In the wake of Toy Story 4’s official trailer being released last, fans of the show are
buzzing with excitement and brimming with possible ideas on what may come to pass in
the upcoming movie.
And one of the characters seen in the trailer which has gotten a lot of attention from fans
is none other than Bo Peep.
Now, Bo Peep isn’t exactly a stranger to the series, although it must be said that
she hasn’t been seen since Toy Story 2, so her appearance was a bit of a surprise.
It looks like a lot has changed since her days in Toy Story 1 and 2.
What’s more, based on the trailer, it seems that she’ll be adopting a rather central
role in the movie -- something which fans are eagerly looking forward to.
Some fans think that she’s going to be the villain in this movie.
And although we’re not ruling that out, we’d actually like to expand upon that theory.
We believe that Bo-peep will reveal herself as a villain, so to speak, but upon reflection
-- sacrifice herself for Woody and friends.
So let’s take a look at the evidence and break it all down.
Bo-Peep’s Sacrifice
It would seem that from the trailer of Toy Story 4, Bo-Peep’s expected role in the
film seems to follow the storyline of villains seen in the previous two installments in the
Toy Story Universe.
Not counting Sid from the original film, who was essentially a serial killer in the eyes
of toys, every other primary villain was a character that presented himself as a good
guy when they were first introduced.
Remember, Stinky Pete from the second film presented himself as a nice character.
“ And of course, Lotso Huggin Bear did the same and ultimately revealed himself to be…-Well,
the most evil character ever.
Look at that sinister smirk…
Consequently, some fans expect to see yet another case of an ally having a change of
heart to side against the protagonist.
But to take a character that’s been around since the beginning of the franchise and put
them on the dark side, so to speak?
That would definitely be a first.
It would be a betrayal that could cut very deep for the characters we’ve grown to love.
Especially Woody, who’s relationship with Bo-Peep is the strongest.
At the very least, it’s quite probable that fans will see a major conflict stemming from
Bo-Peep’s new lifestyle clashing with the way of life of being played with as a toy
constantly.
It has been years since she had left to go reside in an antique shop.
Despite the fact that she lived close to a Carnival, she was practically never played
with.
In fact, she, along with the other toys in the shop, were merely items to be admired
and not necessarily to be played with.
The Carnival and the antique shop mirror a couple of things from past films.
The antique shop is reflective of Stinky Pete’s museum where toys are put on display.
And the Carnival draws a parallel to the daycare center in Toy Story 3 that at first is shown
as paradise -- but upon further inspection is revealed to be filled with corruption
According to one Reddit user, in the trailer, it would appear as though Bo-Peep has undergone
a major change in personality.
She seems to be a lot more relaxed, care-free, and generally more content living as she is
now.
She even asks Woody to come back with her to the antique shop, believing that they will
both be happier there.
This is exactly where the conflict arises.
In all likelihood, Woody is going to reject Bo-Peep’s offer.
Recognizing that Bonnie needs him, Woody will opt to stay with her and try to invite Bo-Peep
to do the same.
Needless to say, Bo-Peep will not give in to this life.
She has spent so many years living peacefully without ever being played with by a human.
She’s free to do as she pleases and does not exist for the whims and fancies of her
owner.
In many ways, this echoes the cynicism of previous villains.
Stinky Pete’s desire to be preserved in a museum and forever adored by children, and
Lotso’s cynicism when it comes to owners always abandoning their toys.
Red pill truths in their eyes that Woody, Buzz and friends are unwilling to accept.
For Bo-peep, she’s living in paradise and can’t imagine going back to living with
an owner.
Consequently, the film will probably zone in on the intense, emotional tug-of-war between
Bo-Peep’s desire to be a free toy and Woody’s sense of obligation to be there for his owner.
And speaking of emotional, there are hints that Toy Story 4 fans can expect a rather
sad and emotional ending.
Actually, Tom Hanks and Tim Allen who voice Woody and Buzz Lightyear respectively have
shared in interviews that the final scene in the movie will be a definite tear-jerker.
Based on this, the most likely outcome will be that someone will die, and that person…
Many think... will be Bo-Peep.
Well, there are lots of reasons why Bo-Peep will probably be the one to die in this film.
For starters, it’s quite plausible to imagine that Bo will fall even deeper in love with
Woody, especially if he rejects her offer to go to the antique shop in order to stay
with Bonnie.
Seeing the love that he has for another will cause her to respect him even more but will
probably also break her heart.
In this moment, we will likely see a change in
Bo-Peep.
Instead of the happy, free toy we see at the beginning of the film, she’ll turn into
a dark, sad, and heart-broken character.
This is where the plot twist could come in.
She’ll probably give Woody an ultimatum: either her, or Bonnie.
Woody, sensing that Bonnie needs him more than Bo-Peep does, will side with his owner.
On the more extreme end of theories, Bo-Peep would commit suicide by throwing herself off
of a high surface, shattering into bits and pieces.
Now, this is likely a bit too dark…
Even for a Pixar film…
Although after the furnace scene, i, uh… anything is possible.
Pixar is not afraid to tackle dark themes.
But suicide is…
Well, it’s a touchy something they’d likely fear to utilize.
But death in general?
That’s always on the table.
Another possibility is that whatever route Woody and friends go in to escape and return
to Bonnie, will lead to a dead end of some sort.
And the only way past is for someone to sacrifice themselves.
Bo-peep could sacrifice herself to ensure that everyone else is able to escape.
Because she thinks that toys should be free, with nothing left to live for after her heart
was broken, it’s not far-fetched to imagine her sacrificing herself so that the other
toys can get back to their owner…
Something that she knows will never bring her happiness again.
It’s actually a really dark possibility, not only because of the death, but because
of the hopelessness and cynicism.
And before you say it’s too dark… or too cynical…Remember, Toy Story’s recurring
theme is that toys eventually are thrown away or forgotten by the people they exist to love.
How every toy in the series hasn’t had an existential breakdown by now is a miracle.
When you really break it down, Bo-peep makes for the most likely death in Toy Story 4.
As many people have pointed out, it would be very difficult to effectively kill off
a new character like Forky and still have a real emotional impact that does the series
justice.
It would probably feel like a cheap, no-risk choice with little emotional payoff.
And although it’s been stated that Toy Story 4 will be the final film in the franchise,
it’s likely that Pixar wants to keep the possibility to continue in their back pocket.
Especially given the success at the box office Toy Story 4 will undoubtedly have.
So, for that reason, killing off Woody, Buzz or Jessie is just too risky.
-Bo-peep is the perfect middle-ground choice to go with as far as character death goes.
And even though she wasn’t in the third movie, and never played the biggest role in
the series, there is a legitimate relationship between her and the other toys, which could
be a perfect setup for a dark, emotional pay-off.
Which, let’s be real, is what Pixar is building up to…
It’s what they’re always building up to.
Will Bo-Peep die of a broken heart, or will she become a martyr for all that is Toydom?
It may be a fitting end to her character and will also be a great, albeit sad plot-twist
which will leave viewers in tears.
We’re curious to know: what are your thoughts on the new Toy Story 4 trailer?
And do you think Bo-peep is going to sacrifice herself?
Do you think she’ll reveal herself to be the villain?
Let us know in the comment section below.
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But most importantly, stay wicked.