Kate is probably the least popular character on the show, at least among those who discuss Lost on the Internet. She's my least favourite as well, but I've been thinking lately about what's gone so wrong with her. In the thread for "The Incident" there were multiple calls for her death, especially when Juliet seemed to bite it instead.
So why do you feel the Kate hate? Let it all out. This is your therapy thread.
For me, it's two things.
1.) She has no purpose outside of the triangle. Sawyer and Jack spend a lot of time pining after her on the show, but they do other things too, and are motivated by other things. They're at their best when Sawyer is dealing with his darker nature or Jack is dealing with his leader issues. Kate doesn't seem to do much or have any motivation aside from going after whoever she feels like going after in that particular moment--usually the one who is showing less interest in her--and getting offended when they tell her she can't tag along this time. When she announced that she went back to the island for Claire, I was cautiously optimistic. This could be just the thing to actually make her a character instead of a placeholder. Not much has come of it yet, though.
2.) She shows no self-awareness. At least Jack and Sawyer have both shown flashes of being aware of their flaws, and of the nature of their relationships with Kate and other people. She chases after Jack when she can't have him, then goes to Sawyer when she gets frustrated and to make Jack jealous, then goes back to Jack when Sawyer calls her on her behaviour, etc. There's no hint that she has any interest in committing to either one of them. She wants both of them, expects that she can have both of them, and gets really angry and self-rightous when either of them call her on this, as if they're the ones in the wrong for expecting her to make a choice already. This makes her look stupid at best, sociopathic at worst.
The worst part is, I can't figure out if she's intentionally being written this way. Do the writers really think she's sympathetic and a heroine? Or are they presenting her as so screwed up for a reason, one that will eventually pay off?
So why do you feel the Kate hate? Let it all out. This is your therapy thread.
For me, it's two things.
1.) She has no purpose outside of the triangle. Sawyer and Jack spend a lot of time pining after her on the show, but they do other things too, and are motivated by other things. They're at their best when Sawyer is dealing with his darker nature or Jack is dealing with his leader issues. Kate doesn't seem to do much or have any motivation aside from going after whoever she feels like going after in that particular moment--usually the one who is showing less interest in her--and getting offended when they tell her she can't tag along this time. When she announced that she went back to the island for Claire, I was cautiously optimistic. This could be just the thing to actually make her a character instead of a placeholder. Not much has come of it yet, though.
2.) She shows no self-awareness. At least Jack and Sawyer have both shown flashes of being aware of their flaws, and of the nature of their relationships with Kate and other people. She chases after Jack when she can't have him, then goes to Sawyer when she gets frustrated and to make Jack jealous, then goes back to Jack when Sawyer calls her on her behaviour, etc. There's no hint that she has any interest in committing to either one of them. She wants both of them, expects that she can have both of them, and gets really angry and self-rightous when either of them call her on this, as if they're the ones in the wrong for expecting her to make a choice already. This makes her look stupid at best, sociopathic at worst.
The worst part is, I can't figure out if she's intentionally being written this way. Do the writers really think she's sympathetic and a heroine? Or are they presenting her as so screwed up for a reason, one that will eventually pay off?
