Cynthia McEachin (Original Cindy)
What is she?: Human
Biography:
Original Cindy is a woman trying to survive in a dystopian world
working as a bike messenger for Jampony. She has little money, no family
but some firm friends - particularly Max. After Logan, she’s the first
person in Max’s circle to learn she’s a transgenic - and of course she
has Max’s back
What We love about her:
While in many ways Cindy is a stereotype, she’s also someone who
embraces her life and her identity on her own terms in her own way.
She’s a Black Lesbian and while she does have strong elements of the
Sassy Black friend about her, she also has a fully fleshed background
that explains who and why she is: the personality she has built, the
person she wants to be, the person she chose to be and why. She is
powerfully resistant to repression, will not be intimidated and, in the
beginning, had her own agendas and her own life. Even surrounded by
super-powered beings, Cindy still has value and purpose and she’s not
only a powerfully good friend to Max, but it’s also clear Max cares for
her as well which is missing so much in speculative fiction. Cindy is
even used to address some issues in the understated way Dark Angel
managed - class, code switching, even Black hair.
What we hate about her:
Well there is an element of sassy Black Gay Friend about her, even with
a strong personality under it. More sadly is that the one love interest
she was allowed was killed off in the same episode - despite often
talking about almost dates, they’re never developed and she remained
single. But the worst thing to happen to Original Cindy was season 2.
From fully actualised character to token sidekick in 2 seconds flat.
She’s missing many episodes, has bit parts otherwise and is generally
there to say “there there Max, there there” when she’s angsting about
her relationship with Logan. She becomes a non-character and they resort
to having Normal make disparaging remarks about her being part of
“sapho’s sisterhood” to remind us she’s a Lesbian.
Television Series: Dark Angel
