Stephenie Meyer’s young adult book series Twilight is getting its own Twilight animated TV show, and it is time to consider which parts of the original story could use refining. Suggesting that protagonist Bella Swan could use improvement could be seen as blasphemy for many Twilight fans, but some would agree that even minor tweaks could turn her from a great protagonist to an amazing one. Swan may remain an entirely suitable lead for the young adult audience that Meyer targeted, but Twilight blew up beyond all imagining, and now must please more than just young adults.
Whether or not this is fair to Meyer, Stewart, or Twilight fans, the reality is this – this animated Twilight TV series will bring The Twilight Saga stories to a wider audience and allow the franchise more future opportunities. Books, movies, merchandise, and even theater shows are enabled by franchise growth. Most importantly, it isn’t following a narrative to the letter that makes an adaptation faithful, it is correctly portraying its message, mood, theme, and spirit. So, tweaking Bella’s character in the TV show can actually help to tell the story of this romance.
Fans Should Know Bella Swan’s Favorite Food
Bella Swan Liked Mexican And Italian
Bella Swan liked cooking enchiladas, lasagna, and steak in the Twilight books, but the Twilight movies sold Bella’s cooking a little short, depicting her eating at a diner with her dad, Charlie. The animated TV show should choose quality, not quantity, when it comes to painting in more detail around Bella. Focusing on one favorite food would say far more than giving Bella a generic ability to cook. Perhaps Bella Swan likes Italian food because it reminds her of somewhere she went, or of somewhere she wants to go.
Bella Should Push Back Against Edward’s Break-ins
Bella Should Question Edward’s Behavior
Edward watching Bella sleep while he killed spiders was one of the most polarizing aspects of Twilight and for good reason, which the show can address. Edward exhibited stalkerish behavior in contemplating killing Bella and trying to resist, then breaking into her house to watch her sleep. The show would be remiss not to tackle this.
Bella’s Cooking Hobby Should Explore Wider Themes
Bella Could Show Passion And Creativity Through Cooking
Bella Swan cooked for her dad throughout Meyer’s books, but there’s a whole world of richness to be grown from a cooking hobby that the TV show could exploit. Bella was caring and hardworking – not everyone cooks enchiladas and lasagna at her age. Fleshing out details about food could evoke Bella’s childhood, personality, dreams, and goals. The sensuality and history of food has the potential to be hugely evocative. Bella’s mother was an experimental chef, and the show could use food to explore Bella’s ambivalent relationship with motherhood and her own mother.
The TV Show Should Work On Bella’s Attitude To Jacob
Jacob Should Make Bella Seem Stronger
Bella’s loneliness in New Moon resulted in her relationship with Jacob blossoming, which the TV show should complicate. There is a good story in Bella’s conflict between her love for Edward and her love for Jacob, and the TV show should highlight the complexities of jealousy and friendship. Bella sometimes seemed either very oblivious or lacking in the friendship department when it came to Jacob, bearing in mind her enduring love for Edward.
The TV Show Needs To Explore Depression More
Bella Swan Was Totally Depressed
Where Bella Swan may have attained the most loyalty was her foundering mental health, although the depiction of this in both the books and movies received criticism. Lots of Twilight readers related to Meyer’s depiction of Bella’s heartbreak and exhibiting symptoms of major depression. This was a pertinent theme for the target age group and for these times. The TV show should keep this aspect of the Twilight story. Twilight book fans got to know Bella Swan a lot more in her depression, as she mourned Edward’s presence in her life.
Bella Swan Should Confront Her Self-Destructive Tendencies
Bella’s Obsession With Edward Wasn’t Healthy
Bella repeatedly risked her own life just to hallucinate Edward, which is a fascinating element of her character that could make her seem so much more powerful than it did in the movies. Bella’s self-destruction was a toxic aspect of her relationship with Edward, and the TV show should explore how this makes her stronger, rather than just how it makes her weaker. To do this, the show must confirm what Bella learns from these experiences and how they change her for the better, or increase her self-preservation.
