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Old 12-11-19, 01:01   #31
laracroftswest
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I don't wanna derail your opinions too much as they're really excellently explicated, but I couldn't think of a better place for such a deep-dive into the reboot trilogy and Lara's character. Happy to move this to its own thread if need be

Maybe I've been watching and obsessing over Buffy too much lately (probably) but I've started to draw a lot of comparisons between her and Lara. She attains the stylish attitude and wit as classic Lara but I find their main similarities more so lie in Reboot Lara, especially in Rise and Shadow.

We see Lara struggle with bearing the burden of being "the only one," specifically in Shadow. Countless times throughout the show, Buffy lays claim to the phrase "I'm the slayer..." automatically putting her in charge. We see this come into question in Seasons 3, 4, and 7 and I think we also see this come into question frequently in Shadow when we see Lara working with others who are just as skilled as she is. While the respective realms in which they exist would have ultimately been destroyed without their help, their overzealous protector behavior can come at a cost and hurt those closest to them.

Lara and Buffy both also struggle with mental issues thanks to what they've overcome. They've seen friends, parents, and plenty of innocent lives lost to the burden of them being the savior. Living with that reality has frequently taken a toll on them and we don't see that effectively remedied until the end of both series.

This brings me to my next point. Both of them also should pretty much be dead given their circumstances. Buffy's two deaths (and revivals) prove how she's always going to survive. Given "survivor" is such a pillar of the Reboot trilogy, and Lara was meant to die on Yamatai, after falling in the river in Rise, and should have been sacrificed in Shadow, she's proven herself time and time again how even though she's been through situations where she really should have died, she didn't.

Lastly, both of them seem to have found peace with the lives they've chosen to live and no longer feel this overwhelming burden and can finally accept their future. Buffy can move on from her past and feel the support of those who have helped her along the way, knowing this future is one she can live in. Lara no longer feels the need to protect her family's name but instead see herself as one of the world's protectors.

In the very last shot of Buffy, we see this depicted. In the last closeup shot of Lara in Shadow (pre-credits), we see the same expression. To me, these give the same feelings to the viewer/player.

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