Loneliness

Parents. Family. You love 'em. You hate 'em. You can't live with 'em because they drive you flippin' nuts! But you can't live without 'em either. How many times have you argued over something, doesn't matter if it was big or small, and thought the world would do JUST FINE if they just got off your back and ceased to exist?

What if it came true?

In "The Tribe" ... it did.

If you followed "The Tribe's" first season, you saw what the world was like 7 months or so after all the adults died. It was still raw, still violent, still the worst the chaos could be as kids struggled to come to terms with a new reality.

There was a very brief throwaway reference from Bray, talking to the Mallrats, reminding them of the worst days when the Virus began destroying everything. Bray said, "And when The Loneliness came..."

It wasn't much more than that, and I don't recall it ever mentioned again during the series' 5-year run, but I remember the powerful punch I took to the gut when I realized all he meant. "The Loneliness" was the time it finally sank in. When you realized that this was real, that the adults really were dead. They weren't coming back. What you were living wasn't a bad dream that you could wake up from...or chaos that some adult was going to show up and make everything the way it was. When that reality hit, then you could mourn. Then you could admit, at least to yourself, that you loved your parents and your brothers and sisters. You depended on the kind of life you had led more than you could know. No amount of pleading could bring that life back. No prayers. No tears.

"The Loneliness" was exactly that: You were alone. What you do, how you live...or die...all of that was in your hands whether you were old enough to handle it or not.

I think "The Loneliness" has other meanings, too. It wasn't just some condition in Tribe-world. Loneliness will hit you whether you're ready for it or not.

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

Having a Salene kinda day?

Through 5 seasons of the "The Tribe," Salene was pretty much a barometer for bad news. Bless her heart, from the beginning Salene was the one you just had to feel sorry for. Despite the fact that redheads are known for being fiery and unpredictable and vivacious ... well, Salene was anything but. Look at her track record:

Season 1---Loved Bray. Couldn't have him. Add a bad bout of bulemia and getting imprisoned to be used for a love slave (thank goodness Ryan busted her out of that situation). Yuck.

Season 2---Attacked by Lex. Totally jealous of Danni and Bray. Married Ryan then made a move on Bray right after the ceremony was over. Jeez ... And poor Ryan. His honeymoon wasn't at all what he planned for.

Season 3---Brainwashed by the Chosen. Miscarried Ryan's baby. Fell for Luke, who had already fallen for Ellie. When the Chosen were overthrown, she was totally lost and totally clueless. Finally one of the smartest moves she made, she took off to try and find Ryan who the Chosen had made "disappear."

Season 4---Didn't find Ryan. Didn't find any absolution for how she treated him. Did find a new man to focus on--Pride. And we all know Pride couldn't make a choice if his life depended on it. He was fixated on Amber, was nice to Salene, and also paid some pretty personal attention to May. Salene's luck continues.

Season 5---Pride dead. Drinking herself into a coma. It was actually May declaring her affection for Salene that snapped her out of her funk. By the time everyone was headed out of the city for new places, Salene totally needed a change of scenery.

Everybody has bad days. I've had a few myself lately. But compared to Salene's life? Pfft! Makes my problems a whole lot easier to deal with.

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"