More Thoughts About Kate

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I realized when I was replying to mad_maudlin's comment in my first Kate Freelander Meta that I had forgotten to post the fic recs I had planned to. Typically when I do meta, I like to close with the fics that inspired/clarified my thought process, and I was so excited about the Kate meta (and, to be honest, a little worried that if I kept typing, I'd end up re-writing my abnormal meta, which I can't post until Friday), that I plum forgot.

So there will be fic recs! There will also be more thoughts about Kate, because I've realized I have a few more I'd like to share.



As I said, I tend to view all of the characters on this show through Helen, and since Kate has incredibly limited time with Helen, it's difficult to put her amazingness into context. Admittedly, on a huge ensemble show this is not really a huge surprise, but we're far enough along into the series now that I would like to see that change a bit, so that it's not always The Five on one side and The Modern Team on the other, with Helen sharing anecdotes to keep the episode linked thematically (not that I don't love that! But still!).

Anyway, threerings commented yesterday that Helen seems to avoid Kate. I'm not entirely sure I agree with this assessment, but the word avoid has been bulldozing around in my head ever since, and it finally managed to collide with its yellow, and this morning I had an idea:

Helen sees Will as her protege, someone she can shape and guide and teach, someone who might, someday, take over, or at least take up a job somewhere else in the Network.

Helen sees Kate as herself.

No, seriously, go back and look at my list of things they have in common from yesterday. Helen sees this young woman who isn't what she looks like (though she can act it if she has to), who thrives on independence, who she doesn't really need to teach, necessarily. The parts of herself that Helen sees in Kate are necessarily the parts she wants to (those, for the record, are what she sees in Will). She sees a young woman made hard by life, by betrayal, by abandonment, by heart break. A woman who's had to make hard, questionable decisions.

And I think the thing Helen sees in Kate that upsets her the most is the part of Kate who got into the abnormal world to sell them, because Helen used to "acquire" abnormals...and then she cut them up.

(This, for the record, is why I think it's important that nearly all of Kate's character development has come in scenes with The Big Guy (or even Jimmy, another humanoid abnormal). Because Helen saw monsters, and loved them anyway, but didn't really think of them as people until later...and now Kate is starting to do the same thing.)

Now, Helen knows she had this huge long life to turn herself around (or at least balance the scale a bit), but Kate won't have that. At the same time, Helen knows that she managed to change her own mind and outlook with regard to abnormals, and she's seeing Kate start to do the same thing. Helen cherishes her independence, and I think she cherishes Kate's a bit as well. She's more than willing to let Kate develop on her own, because she knows how the story ends. Or at least how she hopes it ends.

I keep going back to their conversation at the end of "Hero". Helen isn't angry, she isn't even really disturbed. Her whole thing is "Fine, feed mob bosses to squids, but remember we're a team now. I can help you if you need an extra gun." I kind of love that. And I want more of it.

Fic Recs

The Story Needed Mending, by mad_maudlin: Once upon a time there was a girl, and a ghost. Then it got complicated.

I love this fic because Kate uses her brain. A lot. And it really cemented for me the concept I used in "Relics" wherein Kate Does Her Research. Because she refuses to be caught flatfooted, but also because she's smart enough to handle it. She's the lancer, yes, but I think she's a bit more...creative than Ashley? Or something? And together (and together with Helen), they'd be freaking unstoppable. Also, it's a fairy-tale re-write, and we all know how I feel about those. ;)

Untold Things, by tielan: Kate's not proud of everything she's done.

I got to beta this fic, which was awesome, and I really, really love how honest Kate is about her life in it. Well, honest with herself at any rate. It's a series of flashbacks, basically, set in and around conversations Kate has with Henry, Will and the Big Guy, and it's just brilliantly put together. Also, the last line is canon, as far as I'm concerned.

And while you're at it, you should probably just read everything Tielan has written about her. (And then maybe poke her until she write that sfa_history prompt about Kate and Nikola talking about living in the shadow of the British Empire. ;) )

Job Description, by penknife: In which Declan offers Kate advice on managing Helen Magnus.

They are so good at their jobs in this! Declan is so straightforward, and Kate is so willing to just roll with it, and I LOVE THEM.

Descending, by grav_ity: When the elevator doors open, Kate’s gun is in her hands.

I don't like to rec my own stuff, but it's Kate vs. Jack the Ripper. And also one of my best summaries ever, I think. ;)

Please feel free to add more in the comments. I know I've only just scratched the surface.

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There is a new community on lj called bottle_thon which focuses on the idea of Helen and Kate in Bottle Episode scenarios. The first challenge is live.