I started watching the show assuming (from pictures and such) that Sydney and C*rmy are the main couple. I didn't even know Richie existed.
But having finished the second season just now, I can't feel anything romantic between Syd and C*rmy. I expected to like them together, even to ship them at least a little. But I just don't.
Syd and Richie on the other hand? Wow.
In season 1, where they absolutely hate each other most of the time, their interactions are already so meaningful:
- The first time that we as viewers see Richie be vulnerable, Syd sees it too.
- His worry whether she is okay after the gunshots. Should be normal between colleagues, but... they used to dislike each other so much...
- When Syd resolves the fight between the gangsters, Richie looks at her in irritation, but also almost... awe? It also makes him actively change at this point already, actively change himself and how he sees certain things.
It's really a testament to the writing of this show, to the complexity of its characters that Richie is such a scumbag in season 1, in some ways saying exactly what you'd expect a guy like him to say, yet he could have been so much worse. He never crosses a certain line. And then in season 2, he becomes so much better.
Their interactions kind of hit me like a freight train - completely unexpected, raw, realistic, extremely emotional, almost forceful.
Thematically, too. The very new one and one of the oldest. At the beginning: always at each other's throats. Fighting, pulling, pushing. Is it possible that they might find peace with each other? Find even more?
The structure of season 2 had the main cast interact less, and since Syd and C*rmy were the ones working most closely together, I was sure that the strange vibes I got between her and Richie would disappear in favour of Syd/C*rmy. But except for the table scene (which I just didn’t read as romantic, more a continuation of Syd's personal arc), there were very few meaningful scenes between Syd and C*rmy.
There weren't many big scenes between Syd and Richie either, but... nobody really expected them to. However, we did get two scenes of weird awkwardness, like they didn’t know how to behave around each other without fighting. (her jumping away when nearly bumping into him! Their weird interaction when she's seeing him in a suit for the first time! "You smell good"?! Wtf? Ultimately it probably means nothing but I can't stop thinking about it!!) And of course the one scene in the last episode, when they are more than amicable colleagues - they are the perfect team without ever training together, same focus, same drive to make things exactly as they should be, helping each other, supporting each other and being impressed by each other.
It's just so weird how Sydrichie completely surprised me. I wouldn't even call it only "chemistry" or something. It's their entire dynamic, the way they made each other madly, almost exaggeratedly emotional in season 1, then went on parallel paths apart from each other - did some soul searching, improved themselves - and ended up as this weirdly perfect force together. I never expected it. I've never seen anything like it.
Right now, I think there's a 50:50 chance that in canon nobody of The Be*r's staff gets romantically involved, or that Syd gets together with M*rcus. No other option is realistic. But I'll be thinking about her with Richie for a good long while.
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how have I never talked about Frypan and Gally before
oh my god I have typed and discarded so many drafts talking about this to the point where I literally forgot that I've never posted something talking about it
listen listen. In the books, Newt tells Thomas that most Gladers take on more than one job. And I always wondered what Frypan did when he wasn't cooking..
and for some reason I figured he'd be a Builder.. He develops his own cooking recipes and loves fiddling around with different ideas, testing out measurements and quantities of ingredients and different flavors etc. etc.
He'd fit right in as a (part-time) Builder
His and Gally's relationship was mostly inspired when I rewatched Maze Runner. Gally storms off, and Frypan grabs his arm and goes, "Gally.." to which Gally shakes him off with, "Nah, Fry." He leaves, and Frypan chases after him. That one single moment implies so much ohmygod-
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