Why did Robbie have to die?

[Mark Arbour]

I’ve gotten some feedback from readers, asking me plaintively why Robbie had  to die.  Here’s why:

 

This story is historical fiction, and history affects the family and the characters strongly.  My historical purpose is to try and recall an event, or a time, by seeing the characters deal with those events.  Some events are big enough (and bad enough) that it costs us lives.  For Vietnam, we sacrificed Andre.  For the Cold War, we lost Billy Schluter.   We lost many to AIDS, and a couple to drugs and alcohol.  In my opinion, the attacks on 9-11 profoundly affected this country, probably more than Vietnam.  The sheer tragedy of the event demanded a similarly tragic impact on the family.  It simply would not be reasonable, based on the prior experiences of the story, for something so horrific to go without costing us a main character.    Part of me thinks that would almost be disrespectful, in a weird, twisted, pagan-sacrifice kind of way. 

 

So why did it have to be Robbie?  He was a good character, because while he was generally likeable, he was also flawed, stubborn, and erratic.  And kinky.  Huggable, and fuckable: a good character.  It really has nothing to do with the “Hayes curse”,  although that is a wonderful mythological foil.  Robbie’s death satisfies the pagan gods of history, but it also opens up a wide variety of future plot opportunities.  He touched so many lives in CAP.  I have Frank dealing with his death, and I wonder how that will impact his health, and his relationship with Isidore.  JP will probably remember Robbie fondly, as a son to be proud of; but Stef will bear some residual guilt, wondering if he treated Robbie fairly.  Brad will have to grapple with losing his soul mate, even as he tries to determine whether they were really all that good for each other.  And he’ll have to start dating again, getting into the whole 40-year-old guy who’s single thing.   Even in Millennium, he always knew (deep down) that he would end up with Robbie.  That can’t happen now.  Then there are his four sons, all of whom will have to adapt to Robbie's absence in their lives.  You can make a credible case for all of them being severely effected, but I think JJ and Darius will have it the toughest.  

 

There were alternatives to consider instead of Robbie.  Brad could have died, or Stef, but they are both too pivotal, rivaling JP as cornerstones of the story.  A character like Matt, or Wade, would have created a tragic loss, but they would not have impacted the entire family to the degree that Robbie does.   In other words, they were too peripheral, as were Ace (and Cass), Claire (and Jack), or Gathan and his relatives.   Robbie wasn’t offed to end some curse (although, as noted, that’s a cool concept), he was killed to illustrate the pain and horror that was 9-11, and because he was the best candidate to do that and to help move the story along.

 

And the final thing is that doing what he did, charging back up the stairs, through the flames and the smoke, is illogically heroic.  It's not something Brad, Stef, or JP would probably have done, because they'd have their minds firmly fixed on their responsibilities.  And it's not something that Darius or Will would have done, because that's just too extreme for someone at their age/developmental level.  But doing something noble like that really does fit the character that Robbie was. 

RIP Robbie Hayes (1963-2001). 

Edited September 12, 2013 by Mark Arbour

[rjo]

I understand your explanation, but it still makes me sad., and maybe that is the point of it.

[BeysJoshersLepton V2]

I agree Rjo, I don't have to like it. I was rather grumpy this morning when I reread it but it makes sense in a crappy sort of fantastic writing/story development way. 

[Kitt]

Agreed gentlemen, had to happen but I don't have to like it.  And of course had he chosen Brad for the sacrifice, while it would have had a similar effect of shaking the entire family, It would have eliminated an entire thread of the story. With both Brad and Janine gone there would have been no issue left to settle over the emancipation. I can easily see the tragedy completely changing how both Brad and Will feel about things, but there is still a lot of work to do to get someplace where they can be happy together.

[Hermetically Sealed]

Hmm. I'm going to have to be slightly contrarian in answering the question "Why did "character x" have to die" and say, they didn't. No character has to die. Rather, it is merely another tool for driving plot that is sometimes useful. Sometimes it is a matter that, for continuity sake, it makes sense to happen. Other times, it is a matter of adding to the poignancy of the story. And then there is just the random "shock" factor, or clueless indifference that tends to be used by many authors. The first two categories usually are not casually used, while those prone to using the latter are authors who generally don't put much thought into the matter.

 

Did Robbie have to die? I don't think so. Was it unreasonable for it to happen? Not really. That said, I am disappointed (for several reasons that really don't need going in to), but I think his existence was on shaky ground since Paternity, along with Jeanine's. Even before 9-11 started there was hints that a primary character might die, and with Robbie's (and Jeanine's) redemption arc throughout 9-11, their fate seemed pretty certain to me long before we got to the actual day.

 

In the end, it's Mark's world, and his characters to do with in the manner he feels is most conductive to the story he has imagined. And that's really I think all that can be said.

Edited September 13, 2013 by Hermetically Sealed

[Daddydavek]

Did Robbie have to die?   Of course not.  

Did 9-11 have to happen?  Of course not.

Am I glad that both happened?  Of course not.

 

Am I grateful that Mark Arbour chose to have his CAP series deal with this story line in a compelling and realistic manner?   Most assuredly!  

 

 I think Brad and Stefan were very lucky to escape the elevator and then their building.   I also think Will, Darius and Maddie were very lucky to escape their building as well.  From the set-up, it was entirely conceivable that JJ and JP would be the only survivors and I have to admit that worried me a lot.   

[T.O.]

Robbie was my favoite character in CAP and I am disappointed that we never saw the world through his perspective but his death just shows how even though he made alot of people angry, we all loved him to bits and pieces. *Trying hard not to cry* I am hoping that his death will bring JJ closer to his family and I'm almost certain he (JJ) and Brad's relationship will grown following this tragedy. His sons aside I am really worried about Brad. He pretends to be strong and all but Robbie was his world, his everything. How does one move from that?

Above and beyond all the wrong choices that were associated with his character, from the beginning really, his family and readers will probably remember the warm hearted, kind, pillar of strength that he was. We met him a great guy he died an even better man. Btw something to smile about: he didnt reach the dreaded 40! RIP Robbie

[centexhairysub]

I still have my fingers in my ears, my eyes closed, and my head shaking NO NO NO...

[Westie]

I think that if, as a writer, you are going to put your characters into situations where there is danger, if they were to come out miraculously unscathed every time it would become unbelievable...

[Kitt]

Robbie was my favoite character in CAP and I am disappointed that we never saw the world through his perspective

Yet. I don't think Mark has quite finished with the day and how different people in the story have felt as things unfolded. It is entirely possible we may see the hour between the first impact and the second collapse through more eyes yet, and Robbie could still be one of them.

[mmike1969]

I still have my fingers in my ears, my eyes closed, and my head shaking NO NO NO...

Don't worry. This was all a dream. Robbie is in a coma from when he got attacked in Be Rad. He is going to wake up and everything after Be Rad was his dream over 20 years.

 

Mark is just going to have to re-write Bloodlines and go forward from that. We can skip Summer of Love since few people liked Marcel

 

No but seriously. RIP Robbie.

[GLH]

Someone's been watching too many "Dallas" reruns...

Edited September 12, 2013 by GLH

[Westie]

Don't worry. This was all a dream. Robbie is in a coma from when he got attacked in Be Rad. He is going to wake up and everything after Be Rad was his dream over 20 years.

 

Mark is just going to have to re-write Bloodlines and go forward from that. We can skip Summer of Love since few people liked Marcel

 

No but seriously. RIP Robbie.

 

Yeah.... JP is in a coma from the car crash in 1963 and Andre, Jeff and everyone else are all still alive too....

 

Nahhhh.... writings got to move us forward.  Sorry guys, but Robbie is like Jeff, someone to add to the CAP hall of fame.  You can always revisit him by re-reading the older stories.

[mmike1969]

JP in a coma?

I'm in.

 

Yes I have watched Dallas re-runs. Except for the 9th season, I got it either on DVDs or downloads.

[rjo]

Please forgive me, but why does Robbie's death affect us so much? More than the others? He was there in the center of the story since Brad met him almost 25 years ago. I didn't always agree with him, sometimes I was upset with him, but he always was able to forgive and be forgiven. Will called him the glue which held Brad's family together. Who will do that now? Brad once wondered if he would be able to survive the losses JP had to live with. Now we will see if he can. Robbie's death hits us to the core. It was not just something that happen to people we did not know, but Robbie was a friend someone we cared about. Someone we will miss. Long ago Jeff Hayes died. Readers were upset about that, but this is different. Robbie was thinking more about others than himself. That was who he was. Are we sad Robbie is gone? Yes! We are not only upset for his death but also upset for the family which he leaves behind. The family will have to work together more than ever before to make it through. They will have to be strong, very strong. So we ask goodbye to Robbie, as we must, but remembering who he was, the kind, loving, selfless person. He was not perfect, but an outstanding partner, father and friend, and hero! What more can we say?

[Westie]

Please forgive me, but why does Robbie's death affect us so much? More than the others? He was there in the center of the story since Brad met him almost 25 years ago. I didn't always agree with him, sometimes I was upset with him, but he always was able to forgive and be forgiven. Will called him the glue which held Brad's family together. Who will do that now? Brad once wondered if he would be able to survive the losses JP had to live with. Now we will see if he can. Robbie's death hits us to the core. It was not just something that happen to people we did not know, but Robbie was a friend someone we cared about. Someone we will miss. Long ago Jeff Hayes died. Readers were upset about that, but this is different. Robbie was thinking more about others than himself. That was who he was. Are we sad Robbie is gone? Yes! We are not only upset for his death but also upset for the family which he leaves behind. The family will have to work together more than ever before to make it through. They will have to be strong, very strong. So we ask goodbye to Robbie, as we must, but remembering who he was, the kind, loving, selfless person. He was not perfect, but an outstanding partner, father and friend, and hero! What more can we say?

 

We mourn Robbie so much because in his imperfection we see ourselves and our own loved ones.  That's why this hits us so hard.

[Kitt]

Yeah.... JP is in a coma from the car crash in 1963 and Andre, Jeff and everyone else are all still alive too....

 

Nahhhh.... writings got to move us forward.  Sorry guys, but Robbie is like Jeff, someone to add to the CAP hall of fame.  You can always revisit him by re-reading the older stories.

Why can i see portraits done from photographs of the lost cap family members being added to the great hall and Andre's statue now?

 

Good thing the hall is so large. Someone said something about cap stories all being happy endings.  So why do we have  Andre, Jeff, Sam, Rodger, Mouse, Billy, Tonto, Marie Crampton, Greg and several others who's portraits we could include?

Edited September 12, 2013 by Kitt

[mmike1969]

I am sure Mark will just reboot CAP like Star Trek or like the comic "for better or worse".

 

Can you imagine? Robbie being in Palo Alto during "If it Fits", pulls a gun out and shoots Brian dead during his initial interview with Stef?

[centexhairysub]

Funeral Blues

• by W. H. Auden (1907-1973)

Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,

Prevent the dog from barking with the juicy bone.

Silence the pianos and, with muffled drum,

Bring out the coffin. Let the mourners come.

 

Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead

Scribbling in the sky the message: “He is dead!”

Put crepe bows around the white necks of the public doves.

Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.

 

He was my north, my south, my east and west,

My working week and Sunday rest,

My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song.

I thought that love would last forever; I was wrong.

 

The stars are not wanted now; put out every one.

Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun.

Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood.

For nothing now can come to any good.

[davewri]

Mark in all of his infinite wisdom chose Robbie.  It hurts us because we see these characters as real people we have grown to know. 

 

 

 

I hope this fork in the road does not lead to reading very much coming from JJ.  Of all the characters in this saga,  JJ does not appeal to me.

[PrivateTim]

Shoulda been Tony...........

 

I actually find JJ interesting especially from the complexity of his character.

[mmike1969]

Shoulda been Tony...........

 

I actually find JJ interesting especially from the complexity of his character.

You are assuming he was NOT at the WTC. Mark could write a paragraph saying he was there.

[centexhairysub]

Shoulda been Tony...........

 

 

 

You are assuming he was NOT at the WTC. Mark could write a paragraph saying he was there.

 

 

Tim had been so serious and his comments so ongoing on this issue I really kept expecting one of the characters to yell out, " My God, I am sure that body that just fell past us falling into obllivion was Tony...".

[mmike1969]

Tim had been so serious and his comments so ongoing on this issue I really kept expecting one of the characters to yell out, " My God, I am sure that body that just fell past us falling into obllivion was Tony...".

The only reason why Mark did NOT put that in was because this is the serious part of the story and we all would of started laughing if that was printed.

 

And the whole world would of heard Tim yell "f*** yeah!"... Just saying.

[T.O.]

Shoulda been Tony...........

 

I actually find JJ interesting especially from the complexity of his character.

Shoulda been Tony...........

 

I actually find JJ interesting especially from the complexity of his character.