Sayid X Shannon - Blog Posts
Would Shannon probably call me a slur given the chance? Yes. Would I still defend her character to the ends of the Earth? Of course.
Shannon Rutherford Defense Squad reporting for duty!
Shannon Rutherford Defense Squad, unite!
Point #1: Self-deprecation. Shannon's been told she's "useless," stupid, flaky, etc for most of her damn life (I blame Sabrina Carlyle, may she rot in hell), and at some point, she started to believe it. We saw the last shreds of true confidence leave her when Sabrina the Middle-Aged Witch denied her the opportunity to take the internship she earned. Shannon knew she would succeed, she was so proud of herself (and rightfully so!) for having earned a spot, and she had to give it up and listen to her evil stepmother tell her yet again that she didn't have what it takes. It was her breaking point, and from there on out she became determined to be exactly who Sabrina said she was. Why should she try to be anything else? No one believed in her, anyway, not even Boone, who constantly repeated his mother's catchphrases. Shannon was forced into a box, and though she tried to break out of it several times, she kept being forced back in until she stopped resisting.
Point #2: Beauty and Brains. Shannon is smart as hell. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to learn a new language AT ALL, let alone without formally studying it?? She became at least halfway fluent in French just by being around people who spoke it and picking it up. THAT TAKES SOME SERIOUS BRAINS, PEOPLE. I studied French for 5 years and I don't think I was ever as good at it as she was. She is innovative, she solves problems - using Vincent to track Walt when she saw him in the jungle? Genius. Getting Charlie to catch that fish? Hilarious and inspired.
Point #3: Grief and Trauma. Shannon loses her dad very suddenly at an early age - I was just a bit younger than her when I lost my dad in a similarly unexpected way, and let me tell you I would not wish that shit on ANYONE. It changes you. It alters your soul. Shannon's world was turned upside down, and she was left with a stepvillain who truly didn't care if she lived or died. (Fuck Sabrina Carlyle, have I mentioned that?) Even after enduring a trauma like that, Shannon remained optimistic and worked hard to get the future she wanted. Had she had even an ounce of support from Sabrina, things would have been entirely different, but "oh no, the teenage girl is kind of flighty and doesn't always know exactly what she wants, so instead of actually teaching her anything, I need to teach her a LESSON and cut her off completely because I'm an evil bi--" Okay, I'm done, I'm calm, I'm fine. I detest Sabrina Carlyle a completely normal amount.
Point #4: Love. Shannon had such an immense capacity for love! She bonds with Claire and Sun early on, and those two are beloved (for good reason), so why does Shannon get overlooked and hated on? (Misogyny.) She obviously loved her dad pretty fiercely. She bonds with Walt, she takes care of Vincent, and of course, she is so tender toward Sayid.
There is so much more I could say, but we will leave it at that for now. In short, Shannon Rutherford deserves the world, and I will stand ten toes down to defend her any day of the week.