Russo-Pennwolf Confusion
okay, am i the only one who genuinely thinks billie should’ve just been billie pennwolf instead of billie russo-pennwolf?
like, i understand why the russo part exists now. for years, billie believed she didn’t really have a family, and then she ended up living with the russos and becoming part of their household and identity. that makes sense in the context of the current story.
but before the memory wipe — back when she was actually being raised by alex and damian together — i honestly think it makes way more sense for her to simply be billie pennwolf.
before everything fell apart, billie was seemingly being raised in a stable, loving family unit. there wasn’t any confusion about who her parents were or what their relationship looked like. alex and damian were together, billie knew exactly who her family was, and the russos and pennwolfs were already connected through them. because of that, the hyphenated surname feels a little strange to me.
to me, “russo-pennwolf” unintentionally gives the vibe of separated households or a split family identity, and that just doesn’t fit alex and damian at all.
especially because the story heavily emphasizes that damian literally changed because of alex. their relationship is portrayed as deeply committed and life-changing for both of them, so i can’t really imagine them treating their family identity as divided in any way. even if billie had been born before they got married — which, let’s be honest, she probably was — i still feel like she would’ve just been billie pennwolf.
and another thing: justin and giada were probably in a very similar situation. roman was supposedly born in 2013, which would’ve made justin only around 20 or 21. there’s a pretty good chance justin and giada weren’t even married yet either, and giada obviously had her own surname before becoming giada russo. but roman is still simply roman russo.
so if roman was immediately given a single family surname, i don’t really see why billie wouldn’t’ve been too.
honestly, i could even see alex becoming alex pennwolf herself.
not because she’d be “losing” the russo identity, but because loving damian was clearly life-altering for both of them. alex changed the direction of damian’s entire life, and damian became the person alex finally softened with enough to truly build a family around. their relationship is written with a level of commitment that feels incredibly deep.
and honestly, taking someone’s last name can be a huge symbol of love, trust, and permanence. i genuinely think alex choosing to become alex pennwolf would’ve meant something really special to her.
professionally, sure — people in the wizard world would probably always know her as alex russo. but privately and legally? i honestly think she would’ve taken pennwolf without hesitation.
ANYWAYS, realistically the show will probably stick with billie russo-pennwolf, but from a story and relationship perspective, billie pennwolf honestly makes so much more sense to me.