User blog:Corbierr/Character Analysis- Amber



'''I know it's a day late, but I was busy yesterday. So, without further ado, time to discuss everyone's favorite British blonde girl, Amber Millington!'''

Season 1- The not-so-stereotypical blonde girl
When we first meet Amber, she's seen talking on the phone, chasing after Mick, and really just coming off as the typical, popular blonde who is focusing on her relationship drama more than anything else. This is immediately proved wrong when she gets worried about Nina and sneaks around with Fabian. Not a huge deal is made about this, but it works to show us that Amber truly is one of the nicest people in the House. But does it make sense? She was shown mostly only with Mara and Mick in the very beginning of the premier, and wasn't super warm to Nina beforehand. She asked about Nina living with Gran, as well as about her parents, and then even laughed when they were talking about the initation that night. I suppose it's supposed to come off as her feeling bad for Nina and deciding to be nice, but it just sort of comes out of nowhere, because it wasn't even really foreshadowed or hinted at that Amber liked or felt bad for Nina. I don't know. I liked the scene of course, and the implied mini development, but it just could have used some foreshadowing or we could have seen Amber being a bit sympathetic to her before the initiation happened. Especially as this is Amber, who tends to need a good reason to go sneaking around in the night at Anubis. What true reason did she have for risking it to go and save Nina, who she still barely knew? This was an attempt at development that I appreciate and even love, but it just could have been done in a way that made a bit more sense.

Anyways, Amber quickly becomes friends with Nina, and now we see her true personality shine through- she's quirky, bubbly, and while not super bright, her heart is in the right place. She is still vain and Mick-obsessed, but is also now a really good friend. Quickness aside, by big issue with this is that this is how she now is for pretty much the entire first season. She, too, lacked in development.

Well, that's not entirely true. She had development in the form of romance drama. Yes, I tend to despise this sort of thing, where a character's only reason for change is love issues (COUGH PATRICIA COUGH MARA COUGH JOY COUGH MICK), but it was done genuinely well this time, because not only was it well paced, it was realistic and made her have to realize an actual lesson.

The entire plot was virtually her learning to move on from Mick and not put her romantic feelings ahead of her friendship with Mara. Now I've decided not to talk in depth about the plot, because I tried and failed to say what I was thinking and understand everything myself. Besides, it's a romance, and I don't like getting into those in character analysis. So for anyone who wants to try and say what they think about Mickber Vs. Mickra in the comments, go ahead. But I'd rather not sit here trying to be all smart and stuff when I honestly don't know how to be detailed about this stuff. I'd rather just admit that I'm taking the easy way out like a coward. So that said, back to the actual analysis.

Really, Amber was interesting this season. She was either helpful and honestly trying to do Sibuna stuff in her own Amber-ish way, or selfish and jealous. It was a bit unpredictable, even. But I have to say, I hated the fact that in the end, they made Amber more interested in the prom than in Sibuna. It just seems, so...unfair to her character. Yes, she developed and got over Mick. Yes, she was still the same old Amber. Yes, she wanted this dance in the first place. ''But she was the one who created Sibuna in the first place! It's just...so...ugh...to make a character who had proven to be smarter than others think, more competent than others think, less stereotypical'' than others think...and ruin that completely by making her lose interest in Sibuna to the point where she's not even in the final meetings (and I'm pissed at the others for not even noticing she wasn't around) and to where she complained about finishing the mystery because of the stupid prom (which makes sense due to context but would have been much less upsetting had she been around in the past few episodes).

Over all, the writers at least tried, but failed in the very end of the season. They built her up, gave her genuine development, made her incredibly likable...but in the end, they just seemed to stop caring about her character to the point where she no longer even seemed to be a member of Sibuna. (DESPITE COMING UP WITH THE NAME AND EVERYTHING JGHGAGFHAFG)

But it's all made worth it in...

Season 2- Young, blonde, and beautiful...and rocking it
Amber started out pretty much the same as she was before...except, wait a minute Amber, ''you're caring about Sibuna again? You're actually insisting upon helping out? You're doing things again? ''SQUEE! That's right, my friends, Amber kicked off the season with the personality that Season 1 temporarily took away. In fact, it's stronger this time. I guess that now that the dance is over and now that she's completely over Mick, there was no reason not to let her be a more focused member. While I'm missing the development that made this happen, I'm just thrilled that it did. She's like the reverse of Joy, who came back to Anubis losing all her original greatness.

Yet she was also being bitchy to Alfie at this time. It makes sense, I mean, she's only doing these sort of things because she promised to date him when he was "dying". And I'm starting to think that Mick had to go through the same process, minus the car I guess, due to all the gifts he gave her in season 1. So it's not a bad thing, it just makes Amber come off as really selfish. On the other hand, when you look at context, she was practically being forced to date him and had every right to try and push him off. She didn't like him, she made a promise when she wasn't thinking about it, and everyone agreed that she had to date Alfie. The show portrays her attitude as needlessly mean, which I guess it was a little overboard, but can you blame her? Alfie was the one forcing her to keep the promise that she made out of desperation, when Alfie knew he wasn't going to die. (I guess, I mean, I'm not sure what to make of the whole fake elixir thing to be honest). So maybe Amber could have been less selfish, but her point of view is entirely valid and now that I just realized this, I'm suddenly annoyed at the show for not portraying her actions more fairly. (I just made Alfie sound like a manipulative creep didn't I? Whoops, sorry Alfie I still love you <3)

So this season Amber not only gets involved...she's very involved. I dare say that she (along with Fabian) was more involved than Nina was. After all, Amber came up with a whole lot of plans, helped get Patricia and Alfie involved, and did her best to play her part in every single problem that was faced. The best part is, they managed to have her do these things without making her act differently. She was still the same old Amber, just more focused. Again, this is probably because without Mick around, she had no reason not to care. She makes mistakes, of course, which is a good thing because it fits her character- she has a good heart and tries her best, but her ditziness sometimes messes that up. I'm not sure if we can call it development though, because she started out this way. It's a nice change, but she doesn't become more competent and focused as time goes on.

Her real change is with Alfie. Because this was such a subtle romance plot, it worked wonders in the character area because there was no drama to ruin things. Like I said above, she wasn't too interested in him at first. She practically only dated him because he tried hard enough to pass every part of the checklist, and I guess she felt bad for him. But she proved to be a poor girlfriend, and after Alfie had already dumped her like three times, she chose to break up with him, in what is probably the most hilarious scene ever. Yet despite that, she proved to genuinely care about Alfie. As the season went on, she spent more time with him and they pratically became partners in crime, as if mimicking Fabina's friendship. She got jealous over Piper, but this time, she tried her hardest to not let it hurt her and to not get in the way, which proves she changed from the first season. In the end, while she still was a bit pushy with him, she did grow to genuinely love him and see him as an equal. (You know that things are messed up when the side-romance is done with better writing than Fabina and Peddie were, so just think about that for a minute and then join me in being silently furious at the writers once again.)

Over all, Amber in this season was done with much more effort and subtly than before. It sounds weird to call the ditzy blonde "subtle", but it's true when you compare her to season one, where more emphasis was put on her ditziness and less on her better qualities, such as her genuinely good heart. She had a well handled and subtle arc, was written to be one of the most (if not the most) likable character of the season, and she's one of the few characters who didn't have any glaring character flaws that needed to be changed (not even her ditziness, because take that away, and you just don't have the same person anymore).

So, how did things compare in...

Season 3- Fashion school blues
This one will be short, for obvious reasons.

Amber in the beginning was being distracted again, but this wasn't as bad as it could have been. As things were just starting to happen, she was really more interested in fashion school and her Birthday than Sibuna, which, well, considering that there was no mystery at the beginning, is completely valid. And bringing up fashion school from the start and making her care about it a lot definitely makes her send-off...less random.

She had her one last chance to be a hero and rocked it. Despite being trapped in the gatehouse, blackmailed, bullied by Victor and forced to betray her friends, she still managed to pull of probably the smartest move in the season that was not done by a villain and she brought Sibuna back together! It would have been amazing in itself if she stayed, but the fact that it was her final action before leaving for Fashion school was a genuinely good send off, much better than poor Mick got. It solidified Amber as one of the best Anubis heroes, and that's just awesome.

I just think they wasted a good plot by not bringing her back in the end like they did for Mick and Joy (well, Joy sort of hard to come back, but yeah). But, well, how could they have made it work? Joy came back because the entire mystery depended on it. Mick came back because his dad had to go to England and he came with for Mara. But what would have made Amber come back? It's not like Alfie or someone would have called and asked her to help in the end because he clearly cares about her too much to want her to be back where the danger is. Besides, one of the terms of the deal was that she couldn't come back, and coming home would have no doubt stirred up the wrath of Sinner!Victor and Denby. So while I genuinely wished she came back, it probably makes a whole lot more sense that she didn't.

In all, season 3 Amber was honestly one of the best written characters of the season despite (or maybe because of) leaving in the beginning. She had one of the best send offs, became a hero for one last time, and made her mark on the show. I wish she stayed, but they did her character justice. Writers...for once, I want to thank you.

Conensus / What I'd Done
Amber was one of the few characters who was written better in season 2 and 3 than in season 1. I'm not sure why, and I won't attempt to explain it. It just, well, worked out in her favor. She was usually always likable, funny, and often pretty competent for the blonde of the show.

I'd have made her more focused in season 1, especially in the end. But the other seasons? Season 2 and 3 have nothing I'd want to change. Season 3, well, I'd preferably not have her leave, but it was Ana's choice so it wouldn't be fair to her if I made her stay on the show in my imaginary version of HOA. She was made stellar in those two seasons, so...what could I say?

'''Thanks for reading, yo! Check out my new romance blog as well! More Halloween Game should be up tomorrow; Advertising Incorporated coming tonight!'''

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Who should be next week, yo? Eddie Alfie Mick Willow