u/JUSTxRIGHT

This has been bugging me a while, and I recently heard someone else question it as well. So now I gotta ask, what is the point of Tamlin? His character that is?

Was he really meant to be an abuser with anger issues the whole time? Was he the villain we needed or the villain we deserved?

If the tithe is meant to be cruel, then why does Tamlin not act cruel in this scene. Rhysand breaks Keir's arm and tells everyone to not heal it. If Tamlin is supposed to be so horrible why doesn't he do anything like that?

Why is the worst thing Tamlin has done, supposedly kill Rhysand's mother and sister, part of a dubious story with no witnesses? Why not just make this an ironclad plot point? Make him a true villain.

If he was always intended to be an abuser, then why does he immediately apologize after his magic explodes? Why does he then go on to reduce the sentries like Feyre asked. Why doesn't he say 'look what you made me do' after?

If he has such bad anger issues why does he never lash out against Rhysand, his main nemesis? Rhysand even punches Tamlin in the face and instead of blowing up he stays calm. Why? How?

If he is so bad why does he save the day in ACOWAR? Multiple times. That role could have gone to anyone else, why is it Tamlin each time?

WHY? WHY? WHY?

My working theory is that SJM wanted to do the same twist again, bad guy actually turns out to be the good guy. The High Lord meeting is meant to be Tamlin's chapter 54, and while I became a Tamlin fan after it a lot of people did not.

I think Tamlin's twist really just didn't land with most readers, so instead the narrative has pivoted.

Now we get random characters saying just how much they hate Tamlin. Not even specific reason, just 'I'll never forgive him after what he's done'. What exactly is that? Care to be specific? No, why?

We have scenes of Rhysand going to him just to bully him. Even though it's counter to his goal of not letting Spring fall so Autumn can invade.

Tamlin's misery feels like Fanservice at this point. The fans love to hate him. I really don't think hating him was the original goal though. But fans eat up hating him so much I can't exactly blame SJM for the pivot.

But what do you all think? Was Tamlin always destined to be the villain? Or do you think his character was meant to be more complex, but our current age of black and white morality has tainted his character?

NOOOOOOOOOO! 😭😭😭

So What's the Point of Tamlin?