I know some things need to be cut out for the sake of time, but I’m always so sad to learn about important little character moments like this one being cut. Just this little scene provides so much context on Gen this season.
Melissa was her best friend last season. In the few scenes they have together in S2, you can tell they are very close and bond over being the JVs that are on the outskirts and left out of the main group’s decisions. And we know Gen and Melissa used to share a hut before Melissa and Shauna started shacking up, leaving Gen to sleep alone. And then, in this cut scene, Gen apparently bumps into Nat because she’s distracted by seeing Melissa and Shauna together and feeling the jealousy of that. Gen believes Melissa has been stolen from her in a way— by Shauna— and is both jealous and worried about Melissa because she doesn’t trust Shauna.
This dynamic makes so many things make sense. Like Gen pushing Nat to the ground and telling her to “shut the fuck up” only after Melissa tells Nat to shut up. It’s like a domino effect, Shauna tells Nat to shut up, so Melissa says it to impress Shauna, so Gen pushes her and says the same in order to impress Melissa. I love that! That’s so fun and ridiculous! And then, when Melissa gets shot by the arrow and Shauna ditches her, Gen is the one taking care of Melissa and they have that moment of reconciliation.
But, cutting that tiny little scene out created a completely different narrative around Gen (at least in my mind). I thought Gen was pro-Shauna this whole time! I thought she had bumped into Nat coming out of the animal pen on purpose because she is against Nat. And I thought she pushed Nat to impress Shauna. And I know Gen is just a background character that will probably not be alive for too much longer, but I just think these little characters details are so interesting.