Shaw's Tragic Ending
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By Allison Stricklin
Coming into Season 6, I was optimistic about Raven and Shaw’s relationship. They both survived Season Five and I couldn’t wait to see their relationship build. They started off as enemies, but slowly began to trust one another. Raven had finally found someone who matched her intellectually. She trusted Shaw and I loved how they protected each other throughout Season 5. Being a disabled person, relationships are especially challenging. Many people believe that we don’t deserve love and we are a burden. I have had fears that no one will love me because of my disabilities. Seeing Raven and Shaw in a relationship helped calm these fears. Seeing an independent, smart and disabled character, Raven Reyes, have a loving relationship was so emotionally gratifying. It was another barrier that this show had broken.
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I was excited to see how Shaw would fit in with the rest of the gang and what his role would be. I found out that Shaw was killed in 6x01 and I was devastated. Why aren’t disabled people allowed to have happiness? Why did the writers feel the need to kill off Shaw’s character when he had so much potential? Why wasn’t he put in cryo? Jordan Bolger “Shaw” and Lindsey Morgan “Raven” had amazing chemistry that ignited on screen. Shaw had so much potential and it was such a waste to kill him off. They were happy and even had sex. People assume that disabled people can’t have sex and/or who would want to have sex with us. What can we bring to the table? Raven proved that a disabled person can have sex and form intimate relationships with their partner. Watching Shaw’s death brought me to tears because his dynamic with Raven gave me hope for my future. His death was done for shock value and I’m angry about that decision. I know Jordan was cast in David Makes a Man, but his character could have easily been written off. For example, Brian’s and Wick’s characters were written off the show and neither were killed. Why didn’t Shaw have that same opportunity?
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Killing off Shaw is going to wreck Raven emotionally and physically. Why doesn’t she ever get to be happy? She’s gone through more trauma than any other character and deserves a break. She was finally happy, and it was great to witness that. It feels like the writers gave her Shaw and then he was swiftly killed. This harmful practice supports the ableist notion that disabled people’s lives are miserable. As a disabled person, my life isn’t full of misery. I have tough pain days, but my life is filled with joy and happiness. I’m going to grad school to be a school librarian and I’m loving my program. I adopted an amazing labradoodle named Oliver and he brings me so much light and joy. I have amazing friends and have been able to travel to new places. I have ventured out into the dating world and I’m enjoying meeting new guys. My life isn’t filled with gloom and darkness. Seeing Raven having to deal with the trauma of losing another loved one is going to be rough. She was left behind and didn’t get to be there with Shaw during his final moments. Why doesn’t she get that closure? Other characters get closure and more. It seems like a lazy cop out to me.
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My main question is where does her character go from here? Does she retreat within herself? Does she survive as a homage to Shaw’s sacrifice? I predict that she’s going to blame Clarke for not saving Shaw. Clarke tried to save Shaw, but it was too late. Shaw’s death was reminiscent of Atom’s death in Season One. How will Raven deal with Shaw’s final message that she deserves happiness? Raven is worthy of love, but every time she has a romance, her partner dies tragically or is written off the show. Enough is enough! I’m sad to see Jordan Bolger leave the show, but I can’t wait to watch him in his future projects.
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My final hope for Raven is that she would be able to heal and rely on her friends for support. She could be involved in a new project that would take her mind off of losing Shaw. What are her psychosis demons going to be? How will her character develop throughout the season? I can’t wait to see Raven’s story unfold in Season Six.
Thank you, Jordan, for being an awesome addition to The 100 Cast. Meeting you was a dream come true. Best of luck in your future projects.
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