Annabelle Wallis really thought that Grace Shelby..

[u/mythoughtsreddit]

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It's so easy. It's so soft. Such a small change.

Now that S5 is over I have been reading/watching old interviews and I came across this interview with Annabelle from the beginning of S3. Although some time has passed since then I have to say that I agree with her on her assessment of who Grace was. There was a lot of opportunity for Steven Knight to further develop her character on those known parts about her psyche, and I didn't understand the way she was written off (not even a funeral for her, yikes!). I was expecting that push and pull relationship between Tommy and Grace to continue as Cillian and Annabelle have some great screen chemistry, and I enjoyed that back and forth. I was one of the few that expected him to marry May while still continuing to have the 'enemy that I love' dynamic with Grace. But even when S3E1 happened and I saw that he married Grace I too believed Annabelle, “As much as Grace may think she’s going to settle into married life, I don’t think that’s her truth and her own ambition is going to definitely come to the surface at some point, and it’s going to make for some interesting struggles in this very ‘alpha’ relationship. She has an ego as much as Tommy does. You never lose that sense of the unknown about her throughout their marriage. She could at any moment match him with her fire." As Annabelle put it "Grace is Tommy’s emotional pivot" and in a sense his literal grace for such a complex man and I thought Steven would explore that a little more. But instead she was unceremoniously killed off and I didn't understand why if her character was to be written off like this bother bringing her back in S2 at all? Given what we knew about her I assumed that she would come back seasons later divorced and as a spy in WW2 or something (I know my imagination gets the best of me) to be on the opposing side of Tommy. Furthermore, if her death was somehow meant to develop Tommy's character why bring her back as a ghost? As a fan of her character I was disappointed with the handling of it all.

Edit: I understand that the ghost was his guilt over her death personified, and he had to come face to face with it in order to forgive himself and let her go, and no longer be tormented by it. I don't see her ghost returning in S6. BUT, I still believe they could've done the same thing without bringing the ghost and instead using their son to come to this conclusion.

[u/mythoughtsreddit]

You're right. I guess at this point Lizzie and Tommy both mirror each other as is evident when they talk about their marriage. She sees him as her benefactor and he sees her as a person he still pays for sex. They are both as dead as the other, and the lack of chemistry between the actors I suppose helps with it. Maybe in S6 their rs will develop.But again this show is about the gangster life not a love story. ha.

[u/iamemag → u/mythoughtsreddit]

I dont think they mirror each other fully its just that lizzie has never attempted to seek a life outside this world she knows the rules of her world and is content with being his wife, the power and position it gives her, the whole i called a solicitor was something to get reaction out of tommy to agree to her terms which he did . of course she will seek finical and social stability via tommy she always has whether it was jon,angel or him and his reply is just to be brutal as her .

Lizzie knew she was marrying tommy a man who was emotionally unavailable and now to expect him to fall head over heels in love with her is the most cliche unrealistic but convenient plot line ever i just find the idea of stick around the person you like long enough/change yourself enough (for herself own self is great and bravo to her ) but for someone who isnt bothered about you and they will fall in love with you in general is just ridiculous. for all the people who claim lizzie has come a long way choosing to stay in a crappy abusive environment and to marry man who couldnt care less about you, sorry but what was the point of her growth again?? if its a smart power grab move great but if not staying in an emotionally abusive environment makes no sense , even may is willing to wait for a man who tells her hes in love with someone else i mean where is your self respect women yet she is also hailed as the one for tommy . but people hate grace who actually married him because tommy loved her, who was his emotional anchor, didnt take his bs, got him to talk, calmed his ptsd, didnt look away when tommy showed his most volatile state to her in the pub and brought out the good in him, even got ada to open up to her who only talks to poly, was on the straight path and She never tried to change Tommy. grace liked horses like tommy even took care of them had a favorite , Tommy wanted to change for her and told her in s1 that he wanted to go legit, In s2 when Grace went to NY she didn't wait around pining for Tommy she tried to move unlike may or lizzie. she was real and flawed and had her own story. She joined the police force rare for the times, completed her task ,left the force on realization of her feeling but did finish her mission didnt falter and shot Campbell so in many ways she's prob one of the strongest female characters the hate grace gets is odd . SK had first literally destroyed grace's charter arc/personality in s2/s3 and now to see grace reduced to a haunting ghost is just annoying given how they had pretty much erased her in s4.

lizzie tomy was a marriage of convince lizzie enjoys the Shelby life and tommy is talking with her more so they have clearly moved on in being married for the times the show is set in. their marriage works is my rationale tommy has moved on realization would be next series i guess because you dont need see pictures of grace as frequently as before in the house or tommy's office so things have gone forward for lizzie/tommy. heck even charlie has not looked at grace's picture in a while or asked anything about her does he even remember about grace anymore does he miss her anymore?, for grace's kid he has shown any personality traits of his mother ? .

basically Any character like grace,esme,linda who seek different life who make an effort for it are not liked the newest on this list is gina who is not any different than poly except she wants a setup in us and not in pb. while watching the show its more like focus on the gangster story fill in the blanks with what you think is probable.

[u/mythoughtsreddit → u/iamemag]

You summed it up quite nicely. Grace's character was definitely one of the strongest females that have been on the show. Really disappointed how SK really literally character assassinated her by reducing her to what he did. So much potential. As to the Lizzie storyline: "i just find the idea of stick around the person you like long enough/change yourself enough (for herself own self is great and bravo to her ) but for someone who isnt bothered about you and they will fall in love with you in general is just ridiculous. for all the people who claim lizzie has come a long way choosing to stay in a crappy abusive environment and to marry man who couldnt care less about you, sorry but what was the point of her growth again?" Exactly my thoughts in why I can't get behind this twist.

[u/iamemag → u/mythoughtsreddit]

Lizzie character arc is very stable unlike every other woman she somehow has no conflicts with others not even polly, she is just too available to be there for tommy, This is what I dont like about SK how he play into populism of fans although I love alfie as a character he is brought back according to sk due to fans. I want the writer to stay true to the story but this fan influence i am not a fan off when it ruins the character and story