I'm really enjoying this fic (as if that wasn't obvious by now), but I have pride, and constant repetition of 'Yay! Abby!fic!' was wearing me down. I am intelligent, dammit, I can say something original. *cue cheerleader dance* So I thought that I'd try to explain what in particular I liked about this section, but on a more cohesive manner than just by quoting lines. Deep, huh?
Of course, having just said that, I will now proceed to quote. Bear with me; there is method to my madness slight insanity.
"Why was it foolish?" Abby didn't use the word stupid. Dan had noticed she didn't say it, even when it was true. It was oddly irritating.
It is details like these that make me believe in Abby as a therapist. She is a very impressive character, and yet not a Mary Sue or otherwise irritating. She is formidable, and yet she cares. I love the way she's happy to talk about whatever Dan tries to distract her with, and how she gets him to think about the issues associated with these memories, and yet isn't taken in by his attempts at deflection.
Related to this is Dan's reaction to her and therapy in general. He's genuinely in need of counseling, and yet not completely screwed up - he can still carry out a fairly normal life. He appreciates (deep down) what Abby is doing for him, but doesn't just suddenly decide to expose all his inner thoughts and motivations in one easy session and then is suddenly cured. This is a realistic portrayal of therapy (although hopefully unlike the realism of some of my friends who just seem to be caught in an ongoing cycle of depression and other mental illness - I want a happy ending, dammit.)
On a purely structural level, I like the suspense of trying to figure out what actually happened with Casey. I also like the way we discover all the different things about Dan's life and relationships as he avoids talking about Casey. Also, while this is a cohesive fic, it does have variety - the fact that Dan actually called Abby this time, for example. Some days are better than others.
In conclusion, I think my enjoyment of this fic boils down to three main elements: 1) Realism 2) Intriguing plot 3) Danny and Casey
*Is happy because she has avoided the temptation to just say 'Squee!' and has instead undertaken intelligent analysis*
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zvi and
no subject
Date: 2004-10-21 03:38 am (UTC)Of course, having just said that, I will now proceed to quote. Bear with me; there is method to my
madnessslight insanity."Why was it foolish?" Abby didn't use the word stupid. Dan had noticed she didn't say it, even when it was true. It was oddly irritating.
It is details like these that make me believe in Abby as a therapist. She is a very impressive character, and yet not a Mary Sue or otherwise irritating. She is formidable, and yet she cares. I love the way she's happy to talk about whatever Dan tries to distract her with, and how she gets him to think about the issues associated with these memories, and yet isn't taken in by his attempts at deflection.
Related to this is Dan's reaction to her and therapy in general. He's genuinely in need of counseling, and yet not completely screwed up - he can still carry out a fairly normal life. He appreciates (deep down) what Abby is doing for him, but doesn't just suddenly decide to expose all his inner thoughts and motivations in one easy session and then is suddenly cured. This is a realistic portrayal of therapy (although hopefully unlike the realism of some of my friends who just seem to be caught in an ongoing cycle of depression and other mental illness - I want a happy ending, dammit.)
On a purely structural level, I like the suspense of trying to figure out what actually happened with Casey. I also like the way we discover all the different things about Dan's life and relationships as he avoids talking about Casey. Also, while this is a cohesive fic, it does have variety - the fact that Dan actually called Abby this time, for example. Some days are better than others.
In conclusion, I think my enjoyment of this fic boils down to three main elements:
1) Realism
2) Intriguing plot
3) Danny and Casey
*Is happy because she has avoided the temptation to just say 'Squee!' and has instead undertaken intelligent analysis*
Squee!