Fear Street: Discussing Cindy and Alice's Relationship

[Winter]

Fear Street is a 2021 Netflix film trilogy/miniseries which is loosely based on the young adult horror novels of the same name. The show was released to generally positive reviews with Part 2 aka Fear Street: 1978 being widely regarded as the overall best in the series by both fans and critics. And amongst the things people liked most about part 2 is the relationship between the film's lead protagonist Cindy Berman and her former best friend Alice (no known last name).

This is the overall strangest relationship in the show, mainly because it's been stated by the actors that play the characters and the show runner that the two have romantic feelings for each other even though it's never said in the film itself and the reason that's odd is mainly due to the fact that this is never said or made clear in the film itself and the reason that's odd is due to the fact that this is a series DRIVEN by lesbian love. Seriously two of the three films revolve around lesbian couples and the protagonists desire to protect the girl they love. So why is 1978 so vague on Cindy and Alice's relationship?

I mean, their relationship is full on Hide Your Lesbians with the two having "Boyfriends" and having dialogue that keeps putting emphasis on their "Friendship". It's just odd that in the show that is all about gay relationships that a relationship EVERYONE considers gay that the show never addresses that fact. It's even stranger when taking into account that while the core relationship of 1978 is more about the Cindy's relationship with her sister Ziggy the film spends more time on both sisters relationships with their respective love interests. Not saying that Cindy and Ziggy's relationship is shallow as it is just as fascinating and well rounded as their relationships with their respective love interests but the fact remains that more time is dedicated to them spending time with their romantic interests they each other.

Though, I do wonder if this is something that the came about as a result of the actors and directors and wasn't actually intended because Cindy and Alice being gay was, as far as I know, not in the original script and it was more of the actors coming up with it during production and the Director coming to realize it at the same time but by then it was to late to change anything.

What do you think?

[CharlesPhipps]

I think it's the case of the writers attempting to broaden the Fear Street trilogy by avoiding making it specifically about sapphic relationships even though two of the three central relationships are two of them. The killer isn't specifically opposed to gay relationships, it's something that afflicts all of the people of Shadyside so having one of the three films dealing with a non-romantic pair of young women fits in highlighting (essentially) more randos drawn into the matter. It's just this becomes very conspicuous with Cindy and Alice's "friendship" being pretty sapphic in tone and me (along with many other watchers) fully expecting it to lead to a love confession.

It just doesn't.

A generous reading of it might be that Alice and Cindy never actually even REALIZE they're in love because they've been so conditioned by heteronormality that their intense feelings are ones they misinterpret. Which is an interesting and underdocumented phenomenon that they're sublimating what could have been a beautiful relationship. However, I suspect that is unintentional.

I also note that they may have been trying to avoid making it a case of "Bury Your Gays" because with the exception of the last movie, the majority of Fear Streeters ended up slasher movie fodder.

There's also the fact that the 2nd movie's "twist" (which most of us all saw coming) is the fact that much has to made of the relationship between our protagonist and the Satanic police officer.

[Winter]

There's also the fact that the 2nd movie's "twist" (which most of us all saw coming) is the fact that much has to made of the relationship between our protagonist and the Satanic police officer.

This is actually an issue I have with part 2, the story is being cold from Ziggy's point of view which means she is recapping the events of the film as they unfold which naturally raises the question.


youtu.be/-zw1gOk7bf0