Before last night, I hadn't seen Peter Pan in years,the stage musical or otherwise, but as a little kid, I loved the 1960 Mary Martin version, never questioning Peter's antics or why a 47 year old woman was playing a pre-pubescent boy.
That all changed last night!!! Watching NBC's Peter Pan as an adult made me realize what a stone cold garbage monster Pete is!
Like, at best Peter is a total dick, at worst, he's a high functioning sociopath who despite being, what, like, 100 years old? stalks and manipulates barely pubescent girls into coming away with him to clean his house and tell him what a hero he is, nearly getting them killed in the process. Then he sends them home, but only after telling them some sob story about how after choosing to run away as an infant, he decides years later to return home, only to be completely insulted that his parents didn't leave a light on for him like they're running a goddamn Motel 6. Peter gives these girls some damp eyes and a lip quiver, makes them promise to keep their bedroom window unlocked for when he wants to come back, only to actually fly through that window 30 years later to tell them their hands are too crepe-y to go back to Neverland, but can he please have your 12 year old daughter, you old gutter witch?
Also: was Christopher Walken thinking of Natalie Wood when he had to walk the plank or no?
