Just break them up already.

[greenygal]

I've said much of this before...but I need to say it again anyway, because I got this week's comics, and I read this week's GA, and it just made me miserable.

The sad thing is, I *love* Ollie and Dinah. They were so sweet and so passionate and so ready to argue and so *together*. Even in the deepest pits of their relationship, and believe me I followed them all the way to rock-bottom, I never doubted that they loved each other deeply and forever. Yeah, even after the breakup. I understood why they broke up, I even sort of approved, although I wasn't necessarily convinced by the way it was handled. But...

I wasn't exactly *hoping* for them to get back together after Ollie's resurrection. So much water under the bridge, so much potential for abuse--I didn't want Dinah to become Ollie's accessory again, either. But I believed it *could* be a good thing, that it could work this time, that maybe just this once a second chance was in the cards--and dammit, their first reunion in the book made me cry. I was, to put it mildly, a receptive audience. And now it's all gone to hell so badly that I just want it over with.

I could blame Kevin Smith, who turned their first morning after into a juvenile and histrionic scene that addressed nothing that needed dealing with, and never even bothered to follow up. I could certainly blame Brad Meltzer, who skipped over all the reestablishment of the relationship off-panel so he could fast-forward to a ridiculous marriage proposal. But mostly, I've got to blame Judd Winick for establishing this downright moronic plot in which Ollie cheated on Dinah with a woman he barely knew, for no discernible reason, apparently on the theory that that's just the kind of guy Ollie is. As anyone who's ever been in earshot of me when the subject's come up knows, that is WRONG WRONG WRONG, and my *god* do I wish writers would do their homework before vilifying their characters like this. And even if I were capable of looking past the point that it's woefully out of character, it's just so damn depressing. This is his new life, his chance to fix everything, his second chance with the *love of his life*, and and he's screwing it all up for an unmotivated one-night stand. *God.*

And my one last faint hope, that maybe he'd at least come clean, is now utterly shot down; he states flat out in the latest issue that he isn't going to tell her. "Because all I'd be trying to do is clear my conscience. Which it won't--and it'll just hurt her. And she won't come around here anymore. Which will just suck for everybody." (Smitty, breathe. That shade of purple doesn't look good on you. :) Now, I'll grant you, if I could accept the initial situation, I could actually accept this reaction. It's crap, don't get me wrong, Ollie at his selfish and self-justifying worst, but I can hear the rationalization in his head. "It won't happen again. It didn't mean anything. Nothing's really changed, I still love her, we can just keep going like it didn't happen, so what would it accomplish to tell her?" Which is all a justification for "If I tell her, she'll leave me, and I can't cope with that, so I won't tell her," but...well, he *really* doesn't want to lose her. I can see that overriding everything else. (It's also in keeping with the idea that he's been lying to Connor ever since they met, I suppose. Hooray for consistency with the enormous retcons.) I'm not so convinced he could pull it off, mind you, as the man is a lousy liar--but Judd may actually get that much, as Connor and Mia have both figured it out without being told, and Dinah has clearly picked up that something's off-kilter. She may work it out on her own.

But in the meantime, a painful, depressing situation that is based on a total misunderstanding of the character is going to drag out as long as possible, make Ollie look just as bad as he can (and smear Connor and Mia in the process), remove any pleasure whatsoever from any Dinah scenes, and just generally do its best to slowly twist the knife in the heart of any shippiness I might still possess for these two. I have no hope anymore; I just want it done. One clean fight, it'll be over, Dinah will be out of this mess, and Ollie can stop lying and at least *think* about recovering.

Oh, hell, I'm kidding myself. Ollie is never going to change, because, based on this series, he's never going to be *allowed* to change. Okay, he's stopped running out the door at the first sign of trouble, but instead the writers are merrily installing betrayal upon betrayal, lie upon lie, onto his character. Second chance? Hah. Let's do it all over again, only worse this time!

*sighs* Yeah, I'm bitter. Maybe it's not as bad as I think--the fact that he did talk to Mia about it is a good sign. Maybe I'd have been screaming this loud if I'd been reading the old issues as they'd come out. Maybe it'll all look better tomorrow.

But for tonight, just pass me the Kleenex; I've got mourning to do...

Comments

[smittywing.livejournal.com]

*hugs* Know that you have made a difference in the vilification of Ollie for at least one person. I have been turned and I have preached the "he never really cheated" explanation on the dc-fanart-fanfic list. (Which doesn't, of course, make me think there's still hope, but I am breathing, which I realized I wasn't doing when you called me on it.) ;)

Write the fanfic. The one with the cell phone you told me about at the X2 meeting in Union Station. It'll make you feel better. And it will give me fic to read. :D And thusly, we all win.

Re:

[greenygal.livejournal.com]

*hugs* Know that you have made a difference in the vilification of Ollie for at least one person. I have been turned and I have preached the "he never really cheated" explanation on the dc-fanart-fanfic list.

*smiles gratefully* Yeah, I know. You're the loyal opposition. :) Now, if I could only convince everybody else... (Not that I think Ollie is perfect, by any means, but I at least want them to get his flaws right.)

Which doesn't, of course, make me think there's still hope,

Well, I don't expect you to. You're not particularly into the pairing, and honestly, if I've lost hope...

I think there was hope back at the start, but I can't imagine how it could be salvaged now.

but I am breathing, which I realized I wasn't doing when you called me on it.

Yes, well, I could just imagine how you'd react to Ollie saying he wasn't telling Dinah for her own good. Didn't want you to hyperventilate. ;)

Write the fanfic. The one with the cell phone you told me about at the X2 meeting in Union Station. It'll make you feel better. And it will give me fic to read. :D And thusly, we all win.

Hmm. That's a good thought. Short, sweet, and this is the day for it...

Re:

[smittywing.livejournal.com]

Loyal opposition. *beam* What a great term for this situation. :)

*taps foot* Fic?