Not My Canon!

WTF: Forced Impressions

With any story, as the narrative unfolds and the tale progresses, it's up to the reader to determine their impression of the characters and discern the motives behind them, especially in the case of a mystery (which Cursed Child claims to be). When the writers manipulate the way in which we view a story, it steals an essential part of the journey from the reader. When we are not allowed to wonder, we cannot develop our own interpretation. And, gradually, we feel as if we're obligated not only to enjoy the story but to view everything through the lens in which we were given.

Multiple times in Cursed Child, they came right out and declared what we were supposed to think, rather than providing us with substantive content that could function to create an appropriate impression of a character or scenario.

Snape

The debate will always be raging over poor Professor Snape, and whether he deserves to be seen as a good character with all the bad he did (especially in the abusing-school-children department). I don't think there's anything wrong with seeing worth in Snape. There is a point to having characters who are morally gray, and it strikes up discussion in the fanbase. But JKR has always wanted Snape's midnight redemption to gloss over his past sins. Some of this was already laid out in the Epilogue when we learned that Harry had named his second son Albus Severus Potter.

"You were named for two headmasters of Hogwarts. One of them was a Slytherin and he was probably the bravest man I ever knew."

*Narrator: He wasn't.*

Since it is spelled out clearly in the books, Harry believing such a thing about Snape is official canon. However, some fans have disagreed with this over the years, which no doubt irritated JKR...and led to her taking this forced impression on Snape a little further. Now, I'll get to the main treatments of Snape and why he is out of character (OOC) in a later part, but for the purposes of explaining the forced impressions part of the analysis, let's just leave one of Scorpius Malfoy's "little acorns" here.

SCORPIUS: Thank you for being my light in the darkness.

SNAPE looks at him, every inch a hero, he softly smiles.

Why? Why are you doing this? You're ruining his character. He was morally gray! No... Save it, Mike. Save it for the out of character section.

I want to say something rude here, but I'll just roll my eyes.

Every inch a hero...? Okay, Jo. Okay.

Draco

Next, we have them pushing a heroic view of Draco. In one of the few alternate realities, Scorpius is talking to an "evil" version of his dad about a situation that took place in the original timeline between his mother, Astoria, and his grandfather, Lucius Malfoy.

SCORPIUS: She said that Grandfather didn't like her very much - opposed the match - thought she was too Muggle-loving - too weak - but that you defied him for her. She said it was the bravest thing she'd ever seen.

I...I don't know exactly what to think about this. Because I like the idea of seeing Draco standing up to his father. Even defying him for a woman who loved Muggles, which seems like a stretch. But then you had to tell us how it was so super-duper brave.

Hey, guys... we wrote that, so you have to believe it now.

Aww. Thanks. We always knew he was secretly a Gryffindor.

No. No. Just let your morally gray characters stay morally gray. Forcing our impressions of characters to change because you regret the way we interpreted them in the first place is wrong. Give Draco redemption, awesome, but base it on how you portrayed him in the first place. You don't have to rewrite him.

Albus Severus

Wait! I know the play is ending, but before you leave the theater and start bitching about Albus and his motives to your Uber driver, we're gonna have Ginny tell you how great he is.

HARRY: Poor kid thought he had to save the world.

GINNY: Poor kid has saved the world. That blanket was masterful. I mean, he also almost destroyed the world, but probably best not to focus on that bit.

The blanket...was masterful....

Bwahahahaaaaaa!!!

Is it too much if I have the actor playing Ginny tell the audience that the thingy I wrote about the blanket was masterful? Because I sure think it is and I don't want there to be any confusion.

LAUGH OUT LOUD!

And uh...NO. Albus didn't save the world. And he didn't just almost destroy the wizarding world. His actions erased his entire family and killed Harry. And who knows how many other people. You're telling me that Ginny Weasley, Molly Weasley's daughter, wouldn't look at that situation with her own son differently? GAWD I hate how they wrote Ginny. So... no consequences whatsoever for inadvertently killing his entire family in an alternate timeline? At least take away his Xbox or something!

Nope, we want you guys to see him this way. And if you aren't, we're telling you to. That's what good writers do.