Characters you HATED to see die!!: Episode 1, Alice Hardy [Spoiler Heavy]

 

Episode 1:  Alice Hardy

Ok, it’s no secret that the majority of Friday fans watch each chapter hoping to be shocked and awed by the extravagant and often explicit ways that each would be victim will be dispensed in.  It could even be argued that some characters are set up just for the payoff of rooting for and enjoying their bloody ends -  we’re looking at you Bad News Crews…

Having said that, every so often one of the films would present a demise that not only caught fans off guard, but we were actually sad to see them meet their maker.

Such a discussion could not be started without the most glaringly obvious example – our original heroine and final girl – Alice Hardy!

Alice, played of course by the iconic Adrienne King , fought her way through the original Friday the 13^th and not only was the first heroine of the series – she personally  beheaded Jason’s beloved Momma Mrs. Pamela Voorhees, played to nasty perfection by Betsy Palmer.

When Alice shows up prior to the main titles following the lengthy reprieve in the opening sequence of Friday the 13^th: Part II, seasoned genre aficionados can guess how things will go for her as opening sequence typically means opening kill.  First time viewers who tripped on the original flick will have their stomachs dropped at the idea of what will inevitably come – the death of our warrior.

While Alice displays the post-traumatic struggles of having survived the original bloodbath and clearly has not been able to move on, she also earns the cinematic medal of becoming Jason’s first official on-screen victim!  While not sure if just being haunted by the ghosts of her past, Alice’s reality comes crashing home as she discovers the decapitated fruits of her labour in her own refrigerator and backs into a now rapidly grown Jason who greets her with a friendly ice pick through the temple – cue white out, Alice fans’ tears welling, and kick-ass opening titles and theme.

Now most fans have heard Adrienne discuss how her character’s demise came to be behind the scenes; after a very serious and frightening encounter with an unbalanced fan, King requested to have minimal involvement in order to recover.  While it would have been a blast to see Alice battle Jason full tilt, fans were not let down by follow up heroine Ginny, portrayed to perfection by Amy Steel.  However, an even more intriguing notion is King’s own theory that the entire sequence is in fact all a dream of Alice’s, plagued by her Camp Blood memories!  This thought given water would postulate what those who hated seeing her offed would long to hear….maybe Alice is still after all this time a survivor!!  Who knows, maybe she is living the good life in a remote area, working on her own artwork and making wine and preparing herself to take down the offspring of her original nemesis once and for all…

For a recent and thoroughly entertaining interview with the enthusiastic Adrienne King herself, check out Idle Chatter podcast which can be downloaded through ITunes or from the website http://idlechatterpodcast.com/

For all things happening in King’s world, visit her official page where you can purchase her Friday related artwork and Crystal Lake wine!  http://adrienneking.com/

For more on Friday the 13^th Part 2, stop by the website’s page devoted to it here http://www.fridaythe13thfranchise.com/2011/06/friday-13th-part-2.html