flood last spring but whatever) and he says "maybe I left Dewdrop for no reason!". Implying that he genuinely believed he had a shot with her which I almost find funny. However, Fiver hits him with the news that he apparently heard Dewdrop telling Holly everything.
This kind of irritates me because it's total tell not show. Couldn't we have gotten a glimpse of her at least talking to Holly? Maybe give us a scene where Fiver overhears her telling him about the escape and then he grapples with whether or not he should tell his Hazel.
Anyway, this seems to be Hazel's final straw as he demands Fiver go in one last time before he proceeds to beat his ass??? Like, I'm not saying that the entire reason Hazel got violent with Fiver was because of the suggestion that Dewdrop snitched but it is a very notable part of the conversation. Also, Hazel literally tells Fiver he doesn't believe him because as everyone can see Dewdrop so clearly wanted Hazel as much as he wanted her. So, he comes off as a huge weird douchebag, which is a very common trait of his in the series he seems more concerned with laying down some girls over laying down the law. Not to mention all the women who are his love interests 100% deserve better than him omg.
But that isn't all, when Holly arrives and tells Hazel about the destruction of Sandleford, notice how Hazel does not even mention Dewdrop in any way. Like this is a girl he was willing to bring with him on a journey of uncertainty, a girl he was beating his frail little brother's ass over but now she's dead after she refused to come with him and he just... doesn't care? Doesn't even think about not the tiniest reference to her she's completely forgotten. What a charming main character he really inhibits the idea that you can't care about women unless you're together! Then there is his relationship with Clover, because he shows interest in her the moment they make eye contact and every trace of Dewdrop love has left him. Of course, this happens before Holly shows up, so it kind of gives off the impression that he held no real care for Dewdrop and that she was just a placeholder until some other girl looked at him. Fuck I'm suprised he didn't go after Strawberry with the way his character is written in the MS.
Dewdrops character is barely a character; she's more like a point of contention between Hazel and Fiver for like five minutes before Clover comes into the picture and it honestly makes Hazel's already poorly written character in the series look worse. He doesn't reflect on Dewdrop and her supposed betrayal, he doesn't mourn her fuck he doesn't even mention her after she is brutally murdered along with the rest of the warren. So, in the end his fight with Fiver is pointless and he looks like a piece of shit for just moving onto Clover. Maybe she's a rebound (?) Poor Clover.
Like yeah, she didn't like him back but he still was in love with her, even if someone you loved didn't feel the same, that doesn't mean you're not going to care at least a little bit when they die, especially in such a violent way.
Part of me wonders what would have happened if Dewdrop did tag along because I know damn well she would not be doing one sided enemies to lovers with his inconsiderate ass. Hashtag justice for Dewdrop justice for Clover and 2018 Hazel sucks ass.
