| Forgiving Brian |
[Feb. 24th, 2009|10:49 am] |
I've been marathoning Season Two and doing okay with it (of course, I'm only on 203, so... you do the math), but realized for the last couple of days I've been in need of a cancer arc fix. And I was talking with bunny and saying that although Brian is a shit to Justin in this arc, I don't mind it as I normally would, because what he's going through would make anyone break down and potentially be an asshole.
In other words, I don't have to feel a little guilty or resentful of forgiving Brian for being a shit, and feeling like I'm being a co-dependent, excuse-making, taken-in-by-his-wounded-hero-routine sucker. I can just love him and forgive him without that lingering sense that I'm letting him walk all over me.
This is not to say I don't forgive Brian all the other times; I do. And it's not to say that I don't "understand" why he acts the way he does the other times, either. Remember the scene in the diner when Brian tells Ted he didn't save him for him, but to protect Stockwell? And Debbie says to Justin when Brian leaves that she wonders why he does that.
And Justin says, what, be an asshole?
And she says it's obvious he just saved Teddy's ass, and Justin gets a very thoughtful look on his face.
It's like that. Yes, I understand that being a complete dick is how Brian protects himself, deflects uncomfortable emotions, that it''s something he learned in his fucked-up family of origin, and that in fact, sometimes the worse Brian treats you, the more he loves you. I understand all that; I just think Brian's capable of better than that, and I would rather see him man up and be an adult, you know? Boys to men etc.
But in the cancer arc, I never feel that way. I hate it when he throws Justin out and is such a shit, but my heart breaks for Brian, and I know Justin's does, too. It's the only time I don't struggle with forgiveness, it just flows out of me.
And so I can enjoy that arc, learn a lot about Brian from seeing him break in that way, really get to see a side of him we never see, and it's all guilt-free. Yes, he's a shit, but who wouldn't be?
And of course, it doesn't hurt that Justin finally figures out that what Brian needs is to be yelled at and called an asshole and shoved into bed and force-fed chicken soup. Yay. |
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| who's Michael's? |
[Feb. 24th, 2009|02:23 pm] |
Justin has Daphne
Brian has Lindsay
Ted has Mel
Once might say Emmett has Deb
So who is Michael's hag? I'd say Deb, but I don't think mothers would apply. |
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