no_takebacks | DPP: In the End

I thought maybe today we could talk about the evolution of things. From start to finish, what do you think of these characters and this relationship now that you've digested the whole show? Have your views of the characters both individually and together changed from when you first started watching/first entered fandom?

A lot of fans from the early days of the show stopped watching because they were let down too many times by the narrative. But those who stuck it out tend to try to define the places where things changed definitively for them. Some people say their personal canon stops after a certain episode (maybe Maelstrom, maybe Unfinished Business, maybe Lay Down Your Burdens, maybe even sooner)? I think, for me, I adored their relationship in S1 and early S2, but I love their journey in Season 4.0/4.5 the best. They didn't have nearly as many moments as they should have, but what they did share was beautiful--every moment was about growing and supporting each other both emotionally and physically. (My one exception is Daybreak Part 2, so I guess my personal canon ends their journey at Islanded... or maybe Daybreak Part 1, since that has the scene where they are revealing the mission to everyone together, finishing each others' sentences.)

The words in the banner above are from the song "All We Are" by Matt Nathanson. The lyrics talk about love wasted, believing that the simple must be hard, and dreams that scatter and fall like (nothing but the) rain in the end. It is my end-of-story song for pilots and was even before I saw the finale. That resolution was not what I wanted for them (I still and will always believe their story required a happy ending to come properly full circle) and I can't fathom fanwanking it or pretending they meant the hollow words they spoke to each other or ignoring the painful expressions on their faces. But I can believe in this song which says in the end, all the mistakes and missteps didn't matter, because from start to finish, the brig to the memory wall, the love was always there.

I think I've strayed from the point in all this, which was to ask how our feelings about this ship changed or didn't with the conclusion of their story. My answer is that I love them possibly more because I will always feel the injustice of that ending. Maybe if I loved the ending I wouldn't be as interested in them still. I don't know. I've always loved Kara and that has never changed. I didn't always love Lee and that has totally changed (s4.0 is my favorite Lee in fact). I love them together more now, as I have this overwhelming protective instinct towards this relationship that makes me want to write fic and natter on and just attempt to fix the ingregious injustice any way I can.

So what's your answers?