1. Adaptation
For the past few weeks, AOJE has faced a tricky challenge regarding adaptation. It has reached the point in the story where Jane is called away from Thornfield back to her childhood home because her Aunt Reed is dying. In the original novel, Jane is gone for a month, during which time she deals with the company of her very upset (and unpleasant) cousins and, eventually, her aunt passes away. This is the kind of narrative that's especially suited to a novel, where a long stretch of time can pass in mere pages or paragraphs.
However, AOJE posts new episodes in "real time", on a strictly regulated schedule of two each week -- in order to maintain their narrative structure, Jane may very well be at her aunt's house for a very long time. This part in the novel is usually a less highlighted section, since it tears Jane away from the excitement at Thornfield Hall (namely, Rochester). In the video blog, this is even more potentially dreaded; Charlotte Bronte, after all, did not have a legion of eager shippers waiting for bi-weekly updates on their favorite will-they-won't-they couple. In this case, Jane and Rochester are poised to be parted in the narrative for a long time. Unlike reading a novel, you can't simply skim a few pages until you're back to the good stuff.
AOJE has risen to the occasion admirably, in my opinion; Jane's cousins Joanna and Liz (Georgiana and Eliza in the original novel) have taken center stage for awhile, providing moments both funny and heartrending. The adaptation has also taken the opportunity to delve more deeply into Jane's tragic childhood, which I think is an essential part of her characterization that can never be given too much attention. Again, the adaptation shows a really thoughtful and thorough understanding of the text it's based on, which I appreciate very much.
However, I did wonder if everyone would feel that way. Lately, other schoolwork kept me from observing the fandom response very closely; while watching the past few episodes, I definitely pondered whether fandom was getting a little antsy at all the time away from Rochester.
2. Social Media As Storyteller
As it turns out, Rochester hasn't been entirely absent! When I did check the 'aoje' Tumblr tag, it was to discover several screenshots of tweets that Rochester has sent to Jane in her absence. (I am, I have to admit, especially excited by this one, because Rochester's method of flirting with Jane by accusing her of being a supernatural creature is delightfully ridiculous and one of my favorite things about the original character.)
I don't actually use Twitter, but I've found I can always rely on Tumblr to post screencaps of significant tweets, and this was no exception. I discovered, upon returning to the 'aoje' Tumblr tag, that Rochester has not been entirely absent from the story, after all. Twitter has become a storytelling medium during this time apart, and so the progression of Jane and Rochester's relationship has continued even though it has not been overtly present onscreen in the episodes themselves.
Tumblr posts of Rochester's tweets have received a lot of notes. (This post has 185, and this exchange between him and Jane has 132.) This shows that viewers are aware of this Twitter side plot, and that it's considered significant enough within the world of the story that fans feel compelled to share it.
Twitter has also been used to express other key developments in the narrative -- most significantly that Rochester's (ex?) girlfriend (and potential fiancee, last we heard in the videos) Blanche Ingram has left Toronto, where the story is set. Fans were also a-buzz with speculation on Tumblr over this, musing that it indicated the demise of Rochester and Blanche's relationship.
In short, Twitter is a significant part of the narrative. Viewers who don't know about Jane and Rochester's Twitter interaction -- such as myself, for awhile -- miss out on important progress in their relationship.
3. Tumblr Fan Responses
As I mentioned earlier, I suspected that fans might be getting a little twitchy with Jane -- and therefore the narrative -- suspended at the Reeds' house. However, when I checked the actual Tumblr reactions, I was really pleased to discover an absence of complaining about getting Jane back to Rochester ASAP. Instead, fans were sincerely engaged in Jane's experiences with her relatives; some posts even offered character analyses into the motivation of Joanna and Liz, despite their statuses as minor characters. The Twitter contributions from Rochester were meticulously tracked, but Jane's side of the story -- her development in the wake of losing her aunt -- was still equally valued.
I suspect that a lot of this good will, genuine support, and understanding comes from the fact that the Tumblr AOJE fans know that the cast and crew of the show are present on Tumblr too. Not that they're facetiously sucking up to the Powers That Be (as conventional writers and showrunners are usually called in fandom, usually with a degree of angst and resentment). Rather, I think that fans are just extra exuberant in their love for the project when they know that the creators are, in a very immediate way, part of the AOJE Tumblr community too.
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