I've had a hard time with the sudden loss of 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Lance Reddick, as I'm sure a lot of Destiny players have. I hesitate to indulge in any kind of parasocial behavior - I did not know the man, though I did once interview him for Netflix's Resident Evil - but I still mourn him as a fan and a fellow Guardian. Reddick was far more involved in the Destiny community than any actor I'm aware of. He engaged with players frequently, made videos performing as his character on social media, and even played the game himself. We didn't just lose the voice of Zavala, we lost one of our own.
Reddick wasn't a typical actor, nor is Commander Zavala a typical video game character. For nearly a decade we've fought alongside him week after week, season after season. We've watched him grow as a leader and struggle with his faith. We've seen him at his most heroic, and we've seen him make profoundly difficult decisions. But no matter what he has overcome every challenge and always been the Guardian we need. Zavala is one of the most complex and compelling characters in Destiny, and Reddick gave him strength, humility, and humanity. It's impossible to imagine how we can go forward without him.
When Amanda died in game last week, I was dismayed by how ill-timed the story beat landed. When I came upon Zavala, kneeling in front of her corpse, tearfully repeating the Speaker's mantra: Devotion, Bravery, Sacrifice, Death - I was overcome with despair. Prior to this I had only intellectualized Reddick’s death. It was a tragedy - for his family, for the film industry, and for a game I loved. But in this moment the full force of his loss hit me. Someone I care about is gone.
As far as Amanda's death is concerned, I’ve been critical of the way 🍷it was handled. Her sacrifice was heavily telegraphed in the weeks leading up to it, and it reduced her character to a narrative trope known as a sacrificial lion - a sympathetic character whose death raises the stakes, and ultimately only serves as a catalyst for the development of others. With this week's season finale, I found I was grateful for the contrivance because of the opportunity it created to give Zavala the spotlight, allowing Reddick to speak about grief.
This week we find Zavala standing alone at a memorial for Amanda built on the edge of the Farm. Zavala's words are beautiful, particularly the way he talks about only being able to feel the loss of death from the outside. He honors Amanda's heroism and her sacrifice, but he also reflects on his own feelings of hopelessness over her death. Falling to his knees, he says he'd give his last light if it would bring her back. Zavala, who lost so many people he loves, remembers how many times he's begged the Traveler to save them, but always been met with silent indifference. He feels guilty that he could not save her, and that there's nothing to do now but to mourn and to regret. Reddick's performance is heartbreaking. After everything he's been through since The Witch Queen, the always-in-control Zavala is hanging by a thread, and Reddick conveys his restrained despair beautifully.
It could not have been planned that this would be the story beat that follows Reddick's passing, obviously. And while it's still tragic that Amanda's death has happened so recently after Reddick's, hearing him explore and confront grief has helped me process my own emotions. It is hard to hear his voice now, and to listen to him talk about hopelessness in the face of death, but the way his words reflect my own feelings has given me some amount of comfort. Lance Reddick was an incredible talent, a kind human being, and an important part of Destiny. He is loved and he will be missed. Per audacia ad astra. Rest in peace, Commander.