#Serena and Bernie’s reactions to men in their live leaving compared to Serena/Bernie leaving is so fascinating to me

[and-to-you-its-just-words]

It’s me, back again for a little chat because I can’t stop thinking about this scene. This one came out a bit longer than expected, forgive me!

I think everyone except Serena (and I guess Robbie) knew that Jason was going to end up living with her when Alan had his stroke. Serena is ride or die for her family and one real look at how unhappy Jason was of course drove Serena to make the offer. I love that she commits herself to it right away; Jason says she doesn’t have the football channel and without missing a beat Serena says she’ll get it - it’s such a casual but pointed way of showing that Serena is in it now. It’s only after Jason brings up Robbie that Serena remembers there is someone else in this situation.

Because here’s the thing: I don’t think Serena really understood what Alan meant when he said Jason needs the people in his life to commit to him seriously until Serena was making the offer and having this conversation with Robbie. Like obviously she understood on some level, but it wasn’t until her nephew was in a very vulnerable position with no one really to help him that Serena realized what that commitment meant. And the moment that she does, she finds herself needing to impress it upon her boyfriend as well because otherwise they won’t work out.

I think when Serena asks Robbie whether he wants them both in his life, she’s genuinely saying it because she now understands what’s needed. And she needs him to understand that too. She is giving him an out, because she knows it’s a lot to ask. BUT! I think that there was a part of Serena that was secretly hoping Robbie would say “I love you, I want to be with you and we can make this work.” Because when he turns her down, she looks devastated. It’s subtle (cheers to Catherine Russell, the Queen of Microexpessions) but it hits you right in the gut. And then of course when she responds to Jason, her voice is so tight, like she doesn’t trust it not to come out sad sounding.

And I don’t think that Robbie is a bad guy. He offers to try and make a go of it even though you can tell he’s upset by the turn of events. He reminds me a bit of Marcus Dunn in the sense that they both take pride in being “the good men.” The difference being that Marcus commits to Bernie for 25 years and Robbie takes the opportunity to leave. I don’t blame Robbie for that, he’s being honest about what he feels he can commit to and what he wants. It’s just terribly unfortunate because I don’t think that Robbie realizes Serena putting out an emotional bid in this moment. She’s not doing it as a test, it’s not a trap. But it doesn’t change the fact that Serena is reaching out, that she wants her partner to meet her bid and be there for her. And he doesn’t.

I could also talk about how Serena doesn’t make the effort to connect physically here with Robbie like she does when she’s about to lose Bernie to Ukraine but that’s a whole other post. Or maybe a fic…