[spoilers] Ruth

[Tea Lady]

I don't see Ruth as weak at all. She is no Ros or Adam but she is not a field officer. She has a moral strength that is second to none on the Grid. Her actions in 5.5 evidenced this. She sacrificed her life and her love for the good of the Country. How can this action or any of her other actions be seen as weak?

Ruth has confidence when she needs it, see her in action in the EERIE exercise in 2.5, and stands up to Harry when he needs standing up to. Ruth is gentle and has a good soul. Because she is not out there all guns blazing, not giving a monkeys about peoples feelings, does not make her weak, it makes her Ruth and in my opinion the most important member of Section D.

[JHyde]

(05-04-2010 05:05 PM)Silktie Wrote:  I found picard1109's comments about Ruth in the Harry thread interesting. Being an avid fanfiction reader, I've noticed that many writers see Ruth as a helpless wimp that is prone to hysterics and a lot of crying. Personally I don't see Ruth like that at all. I actually find her quite a strong character, and can't for the life of me imagine her being a helpless wimp in any situation. The times she has gone out in the field, she has acquitted herself well, using her brain rather than brawn impressively.

This is a pet hate of mine. I'm sure I've bitched about it elsewhere on the forum, but it's something I have fought hard not to have come through in my own fan fic and I despise it in others.

I have never seen Ruth as weak. Her storylines are wound up in Harry's, that's a different issue - but I don't think the writers have ever made Ruth the victim or the helpless maid waiting for other people to rescue her.

[Nia M]

(06-04-2010 10:17 AM)Tea Lady Wrote:  I don't see Ruth as weak at all. She is no Ros or Adam but she is not a field officer. She has a moral strength that is second to none on the Grid. Her actions in 5.5 evidenced this. She sacrificed her life and her love for the good of the Country. How can this action or any of her other actions be seen as weak?

Ruth has confidence when she needs it, see her in action in the EERIE exercise in 2.5, and stands up to Harry when he needs standing up to. Ruth is gentle and has a good soul. Because she is not out there all guns blazing, not giving a monkeys about peoples feelings, does not make her weak, it makes her Ruth and in my opinion the most important member of Section D.

*applauds*

Well said

[Beatriz]

Awesome speech Tea Lady, I second everything you said.

People tend to think she's weak because she's sensitive; she's the voice of conciousness in the Grid. It's good to have a different kind of officer, and she's not afraid to speak up if she feels the need to. Ruth is an amazing character

[i luv lucas]

Ruth is soooo not weak, she is sensitive Beatriz, and I also agree with everything that Tealady said!!
Ruth needs some loving, that is all, Harry, where are you?.......

[Aria]

(06-04-2010 10:17 AM)Tea Lady Wrote:  I don't see Ruth as weak at all. She is no Ros or Adam but she is not a field officer. She has a moral strength that is second to none on the Grid. Her actions in 5.5 evidenced this. She sacrificed her life and her love for the good of the Country. How can this action or any of her other actions be seen as weak?

Ruth has confidence when she needs it, see her in action in the EERIE exercise in 2.5, and stands up to Harry when he needs standing up to. Ruth is gentle and has a good soul. Because she is not out there all guns blazing, not giving a monkeys about peoples feelings, does not make her weak, it makes her Ruth and in my opinion the most important member of Section D.

Well said Tea Lady!!! Ruth's humanity and empathy coupled with her phenomenal intelligence is what makes her such a great character in her own right. She was sorely missed in section D while she was in exile.

[Tea Lady]

I can't remember whether we have already touched on this in the past but I thought that there were many qualities in John Fortescue that Harry has. Is that why Ruth was attracted to both of them? John was a workaholic, quite well respected and high up. He was well educated. John was previously married and his wife had left him and remarried. John was alone, with only his work in his life with no passion or love in his life.

Does Ruth always go for a hard luck case? Does she think they will be more inclined to go for her? She wanted John but was so scared to go that one step further just like with Harry after their first date.

[Aria]

I have always found it interesting that the writers have never really talked about Ruth's personal past. We know about her professional past at GCHQ, but nothing about her personal life. Apart from the mention that she was in love with a "swinging dick" in season 2.4, no mention is ever given of her having any kind of private life. I can see Ruth having been hurt quite badly in a relationship in her past, which would make her wary of new ones. This could explain her hesitation about Fortescue. With Harry other reasons : he is her boss, it is against regulations and the fear of gossip, play a part in her rejecting him.

[Silktie]

There's some very interesting foreshadowing in episode 3.7 of Ruth's future life in Cyprus. When she is lamenting the fact that she is alone and has no life outside work with Andrew, he says that he plans to leave the Service, and find somewhere "warm and slow" to enjoy life. That is exactly what Ruth ends up doing when she is forced to leave.

[YourFutureMuse]

Yeah I thought about that too. I keep on thinking that maybe it was a good thing for Ruth, her exile to Cyprus (I know which I'd prefer ) and what she wanted what with her loneliness and endless work. and it is a shame in a way she got brought back. But then again I suppose Ruth is all about work and a life without any stimulating challenges would be tiresome after a while.