While I love Brooke's journey, I don't find hers to be the biggest change. I think that goes to Nathan. (Or I'd possibly accept they're pretty equal because they overcame very similar things.) Okay, I really hope you don't feel like you've worn out your welcome in this thread because you haven't!
I think it's an interesting theory...I really do. I find it interesting that the only reasons for Dan's revenge that have been brought forward by others is because Keith slept with Deb and he thought Keith tried to kill him. But it goes so much further than that!
Dan and Keith's relationship was never strong. From the off we get the impression that they're relationship is incredibly fractured. While I always get a kick out off Keith putting Dan down I, like soulunsung, recognise that Dan was anything but born a monster. Dan wanted to be a father to Lucas but Keith was there before him and he was rejected. And Dan has carried that around for more than half his life. To just say Dan is a monster and that is that, I find so hard to accept. And not just because I disagree but because the whole show does not give us ANY opportunity to remain in a fixed point of thought when it comes to Dan Scott.
As to the theory, I'm not sure. I need to think about it more. Straight off, I'd say that the fact Dan takes so long to take responsibility for it pushes me away from it. But at the same time, does Dan do anything horrendous (and I mean really and truly awful with no motive/incentive that he would have seen as more important ie: Nathan/Jamie) after he confesses and goes to prison?
At the moment I can entertain that Dan needed to something so tragically awful as what he did to even entertain for a second that he needed to think about who he was...
Oh, good about the spoiler tags. I was getting quite confused a bit, using them. lol.
As far as Brooke goes, I personally feel like her journey was one of the biggest changes, for a lot of reasons. For me, it was just as phenomenal as Nathan's, for different reasons. I look at Brooke, in the way that I looked at Cordy as far as character growth goes. It's similar in some ways, while still being different in a lot of other's. However, I will agree that both Brooke and Nathan's journey's are probably equal. Because at the end of the day I love both character's fiercely and I love how much they have changed for the better.
Oh, I don't know, for a minute I felt like I wasn't welcomed because of my opinion regarding Dan, but I think I'm okay now. Thanks for the reassurance.
🙂
You're right, it does go much deeper than that, where Dan is concerned. Those were just a couple of the reasons that came to mind when I was putting this theory together in my head. lol. Aided by Marissa a bit.
My basic point is that you cannot really denigrate Dan to a "monster" status, while elevating Keith upwards to a "sainthood" status. There are a lot of good things about the character of Dan that goes unnoticed and some of them you pointed out. I'm sure that people forget that when Dan found out that Karen had a baby, that he was going to leave Deb and go back to her because he did want to be a father and he was in love with Karen - had never stopped loving her. But, it was only when he found out that Deb was pregnant too, that he chose to stay with her and be a father to Nathan.
Also, I think it's safe to point out there's a difference in the way that Keith and Dan were treated by their father, as well. I feel like there was sort of a cycle of "implied" maybe verbal/emotional abuse or some sort of favoritism that was inherent while they were growing up together. I feel like Dan caught a lot of that, like there were comparisons being drawn and it was already established that Dan was the "black sheep" or well maybe Cain, while Keith was "the good son" Able, if you will. I think that factors in quite a bit, as well. But, nobody wants to look at that, because it's much easier to posit Dan as a "monster."
But the thing is, this was Dan's story arc, I would have been mad if the writer's had him confessing in the first three episodes of the season, carted him off to jail to do his little time, and then that just be that. I love the fact that he went through the stages of his guilt, we got to see how it ate away at him, we got to see him finally realize just exactly what he'd done and the ramifications of it, we got to see him go through the process of deciding whether or not to do the right thing, and in the end he did do it. I think this is a storyline that needed to be carried out over the course of the season and I think that it was done very well.
The fact that he waited so long to turn himself in, doesn't bother me so much. It doesn't diminish the fact that I believe he was trying to do the right thing, he was just grappling with said choice. I think he knew that he had EVERYTHING to lose when he did this and I believe that he was also scared to lose the little footing that he had been gaining with both Karen and Lucas. Maybe he was desperately trying to hold onto that by taking so long, but the guilt was still eating him, and so he had to in the end, do what in my opinion can only be the right thing.
Maybe he did have some selfish motives for doing it, but then again maybe he didn't as well. In any case, his storyline that season is pretty much what kept me watching. Although, you do bring up a good point, or rather pose a good discussion.
I think all that time that he served, really did give him a space and time to really look inward at himself, and find out why he did what he did and how he came to be the man that he is or well, rather was at that point.
Oh, and one more thing for those who subscribe to the fact that Dan is/has/will always be a "monster," he saved Jamie's life and I do not believe for one minute that he did that with selfish reasons trying to get back into his son(s) lives and their good graces. I don't believe that it was any penance that he was paying either. I believe that he did it, because it was his grandson and he truly loved him and he wanted to protect him and keep him safe and also because Jamie is really the only one who loved Dan unconditionally BEFORE he was ever told what Dan did.
I don't think that's the act of a "monster." I think that's the act of a really good man who did a lot of horrible things in his life, that is trying to be a better man now.
