Is it me, or are the main characters on TV shows created to be annoying and chaotic all the time? Anyone who’s seen Blood and Water will confirm that while the lead character, Puleng Khumalo, is lovable and smart, she can be very annoying in her mission to prove her schoolmate, Fikile, is her long-lost sister.
In honour of the return of one of my favourite high school dramas, I’m looking at all the times I almost jumped into my TV screen just so I could drag Puleng for being messy AF.
The time Wade said she looked like Fikile, and she just went with it
Everyone knows the usual response to “You and this person look-alike” is, “I don’t see it”, but not my good sis, Puleng. In the very first episode, while gate-crashing Fikile’s birthday party, Wade (a total stranger, by the way) randomly told Puleng she looked just like the birthday girl, and boom, she decided Fikile might be her long-lost sister.
Was she correct to start the investigation? Yes. Was it a bit extra? Also, yes.
Starting this whole investigation in the first place like she’s Eniola Holmes
I can’t remember the last time I saw Puleng read a book, do homework or just go for a jog. From the moment the show started, Puleng put on her Eniola Holmes hat and refused to take it off. There could be an earthquake, tsunami and jailbreak happening at the same time, and we’d still find Puleng digging through Fikile’s trash for DNA samples.
The time she tried to steal Fikile’s tampon to get her DNA sample
Talking about digging through trash, can we also go back to the time Puleng tried to fap Fikile’s used tampon in season one so she could run a DNA test? I mean, smart move doing the DNA thing, but my good sis, trying to steal someone’s tampon is a bit much. Or what do you think?
Her love triangle with KB and Wade
Puleng must really think she’s Bella Swan from Twilight or something because why was she juggling two fine ass men like it’s nothing?
There’s KB, her boyfriend and original love interest from season one, and then there’s Wade, her sidekick who told her multiple times that he liked her. To be honest, everyone is tired of the “not noticing my best friend is in love with me” trope. Even though she ended up with Wade in season two, she still kissed KB in the last episode, turning her relationship map into an actual triangle. Good job, sis.
The time she slapped Fikile (and her teammate) senseless
One thing about Puleng is she’s never going to miss an opportunity to bitch slap someone. She slapped her teammate from her old school after she made the team lose a match. Then, she decked Fikile when she found out her supposed sister was behind the leaked tape of their father’s arrest.
Puleng’s slaps are annoying because they land her in trouble every time. But I can’t help but mutter a little “Yasss, bitch” under my breath everytime it happens.
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Using KB to get an internship someone else deserved
This episode in season two confirmed that Puleng was actually written to be an annoying protagonist who would do anything to move the plot forward. Despite having zero interest in law, Puleng manipulated her relationship with KB to get an internship with his dad’s law firm, knowing other deserving students wanted the slot. Did she have a good reason? Yes. But it didn’t make her move any less shitty.
The time she tried to prove she wasn’t a drug addict by doing shady drug addict activity
In season two, when Puleng’s parents suspect she might be using drugs and call a rehab to pick her up, this babe decided to wear a hoodie, pack a bag and steal some money from her brother’s piggy bank (not the app, an actual piggy bank), so she could run away. Like, what was she trying to prove? Because if it was that she was drug-free, then she failed woefully.
When she finally revealed her investigation but didn’t drag her parents’ like small gen
African parents blaming drugs once their kids breathe different will never be wild to me. After it’s revealed Puleng isn’t a drug addict but a sergeant with Panti police station, she misses out on a wonderful opportunity to drag her parents on behalf of the rest of us. She could’ve at least hissed or rolled her eyes because they deserved small disrespect in that scene. We were rooting for you, Puleng!
Going to the hood unsupervised
Sometimes I believe Puleng wakes up every morning thinking she’s Lara Croft or an avenger. If she has any superpower or martial arts training we don’t know of, now would be a good time to share with the class. I don’t understand why she dragged Wade to the hood on an investigative trip, but of course, it ended with them being attacked by some bouncer-looking man. Puleng, abeg now.
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