therightfangirl | Do people even LISTEN to themselves? (Reply)

Just venting here. I wrote a little AU fic about Finch and Grace on Person of Interest. (For the uninitiated, Finch and Reese are the crimefighting heroes on the show; Grace is the fiancee from whom Finch was tragically separated. I got them back together and married them off.) From one reader, I get this review:

"I am a staunch Finch/Reese person. With their experiences & personalities, a normal boy/girl relationship for more than a night isn't likely - sort of PTSD for soldiers or the way long term police are..it's hard to get close to them."

Though she signed with her screenname, she used the anon review function, so I was able to delete this. But had I published it and responded, here are a couple of things I'd have pointed out:

1. As the daughter of a Vietnam vet who's soon to celebrate his 46th wedding anniversary, I can tell you firsthand that her characterization of soldiers and their relationships is so much horse hockey. My dad had his share of traumatic experiences, and it was really hard on both my parents, but by the grace of God (as they both put it) they made it. So have millions of other military couples. And police couples, for that matter. It's an insult to say it's not possible.

2. Is she saying that damaged people are destined to turn gay? Is that supposed to be complimentary to gays? It's been made very clear that both Finch and Reese have had heterosexual relationships in the past, and in fact, they're both still carrying a torch for the women they lost. So if they're gay now, in her formulation, that could only mean the trauma of their lives did it to them.

3. And finally, what is with people who aren't just content to make up their own slash, but have to go around telling writers of relationships established by the show that they're wrong?? (Don't even get me started on all the fic writers who got mad at this show for not following the Finch/Reese template they wanted!)

Honestly . . . the mind reels.