It just needed to be written by someone who actually went through what the characters went through, not what they think they went through.
I mainly mean this in regards to Cassie Howard and Maddy Perez. When I first watched the show in 2019, I related to both of them in my own way... so really this could just be a lot of projection from my end. But, I do think there is definitely something to be said about how these 2 are "written", and how it became clear to me that the writer does not care about actually writing a story about young abuse surviors.
It's strange, because in Season 1 the reason both Cassie and Maddy were so beloved was because they brought a sort of complexity to the whole "that one hoe we knew in high school" thing, and their upbringings were terribly realistic for so many people. And in spite of the trauma and abuse they endured for loved, Cassie remained nurturing sweet and Maddy remained confident and outspoken. In Season 1 they weren’t “hoes” they just wanted to love and be loved.
But after that, in Season 2 and now 3, they turned Cassie into a cartoonish shell of her former self, and Maddy remained static as a character, so the fans just reduce her to “Latina Baddie” even though she’s been abused.
Younger me was led astray watching this show thinking "Wow, these characters are like me, they've gone though what I've gone through, I can't wait to see how they evolve", and that's because I mistakenly thought this show was written by people who understood the levels to sexuality at a young age and it's not as clear cut as "she's a hoe". Unfortunately, the writers seem to feel that “You can’t turn a hoe into a housewife”. Shame on me for thinking this show would subvert expectation and challenge societal norms
The way they flanderized Cassie in season 2 was so frustrating to watch 😭 Like you said, season 1 actually showed the complexity behind why these girls act the way they do, but then they just threw all that nuance away for c**** drama
I felt same disappointment watching how they handled Maddy's character development - or lack of it. She deserved so much better than being frozen in time while everyone else got to grow, even if it was in wrong directions 💀
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