Reply To: Still Life: Character arcs in the series

I have always thought that Jean-Guy has grown the most in this series; I have truly enjoyed his evolution from competent yet remote, emotionally inhibited young man into the more self-aware, grounded, and open young man he has become. He has gone through a personal hell and has come out all the better for it, in large part thanks to his ability to finally recognize, give, and accept love unself-consciously. He is a fascinating character for me, and one I thoroughly enjoy reading about. He certainly has become A Better Man throughout the series.

Perhaps the least affected by growth is Gabri; he is still who he was in Still Life, for the most part. The crisis he endured regarding Olivier’s incarceration bent his spirit briefly, but then he rallied and has remained a constant. He has not always been a happy man, but in Three Pines, he has found what he was looking for, it seems, and is content.

I didn’t really like Agent Nichol, but she has more than redeemed herself, as far as I’m concerned, in later episodes. I accept her personality and now understand her heart better. Same with Ruth, though it only took until the end of Still Life for me to know that I liked her despite her quirks.

And Ruth is a villager that I still don’t feel I know enough about. I want to know about her marriage — who did she marry; for how long were they married; how did she navigate that situation; how did it affect her personally? And though he’s technically not a villager, I still want to know more about Jean-Guy’s upbringing— it’s been hinted several times that it wasn’t particularly rosy, but I would love to know the details of that.