Fanservice (Non Sexual) For Team Phantom

Phantom Broadway closed on a pretty high note on April 16th. Not only did the show close after recently marking 35 years on Broadway, but it also closed two months after leading lady Emilie Kouatchou threw the Team Phantom phanbase a bone. On January 14, 2023, Kouatchou, the first black woman to play Christine Daaé on Broadway,  said, "I love you, too," to the Phantom after he sang, "Christine, I love you," at the end of the show.

For those of you who don't know, The Phantom of the Opera phandom has three groups: Team Phantom, Team Raoul, and Team Christine. Just like Twilight has fans who have an opinion on which guy Bella should be with, Phantom has fans who have an opinion on which guy Christine should have stayed with. If you're on Team Phantom, you're of the opinion that Christine should have stayed with the Phantom. Now, not all Team Phantom phans are dewy-eyed, impressionable teenage girls who think stalking, kidnapping, murder, and manipulation are romantic. Mature and sensible Team Phantom fans who have all their screws do exist. I would know because I am one. Such fans do acknowledge the toxic and abusive nature of the Phantom and Christine's relationship. However, they also acknowledge that the Phantom's tragic past has inflicted a lot of damage and that his complex truama has impaired his ability to express love in a healthy way. His understanding of love was warped because no one showed him any.  But our compassion for the Phantom does not lead us sensible Team Phantom members to excuse, justify, or condone the Phantom's transgressions or even worse, to see them as romantic gestures. 

But what makes the Phantom & Christine's dynamic so compelling and fun to watch is the fact that it's not one-sided. Contrary to what other people think, the relationship isn't just the Phantom being possessive and power-hungry and Christine being terrified of him. Yes, the Phantom has power over Christine. But she has power over him, too, and over the course of the show, she realizes that. Christine is attracted him and she empathizes with him. And according to some phans (myself included), she did love him romantically. That's why Kouatchou as Christine saying "I love you" back to the Phantom onstage is so thrilling and satisfying for us Team Phantom phans, even though she went off script when she said that. At that moment, Christine usually doesn't say anything. So Kouatchou ad-libbed when she said, "I love you, too." Further, their shared knowledge and love of music allows them to connect in a way that she couldn't connect with Raoul.  

If you're on Team Raoul, you believe that Christine should be with Raoul. And the musical satisfies you because Christine ends up with Raoul. Everyone, regardless of which team they're on, can agree that Christine's relationship with Raoul is far healthier than her relationship with the Phantom. But that doesn't mean Raoul is perfect by any stretch of the imagination. He has a listening problem. Depending on the actor who plays him, he's inconsiderate and condescending. And he uses Christine as bait for his trap that he set for the Phantom despite the fact that she knows that the Phantom won't be easily defeated. He places her directly in the line of fire despite her warning that the Phantom will abduct her again and never let her go. 

If you're on Team Christine, you believe that she doesn't need either the Phantom nor Raoul, or any man for that matter. Like us Team Phantom fans, the musical isn't satisfying in that aspect for you. Except that we Team Phantom people are left disappointed over the fact that Christine goes with Raoul instead of the Phantom, putting aside the fact that Emilie Kouatchou satisfied us that one night by saying "I love you, too" to the Phantom. But we'll take Emilie's Christine saying "I love you" back to the Phantom because it's as close as we're going to get to canonical satisfaction, and that's not counting Love Never Dies, as that dumpster fire of a musical will never count in my book. 

So thank you, Emilie Kouatchou for that bit of fanservice to Team Phantom. And go, Team Phantom! Eristine/Phanstine for ever!