by Therese_Belivet

This editorial is reply to Clairefisher's "The Evolution of Bette" editorial

Has S4 Bette changed?

I really don't think so. It's an Evolution indeed, a journey through self-discovery as well as a revealer for her true nature. Because for me, through all the seasons, we learned more and more about the TRUE Bette. Not the one who thought to be perfect, with pretty "Melvinesque" manichaeism about life rules, apparently unbreakable, all mighty and a tower of strength. But the one who more and more realized how much more complex things can be - something that makes her half-blood condition something highly symbolic: the strongest believes and moral ethics can clash against events and, yes, fragility is human and unexpected vulnerability can bring someone to succumb to temptation, for example, as the fateful Candace's accident showed to her. Because she failed, all the house of cards collapsed and so did our Bette's facade...

One after one, all her strong convictions surrendered in front of realities : Melvin was far to be perfect and so she was; yes, one can cheat on his/her true love when circumstances weaken one's resistance (all the disastrous therapy group sessions, Tina's miscarriage and Fay Buckley's vicious attacks added to the strong carpenter's obvious desire, at the very same time Tina kept off).

For someone like Bette, failures were unforgettable. Just remember her intransigence towards Kit during S1, as well as - as you so rightly pointed - her shocked reaction against the Marina-Jenny affair. At this time, yes, Bette would have inform her sister about Angus' fling. But the S4 Bette has now learned so much about human fragilities and complexity. The world isn't black or white anymore, there's blurriness on the picture : our dear Arts lover discovered what a palette means, with infinite lights and shades - and shadow s...

And because she was able to waste the most precious thing of her life - her committed relationship - for a moment of weakness, because her foolish fling made so difficult to get her wife back and, ultimately, because the obvious impossibility for Tina to really forgive her finally broke the second chance she thought to get, she now fully realize how much anyone deserve a true second chance. Remember her so moving toast during S2 ? "I lift my glass to caring and kindness and trust and longevity and... respect... to all the things that you'll need to keep your love alive. I wish you... happiness. And I hope that you forever spare each other pain. And if you find that isn't possible, then I wish you forgiveness."

This forgiveness, Tina wasn't able to give her and so, apparently (but of course my huge Tibette's heart will NEVER stop to wish a happy end !) Bette definitely lost her beloved - and for a man into the bargain... (the ultimate rejection).

On the way to her own tolerance about life's rules, we don't have to forgot how the S2 Bette reacted facing Kit's adultery affair with Benjamin : "I just know the situation, and no matter what, I mean, there's always someone who gets hurt. And I just don't want it to be you." See ? No strong blame, as the highly moral S1 Bette would have done, the way she did with Marina. Now she certainly don't want to see Kit hurt once more. And for me, I must confess my deep annoyance with Tina in the S4 scene you pointed : how great to play the perfect moral woman, forgetting how contemptible she acted when she screwed Henry in Bette's bed ! Now she can talk about morality indeed... So I fully understand Bette's irritated reaction ! As well as I can understand how much one can refuse to be the messenger of cruel news, above all for a deeply loved sister ...

For me, Bette didn't excuse Angus but simply allows him this priceless second chance she never really had after her own meaningless fling with the carpenter. Is it so blameworthy? I don't think so. Anybody can make a mistake, anybody deserves a chance to make amends.

I even suspect Tina of putting so strongly the blame on Angus as a way to just hurt Bette with the cruel cheating's similitude, much more than a sincere want to protect Kit. I call that hypocrisy. So, is Bette still the same Bette we met at the beginning ? Of course she is. Simply, the facade doesn't work anymore.

The S1 Bette seemed the epitome of alphaness - only seemed. As we slowly but surely discovered, there was a deeply vulnerable woman behind this strong mask : the little child who lost her mother and desperately wanted her father's affection and approbation, the passionate Arts' lover who endlessly had to fight against her superiors' stupidity and lack of imagination and was so much more made to stay the independent gallery's owner she was at the tim e Tina came in her life, the always-worried woman who became more and more terrified by her future responsibilities supporting a family, the hopeless daddy's girl who faced her half-sister's weaknesses with an inculcated intolerance, etc.

During S2, we discovered a facet one couldn't easily guess at first : the deeply powerless, inconsolable woman who lost the love of her life. The strong alpha who took everything for granted now totally melted facing the life-altering consequences of a moment of weakness. And, yes, she even was able to beg. But was this new behavior so surprising ? The strongest one was always Tina. And the most passionate was always Bette. Simply, the first one allowed her wife to take care of everything and the second one wasn't able to express her feelings and thoughts. Remember this so sweet S1 scene, when Bette realized that Tina was pregnant ? In only few minutes, we simply witnessed how the alpha facade suddenly disappear to let the t rue highly sensitive Bette show who she really was. Beautiful moment...

That fully explains why S2 Bette - and, of course, this so desperate and lost S3 Bette - emotionally collapsed. Tina's loss, Tina's new relationship, Melvin's death... All her own world disappeared. And then, the worst happened : S3's false hopes. Tina's disaffection and even disinterest, then Tina's "feelings" for men (much more attraction for a so-called normality, in fact), and finally Angelica's loss.

All this chain of events since Candace's affair until Tina's ultimate rejection, added to a new feeling our Bette discovered on the road, motherly love, all of that forged the Bette we see now in S4 : a still emotionally bruised woman who slowly came to life again. A new parenting situation, a new job - but a big empty love life.

It's no more the S1 Bette who enjoyed a powerful professional status in addition to all her personal achievement as a loved wife. Now it's a Bette who takes refuge in a new successful career in the pursuit of self-balance and sentimental oblivion. The apparent "Ice Queen", as Jodie's translator so rightly said, is in fact more vulnerable than ever.

She has to continually face her ex-wife's apparent happiness with a man, never stopping to hope each time she has to speak with her. It was moving to see Bette's face before and after her phone talk with Tina in "Lassoed", her brave attempt to appear unconcerned and calm at Tina's awful "mixed" party - and believe me, one needs a lot of courage and force for this kind of make believe (no wonder she gave up to Nadia's continual seductive behavior, the same day she had to witness Tina's so-called straight paradise !) - , and finally her so obvious disillusion realizing why Tina wanted to see her ("Lez girls").

During S2 and S3, Bette would have successfully resist to any Nadia or Jodie, as well as she resisted to all this "meat-tagged" stuff at the Planet or, later, to the Senator. Simply because she still hoped to have Tina back. Even being the sexy goddess she is, attracting women without looking for them, even being the so obvious very physical woman she is, Bette is truly and deeply a one-woman woman. Someone who needs love in a relationship, not only a way to satisfy physical needs. An only sex affair, like Nadia's one, will always let her feel frustrated, for there will always be the emotionally vulnerable woman and lone child in her. That's why Tina was just the right one for her, with her motherly nature and her tactful alphaness.

But having lose her, missing her wife the way she never stopped to (and certainly wouldn't confess now), Bette is more than ever vulnerable behind her all mighty-Dean-Porter attitude in front of students ("if you are going to be a TA for me, you shouldn't expect to have a life") and her usual cool mask.

In the pursuit of her balance, the acceptance of Tina's (apparently) definitive loss and a salutary oblivion, she's so obviously without many defenses currently. That's why she was so weak with Nadia at first - before so clearly sit her on her place - and that's also why she was obviously happy to let the mask fall enjoying smoking the pot with Jodie!

But even that welcomed moment of lightness was revealing, for Bette didn't stop to talk about Tina through funny shared memories with her...

So, no, for me, S4 Bette is still the same Bette - the one we love and care for. Still hurt, unhappy, desperately but gracefully trying to get together and compose with what life lets her : a life where the only true love she can enjoy is the motherly one. And god knows how much I'd be delighted to comfort her (... one can dream, no ? ^_^ ), but I'm still hoping for the Tibette reunion I sigh for since SO long. Now call me naive or cockeyed optimist ! You know what ? I'm proud to be!

And thanks to all these marvelous and so talented fanfic authors here, my hopelessly Tibette's heart can find appeasement and comfort, waiting for the happy end I'm craving for. (... crossing fingers and toes for a S5 !)

From the deepest of my heart, thank you SO much for this daily joy!

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