The History Of Lucy Butler

[Guest lilblackgirl]

Being stuck at home for the last few days, i was catching up on my season 3 eps and watched Antipas and Saturn Dreaming of Mercury and started to wonder about Lucy Butler and where the character came from, her back story and who she really is. Personally, i don't know that i have an opinion to offer as to who or, more importantly, what she really is. Is she a human? A demon (in human costume)?

I don't recall a backstory on her ever being explained. She just sort of appeared one episode and we all suddenly knew she was from Frank's past. What happened between them? Also (and i may be way off here, so keep me straight), but does Lucy tend to gravitate towards children to do her dirty work? I know she's been in eps where her 'influence' was on adults, but children seem to be her direction. And maybe I'm thinking this because Antipas is fresh in my mind, but even in Saturn, she appears briefly in the end with the child in the fire (which is one of my all-time favorite/creepy MM moments). And the whole sex scene between she and Frank in Antipas tends to sway my thoughts here as well.

Has she ever been explained? And if this discussion has already occurred, please forgive me. I did a search and didn't find much here in the way of her backstory.

thanks much,

LBG

[Guest ZeusFaber]

Frank and Lucy crossed paths for the first time in "Lamentation". Future episodes which hint at a history between them are all referring back to "Lamentation".

Essentially, she is one of the many forms of Evil we encounter throughout the series. Whether she is literally Satan in one of many guises, whether she is the manifestation of a demon, or just such an Evil human being that the demonic images we see are metaphorical, is entirely up to each viewer.

Like all great enigmas, Lucy is best left unexplained in this degree. She is what we make of her.

[4th Horseman]

Frank and Lucy crossed paths for the first time in "Lamentation". Future episodes which hint at a history between them are all referring back to "Lamentation".

Essentially, she is one of the many forms of Evil we encounter throughout the series. Whether she is literally Satan in one of many guises, whether she is the manifestation of a demon, or just such an Evil human being that the demonic images we see are metaphorical, is entirely up to each viewer.

Like all great enigmas, Lucy is best left unexplained in this degree. She is what we make of her.

ZF - i agree..i dont recall any attempt to explain her "origions", it was just an accepted fact that she was who she was. I dont think delving into her background would have added anything to the storyline. I personally dont think the evil she represented was necessarily any greater than that of The Judge, Aleister Pepper, etc, but because she was FEMALE made the conflict with Frank stand out to a greater degree.

The Fourth Horseman

[vain68]

There is a good exegesis of what 'she' was over on Sarah Jane Redmond's cite; I urge all to review this; essentially, she was an incarnation of Legion, but as 4th points out, it's the polymorphous nature of her character, and the fact that we can mold her to what we 'perceive' that makes her so special.

VV

[Guest A Stranger]

It's also implied that Lucy, the form of Lucy anyway, is very old in "A Room Without a View." My view of Lucy is simply that she is the Devil. The idea of "Legion" is that the Devil takes many forms but is the same entity with the same goals. When Lucy reveals herself as the same demon Frank saw in "Gehenna" it begame clear it was not just acid or symbolic interpretation. Lucy was just the form that seemed to show up more than once. I saw her more as the Devil's favorite. Lucy delights in her crimes and gets off ****ing with Frank more than any other form of Legion.

I really liked how the Polaroid Stalker started in "Paper Dove." The impression I got was that he waas Legion as well and it showed how Legion spreads his evil by helping and encourging men to violence. This idea is echoed by Frank in "Antipas" when he asks Lucy "Did you just watch? Or did you do the murders yourself?"

[Guest Gatekeeper]

It's not really explained where Lucy Butler came from but one thing is certain. Lucy Butler is not the Devil per se but the Devil's servant.

Hence her name makes sense.

LUCY (Lucifer) BUTLER (Servant)

ie. Lucifer's Servant.

[The Old Man]

That's my take on it too Guru. She is one of many minions of Satan but it would have been interesting to know if she had any particular 'rank' amongst them.

[Guest chagrin]

It's not really explained where Lucy Butler came from but one thing is certain. Lucy Butler is not the Devil per se but the Devil's servant.

Hence her name makes sense.

LUCY (Lucifer) BUTLER (Servant)

ie. Lucifer's Servant.

Well, thanks for completely deflating my big head balloon!

Except, I always believed she was in fact Lucifer, just the way her character was wrote, or the way she played it - she was way too cool, evil and calculating to be a minion only. Just my opinion of course.

Edited October 30, 2005 by chagrin

[Guest lilblackgirl]

she was way too cool, evil and calculating to be a minion only. Just my opinion of course.

actually, she lost it at the end of Antipas when she was in the hospital bed talking to Frank.

[The Old Man]

That was a great scene!