OUAT and portraying mental health issues

[RumplesGirl]

Yeah….

See, I liked the twist from a story perspective, but I did wonder if some sort of line was crossed with the way this went down. I do not think we should kill sociopaths but Cruella wasn’t killed because she was a sociopath she was killed because she was threatening a child–sociopathy or not, that’s not a good thing.

[Phee]

On a different type of show, Cruella may have ended up having some scenes with the shrink. Instead of just hanging out with his dog.

[PriceofMagic]

Psycopathy/Sociopathy are normally the choice of mental illness for villains in the media. Cruella’s mother locking her in the attic actually makes sense because that is what a lot of people used to do with their “mad” relatives in the olden days

I’m starting to wonder if the writers are using mental health issues as the go to motivations in their villains because with the 11/11 split, they’ve not got the time to flesh them out as much as they should. Sticking a mental illness “label” on means they don’t have to write why a character is like they are, they’re like it because they’re a “psychopath” or a “sociopath” etc.

All magic comes with a price!

Keeper of Felix

[nevermore]

Psycopathy/Sociopathy are normally the choice of mental illness for villains in the media. Cruella’s mother locking her in the attic actually makes sense because that is what a lot of people used to do with their “mad” relatives in the olden days

Exactly. Very Victorian. Mr Rochester’s mad wife in the attic, and all that.

I’m starting to wonder if the writers are using mental health issues as the go to motivations in their villains because with the 11/11 split, they’ve not got the time to flesh them out as much as they should. Sticking a mental illness “label” on means they don’t have to write why a character is like they are, they’re like it because they’re a “psychopath” or a “sociopath” etc.

I think you’re right, that sounds like a pretty likely explanation to me. Ironically, the strategy of having the mental illness label as explanatory device has ended up explicitly going against OUAT’s alleged canon: Evil isn’t born, it’s made … except when it isn’t. I think OUAT has always had mental illness as actually one of its pivotal themes: even in S1, between Regina’s little underground psychiatric ward, and Archie treating Henry for his supposed delusions, it seemed like it was a topic/theme they wanted to explore — from the punitive function of psychiatric asylums (a pretty long-standing trope), to the whole question of belief vs. evidence.

Since then, though, things have changed, and I think it’s equal measure writing, (which frankly has gotten quite cavalier in general) so no wonder it sometimes comes off as wildly insensitive, and how the characters are portrayed. So I think the 11/11 split also doesn’t let some of the guest actors playing episodic villains portray a progressive transformation, like progressively worsening symptoms. I think what made this episode (and the twist) effective was actually the way Victoria Smurfit portrayed her — she seemed unpleasant, but utterly with it until the very end. In this sense, we actually never see her in full on sociopathic mode until this episode. By contrast, Rebecca Mader plays up Zelena’s taste of bullying, which makes her a lot harder to sympathize with. I think the problem here, and that’s not just OUAT’s fault, that’s a general thing — is that mental illness gets used as a grab bag for explaining all kinds of violent and reprehensible behaviors, which of course stigmatizes the mentally ill more generally, and erases crucial differences.

[Felie]

Well… visiting this old-as-dirt thread to comment on the fact that they actually did a really good job portraying someone with a mental health issue – who also happens to be gay (it’s almost like the writers decided to stalk this site in an attempt to catch a clue?)!!! Alice is, imho, the most interesting and compelling character this show has ever introduced. I loved her sooo much! The actress did an amazing job of portraying a lesbian and someone with a mental health issues. I really like how her character was written, as well as the way other characters interacted with her.

She was never portrayed as someone undeserving of love, and any attempt to dismiss her because of her mental state backfired. Loved it.

"so there’s this new show….."
"there’s lesbians in it"

[Author]

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