it? I find it hard to believe that after building Catco from scratch, Cat would sell the her shares with zero influence on the company’s future. If only because her legacy could end up in the hands of someone like Edge. Thoughts? I’m not saying they ruined Cat’s character or she’s no longer a role model, I just really disliked the way the writers handled the whole “Lena buys Catco” thing. It felt insulting to Cat’s character.
I wasn’t going to answer this, because I want this particular fandom divide to die… yesterday, but this ask isn’t hateful, or angry, or unreasonable. It was thoughtful and kind and I felt it deserved a response.This got long, but you did ask for my thoughts. And this is the last time I intend to speak about it. So here goes.I could try really hard to convince you to see it from my Point of View.
I could tell you how I’ve been reading a bit on blind trusts (I have) and that by virtue of the Ethics in Government Act, when Cat took a position as a high-ranking Government official she was required by law to place her shares in a Qualified Blind Trust to avoid conflict of interest. I could tell you that the person chosen to manage that trust had to be someone entirely unaffiliated with Cat or her business. And that she was forbidden, upon penalty of federal prison, to have any knowledge of, or handling in the sale of those shares. It happened, according to federal law, without her knowledge. Had Cat Grant sailed in to save her company and prevent the sale, she would have been in handcuffs by the end of the week and been given a semi-permanent cell in Club Fed by the end of the month.
You could argue that Cat would never take the job as WHPS if this were the consequence. That may be true. I happen to disagree, for reasons stated in the post you mentioned. I think her adventurous heart would do exactly this kind of thing and her legacy is still firmly intact.
But here’s the cool thing. It’s FINE if we disagree. This is fandom and everyone has an opinion and it is not my place to try and sway yours. I am neither eloquent enough, nor persuasive enough, nor influential enough to do so. So, this is not a campaign to change your mind. I’m fairly sure I cannot do that. It’s okay to feel angry or sad or frustrated or whatever you feel at this turn of events. I’m not going to get upset with people for that. I will miss Cat too. I’d give anything to have her in Kara’s orbit, but we don’t get that and, as I have spoken at length about before, I respect Calista’s decision in that case. So, WHPS, and whatever comes after, in my opinion, is a pretty cool consolation prize. But I’m a long-time West Wing and CJ Cregg fan, so take that for what it’s worth.
Now, I could give you a million headcanons about how Cat made Lucy Lane the executor of her blind trust, because, while acquainted, Lucy is not related to Cat, only worked for her for a brief time, is no longer employed by CatCo and is, by virtue of her military decoration and status with the Bar Association, probably above reproach. And when Morgan Edge sailed in to purchase Cat’s shares, Lucy’s spidey senses likely told her to stall for all she was worth and Lena Luthor presented herself as a somewhat better alternative. But that’s just a headcanon, and I’m perfectly aware of many people’s anger at the Lena angle specifically, so… grains of salt… everywhere.
The truth is, as evidenced by this post, I’ve always spoken better through my fic, so maybe I’ll let my fic speak for me in this case.
I wrote a story exactly a year ago this month, about almost this exact scenario. Some of us saw this coming the day it was announced that Lynda Carter was playing the President. It was also foreshadowed nicely in the show. Cat announced her departure in 2.02. President Wonder Woman turned up in 2.03. This… was not really a surprise. And several of us have been joking about requesting royalties for having the idea first.
If Monday’s writing was problematic, then so was mine. Cat has the chance, in my fic, to return to CatCo when it is made available to her, and she takes a different path. And, in the end, everyone ends up somewhere unexpected. So, as I said, I’ll let my fic speak for me. It’ll (hopefully) be more enjoyable than my endless tumblr rambles.
The Fall is Only the Beginning
http://archiveofourown.org/works/8153266/chapters/18685282
Cheers!
Bridge.
I read your post regarding Cat’s storyline, & I think what you said about the position/how THIS is Cat diving really hits the nail on the head. However, it’s how Catco was sold that is bothering me… a blind trust fund, really?! As you said, ambitious people “place someone competent in charge of keeping it intact.” This is Cat’s legacy. Don’t you think it’s awfully OOC that Cat had zero involvement in who bought her company? That she (presumably) wasn’t even aware that Edge was trying to buy…
Published
Question of Smoke 