Allan and Kate: The Next Will and Djaq? or The Day I Became a Cynic

Let me start off my post with a story, which may, at first, seem to have nothing to do with the title. I'm going to talk about one of my favorite couples from seasons 1&2, Will and Djaq.

What made me like them so much, you ask? There really wasn't ever much to it. Their entire love story was done behind the action, so that only those who were really watching would pick up on it's development. A lot of the credit for making small things count has to go to Harry Lloyd and Anjali Jay, two fantastic actors; able to infuse so much energy into small movements or glances that it actually became a credible romance.

It was one of the few subtle things the writers did in the first two seasons, and it's possible that they just plain forgot about it. And if that's the case, I wish they'd forget about more things, because their love story was sweet, genuine, and beautiful. By the end of season two, I had been a follower of their story for quite some time, and adored every small second of it.

That was my position when I started to see screen shots from episode 12, the first half of the season finale. And one of the pictures showed Will and Djaq kissing. To say the least, I was very excited, and yet at the same time, nervous. I was excited that my precious couple was finally going to get some screen time publicly declare their love, but I was nervous too. I was nervous because this couple was special to me, and I didn't want their story ruined. Something about what I was hearing just didn't seem right.

I comforted myself, reminding myself of what an amazing job the writers had done keeping Will and Djaq in character throughout the story. Surely this would be no different? I tried to think through a way for what I was seeing in the screen shots to come about in a way that didn't compromise the characters, but I wasn't having any luck. 'Well, duh!' I told myself. 'These writers get paid to do this. Obviously they can think of better ideas than me.

Alas, I was wrong, and that was the day that I stopped believing in the writers of this show. I trusted them, and they let me down. That, compounded by the fact that two weeks later Marian was murdered.

The writers took my special couple, even more special than Robin and Marian because they got less screen time, and destroyed them. It was like letting a baby play with a beautiful glass Christmas ornament, and watching it be shattered to a million pieces. Goodbye characterization!

Now, don't get me wrong, I would still rather have the 'barn scene' than nothing at all. Harry and Anjali did the absolute best they could with the lines they were given, and I still enjoy watching it, but I can't help but think of what that scene could have been, had it been more true to the characters. (What happens between them after 'the scene' is a different story. Every time I watch them in the Holy Land I want to throw up, but I won't get into that here.)

My point in bringing this up is in the light of Allan and Kate. A couple which has gained quite a following in quite a short time. (More due, I think, to Joe Armstrong being amazing, than Kate. He only has lines when he's talking to or about her so Allan fans are desperate.) And I'll admit, I'm not as opposed to this couple as I was at the beginning of the season. Could this be, as some have suggested, because Kate has less lines and thus, has less opportunities to annoy me? It could be. However, I do see the attraction.

The problem is, it's almost episode 8. Last I checked, there are only 13 episodes in a UK season (who's idea was that, anyway?). Then there is the small issue with the fact that all this couple has going is one good scene of dialog and a few more scenes of Allan being worried. That's it?

Well, you might be saying, you just went to all the trouble of telling us that Will and Djaq didn't exactly hog the screen, and yet their love story was sweet. But here's the thing. Will was a quiet young carpenter, not to mention the youngest member of the gang, who probably suffered from homesickness occasionally. He liked Djaq, but I think was slightly in awe of her. Djaq was very smart, and witty, not to mention the first girl he had ever had feelings for (probably). He was shy!

Djaq was also on the quieter side. She was one of the gang, but she was never one to waste words. So being the two quietest members of the gang (except Little John, but he doesn't count) it makes some amount of sense for their relationship to be quiet, shy, and very much in the background.

That doesn't hold true for Allan or Kate. Allan has never been someone to hide what he thinks, or be quiet about anything. If he thinks something, he says it. Also, from what we've seen of Allan on this show, he's not one to be 'in awe' of anyone. He's not shy around girls, he's a flirt. It would be completely unlike Allan to have a quiet, shy affection for someone. If he liked Kate, he'd tell her, and everyone else for that matter. The only possible exception was Djaq. Allan did like her, and yet was not overly obvious about it. I believe part of this was because he knew of Will's feelings, and didn't want to get in the way, but I also think his relationship with Djaq was special in a way. He really respected her as a person, and as a member of the gang, not just some girl.

Kate, from what we've seen this season, is very apt to speak her mind. Too apt, in fact. At this point she seems to be pretty smitten with Robin, so paying attention to Allan isn't exactly high on her priority list. Oh, and as far as gaining Allan's respect goes, how has she done that again? She's done nothing (alright, not quite nothing. But close.) to really help the gang. She is constantly getting captured, and she runs like a robot. Yes, I know, I'm missing a few things, but Kate's faults are too numerous for the rest of this post to hold.

So here we are, with six episodes left, we still have to get over the whole Robin/Kate lump, and there is supposed to be a credible couple in Allan and Kate? Sorry, but not this season. Unless the writers are geniuses. Which we all know they aren't. Much and Eve had a great relationship going with just one episode, but these are new writers who are even more incompetent than those ones.

I resent the fact that the writers couldn't just make up their mind as far as who to put her with (assuming they had to put her with somebody at all). All of the wishy-washying has wasted valuable screen time which could have been used to give Allan and Much a personality outside of Kate.

So do I like Allan and Kate as a couple? Not really. I'd rather just give Allan the time to develop his own character, rather than a love interest. There were some very interesting threads of his character that were left hanging last season, and thanks to Kate (ok, I mean the writers. I'd better put blame where blame is due.) we haven't gotten to explore that at all.

I'll always think fondly of the scene they had together in the butcher shop. They had potential then. Unfortunately, after that, the storyline has been dropped.

Kate and Allan can't be the next Will and Djaq. They can't have the sweet 'first love' type of relationship that Will and Djaq had. The dynamic just isn't there. If the writers try to force things, we'll just get more contrived love confessions (though I'm sure Joe Armstrong would be brilliant) and more ruined characters.

~Paige