It had been a minute since I'd read part I of this duology, and I had to re-read that chunk before I could even begin my journey into this finale. Three to 3.5 may seem harsh, but calm yourselves (whoever you are). I have my reasons:
Pros/Interesting Elements
-Sexist Roles Seem Inescapable
*Although Wendy is taking care of children she loves (AKA the Lost Boys) with a person she loves/craves adventure as she does (Peter), we still get these moments of frustration that would've plagued Wendy as a housewife in her own world while being married to Rueben: chasing after kids all day, keeping them from a visibly distant/tired Peter/father figure, dreaming of the days past when the said love interest literally captured a rainbow for her.
-Darkness Looms
*Rather than a Peter Pan retelling that boasts a lush Neverland, this world is in shambles. I'm talkin' beetles feeding on the forest, dying vegetation to the point of Wendy needing to use her imagination to picture/conjure up food for their table.
*Not only are the visuals darker, but the emotions as well: Like her parents before her, Wendy and Peter must now put on brave faces for the Lost Boys, telling them not to worry when Peter's sighs carry across the house after a long day of trying to keep Neverland/the star's death at bay.
-More Than Meets the Eye
*Unlike OG Peter, this version isn't callous in the least. He feels genuine sadness when a Lost Boy decides to grow up and move on (He gets rather choked up when Wendy mentions seeing the boy turned man now contemplating marriage). Peter also takes part in the child care process, staying up late to rock a teething Slightly to sleep even after Wendy's been banished from Neverland.
-Temptation to Move On/Feminist Crit.
*Despite their sweetness, kisses shared with Wendy are dangerous. Her mere presence is a threat to Neverland because every moment Peter is alone with Wendy/dreams of deeper kisses in the future and the children they could have, means he could be convinced to grow up. And then who would cater to Neverland's needs?
*The idea that Neverland is a bit of matriarchy is an interesting concept:
1.Peter is ruled by the star, who is a woman, and loved him like a son.
2.He's beholden/in fear of not Jay (Captain Hook), but Tiger Lilly. She's the one who banishes Wendy and wields the upper hand when double crossing Peter with Jay. Jay's the one begging her to calm down/listen, trying to avoid her wrath.
3.Wendy is key to his future or demise (depending on who you ask in the story), possessing the power of influence over Peter. Her urging Peter into growing up despite being told not to could be read as "the dangerous woman" or "too stupid to live", but I prefer to see it as Wendy's autonomy.
4.Bonus: Wendy calls out Peter's cowardice, his play boy-esque behavior with her heart (AKA kissing her in the first place, playing the "what if" game with no intention of making it real). OG Wendy could never.
-On My Own
*Once Wendy's back in her world, there's an emphasis on her having to come up with plans on her own. Her brothers are stuck in Neverland, she must bargain with her would-be husband for a chance at his library, and taking down Jay with her own tactics/commanding the others he captured to follow her lead. All done without Peter/hope that he'll be able to help her. I liked that his betrayal brought out this independent/proactive streak in a usually submissive/moony eyed character.
*Wendy's not willing to give up a multifaceted motherhood: she wants to write, have adventures, all while being married out of love and raising children. While the the having children bit isn't my scene, I can appreciate/support someone who wants to have it all.
-Romance
*The "What If" Game was so sweet it gave me a toothache and their flirting wasn't too shabby either.
*Them being called "Peter and Wendy Pan" just warmed my heart.
-Family Ties
*Rather than running away further alienating Wendy from her father, it actually makes him come to her defense (literally) when her former fiancé comes to curse her out/snub Mr. Darling.
-Death of the boy=life of the man really got me.
OG Elements
-Wendy's friend Moira's back. Moira being a ref. to OG Wendy's middle name.
-Jay's got a hook for a hand after Peter cuts it off, plus a fear of crocodiles, just like OG Captain Hook, who fears hearing the tick tock of the deadly croc hunting him down.
-Peter brings the crocodile straight to Jay, and just like OG Peter does to Hook, forces him to walk the plank/dangle over the edge of the waiting crocodile.
-Wendy's got a shadow that can separate from herself and fears it will cause Peter to think she's out to kill him, much like Peter's shadow gets away from him/causing mischief in the OG story.
-Wendy wears a green stone on a necklace, gifted to her by Peter. Unlike OG Peter, he knew what the thimble she gave him represented. So, in lieu of being able to give a real kiss, this Peter returns her favor of a trinket/necklace, hoping she'll recognize it as a kiss too.
Cons
-Info Dumping
*The twist that if Neverland/the star dies, then Peter does too, is told to us with less than a hundred pages to go. Some may call that a twist, but I saw it as a soap opera cheap trick to up the stakes. Plus, Wendy's reaction was comically overdramatic. Couldn't we have seen Peter getting weaker from chapter one, rather than show him as a tired father figure? The distinction may not sound like much, but showing this idea would make a big difference.
*Mr. Darling spends three pages talking about how Wendy almost died as an infant. He does this after throwing this info on her randomly in the middle of the day. Wendy does the old soap opera "How could this happen? You're a farmer known 'round the surrounding lands for your amazing work ethic". Literally says it just like that. Girl, we already saw this with how your father's able to snag dinner with the king's magistrate/hire all multiple farmhands to work his ever expanding fields.
*King/Fae elements are sloppy. Why did we need this? These ideas made a short book drag on for way too long. Just unnecessary.
See? I do have my reasons.