necklace

I'm so angry with people right now. The victim blaming in this fandom is disgusting. How can people who actually saw the episode, who saw exactly what happened, still think it wasn't sexual harassment or worse, think Clare is responsible for everything that happened to her. It's beyond frustrating. And the worst part is how many of those people are women.

Nekoshoujo

^ I don't really understand it. Like at all. I get why people hate Clare. She's not going to be everyone's cup of tea. And as much as the rape jokes killed me, I guess it's not my business if people want to make fun of the episode. I have a friend who hates Clare and she thought Waterfalls was a laugh riot I guess. But the victim blaming crosses a line for me. It's just UGH I can't even list all the reasons why it bothers me. And yes the fact it's coming from women and girls Clare's own age is well... mmmm...

I have to say the more I reflect on this episode, the more I really appreciate what they did with it. How the writers didn't give in to some fantasy justice and played it realistically, how Clare is left without a way to process the situation, and how Aislinn played the different emotions Clare went through.

There's nothing anyone can do to change the victim blaming. I'm glad they did this storyline with Clare and not another character because it fit her so well. Would people have had a different reaction if it was a more well liked character? Yes. But I guess I'd rather have something emotionally moving than something that would appease ignorance.

I'll put it this way, it's one thing to hate a character. It's another thing to blame them for something like getting sexually harassed.

And whatever to the Aislinn hate too. I thought she was great in this episode. I know a lot of people wanted to see Clare really bawling at the end or something but the quiet tears fit Clare's distress better in my opinion. This wasn't about Clare having a breakdown. At least not a traditional one. I think this was about more than that. In that last scene you could tell there was a whole mess of emotions Clare was feeling even shame I think. And I don't think Clare was ready to deal with admitting to everything she was feeling - not yet. It makes sense for Clare. She holds her feelings in. But I also think it felt right for the situation. I just really liked that last scene a lot. And the way Aislinn played it. It's really great set up for the rest of the season. There's some things Clare still has to come to terms with. How will she do that? I can't wait to see.

Sorta related but I also liked that we actually have a real organic problem for Eclare with her not telling him. I completely understand why she didn't. But I do think Eli will catch on that something's not right with her. He's not a mind reader but he's not an idiot either. So I think I'll like seeing how that evolves as the season goes on.

I thought Clare in Closer To Free was a bit off. She felt a bit OOC but in the end it's easy to forgive a stretch like that when it leads up to something like this.

So true!
Since we all knew this storyline was coming, it's easy to forget that for Clare that kiss was the first time Asher crossed the line. That may not be true, but to Clare that's how it seemed. And the guy is charming, he knew just what to say. Plus she was still confused about the situation. And to me that came out in her first talk with Alli. The way she described it sounded to me like she was trying to figure it out, trying to decide if it was a big deal or not. Even though it was, when you're young and never been in that situation before it's easy to fall into the second guessing cycle. So it made sense that when Asher played it off she followed suit.

I keep going back to that too. Clearly by that time Asher had his plan in place, he knew just how to discredit her. So if that door lock system had been automatic, if Clare hadn't been able to get out... I think it might have gone a lot further than it did. And that thought was running through my head when I re-watched that scene. It's scary!

The way it was shot though- props!

Nekoshoujo

dp -____- ugh stop that !

Lady Azura

I'm disgusted. I mean, there is a fine line between laughing at characters when something embarrassing happens to them, like Jenna and her "accident" with the diet pills, and to laugh at them and blame them when something truly horrible happens. Like I was even disgusted with the people who thought Jacinta getting hit by the car was hilarious, and she wasn't even a character that I cared all that much for. So you can imagine how I feel after a character I like, who hasn't even done anything deserving of the hate she gets half the time (breaking up with Eli and being a "whiny, annoying bitch" seem to be the only reasons people can come up with) is put into a situation like this... and then mocked and ridiculed for it.

As I've said before... you don't have to LIKE her, but to laugh at her as she's being sexually harassed by an older man is nothing short of disgusting.

THIS.

And I mean, what does that say about you as a person? I know that Clare's only a fictional character, but if a person you don't like in real life were to be sexually harassed, would you honestly blame them and say that they "deserved" it?

I think he already knows that something is off, but doesn't want to push her. I mean, the last time he was overprotective, she felt like he was smothering her.

It is scary!

Forwood4Bamon

I don't like the whole Asher thing.

FlybyNooN

Reading some of the posts on Tumblr & the IMDb board frustrate me.

Miranda makes a good point, seems a lot of the haters hate her for no reason. Laughing and blaming the victim only makes the situation worse. Just think how a real victim would feel ? The stuff Clare went through happens everyday. Sadly, sometimes the person isn't brought to justice. Like Clare, they don't believe them.

I want the haters to put themselves in Clare's shoes, would they be laughing if it happened to them ? Likely not.

There's a couple characters, I'm not too fond with. I would never wish that sort of thing on them.


Aislinn was incredible in Waterfalls 1 & 2. She always is, but these two episode really stand out to me.

EClare_x3

Yep. I know a lot of people thought it was funny Jacinta got hit by a car given her character but that makes me think of other situations. I honestly can think of plenty of times watching a movie with a friend when something like that happens (someone getting hit by a car, someone getting in a car crash) or other things like that where my friends have laughed when it happened. Unfortunately it's common and victim blaming is common too but it didn't really hit me until Waterfalls when I saw it happen with Clare, probably because she is my favorite character.

You guys have said everything there is to say about it but it's just so frustrating when I keep seeing people arguing over this on tumblr because I feel like people are missing the whole story.

kyliee

I just hate how people can be heartless. I'm just like, if it was your favorite character you probably wouldn't be saying that right now. I don't mind Clare haters but if your wishing something as bad as this to happen to them, then that's just plain mean.

EClare_x3

^ Well and it's just that if you're wishing something bad upon a character simply because you hate them, does that mean you're wishing ill on people in real life that you can't stand? I understand that they're fictional characters but to see people do this constantly is a reflection on themselves and who they are.

Jtsmith12

Can I be added please ? Clare's plot in Waterfalls was done so well and It was soo powerful. I was so heartbroken for Clare when Asher's boss didn't believe her. Like most of you said the car scene was just chilling.. Everything from Clare's facial experessions to Asher's while she was looking at the article. Was just intense. I definitely think that Asher has abused other girls before Clare. It all goes back to the car scene. When Clare says "how do you do that? Earn someone's trust than wham hit them with a grenade!" And Asher just has this cocky smile on his face and he says he's had a "few years practice". That just led me to believe that he has done this to other girls too. I really hope that Clare gets the justice she deserves and I hope she tells Eli. The ending scene was just soo sad. Eli had no idea what Clare had to go through to get that article done. She just looked so defeated at the end.

kyliee

I wonder if Asher's done this before. He seems like he's had experience.

Nekoshoujo

Yeah I think that he has. He knew to report Clare before she reported him and even just the way he reacted it just seemed like he knew exactly what to do. I kinda feel like Asher is the kind of guy who really thrives on admiration. I don't think he's the same kind of predator as say Coach Carson or LoveQueen. But he definitely knows how to prey on girls under his power. I'm not sure where I was going with this. Probably just that he was very calculating.

I also really appreciate that they seem to be doing one long revolving storyline for each character and they gave Clare a really good one.


It's not like I'm holding my breath for this to happen, but I'd love to see this tied back to Clare's other issues. Part of the reason Clare wanted to please Asher so badly was that she had just been abandoned by her own father. Will that be something that's brought up? Will this be the issue that really builds some kind of trust between Clare and Glen? He's made a bit of an effort before to be a father figure before but that's not something Clare has ever wanted. But after this Clare's really going to need her family. Maybe this will be something that brings them closer as a family.


Yeah, I'd just really like to see more of Clare's issues with her father. It's such a big deal and so much of the divorce was glossed over so many this could be the thing that brings that issue back.

kyliee

I agree. A storyline with Glen could be about Clare being mad because she thinks Glen is trying to replace her father because I've seen stuff like that happening with their parents remarrying.

Lady Azura

This.

And the fact that he knew how to play her sympathies? I mean, what are the odds that his wife really wants a divorce? I bet Clare mentioned her parents' divorce to him in passing once and that's how he knew to bring it up.

Otherwise it's one hell of a coincidence. I mean, he could've said anything like, "I'm just really stressed out right now." But instead he says that his wife wants a divorce.

Although even if that was true, and I doubt it is, it's a wonder why she wants a divorce. I mean, I'd divorce my husband too if he was a creep who preyed on teenage girls.

Nekoshoujo

Right and they touched on this a little bit during Jake's birthday when Glen tried to discipline her. It's something that happens a lot after divorce. But I also think if they do come together as a family when she tells them about Asher - if she tells them about Asher - we might see Glen stepping up and being protective and Clare realizing that she does have someone in Glen. That he is willing to be there for her.

Maybe not. I do think that we'll see something like that in Jake. I feel for Jake being the rebound guy, but I think he's found a way to change the feelings he had for Clare into a sibling kind of love. I could easily see him being protective of her. So maybe we'll get family scenes with these two instead.

I don't even remember him wearing a wedding ring. No this was definitely a ploy. He knew that was a sensitive subject for Clare and he used it against her.