Apparently, all was not well.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child elicited many feelings. Some were good, some bad, and some indescribable. So, in short, it was exactly what one would expect with another Harry Potter story.

Below is a list of a few major points that went into my overall view of the play. Elements under consideration were characterization, consistency with previous books/lore, plot, writing, and overall storytelling.

WARNING: THERE BE SPOILERS AHEAD.

The Good

The relationships in Cursed Child, as with its literary predecessors, shined the brightest. From new to old, familiar to uncomfortable, there is no denying that the world of Harry Potter is bursting with colorful, developed, and unforgettable characters.

While there are many different relationships with equal amounts of stage time, the two that stood out were the father-son relationship of Harry and Albus Potter and Albus's blossoming friendship with Scorpius Malfoy. Harry and Albus's relationship is strained, strong, and stressful to read—basically like any real-life father-son relationship. Harry will do anything to protect his son from the horrors he faced at his age and from the darkness that he believes threatens him. Sometimes, that causes him to act irrationally (which will be detailed later), he does see the errors of his ways after a confrontation with Draco Malfoy of all people—another relationship that I enjoyed seeing play out on the page.

The relationship of Albus and Scorpius was a breath of fresh air, a dynamic duo whose adventures rival that of The Golden Trio themselves. The way the characters compliment each other, play off of each other, is a true delight to read. A pure friendship (though some parts of the internet already believe otherwise) that conquerors all. And isn't that what Potter is all about? Scorpius follows Albus through time itself, even when his conscience tell him otherwise. He knows what they are doing is wrong but does it anyway. This is very telling of how he regards Albus and also makes the reader feel more at ease, letting them know that they aren't the only ones who think Albus's plan is more than a little far-fetched.




The glimpse into the future that Cursed Child provides, namely the careers of our favorite characters, was also a high point.  I think ya'll know where I'm going with this.

HERMIONE AS THE MINISTER OF MAGIC IS BAE.

#SorryNotSorry

In all seriousness, though, I feel like this detail is super important. Not only because it's Hermione Granger and she is a character that deserves the world on a silver platter, but also because she is one of the strongest female characters of the last decade. Even if you don't agree, you can't deny that she is easily one of the most prominent feminist literary heroines of recent memory. She taught thousands, if not millions, of young girls (including myself) that it's okay to be unapologetically smart and know exactly what you want. Now that we have affirmation that she continued being the BAMF that she is post-Hogwarts and reached the pinnacle of influence in the British Wizarding World is nothing short of incredible. Especially in a world where we have a so many female leaders in power or campaigning for it on a major ticket.

The world around us is evolving everyday and the arts are one of the many reflections that can showcase that for future generations to observe. Hermione Granger continues to influence the world nearly ten years after her final chapter was written. Hats off to you, Minister! Except for the part where you hid a Time-Turner in a bookcase. I mean how could Smartest Witch of Her Age think that was a good idea? Especially when at eleven years old she helped Harry Potter find the Sorcerer's (Philosopher's) Stone by surpassing very similar methods to hide a powerful magical object? 

(Answer: Because plot, that's why.)




Scorpius Malfoy is the obvious breakout star of this script. He's funny, smart, and completely the opposite of what I expected in the best of ways. He is Albus's voice of reason while also just flawed enough to make his own mistakes (Rule number one of hesitant time travel: Don't keep the faulty time turner.). His lines were funny, smart, heart-wrenching, and sometimes a combination of all three. The fact that such a kind, dorky, hilarious person was brought up by Draco Malfoy is also a telling detail of not only Scorpius's character but Draco's as well. It was a shame the only true moment we saw between them was in an alternate universe.

It wouldn't be a Harry Potter story without one very potent theme: Love conquers all. It's a familiar theme, but a welcome one. It made the story feel familiar—made the play feel like slipping into an old, comfy pair of slippers. Sure, they're a bit warn but they still fit you perfectly and provide a toasty place to kick up and relax.

Yes, of course there is adventure and strings of darkness strumming ominously in the undercurrent, but above all else the story is about the power of love. But instead of discovering this, as that was the job of the first seven books, Cursed Child was about rediscovery. The final scene with Harry and Albus cements this, as cheesy as it is. And though I haven't seen the play, there is a definite 112% chance that Hedwig's theme follows the final line. I mean, it would be a missed opportunity if it didn't.

*puts on Writer's Cap*

It's not often that reading a play can be enjoyable. In my experience, it can fall rather flat unless you invite a few friends over and do a read-through. Plays are written to be seen and not read; they are a mixture of visuals and writing that compliment each other effortlessly. If it's well-done, that is.

While it's unclear whether it was because of the familiar characters, the readability of the stage directions, or the thickness of the hardbound script, there were moments I forgot I was reading a play. The images projected into my brain as if they had always been there, the voices echoing in my eardrums as if reading the lines right next to me.

Those moments were often interrupted by me pulling away from the the script and asking: "Can you really do that on a stage?" I'm not sure of the answer because—as previously mentioned—I haven't seen the actual play, but reading depictions of time travel and wizard dueling always made me take pause, trying to suss out just how a production team could make that happen. Conclusion: Their budget is easily worth thousands of galleons. If one of the purposes of releasing this script was to get people to see the play... it's safe to say I have an urge to book a ticket to London just to see the magical effects play out in the West End.

The Bad

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Part II was a hot mess. There were moments that were enjoyable, seeing alternate universes being one, but they were far outweighed by the frankly ridiculous climax of the story. The most glaring perpetrator being the true identity of Delphi "Diggory".

The pairing of Voldemort and Bellatrix was something straight out of fanfiction lore, which is a crime unto itself. But it was the timeline of Delphi's conception that really raised more questions than answers. If Bellatrix gave birth to the child around the time of the Battle of Hogwarts, wouldn't it have been apparent in Deathly Hallows? I mean, Harry is pretty thick (there are plenty of reasons he's not in Ravenclaw, guys, let's be real), but he would definitely have noticed if Bellatrix looked a bit different than the last time he saw her.


Part II started out innocently enough with Scorpius trying to get Albus back and fix the world they had royally screwed up, but the way it was done left too many questions and plot holes (some of which will be addressed later) to be taken seriously. In lieu of this, perhaps splitting the play into two parts wasn't the greatest call. While it is an interesting concept to see two plays that tell one overarching story, because of the many issues with the second part it's hard to defend it as being anything more as a money grab. And while that might be true, the mediocre conclusion to an otherwise promising plot makes one think otherwise.

Believe me, it pains me to say that just as much as it pains you to read it.




Some things are better left unsaid.

The concept of Harry and Dumbledore reconnecting was interesting, I'll give it that much. Many readers had to wonder if Harry or McGonagall (two people who were the closest to Dumbledore when he was alive) had conversations or consulted his portrait postmortem. When the first conversation came up between Harry and the portrait, it was a pleasant surprise. I didn't expect our favorite bearded wizard to make an appearance, but his is always a welcome presence. It was also nice to see that Harry, even after all these years, still sought his guidance. And Dumbledore, as evasive as ever, was not much help but still made his wisdom apparent.

The second conversation is a different story.

The entire scene felt as though it was written for atonement's sake. That it's only reason for being included at all was to have Dumbledore apologize for how he treated Harry which, granted, Harry deserved, but not from a portrait. The whole scene felt forced when it should have tugged at the heartstrings. The scene was glaringly unnecessary.

Cursed Child is a new play with a new story to tell. Yes, the familiar characters are a pleasure to see again but some memories from the past deserve to stay there. Some things are never resolved in life and that's okay. Perhaps if this conversation happened off stage, if it was mentioned in a passing remark by McGonagall or Harry, it would have a different, more digestible feel. As it is, I still cringe thinking about it.




I've already shared my feeling about Delphi's role in the play as one giant plot hole, so I won't repeat that. I believe Hermione's regrettable decision to hide a Time-Turner in a bookcase can also count as one. Now, I'll focus on two other discrepancies that made me go "Wait, what?!"

(These are far from the only plot discrepancies, but in the interest of time, I've narrowed it down to the ones that really struck a chord)

1) Cedric Diggory. No matter what anyone says, I will never believe that Cedric was the type of person to become a Death Eater just because he was embarrassed during the Triwizard Tournament. Viktor Krum, maybe. But Cedric Diggory was painted as a kind, smart, and an altogether good person during Goblet of Fire. He and Harry teamed up to win the Cup just before he died. He told Harry how to activate the egg before the second task even though it would lessen his chances of winning. He was a good person. Embarrassment wouldn't turn him to the dark side. It just wouldn't.

2) Harry's Possessiveness. This was previously mentioned but needs more elaboration. Harry Potter was a child of an abusive household. So, when he chooses to track his own son using the Marauder's Map and threatens punish him if he disobeys, it didn't sit too well. Harry's frustration of not being able to connect with his son was understandable at the beginning . "Admitting" that he didn't want Albus as his son was a natural human error and one that readers could see was a grave mistake just as Harry saw it himself. But what he did in response to the tiniest hint that Albus was hanging around with a "cursed child" was anything but natural. It was completely out-of-character for someone who had been nothing but kind in the face of his past. While he did later apologize for his behavior to both his son and McGongall (who should not have put up with his crap in the first place, mind you), the entire scenario reminded me too much of how Vernon Dursley would respond. *shivers*

The Ehh

This week, the fifteenth installment of one of my favorite series, The Dresden Files, was released. I looked at it with hesitancy as the last two books haven't been that enjoyable compared to their predecessors. Harry had gotten himself in quite a predicament after the conclusion of the twelfth book, Changes, and, quite frankly, it dragged the next two plots along at a slow, dismal pace. The momentum of the series was seemingly at a standstill while Harry dug himself into a deeper hole. I also noticed a change of tone in Harry's usually sharp wit. While it's understandable after all he's been through - when you're on the fifteenth book in a series... you gotta keep in mind that it's the fifteenth book in the series. After a while, readers expect a path towards resolution and maybe even happiness for the characters. I prepared myself for a continuation of this lack of movement. Thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised.

Skin Game held many of the original elements of the series that had been missing for quite a while. Firstly, Harry was actually on a job for the first time in a few years. Since he started the series as a little-known crime-solving wizard - the original hook for the series, really - he has gained more momentum, more titles, and has gotten thrown deeper into Fae politics. Underneath all of that, the original feel of Harry going on a job, fighting the good fight, was lost. Skin Game brought that feel back and then some. While under the command of Mab, he went after one of his old foes, Nicodemus, and opened up a new doorway to the illustrious urban fantasy world that Jim Butcher has created: Greek Mythology. An automatic win, in my books. But I could be biased.

Another element that really helped regain the flavor of the series was the appearance of the entire Scooby Gang. At some point, each of the main characters (save Thomas, unfortunately) made an appearance. And they were all civil! Sort of. I'll be waiting for that Harry/Thomas brotherly awesome in the next installment, but, until then, I am very satisfied by the plethora of amazing characters I got to read.

The last hundred pages of the book were by far the most intense. Harry met a freaking Greek god, the final battle kicked a whole bunch of ass, and, in true Butcher-style, a last-minute curve ball was thrown into a plot that seemed completely covered. Also, my girly Harry/Karrin feels were very happy by the end. I honestly almost cried. Twice. I don't want to give a full play-by-play, but by the time I finished the book, I was fully satisfied while simultaneously getting impatient for the next installment.

Also while reading the book, I discovered something about my own writing, weirdly enough. I guess that whole "reading like a writer" thing actually taught me something. Anyway - I tend to break paragraphs in odd, fragmented ways when I write prose to bring attention to certain phrases/one-liners/etc. I didn't realize this tactic was unique until I took a few writing classes and got complimented on my stylistic choice. Flattered, I took it as a good sign. Little did I know that I was actually mimicking one of my favorite authors - Jim Butcher. I realized this a few chapters into Skin Game and had a little laugh. It's not uncommon for writers to adopt traits from each other. In the end, I believe everyone's style is unique while also being a hybrid of traits from others.

In conclusion, I was very happy with Skin Game. It rekindled my love for the Dresden series and made me eager for more. I have nothing but high hopes for the last few books in the series - and a few worries, obviously, but mostly on the character front. I always put a little too much emphasis on that. Oops. Anyway, I give this a 4.5/5 - there were a few minor things that didn't tickle my fancy but they were vastly outnumbered by other, better, elements.