"A Whiter Shade of Pale" by Procol Harum

This is one of those songs you've definitely heard before but never knew who sang it. It's one of those dream-like songs from the late 60s that you're not sure really existed outside your mind, until you hear it in the background of a show or movie. Every couple of years, this song pops into my head, which eventually gets me yearning to watch "The 10th Kingdom." "The 10th Kingdom" is one of my favorite mini-series of all time. Weird favorite to have but it's definitely up there with "Gormenghast" (it's okay if you've never heard of this one, because it's rather obscure....my sister and I discovered it on PBS and were obsessed momentarily) and "Pride & Prejudice" (the one with Colin Firth....which is the only acceptable adaptation of P&P in existence). "The 10th Kingdom" is your typical quest story, with a female protagonist named Virginia. As you may have guessed, it's a twisted fairytale, where the fantasy world is just as fantastic as one would hope but still weirder than anyone could imagine. This is the point in my rant where I point out that I had a celebrity crush on one of the lead characters - yes, Virginia's love interest was exactly my type. Wolf, played by Scott Cohen, is a roguish werewolf with shaggy hair, piercing eyes, and a perpetual five o'clock shadow. Throughout the mini-series, he struggles with taming his animalistic instincts (which is mostly just being sex-crazed and overtly aggressive in his romantic pursuit of Virginia) because it always seems to get him (or Virginia) into trouble. He's also torn because he has inadvertently fallen in love with Virginia, but he's pledged allegiance and loyalty to the Evil Queen (more on that later). Overall, Wolf is a surprisingly complex character because, as the story progresses, his narrative reveals why he is the way he is. Because the viewer sees this development, it becomes understandable and even desirable for him to get his happy ending, too, in spite of the "bad" choices he makes in the beginning of the series.

Scott Cohen as "Wolf" in "The 10th Kingdom"

As much fun as Wolf adds to the plot, we mustn't forget that "The 10th Kingdom" is ultimately about Virginia's story. When we first meet Virginia, she's a responsible waitress living a predictable and lonely life in New York City. We learn that, at some point, her mother abandoned her and that she's spent the majority of her childhood looking after a lovable but somewhat foolish father. She's not really interested in doing much of anything, including dating. Thus, the stage is set - our Hero, who believes in nothing but the mundane world she knows, will now be met with Destiny and be called to adventure. That adventure turns up in the form of a golden retriever, who is actually a prince from a fantasy realm you can only get to via mirror portal. Of course, she thinks it's just a dog at first, until weird shit starts happening, including the arrival of a handsome stranger who keeps threatening/joking that he's going to eat her (you can read into that as much as you want...I'm not going to spell it out for you). Long story short, she ends up in a quest to the 9th Kingdom (in case you were wondering, the 10th Kingdom is NYC) to return the Prince to his rightful form and function.

As I've mentioned before, in The Hero's Journey, there comes a point where the Hero must address long-standing issues and underlying pain with one or both of their parents - The Atonement of the Father. In the Heroine's Journey, this is often in the form of Reconciliation with the Mother. In Virginia's case - although she is hesitant to admit it - her mother's abandonment has left a deep wound. She blames herself for her mother leaving and, thus, has been avoiding happiness and intimacy. Eventually, we discover that the Evil Queen is Virginia's mother, who ran away to the 9th Kingdom after having a mental breakdown and nearly drowning Virginia. The audience learns that Christine married Virginia's father, but subsequently fell out of love and became disillusioned with her life. Instead of facing that reality, she chose to escape to a fantasy world instead. Towards the end of the series, Virginia has an opportunity to confront her mother for having abandoned her. I can't remember the details exactly, but it wasn't a pleasant conversation. Unfortunately, in some stories, the protagonist's fears are confirmed. Their mother really didn't love them or their father is disappointed in them and will never be proud. This is just another trial the Hero must see through 'til the end. At the end of Virginia's quest, the Evil Queen is still intent on continuing her plot for world domination and will stop at nothing to make it happen. Virginia ends up killing her mother in self-defense, which saves the 9 Kingdoms, but will certainly add tons more in therapy costs when she returns to New York.

She said, 'There is no reason'

And the truth is plain to see

But I wandered through my playing cards

And would not let her be

One of sixteen vestal virgins

Who were leaving for the coast

And although my eyes were open

They might have just as well've been closed

Joseph Campbell asserts wholeheartedly that we are able to apply the Hero's Journey in our own lives, so what can we take away from Virginia's story? I think it's a lot about facing uncomfortable truths, especially those about our parents. This is hard. For children, their parents seem like mythological figures, particularly in the first few years. It's not until we're disappointed by our parents that we begin to realize that they are mere mortals, like us. That they had/have their own dreams and aspirations, their own pain, and definitely their own insecurities. As a parent, I know I myself feel the pressure to maintain that facade of being the all-knowing, all-wonderful Mom, but that's not reality. And I've always believed that honesty is the best policy when it comes to children, because the thing that makes children feel the most insecure is when they aren't given the opportunity to understand what's going on. Obviously, children don't need to know everything about a situation - no one does - but they at least need know enough to recognize that it's not their fault. I am lucky that, in recent years, I've received more clarity about my childhood. That's allowed me to not only to show compassion and forgiveness towards my parents, but also towards myself. That's part of the Hero's Journey, too. To not only recognize your faults, but to embrace them, because they will help you understand what you need to continue with the journey.

"A Whiter Shade of Pale" Video