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"MOTHERLAND: FORT SALEM" HAS A QUEER ANTAGONIST, AND I'M HERE FOR ITA SEXY WCH WH QUTNABLE MOTIV, SCYLLA IS PART OF A NEW WAVE OF LGBTQ TELEVISN CHARACTERS. THEY’RE BOLD, THEY’RE BAD, THEY’RE {FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}{FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}TVBY SAM MANZELLAAPRIL 8, 2020/2:15 {HEIGHT:HER;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;POSN:RELATIVE;-WEBK-FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;-MS-FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;-WEBK-ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-ALIGN:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-ALIGN:CENTER;ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-WEBK-TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;-MS-TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;} IMG{HEIGHT:100%;WIDTH:100%;OBJECT-F:VER;}{HEIGHT:1406PX;WIDTH:1875PX;}FREEFORMBY SAM MANZELLAAPRIL 8, 2020 / 2:15 PM{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"NEWSARTICLE","HEADLE":"\"MOTHERLAND: FORT SALEM\" HAS A QUEER ANTAGONIST, AND I'M HERE FOR IT","THUMBNAILURL":","DATEPUBLISHED":"2020-04-08T18:15:30.000+0000","DATEMODIFIED":"2020-04-08T18:15:30.000+0000","IMAGE":{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","URL":","WIDTH":1920,"HEIGHT":1080},"URL":","THOR":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","NAME":"LOGO TV"},"MAENTYOFPAGE":{"@TYPE":"WEBPAGE","@ID":"},"PUBLISHER":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","@ID":","NAME":"LOGO TV","URL":","LOGO":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT"}},"CREATOR":"SAM MANZELLA","KEYWORDS":"OPN","ARTICLESECTN":"TV"}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IF AN ALTERNATE UNIVERSE WHICH BAT-TRAED WCH FEND AMERI SOUNDS LIKE THE PERFECT FICTNAL PE RIGHT NOW, THEN I RAISE YOU MOTHERLAND: FORT SALEM, A NEW SERI OM {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THE QUEER-CLIVE SAGA IS THE BRACHILD OF GAY SHOWNNER ELT LRENCE, WHO SAW THE NCEPT THROUGH MULTIPLE RNATNS, CLUDG A BOOK SERI, BEFORE SELLG THE IP TO THE DISNEY-OWNED BLE CHANNEL. IN THIS 'VERSE, THE LADI OF THE FAMO SALEM WCH TRIALS STCK A AL WH THE U.S. ERNMENT TO SERVE THE ARY ORR TO AVOID PERSECUTN, AND THEIR MORN-DAY SCENDANTS HAVE FOLLOWED {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IT'S CLEAR WHY THE TELEVISN SERI WASN'T AN EASY SELL. THE WCH OF MOTHERLAND OPERATE AS A MATRIARCHY, AND THE STORY OPENLY ACKNOWLEDG THAT THEY ARE MORE POWERFUL THAN THEIR MALE UNTERPARTS. THE SHOW ISN'T PERFECT, EHER: ITS TRIGUG NCEPT IS MARRED BY A NFG TIME LE, A POORLY EXPLAED MYTHOLOGY, AND UNRVELOPED CHARACTERS. BUT THE DARKER DAYS, MOTHERLAND'S FEMIST ETHOS—AND LRENCE'S REHG ADDN OF A QUEER TEEN ANTAGONIST—STRIKE A {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}TAYLOR HICKSON AS RAELLE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}AS FAR AS TEEN PROTAGONISTS ON TV GO, RAELLE (PLAYED BY TAYLOR HICKSON) SKEWS MORE "ANTIHERO" THAN "HERO"; LRENCE SCRIB THE WCH, WHO BEGDGGLY NSCRIPTS TO JO THE U.S. ARMY WHEN SHE TURNS 18, AS HAVG "A BIG CHIP ON HER SHOULR." RAELLE'S HUMBLE UPBRGG THE RAL CSN MAK HER AN EASY TARGET FOR THE POSH, THOROUGHBRED WCH HER TRAG ENMPMENT AT FORT SALEM, AND SHE OPENLY BLAM THE ARMY FOR THE UNTIMELY ATH OF HER MOTHER, A FELLOW WCH WHO DIED THE LE OF {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}"RAELLE IS SOMEBODY WHO WILL SACRIFICE HERSELF FOR SOMEBODY ELSE," LRENCE TELLS NEWNOWNEXT. "SO A WAY SHE'S A HERO—BUT A VERY TROUBLED, DARK VERSN OF A HERO."{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}SPARKS FLY ALMOST IMMEDIATELY—I'M TALKG "HOT-AND-HEAVY MAKE-OUT SCENE THE PILOT" IMMEDIATELY—BETWEEN RAELLE AND THE ELIVE, RAVEN-HAIRED SCYLLA (AMALIA HOLM), ANOTHER ARMY REC AT FORT SALEM. SCYLLA ENURAG RAELLE'S REBELL TENNCI, AND THE PAIR N AWAY OM THEIR FELLOW SOLDIERS TRAG TO EXPLORE THE MP, DO A DG LLED "SALVA," AND HAVE STEAMY LBIAN SEX THEIR {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BUT SCYLLA ISN'T YOUR AVERAGE TEEN LE BREAKER. VIEWERS QUICKLY BEE PRIVY TO THE FACT THAT SHE'S HIDG A BIG SECRET OM RAELLE—AND IS SEEMGLY ALLIED WH THE SPREE, THE WCH-LED, ANTI-ARY RISTANCE GROUP KILLG NOCENT PEOPLE RANDOM ACTS OF {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}"SCYLLA HAS REASONS FOR BEG THE WAY SHE IS, BUT SHE'S JT FIERCELY, FIERCELY TELLIGENT," LRENCE SAYS. "SHE TRAVELS WH A LOT OF PERSONAL PA, AND SHE WEARS A LOT OF FAC AND KEEPS YOU GUSG."{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IN A TIME LE WHICH WCH LEAD THE CHARGE AMERI'S ARY, ALMOST FEELS NSEQUENTIAL TO FOC ON ONE QUEER ARMY REC'S CHARACTERIZATN AS AN ANTAGONIST. BUT THAT'S PRECISELY WHY SCYLLA IS SO REHG: SHE'S A QUEER WOMAN WHOSE PRIMARY FUNCTN IS, OSTENSIBLY, TO WORK AGAST THE GOOD GUYS. WE ARE MA TO PEEL BACK HER LAYERS—HER BACKSTORY, HER TE ALLEGIANCE, HOW MUCH SHE ACTUALLY R ABOUT RAELLE. REALLY, ANYTHG BUT HER {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IS MOTHERLAND THE FIRST TV SHOW TO FEATURE A QUEER ANTAGONIST? NO, NOT EVEN FOR FREEFORM. QUEER GEN ZERS WHO GREW UP WATCHG PRETTY LTLE LIARS WHEN THE WORK WAS STILL ABC FAY WILL REMEMBER PLEX CHARACTERS LIKE PAIGE (LDSEY SHAW) AND ALISON (SASHA PIETERSE), BOTH OF WHOM HAD TUMULTUO QUEER RELATNSHIPS WH A CENTRAL CHARACTER AND WERE, AT VAR MOMENTS THE SHOW'S SEVEN-SEASON N, RATHER VILLAO. AND THE CURSED HEATHERS TV REBOOT, WHICH NEVER GOT THE FULL PREMIERE TREATMENT OM PARAMOUNT DUE TO AMERI'S GUN VLENCE EPIMIC, ALSO PUT QUEER ANTAGONISTS ONT AND CENTER, MAKG HEATHER MCNAMARA (JASME MATHEWS) A BLACK LBIAN AND HEATH "HEATHER" DE (BRENDAN SNNELL) {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BUT THE WCHY WORLD OF MOTHERLAND, NOBODY HARPS ON SCYLLA OR RAELLE'S SEXUAL ORIENTATNS, NOR DO THEY MAKE A SPECTACLE OF THEIR BUDDG RELATNSHIP. THERE'S NO G-OUT MOMENT. RAELLE AND SCYLLA ARE OSTRACIZED AT TIM, SURE, BUT BEG QUEER IS NEVER THE REASON {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THE ST OF {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IN ALLOWG SCYLLA TO BE A PLITED FIGURE WH QUTNABLE MOTIV, MOTHERLAND HAS DONE AN IMPORTANT THG FOR YOUNG QUEER TV CHARACTERS: AFFORD THEM THE OPPORTUNY TO BE MORE DIMENSNAL, JT LIKE THEIR CISGENR, HETEROSEXUAL PEERS. IT'S A WELE SIGN OF CHANGE. LGBTQ CHARACTERS ARE NO LONGER SO SRCE THAT SCREENWRERS FEEL PRSURE TO MAKE THEM WOUND, STEREOTYPE-HEAVY HERO ARCHETYP, OR THE QUEER-D ANIMATED VILLAS SO MANY OF GREW UP WH. THE QUEER MUNY IS NOT A MONOLH, NOR DO ALL LGBTQ PEOPLE SHARE THE SAME ETHIL OR MORAL VALU. WE'RE MOVG BEYOND THE NARRATIVE OF THE NONILLY QUEER HERO TV AND FILM BEE SOCIETY IS TCHG UP TO THE FACT THAT QUEERNS IS NOT SYNONYMO WH {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}ASKED ABOUT SCYLLA'S STORY ARC, LRENCE RELLS TNT'S CLAWS, ANOTHER TV PROJECT HE LED THAT IS SIARLY SUBVERSIVE AND UNEXPECTED S DARK, GRTY PORTRAYAL OF WOMEN. "ONE OF THE FOUNDATNAL IAS BEHD CLAWS WAS THIS QUTN, 'CAN WOMEN BE AS BAD AS GUYS? CAN THEY BE BAD A WAY THAT IS NOT LKED TO SOME KD OF PERSONAL TRMA? AND N THEY BE BAD A WAY THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO APOLOGIZE FOR AND FD OTHER WAYS FOR THEM TO BE NURTURG, TO BALANCE OUT?'"{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}LRENCE THKS OF SCYLLA THAT WAY, TOO. HE FELT WAS SENTIAL TO HUMANIZE MOTHERLAND'S QUEER CHARACTERS, THEREBY "ALLOWG PEOPLE TO NOT BE [FULLY REALIZED] AND NOT PERFECT—NOT SYMBOLS FOR THGS."{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}"I THK IF WE ALLOW MARGALIZED PEOPLE TO BE FULLY HUMAN," HE SAYS, "THEN WE N LET OURSELV SEE SOME OF THE BAD STUFF, AND FIVE THEM ANYWAY."{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}MOTHERLAND: FORT SALEM AIRS WEDNDAYS AT 9PM ET ON {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}MA IMAGE: AMALIA HOLM AS SCYLLA MOTHERLAND: FORT {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;CLEAR:BOTH;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG:0 TO;WIDTH:90%;M-WIDTH:288PX;MAX-WIDTH:1440PX;M-HEIGHT:194PX;}LATT NEWS
Now, they’re makg vague ments enuragg fans to support the relatnship of a gay character and a straight one. Have you ever heard the phrase “’s not a gay weddg, ’s jt a weddg”? We don’t want gay characters–we want characters that happen to be gay.
Lrence also touched upon the apparent absence of racism and homophobia the Motherland universe, cg as a nsc cisn, though he remd viewers that Fort Salem and the events of season 1 occupy a small part of their reimaged world.
If an alternate universe which bat-traed wch fend Ameri sounds like the perfect fictnal pe right now, then I raise you Motherland: Fort Salem, a new seri om queer-clive saga is the brachild of gay shownner Elt Lrence, who saw the ncept through multiple rnatns, cludg a book seri, before sellg the IP to the Disney-owned ble channel.